Union Street Hoops: Recent Episodes
Times of Northwest Indiana
Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. Hosted by Paul Oren.
TBT stands for Throwback Thursday, but it also stands for The Basketball Tournament. Former Valparaiso basketball players Jason Karys and Lexus Williams join Union Street Hoops for a throwback episode as they announce the formation of The CRU, Valparaiso's entry in the 2022 TBT.
Karys is currently raising funds for TBT at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/valpo-alumni-team-tbt
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren touches on Valparaiso's recent victories over Eastern Michigan and William & Mary along with a few Missouri Valley Conference nuggets.
Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify,iHeart, Stitcher, and NWI.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valparaiso University President Jose Padilla joins Union Street Hoops!
Padilla talks about his upbringing in sports and how that has translated to Valparaiso. He covers a handful of topics such as the change from Crusaders to Beacons and his vision for athletic facility changes at Valparaiso.
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren begins the podcast with a look at the Valparaiso volleyball team and the run to the NIVC championship. Oren also examines Valpo's 68-67 loss to Charlotte.
Union Street Hoops is a podcast dedicated to Valparaiso basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference. The pod can be heard on ApplePods, Spotify,iHeart, Stitcher, and NWI.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The first quarter of Valparaiso's season is in the books and the Beacons are 3-5 overall and 0-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. There are still more questions than answers about a team that is one game away from getting Kobe King on the active roster.
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren takes an overview of the first eight games of Valparaiso's season before being joined by Missouri State beat report Wyatt Wheeler. Paul and Wyatt discuss the first round of Valley games, including Missouri State's shocking overtime loss to Illinois State that has Twitter on fire in Springfield.
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 exhibiton season came and went with a thud as the Beacons dropped both of their preseason games to non-DI programs. While players and coaches are staying the course inside the locker room, frustration is taking shape from the Valparaiso fanbase.
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren breaks down the two exhibition games and tries to find some steady ground for Valpo fans to plant their flag in advance of Tuesday's season opener against Toledo.
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.
The start of the 2021-22 college basketball season is less than a month away and Union Street Hoops is back for the annual Valparaiso Over/Under episode.
USH host and NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren sets over/under lines for players and team accomplishments. The Voice of Valparaiso Athletics, Todd Ickow, joins the pod to try and land on the right side of the number.
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 associate head coach Luke Gore joins Union Street Hoops to analyze the 2021-22 nonconference slate of games. Trips to Stanford and the Bahamas highlight a schedule that includes eight nonconference home games.
Gore also spends time breaking down the 2021-22 Valparaiso roster and reflecting on relationships built during his career in Northwest Indiana.
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 Beacons.
Love it or hate it, the new nickname is here to stay. Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren talks through all things Beacons, including what the name means to the school, to the current athletes and the current logo.
Paul is then joined by designer Bryan Flynn, who took Valparaiso twitter by storm earlier this month when he released his own version of a new Beacons logo.
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.
While the Valparaiso men's basketball team dealt with a great deal of roster turnover from last season, five scholarship players decided to run it back. Connor Barrett, Sheldon Edwards, Emil Freese-Vilien, Eron Gordon and Ben Krikke all join Union Street Hoops to discuss a long list of topics.
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.
Thirty years ago, the Fab Five took the college basketball world by storm. Not a single member of Valparaiso's incoming transfer class was alive during that time, nor did any of the Big Ten transfers attend Michigan. Nevertheless, a group of five transfers have come together at Valpo with the hopes of taking the program back to the NCAA tournament.
In this episode of Union Street Hoops, Trevor Anderson, Kevion Taylor, Thomas Kithier, Joseph Hedstrom and Kobe King share their stories of how they came together in Northwest Indiana.
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.
Storm. Beacons. Gold. Sparks. Lightning. Tempest. Dunehawks. Lightning Hawks.
Valparaiso is down to its final nickname choices and Union Street Hoops is here to break down all eight possibilities. Two friends of the pod, Jack Vita and Andrew Stem, join USH to discuss the list and where Valparaiso can go from here.
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.
Zion Morgan has been known as a basketball player since he was five years old. He's now simply known as Zion Morgan.
The Chicago native wrote a letter to basketball on Monday and walked away from the game for good. On the latest episode of Union Street Hoops, Morgan explains why he is leaving basketball and he explains the faults with the system and the business of the sport.
