Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is one of 18 active coaches with more than 600 career victories.  He currently ranks tied for sixth among active Division I coaches with 638 career wins. Valparaiso Head Coach Homer Drew also has 638 career victories. One of the coaches will have 639 and one will still have 638 after this game.  It is kind of a neat, underlying theme to the first round Horizon League matchup pitting YSU against Valpo.

As far as the game itself is concerned, this is the 32nd meeting between Youngstown State (seeded ninth) and Valparaiso (seeded fourth) in a series that dates back to 1989.  The Crusaders own a 24-7 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last 12 contest.  The Crusaders swept the season series from the Penguins, winning 79-55 in Valparaiso on Jan. 7 and 86-76 in overtime in Youngstown on Feb. 5. The last time the Guins defeated the Crusaders was a on Jan. 15, 2000, at the Beeghly Center.  The last time the Guins won at Valparaiso was a 69-66 win on Jan. 24, 1998.

The Guins and Crusaders have met twice in the postseason when both were members of the Mid-Continent Conference.  Valparaiso defeated Youngstown State in the 1998 Mid-Con championship game, 67-48, and in the 1995 second round, 77-52.

Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. EST at the Athletics-Recreation Center.