Missouri Valley Conference Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25

No. 10 – Valparaiso Beacons

Second year coach Roger Powell Jr returns reigning ‘Freshman of the Year’ Cooper Schwieger. The preseason all-Valley forward is possibly joined in the Beacons’ starting lineup by point guard Darius DeaVeiro and leading returning scorer Isaiah Stafford. 

Schwieger and DeaVeiro were outstanding last season and should be terrific once again. Stafford is dealing with a knee injury that has greatly limited his ability to practice. His status for the season is still up in the air. 

If Stafford is healthy and productive, Valparaiso could easily be one of the Valley’s top five or six team. 

Division 1 transfers Devon Ellis (Maryland Eastern Shore), Jefferson De La Crus Monegro (Western Michigan) and Louth Coulibaly are key components of this year’s recruiting class. Ellis is one of four Beacons that prepped at highly rated Link Year Academy. The 6’6 wing averaged 11.6 points and 4.4 rebounds. Monegro and Coulibaly are the latest in a long line of Canadian players to play for Valpo.

Monegro is a 6’4 versatile guard. He averaged nearly nine points and over three rebounds and three assists per game. The 6’9 Coulibaly comes from Holy Cross.

Powell signed an outstanding freshman class. Justus McNair and All Wright are the headliners. McNair stared at Chicago’s Joliet High School and Wright competed at Link. Redshirt freshman Carson Schwieger is Cooper’s twin. He redshirted at Wright State last season. 

NAIA star Tyler Schmidt is a local (Valparaiso, Indiana) product. The two-time NAIA, second-team all-American averaged nearly 24 points at Olivet Nazareene. 

They hope to make up for their lack of size with waves of wings and guards. Cooper Schwieger is a legitimate ‘player of the year’ candidate and may be the league’s best forward. At 6’8 he can get to rim and is reliable three-point shooter. 

Powell is laying the foundation for sustained excellence and if Stafford is healthy that success could be this year.