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.
With the 2020-21 season in the rearview mirror, Union Street Hoops takes a look ahead as incoming Valparaiso freshmen Darius DeAveiro, Cameron Palesse, Trey Woodyard and Keyondre "Slim" Young join the podcast to discuss a host of topics.
USH host Paul Oren briefly looks at Valparaiso's outgoing transfers and takes a quick look at the 2021 NCAA tournament bracket.
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.
Arch Madness is nearly upon us and Union Street Hoops will be providing daily content from St. Louis as Valparaiso looks to shock the Valley with three wins and return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years.
Valparaiso nearly did the unthinkable last season by becoming the first team to advance to the title game after playing on Thursday night. One of the key pieces of last season's run, John Kiser, joins the pod to discuss those four days in St. Louis.
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 heading back to St. Louis where it hopes to capture some of the same magic that defined its run to the Arch Madness title game one year ago.
The Brown and Gold will take on Missouri State on Friday night and Wyatt Wheeler of the Springfield News-Leader joins Union Street Hoops to discuss all things Missouri State.
Later in the pod, former Valparaiso marketing administrator Scott Ochander will discuss the 2011 rebrand of the Crusader mascot and whether or not the school considered moving away from the nickname at that time.
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 Student Body President Kaitlyn Steinhiser joins Union Street Hoops to discuss the retirement of the Crusader as well as some of the feedback she has received over the decision.
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 announced on Feb. 11 that it was retiring the Crusader nickname. Nearly a week later and emotions are still high on both sides of the debate. Former Valparaiso football players Kris Serra and Kyle Padgett join the pod to share their differing views on the Crusader mascot.
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren takes a look at several points of contention regarding the announcement and the reactions surrounding the news. Oren looks back at the Uhlan mascot that was retired in 1941 and how cancel culture isn't just a 21st century occurrence.
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.
The Valparaiso men's basketball program is out of quarantine and getting ready for the start of Missouri Valley Conference action.
Ben Krikke joins the podcast to talk about being in quarantine seven times and the struggles of getting back to the court after starting and stopping so many times in the last 10 months.
Brett Kramer of Indiana Sports Corp also joins the pod to discuss bringing the entire NCAA tournament to Indianapolis this March.
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.
Happy Holidays from Union Street Hoops!
We've got a loaded episode as three very special guests join the pod. Valparaiso manager Morgan Fifield shares her experiences with the program as well as working through a COVID-19 landscape. Todd Ickow, the voice of the Crusaders, takes us through the nonconference season and what to expect from Valparaiso in Missouri Valley Conference action. Finally, former Valparaiso star Shawn Huff joins the pod to talk basketball and his quest for public office.
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 season has gotten off to a rocky start with losses at Vanderbilt and UIC to drop the Crusaders to 0-2 for the first time since 2009. NWI Times beat reporter and Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren takes a look at the opening two games of the season.
Former Michigan and Purdue guard Spike Albrecht joins the podcast. The Crown Point native talks about coming out of the Region and what it means to "bet on yourself." Valparaiso will take on Purdue and former Region stars Brandon Newman (Valparaiso) and Sasha Stefanovic (Crown Point on Friday).
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 athletic director Mark LaBarbera joins Union Street Hoops to talk about a host of topics, including how COVID-19 has impacted the athletic department, spectator plans for the 2020-21 season and how things may proceed this 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.
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 privacy information.
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.
Is Valparaiso a good "bad" team or a bad "good" team? Is the truth somewhere in the middle?
Former Valparaiso men's basketball players and coaches Tarrance Price and Chris Sparks join Union Street Hoops to offer their opinions on the state of the program.
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 loaded this week with the news that Jaume Sorolla left Cincinnati and Malcolm Turner resigned at Vanderbilt. 247Sports reporter (and former NWI Times reporter) Robbie Weinstein joins the pod to talk Turner's departure and how it relates to Bryce Drew.
Two special guests also join USH as Valparaiso walk-ons Luke Morrill and Brock Pappas share their experience with the Crusaders.
All this and more as host Paul Oren explains just how big of an opportunity the Crusaders have with upcoming games against Northern Iowa, Loyola and Southern Illinois.
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.
