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I can remember a time last year when the Crusaders opened the season 2-0 and had an impressive win over Central Florida. The internet was ablaze of bold predictions of a 20-win season, a possible upset of UNC and a sure sweep of Butler.

When the Crusaders lost to Indianapolis in an exhibition game this season, I was sure that I'd see a FireHomerDrew.com website show up based on the reaction of the message board community. Fast forward two weeks and VU gave the Tar Heels a tough game and suddenly we're comparing an end-of-bench Valparaiso player to one of the best players in the Horizon League.

Thursday night might have splashed a dose of reality across the Valparaiso fan base when the Crusaders lethargically trudged through an opening 20 minutes against IU-South Bend, exerting energy only when yelling at each other on the floor. When Brandon McPherson was a freshman, Valparaiso blew out the Titans by 70 points. On Thursday night, the Crusaders trailed 33-30 at the half, and it could've (and should've) been much worse. Howard Little and Tommy Kurth both knocked down shots in the final 91 seconds to trim the deficit from eight to three. 

In the locker room, Valparaiso coach Homer Drew broke from his norm and switched the lineup entering the second half. Erik Buggs, who was going to be held out of the game due to a nagging leg injury, started the second half despite not playing at all in the opening 20 minutes. While Buggs and Matt Kenney came out for the start, Valparaiso stars McPherson and Brandon Wood had a cold seat next to the coaching staff.

"It was a terrible feeling," McPherson said. "I knew I wasn't playing like I should be playing. Sitting on the bench, knowing I was letting my team down, I wanted to get back out there."

When McPherson made his way back on the floor, he made his presence felt in the way of a personal 14-0 run that was the beginning of a 21-0 Valparaiso run that saw the Crusaders go from down nine to up 12. McPherson hit four 3-pointers during the run.

"He hit the first one, the second one and then he was three-for-three," Drew said. "At that point, you figure you let him get the fourth."

By the time McPherson was done with his shooting display, the Crusaders were firmly in control and order was restored to the universe (and the VU message board).

If there was one development from the game for the future, it came on the subject of Buggs. Earlier in the day, Little tweeted that Buggs was going to miss the game and Little encouraged his teammate to rest his leg. Prior to the start of the game, Buggs was warming up, but the word was that the Memphis native was going to sit.

After the game, Drew praised the sophomore point guard's defensive efforts and mentioned that he inserted Buggs into the game because he wanted a "effort group" that played hard on the defensive end. He then made a curious statement regarding Buggs.

"He has an issue with his leg and we're still evaluating what our options are," Drew said.

When pressed what his issue with the leg was, or what kind of options Drew was talking about, the coach basically repeated himself.

"It's just an issue with his leg and we're still trying to get doctors' opinions now," Drew said.

Ok, so what does that even mean? Time to surmise a bit and put my conspiracy theorist hat on. Tommy Kurth has seemingly moved ahead of Buggs on the depth chart. Granted, both players do different things and they are different types of players, but they're both point guards. What if Buggs, and possibly the coaching staff, are thinking about going their separate ways? Buggs essentially played on a broken leg last season and if the injury is still nagging, perhaps a doctor will give an opinion that he should shut it down for the year. Ok, so then Buggs decides to transfer at the semester, he sits out a year and he could possibly play at another Division I school starting in the second semester next season with two and a half years of eligibility. 

This could sound completely far-fetched, and trust me when I say I have absolutely no information that points in this direction, it's just a theory. Drew was very non-committal about Buggs' injury on Thursday night, possibly because, just as Drew said, they don't know any information. What I do know is that twice already in the young season, Buggs has helped provide a defensive spark that has turned a game around. The Crusaders were trailing by 14 against Ball State and Buggs had a major impact in helping Valparaiso get back in the game. Same with Thursday night's game against IU-South Bend. If Buggs were to leave, I think the Crusaders would miss him more than anyone might realize.

Finally, let me give some kudos to Valparaiso sophomore center Cameron Witt. No, I'm not congratulating him for his two fouls and two turnovers in two minutes on Thursday, but I am giving him kudos for getting back on the floor immediately after the game and working on his shooting. This wasn't like last year, when walkons Andrew Ferry and Nick Shelton would shoot after the game, this was a player clearly frustrated with his performance, knowing he'll have to play 25 minutes a night from time-to-time. I watched Witt drain five straight 3-pointers and he was working well after the housekeeping staff began cleaning the ARC.

Tonight, for the first time in a regular season game, the fans at the Athletics-Recreation Center will get a first-hand look at the player who has scored 55 points in his first two games as Brandon Wood and the Valparaiso men's basketball team take on IU-South Bend in the Crusaders' home opener.

Wood began his career with a 25-point performance in a 88-78 loss at Ball State six days ago. On Sunday, Wood poured in 30 points in a losing effort to North Carolina. Tonight I don't expect Wood to get anywhere close to 30 points or 30 minutes in what should be a blowout at the ARC.

The last time Valparaiso played the Titans, the Crusaders won 111-41, setting a new team record with 36 assists and recording the second-highest margin of victory in program history. Tonight should be a night for the second and third units to pad their stats.

One player who is not expected to play tonight is sophomore Erik Buggs. The Memphis native is dealing with a nagging leg injury. Buggs is currently taking part in warmups and is moving fine, but there is no reason to risk injury against an NAIA school.

It also sounds like we'll see a change in the starting lineup tonight as freshman Ryan Broekhoff is expected to replace junior Michael Rogers in the opening five. Broekhoff scored seven points in 11 minutes against UNC, but frankly, this move might have more to do with Rogers and his start to the season than it does with Broekhoff. Rogers scored six points against Ball State, but was on the bench for much of the second half and the junior only played 20 minutes against the Tar Heels, missing all three shots he attempted. I'd expect to see a strong performance from Rogers tonight as he has to know that his minutes have a giant bullseye on them.

While he won't be in the starting lineup, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of Matt Kenney tonight. The freshman was thrown into the fire against UNC, playing 24 effective minutes and finishing with eight points, three assists and two steals. Sure, the Crusaders missed out on Zack Novak, but they might have gotten the next best thing with Kenney. He's a do-everything player who is always in the right spot at the right time.

I'll be back closer to tip as we set the starting lineups from Valparaiso's home opener against IU-South Bend.

6:55 p.m. -- The lineups are in and Broekhoff is in fact starting in place of Rogers. The rest of the normal lineup includes senior Brandon McPherson, juniors Howard Little and Cory Johnson and sophomore Brandon Wood.

6:58 p.m. -- Time for my prediction. I'm currently 2-1 on the year including both men's and women's games. Should be a blowout tonight, but I don't think Valpo gets to 100. I say VU wins 88-55 and that Brandon Wood will finish with 14 points. I'm also going to guess that we see at least two attempts at an alley-oop. Here we go with the anthem.

7:01 p.m. -- Urule Igbavboa in the house! Welcome home big man.

7:07 p.m. -- The dawn of a new era at the ARC...kind of. Most of the gym, including the chairbacks, stood until Valpo scored their first basket. This is the norm at some schools, but has never been done at Valparaiso. The problem is, the chairback fans really didn't understand the concept and many sat down when Wood hit a free throw to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. I think you can't sit until an actual basket is made.

7:11 p.m. -- Little has four early points as the Crusaders lead 7-5 with 15:48 remaining. Johnson, despite a pulled muscle, has been a beast so far with two points, two rebounds and a block.

7:21 p.m. -- The Crusaders have rattled off a 7-0 run and lead 14-7 with 11:37 remaining. More importantly than the offense has been the defensive pressure that Valparaiso is exhibiting. The players are playing every possession strong and making the Titans work for the entire shot clock.

7:32 p.m. -- Well, I'm throwing my prediction of a 88-55 victory out the window. I forget this was Valparaiso and the Crusaders don't blow anyone out anymore. IUSB is up 19-16 with 7:56 remaining and the Crusaders look absolutely lethargic.

7:39 p.m. -- The Titans have just drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 27-22 lead with 5:03 remaining. An interesting moment happened after a VU basket and assistant coach Bryce Drew was yelling at Rogers down the floor. Once Rogers got set defensively, Bryce shouted at him again, Rogers turned his head and by the time he turned back, his man just hit a 3-pointer. Rogers shot a look of disgust to the Valpo bench.

7:45 p.m. -- This one is getting out of hand in a hurry. IU-South Bend is now up 33-25 with under two minutes remaining. The Crusaders are racing the ball up the floor, taking the first available shot and coming up empty. A truly uninspired performance so far. Little just hit a shot after Valparaiso made a couple of passes and now the Crusaders trail 33-27 with 1:09 remaining in the first half. Two alley-oops have been attempted, one was good and one was an oops.

7:49 p.m. IU-South Bend 33, Valparaiso 30, Halftime. The Crusaders actually closed the half on a 5-0 run. That's the good. The bad is that Valparaiso has 10 turnovers, one more than they had against North Carolina...in the entire game. In 2005, the Crusaders gave up 41 points to IUSB while scoring 111. The Titans have eight points to go to reach their mark while Valparaiso has to score 81 in the second half to keep par. At this point I'll just take VU outscoring IUSB by four in the second half.

8:06 p.m. -- Well things just got interesting at the ARC. Buggs has made his first appearance of the game after multiple people told me he'd be out tonight. Drew starts the second half with Buggs, Kenney, Rogers, Little and Johnson, only two of which started the game. You read correctly that Wood and McPherson are on the bench. Message sent. Message received? I guess we'll find out. 

