The Cru comes into this year’s TBT looking to make Valparaiso and Missouri Valley Conference fans proud.
The Missouri Valley made waves last year with Indiana State and Drake’s big seasons, but it’s actually the team that finished 3-17 in conference play that gets the team in this year’s TBT. Of course, this is a team full of alumni, and they’ve had successful years in the past, so hopefully after a year off The Cru can come in and leave an impression on this tournament.
For more TBT team profiles, click here.
Current Roster:
- Bakari Evelyn (Nebraska, Valparaiso, & Iowa)
- Cory Johnson (Iowa State & Valparaiso)
- DaBriawn Johnson (New Mexico Highlands)
- Derrick Nix (Michigan State)
- Eron Gordon (Seton Hall & Valparaiso)
- Isaiah Burnett (Stonehill College)
- Jay Harris (UIC & Valparaiso)
- Joseph Burton (Oklahoma State, Valparaiso, & Georgetown)
- Jubril Adekoya (Valparaiso)
- Mantis (IUPUI)
- Max Joseph (Valparaiso)
- Mileek McMillan (Valparaiso & Western Michigan)
- Roman Penn (Drake)
- Yoan Makoundu (N/A)
Coaching Staff:
- Darien Walker (Asst. Coach)
- Darryl Jackson (Head Coach)
- Jason Karys (GM, Head Coach)
- Kendall O’Banner (Asst. Coach)
- Mike Brooks (Asst. Coach)
Region: Butler
All-time Record: 0-1
First Matchup: vs. Assembly Ball (July 19 at 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Team MVP: Roman Penn
Although never a Valpo Beacon, Penn was still a very productive player in the Missouri Valley conference. Penn played 4 years at Drake and averaged over 11 points all four years. He’s fundamentally sound and doesn’t take many bad shots. Where he’ll really stand out is with his passing skills. Penn averaged over 5 assists a game three times in his career, and does a great job of never forcing anything. In TBT play, his passing skills will be crucial for his team’s success.
At 5’11, his size definitely hinders his defense. He’s not a liability, but definitely not a plus on the court. However, his offensive ability more than makes up for it, and he’ll be the glue this time needs if The Cru wants to make a run in this tournament.
Make-or-break Player: Derrick Nix
Ironically, Nix is one of the few other players on The Cru who didn’t go to Valpo. He went to Michigan State. He put up mediocre numbers there, but what has really stood out was his performance in the Georgian League in 2022-2023. In five games, he averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds on 80% shooting. It’s a small sample size, but it shows he is more than capable.
All he has to do is replicate that performance in this year’s TBT, and his team will have a legitimate shot at making noise. It’s only a few games, so he doesn’t have to worry about consistency, but getting those 15 points would be a big help for the Cru. At 6’9, he certainly has the size to bully down low and take advantage of mismatches, it’s just all about executing.
Team Outlook
If The Cru don’t want to replicate what happened last time they were in the TBT, which was a first-round loss, they’ll have to beat the one seed in the region Assembly Ball. Assembly Ball is playing as the one seed, so the crowd will certainly be against The Cru. It’s about a 6-and-a-half-hour drive from Valpo to Butler, so hopefully people will be willing to spend their Friday on the road to support the alumni team.
They would potentially face All Good Dawgs in the third round, which is the Butler alumni team. That will without a doubt be the toughest matchup for this team, but they feel like they are capable. Some members that may catch your eye are Eron Gordon and Mantis. Eron Gordon is the brother of longtime NBA Vet Eric Gordon, so they’re hoping he’ll channel that and hit some big-time threes.
Then there’s Mantis, a YouTube with 225k subscribers who makes hilarious content and brings a smile to faces. He’ll be sure to make hilarious remarks on the bench, and his content will be great. There’s nothing better than representing your program in a tournament like this, so hopefully The Cru can do just that.