Where in the world is/was

[IndyValpo]

My nephew plays basketball in Latvia, so I spend some time on eurobasket.com.  I found this recap of Valpo players


http://www.usbasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=USA&Team=758&Page=4

[valpo95]

One that popped up on this list was Chris Halvorsen, who left Valpo after his freshman year to go to Minnesota.  I remember at the time a bunch of vitriol about how poorly he was treated and how he deserved more playing time.  So I looked at his stats:  After sitting out a year for the transfer, his stats to date show he has 11 minutes total for the season and scored 1 point.  I don't know if he has been injured or if there is some other reason, but once again I'm reminded of the effective evaluation of talent by Homer Drew. 

Sometimes, an effective player transfers for an opportunity to play more or play professionally and that player remains effective (think Brandon Wood), but I can't think of a case where an average or end of the bench player has transferred and turned out to be a star.

Clearly, not all high school recruits will turn out as good as they are hyped, and some future college stars are are missed, but that is a different story.

[valpotx]

Aris Williams wasn't a star, but received a lot of playing time at South Florida.

I spend a lot of time on those websites as well, checking in on our former players.  I didn't know they broke it down by schools, so I appreciate the link!!

[chef]

Perhaps the most successful transfer to leave Valpo was Kareem Abdul Jabbar Jr. He averaged 8 pts 6 rbs at Western Kentucky, before spending many years in the USBL and CBA.

[valpo84]

By the way, I think I read somewhere that Chris Ensminger was an All-Star this year in the German League he plays in. He has had a long, solid career in Europe.

[vu72]

One that popped up on this list was Chris Halvorsen, who left Valpo after his freshman year to go to Minnesota.  I remember at the time a bunch of vitriol about how poorly he was treated and how he deserved more playing time.  So I looked at his stats:  After sitting out a year for the transfer, his stats to date show he has 11 minutes total for the season and scored 1 point.  I don't know if he has been injured or if there is some other reason, but once again I'm reminded of the effective evaluation of talent by Homer Drew. 

Sometimes, an effective player transfers for an opportunity to play more or play professionally and that player remains effective (think Brandon Wood), but I can't think of a case where an average or end of the bench player has transferred and turned out to be a star.

Clearly, not all high school recruits will turn out as good as they are hyped, and some future college stars are are missed, but that is a different story.

He isn't injured, just firmly on the end of the bench as a WALK-ON.  Hard to understand as he clearly didn't leave because he wanted more playing time.  Probably as simple as being home sick for a girl friend or whatever.

[valpo84]

One that wasn't on that list was Omar Sylla who transferred to Richmond and played some decent minutes for a very good set of Richmond teams.

[valporun]

Yes, Oumar, who came in the same year as Moussa, but received some advice from AAU coaches to come back closer to the D.C. area, where he would get more playing time. One of the reasons that I dislike AAU coaches, they don't let high school and college coaches coach the players they have.

[oklahomamick]

I think it's neat that the pop land brothers are playing together on the same team in Europe.  I thought one of them transferred from valpo early in him career. (can someone confirm that?). I didn't see kikus on that list.  I know he logged some minutes for Angola against the US team in the last Olympics. 

[StlVUFan]

I think it's neat that the pop land brothers are playing together on the same team in Europe.  I thought one of them transferred from valpo early in him career. (can someone confirm that?). I didn't see kikus on that list.  I know he logged some minutes for Angola against the US team in the last Olympics. 

Mike Oppland transferred after his red-shirt freshman year, I believe, to a D-II or NAIA school that ended up playing an exhibition game against Valpo.  Kikas is Joaquim Gomes and he's on the list.

[humbleopinion]

Mike Oppland played at Calumet College after leaving Valpo.

[bbtds]

I didn't see kikus on that list.  I know he logged some minutes for Angola against the US team in the last Olympics. 

http://www.africabasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=ANG&PlayerID=9286

There's Kikas with his beard and dreadlocks. He has played in Holland, Germany and Angola.

[valpotx]

Kikas represents Angola at each tournament very well.  He is always their most interviewed player, as he is the only one who speaks English.