8:12 p.m. -- For as much as the Crusaders struggled last year during a 9-22 season, I've never seen the players yell at each other as much on the floor as they are tonight. During an defensive set in the first set in the first half, Johnson screamed at Rogers when Mike was out of position. After two quick IUSB baskets, Wood flipped the ball defiantly to McPherson so the senior could inbound the ball. Then during a timeout on the floor, McPherson screamed at Buggs to come to the huddle. It was not a friendly scream. IUSB 43-34 with 15:10 remaining.

8:18 p.m. -- Things have changed here in a hurry as McPherson has drained three consecutive 3-pointers to tie the score at 43. The ARC was rocking even before Johnson took a big-time charge. Of course the Crusaders turned the ball over on the next possession. 43-43 with 13:20 remaining.

8:24 p.m. -- That's now 11 straight points for McPherson as the Crusaders take their first lead since they were up 16-15. Wow, another 3-pointer for McPherson and Valparaiso is up 48-43 with 10:43 remaining. 14 straight points for the senior.

8:29 p.m. -- The run is finally over...at 21-0. McPherson hit a fourth 3-pointer of the stretch and is up to 23 points. Not quite as good as the 26-0 run against Milwaukee last season, but still impressive. Valparaiso up 57-46 with 7:57 remaining.

8:35 p.m. -- McPherson just knocked down another shot while getting fouled. A look to the bench showed all of the Crusader players jumping up and down in approval. Kurth was just shaking his head in amazement. VU up 59-50 with 6:51 remaining.

8:40 p.m. -- The yells of anger have turned into shouts of joy following an impressive two-possession swing. Wood drove to the lane and missed a layup before Johnson came soaring in and followed with a two-handed flush. Buggs then picked up a rebound and threw ahead to Rogers who paused and knocked down a big 3-pointer to give the Crusaders a 66-50 lead with 4:59 remaining. I wonder how that halftime conversation went, and it looks like McPherson received the message with his second-half benching.

8:44 p.m. -- For those scoring at home, the Crusaders are on a 34-7 run over the last 11:09. McPherson has 25 while Johnson has 15 and Wood has 12. Combined, the trio are shooting 17-27 from the floor. That's just four more shots than Wood took in the season opener.

8:50 p.m. -- Broekhoff is off with a bloody nose, and here comes Chris Halvorsen. Fans have been waiting patiently to see the Minnesota native. He played one minute against Ball State and finished with two fouls, but he has yet to touch the ball in his Crusader career. McPherson checks out with a career-high 25 points.

8:54 p.m. -- Valparaiso 78, IU-South Bend 56. Disaster averted at the ARC, and more importantly, I move my prediction record to 3-1 on the season. Absolute dominant performance by McPherson in the second half as the senior went on a 14-0 run and scored 19 of his career-high 25 points in the second 20 minutes.

After the Valparaiso women's basketball team knocked off SIU Edwardsville 64-55 on Wednesday, the Crusaders improved to 2-0 for the first time since Dec. 1, 1985.

Being a bit of a history buff and a statistical freak, I went back in time to see if history did in fact provide any clues. Sure enough, the proof was in the stars (or the cars).

On Dec. 1, 1985, Ford released the Taurus for sale to the public. Sure enough, Valparaiso senior Lauren Kenney was born on April 27, 1988, which puts her astrological sign as a Taurus. So was it really any surprise that Kenney scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to help the Crusaders improve to 2-0 for the first time since Dec. 1, 1985? I think not.

After the game Valparaiso coach Keith Freeman classified Kenney's performance as "unbelievable," but had he just looked at Wikipedia, he could have seen this coming.

Looking into the future, the Crusaders play Colorado State on Sunday, with a chance to move to 3-0 for the first time in school history. The Colorado State mascot is the Ram and on the Zodiac calendar, Aries is known as "The Ram."

It is widely known (or maybe just an astrologer friend of mine told me) that Aries and Taurus are incompatible. Therefore it seems easy to assume that either Kenney, Ashley Varner (April 25) or Rashida Ray (April 29) are going to have a big game against Colorado State. Given that there are three players on Valparaiso's roster that are 3-0, I think it's safe to say that the Crusaders will improve to 3-0. 

Don't question my sanity, question the logic of the stars. All the answers lie above.

After a 86-57 victory over Indiana Tech in the season opener, the Crusaders are hoping for another strong performance against the Cougars, who are coming off a 1-1 split to start the season. SIU-Edwardsville opened with a 67-64 victory over Morehead State, a team that is selected to win the Ohio Valley Conference this season, before falling to Milwaukee 85-60 on Sunday afternoon.

For the Crusaders (1-0), it looks like the 3-pointer will continue to be their popular weapon of choice this season despite graduating 165 of 198 made 3-pointers from last season. Betsy Adams led the way with a career-high 20 points in the season opener, illustrating that her 27-point performance against Indianapolis in the exhibition opener was no fluke. Adams knocked down six 3-pointers and also had six steals in the season opener. 

For as impressive as Adams was in the first game, freshman point guard Skyler Gick got her career off to a good start with 16 points, three assists and two steals. The Benton Central product might not make anyone forget about Agnieszka Kulaga or Launa Hochstetler quite yet, but she is certainly already making a name for herself.

After last Saturday's game, Gick was realistic about her own expectations when she stated that she was still a freshmen and that there will be forgettable games at times. Regardless, she is a joy to watch and fans at the ARC will enjoy following her growth.

While Gick might be the freshman that is drawing rave reviews, it was another freshman, Laura Richards, that drew a start in her first collegiate game. Richards has impressed the coaching staff with her work ethic and ability to push the ball up the floor. I don't think she'll ever be a player to fill up a box score, but she carries with her many of the intangibles that make a good basketball player.

I'll be back closer to tip with the starting lineup as well as my prediction on tonight's game.

6:44 p.m. -- Two games into the season and coach Keith Freeman is already displaying his affinity for various starting lineups. Senior Kelly Peller replaces Ashley Varner in the opening five along with fellow senior Lauren Kenney, junior Kelly Watts, sophomore Betsy Adams and freshman Laura Richards. I wouldn't view this as a demotion for Varner, as the junior will log plenty of minutes tonight. Freeman has already said this season that Varner, Watts and Kenney are all players who should start, but that he'll probably only start two of them on a nightly basis. Looking back at what I just wrote, I do find myself staring in disbelief that Peller is a senior already. I covered her when she was a senior at Chesterton. I'm old.

6:53 p.m. -- The tip is fast approaching and it's now time for me to make my soon-to-be-world famous predictions. My record on the year is 1-1. For review, I stated that the Valparaiso men would beat Ball State and that proved to be incorrect (although I didn't correctly state that Brandon Wood would score 25 in his debut). Last Saturday, I guessed the women would beat Indiana Tech 88-56, and they won 86-57. Tonight I'm going to temper my expectations a bit and say that Valparaiso wins 68-53.

7:11 p.m. -- The play early has been sloppy, but the Crusaders have figured out a way to get the ball in the basket. Betsy Adams has five early points, including a 3-pointer, and Lauren Kenney has two baskets as Valparaiso leads 9-2 with 15:21 remaining. There was an interesting possession in which the Crusaders grabbed four offensive rebounds, but missed all five shots on the possession and came away empty-handed. Richards already has two rebounds, both coming on the offensive end.

7:17 p.m. -- Skyler Gick has entered the game and immediately gotten into the scoring action with four quick points, including an easy layup that came as a result of a steal and assist by Richards. The Crusaders hold an 11-3 rebounding advantage and lead 15-9 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

7:28 p.m. -- The Crusaders are leading 16-13 with 7:52 remaining in the first half, but they are doing everything they can to keep the Cougars in the game. Gick has started to play like a freshman, as evidenced by back-to-back possessions with turnovers. Watts looks like she'd rather be anywhere but on the floor right now as she is getting frustrated with the banging inside and the non-calls from the officials. Watts has four turnovers in the early going. Expect a lot of Kenney and Adams in the final eight minutes of the half.

7:34 p.m. -- A scoring drought of 7:23 has just come to an end as Kenney found an inside basket to give the Crusaders a 18-15 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the half. This is ugly.

7:36 p.m. -- The key number to look at right now is 14. That's the amount of turnovers the Crusaders have through the first 16:29 of the game. Granted they lead 21-17, but this has been tough to watch. Watts leads the team with five turnovers while everyone else that has played has at least one except Kenney and Adams. Valpo finished with 14 turnovers in the season opener.

7:40 p.m. -- With a lineup of Richards, Adams, Farris, Varner and Kenney, the Crusaders have ripped off a 10-0 run to stretch the lead to 28-17 with 81 seconds left in the first half.

7:44 p.m. -- An ugly first half of basketball closes with Valparaiso up 28-20. The Crusaders had 16 turnovers in the first half and Kenney leads the way with 11 points and five rebounds. I don't have much good to say about the first half, so I'm just going to go get some pizza. Oh to be a fly in the locker room for this halftime conversation.

8:07 p.m. -- The talent is starting to overtake the mistakes after the Crusaders have stretched the lead to 38-27 with 16:17 remaining, but more importantly, have not committed a turnover in the second half. Adams connected on a 3-pointer and Watts has scored four quick second-half points. Richards has four assists and three rebounds tonight.

