Valparaiso University’s men’s basketball team is set to travel to Nassau, The Bahamas, for the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, where it will contest two exhibition games against Canadian opponents.
The first game is scheduled for August 3 against Carleton University, and a second matchup with Dalhousie University will follow on August 4, giving the Blazers a chance to sharpen their lineup before the 2026‑27 season.
Head coach Roger Powell Jr., in his inaugural foreign tour, will lead a squad that previously went 4‑0 on its last overseas trip in 2019, a stretch that included a victory over Carleton.
A New Era Under Coach Powell
Fans can purchase VIP travel packages or single‑game tickets to attend the events, an opportunity that the university hopes will boost recruitment and deepen community ties.
The upcoming contests represent the third meeting with Carleton, a team that captured the Canadian men’s basketball national championship last season, while the game against Dalhousie will be a first‑time matchup for Valpo.
Valpo is coming off its best conference record since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, underscoring the program’s upward trajectory and heightened expectations.
Powell’s appointment has injected fresh energy into the program, and the Bahamas stint serves as a proving ground for new strategies and roster chemistry as the team looks to build on its recent momentum.