Several of our ex-players from other countries represent their national teams: Mike Rogers, Stalin Ortiz, Ali Berdiel, Antti Nikkila, Shawn Huff, Samuel Haanpaa, Lubos Barton, Joaquim Gomes (Kikas, nicest guy in the world), Raitis Grafs, and maybe a few others.

Sylla actually started at Richmond each of the years he was there, as a 6'7" PG. 

[Crusader03]

Is there one of these for the girls??!? 

[valpopal]

Just saw this terrific article about former VU basketball player, Gregg Parris, who did not go on to pro ball but was just named Person of the Year by his community newspaper in Muncie for all his wonderful work:

"As the older brother of two sisters, the future pastor was often looked to as a role model. But it was not until he was a basketball player at Valparaiso University that he began to see his leadership abilities shine. For Parris that meant letting go and letting God. 'God tends to use us all in ways allowing us to live a bountiful life. For me, God has tended to use me in leadership positions,' he said. 'Those skills work well as a pastor, but it took me a while to figure that out. Serving in the ministry has been God's idea. I just had to learn to trust God with the next steps in my life.' After graduating from Valparaiso in 1977, Parris attended Asbury Theological Seminary, where he received a master's degree in divinity in 1981...."

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/120204006/2011-Person-Year-Gregg-Parris

[vu84v2]

I just received the Valpo alumni news and there is a great article on Jon Kedrowski.  After playing at Valpo, he went on and got his PhD in mountain geography.  Not sure what he is doing with that (probably teaching), but that is a great academic/professional accomplishment.  He also is an avid mountain climber that eventually wants to climb Everest.

[lowposter]

I saw Milo Stovall and Chris Artis at an AAU event in Merrillville last summer.

Milo is in Grand Rapids and working a youth program.  Chris is a teacher in East Chicago and at the time was living in Valpo.

lowposter

[bbtds]

Reaching New Heights


Valpo Friendship Fuels Mountain Adventure


When Jon Kedrowski '02 and Chris Tomer '02 were enjoying life as friends on the Valparaiso University campus, they never imagined they would be climbing mountains together just a few years later. And not just any old mountains, but some of the highest peaks in Colorado.
(continued on page 14)

"I think Valpo offers just the right campus setting to put motion behind emotion, and brings folks together with common values."
- Jon Kedrowski '02

During the summer of 2011, over a period of 95 days from June through September, Kedrowski climbed to the summit of the 58 highest peaks in the Rocky Mountain State, all greater than 14,000 feet, and slept on the summit of each from sunset to sunrise. Tomer, now a meterologist with Denver television station KDVR, supplied the weather forecasts and joined in the climb of 20 of the summits.

For Kedrowski, the passion for climbing 14,000-plus foot peaks began early.

"Growing up in Colorado, I began climbing '14-ers' in the early 1990s as a teenager," Kedrowski said. "I used the peaks as a training tool for football and basketball seasons in high school, then again during my time at Valpo."

Normally, dangerous weather could prevent most climbers and adventurers from ever attempting a feat like this. In mountains this tall, the altitude bars most from even trying the feat. But that challenge was the lure for Kedrowski and Tomer.

The two had a unique partnership when it came to monitoring weather patterns and storms, using their educational backgrounds to strategize their climbs. Kedrowski was a geography major at Valpo and later earned a PhD in mountain geography. Tomer was a meterology major and is now a certified meteorologist.

"It was awesome teamwork," Kedrowski said. "Chris updated me constantly with text messages about current and future weather conditions ~~ at times when I was heading up the peak, he would forecast my weather windows with extreme accuracy, even pinpointing lightning and giving me 'safe' time frames."

Even with the forecasting, planning, and strategy, the adventures still had their heart-pounding moments. Once during the project, Kedrowski had a sense to jump out of his tent when he felt charges of energy building, and he escaped from the summit of Harvard mountain only moments before lightning zapped his tent.

"The strike was powerful enough to not only scare me, but toss me onto my side and burn my tent to a crisp," Kedrowski said.

A majority of Kedrowski's climbs were solo, but he credits Tomer with making them a safe success. When he was alone, he would call on his cell phone from the high ridges, and from the weather center at KDVR-TV in Denver, Tomer would confirm the storm systems that Kedrowski was seeing. On the high summits, he could track the flow of clouds and storms with the naked eye, but Tomer had the ability to pull up radar and high-definition satellite imagery as well as forecast models, and zoom in directly to Kedrowski's location.

