Valpo Preps for NCAA Opener Versus Michigan State

Auburn Hills, Mich. -- The Valparaiso Crusaders were late in arriving at the Palace of Auburn Hills for their NCAA basketball tournament media opportunity Wednesday. A combination of a snowburst, traffic and a somewhat confused bus driver made them tardy.

“I was starting to think (the bus driver) was a Michigan State fan,” joked Valpo coach Bryce Drew.

Besides, Drew has a more pressing concern: that his Horizon League champion Crusaders are on time for Thursday’s 12:15 p.m. ET tipoff (CBS) against Big Ten power Michigan State.

“Our main focus all week has just been Michigan State and basically just that first possession, the first four minutes,” Drew said.

In other words, weather the storm, don’t get caught up in the moment or the pro-Spartan crowd expected to be on hand and try to establish that the 14^th-seeded Crusaders are intent on making more than just an appearance against third-seeded Michigan State.

Certainly, it’s a daunting task. Michigan State is 25-8 and went 13-5 in the rugged Big Ten. This is the 16^th straight trip to the Big Dance for the Spartans and during that time, they‘ve reached the Final Four on no fewer than six occasions, as recently as 2010.

Valpo (26-7, 13-3 Horizon) hasn’t been to the tournament since 2004. And it hasn’t won a game in the tournament since 1998, when Drew was a Crusader player and hit “The Shot” that carried Cinderella Valpo all the way to the Sweet Sixteen.

Can another miracle happen?

“I know enough about Valparaiso to know that somewhere in his repertoire, Bryce has that shot from way back in there and I hope that it’s not in the game plan,” said MSU outstanding coach, Tom Izzo.

“But that (Valpo) is a very, very good team, a very solid team. And (Ryan) Broekhoff is a player that could play at a lot of places.”

And if lacking in tournament experience, Valpo certainly makes up for it in experience, period. Broekhoff, the all-league performer from Australia, is the mainstay of an all-senior lineup that includes Erik Buggs, Will Bogan, Kevin Van Wijk and Matt Kenney.

“Having so many experienced players has really come out in pivotal points throughout the season,’’ said Broekhoff. “Having that experienced group, that core group of guys sticking together, we kind of work through situations that maybe in past years we would have folded.”

The Crusaders, who enter on a six-game winning streak capped by a pulsating, come-from-behind win over Wright State in the Horizon League championship, will no doubt have to play their best game of the season against the talented and athletic Spartans.

The bruising senior, Derrick Nix (6-9, 270), bolsters the inside while guards Keith Appling (13.6 ppg) and Gary Harris (12.9 ppg)  have one of America’s top backcourt combinations. Michigan State is tall, tough and battle-tested and with Izzo at the helm, unlikely to look no further than the opening tip.

“We are not taking (Valparaiso) lightly,” vowed Spartan Denzel Valentine.

NOTES -- Former Crusader Brandon Wood, now playing professionally in Hungary, transferred to Michigan State for his final year of eligibility. He told sportswriter Paul Oren of the Northwest Indiana Times he would be rooting for “Valpo State” … When Michigan State won its second national championship in 2000, it began its title trek 65-38 win over Valpo … The Crusaders can take competitive heart from fellow Horizon League member Loyola which, during the regular season, took Michigan State to the wire before losing at East Lansing … Valpo quickly sold out its tournament allotment of 520 seats; it may pick up additional support from Michigan fans (the Wolverines play South Dakota State at the Palace Thursday night) rooting against the arch rivals … Michigan State is 10-2 playing in the Palace and 20-6 in tournament opening games … Michigan State is 4-1 all-time against Valpo, the lone loss coming in 1922 … The last time Michigan State played a Horizon League team in the tournament, it lost to Butler in the 2010 national semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium … Valpo players were sporting new gold Nike shoes in Wednesday’s practice session.