8:22 p.m. -- Adams connects on another 3-pointer and the Crusaders now lead 45-31 with 11:25 left in the contest. Adams and Kenney both have a team-high 14 points.

8:29 p.m. -- Betsy Adams has officially taken over this contest. The sophomore just scored eight straight points in 51 seconds. The Crusaders now lead 53-36 with 8:25 remaining.

8:32 p.m. -- There seems to be a lot of negative energy on the floor right now as the contest has gotten a little chippy. Kenney drove the lane and was fouled by Champlin who then stared down Kenney. Kenney appeared to say something and Champlin got in her face. Kenney responded by smiling and walking to the free throw line where she extended Valparaiso's lead. The senior now has 17 points and 12 rebounds.

8:43 p.m. -- The game has come to a screeching halt as both teams are exchanging fouls each time down the floor. SIUE coach Amanda Levens has already received a warning from the officials and Valparaiso coach Keith Freeman is currently at midcourt pleading with the refs over a foul call. Valparaiso is up 59-49 with 3:31 remaining.

8:49 p.m. -- Gick is sure to draw the ire of Freeman when the team gets into the film room tomorrow. With Valparaiso up 61-53 with just under two minutes remaining, Gick took a wide-open 3-pointer with 24 seconds left on the shot clock. I guarantee that play is revisited tomorrow.

8:54 p.m. -- Valparaiso 64, SIU-Edwardsville 55. Not quite the 68-53 I predicted, but close enough. Back to wrap things up later on tonight.

My plan for Sunday was simple. I was going to walk from my apartment to BW3, where I was sure the game would be on one of the four big screens, and I was hoping I could convince the wait staff to put the Green Bay Packer game on another big screen. Given that the Bears already attempted to play this week and the Colts were playing in the prime time game, I figured this was a reasonable request.

I got into BW3 around 2:15 p.m., searched out a seat that would put me in good view of two of the big screens, and then asked a server that I knew (I'm a bit of a regular) if he could put the games on at 3 p.m. Our exchange went something like this... 

Me: Can you make sure the Packer game is on a big screen next to the Valpo game so I can watch both at the same time?

BW3 server: Uhh, Valpo game?

Me: Yeah, they're playing North Carolina on Fox Sports South. 

BW3 server: Uhh, North Carolina?

Me: Yes. The defending national champions. Are you guys going to have the game on?

BW3 server: Uhh, we weren't planning on it.

Me: Are you kidding me? The campus is less than a half mile from here. 

BW3 server: Uhh, I don't know. 

Needless to say, and nothing against the fine people or food at BW3, I closed out my bill and was off to Buffalouies, where they do in fact have it all, including the VU game as well as the Packers. 

After having to wait out the Alabama/Arkansas women's volleyball match, Fox Sports South joined the game in progress with Valpo trailing 18-12. 

Buffalouies was a great atmosphere to watch the game. There were a large contingent of Valpo fans in attendance, including four members of the women's basketball team, a handful of volleyball players, women's basketball coach Keith Freeman and VU freshman Hrvoje Vucic. 

The place erupted once the game came on, and everytime Valparaiso scored. When the Crusaders came clawing back in the second half, the restaurant was louder than I've heard the Athletics-Recreation Center in five years.

After spending much of the last five years watching VU men's games as a reporter, it was a little tricky watching the game without a stat sheet being handed to me after every timeout (this is why I don't like going to NBA games). I knew that Brandon Wood was hot, but I had no idea that he had 30 points until I saw the box score online. 

Some other statistical tidbits that I found interesting.

* In 83 combined minutes of play, Wood, Brandon McPherson, Erik Buggs and Tommy Kurth had zero assists. In 29 minutes, Cory Johnson had four assists and in 19 minutes, Cameron Witt also had four assists.

* For the second consecutive game, the Crusaders only had nine turnovers. Last year against the Tar Heels, Valparaiso had a season-high 25 turnovers. Furthermore, there were only four occassions last season when the Crusaders had single-digit turnovers and never in back-to-back games against Division I opponents or in the same calendar year. On Dec. 30, Valparaiso turned the ball over nine times against North Park and then on Jan. 3, the Crusaders had just nine miscues against No. 25 Butler.

* For the second straight game, the Crusaders have had two players scored 20 or more points as Wood had 30 and McPherson had 20. Before Friday night, the last time Valparaiso had two 20-point scorers in a game was the double overtime thriller against Miami (Ohio) two seasons ago. I asked Aaron Leavitt, the associate director of sports media relations, the last time Valpo had two players scored 20 in a regulation game and he wasn't sure. I haven't even attempted to ask the last time that VU had back-to-back games of the feat. 

* Valparaiso has given up 88 points in three straight games, two of them in the regular season. The last time the Crusaders gave up the same points in consecutive games was in 2008 when Valparaiso defeated Green Bay 75-67 in the first round of the Horizon League tournament and then knocked off Wright State 72-67 in the quarterfinals. The last time that the Crusaders surrendered the same amount of points in back-to-back losses was in 1990 when Valparaiso lost to Eastern Washington 77-66 on Nov. 24 and 77-51 to Evansville on Dec. 1. Is it even more interesting that 88 and 77 are both comprised of identical numbers, or do I just have too much time on my hands? For the record, there has never been a time in program history that the Crusaders have lost three consecutive games while giving up the same number of points. Sure, the exhibition game doesn't count in real standings, but we all just witnessed a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. 

So opening weekend is in the books and the Crusaders are sitting at 0-2. I can't say that I'm surprised at the results, but I am surprised with the way the team has played. Time will tell how good Ball State will end up being (same with UNC I suppose). For now, I'll look at the loss to the Cardinals much like I look at the Green Bay's loss to the Bengals earlier this season. At the time it looked like a bad loss to a team that didn't have a whole lot of expectations. Fast forward to Week 10 and Cincinnati has swept Baltimore and Pittsburgh, so suddenly Green Bay's loss doesn't look so bad. If Ball State continues to play well, then it's a tough loss on the road against a good team. If the Cardinals falter, then maybe it's a different story. 

The Crusaders should have no trouble with IU-South Bend on Thursday night and then comes a trip to Michigan State. I think the Spartans will play Valparaiso much tougher than UNC did, simply because Tom Izzo always has his team ready when MSU is playing schools not named Grand Valley State. After that comes the trip to Georgia and if the VU that played on Sunday afternoon shows up, there is no reason that "tournament" can't be a three-game sweep. 

That's all for now. I'll be back later in the week with a health update and anything else that might be happening around the ARC.

After splitting a pair of exhibition games, tonight will be the first official action for Skyler Gick, Laura Richards, Gina Lange and Raegan Moore, as well as the Valparaiso debut for Kelly Watts (E.C. Central) and the return of Kelly Peller (Chesterton).

The Warriors (0-2) shouldn't provide much of a challenge tonight. The NAIA team lost 80-63 to Northwestern Ohio on Nov. 7 and then fell 82-72 to Goshen on Nov. 11. Indiana Tech has outscored opponents 66-65 in the first half, but have fell behind 97-69 in the second.

Tonight will continue to be more about the Crusaders finding some consistency in their lineup with their youthful players. Senior Lauren Kenney will return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a violation of team rules and she will start along juniors Ashley Varner and Kelly Watts in the frontcourt. Sophomore Betsy Adams and freshman Laura Richards will start in the backcourt.

Looking at the career numbers, Kenney started 15 games in her only season with the Crusaders while Varner has started 14 games in her first two seasons. Adams will be making her first career start in two years while Watts and Richards are starting in their debuts. Whitney Farris comes into the season as the active leader in career starts with 20.

For Indiana Tech, Merrillville product Latoya Noble makes her return to Northwest Indiana. Noble was All-DAC in 2007 and is Merrillville's all-time leader in steals, assists and free throw percentage. Also on the roster is Julie Stetzel, who teamed with Valparaiso senior Sylwia Zabielewicz at Midland College in Texas two years ago.

Tip is coming in a little more than 20 minutes. I'll return as we get closer with my prediction and key to the game. 

7:11 p.m. -- Not exactly the start coach Keith Freeman was looking for as the Crusaders missed their first five shots and are 1-8 from the field. Still, Valparaiso leads 8-5 with 15:50 remaining in the first half on the strength of five perfect free throws from Ashley Varner. The junior was a 51 percent shooter from the charity stripe last season, but hasn't flinched so far tonight. The Crusaders are 1-6 from beyond the arc. So much for the 78.6 percent from the other night.

7:21 p.m. -- The Crusaders have extended their lead to 16-11 with 11:17 remaining, but if they were playing a Division I team, they'd be losing by double digits at this point. Valparaiso is 5-15 from the field and 1-7 from beyond the arc. They have struggled to get into their offense and four of their baskets have come in the paint against the much-smaller Warriors. Freeman has played ten players already and Gick and Richards have both struggled in the early going.

7:29 p.m. -- Ok, so maybe the Crusaders can hit 3-pointers. The percentage may be lacking at 36.4, but Adams has knocked down three long distance shots and Varner has added one to give VU a 26-13 lead with 7:30 left in the first half. Adams is leading the way with nine points and Varner has eight. Both players enter the game with a career-high of 14.

7:38 p.m. -- Kelly Watts took over the game with five straight points during a 12-0 run that has VU up 33-19 with 3:35 remaining. The E.C. Central product stole the ball, went the length of the floor and slid in a layup after knocking down a free throw. On the next defensive possession, Watts caught a loose ball like a wide receiver and ran the court to finish. Very athletic moves from the Eastern Michigan transfer.

