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Valparaiso signs head coach Bryce Drew to 10-year contract extension

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Now in his third season as head coach at his alma mater, Valparaiso’s Bryce Drew has led the Crusaders to 55 wins and two consecutive Horizon League regular season titles. The next step for Valparaiso would be to win the conference’s tournament title and thereby earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Valparaiso was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, and a group led by guard LaVonte Dority and forward Alec Peters will look to exceed those expectations.

Thus far it’s clear that they’ve got a coach capable of leading them in that quest, and on Wednesday the school announced its commitment to Drew in the form of a 10-year contract extension.

“Bryce Drew has shown himself to be one of the exceptional young coaches in college basketball,” Valparaiso AD Mark LaBarbera said in the release. “His outstanding record clearly shows his ability to recruit and lead talented student-athletes. We are grateful for Coach Drew’s dedication to Valparaiso University and excited that he will continue in a leadership role here for the foreseeable future.”

Valparaiso’s off to a 7-5 start and they’ve won three of their last four games, with the lone defeat being a two-point loss to Saint Louis as time expired on December 7. Green Bay, which beat Virginia last month, and Youngstown State are off to good starts as is Milwaukee, which was picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll. Add in preseason favorite Wright State and a solid Cleveland State squad, and the Horizon League race will be a competitive one.

Much may not have been expected of Valparaiso, especially when considering the loss of Ryan Broekhoff, but with Drew at the helm the Crusaders are more than capable of factoring into the race.

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