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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.

When the teams take the floor on Sunday, a litany of new players will be making their debuts for the Crusaders. The women will have six players on the court who didn't play last season while the men will have seven or eight, depending on if coach Homer Drew decides to redshirt Hrvoje Vucic.

Starting with the women, it's anyone's guess as to who the starting lineup will be this season. Coach Keith Freeman will often say that it doesn't matter who is on the court for the beginning of the game, but who is there at the end. That being said, for both the men and the women, I don't think it matters much who starts at the beginning of the season, but who will be in the starting lineup by the time conference play begins in January.

As we stand now, Lauren Kenney is the only true lock for the women's starting lineup. I'd expect Whitney Farris to start as well as Kelly Peller, depending on her recovery from compartment syndrome, which kept her out of action last year. Kelly Watts or Ashley Varner will likely play in the post, although if they both start, then either Farris or Peller will come off the bench.

The biggest question for Freeman's squad is point guard. Freshman Skyler Gick comes in with as many accolades as any player has had in recent history. At the same time, junior Rashida Ray has shown flashes in her first two years and isn't rolling over in practice. Does Gick get the keys from day one or will Ray beat her out? If Ray wins the job, is she ultimately just holding the position until Gick gets more experience?

2009-10 Valparaiso women's basketball projected starting lineups

Nov. 14 - Rashida Ray, Whitney Farris, Kelly Peller, Kelly Watts, Lauren Kenney

Jan. 2 - Skyler Gick, Farris, Watts, Ashley Varner, Kenney

My Jan. 2 projected lineup may be post-heavy, but we could be in for a new brand of VU basketball this season. Other than Betsy Adams, it's hard to find a three-point specialist without knowing the talents of Gick, Laura Richards and Raegan Moore.

I'm excited to see how the season unfolds. The schedule is brutal as always and Freeman will be asking four freshmen to take the roster spots of four talented seniors from last year, so the early going could prove to be difficult. As cliche as it sounds, this team will be significantly better by March than they are right now.

Trying to determine how the playing time shakes out for the men down the stretch is an even tougher task. If one were to believe all the hype, then this could be the greatest recruiting class ever assembled at VU. Of course there was plenty of hype surrounding De'andre Haskins, Logan Jones, Keaton Fyre, Paul Guede, Aris Williams, Vince Humphrey and the immortal Beas Hamga. Sadly, I think I'm guilty for some of this hype, and I'm proud to say that I'll be guilty again.

I've seen the freshmen play a number of times and they are good. The biggest problem with that statement though is the inclusion of the word freshmen. Growing pains are bound to occur with the newcomers. Good thing there is some talent among the upperclassmen as well.

Brandon McPherson didn't come back for a fifth year to sit on the bench, so he is a lock to start...at least you'd think. Jared Nuness came back for a fifth year, and he came off the bench for a while. Ali Berdiel came back for a fifth year and he rarely started. Jarryd Loyd came off the bench during his senior year. Regardless of past history, I think it's easy to say that McPherson will be starting from beginning to end.

Drew is very loyal when it comes to playing time, at least in terms of the starting lineup, so I think we'll see Howard Little and Michael Rogers at the beginning of the year. Cory Johnson seems like he'd be a lock to be in the starting lineup and from everything I've seen and/or heard, Brandon Wood is also going to be a starter.

As the season moves forward, I think the only two starting jobs up for grabs will be from Little and Rogers. If Little can get his shot to fall and plays lockdown defense, it's hard to take him out of the lineup. If Rogers displays the athleticism that we've all seen from him in the past, then he'll be hard to take from the lineup. At the same time, if Little's shot misses the mark and Rogers falls into energy lapses, Drew can make a hook this season much quicker than he did last year.