7:49 p.m. -- After a somewhat sloppy first half, the Crusaders lead 40-28. Adams is leading the way with 11 points while Varner has eight and Watts has six. In a odd looking stat, the Crusaders are shooting 12-34 from the field for 35.3 percent. From beyond the arc, Valparaiso is shooting 4-17 for 23.5 percent. Not good. Adams also has three steals.

8:04 p.m. -- As we get ready to start the second half, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite addition to the ARC this season. Gore-Made Cookies. They are chocolate chip cookies made by Cheryl Gore, the wife of VU men's assistant coach Luke Gore. They are available at the concession stand and they are to die for. Check out more info at goremadefoods.com

8:12 p.m. -- The sloppy play has continued a bit into the second half as the Crusaders lead 45-33 with 15:54 remaining. Adams has matched her career-high with 14 points after knocking down her fourth 3-pointer of the night. The sophomore also has four steals. Noble is leading the Warriors with seven points.

8:19 p.m. -- Gick just put a big smile on Keith Freeman's face with an superb play. The freshman picked up a loose ball near and drove the lane and as she went in the air, she contorted her body a bit to try and pick up the foul as she made an easy layup. She didn't get the whistle, but the play was a sign of sheer athleticism that Freeman approved of. Valparaiso is up 53-37 with 13:26 remaining.

8:24 p.m. -- The Crusaders are running away with this one now as the lead has been extended to 58-39 with 11:41 remaining. Kenney has gotten into the act with a couple of easy baskets off good passing and now has 10 points to go along with four rebounds. Varner is also in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds. Adams is now up to 17 and has five 3-pointers.

8:34 p.m. -- It's turned into the Betsy Adams Show tonight as the sophomore has 20 points off six 3-pointers as well as six steals. She is three 3-pointers away from tying the school mark for triples in a game and two steals away from equaling the record for most swipes. Of course Freeman has now taken her out of the game.

8:44 p.m. -- I'm not one to brag, but last night I correctly predicted that Brandon Wood would score 25 points in his debut for the Valparaiso men's team. Tonight I predicted the women would win 88-56. With 3:35 remaining, Valparaiso is up 79-53. We're getting close!

8:53 p.m. -- Valparaiso 86, Indiana Tech 57. Two points short on one and one point over on the other. I'll take it. My season record improves to 1-1 and the Crusaders are 1-0! Back with more after the press conference.

The sophomore guard had 25 points and five rebounds on 9-23 shooting from the field and 4-4 from the charity stripe. Cory Johnson also equaled Tony Falu's mark for most amount of minutes in a debut with 35.

Here is a list of notable/recent players and their Valparaiso debuts in the post-Bryce Drew era.(Apologies for omissions of Milo Stovall, Raitis Grafs and Kikas Gomes...I'm working on them)

Lubos Barton (Nov. 7, 1998 vs. South Carolina) 27 points *Starter*

Tony Falu (Nov. 16, 2001 vs. Purdue) 21 points on 20 shots, five turnovers in 35 minutes *Starter*

Ali Berdiel (Nov. 16, 2001 vs. Purdue) four points, four assists in 13 minutes; key turnover in closing moments of the game

Dan Oppland (Nov. 24, 2002 vs. Syracuse) four points, two steals in 18 minutes

Ron Howard (Nov. 21, 2003 vs. Arkansas-Monticello) four points, three fouls and two turnovers in 15 minutes *Starter*

Moussa Mbaye (Nov. 21, 2003 vs. Arkansas-Monticello) two points, two rebounds, two steals in six minutes

Kenny Harris (Nov. 21, 2003 vs. Arkansas-Monticello) six points, two fouls in 12 minutes

Jimmie Miles (Nov. 21, 2003 vs. Arkansas-Monticello) seven points, three assists, two rebounds in 24 minutes

Shawn Huff (Nov. 19, 2004 vs. Cincinnati) eight points, three rebounds in 22 minutes

Jarryd Loyd (Nov. 19, 2004 vs. Cincinnati) 0 points, one turnover in three minutes

Mohammed Kone (Nov. 23, 2005 vs. IPFW) 15 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and six turnovers in 32 minutes *Starter*

Urule Igbavboa (Nov. 23, 2005 vs. IPFW) 0 points, one rebound in five minutes

Brandon McPherson (Nov. 23, 2005 vs. IPFW) 0 points, one steal in four minutes

Jake Diebler (Nov. 28, 2005 vs. IU-South Bend) four points, two assists in seven minutes

Calum Macleod (Nov. 11, 2006 vs. Calumet) 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes *Starter*

Keaton Fyre (Nov. 11, 2006 vs. Calumet) four points in 11 minutes

Samuel Haanpaa (Nov. 13, 2006 vs. IPFW) 0 points, one rebound, two assists, 0-1 from 3-point in nine minutes

Michael Rogers (Nov. 12, 2007 vs. Grace) two points, two rebounds, two fouls in 10 minutes

Howard Little (Nov. 12, 2007 vs. Grace) three points, five rebounds in 16 minutes

Bryan Bouchie (Nov. 12, 2007 vs. Grace) 11 points, four rebounds in 12 minutes

Erik Buggs (Nov. 8, 2008 vs. Elmhurst) four points, three assists, four steals, four turnovers in 20 minutes *Starter*

Benjamin Fumey (Nov. 8, 2008 vs. Elmhurst) 13 points, three rebounds in 15 minutes

De'Andre Haskins (Nov. 8, 2008 vs. Elmhurst) 15 points, two rebounds in 22 minutes

Cameron Witt (Nov. 8, 2008 vs. Elmhurst) five points, four rebounds in 11 minutes

Logan Jones (Nov. 8, 2008 vs. Elmhurst) six points, three assists, three turnovers, four fouls in 22 minutes

Cory Johnson (Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Ball State) 21 points, nine rebounds, three steals in 35 minutes *Starter*

Brandon Wood (Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Ball State) 25 points, five rebounds, three turnovers in 30 minutes *Starter*

Tommy Kurth (Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Ball State) 0 points, five assists, two steals in 21 minutes

Matt Kenney (Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Ball State) two points, two rebounds, two assists, four fouls in 20 minutes

Ryan Broekhoff (Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Ball State) three points, one block, one steal, 1-3 from 3-point in nine minutes

Chris Halvorsen (Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Ball State) two fouls in one minute

My main sentiment from this game is that this is the Brandon Wood and the Cory Johnson that we thought we'd be getting, not the ones we saw in the Indianapolis game. That being said, where was Brandon McPherson for the first 30 minutes of the game and where was Michael Rogers tonight?

Perhaps once Valparaiso coach Homer Drew realized that Johnson and Rogers couldn't stop Jarrod Jones and Malik Perry together, he decided to go small and play a lot of sets with McPherson, Wood and Erik Buggs/Tommy Kurth together. Ball State coach Billy Taylor even commented after the game that because Valpo went small, the Cardinals were forced to play a smaller lineup. 

Looking at the scoring line for Rogers: six points, 2-3 FG, 2-2 FT, two defensive rebounds, one assist, one steal in 12 minutes...it makes me wonder if his minutes were sacrificed to try to force Ball State into a smaller lineup.

Johnson looked very similar to Dan Oppland tonight and after what I saw this evening, I'd take Johnson over Urule Igbavboa. He was tenacious on the offensive glass, grabbing four boards on Valparaiso's side of the court. He followed his shots, was able to finish his putbacks and even had three steals.

In terms of Wood's performance, the numbers are there, but so are the three turnovers. Each products of him dribbling the ball for too long in certain spots. I made a note in the live blog as well as my print version that the most shots attempted in a game by a single player last year was 15. Wood had 23 tonight and Johnson had 14. My thought is that if Wood is going to score 25 a night, he can have the 23 shots. He was also a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.

In terms of the freshmen production, had you told me that Kurth and Kenney (41 minutes) would have had more playing time than Little and Rogers (32 minutes), I would've laughed at you. Kurth missed all three of his 3-pointers, even throwing up a horrible wide-open airball, but the Penn product had five assists and didn't turn the ball over (unless you count the airball as a bad pass). Kenney was aggressive from the moment he came on the floor till the moment he left and finished with two points, two assists, two rebounds and one steal. He will develop more over time. 

Ryan Broekhoff missed his first 3-pointer, knocked down his second and then missed his next two, including another tough airball. He played nine minutes and will no doubt get more time as the season goes on. Kenney and Kurth looked more advanced than Broekhoff, but you can guarantee there will be games that he will be counted on to score. Finally, Chris Halvorsen came in for a minute and he was really just in the game to foul.

Before I get to my final topic, I have to point out that Ball State shot 48 free throws off 30 fouls from Valparaiso and after the game, members of the "Ball State media" had the nerve to say that the officials didn't call the game fairly for Ball State. One guy actually argued with me that the officials let way too much go as far as Valparaiso was concerned. I guess some people will never be happy.

My final point is on the play of Erik Buggs. Over the last week I started to hear rumblings that Kurth passed up Buggs in the rotation and that the sophomore wasn't going to play much. When the game started, Buggs was seated at the end of the bench with walk-on Nick Shelton and sure enough, Kurth got the call before Buggs did. I was anxious to see how Buggs would play when, and if, he got in.

