Crusader men's basketball team gives Homer a show in Mexico

Tuesday night very well may have been a sign of the future for the Valparaiso men's basketball program.

Head coach Homer Drew decided to step away from the sidelines and give way to associate head coach Bryce Drew as the Crusaders blew out Pioneros de Cancun 118-59 in the second game of Valparaiso's four-game exhibition tour of Mexico.

The longtime Valparaiso head coach decided to watch the game from the stands, while the Crusaders registered their second straight victory of 50 or more points.

"I went up and just watched to get a big picture of space on offense and rotation on defense, which were two areas we want to improve in," Drew said.

"This was a good chance for the younger coaches to get a chance to coach and for me to get a bigger picture."

Brandon Wood led five players in double figures with 26 points, while Cory Johnson added 20 points. Mike Rogers followed Monday's 25-point performance with 11 points, and Cameron Witt added 10 points after missing Monday's game with a sore shoulder.

"Cam shot the ball well and had three blocks," Drew said.

Tuesday's contest was the first time Kevin Van Wijk suited up in a Valparaiso uniform. The sophomore missed Monday's game with a sore back but was in the starting lineup for his first game.

"I'm very pleased with Kevin," Drew said. "He plays with a great amount of energy.

"He's still sore in his back, and we're icing him right now. He's trying to get back to where he can play without discomfort. Kevin played really aggressive, went to the boards and ignited the fast break with some really nice outlet passes."

With the first two games out of the way, the Crusaders are expecting to get a challenge today and Thursday.

"We've had back-to-back games where we've really been pleased with the effort," Drew said.

"The biggest thing is that we haven't been challenged yet by size, and that's what we're expecting in the next two days. What we want to see the next two days is how we handle people who are bigger than we are."