De La Cruz Monegro the final piece for Valpo

MBB: Western Michigan transfer completes 2024-25 roster

Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro sat in the Valparaiso men’s basketball team room this week and listened to all the reasons why he’d be a great fit with the program.

Valparaiso second-year coach Roger Powell Jr. pitched a vision to the Western Michigan transfer about joining a faith-based program and reuniting with prep teammate Darius DeAveiro. He talked about lineups with multiple point guards, just as he had at Gonzaga with NBA playoff stars Jalen Suggs and Andrew Nembhard.

It was all sounding great to Monegro. Then the challenge came. It didn’t take long after that for the Quebec point guard to commit to the Beacons.