Buggs came in with 10:12 remaining and the Crusaders were down 13. Immediately the deficit got trimmed to eight. When Buggs reentered the game late in the first half, Valpo was down nine and by the time the half ended, the Crusaders were down just four.

Buggs stepped up the defensive intensity and was lauded by Drew after the game. Drew thought enough of Buggs' performance to change his starting lineup in the second half, something that he rarely does, and start Buggs over Little. Buggs ultimately only played 12 minutes before fouling out and his line (one assist, one turnover, one steal) doesn't look like much, but he was the key to Valparaiso getting back in the game after trailing by 14 points.

That's all from Muncie. Tomorrow I'll check in from Brown Field as the Crusader football team attempts to garner their first home win of the season and then I'll be live blogging from the VU women's season opener against Indiana Tech. Then maybe I'll see you at Buffalouie's for the North Carolina game on Sunday.

Greetings from John E. Worthen Arena as the Crusaders prepare to open their season against Ball State.

Tonight is the beginning of what Homer Drew and the Valparaiso coaching staff hope is a revitalization of the program after a disappointing 9-22 season last year. 

There is plenty of reason for hope and it starts at the top with fifth-year senior (and four-year captain) Brandon McPherson. The Indianapolis native is back after sitting out most of last season because of knee surgery and is expected to lead the team in every facet.

A year after the Crusaders struggled to field an entire lineup of scholarship players on some nights, depth is expected to be a major asset for Drew's squad. Iowa State transfer Cory Johnson and Southern Illinois/JUCO transfer Brandon Wood are expected to join McPherson and juniors Howard Little and Michael Rogers in the starting lineup.

The second unit will be led by a number of freshmen, including Indiana All-Star Matt Kenney and Penn product Tommy Kurth. Kurth has impressed the coaching staff and his teammates with his decision-making ability in the preseason and could cut into the minutes of sophomore Erik Buggs. This will be one of the position battles to watch out for tonight. 

Another player who I'll have my eye on is freshman Ryan Broekhoff. The Australian native missed a number of practices and the Chicago State scrimmage because of flu-like symptoms and has only recently returned to practice. After scoring eight points in 16 minutes against Indianapolis on Nov. 1, it will be interesting to see how Broekhoff's game translates to the Division I level.

Cameron Witt is also expected to be a leader in the second unit and he will more than likely spell Johnson off the bench. The two other post players on the roster, Chris Halvorsen and Milos Milosevic, appear to be a bit behind the rest of their teammates. Milosevic has had a number of injuries to deal with in the preseason and Halvorsen is adjusting to playing in the post after spending much of his high school career playing outside the paint. Croatian native Hrvoje Vucic is not with the team on the trip, almost a guarantee that he will redshirt this season.

The teams are out on the floor warming up and Drew just stopped by to confirm that McPherson, Wood, Rogers, Little and Johnson will be the starting lineup. He is excited for the season to start and thinks tonight is going to be an entertaining basketball game.

I'll be back closer to tip to give my final thoughts, as well as my prediction for Valparaiso's season-opener.

5:35 p.m. -- Just had a good exchange with Ball State play-by-play announcer Morry Mannies. Mannies is starting his 54th season of calling Cardinals basketball games. He claims to be 71, which would mean he was 17 when he started broadcasting. If you do the math there, it would be easy to figure that Mannies could have broadcast games for a grandfather, father and son. Wow. Mannies explained that he has been to "every place in the country 100 times," and then he told a story about a game Ball State played at Valparaiso in the mid-90's which involved a Cardinals coach ripping a urinal out of the wall. Hilarious stuff from a truly great broadcaster.

5:51 p.m. -- The Cardinals have announced their starting lineup. Michigan City product and MAC Freshman of the Year Jarrod Jones starts in the middle in addition to junior Malik Perry and senior Terrence Watson in the frontcourt. Sophomore Randy Davis will start in the backcourt along with freshman Jauwan Scaife, who is related to former BSU great Bonzi Wells. Jones was highly recruited by Valparaiso during his junior and senior years, but a torn ACL ultimately sidelined him and he decided to sign with the Cardinals. While he might not be on the same "one that got away" level as Michigan sophomore Zack Novak, it will be especially painful if Jones contributes to a Ball State victory tonight. 

5:57 p.m. -- The Crusaders are out on the court in their new shiny Nike uniforms. The road uniforms are all yellow with black trim, coupled with white shooting shirts that have a mixture of yellow to them. A number of the players have cut their hair down, including freshman Matt Kenney, who has brought down his shaggy locks. Ryan Broekhoff didn't touch his hair and Cameron Witt still has his curls, but mostly everyone else has very short hair. This could've never happened in the Urule Igbavboa era.

6:04 p.m. -- Tip is just moments away. Talking to the Valparaiso coaching staff today, you can really feel their energy and excitement. The players have had a bounce in their step today. I'm not sure if that will translate into anything, but I'll drink the Valpo Kool-Aid today. My prediction...Valparaiso 73, Ball State 67. I'll say that Brandon Wood leads all scorers with 25 points. You read it here first.

6:14 p.m. -- Not exactly the start that the Crusaders were looking for. With 15:02 remaining in the first half, Ball State has raced out to a 14-3 lead. Brawley Chisholm has knocked down two 3-pointers off the bench and Malik Perry scored the first four points of the game inside. Cory Johnson has all three points for the Crusaders.

6:17 p.m. -- Johnson has added two more inside baskets and the Crusaders have pulled with nine at 16-7 with 13:44 remaining. In the early going, Witt, Kenney and Kurth have come off the bench and Broekhoff is ready to check in. We still have not seen Buggs, Halvorsen or Milosevic. In the first four minutes of the game, the Crusaders failed to generate any points off set offensive plays, but have done so in the last two possessions. The Cardinals are bigger inside and have taken advantage of two screens to get their 3-pointers. Kurth, Kenney and Broekhoff on the floor with McPherson and Witt.

6:23 p.m. -- With 10:12 remaining in the first half, the Crusaders are trailing 23-10. After seven points to open the game from Johnson, Valparaiso has started shooting the long ball. Broekhoff is 1-3 on 3-pointers, including a wide-open air ball that I'm sure he'll hear about from the Ball State faithful all night. Even Witt got into the act, shooting a 3 early in the shot clock. The Cardinals are shooting 10-15 from the field while the Crusaders are struggling at 28.6 percent and 16.7 from the arc. Buggs is now in the game.

6:28 p.m. -- Buggs and Rogers check in the game and immediately the defensive intensity gets raised a level. The Crusaders have the lead down to 25-17 with 7:53 remaining off another basket by Johnson (nine points) and five straight points from Brandon Wood. The Crusaders are up to 38.9 percent shooting. The issue is still interior defense where Perry has eight points for the Cardinals. Interesting that Howard Little has been quiet tonight. Setting the lineup, Buggs, McPherson, Wood, Johnson and Rogers.

6:42 p.m. -- We've had some slight techical delays.

6:56 p.m. -- We're at halftime where Ball State leads Valparaiso 42-38. The first half was as frustrating for the Crusaders as it was for me to diagnose this wireless internet problem. In the end, it seems everything has worked out.

Brandon Wood leads the way with 17 points while Cory Johnson has 11 points. Wood completely took over the game in the latter stages of the first half and is 6-10 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc. McPherson hasn't scored, but has four assists to go with two fouls. Little and Broekhoff have both knocked down 3-pointers and Rogers has four points and that rounds out the scoring. Malik Perry has 12 points for Ball State and he hasn't missed from the field.

I have to hand it to Valpo for coming back in the game. They were down by as many as 14 at one point and have closed the deficit to four at the break. Credit Buggs for stepping up the defensive intensity. Valpo is now shooting 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc after being at 28 and 16 earlier in the half. Ball State is still shooting 64 percent from the field, so you'd expect that number to fall a bit in the second half. Should be an interesting close to the game.

7:08 p.m. -- Keys to the second half...McPherson needs to become more involved with the game. Interior defense also needs to step up. Interesting that Buggs, the last player off the bench, starts the second half in place of Little. What can I say, he earned it. 

7:11 p.m. -- Wood with a turnover to start the half, his third of the game, and then McPherson draws contact but gets no call. Ball State is up 44-38 and you have the feeling that Valpo is right there. Looking at the minutes dispersal from the first half, Ball State had eight guys playing in a range of 10-14 minutes. Valparaiso played 10 guys in the range of 5-16 minutes. Johnson (16), McPherson (15), Wood (14) and Witt (10) played the most minutes. Also notable, Kurth had three assists in nine minutes.

7:17 p.m. -- Crusaders get the ball off a rebound and Johnson scores again and now has 15 points off 6-8 shooting. This is what we expected from Wood and Johnson, with a combined 32 points. Valpo down 46-45 with 16:27 remaining and a BSU timeout.

7:20 p.m. -- These officials are really in early season form. I write that as an objective observer, because guards from both teams are being hammered as they drive in the lane, but the post players are getting calls for barely any contact. On the last call, Johnson screamed in frustration after he was whistled for a foul. BSU up 47-45 with 15:29 remaining and Watson is at the line.

7:38 p.m. -- Wood is up to 21 points and Johnson has 19, but for every basket the Crusaders score, Ball State is coming back with a basket and a free throw. The Cardinals are up 64-57 with 8:36 remaining. Jones has 17 points and Perry has 16 off a perfect 6-6 shooting night.

