From “The Shot” to the Coach
There is no name more synonymous with a school in all of college athletics than Drew and Valparaiso. Since 1988 there has been a Drew on the sidelines. Most of that time it has been patriarch Homer Drew leading the way. Scott Drew took over for a season in the early 2000’s before heading off to be the head coach at Baylor. Where else would Valpo look besides right back at their old coach? Homer took over again and continued the success he enjoyed earlier during his second stint as Valpo’s head coach from 2003 to 2011.
The torch has been passed again, this time to Homer’s younger son, Bryce Drew. In May, the elder Drew decided it was time to move on and Bryce was ready to take over the program. Bryce had a superb collegiate career playing under his father, but he is best known for one of the most magical moments in NCAA Tournament history. Simply known as “The Shot,” Homer drew up a play that would go down in college basketball history. Down two with 2.5 seconds left, Bryce received a pass from Bill Jenkins and heaved up a 23-foot shot to upset Mississippi in the first round by a score of 70-69. The Crusaders would go on to beat Florida State two days later and reach the Sweet Sixteen.
Bryce’s tournament heroics helped him become Valparaiso’s first ever first round draft pick, being selected 16th overall. He played with the Rockets for two years and played four more years in the NBA and one overseas. After that he went right back to where it seemed like he belonged…at Valpo. For one year he was an assistant coach, but in 2006 he was the associate coach. He remained in that position until May 17th when he, inevitably, took over the head coaching job at Valpo.
The Drew tradition at Valparaiso will continue and somewhere out there, there is probably a young Drew already being groomed to take over sometime in the next 20 years to continue what has become one of the most hallowed traditions in all of college basketball. Valpo certainly would not be the same without a Drew (or two) on the sidelines and neither would college basketball.
Read an in-depth men's basketball preview for this team
