- Hoop dreams: Valpo shines on national stage
Dick Vitale poses with the Valpo Crusader Feb. 20, 2011 - He strode onto the court during pregame warmups, grabbed a basketball, and started dribbling. One shot went up, then another. A roar erupted from the student section.
He was here, at the Athletics-Recreation Center: Dick Vitale, ESPN broadcasting legend, on hand to call Saturday’s Valparaiso University-Missouri State BracketBuster game.
Vitale, briefly defended by Valpo star Cory Johnson, managed to get a few more shots off before he made his way to the student section, where he was engulfed by fans. He posed for photos while holding up Valpo gear, smiled for the cameras with the Crusader mascot, signed some autographs, and got ready for the game, which was broadcast nationally on ESPN 2.
And for Valpo fans, the fun was only beginning. The team earned its 20th win of the season with a resounding 80-67 victory over the visitors from the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Crusaders, battling for a title in their own conference, the Horizon League, were about to take to the road Monday for a critical game at Green Bay. But Saturday, Feb. 19, was a day to celebrate. This stellar season has fans dreaming big.
With standouts such as Brandon Wood (24 points), Johnson (13 points), Howard Little (11 points) and Ryan Broekhoff (10 points and seven rebounds) leading the way, Valpo hopes to secure home-court advantage for the conference tournament by winning the regular season title. And home-court advantage is a big factor when the ARC is rocking like it was on Saturday.
“These fans have been on fire from the moment we sat down,” Vitale said of the Valpo crowd near the end of the broadcast. “This is truly a home court.”
For complete coverage of the game, see the game recap on the Valpo Athletics site.