2003–04 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team

The 2003–04 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team represented Valparaiso University during the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Crusaders, led by 16th-year head coach Homer Drew, played their home games at the Athletics–Recreation Center as members of the Mid-Continent Conference. Valpo finished atop the Mid-Con regular season standings, and went on to win the Mid-Con tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As No. 15 seed in the Midwest region, the Crusaders lost to No. 2 seed Gonzaga, 76–49,[2] to finish with a record of 18–13 (11–5 Mid-Con).

2003–04 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball
Mid-Con Regular season champions
Mid-Con tournament champions
ConferenceMid-Continent Conference
Record18–13 (11–5 Mid-Con)
Head coach
Home arenaAthletics–Recreation Center
Seasons
← 2002–03
2004–05 →
2003–04 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Valparaiso 11 5   .688 18 13   .581
IUPUI 10 6   .625 21 11   .656
Centenary 10 6   .625 16 12   .571
Oral Roberts 10 6   .625 17 11   .607
Missouri-Kansas City 9 7   .563 15 14   .517
Chicago State 9 7   .563 12 20   .375
Southern Utah 6 10   .375 10 18   .357
Oakland 6 10   .375 13 17   .433
Western Illinois 1 15   .063 3 25   .107
2004 Mid-Con Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

This season marked the final trip to the NCAA tournament for Coach Drew, and capped a run of seven NCAA tournament appearances in an eight-year stretch.

Roster

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2003–04 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
F 42 Dan Oppland 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) So St. Louis, Missouri
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference Regular season
Nov 21, 2003*
vs. Arkansas-Monticello
Pepsi Blue & Gold Classic
W 72–53  1–0
Bradley Center 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov 22, 2003*
at No. 23 Marquette
Pepsi Blue & Gold Classic
L 70–75  1–1
Bradley Center 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov 25, 2003*
South Florida L 62–64  1–2
Athletics-Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, Indiana
Dec 2, 2003*
No. 19 Cincinnati L 49–68  1–3
Athletics-Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, Indiana
Dec 8, 2003*
Indiana State W 59–53  2–3
Athletics-Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, Indiana
Dec 10, 2003*
Milwaukee L 82–86  2–4
Athletics-Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, Indiana
Dec 12, 2003*
Loyola (IL) L 69–76  2–5
Athletics-Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, Indiana
Mid-Continent Regular season
Mid-Con tournament
Mar 7, 2004*
vs. Oakland
Quarterfinals
W 73–64  16–12
Kemper Arena 
Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 8, 2004*
vs. Missouri–Kansas City
Semifinals
W 90–78  17–12
Kemper Arena 
Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 9, 2004*
vs. IUPUI
Championship game
W 75–70  18–12
Kemper Arena 
Kansas City, Missouri
NCAA tournament
Mar 18, 2004*
(15 MW) vs. (2 MW) No. 3 Gonzaga
First round
L 49–76  18–13
KeyArena 
Seattle, Washington
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest.
All times are in Central Time.

Source[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ sports-reference.com 2003-04 Mid-Continent Conference Season Summary
  2. ^ "Kentucky Rips Valpo". The Orlando Sentinel. March 15, 2002. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Men's Basketball All-Time Results" (PDF). Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "2003-04 Men's Basketball Schedule". Valparaiso University Athletics. Retrieved October 28, 2023.