From what I've seen, Ryan Broekhoff has all the tools to be a star at VU. I asked someone close to the program if he was like Sam Haanpaa and he responded "Sam was a specialist, Ryan can do it all." Matt Kenney is another player who could earn playing time. He has been limited by an ankle injury recently, but his play has been earning rave reviews from inside the ARC. Let's also not forget the late-season surge that Cameron Witt showed last year. He could earn minutes if Johnson gets into foul trouble. Chris Halvorsen, Milos Milosevic and Tommy Kurth are the three other freshmen and your guess is as good as mine to see if they play or not. They all have talent, but is there enough minutes?

The one player that I've yet to mention is Erik Buggs. The buzz last season from the coaching staff was that he was going to be unlike any player VU had ever had before. I'm not suggesting that Buggs is a bust, as a matter of fact, I'll go out on a limb and say the exact opposite. I think he'll be an integral part of the team this season and could be the key to the second unit. Imagine a team with McPherson, Wood and Buggs running the show. Find me a depth chart in the Horizon League with more athleticism at the point. Journalists are supposed to be objective and unbiased, but count me down as someone who is pulling for Buggs this season. I mean, how can't I after rewatching the highlight of that one-handed dunk against UNC last season.

2009-10 Valparaiso men's basketball projected starting lineups

Nov. 13 - Brandon McPherson, Brandon Wood, Howard Little, Mike Rogers, Cory Johnson

Dec. 31 - McPherson, Wood, Ryan Broekhoff, Rogers, Johnson

Today is Homecoming at Valparaiso and the Crusaders are taking on PFL rival San Diego. This is just the second game of the year at Brown Field and the first time that I'll be seeing the Crusaders.

Much has changed since the beginning of the year and even more has changed since last season in regards to how the football team looks on the field. First of all, Valparaiso signed a sponsorship deal with Nike and now are outfitted by the Swoosh. There is just one little problem...Nike doesn't make brown uniforms. The Crusaders are currently on the field wearing their Purduesque tops with white pants. For a school that prides itself on Brown & Gold, I don't see that color combination anywhere but on the midfield logo and in the end zones.

The end zone is a place that Valparaiso has struggled to reach this season, scoring just seven touchdowns in the first four games. Ross Wiemer, the senior running back from Wisconsin, has scored all three rushing touchdowns this year, but he is expected to miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury suffered against Carthage on Sept. 26.

Injuries have been a problem for the Crusaders this year as starting quarterback Matt Upshaw has been sidelined since the season opener with a wrist injury. Upshaw's return this season is questionable as the Indianapolis native is still in a cast.

The defense has also not been immune to injury as seniors Kyle Himmelwright and Adam Rundh have missed multiple games and are expected to sit out today, although both are taking part in pregame workouts. Sophomore defensive lineman Brian Laipple is also expected to miss the game today due to injury.

On the other side of the ball sits San Diego. The Toreros (2-2, 1-1) are coming off a surprising 25-24 loss to Butler and are no doubt looking for a get-well game. Even with former star quarterback Josh Johnson now starting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego still has a potent offensive attack. 

I'll be back closer to kickoff to take you possession-by-possession through today's contest. As for now, I'm going to go take in some of the Homecoming fare. There really isn't a better day of the year on a college campus. -- Paul Oren

First Quarter

At 12:59, we're underway with a kickoff to San Diego. I'll check in after each possession with up-to-the-minute information.

The Crusaders come up with a rare 3-and-out on the opening drive of the game after the Toreros dial up a pass on 3rd & 2 that goes incomplete. 0-0, 13:44 1Q.

Bobby Wysocki led a strong 11-play, 55-yard drive, but it went for naught as Chris Smith went wide right on a 35-yard field goal attempt. The highlight of the drive came when it appeared that Wysocki was going to take a sack deep in the backfield, but he ended up scrambling for a 24-yard gain. 0-0 8:19 1Q.

The Toreros strike back on their second offensive possession as quarterback Sam Scudellari hit John McGough on a 47-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage and San Diego takes just five plays to go 80 yards with Matt Jelmini capping off the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run. San Diego 7-0, 5:59 1Q.