7:40 p.m. -- Buggs fouls out with his fifth and the Cardinals are back on the line. BSU has shot 26 free throws tonight to Valparaiso's 12.

7:41 p.m. -- The Cardinals have stretched the lead back to nine with 7:31 remaining as BSU is up 68-59. On the floor right now are five players who didn't (really) play for the Crusaders last year. McPherson, Johnson, Kenney, Kurth and Broekhoff. McPherson has yet to score tonight. 

7:51 p.m. -- As this game goes on, it looks apparent that Valparaiso might come up short, but I think there is plenty of good to take from this. Wood adds a dynamic scorer that the Crusaders haven't had in quite some time and Johnson offers an inside offensive presence that has been missing since Dan Oppland graduated. Johnson has 21 points and eight rebounds and is heading to the free throw line down 73-62 with 3:59 remaining. McPherson missed a free throw, BSU got the rebound and Johnson stripped the ball away and was immediately fouled. I'll call him a junkyard dog the way he plays. The disappointment tonight has been the play of McPherson, but I suppose with the year-long hype all the media have given him, how could he possibly live up to those lofty expectations?

7:55 p.m. -- Ball State is up 73-64 with 3:27 remaining. Now is the time to see who rises up in the clutch. Is Wood the kind of player who can score when the game is on the line? Will McPherson defer to Wood? Lineup is Wood, McPherson, Little, Kenney and Johnson.

8:04 p.m. -- We're playing the free throw game now as the Crusaders are trying to claw their way back in. Chris Halvorsen is checking in, probably to soak up some fouls as Howard Little has just fouled out. It's 79-68 with 1:43 remaining. Milos Milosevic is the only scholarship player on the roster who hasn't played.

8:06 p.m. -- Wood just knocked down a shot on his 21st attempt of the night. The season high for attempts last season was 15 on three different occasions. Wood's 23 points would've been the third-highest total last season.

8:11 p.m. -- McPherson has come alive with 11 second-half points as the Crusaders trail just 84-76 with 53.6 seconds remaining. The senior just drilled a 3-pointer. This could get interesting if the Cardinals continue to miss their free throws (28/42 for 66.7 percent).

8:18 p.m. -- Ball State 88, Valparaiso 78. More to come after the press conference.

Two years ago, the Crusaders gave up two goals in the first 11 minutes before falling 2-1 to Wright State in coach Mike Avery's first season at Valparaiso.

Last year, Lake Central product Eric Gehrig found the back of the net twice within the first 13 minutes as Loyola knocked off Valparaiso 4-1.

After each match, Avery was sincere when he told me that his club would be back to work on the following Monday, to get better for the next season. Following last year's loss to the Ramblers, Avery told me that "the lesson is that maybe we need to play better during the regular season so we can host these games."

In Valparaiso's first two years in the Horizon League, making the conference tournament was a given. Each team played on in the postseason, regardless of regular season finish. The Crusaders were seeded seventh in 2007 and eighth last year. Before the 2009 season began, the Horizon League decided that only six teams would qualify for the conference tournament.

The chance at hosting a conference tournament game became all the more difficult. Instead of the top six teams hosting games, only the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds would host a first round game this season while the No. 1 seed would host the semifinals and finals.

Despite the decreased odds in hosting a game, there I was on Tuesday afternoon, sitting in the press box at Brown Field watching the No. 3 Crusaders taking on No. 6 Milwaukee.

Avery and his squad earned the home game because of a record-breaking season.

For some perspective, the Valparaiso men's soccer program has been in existence since 1983. Entering this season, the Crusaders have had just one winning season (1987 9-6-1) and have won just two conference tournament matches, both in 1996 when the 6-13-3 Crusaders defeated Howard (2-1) and Central Connecticut State (4-2) in the Mid-Continent Conference tournament. 

With 25 years of results stacked against the Crusaders, the squad opened the year with two near-misses that would've easily qualified as some of the biggest wins in school history.

On Sept. 6, the Crusaders carried a 1-0 lead midway through the second half at home against No. 22 Michigan when the Wolverines rattled off two goals in under two minutes.

Two days later, after a long flight, Valparaiso nearly shocked No. 8 South Florida, taking the Bulls to overtime before falling 1-0.

The Crusaders responded with wins in three of the next four matches and only suffered back-to-back losses once more on the way to finishing the regular season 9-6-2 and earning that elusive home conference tournament match.

Much has already been written about the unfortunate altercation between Valparaiso, Milwaukee and a group of fans on Tuesday, but it should not take away from the magnitude of Valparaiso's 4-0 victory.

Coming into the match, the Crusaders had scored two goals six times during the regular season and tallied three goals just one time. The last time Valparaiso scored four goals in a match was on Aug. 27, 2006 in a 5-4 double overtime win to Evansville.

In three short years, Avery has completely revolutionized the Valparaiso program. When the current senior class were freshmen in 2006 (Mis Mrak's final season), the size of the roster was at 20 and there were two coaches. This year, the VUMSO program has 43 players, a head coach, two assistant coaches, a volunteer assistant and a director of soccer operations.

The Crusaders are two matches away from realizing their dream of a conference title and a berth in the NCAA tournament. The next step comes against Green Bay on Friday morning in Indianapolis. Valparaiso already has a 3-2 overtime win over the Phoenix this season. If Avery's squad can advance to the championship match, they'll be facing the winner of Butler/Cleveland State.

Interesting to note is that Loyola, the two-time defending Horizon League tournament champions, didn't even qualify for the tournament, and UIC, which reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament last year, has already been eliminated from the conference tournament.

I'm going to attempt to give some context before I jump into what happened during the Horizon League men's soccer match between No. 3 Valparaiso and No. 6 Milwaukee in the first round of the conference tournament. 

The Crusaders and Panthers have played three times since Valparaiso joined the Horizon League in the fall of 2007. The teams played to a 1-1 tie in 2007 and then last year, the Panthers came back from a 2-0 deficit and tied the match with 54 seconds remaining to force overtime, which ultimately resulted in a 2-2 tie. In that match, which was held at Eastgate Field, the officials gave out eight yellow cards (four each) and two red cards.

Earlier this season, the Crusaders earned their first victory over Milwaukee in four attempts with a 1-0 triumph in Wisconsin. Valparaiso escaped with a win by virtue of a Milwaukee defender knocking in an own goal with less than 15 minutes remaining in the match.

Looking at Tuesday's match, play was physical from the beginning of the contest and the Panthers earned two yellow cards in the first 52 minutes of play, the second of which led to a penalty kick that Zack Stivers took and scored on a rebound to give Valparaiso a 2-0 lead.

While the two yellow cards had been called, the most egregious foul was not called. At the end of the first half, Valparaiso junior Stefan Antonijevic was mugged from behind in clear view of an official, but no whistle was blown. In the 52nd minute, the Milwaukee yellow card came on a result of Antonijevic being fouled inside the box. At that point, several of us in the press box joked that the foul was only the "fifth-worst thing that had happened to Antonijevic during the match," meaning that he was constantly being driven to the ground by the Milwaukee players, even being forced out of the match early in the first half because of an injury sustained after a Milwaukee hit. 

Shortly after Stivers scored, the ball was kicked back into Milwaukee territory where Valparaiso senior Steve Shively and a Milwaukee defender got tangled up. Shively was shoved in the back and took a nasty spill (and this is important) off the field towards the Milwaukee goal.

Antonijevic was trailing on the play and he went sprinting towards Shively, in theory to see if the senior was hurt. On the way towards Shively, Antonijevic and another Milwaukee defender (different player than the one who shoved Shively) started shoving each other.

I haven't seen a video replay of the fight, so I can't be sure who threw the first punch, but Antonijevic and the Milwaukee player (assuming Josh Barnes, as he was the one who was ejected) started throwing punches. Unfortunately, this spilled off the field, in the direction of Shively, and right into the teeth of the Valparaiso student section, which was largely comprised of men's soccer reserve team players.

Many of the fans, more than likely thinking like fellow soccer players instead of bystanders, charged into the fray, which was growing by the moment as more Valparaiso (varsity) and Milwaukee players charged down the field.

Mayhem broke out as some players and fans were trying to break up the fight while others were escalating the situation. Again, without the benefit of video replay, I can't tell you who hit who first, but I definitely saw a Milwaukee player connect on a punch to a Valparaiso fan and a Valparaiso fan land a kick to a Milwaukee player who was on the ground.

At this point, three head coaches from other Valparaiso athletic teams sprinted around the field and helped to break up the fight. I have to give major credit to Valparaiso men's soccer assistant coach Jeff Oleck for moving all of the Valparaiso fans away from the field.

Cooler heads prevailed after several tense minutes and both teams held conferences on the field as Antonijevic and Barnes were ejected.

As the players moved back to their benches, Horizon League officials talked with Valparaiso administrators on the sidelines and order was ultimately restored.

From an on-the-field standpoint, the Crusaders are going to lose Antonijevic for Friday's semifinal match with Green Bay. That is a huge loss. The Marquette transfer has two goals and an assist this season and is one of just three players who has started all 18 matches. A Horizon League administrator told me that there is a possibility that the conference could look at the tapes from the incident to see if anyone else should be reprimanded.

