Alec Peters and Bryce Drew were beaming after Valparaiso’s resounding win over St. Mary’s in the NIT quarterfinals.
The coach put his arm around the star junior’s shoulder as they continued to chat following the Crusaders’ post-game news conference at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
As they exited, they looked more closely at the final statistics, and their smiles grew even wider.
Peters matched his career high with five assists, with no turnovers.
“I’m going to put this one on my refrigerator,” Peters said with a laugh.
Consider that assist-to-turnover ratio another component of what has been a sterling stretch for Peters.
The 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 26.6 points and 9.7 rebounds in Valparaiso’s last seven games. He has scored at least 20 points in each of those games.
In a superb season, Peters has elevated his game to an even higher level down the stretch. But he was quick to share the credit, including with senior point guard Keith Carter.
“We’re winning, the ball’s going in the basket for me,” Peters said. “My teammates are setting me up in the right spot at the right time. Keith’s giving me the ball in my shooting pocket. He’s setting me up, he’s doing everything a point guard can do for a guy like me who likes to bring scoring to the table.”
Peters and the Crusaders (29-6) will try to continue their roll against BYU (26-10) in the NIT semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday, televised by ESPN.
He has moved into fifth place on Valparaiso’s career scoring list. He has scored the third-most points in a season, passing Drew’s totals from both 1997 and 1998.
“It’s been phenomenal,” Drew said of Peters’ play. “That’s as good a run as anyone in the country with how efficient he’s done it all. It’s also nice he’s doing other things — he’s rebounding and his defense has improved, especially over the last month and a half of the season.”
Peters also believes he’s made in-season improvements on offense.
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“I’ve been way more aggressive going to the basket,” he said. “Sometimes guys throughout the season try to maintain, maintain. But I’ve tried to get better with my dribble and my moves to the basket. It’s just a matter of applying it to the games.”
St. Mary’s coach Randy Bennett compared Peters to Gonzaga standout Kyle Wiltjer and former Creighton star Doug McDermott. The latter parallel was particularly meaningful, considering the current Bulls forward is a player Peters has long admired.
“He’s a good player, a good competitor. … He’s a good player this year, and he’s going to be a really good player next year,” Bennett said.
Peters nearly had the opportunity to play against Creighton, coached by Greg McDermott. But BYU defeated the Bluejays in the quarterfinals.
Of course, Peters still was looking forward to playing the Cougars at Madison Square Garden. The venue’s monikers include “The World’s Most Famous Arena” and “The Mecca.”
“I hope it overwhelms me and I have to take a step back,” he said. “Our coaches have told us how magical it is — that’s the word they’ve used.
“Maybe my expectations are too high, but I’m expecting it to be cool.”
Peters, from Washington, Ill., seemed almost giddy about the prospect of making his first trip to New York. He was anxious to disembark the plane — beyond his general unease about flying.
“Bright lights, busy streets, a lot of tourists,” he said. “Seeing the city from a faraway glance and up close, it’s going to be cool for all of us.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff
National Invitation Tournament
At Madison Square Garden, New York
All times Central
Semifinals
Tuesday
Valparaiso (29-6) vs. BYU (26-10), 6 p.m., ESPN
George Washington (26-10) vs. San Diego State (28-9), 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Championship
Thursday
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m., ESPN