The momentum has shifted considerably as the Crusaders just went 3 & out and then Valparaiso punter Mitch Secrest fumbled the snap before releasing a punt that was blocked. San Diego takes over at the Valparaiso 39 up 7-0 with just under five minutes remaining.

Valparaiso catches a break by forcing its second 3 & out of the game. A San Diego punt gives the Crusaders the ball on the 12-yard line with 4:11 remaining in the first quarter.

The Crusaders go 3 & out, but the crowd gets into it when senior John Popper delivers a crushing hit on the ensuing punt. San Diego is still up 7-0 with 3:17 remaining in the first.

San Diego goes just three plays on this possession, but the Toreros gain 57 yards, with 28 coming on a touchdown pass from Sam Scudellari to Kyle Warren. San Diego is up 14-0 with 2:06 remaining in the first quarter.

John Popper runs for 12 yards on the first play of the drive, but the Crusaders fail to gain another yard as they are forced to punt on the last play of the first quarter. San Diego carries a 14-0 lead into the second quarter and has the ball on their own 44-yard line.

It seems that every other drive the Crusader defense comes to play. Valparaiso forces another 3 & out for San Diego, including a big sack from redshirt freshman Cody Gokan. The Crusaders come on the field with JUCO transfer Nate Goergen as the new signal caller. San Diego 14-0, 13:01 2Q.

Goergen promptly makes his presence felt with an interception to Gabe Derricks who takes it 26-yards to the house. San Diego is up 21-0 with 12:17 remaining in the half.

Goergen throws two incompletions before giving way to Wysocki who throws another incompletion before the Crusaders are forced to punt for the fourth time today. The Crusaders are just 2-12 for 16 yards passing while San Diego is 4-7 for 107 yards and a touchdown.

The Crusader defense steps up big again for a couple plays, forcing a 3rd & 14, but Scudellari finds Eric Fiege for a 41-yard touchdown pass to give San Diego a 28-0 lead with 7:58 remaining in the half.

With the offense stalling through the air, Wysocki starts running the ball and rattled off 22-yard run and then a 4-yard run that was advanced 15-yards because of a personal foul penalty. The drive stalled out at the San Diego 25 when Wysocki threw an incompletion on 4th & 7. In injury news, Goergen has his pads off on the sideline and his shoulder is heavily taped in ice.

The half comes to a close with San Diego up 28-0. The Toreros have gained 262 yards on 34 plays while the Crusaders have 141 yards on 35 plays.

Thought to be a rebuilding year in 1998-99 after the Sweet Sixteen season, Barton and his "Young Guns" teammates (including Milo Stovall, Greg Tonagel and Jared Nuness) led the Crusaders back to the NCAA tournament. Barton returned to the postseason two more times during his four-year career and ranks 4th all-time in points (1,675), 4th in rebounds (753), 6th in assists (360), 1st in steals (190), 7th in blocked shots (74) and 2nd in 3-pointers made (244).

Since graduating, Barton played three years in the Italian League/Euro League, first with Fortitudo Bologna for a season and then two years with Virtus Roma. From 2006-2008, Barton played with Joventut Badlona in the Spanish League and has become a force in European basketball. Barton helped win the FIBA Cup in 2006, the ULEB Cup in 2008 and the Spanish Cup in 2008. Because of his success, Barton moved to FC Barcelona in 2009 and helped lead his team to a Spanish League title and a spot in the Final Four of the Euroleague. 

What are your thoughts on the NBA? Do you still hope to play in the league? Would you have done anything differently ?

I would be lying if I said I didn't want to play in the NBA. It is still the best league in the world, but there is also very good competition in Europe. I probably wouldn't change much regarding the steps I made in my career. Money is good in Europe and at least I get to play.

What is your fondest memory of your time at Valparaiso? Is there a game or two that sticks out in your mind?

I was so used to winning games at Valpo, so I probably remember more games we lost. Especially those in the NCAA tournament and the title game in the Mid-Con against Southern Utah my junior year.

Who was the toughest player you played against during your time at Valpo? Who has been the toughest in the pros?