From an off-the-field standpoint, I think this was a situation, that had it happened anywhere else on the field, wouldn't have been nearly as problematic. Yes, Shively was driven to the ground, and yes, Antonijevic ran over, perhaps looking to help his teammate, or perhaps looking to take out his frustration after being hounded throughout the match. That being said, the situation got out of control when the first punch was thrown between the players and the fans ran onto the field. Whether or not the fans were in fact members of the men's soccer reserve team should not give them the right to come onto the field.

Throughout the season, the reserve team, along with other fervent Valparaiso soccer fans, have been standing beyond the opposing teams goal. This is no different than professional soccer, in terms of the fans trying to get into the head of the opposing keeper. There hasn't been a problem until today.

Again, and I have to stress this, I haven't seen a replay of the altercation, so I can't be sure as to what punches were thrown first, but it's my belief that the fans ran onto the field with the best intentions: to help quell the brawl between Antonijevic and the Milwaukee player. Once I saw a Milwaukee player throw a punch at a Valparaiso fan, that's when the fight escalated and things really got out of control.

While there wasn't any uniformed security in the immediate proximity to the fight, I have to give major credit to members of the Valparaiso athletic department for acting in a quick fashion to help defuse the situation as soon as possible.

I'd write more, but the more I think about this, the more speechless I become. Wow.

Valparaiso coach Homer Drew immediately offered up a no comment when I asked him about the scrimmage, but his answer had more to do with NCAA rules than it did the outcome. (Message board rumors state that the Crusaders won 72-54).

For clarification, the NCAA stipulates that teams can't participate in exhibition contests against other Division I teams or teams made up of former collegiate players. In years past, clubs such as Marathon Oil would send regional all-star teams all over the country to play teams. There were times when VU alums would play on these teams against the Crusaders.

The latest trend in college basketball is that Division I teams will hold a closed scrimmage with each other. Marquette and Virgina did so this year and Valparaiso has done so in the past with Northwestern. The catch is that fans (and media) aren't allowed in the building.

Try as I may, I couldn't get anyone to give me details about the scrimmage other than someone telling me that freshman guard Tommy Kurth was a bright spot.

While it would be nice to know how the scrimmage went, I'm going to settle for Friday night when the Crusaders travel to Ball State. I'll be there, anxious to see how this season starts to unfold.

Coming into tonight, I felt that Valparaiso's biggest concern this season was going to be perimeter shooting. I mean, let's face it: Aimee Litka (66 3-pointers, 37.3 percent), Agnieszka Kulaga (40 3-pointers, 35.7 percent), Launa Hochstetler (37 3-pointers, 37.4 percent) and Leah Hochstetler (22 3-pointers, 37.3 percent) have all moved on. That leaves Betsy Adams (14 3-pointers, 29.8 percent) and Rashida Ray (10 3-pointers, 41.7 percent) as the leading returning shooters. As a matter of fact, out of the 198 made 3-pointers the Crusaders had last season, only 33 of them return.

So obviously 3-point shooting is supposed to be a concern for the 2009-10 season.

Then someone explain to me where this group of players found the knack to shoot 78.6 percent from beyond the arc on Monday night in their 87-46 exhibition victory over Indiana Wesleyan. I don't care who the opponent is, the players still need to knock down the shots and the Crusaders did.

Freshman Skyler Gick led the way with four 3-points while junior Kelly Watts was perfect on all three of her attempts. Betsy Adams swished in her only triple on the second possession of the game. Rashida Ray was perfect on both of her long distance shots and freshman Raegan Moore got into the act with a 3-pointer that bounced high off the back rim and then fell straight through. It was just that kind of night for the Crusaders.

After the game, Skyler Gick, Kelly Watts and Ashley Varner all laughed when I suggested that this team wasn't supposed to be good at long distance shooting.

"A lot of shots were opening up," Varner said. "Our posts can shoot the three."

Varner might have missed both of her long range shots, but it was her work in the post that helped open up the perimeter. Early in the second half, Varner scored eight straight points inside and the Wildcats (24-10 last season) started to pay more attention to the paint. While the Crusaders scored 33 points from the perimeter, the bulk of the scoring came inside with 42 points in the paint.

Understandably, the Crusaders aren't going to shoot 78.6 percent every night from beyond the arc. Last year's team, for as good as they were from the perimeter, only shot 36.5 percent.

The difference is that last year I felt the Crusaders needed to be hot from the 3-point line to win games. This year might be a little different. With the addition of Kelly Watts, the continued maturation of Ashley Varner and the talent of Lauren Kenney, coach Keith Freeman might just have the best frontcourt he's ever had at Valparaiso.

"I've never had anyone go and get the ball quite like Lauren Kenney does," Freeman said. "Watts and Kenney are two of the three or four best that I've ever had in terms of getting rebounds."

So even if the Crusaders struggle on shooting from the perimeter, there will be players inside that will grab rebounds. Quite a contrast from two years ago when Kulaga was the team's biggest rebounding threat. I can only wonder what Kulaga and Watts would've looked like on the floor together.

The final point I'll make from tonight's game is that for as young as she is, I saw some flashes of brilliance from Gick. She's as good, if not better, than Hochstetler and Kulaga in terms of passing from the top of the key, and on Monday night, she made a big-time play that I'll remember for a long time.

The Crusaders got the ball out of bounds with 30.4 seconds left in the half and Freeman called in the play. The ball was inbounded to Gick who stood on the opposite side of the court for 20 seconds before pushing the ball up the floor. The original play was for Gick to draw the defender away from Adams so the sophomore could have an open 3-pointer. When the defender didn't move, Gick simply continued to the basket, sliced through the defense and hit a fading layup with less than two seconds remaining.

"It's always cool when you're in that position, with the clock running down," Gick said. "In my mind, I wanted to draw Betsy's girl, but then I went for it."

It might have been an innocent play in a meaningless exhibition game, but my jaw dropped. I'm sure Gick will have some struggles this season, probably some forgettable games and buckets of turnovers, but if you ask me when she "arrived," I'll tell you it was at the end of the first half of her second exhibition game.

As I wrote in my live blog, "Skyler Gick, meet the starting point guard position at Valparaiso University for the next four years. I think you two will become good friends."

Of course that could all go for naught as after the game, Freeman told me he thinks Gick could be very effective at the two-guard. Regardless, she's good.

Saturday night the games start to count for real. I'll be at the ARC live blogging the season opener against Indiana Tech, but first I'll be at Brown Field tomorrow for men's soccer Horizon League tournament action, Muncie on Friday night for the men's basketball season opener and Brown Field on Saturday afternoon for the VU football team's clash with Campbell. Welcome to my favorite week of the year. 

Tonight is the final exhibition game for the Valparaiso women's basketball team. The Crusaders host Indiana Wesleyan which feature Washington Twp. product Lindsey Whitcomb.

On my way to the Athletics-Recreation Center tonight, I realized that a lot has changed since the last time I live blogged a basketball game (March 11). I've moved apartments, bought a new car, bought a new computer and I'm no longer single. While much has changed for me in the last eight months, even more has changed for the Crusaders.

Agnieszka Kulaga and Launa Hochstetler are playing professionally overseas, Leah Hochstetler is a nurse in Albany, New York and Coach Aimee Litka is sitting 15 feet from me on the Valparaiso bench...in heels.

Replacing last year's senior class is an eager group of freshmen led by heralded point guard Skyler Gick. The 5-foot-8 guard initially gave a verbal commitment to Northwestern, but a coaching change led to Gick reconsidering her options. Tonight will be my first opportunity at seeing her play.

Joining Gick in the backcourt will be Connersville product Laura Richards. The 5'9 freshman played 22 minutes in last Sunday's 67-56 exhibition loss to Indianapolis, garnering rave reviews from the coaching staff for her play. Her tenacity was on display in practice early last week when she suffered a broken nose. Richards is on the floor warming up tonight and is expected to play. She doesn't have a mask yet, but rest assured Crusader fans, the days of a hard-working, plastic-faced guard did not end with the graduation of Jake Diebler.

Raegan Moore played seven minutes against Indianapolis and only took one shot, but it was a 3-pointer. Standing tall at six feet, Moore plays more like a guard and is not afraid to shoot from long distance. I expect her to improve rapidly in the early season, using each game as a building block.

The final freshman is Gina Lange. The lone post player in the class has been sidelined by a leg injury, but is warming up tonight. I asked her if she was going to play and she just shrugged her shoulders. I've yet to see the Minnesota native play, but from what I hear, she has a nose for the basketball and could be a difference maker on the glass.

Along with the four freshmen, coach Keith Freeman will be getting a boost this season from the local Kellys. Senior Kelly Peller (Chesterton) returns after missing her junior season with internal compartment syndrome in both of her legs. Initially Peller tried to rehab the injury by letting her muscles atrophy before building them back up, but when that method didn't take, she opted for surgery in the spring. Peller started last Sunday and played 14 minutes. Her health will be an interesting storyline this season.

After sitting out last season, junior Kelly Watts is finally eligible for Valparaiso. The E.C. Central grad transferred from Eastern Michigan. While I expect Watts to be a major force this season, especially coupling with senior Lauren Kenney, staying out of foul trouble will be as important to Valparaiso's success as the number of points and rebounds she attains.

In terms of the returning players, sophomore Betsy Adams had a breakout game against the Greyhounds last Sunday with 27 points. Obviously exhibition games mean nothing, but finding rhythm is important to a shooter and if there is one glaring weakness on the roster this season, it's the lack of perimeter shooting. Adams' performance was a breath of fresh air for the Valparaiso coaching staff.

