VALPARAISO, IN-The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program has revealed its nonconference schedule for the 2023-24 season, the first season of the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era. The nonleague docket is highlighted by seven home regular-season contests plus a home exhibition.
Fans will receive their first chance to check out the new-look Beacons on Wednesday, Nov. 1 when Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods comes to town for an exhibition game. Valpo will tip off the regular season five days later against Trinity Christian College, which is under the direction of former Valpo player and coach Jason Hawkins. This will mark the seventh time in nine years that the Beacons and Trolls have faced off. The Nov. 6 showdown will mark Powell’s first regular-season game as a head coach.
The renewal of an instate rivalry that has been on hold since 2011 will occur on Nov. 10 when IUPUI makes its way to the Athletics-Recreation Center. Valpo has won 16 of the 24 all-time matchups, most of which occurred when the two schools shared Mid-Continent Conference affiliation from 1998-2007. Valpo prevailed 89-69 on Dec. 20, 2012 at the ARC in the most recent showdown.
A home-heavy early season stretch continues on Friday, Nov. 14 when Green Bay comes to town for the first game between the two teams since spending a decade as Horizon League adversaries from 2007-2017. The squads have clashed 55 times on the hardwood and also shared conference affiliation in the Mid-Con/AMCU from 1982-1994. Green Bay has provided the opposition for several memorable moments including Valpo’s 54-44 win in the 2015 Horizon League title game at the ARC to punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament and the 70-69 win in the 2013 Horizon League semifinal at the ARC, when Ryan Broekhoff hit the second most storied shot in program history.
After three straight home dates to open the season, the Beacons will hit the road for the first time when they visit Illinois on Nov. 17 as part of the Joseph J. Biggs Invitational. The game against the Fighting Illini – an NCAA Tournament team from last season – will be a homecoming for Powell, who enjoyed a standout playing career in Champaign including a 37-2 record and national runner-up finish as a senior in 2005. This will mark the eighth matchup between the two teams and first since the 2017 NIT opener.
Valpo will receive two home games as part of the multi-team event as Western Illinois (Nov. 21) and Southern (Nov. 25) will play at the ARC. The Leathernecks, another former league foe, will play Valpo for the 58th time and first since 2007, Valpo’s final season in the Mid-Con. Southern will be a first-time opponent.
After playing five of their first six at home, Valpo will start Missouri Valley Conference play with two games in late November and early December. Then, the team will have back-to-back road games when they step back outside of league action, visiting Central Michigan (Dec. 6) and Virginia Tech (Dec. 9). This will be the 10th all-time game against the Chippewas and the two programs have met as recently as 2020. Valpo has never played the Hokies, an ACC program that reached the postseason last year with an NIT appearance.
Chicago State (Dec. 16) and Samford (Dec. 19) will come to the ARC as part of return trips from home-and-home series that began with Valpo visiting those schools last year. Valpo and Chicago State are also former league foes in the Mid-Continent Conference and have 37 all-time matchups. The Beacons will close out the nonconference portion of the season with the program’s first ever trip to Elon in Elon, N.C. on Dec. 29.
Powell, who helped guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record over the last four seasons as an assistant coach, returns to Valpo, where he previously served as an assistant coach from 2011-2016 and helped lead the team to 124 wins in five seasons. His roster features four returning players (three scholarship) and 11 newcomers (nine scholarship).