Men's Basketball

Chaney Earns Lou Henson Award National Player of the Week Recognition

Following his epic performance in Friday's 83-80 double overtime victory at RV/No. 24 Purdue, Valparaiso University men's basketball sophomore Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212 Sports Academy]) was named the Lou Henson Award National Player of the Week on Monday.
 
Chaney, who achieved a career high in scoring, posted a 35-point, eight-rebound, six-assist game, Valpo's first on record. The point guard had no turnovers, becoming the first player nationally to post that points/rebounds/assists stat line with no turnovers since 2016 and just the second since 2007. He had Valpo's first 35-point game since 2016. Chaney hit a game-tying buzzer-beater at the end of overtime to force a second overtime in Valpo's improbable victory. 
 
Earlier in the week, Chaney tallied 10 points in an 80-58 win over Western Illinois.
 
The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division-I college basketball. Chaney became the third Valpo player in the last decade plus to earn a National Player of the Week nod, joining Cooper Schwieger and Alec Peters.
 
Chaney was also named the national "Non-P5 MVP" for Week 1 of the college basketball season by College Basketball Report, which also listed the Valpo win over Purdue as the National Game of the Week.
 
The Beacons (2-0) will visit South Dakota State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before returning home to host CCSJ on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Tickets are available at tickets.valpoathletics.com.