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That re-emphasized approach has propelled Valparaiso since a wobbly early January.
And Max Joseph has embraced it perhaps more than any player for the Horizon League-leading Crusaders (19-5, 9-2).
Coach Matt Lottich has noticed the junior guard’s work.
“He’s back to basics,” Lottich said. “He’s not trying to do too much, he’s letting the game come to him. He’s focusing on the things he’s great at — he’s a fantastic defensive player, he’s fantastic on the boards. He’s also extremely athletic getting in the lane.”
The 6-foot-1 Joseph uses his strength at 210 pounds. The Montreal native takes pride in his ability to contribute in various ways.
“My role is to do whatever it takes to win — diving on the floor, offensive rebounding,” Joseph said. “It depends on how the game goes.”
Joseph has recorded as many eight rebounds and five assists in a game this season.
He played 25 minutes at Green Bay on Saturday, the third time this season he has reached that number in a Horizon League game. He had nine points, matching his second highest total in conference play.
Joseph has been playing unselfishly.
“His focus has been getting other people shots and when you have that mentality, it seems to help your scoring,” Lottich said. “Max has been playing extremely well. I’ve been very pleased with Max all year, but especially since the start of conference.”
Joseph has 25 assists against seven turnovers in conference play. He’s shooting 38.9 percent (7-for-18) from 3-point range; he was 6-for-11 before cooling to 1-for-7 the last four games.
Heading into Thursday’s 7 p.m. game against last-place Cleveland State (7-17, 3-9) at the Athletics-Recreation Center (ESPN3), Joseph is averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 21.6 minutes. He had a solid all-around game in Valparaiso’s 78-67 road win over the Vikings on Jan. 14 with eight points, two rebounds, four assists and three steals in 25 minutes.
Joseph has earned significant opportunities this season after playing a limited role in his first two.
“It’s slowed down for me,” Joseph said. “I’m used to the teams and I’m used to the speed of the game.”
His 497 minutes as a junior already are more than the 484 combined from his freshman and sophomore seasons. He also has more points and rebounds.
Joseph notched career highs in scoring in two of the season’s first three games, with 13 points against Southern Utah and 15 against Coppin State.
Lottich hasn’t been surprised by Joseph’s emergence as a key part of Valparaiso’s rotation this season.
“We see him in practice every day,” Lottich said. “It was just a tough situation for him for two years, with him kind of being the odd man out on a very deep team. But to his credit, he was patient and he kept working.
“When you put in that kind of work and have the kind of attitude Max has had, you’re going to get results.”
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