In college, it was Mateen Cleaves and the entire Michigan State 2000 NCAA champs. In pro, it has been Dirk Nowitzki.

Do you stay in contact with any of your old teammates? Do you keep up with the current team?

I'm in contact with some players, but it is not as often. Now Facebook helps a lot. I do keep up with the Valpo team, but as time goes by, I don't know the players personally, so I don't have that much interest as I used to have the first couple years after I graduated. Just normal stuff.

Anything you want to add to the Valparaiso fans?

That I always enjoyed playing in front of them and always felt their support throughout the years. Good memories and I hope that they do remember the four years when I played.

Already faced with back-to-back road games against Pittsburgh (Dec. 8) and Notre Dame (Dec. 12), the Crusaders will now play the Bearcats on Dec. 21. 

That makes three straight Big East road games before heading to San Diego for the Surf N' Slam tournament where Auburn and possibly Wake Forest awaits.

How the Cincinnati game came to be on the schedule is anyone's guess, but I'm going to take a shot. According to a news release sent out by the Valparaiso media relations department, the game against the Bearcats replaces a home game that was to be played against UAB. The release states that the UAB game was dropped due to a scheduling conflict.

Looking at UAB's roster last season, West Side grad Erica Simpson was a member of the team, so one could guess that a game in Valparaiso was setup to be her homecoming game. Looking at the UAB roster this season, the senior-to-be Simpson is nowhere to be found and coincidently, neither are the Blazers.

The Crusaders played at Cincinnati in the fall of 2007 and fell 96-69. The Bearcats had two players with 20 or more points and out-rebounded Valparaiso 45-20.

The advantage to traveling to Ohio this year is that the Bearcats will come to the Athletics-Recreation Center next year, along with both Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Can you imagine the men's team bringing all three of those teams to the ARC in one year? Can you imagine the men's team bringing anyone of those teams to the ARC? -- Paul Oren

My initial impression is that this is going to be a fun team to watch this season.

The team played five games to 12 with the winners staying on the floor. The entire team, was in attendance, but Brandon Wood and Cameron Witt did not participate. Both were very vocal. 

During the first two games, the team of Brandon McPherson, Nick Shelton, Erik Buggs, Mike Rogers and Milos Milosevic dominated. The opening opponents were Howard Little, Ryan Broekhoff, Tommy Kurth, Cory Johnson and Chris Halvorsen.

In the second game, Matt Kenney, Hrvoje Vucic and Jake Diebler joined Little and Johnson while the three freshmen got a break.

In the third game, Little, Broekhoff, Kurth, Johnson and Halvorsen played together again and the team swept the final three games of the afternoon.

Here are some thoughts on the individuals that stood out:

Brandon McPherson -- Very vocal and seemed to be a bit of a player-coach on the floor. He hit shots from all over the perimeter and didn't shy away from contact at all. There was a huge scare in the last game when McPherson hit the ground after a drive to the basket and immediately punched the floor and grabbed his right ankle. The gym fell silent, as even the women's players who were gathering for their shot at open gym watched in horror. McPherson spent about 30 seconds on the ground before sitting up against the wall and examining his shoe. He then stood up and walked off the court with a bit of a smile on his face. He didn't walk by me on the way out, but Diebler and Little both said he was fine.

Erik Buggs -- Much more confident from beyond the arc. The buzz in the gym was that Buggs was finally healed after not playing much over the summer. Pressing some of the players for what that meant, they said that he was hurt for most of last season with a shin injury that affected his mobility. He took some time of during the summer and was now getting back into basketball shape. He never left the court during the five games and looked like his motor was running on high the entire time. He still suffers from the ability to pull off an ankle-breaking move on a defender but not have a place to go after. I'm sure this will work itself out as the players spend more time together.

