11. Valparaiso Beacons
Roger Powell’s undeterred optimism is pushed to the limits after last season’s break through season. Valparaiso (15-19) doubled its win total over Powell’s first season and made a deep run at Arch Madness.
Then came the portal season. Gone are the Missouri Valley Conference’s last two ‘freshmen of the year’ in Cooper Schwieger and All Wright. Former 17-point-per game scorer Isaiah Stafford missed last season with a knee injury and during the offseason he transferred to Southern Illinois.
Powell is still highly enthusiastic. ‘The Rev’ may semi-quote the Bible saying “the portal giveth the portal taketh away”. Division 1 transfers Isaiah Barnes (Tulsa) and Owen Dease (Texas A&M Corpus Christie) give Valpo two experienced wings with great experience. Each stands 6’7 and averaged over nine-points-per game last season.
While Valpo has seven freshmen on this season’s roster, Powell added experienced players from the so-called ‘lower levels’ of play. Transfers Shon Tupuola and guard Kyonte Thomas had outstanding NAIA careers. The 6’9 Tupuola was a dominant big (14 points and 12 rebounds per game) and Thomas totaled 1,325 career points.
Mark Brown Junior is a top-65 rated junior college guard who averaged 13 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists for Snow College.
Division 2 transfers Brody Whitaker and Tucker Tornatta each come from U Indy. Grad-transfer Whitaker was a 14-point-per game guard and Tornatta is a 6’8 forward who was named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference all-freshman team.
J.T. Pettigrew is another three-star, local player staying close to home.
The Beacons will be a much bigger team this season. While Valpo doesn’t dress any seven-footers, they have eight players standing 6’7 or taller. Only two of those six have ever appeared in a Division1 game. How Valpo’s young bigs adjust to the very physical Missouri Valley Conference will go a long way in determining the Beacons’ success level.