Perhaps most noteworthy of all, the program’s emphasis on player development paid dividends as Valpo accounted for 40 percent of the MVC Most-Improved Team. Working with a young team that featured just five returning players from the previous season, Lottich mentored a 2019-2020 First Team All-MVC selection, MVC All-Defensive Team choice, MVC All-Freshman Team honoree, MVC All-Bench pick, MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team selection and a pair of MVC All-Tournament Team performers. Valpo also became just the second team in the long history of the Missouri Valley Conference to come from 17 or more down to win twice in one season, joining Creighton from 2007-2008. On 11 occasions, Valpo trailed by at least 10 points and eventually tied the game or took the lead. The Loyola comeback marked the sixth time in 2019-2020 that Valpo came from double figures down to win. During his time guiding the program, Lottich has instilled a no-quit attitude. Lottich’s team came from 18 down to upset Loyola in the MVC quarterfinal, tying for the second-biggest comeback in MVC Tournament history. The 2019-2020 team’s finest hour came on the biggest stage, as Lottich led the squad to three victories in as many days at Arch Madness, the 2020 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament in St. The event was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. After finishing with its highest conference win total, highest overall win total and highest finish in the league standings since joining The Valley, Valpo accepted a postseason tournament invitation to play in the Tournament. Valpo reached the conference title game as only a third-year MVC member, becoming the first Valpo team in any sport to do so during the department’s young tenure in the prestigious league. Lottich led the program to its first conference championship game appearance since 2015 during the 2019-2020 campaign, doing so after being picked to finish ninth of 10 in the preseason poll. Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness to reach the title game after playing in the opening round. Just two years removed from finishing in last place and being knocked out in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as a first-year Valley member, Lottich’s team did more than hold its own in 2019-2020, ascending into a tie for sixth in the league standings before finishing as the conference tournament runner-up. In addition, Valpo extended its streak to 29 straight seasons without a sub-.500 home record. Valpo came close to two other victories over ranked foes, falling 80-77 vs. The Bulldogs were one of three undefeated teams in the nation prior to that setback, joining Gonzaga and Baylor. 7, 2021 at the ARC, the fourth win over an AP Top 25 team in program history and second under Lottich. Valpo upset previously-undefeated Drake, the nation’s No.
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The team earned a first-round bye in the State Farm MVC Tournament for the first time since joining the prestigious league. The 2020-2021 season saw Valpo improve its Arch Madness seeding for the fourth straight year as the program continued to make positive strides in each season as a Missouri Valley Conference member. In addition, Lottich climbed into fourth in program history in career victories, surpassing the legendary Gene Bartow. The Beacons overcame three double-figure deficits to prevail (Tulane, Eastern Michigan and Evansville), lifting Lottich’s career double-figure comeback total to 19. Freshman walk-on Preston Ruedinger finished as the only player in the nation with 30 or more assists and fewer than 10 turnovers.ĭuring 2021-22 campaign, Lottich led Valpo to a 5-0 record against instate foes Indiana State and Evansville, its first Hoosier State sweep since joining the MVC. Numerous players reached individual accomplishments under Lottich’s watch, including Kevion Taylor scoring his 2,000 th career point, a pair of Valpo players finishing in the top eight in the MVC in field-goal percentage and Ben Krikke finishing as one of three MVC players with a field-goal percentage of 50 percent or better and a free-throw percentage of 80 percent or better. His team finished fourth in the MVC in free-throw percentage (.759), field-goal percentage (.459), assists per game (12.5) and steals per game (6.4) while finishing third in assist/TO ratio (1.1).
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He owns a 97-96 record over his first six seasons as head coach.ĭuring the 2021-22 campaign, Lottich helped Valpo players earn seven different Missouri Valley Conference postseason honors won by five different players. Matt Lottich completed his sixth season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2021-2022.