A host of special guests join Union Street Hoops to talk about the legacy of Kobe Bryant. ESPN broadcaster Adam Amin, former Valparaiso players Bryce Drew and Erik Buggs and current Valparaiso player Grace Hales all share the impact that Bryant has had on their careers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valparaiso senior Ryan Fazekas returned to the court on Thursday night at Missouri State. On Friday afternoon he met with the media to discuss his wrist injury for the first time. Fazekas explains what happened in St. Louis and just how close he came to walking away from basketball for good.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two unique guests join Union Street Hoops as ESPN commentator and former coach Mark Adams returns to discuss non-conference scheduling. Valley superfan Tony Seghetti also joins the pod to talk about the Missouri Valley Conference Fantasy Hoops league.
USH host Paul Oren spends some time discussing whether or not Valparaiso is a "young" team and how that compares to Northern Iowa in the wake of Wednesday's 88-78 loss to the Panthers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren is joined by Valparaiso media relations guru Aaron Leavitt to discuss the last decade in Valpo Hoops. Leavitt breaks down his 13-man All-Decade team before the pair look at some of the biggest moments and unanswered questions of the decade.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valparaiso finished the non-conference slate with a 7-6 record and now shifts focus to the Missouri Valley Conference. USH host Paul Oren takes a look at how Valley teams fared in the non-conference season and what the next two months might look like.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Valparaiso coach Homer Drew was recently inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame and will be honored at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Casey Schmidt helped build the foundation for Drew's great Valparaiso teams when he transferred back to Valpo after two years playing under Lute Olson at Arizona. Schmidt joins the podcast to talk about his career and the influence Drew has had on Valparaiso basketball.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Valparaiso men's basketball season is well underway and the Crusaders are off to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam with a 3-1 record.
Basketball takes a backseat for the first part of the pod as NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren takes a look at the fallout from Valparaiso's decision to cut men's tennis and men's soccer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Voice of the Crusaders, Todd Ickow, joins Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren to discuss the upcoming 2019-20 season. Oren sets over/under stat lines for the team and the pair make their predictions.
Send your predictions to OrenNWI@gmail.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With less than two weeks until the start of the 2019-20 college basketball season, Union Street Hoops is in preview mode. Valparaiso junior Eron Gordon stops by the pod to share his journey that led him from being an Indianapolis prep standout to enrolling at Seton Hall and ultimately joining the Crusaders.
Former Valparaiso guard Lexus Williams also joins USH to talk about the new California Pay to Play act.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Missouri Valley Conference Media Day was held on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren interviewed Valparaiso coaches Matt Lottich and Mary Evans as well as players Ryan Fazekas, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Grace Hales and Addison Stoller. Valley commissioner Doug Elgin also appears on the pod.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valparaiso associate head coach Luke Gore joins Union Street Hoops to discuss the 2019-20 non-conference schedule. Gore talks about the difficulties of scheduling in the modern era, how buyouts from Vanderbilt and George Washington impacted the schedule and what future schedules may look like.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valparaiso sophomore point guard Daniel Sackey joins Union Street Hoops to discuss Valpo's recent trip to Canada, making ESPN after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer and what Valparaiso fans should have in mind in regards to the 2019-20 season.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valparaiso director of athletics Mark LaBarbera joins Union Street Hoops to discuss a myriad of topics. NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren asks LaBarbera about changes to the Athletics-Recreation Center, the upcoming fall sports season, the exodus of players from the men's basketball team and what the future looks like for Matt Lottich.
Oren and LaBarbera also discuss recent scheduling buyouts from Vanderbilt and George Washington, as well as the impact that legalized sports gambling could have on collegiate sports in Indiana.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Union Street Hoops is back after a summer hiatus. NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren takes a brief look where Valparaiso's transfers ended up as well as who is coming back to campus. Then Oren sits down with a former Valparaiso player who was once part of the most-hyped recruiting class in program history. Regular episodes will resume in early August.
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Is the glass half empty or half full regarding the Valparaiso basketball program? The Crusaders lost a handful of players to transfer, but gained a handful of new recruits. The Voice of the Crusaders, Todd Ickow, joins NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren to walk through the offseason and what it could mean for Matt Lottich in the future.
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Derrik Smits, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Bakari Evelyn all announced they are leaving the Valparaiso basketball program.
NWI Times reporters Paul Oren and Robbie Weinstein examine why each player may have left and explore what this means for Matt Lottich and the program in general.
