March Moments – Valpo – The Shot

Homer Drew Remembers Amazing Run

(St. Louis, MO) – Valparaiso’s 1998 Sweet Sixteen experience is permanently engraved in my memory. The Crusaders’ historic journey aligned with my first ever coverage of an NCAA Tournament. The Drew family and Valpo will forever be linked to ‘the shot’!

Valparaiso claimed both Mid-Continent Conference’s regular season and postseason tournaments and were the 13th seeded team in Midwest Bracket of March Madness.

Valpo was a family affair. Head coach Homer Drew’s star player was his son Bryce and older son Scott was an assistant coach. Bryce was a two-time MCC ‘Player of the Year’. He scored over 2,000 career points and finished his Crusader career on the top of the Crusader lists of assists, three-pointers, was second in steals and second to Alec Peters in points. Three-times he was the MCC tournament’s most outstanding player.

While Bryce would go on to play parts of four NBA seasons, both he and Scott are more well known as Division 1 head basketball coaches. Scott led Baylor to a number on ranking this season and after three seasons at Vanderbilt, Bryce has recently been hired to coach at Grand Canyon.

The Drew Dynasty

Homer held the head coaching reins for 22 seasons, winning 370 games and leading the Crusaders to 370 victories and seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Tucked in the middle of those 22 seasons, was one coached by Scott before he was hired away by Vanderbilt. When Homer retired, Bryce took charge and led the program for five postseason-filled seasons.

During 28 Drew-led seasons, Valpo claimed 13 conference titles and played postseason basketball 15 times. None of those postseason appearances could compare with 1998.

1998 Season

Homer believed his 1998 team had the potential to be very good. They had experience, size and a star player. Their regular season title was their fourth straight and they were dancing for the third straight Spring. They were winless during their first two trips.

His veteran squad believed they could snap that winless mark.

 

 

That season was uniquely special for the elder Drew as he was privileged to watch his sons work closely together for one common goal.

 

 

Mississippi was their first round opponent.

The Shot

During a tightly contested game the Crusaders trailed by four at the half. They were able to keep the contest close until the very end. With under ten seconds left and the team trailing by two, Bryce missed the potential game winning shot. After Mississippi missed two free throws, the Drews had another chance.

Homer called time out and told the team to run a play called ‘Pacer’. It was a play they had practiced all season and had never successfully executed in a game. Somehow, this time it worked.

 

 

Bryce finished with 22 points and eight assists while 6’11 Zoran Viskovic scored 19 points. Valpo had won its first NCAA Tournament game.

Here is part of our friend Todd Ickow’s call of that last second shot, “BRYCE DREW HIT A THREE-POINTER TO WIN THIS GAME, 70–69! THE KID…PERFORMS ANOTHER MIRACLE!” (wikipedia)

Due to the magnitude of that shot, most people believe that sent the Crusaders to the Sweet Sixteen. However, after that heart-stopping victory, Florida State was the Crusaders’ next opponent.

It would prove to be another nail-biter. Once again Valpo was down at the half.

Behind 22 more Bryce Drew points and 19 by Jamie Sykes the Crusaders upset the Seminoles 83-77 in overtime. Homer says while Bryce was the star of that Crusader squad, it was truly a team effort and a team accomplishment.

 

 

History of a Different Kind in St. Louis

Valpo’s first two games were played in Oklahoma City. The Regional was played in St. Louis. Valpo dropped a decision to Saint Louis University in the same building (now known as the Enterprise Center) and were on a 13-game winning streak.

Rhode Island was the opponent. True to form, the Crusaders trailed at the half, but this time lost the closely contested affair 74-68. Bryce scored 18 points while three other Crusaders reached double digits.

In a scene that I will never forget, the unthinkable happened. While reporters were attempting to obtain their postgame quotes, coach Drew was asked to leave the interview process and go greet the fans. They were refusing to leave. The Crusader faithful were still cheering in the stands and wanted to thank the team.

It is still an emotional memory for Homer Drew.

 

 

Homer a St. Louis native, had lost for the second time in the Gateway City, but the Crusader fans had lifted him and his team.

Current Crusaders

The retired coach is bullish on Valparaiso’s entry into the Missouri Valley Conference and believes the current coaching staff is building a solid team and program. Valpo won three games in that same downtown St. Louis building during the most recent Valley tournament.

 

 

Please head to Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts for this entire interview. This may be the most enjoyable interview ever conducted by this reporter.

During the Covid-19 shut down we have attempted to do our part of replacing March Madness with March Moments. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about and listening to the anecdotes of those that lived this moments. I have been greatly blessed by their engaging story-telling.

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