NIT 10: The Sprint and the Marathon
Part II: Valparaiso opens with five nonconference games in seven days before running away with Horizon League title
The text came from a friend of mine on a Tuesday night in late November and it was a sentence I never thought I’d read.
“Homer Drew just walked into Northsides and he’s sitting by himself at the bar.”
I dropped everything I was doing and I raced out the door. Valparaiso was playing Oregon State in Corvallis and the game was being broadcast on the Pac-12 Network. Northsides was the only place in town to have the game and Valpo’s legendary former coach wanted the chance to watch his son take on a high-major opponent. And I wanted a shot at watching a Valpo game with someone who has forgotten more about basketball than I’ll ever know.
What followed was a two-hour Masters class in hoops. If there was an out-of-bounds play, Homer called it. If there was a defensive alignment, Dr. Drew deciphered how to break it down.
NIT 10: An Oral History of Valparaiso’s March to Madison Square Garden
Introduction: The Last Meeting
Part I: The Return of the Mayor
Just as Homer was delivering the goods at the end of the bar, Bryce Drew was calling one heck of a game on the court. Valparaiso led by nine at the break and stretched the advantage to 17 early in the second half. The Beavers got within single digits late, but the game wasn’t nearly as close as the 63-57 final.
Bryce was stoic as he celebrated his 100th career victory as a head coach and Homer was equally as calm. He stood up from his stool, handed some cash to the bartender with instructions to take care of the patrons around the bar and he was off into the night.
I sat in awe of what I had just experienced. It was hardly the only time the 2015-16 Valparaiso men’s basketball team would make memories during the regular season.