Mike Rogers -- If there was one player I was disappointed with, it was Mike Rogers for the first game and a half. If there was one player who was an animal for the last three and a half games, it was Mike Rogers. At the beginning, he looked like a classic upperclassmen. My take on open gym is that the freshmen go full out because they want to prove themselves. Sophomores are nearly at the same level because they don't want freshmen coming in and taking their spots. For a guy like Rogers, and to a lesser extent, Little, these players are starters and they pick their spots during pickup games. That being said, after a disputed foul call in the second game, Rogers elevated his entire game to another level. We've seen in some games during the past two seasons that he can take over, but we've also seen him disappear. With a deep roster ready to take his minutes, I don't think we'll see as much of that once the games start to count.

Milos Milosevic -- Didn't see much from Milos. He was relatively quiet on the floor, but admittedly, I wasn't looking at him a whole lot. He can bang in the paint, no question, but his jump shot looked a bit off. I have only a small sample of which to evaluate him, so if I were grading, I'd still go with an incomplete.

Chris Halvorsen -- This guy can finish under the basket. He is very active on both the offensive and defensive sides of the glass and he can flush it home without much effort.

Cory Johnson -- What's not to love about this guy. He's Dan Oppland, but with two more years of eligibility. I didn't think it was possible, but Johnson has gone and put on more muscle over the off-season. He will be a clear difference maker this season and I can't wait to watch him battle against the Butler bigs. 

Howard Little -- The newly-tattooed Little played with high energy throughout the afternoon. He slashed to the basket with every chance that he got and knocked down some perimeter shots as well. I can't say that I was surprised by any of his moves. I thought Little was the hardest working player (with the exception of Diebler) last season. Homer Drew has always liked his veterans and I can't imagine Little losing his spot in the starting lineup this season.

Hrvoje Vucic -- My thoughts after watching him today...he'll more than likely end up redshirting. That's not to say he isn't talented, which he most definitely is, but if he is willing to stay for five years, then I can only imagine how much better he'll be in his fifth year compared to his first year. I shared my brilliant thoughts with McPherson who knocked me down off my perch when he said "Paul, what player wouldn't be better in their fifth year?" Isn't it time for him to leave already? Back to Vucic....he's got a good game, likes to drift out to the perimeter a bit much, but I only say that because he's the tallest player on the floor and typically the tallest player camps out in the post. He's rail thin and will benefit from some time in the weight room, but I saw him interact with the team more today than I ever saw Beas Hamga over the course of an entire semester.

Ok, now for my top three stars of the afternoon, in no particular order.

Matt Kenney -- This guy can jump out of the gym. Valparaiso might have missed out on Zack Novak, but Drew went and got the next best thing in Kenney. He's listed at 6'3, which I'm pretty sure is a blatant lie. He's not that much taller than me and I'm just over six feet, but he pulled down some boards in traffic against Johnson and Halvorsen with no problems and I'm pretty sure that says more about Kenney than it does about the other two. His scoring ability didn't stand out to me and by that I mean he never tried to take over the game, but he was in every right spot at every right time to help his team.

Ryan Broekhoff -- Best shooter on the team, no questions asked. He can knock down shots from the baseline, from either side of the arc and from the top of the key. How anyone left him open in the fourth game was beyond me. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers, including the game-winner and was emotionless the entire time. He shoots with a confidence unlike anyone else except maybe McPherson. How he plays defense will go a lot to determining his role on the team. I won't compare him to Samuel Haanpaa yet, because I haven't seen how he reacts to a double team and I won't compare him to Lubos Barton yet because I've yet to see him play in a big-game, but he's close to being a hybrid of the two.

Tommy Kurth - I'll save my most surprising for last. It seems that the buzz among the Valparaiso internet fan base is that Kurth is playing out of his league at Valparaiso and that he is almost sure to redshirt. Heck, I may have been guilty of that same mindset before today. He handled the ball for his team whenever he was on the floor. Granted he was matched up against both McPherson and Buggs, and Brandon Wood was on the sidelines, but Kurth more than held his own. He knocked down some effortless 3-pointers, including one that barely touched the net on the way down. He's very quick and can get into the lane without hesitation. He, along with Broekhoff and Kenney, are the kind of players that you just want to watch more of because you can't believe they are doing the things they are doing.

