1995–96 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team

The 1995–96 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team represented Valparaiso University during the 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Crusaders, led by eighth-year head coach Homer Drew, played their home games at the Athletics–Recreation Center as members of the Mid-Continent Conference. Valpo finished atop the conference regular season standings and followed that success by winning the Mid-Con tournament to receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Playing as the No. 14 seed in the West region, the Crusaders were beaten by No. 3 seed Arizona in the opening round.[2][3] The team finished with a record of 21–11 (13–5 Mid-Con) which was later adjusted to 22–10.

1995–96 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball
Mid-Con Regular season champions
Mid-Con tournament champions
ConferenceMid-Continent Conference
Record21–11 (13–5 Mid-Con)
Head coach
Home arenaAthletics–Recreation Center
1995–96 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Valparaiso135 .7222111  .656
Western Illinois126 .6671712  .586
Missouri-Kansas City108 .5561215  .444
Buffalo108 .5561314  .481
Northeastern Illinois108 .5561413  .519
Central Connecticut State99 .5001315  .464
Eastern Illinois99 .5001315  .464
Troy State810 .4441116  .407
Youngstown State711 .3891215  .444
Chicago State216 .111225  .074
1996 Mid-Con Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

This season marked the first of five straight trips to the NCAA tournament and seven appearances in and eight-year period.

Roster

1995–96 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G Jamie Sykes 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)
So 
G 24 Bryce Drew 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) SoValparaiso Valparaiso, Indiana
C 33 Zoran Viskovic 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Fr  Croatia
F 44 Bill Jenkins 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
So 
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Regular season
    Nov 24, 1995*
    vs. Minnesota L 66–70  0–1
    Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium 
    Hilo, Hawaii
    Nov 26, 1995*
    vs. Toledo W 84–65  1–1
    Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium 
    Hilo, Hawaii
    Nov 27, 1995*
    vs. Utah State W 79–70  2–1
    Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium 
    Hilo, Hawaii
    Dec 14, 1995*
    at Wisconsin L 73–90  5–2
    Wisconsin Field House 
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Dec 21, 1995*
    at Purdue L 53–74  5–3
    Mackey Arena 
    West Lafayette, Indiana
    Dec 23, 1995*
    Canisius L 68–72  5–4
    Athletics-Recreation Center 
    Valparaiso, Indiana
    Dec 28, 1995*
    at Illinois-Chicago L 72–84  5–5
    UIC Pavilion 
    Chicago, Illinois
    Mid-Con tournament
    Mar 3, 1996*
    vs. Chicago State
    Quarterfinals
    W 118–83  19–10
    The MARK of the Quad Cities 
    Moline, Illinois
    Mar 4, 1996*
    vs. Eastern Illinois
    Semifinals
    W 78–65  20–10
    The MARK of the Quad Cities 
    Moline, Illinois
    Mar 5, 1996*
    vs. Western Illinois
    Championship game
    W 75–52  21–10
    The MARK of the Quad Cities 
    Moline, Illinois
    NCAA tournament
    Mar 15, 1996*
    (14 W) vs. (3 W) No. 11 Arizona
    First round
    L 51–90  21–11
    ASU Activity Center 
    Tempe, Arizona
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Central Time.

    Source[4]

    Rankings

    [5]

    References

    1. sports-reference.com 1995-96 Mid-Continent Conference Season Summary
    2. "Arizona 90, Valparaiso 51". AP News. March 15, 1996. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
    3. "Despite Crushing Loss, Vintage Year for Valpo". The Chicago Tribune. March 16, 1996. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
    4. "Men's Basketball All-Time Results" (PDF). Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
    5. ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. pp. 1042–1043. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
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