Brody Whitaker Signs to Join Valpo Men’s Basketball Program
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program and head coach Roger Powell Jr. have announced the addition of Brody Whitaker (Green Castle, Ind. / Greencastle [UIndy / Marian]), a 6-foot-3 guard who joins the program for his fifth year of eligibility in 2025-2026.
“A big part of my decision to come to Valpo was the coaching staff,” Whitaker said. “Coming up there for a visit and talking with the coaches in a short period of time, you can tell that there’s a sense of ‘I care about you as a person,’ and I believe that’s really important to find somewhere that has a coaching staff with that characteristic. I know Coach Powell has been around a lot of winning basketball and he coaches through his faith. The assistant coaches are always in great spirits. It’s a great situation and coaching staff. Adding Coach McClung was a very important factor in all aspects of recruiting and relationships. I’m excited to play for this staff this year.”
Whitaker started his collegiate career with three seasons playing for Marian University at the NAIA level. He stayed in Indiana’s state capital for his senior season, moving up to the NCAA Division-II level at the University of Indianapolis. Now, he’ll advance to the Division-I level while remaining in the Hoosier State for his fifth year of eligibility.
“I love Brody’s experience as a college basketball veteran,” Powell said. “He loves to play basketball. He can really score the ball; he gives us a good scoring threat at that combo position. We were looking to get an older guard who could really score the ball. He’s going to add that for us, plus he has a great feel for the game, which will help other guys on the court with him. We love bringing in another Indiana kid as we continue to recruit Indiana, Illinois and the surrounding areas.”
Whitaker eclipsed the 1,000-career point threshold as a junior at Marian and has amassed 1,385 points in the first four years of his collegiate career. This past season at UIndy, he averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game after a junior season at Marian where he tallied 19.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per outing.
“I’m a little bit of a do-it-all guard,” Whitaker said. “I’m a leader on the court. I can shoot the ball well from 3 and the mid-range. I like to play out of the mid-range off a ball screen or if we’re working in an isolation situation. My game is more of an old-school, mid-range game, but the catch-and-shoot 3 and off-the-dribble 3 have developed in the last few years. I play hard and want to win. I’ve been around a lot of basketball and a lot of winning, so I hope to bring a winning culture.”
Whitaker’s teams have boasted winning records in each of his four collegiate campaigns. In total, his squads own an 85-37 mark and .697 winning percentage over the last four years.
“Being around winning has taught me a lot, and I plan to keep working and hoping that I can bring that with me to Valpo,” he said. I’ve been around a lot of basketball and a lot of good players, so I’ll be ready. It’s going to be another challenge just like UIndy was a challenge moving up a level there. I’m going to work for it. I know the Missouri Valley Conference is a really good conference and this team can be really good. I’m a guy who puts my head down and works hard every day.”
Whitacker graduated from Greencastle High School as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,896 points. A two-time IHSAA sectional champion and two-time county champion, he averaged 23.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a prep senior.
Whitaker graduated from UIndy with a degree in exercise science and plans to pursue a master’s in sports administration at Valpo with hopes of staying around sports in the future. Off the court, Whitaker’s hobbies also involve the sport he loves.
“All of my teammates say they’ve never seen someone watch so much basketball,” he said. “My life is basketball. I love watching basketball. I also love playing golf and staying competitive. I just love being around sports.”