I bumped into Luke Gore after the games were done (coaches aren't allowed to be in the gym) and he asked me my thoughts. I echoed much of what I just wrote and then he asked me if I could pick five guys based on the open gym performance alone, who would they be? I easily picked McPherson and Johnson. Next I took Broekhoff and Kenney and finally I chose Kurth over Little. I just think the kid showed a lot today. -- Paul Oren

 If you consider yourself a Valparaiso sports fan and you weren't in the crowd during Sunday's home opener against the Michigan women's soccer team, then you truly missed out on a great atmosphere.

While soccer might still be struggling to catch on in the United States, there is no question that footie is alive and well on Valparaiso's campus.

Sunday afternoon was like a Who's Who in Valparaiso athletics. Upon arrival, I saw the men's soccer team gathering in a pack, and when I say gathering, I mean it. Coach Mike Avery has more than 40 players on his roster this season. The team jogged down and set up shop behind the Michigan goalie and kept a steady stream of cheers going throughout the first half. The energy of the men's team seemed to ignite the Crusaders in the early going as senior Jessie White ripped off a shot right in front of the crowd that found the head of freshman Rachel Hoaglin and then the back of the net in the sixth minute of the game.  

White told me after the match that part of the reason she took the shot was because of the energy she was feeling from the crowd.

Plenty of the VU athletic "celebs" were in attendance for the first official contest of the season for any team. Women's basketball coach Keith Freeman was marveling at the potential of the freshmen on the field while holding court with his own freshmen class of Skyler Gick, Laura Richards, Gina Lange and Raegan Moore.

The men's basketball team had a strong showing as junior Mike Rogers and sophomore Cameron Witt brought a large number of their new teammates including the recently-arrived Ryan Broekhoff (who looks smaller than I thought he would) and Brandon Wood (who looks bigger than I thought he would). Rogers is quite the soccer fan and he could be heard offering strategy throughout the match.

Former women's soccer coach Stephen Anthony was on hand with all 12 members of the new VU women's bowling team which he will coach this season.

I've never looked at attendance figures for the soccer teams before, but I have to think that the 617 that showed up on Sunday was easily a school-record. Sure, a lot of it had to do with the opponent being Michigan and it being the first time that many of the students in the crowd had seen each other all summer, but coach John Marovich was on cloud nine after the match.

"This was clearly the best atmosphere that we've ever had at a Valparaiso soccer match," Marovich said.

The Crusaders may have lost on the scoreboard, but they certainly won over the fans.

Valparaiso's next home match is on Friday against Northern Illinois at 4 p.m.

Not only are the Crusaders playing the defending National Champion North Carolina, but they've also added National Runner-up Michigan State to the schedule this year. It looks like Drew really does want to keep this streak of playing the No. 1 team in the country going for a sixth straight year.

Without Kansas or Kentucky on the schedule this season, I think it will be hard to get the No. 1 team again, but at least one national publication (Sports Illustrated) has the Spartans as the top preseason team.

Here is what Drew had to say about some of the games on the upcoming schedule...

On opening the season on the road against Ball State (11/13)...

"It's a good interstate rivalry and with their coaching staff, they just keep getting better and better every year. We love to play them because they are an interstate team."

"Going to Butler is always a good venue for the fans. Our games are always close and very entertaining and they've been down to the wire at both places. I don't feel like we're getting it out of the way by any means. They are going to be tough to play regardless of when we play them."

On the lack of a big-name opponent on the non-conference home schedule this year...

"It's very difficult to get someone to come in (and play us). The Horizon League is one of the top mid-majors in the country and I think this year, the Horizon League could be the best it has been as far as the balance goes and we might even be able to overtake the Missouri Valley as the best mid-major conference in the country."

"It's a nice thing to be able to put a game in where all the players have a chance to get in and play. You can never take anyone lightly, but we'll try to get everyone involved in those games."