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March Madness is here and that means different things for different people. While Bradley, Loyola and Drake are preparing for postseason contests, the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference is settling in for a long offseason.
The march toward 2019-20 began in earnest on Monday as Derrik Smits announced he was transferring. He's the first Valparaiso player to announce intentions to transfer, but will he be the last? Have the Crusaders won or lost the transfer game in the last 12 years?
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Former Valparaiso University assistant coach Joe Otis stops by Union Street Hoops to talk about the problems that have plagued the Valparaiso basketball program this season.
Otis was an assistant with the Crusaders in the 1970's and was on staff when Valparaiso transitioned to Division I. Otis went on to become a legendary high school coach in the Region, taking LaPorte to the Final Four of the 1997 IHSAA tournament. Otis also coached both boys and girls basketball at Valparaiso High School.
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Valparaiso hit rock bottom with its worst offensive performance in 18 years against Bradley on Wednesday night. Where do the Crusaders go from here?
With Ryan Fazekas out for the season and one game left until an Arch Madness tilt with Indiana State, NWI Times reporters Paul Oren and Robbie Weinstein do their best to navigate through the maladies facing the Crusaders this season.
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Matt Hackman (Hacksaw on MVCFans.com) joins Union Street Hoops to discuss seeding possibilities for Arch Madness. Hacksaw has been running simulations on Arch Madness probabilities for the last decade and he talks about one of the crazier seasons in recent memory.
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Valparaiso has lost seven of its last eight games and the season is on the brink of disaster. NWI Times writers Paul Oren and Robbie Weinstein breakdown whether or not Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich is hiding behind excuses, if fans are right to call for Lottich's head or if the Crusaders are capable of turning the whole thing around.
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It was an exciting week for Valparaiso as the Crusaders went to Illinois State and knocked off the Redbirds in a breakout performance for freshman Javon Freeman-Liberty. More than 5,000 fans packed the Athletics-Recreation Center for a battle against first-place Loyola, and just when it looked as if the Crusaders were ready to reinsert themselves into the Valley race, another elongated scoring drought doomed Valparaiso.
NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren tries to make sense of where Valparaiso is with six games remaining in the conference season. Plus a deeper look into Freeman-Liberty's freshman season and a story of waiting for Ryan Fazekas.
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Valparaiso has lost three straight games and the Crusaders face a brutal five-game stretch that could derail the entire season.
The schedule is the least of their problems as Ryan Fazekas and Markus Golder, while both "progressing nicely" from their respective ankle injuries, are still out of action.
NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren tries to make sense of it all while also breaking down a recent column written by Jeff Goodman where the Stadium reporter says Valparaiso has the worst game atmosphere and facilities in the Valley.
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John Kiser arrived on campus as an unheralded walk-on and he quickly became a thorn in the side of one of the best players in Valparaiso history. NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren takes an in-depth look at Kiser's story in an extension of the piece that ran in Wednesday's Northwest Indiana Times.
Oren also takes a look at Valparaiso's recent games against Loyola and Northern Iowa, as well as a look ahead to a road contest against Indiana State.
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Valparaiso has started fast in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, winning its first four games in spectacular fashion. From Markus Golder's buzzer-beater to winning on the road without Ryan Fazekas, the Crusaders are all alone in first place heading to Loyola.
Times beat reporter Paul Oren reviews Valparaiso's first four Valley games of the year in a tough and gritty podcast that will have you slapping the floor in celebration.
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Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren and the Voice of the Crusaders, Todd Ickow hand out some non-conference grades for Valparaiso while reviewing the Over/Under prop bets from the beginning of the season.
Valparaiso superfan Jeff Safrin joins the pod to talk about the upcoming conference season and what he sees in the Crusaders from the sidelines.
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Humbug! There's no Christmas cheer for Valparaiso as the Crusaders dropped a pair of non-conference games to Ball State and Texas A&M this week. NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren tries to make sense of two disappointing defeats as the fan base is looking for their gift receipts.
Ball State assistant coach Matt Crenshaw joins the pod to discuss the 2003 Mid-Con title game when the former IUPUI guard knocked down a buzzer-beater to defeat the Crusaders. Crenshaw also talks about being in the Navy for six years and what it was like to play in the NCAA tournament the day the United States went to war.
