Union Street Hoops

Valparaiso associate head coach Luke Gore joins Union Street Hoops to discuss how the 2020-21 nonconference basketball schedule came together. Gore talks about how Valpo's MTE in Nashville fell apart and how games like Purdue and UIC ended up on the schedule in the late stages of the scheduling game.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

College basketball starts in a week and there is still uncertainity as to how the season will unfold. Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren talks through some thoughts on the upcoming season and 247sports.com reporter (and former NWI Times writer) Robbie Weinstein joins the pod to discuss the upcoming season opener between Vanderbilt and Valparaiso.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valparaiso play-by-play announcer Todd Ickow joins Union Street Hoops to discuss the uncertanity of the 2020-21 season and what to expect if there is an actual season.  Ickow and Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren discuss the makeup of the Crusaders, potential starting lineups and provide a brief breakdown of the Missouri Valley Conference.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Union Street Hoops returns for the 2020-21 season. Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich joins the pod to discuss a myriad of topics related to the men's basketball program. Lottich touches on how COVID-19 has impacted the program, the circumstances surrounding Javon Freeman-Liberty's transfer and what kind of conversations were held in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Lottich also helps turn the page to the upcoming basketball season by breaking down the roster and looking ahead to what kind of schedule Valparaiso may have.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the heels of the Washington football team announcing that it would be conducting a review of the nickname and mascot, Union Street Hoops attempts to discuss the Crusader.  A Facebook group dedicated to "retire the Crusader" started last week and had more than 1,700 people join the group in less than 96 hours. Conversely, a Twitter poll conducted by Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren showed that 81 percent of the 475 respondents weren't in favor of changing the mascot.  Valparaiso professor Dr. Sami Khorbotly joins the pod to discuss the Crusader nickname and the implications both domestic and aboard. Oren goes back in time to read a column he wrote for the student newspaper and shows how thoughts can evolve with the passing of time.  To share your thoughts on the Crusader mascot, please email OrenNWI@gmail.com. Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri

Former Valparaiso and Gary RailCats broadcaster Adam Amin recently made news by leaving ESPN to join Fox Sports as a NFL and MLB play-by-play announcer. Amin has also been hired as the primary television voice of the Chicago Bulls.  Amin joins Union Street Hoops to talk about getting his start broadcasting games as a student at Valparaiso, spending two formative summers with the RailCats and a host of other topics including what it means to represent the city of Chicago right now.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valparaiso has had plenty of talented players come through the program over the last decade. Times beat reporter and Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren breaksdown the top 10 players of the decade while the Voice of the Crusaders, Todd Ickow, joins the pod to share memories of the players on the list.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vashil Fernandez had quite the career at Valparaiso. In his five years with the Crusaders, the Jamaican big man played four seasons, earned three degrees, made two trips to the NCAA tournament and started one wonderful family. Fernandez went on to play professional basketball for several years before retiring and settling down in Texas.  Fernandez joins Union Street Hoops to talk about his journey to Valparaiso, his career with the Crusaders and where life has taken him since he walked off the court at Madison Square Garden in his final collegiate game.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goodnews became great news for Valparaiso on Friday afternoon as former Kansas State shooting guard Goodnews Kpegeol announced he had verbally committed to the Crusaders.  Southwest Mississippi Community College men's basketball coach Bryan Bender joins Union Street Hoops to discuss Kpegeol and his recruitment that took the St. Paul native from Minnesota to Florida to Kansas to Mississippi and finally to Indiana in the span of two years.  Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren also discusses Javon Freeman-Liberty's decision to transfer to DePaul.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Javon Freeman-Liberty rocked Valparaiso on Tuesday morning by announcing he is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will be entering his name into the transfer portal.  Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren attempts to make sense of the decision in the wake of Freeman-Liberty's comments last month that he was planning on returning to Valparaiso.  Former Valparaiso transfers Brandon Wood (to Michigan State) and Bakari Evelyn (to Iowa) join the pod to discuss leveling up in the world of college basketball and what advice they'd give to Freeman-Liberty.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Union Street Hoops is back with an exciting episode as Howard Little (2007-11) opens up about his career with the Valparaiso men's basketball team.  Little, who ranks fourth in program history in Games Played, shares his thoughts about being a freshman in Valparaiso's first year in the Horizon League, going 9-22 as a sophomore, his initial impression of Ryan Broekhoff, and then his entire senior year.  Beating Butler. Losing at Milwaukee and Green Bay. Dick Vitale at the ARC. The conference tournament in Milwaukee. Finally, the Iona game. Little holds nothing back when discussing the 2010-11 season.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a little bit of old and a little bit of new in the latest episode of Union Street Hoops.  One month to the day that Bradley knocked off Valparaiso in the Missouri Valley Conference title game, Bradley senior guard Darrell Brown joins Union Street Hoops to talk Arch Madness, being snubbed from the Valley First Team and what he thinks of playing Valparaiso.  Looking to the future, Valparaiso incoming freshman Jacob Ognacevic joins the pod to talk about his decision to come to Valparaiso, how he scored more than 1,000 points his senior season and what it felt like to lose out on an opportunity to repeat as state champions because of COVID-19.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Union Street Hoops is back with a jam-packed episode that features Valparaiso athletic director Mark LaBarbera and multi-sport athlete Steven Helm.  LaBarbera joins the pod to talk about the repercussions of COVID-19 on collegiate athletics, including the recent NCAA decision that grants an additional season of eligibility to spring athletes. LaBarbera also touches on Matt Lottich's future as well as plans to renovate the Athletics-Recreation Center.  Helm joins Union Street Hoops to discuss his recent mission to Japan as well as his future with the Valparaiso men's basketball team.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valparaiso legend Alec Peters joins Union Street Hoops from halfway across the world.  Peters is currently in Istanbul, Turkey, where he is playing in his third professional basketball season. The all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Valparaiso history joins the pod to talk about a myriad of topics.  Peters touches on John Kiser, including the infamous one-on-one game held during Kiser's workout visit. He also talks about playing in the NBA and Europe, how close he came to leaving Valparaiso prior to his senior year and his thoughts on what went right or wrong for Bryce Drew at Vanderbilt.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valparaiso's storybook run through Arch Madness came to an end on Sunday afternoon as the Crusaders fell 80-66 to Bradley in front of a nationally-televised audience.  Where do the Crusaders go from here? Javon Freeman-Liberty announced shortly after the game ended that he intends to return to Valparaiso for his junior season. Mark LaBarbera and Matt Lottich are considering a postseason trip to either the CIT or CBI.  In the latest episode of Union Street Hoops, host Paul Oren examines what it all means as he shares conversations with LaBarbera and Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin. Oren also shares the story of Freeman-Liberty's announcement and why the question was even asked in the first place.   Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valparaiso is one win away from an improbable trip to the Big Dance.  The Crusaders got an inspired performance from Javon Freeman-Liberty on Saturday night to knock off Missouri State and advance to Sunday's Arch Madness title game against defending tournament champion Bradley.  Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren is once again joined by Valley on ESPN Director/Producer Karl Berner to discuss Valparaiso's win over Missouri State and what to expect in a battle with the Braves.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History was made at Arch Madness on Friday as top seeds Northern Iowa and Loyola were eliminated as well as No. 3 seed Indiana State.  Valparaiso overcame an 18-point deficit to force overtime and the Crusaders edged the Ramblers on the backs of seniors John Kiser and Ryan Fazekas as well as a game-winning layup from Eron Gordon.  NWI Times correspondent Paul Oren is joined by Valley on ESPN Director/Producer Karl Berner as the pair breaks down Valparaiso's comeback and what is in store for the final two days of Arch Madness.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winning is all that matters in March, even if it means winning ugly.  Valparaiso came within an inch of its life in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament opener against Evansville on Thursday night, ultimately holding on for a 58-55 win.  Paul Oren and Karl Berner came together in St. Louis to breakdown Valparaiso's first game, which included some record-setting history as the Crusaders became the first team in Arch Madness history to not hit a 3-pointer. Oren and Berner also look ahead to Valparaiso's quarterfinal battle with Loyola.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for the madness.   Union Street Hoops is mobile as NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren goes live from the Amtrak Texas Eagle route to St. Louis. Oren is joined by Valley on ESPN Director/Producer and local radio talent Karl Berner to preview the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference tournament.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seniors John Kiser and Ryan Fazekas join Union Street Hoops to discuss their time with the Valparaiso men's basketball program. Both players talk about overcoming injuries and how they are preparing for their final home game at the Athletics-Recreation Center.  Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren breaks down where Valparaiso can finish with two games (and 1,024 scenarios) remaining in Missouri Valley Conference race.  Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify and NWI.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.