On a brutal stretch in Horizon League play which has the Crusaders going to UIC/Loyola one weekend and then Milwaukee/Green Bay the next...

"You'd always like to be able to do your own (conference) scheduling where you could do two home, two away, two home, two away and so on, but the nice thing is that over a period of four years, everything evens out. With 17 road games, by that point of the season, hopefully we're prepared to play on the road."

"There is a stat that you only win 35 percent of basketball games on the road. If you look at baseball, soccer, football and then look at basketball, it's the hardest of anyone of those sports. It might be good that we have so many away games, so by the time conference play starts, we'll be ready."

Well, there you have it with the schedule. A common theme in my conversation with Drew was that the Crusaders are playing 17 road games next season. It seems that each year there is a common theme that works against Valparaiso. Two years ago it was that there was eight freshmen/sophomores on the roster. Last year it was that so many players left the program or were hurt. This year, it's the amount of road games. I don't mean to imply anything other than this could be a long year with lots of travel for the Crusaders. 

On the topic of the three games that are TBA on the schedule from Nov.27-29, Drew couldn't say much other than they were apart of the Legends Classic. The Crusaders are actually playing Michigan State as part of the Legends Classic, and then while the Spartans travel to New Jersey to take on the likes of Florida, Rutgers and UMass, Valparaiso will travel down to Georgia to take on a series of opponents that Drew doesn't even know yet. The Gators are playing Georgia Southern during their home leg of the Legends Classic, so perhaps that is an opponent/host for the second portion of the "tournament." I still find it funny that even if the Crusaders beat Michigan State, the Spartans are the ones that advance to the Legends Classic semifinals.

As for the team itself, the players are starting to roll back onto campus following a two-week break after the second summer session. Sophomore Cameron Witt was in the gym by himself today while freshman Tommy Kurth was shooting around earlier in the week. Once school starts, the coaching staff can work with the players in groups of four or less for two hours a week on the basketball floor. Additionally, the coaching staff can spend two hours a week on footwork/conditioning and four more hours a week in the weight room until October 17 when practice officially beings. -- Paul Oren

Nov. 1 vs. Indianapolis (exhibition), 4 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Ball State, TBA
Nov. 15 at North Carolina, TBA
Nov. 19 vs. IU-South Bend, 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 22 at Michigan State, TBA
Nov. 27 TBA
Nov. 28 TBA
Nov. 29 TBA
Dec. 5 at Butler, 1 p.m.
Dec. 9 at Purdue, TBA
Dec. 12 vs. Toledo, 2 p.m.
Dec. 19 vs. Concordia (Wis.), 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 22 at IPFW, 6 p.m.
Dec. 27 at Akron, 4 p.m.
Dec. 31 vs. Milwaukee, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 2 Green Bay, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 7 at Detroit, 6 p.m.
Jan. 9 at Wright State, 6 p.m.
Jan. 14 vs. Youngstown State, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 16 vs. Cleveland State, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 21 at UIC, 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Loyola, TBA
Jan. 29 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 at Green Bay, 1 p.m.
Feb. 4 vs. Wright State, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 6 vs. Detroit, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 8 vs. UIC, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 11 at Cleveland State, TBA
Feb. 13 at Youngstown State, TBA
Feb. 17 vs. Loyola, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 20 at ESPNU Bracketbuster, TBA
Feb. 26 vs. Butler, TBA
Mar. 2 to Mar. 9 - Horizon League Championships, TBA

In a poll released on Tuesday, the Crusader volleyball team received two first-place votes and was picked to finish second behind Milwaukee. The Panthers received the other seven first-place votes.

On paper, it looks like the Crusaders lose a lot from last season with the graduations of Brittany Malicoat, Allison Sears and Jill Meyer. That being said, when you throw in talented freshmen Mary Dent and Taylor Root, along with the maturation of sophomores Katie Britton and Jenny Pokorny, coach Carin Avery should have a pretty solid team this season.

Stay tuned next week when I have a further breakdown of the Valparaiso volleyball team. -- Paul Oren