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Valparaiso director of athletics Mark LaBarbera joins the pod to discuss a litany of topics, including reactions to the football and volleyball seasons, student attendance issues and whether or not Valparaiso is moving away from the Crusader nickname.
Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren reviews the George Washington game and looks ahead to the Ball State contest on Monday, Dec. 17.
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Valparaiso knocked off UNLV on the road and then got some revenge against UC-Riverside at the ARC. Everything looked great until High Point came to town and sent the Crusaders to their lowest point of the season.
Union Street Hoops host and Valparaiso beat reporter Paul Oren attempts to make sense of the last week as the non-conference season begins to wind down.
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Valparaiso is six games into the 2018-19 season and one question looms large: Are the Crusaders good? They've beaten the teams they should and lost to the bigger teams on the schedule. What will the next three weeks tell us about the quality of this season's team?
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Valparaiso picked the wrong way to make a first impression on Thursday night, falling to Division II Indianapolis in an exhibition contest. Former Valparaiso point guard Erik Buggs joins the pod to talk about losing to UIndy in 2009 and how the Crusaders recovered from that loss.
NWI Times reporter Robbie Weinstein makes his Union Street Hoops debut. Robbie will be covering preps and college sports for the Times, including some Valparaiso hoops coverage.
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It's the eve of the 2018-19 college basketball season and NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren has released the Over/Under prop bets for Valparaiso's upcoming season.
Listen to the latest episode of Union Street Hoops as Paul sits down with the Voice of Valparaiso Athletics, Todd Ickow, to discuss the Over/Under props. Todd shares his picks for the upcoming season and you can too!
Email Paul at pgmado@gmail.com with your picks and the listener with the most correct at the end of the season will be a special guest on Union Street Hoops.
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On the cusp of the 2018-19 season, Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren gives a breakdown of his Missouri Valley Conference predictions.
Purdue coach Matt Painter shares his thoughts at Big Ten Media Day on scheduling. Finally, ESPN broadcaster and Valparaiso alum Adam Amin stops by the pod to talk about joining the Chicago Bulls broadcast team.
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The 2018-19 basketball season is here! (Kind of) The Missouri Valley Conference held its annual Media Day event in St. Louis on Wednesday, Sept. 19. NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren was on hand for the festivities.
Guests of the pod this week include Valparaiso coaches Matt Lottich and Mary Evans, players Bakari Evelyn, Markus Golder, Grace Hales and Meredith Hamlet, as well as Valley commissioner Doug Elgin.
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Valparaiso released its 2018-19 non-conference schedule and beat reporter Paul Oren is here to breakdown each game, including a pair of contests against Sweet Sixteen participants West Virginia and Texas A&M.
Purdue Northwest men's basketball coach Boomer Roberts joins the pod to talk about having the opportunity to play Valparaiso.
Former NWI Times reporter Sean Hayden also joins Union Street Hoops on the 15-year anniversary of Scott Drew leaving the Crusaders for Baylor. Hayden shares some of his memories from the sudden coaching change.
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News has come out of every corner of the Valparaiso basketball program this month. Join Paul Oren on the latest episode of Union Street Hoops as he breaks down the additions of Nick Robinson and Deion Lavender as well as the hiring of Todd Townsend and Rob Holloway. Finally, former Valparaiso star Ryan Broekhoff joins the pod to talk about signing with the Dallas Mavericks.
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Former Valparaiso player and Region native Chris Artis joins Union Street Hoops to talk all things Valparaiso basketball. From getting recruited by Homer Drew to helping Valparaiso get to the NCAA tournament for the first time and everything since, Artis shares a journey with the Crusaders.
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Union Street Hoops is back to talk about a slow Valparaiso offseason that includes the arrival of Eron Gordon and the non-return of Joe Burton. Parker Gatewood says farewell during his final hours in Valpo.
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Valparaiso walk-on Steve Helm joins Union Street Hoops to discuss his first year with the Crusaders, playing in the Duneland Athletic Conference and his upcoming Mormon mission.
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Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood return to bring all the latest Valparaiso news, including the transfers of Parker Hazen and Marten Linssen, as well as the addition of Daniel Sackey. Oren finally comes clean about the "Parker Hazen: The Next Alec Peters?" piece from earlier this year.
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Valparaiso head coach Matt Lottich joins Union Street Hoops to discuss the 2017-18 season. Missouri Valley Conference associate commissioner Mike Kern talks about Loyola's run to the Sweet Sixteen and what it means for the rest of the league.
