Valpo’s Daniel Sackey

Playing With a Purpose

(St. Louis, MO) – Valparaiso guard Daniel Sackey left home at 16 pursuing his basketball dream and is playing with a purpose. The native of Ghana, grew up in Canada and plays basketball in the State of Indiana. He’s been all over the world, but he is grounded in something greater than dream excursions.

Sackey was a part of Canadian national teams during his teens and played with R.J. Barrett and other notable basketball stars. The 5’9 Sackey earned a national dunk competition title and is a part of the Valpo emergence in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Finding His Way To Valpo

Valparaiso has a history of recruiting international players. This year’s team has two Canadians, one player from Norway and one from Denmark. Recent seasons have seen other Canadians and Europeans wearing the Brown and Gold.

Sackey says assistant coach Luke Gore was instrumental in his signing with the Crusaders and that the Valpo coaching staff and campus are very ‘foreigner friendly’.

 

 

Sackey received plenty of playing time as a freshman and led the team in assists (3.6 per game) during his sophomore campaign. He has upped his assists average this season (4.1) and is third on the team in playing time.

Covid Chaos & Arch Madness

Valpo has had two coronavirus-related shut downs and this week will be on pause because Southern Illinois has protocol issues. Sackey says dealing with those very abnormal things are difficult, but he and his teammates are looking at it as a way to cultivate more resolve.

He wants to get past the covid-19 delays and get his team ready for Arch Madness. Last season’s historic run from ‘play-in game’ to championship game was great fun.

 

 

Family, Faith & Playing with Purpose

Daniel’s mother, Mercy Sackey is an ordained pastor. He says during a recent team Zoom call, his mother prayed for the team and many of his teammates were greatly motivated by her leadership and prayers.

The Sackey family has taken missions trips to Ghana and Jamaica and Daniel hopes to take more missions trips once his college playing career is over. He says going to those needy nations was a great experience and he tells us about the family band.

 

 

Sackey believes everything has purpose and so he wants to live intentionally. His faith in God is evident in the way he treats people and the smile on his face. Head coach Matt Lottich says Sackey has a natural charisma that is very important to the team. Lottich says Sackey is the rare type of person that will gladly accept whatever role he is given.

Sackey’s favorite Bible verse is found in Isaiah 41. “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you.”

He carries that verse and those truths with him at all times. One of his favorite songs is “Intentional” by Travis Greene. Sackey says the themes of that song remind him, that he is here for a reason.

 

 

Crusaders on Another Pause

While there are no covid cases in the Valpo program, they won’t play Missouri Valley Conference games this weekend. Southern Illinois is on pause due to covid-19 protocols. Coach Lottich is hoping to find an opponent and play a game this weekend.

This interview was conducted prior to their two-game series with Missouri State and can be heard in its entirety at Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts.

Sackey talks glowingly of his teammates and the togetherness among the Crusaders. He believes his role is to encourage and build up his basketball playing friends. While living far away from home, Sackey is playing with purpose

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