University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball opens the 2017-18 campaign at 7 p.m. Monday when it hosts Manchester University for an exhibition game at the Physical Athletics Center. The exhibition game is the first tune-up for the Screaming Eagles, who will sandwich the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Ford Center between the exhibition games versus Manchester and at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois on November 6.
Monday’s home exhibition game is the first preseason contest at home for the Eagles since 2008.
Game coverage for the exhibition game, including live stats, video stream, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on WEOA 98.5FM/1400AM and 95.7FM The Spin.
Tickets for the USI-Manchester exhibition are free of charge to the public and can be picked up at PAC beginning at 6 p.m.
USI Men’s Basketball vs. Manchester Exhibition Game Quick Notes:
- USI in preseason national rankings. The University of Southern Indiana was shutout of the 2017-18 preseason rankings. The Screaming Eagles were ranked in the final 2016-17 NCAA Division II rankings, closing out the year 16th in the NABC Division II Top 25 and 12th in the D2SIDA Media Top 25. The squad also was ranked 15th on HeroSports.com and 11th in the NCAA Division II power rankings at the end of last year.
- Stein honored in the preseason. USI junior guard Alex Stein was named preseason honorable mention All-American in Street & Smith’s College Basketball.  Last year, Stein was named first-team All-GLVC and set a USI single-season record with 151 free throws made last year.
- Eagles return three of five starters. USI returns three of the five starters from last year. Junior guard Alex Stein leads the returners with 17.3 points per game, while senior forward Julius Rajalafollows with 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
- USI has six overall returners for 2017-18. The Eagles have six returning players for 2017-18. The six combined to average 50.8 points (57.5 percent of last season) and 22.3 rebounds (54.3 percent of last season) per game.
- Eagles vs. Manchester all-time. USI leads the all-time series with Manchester University, 3-0 (all regular season), and have not played the Spartans since 1986-87.
- Manchester in 2016-17. Manchester ended 2016-17 with a 10-17 overall record in the second season under Head Coach Gerad Good, who was a USI assistant coach from 2009-14.
- Second Division III exhibition since 2009. Manchester is just the second NCAA Division III member to visit USI for an exhibition game since 2009. The Eagles defeated Centre College, 88-58, in the second exhibition game of the 2009-10 season, following the heartbreaking last-second loss to Southern Illinois University, 71-69, in Carbondale, Illinois.
