SIU starts Missouri Valley play for the 2nd straight year with an early road game at Evansville.
The Aces are coached by David Ragland in his first year with the program. Ragland was born in Evansville and played at Southern Indiana at the end of his collegiate career. He was all over the map as an assistant at Indiana State, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky, Valpo, Utah State, and finally Butler before getting the Evansville job this offseason.
The Aces have been pesky this season but only have wins over #282 Miami OH and #303 Robert Morris.
Meet the Purple Aces:
With the coaching turnover and loss of players like Shamar Givance to UTEP and Jawaun Newton to SIU, only 4 regulars from last year's 6-24 team are regulars this year. Evansville is 94th in the country in average height (77.6") and 107th in the country in bench minutes played (33.5%).
What the Purple Aces do well:
The Aces have done a good job this year of taking care of the ball on the offensive end. Evansville is 32nd in the country in turnover % on the offensive end (15.5%) and 25th in the country in steal % on the offensive end (6.8%). The Aces have also been a good defensive rebound team as they're 29th in the country in offensive rebounding % allowed on the defensive end (21.9%).
What the Purple Aces don't do well:
It's been a struggle for the Aces to score so far this season. Evansville is 355th in the country out of 361 D1 teams in adjusted offensive efficiency (89.9%). The Aces are also 349th in the country in effective FG % (41.3%), 336th in the country in 3 point % (26.8%), 337th in the country in 2 point % (41.9%), and 329th in the country in free throw % (62.2%).
Evansville's leading scorer is 6'6 Senior Kenny Strawbridge Jr. with 17.6 points per game. Strawbridge is from Rockford, IL and started his collegiate career at Kansas City where he saw no playing time and took a redshirt year before transferring to Western Nebraska. In his Redshirt Freshman season at Western Nebraska, Strawbridge averaged 15 points per game and transferred to Alabama State where he spent the last two seasons. This season, Strawbridge is the leader in shots and possessions at Evansville. He's 80th in the country in % of possessions (29.4%) and 56th in the country in % of shots taken when on the floor (32.1%). Strawbridge has been really good at drawing fouls this year as he's 198th in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (5.5) and he's 128th in the country in turnover rate (7.8%).
The Aces' leader in rebounds, assists, and steals is 6'3 Senior Marvin Coleman averaging 7.1 rebounds per game, 2.8 assists per game, and 1.5 steals per game. Coleman is from Las Vegas, NV and spent his first 4 collegiate seasons at hometown UNLV. Coleman became one of UNLV's captains in his Junior season and recorded the first triple-double in 20 years at UNLV last season in a game against New Mexico. Coleman is currently 209th in the country in defensive rebounding % (21.5%) and 496th in the country in steal % (2.7%).
Another scoring contributor on this Evansville team is 6'10 Junior Yacine Toumi averaging 10.3 points per game. Toumi is a native of Tunisia and spent his first collegiate season at Little Rock where he played 7 minutes per game. After his Freshman season, he transferred to JUCO Indian Hills where he averaged 4.5 points per game. This season, Toumi is 484th in the country in defensive rebounding % (17.9%) and 376th in the country in free throw rate (39.2).
Other players to watch on this Evansville team include 6'3 Junior Blaise Beauchamp. Beauchamp is 2nd on the team in shots and possessions but has really struggled this year shooting 34.2%. 6'10 Sophomore Sekou Kalle is a transfer from Akron and is 212nd in the country in offensive rebounding % (10.8%) and 292nd in the country in defensive rebounding % (20.1%).
Links:
Hopefully this one doesn't boil down to needing Marcus to drop a buzzer beater to win, but will be happy with a win and at least one of the following:
- We score 70+
- Someone other than Marcus or Lance leads the team in scoring
- Foster and Cade log > 20 mins
- We have < 10 turnovers
I get the "any road win is a good win" saying, especially in conference play, but I would like to see SIU play well enough to have put the rebuilding Purple Aces away by the under-4 media timeout of the second half. It would be great to get more guys feeling good about themselves, especially with the SLU and Indiana State games coming quick.
Southern has more time to prepare and should be better rested than the Aces ... they need to take advantage of this favorable MVC opener and bank a road win.
As an aside, I do like what I've seen so far from Ragland, especially from a recruiting standpoint. Cautiously optimistic he can get that program going, at least back to respectability.
Hopefully this one doesn't boil down to needing Marcus to drop a buzzer beater to win
To be fair, Lance was out that game with a foot injury. Actually felt like that was a pretty good win at the time given the injuries.
I'll take any road win in the Valley but I'm hoping I don't see Domask playing 40 minutes again.
I teb the team with the omst pts at the end of the game will win
We will be lucky to beat them by 10. I expect another nail biter.
I teb the team with the omst pts at the end of the game will win
I disagree, i think whoever holds their opponent to the fewest points will win. 🤣 🤣
Jawaun Newton radio interview with Mike Reis:
scholars maintain the translation was lost long ago, but from what i have researched and read in the scrolls of time the team that scores the most points will win. some hold to the theory that the team held to the least points will also win, valid point. i think it is a mystery but foretold. most likely we will give the team a b minus
but seriously, ive probably sharted every game we have played against evansville and expect this to be no different unless they change the name of the town to kevinsville before the game. may the saluki gods grant godspeed to the salukis and rain sushi down from every mountain on high if it is a victory without injuries. side note doesnt mullins only have 1 technical so far in his career with us? id like an over under bet for when we finally get the next one.
I am willing to bet the team bitterly remembers the last bus ride home from Evansville and has no wish for a replay of that disaster. We should be well rested and ready to rumble. Let’s hope the Aces don’t have their coming out party just yet. Go Dawgs!
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
James Madison