Kenney should be the star this year, but the senior has been suspended for both exhibition games for a violation of team rules. Once she returns, I expect the ball to be funneled into the post to Kenney and junior Ashley Varner.

Seniors Whitney Farris and Sylwia Zabielewicz bring experience and on any given night, could be the most important players on the floor. If Farris can play without energy lapses, she has the ability to be a high impact player. In the early part of the season, I expect junior Rashida Ray to get every opportunity to win the starting point guard job, depending on the development of Gick. If Ray can keep the turnovers under control (0 assists, 3 turnovers last week), she'll play big minutes.

Enough of that mini-season preview. I hear rumor that the media room has been renovated and I'm interested to see what kind of spread there is. (Did I mention I love basketball season?) I'll be back around tip to bring you the exciting action from Valparaiso's final exhibition game.

6:57 p.m. - The starting lineups are in. Betsy Adams and Laura Richards will start in the backcourt while Kelly Peller, Kelly Watts and Ashley Varner will start in the frontcourt for the Crusaders. Peller, Watts and Adams all started against Indianapolis along with Sylwia Zabielewicz and Rashida Ray. Time for the national anthem and then away we go.

7:11 p.m. - The Crusaders jump out to an early 7-5 lead with 15:54 remaining on the strength of hitting all three shots. Adams has a 3-pointer while Gick showed her ability to thread the defense with a precise pass inside to Zabielewicz. Despite the perfect shooting percentage, Freeman has been screaming on the sidelines because of four early turnovers.

7:19 p.m. - Interior scoring has led to eight straight points for the Crusaders after Indiana Wesleyan tied the game at 7-7. Watts has looked like a bull-in-a-china shop with four early points and two rebounds including a possession where she missed an inside shot, corralled the rebound near the free throw line and then moved through three defenders to score. With 11:24 remaining, Valparaiso leads 15-7.

7:29 p.m. - Remember earlier when I said the Crusaders lacked a perimeter shooter besides Adams? How about Kelly Watts from deep. The 5'11 forward calmly drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a defender in her face to stretch Valpo's lead to 20-12 with 7:46 remaining. Watts has nine points on 4-5 shooting and two rebounds in eight minutes of action. A cause for alarm may be the seven early turnovers, including two apiece by Farris and Varner.

7:38 p.m. - Gick has knocked down two 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 29-12 with 4:11 remaining in the first half. The Crusaders are currently on a 12-0 scoring run and have held the Wildcats without a basket since 8:32 remaining. (Of course as I typed that, Elaine Hessel scored in the paint)

7:43 p.m. - Gina Lange checks in for her first unofficial action as a Crusader. She grabs a rebound in the first two seconds of being in the game.

7:45 p.m. -- Checking the lineup for the Crusaders has Gick, Moore, Lange, Peller and Adams on the floor. Adams is the only one who saw the floor at all last year, averaging 9.5 minutes in 23 games.

7:48 p.m. -- Gick just closed out the half with a move reminiscent of Kulaga, Launa Hochstetler and Katie Boone all rolled into one. The Crusaders got the ball with 30.4 seconds left and Freeman called for one shot. Gick held the ball in the backcourt for 20 seconds and then drove the lane, slicing past the defenders and hitting a running layup while drawing contact. The officials didn't call the foul, but the basket was good. Very impressive move for the freshman. The Crusaders are up 39-24 at the half.

8:00 p.m. -- The Crusaders have shot a blistering 62.5 percent from the field and 80 percent from beyond the arc in the first half. Watts has been unbelievable with nine points and five rebounds. More importantly, the junior doesn't have any fouls in 12 minutes of play. Against Indianapolis, Watts had eight points and five rebounds in 26 minutes while committing four fouls. Another bright spot for the Crusaders has been the play of Gick. Along with her final shot of the half, the freshman has knocked down two 3-pointers and tallied two assists.

8:10 p.m. -- The rout is continuing as the Crusaders have scored 11 points in the first 3:56 of the second half, including eight straight points from Ashley Varner. The junior has nine points and seven rebounds while Watts has 12 points and eight rebounds. Factor in Lauren Kenney and this frontcourt suddenly looks formidable. Valparaiso leads 50-28 with 16:04 remaining.

8:20 p.m. -- After watching Varner and Watts dominate the paint, Zabielewicz has gotten in on the action and now has 12 points on 5-7 shooting. After finishing the half with nine assists and 11 turnovers, the Crusaders are now at 15 assists and 12 turnovers with a 62-33 lead with 10:40 remaining.

8:29 p.m. -- Watts is up to 17 points and nine rebounds, but she might not have a chance at the double-double as she is now on the bench as the Crusaders lead 70-38 with 7:48 remaining. On a night of highlights for Watts, the best might have been when she took a long outlet pass, finally tracked the ball down in the corner, looked, saw no one was guarding her and then swished a 3-pointer, her third of the night. Add in three triples by Gick and the Crusaders are shooting 73 percent from beyond the arc.

8:35 p.m. -- Stephanie Thomas is now in the game for the Crusaders...and immediately commits a foul.

8:37 p.m. -- Skyler Gick, meet the starting point guard position at Valparaiso for the next four years. I think you two will become good friends.

8:40 p.m. -- After dropping below 55 percent, the Crusaders are back to 63.5 percent shooting for the night and 78.6 percent from the 3-point line. On top of that, Valparaiso is 10-12 from the charity stripe for 83.3 percent. Wow. Valparaiso up 87-46 with 1:45 remaining.

8:45 p.m. -- Valparaiso 87, Indiana Wesleyan 46. Final. I'll be back after the press conference.

I guess that's what happens when the Crusaders fall to a Division II team that was predicted to finish 14th out of 15 teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Having not been in attendance for the game (front row at Lambeau), I don't have any words of wisdom for why things went the way they did. What I did do in the last 48 hours was pour over the box score, looking for any kinds of statistical trends that could help show why the Crusaders lost to a team that was 9-18 last year against Division II competition.

The most telling stat is that the Crusaders had 23 different five-player combinations on the floor on Sunday afternoon. The starting lineup of Brandon McPherson, Brandon Wood, Howard Little, Michael Rogers and Cory Johnson played a little more than 11 minutes together and no other group logged more than four minutes of court time together.

In terms of +/-, a tool that coaches love to use, the starting unit scored 29 points while on the floor together and they gave up 29 points together.

Individually, Brandon McPherson and Michael Rogers both were +11 while Matt Kenney was +10. Cameron Witt was the only other player in the black while Milos Milosevic had a +/- of 0. Based on a 40-minute game, Kenney was the most efficient player at +25.6 while McPherson and Rogers were both barely over +25.

I had a chance to speak with coach Homer Drew on Tuesday night and he gave an immediate reaction to the amount of player-combinations.

 "That's way too high," Drew said. "We wanted to give a number of the guys a chance to play. As we go forward that number will go way down. The hope is to find eight or nine guys."

Eleven different players were on the court for the Crusaders on Sunday with the exceptions being freshmen Hrvoje Vucic and Chris Halvorsen. Halvorsen was a late scratch.

"Chris is dealing with a bad thumb right now, so it's really hard for him to catch or shoot," Drew said.

Other than Halvorsen, Drew said there were no other injuries on the team and that his team was slightly banged up after the game, but nothing serious. Drew did not mention McPherson when we talked about injuries.

Going forward, the Crusaders have a closed-scrimmage scheduled at Chicago State on Saturday. This scrimmage is in league with a NCAA rule that prohibits Division I teams from playing exhibitions against each other. Two years ago, Valparaiso traveled to Northwestern for a scrimmage where legend says Howard Little didn't miss a single shot. Last year the Wildcats were at the ARC and this year Drew setup a scrimmage with the Cougars.

"Both (scrimmage and exhibition games) are important," Drew said. "In the scrimmage, we don't keep score and we can stop play if we need to. We get a lot from it. With exhibitions, we need those because it's the dress rehearsal. We need to play in front of people and get that experience."

After the loss, the players were given Monday off before returning to the ARC for a 6 a.m. practice. on Tuesday morning. Drew also held a 5 p.m. practice Tuesday afternoon and has another 6 a.m. practice scheduled for Wednesday. Drew called Tuesday's early morning practice "the best of the year."

Stepping back and looking at the loss, I can see why there is cause for alarm. Granted I wasn't at the game, but looking at the box score, I can see that Ryan Broekhoff has never met a jump shot that he didn't like. 19 turnovers is way too high against a Division II team. Erik Buggs is apparently to be feared as a shot blocker. Milosevic picking up three fouls in three minutes is Aris Williams-like.

Hearing Drew talk, I could almost buy the fact that winning or losing truly didn't matter to the coaching staff in this game. Again, 23 different combinations on the floor is about 10 higher then what we'll see during the season. If evaluating the talent and seeing how the players mesh on the floor with each other was the goal, then there is plenty of film for the coaches to go through.

"I wanted to get a feel as to where we were," Drew said. "I thought we were further along than we are. Maybe my expectations were too high, but we do have nine players, including Brandon and Cory, that didn't play last year. We've only had two weeks of practice. Maybe we needed to have the scrimmage first."

I'm not sure how the scrimmage will go on Saturday. I'll try to get a first-hand report from someone, but it's obvious the Crusaders have a long way to go before Ball State on Nov. 13. I'll be there to provide a blow-by-blow account of what happens in Muncie.