TBT: The CRU

TBT stands for Throwback Thursday, but it also stands for The Basketball Tournament. Former Valparaiso basketball players Jason Karys and Lexus Williams join Union Street Hoops for a throwback episode as they announce the formation of The CRU, Valparaiso's entry in the 2022 TBT.  Karys is currentl…

The Jose Padilla Episode

Valparaiso University President Jose Padilla joins Union Street Hoops! Padilla talks about his upbringing in sports and how that has translated to Valparaiso. He covers a handful of topics such as the change from Crusaders to Beacons and his vision for athletic facility changes at Valparaiso.  Un…

The Quarter Quell

The first quarter of Valparaiso's season is in the books and the Beacons are 3-5 overall and 0-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. There are still more questions than answers about a team that is one game away from getting Kobe King on the active roster.  Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren takes a…

Beaten Beacons

Valparaiso's exhibiton season came and went with a thud as the Beacons dropped both of their preseason games to non-DI programs. While players and coaches are staying the course inside the locker room, frustration is taking shape from the Valparaiso fanbase.  Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren brea…

The 2021-22 Valparaiso Over/Under Episode

The start of the 2021-22 college basketball season is less than a month away and Union Street Hoops is back for the annual Valparaiso Over/Under episode.  USH host and NWI Times beat reporter Paul Oren sets over/under lines for players and team accomplishments. The Voice of Valparaiso Athletics, T…

The 2021-22 Valparaiso Nonconference Episode

Valparaiso associate head coach Luke Gore joins Union Street Hoops to analyze the 2021-22 nonconference slate of games. Trips to Stanford and the Bahamas highlight a schedule that includes eight nonconference home games.  Gore also spends time breaking down the 2021-22 Valparaiso roster and reflec…

The Beacons

Valparaiso Beacons.  Love it or hate it, the new nickname is here to stay. Union Street Hoops host Paul Oren talks through all things Beacons, including what the name means to the school, to the current athletes and the current logo.  Paul is then joined by designer Bryan Flynn, who took Valparai…

The Returners

While the Valparaiso men's basketball team dealt with a great deal of roster turnover from last season, five scholarship players decided to run it back. Connor Barrett, Sheldon Edwards, Emil Freese-Vilien, Eron Gordon and Ben Krikke all join Union Street Hoops to discuss a long list of topics.  Un…

The Valparaiso Fab Five Episode

Thirty years ago, the Fab Five took the college basketball world by storm. Not a single member of Valparaiso's incoming transfer class was alive during that time, nor did any of the Big Ten transfers attend Michigan. Nevertheless, a group of five transfers have come together at Valpo with the hopes…

DuneTempests: A look at Valparaiso's mascot list

Storm. Beacons. Gold. Sparks. Lightning. Tempest. Dunehawks. Lightning Hawks.  Valparaiso is down to its final nickname choices and Union Street Hoops is here to break down all eight possibilities. Two friends of the pod, Jack Vita and Andrew Stem, join USH to discuss the list and where Valparaiso…