"This resulted in many times when I was able to stay on the summit, because I could be confident in that detailed forecast that the storm was not going to hit me," Kedrowski said. "There were always storms in the area during the height of monsoon season, so the technology and educated interpretation were key components of success."

This teamwork and friendship were actually born on the Valpo campus.

"I met Jon while walking from breakfast one early morning my freshman year," Tomer said. "I remember thinking that very few students like to get up early, but here's this guy walking the same path as me."

And that path turned out to be much longer and more meaningful than Tomer might have expected.

"I knew right away that Jon wasn't afraid of hard work," Tomer said. "We hit it off quickly and seemed to hold similar values and work ethics. Our friendship continued to grow from that point."

Kedrowski joined the men's basketball team, and Tomer joined the scout team for the women's basketball team. The duo also played intramural basketball and numerous basketball tournaments around Valparaiso, and attended classes together in the Department of Geology and Meteorology.

"We both came from out-of-state with strong values and a strong sense of direction that initially drew us together," Kedrowski said. "I think Valpo offers just the right campus setting to put motion behind emotion, and brings folks together with common values."

"When you come to a place like Valpo, you make friendships that last a lifetime; it's just the kind of place that fosters those types of friendships. It is now 10 years later, and Chris and I are still climbing mountains together in winter and summer."

Both Kedrowski and Tomer feel that Valpo gave them not only the personal foundation for this success, but also an academic one.

"In mountainous environments, geography and meteorology are often the two most important areas of knowledge," Tomer said. "The training I received at Valpo is second to none, and this is a fact I've proven to myself during my career as a television meteorologist. My professors at Valpo were top-notch in their fields and gave me the tools to thrive."

Kedrowski said the combination of leadership from his professors and coaches provided him with a roadmap for success in life.

"My geography professors Ron Janke and Jon Kilpinen were key influences, but also Homer Drew, Scott Drew, and Bryce Drew were all a big part of the basketball success that I now take with me into the mountains," Kedrowski said. "These values led me to earn my PhD in Mountain Geography, and also have the opportunity to climb some of the highest mountains in the world."

The friendship of these Valpo graduates continues now in their next adventure, taking them to new heights. In early 2012, they plan to travel to Nepal to climb Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.

Pictures and videos from their adventures can be found online at jonkeverest.org.

[hoopfan22]

I saw Milo Stovall and Chris Artis at an AAU event in Merrillville last summer.

Milo is in Grand Rapids and working a youth program.  Chris is a teacher in East Chicago and at the time was living in Valpo.

lowposter

He coaches at Calumet College still too. I believe he coached Mike Oppland when he was there.

[hoopfan22]

Anthony Allison remains to date my favorite Crusader ever. He was a killer!

[valpotx]

Kedrowski was such a nice guy to play against in pick-up games, as was Milo when he would play in the offseason.  As a matter of fact, all of the Valpo players were fun to play against while we got killed  .  That is one of my favorite memories outside of my baseball games, in getting to play pick-up games against our D-1 men's basketball team, making the NCAA tourney each year.  Not many students can say that they are able to do that at other schools.

[hoopfan22]

Kedrowski was such a nice guy to play against in pick-up games, as was Milo when he would play in the offseason.  As a matter of fact, all of the Valpo players were fun to play against while we got killed  .  That is one of my favorite memories outside of my baseball games, in getting to play pick-up games against our D-1 men's basketball team, making the NCAA tourney each year.  Not many students can say that they are able to do that at other schools.

EXACTLY. I thought that was extremely cool of them.

[valpopal]

Mike Rogers with a dunk and a three-pointer:

Erreá Sport Cantabria te ofrece las mejores jugadas del CD Estela Santander - Deportes Ferrer

[valpotx]

I assume the crowd we are hearing must be on the camera side of the view, as they are non-existent on the side we are viewing  .  Where is he playing and what level?

[valpopal]

I assume the crowd we are hearing must be on the camera side of the view, as they are non-existent on the side we are viewing  .  Where is he playing and what level?

He is playing in Spain. Here is the team's website:
http://www.cdestela.com/