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What was it like to be on press row at the 1998 NCAA tournament when Bryce Drew hit The Shot? Listen to the latest episode of Union Street Hoops as host Paul Oren is joined by former Times reporters Sean Hayden and Paul Jankowski as well as the Voice of the Crusaders, Todd Ickow.
Ickow breaks down his call of the play while Hayden and Jankowski share how they managed to put such a magical moment into words. Listen as the trio share stories of all the moments that led up to The Shot, including blizzard that nearly crippled three counties as well as an amazing story involving a Ponderosa in Kansas City that you have to hear to believe.
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Arch Madness is here! Union Street Hoops hosts Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood give their thoughts on end of Valparaiso's regular-season and what success looks like in St. Louis. Missouri State beat reporter Wyatt Wheeler of the Springfield News-Leader joins the pod to talk Bears and Crusaders.
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Valparaiso director of athletics Mark LaBarbera joins Union Street Hoops to cover a variety of topics, including the move to the Missouri Valley Conference, facility renovations and attendance issues at the ARC.
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Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood discuss Valparaiso's progress down the stretch of the year, including Wednesday's strong showing at first-place Loyola. Former Valparaiso point guard Erik Buggs talks about the process from going 9-22 as a freshman to the NCAA tournament as a senior.
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Anthony Schalk joins Union Street Hoops to discuss a 28-hour journey to Carbondale and back while Ethan Hennessy of Happening Hoops shares his thoughts on student attendance at Valparaiso games. Paul Oren doesn't limit his thoughts to just students as he wonders what will it take to pack the ARC.
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Union Street Hoops hosts Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood discuss Valparaiso's recent five-game losing streak as well as THAT play from the Illinois State game.
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Has Valparaiso jumped the shark? Paul and Parker try to navigate the recent three-game losing streak. Valparaiso managers Robbie Crimmins and Kendall O'Banner join the pod and explain just what it is that managers do. Plus, Paul takes on Iowa.
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Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood react to Valparaiso winning its first two Missouri Valley Conference games of the season. Plus, Paul tells a story of the time his family went to Iowa and ended up going home with the bartender.
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Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood discuss Valparaiso's 0-3 start in the Missouri Valley Conference, the virtues of trash talking and whether or not Joe Burton has played his final game in a Valparaiso uniform.
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Missouri Valley Conference action has arrived! Valley Hoops Insider Harry Schroeder shares his thoughts on the conference season, while Luke Benz of the Yale Sports Analytics Group looks to math to illustrate how Valparaiso could fare in the Valley this season and beyond.
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Union Street Hoops hosts Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood give out non-conference grades in the wake of Valparaiso's 73-60 loss to UC-Riverside. What is next for Joe Burton at Valparaiso?
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Former Valparaiso basketball players Dwayne Toatley and Milo Stovall join Union Street Hoops to talk about dealing with mono during the 2000-01 season. Former assistant coach and longtime Region high school coach Joe Otis talks about Valparaiso's unique connection to the 1977 plane crash involving the Evansville basketball program. Also, Paul and Parker breakdown Purdue and Ball State and look ahead to Northwestern.
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Valparaiso beat reporter Paul Oren sits down with NWI Times reporters (and Purdue super fans) Jim Peters and CJ Peters in the wake of Valparaiso's 80-50 loss at Mackey Arena on Thursday night.
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Former Valpo High and Purdue star Robbie Hummel joins Union Street Hoops to preview the upcoming non-conference tilt between the Crusaders and Boilermakers. Mid-Major Madness reporter Andy Evans shares his thoughts on Valparaiso's place in national polls.
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NWI Times reporter Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood breakdown Valparaiso's hot start to this season while Valley Associate Commissioner Greg Walter talks about the MVC/MWC Challenge. Former Valparaiso star Dan Oppland wraps up Episode No. 42 by sharing thoughts his time with the Crusaders.
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Kylan Lottich and Todd Ickow join Union Street Hoops on the eve of the 2017-18 college basketball season to discuss the Crusaders.
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Union Street Hoops hosts Paul Oren and Parker Gatewood breakdown Valparaiso's exhibition victory over Robert Morris. Former Valparaiso player Ali Berdiel joins the podcast to talk about his career with the Crusaders and the hurricane relief effort in his native Puerto Rico.
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