Aces Put Together Competitive Slate
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – When Walter McCarty took over the University of Evansville men’s basketball program, one of his main goals was to strengthen the Purple Aces schedule. He continued to move in that direction with the unveiling of the Aces 2019 non-conference slate.
“Our main focus when we put together our non-conference schedule is to challenge our guys and prepare for conference play while putting our team in a position to earn a higher postseason seed,†McCarty said. “I feel like this schedule provides us with some excellent challenges as we continue to build our program with an eye on the future.â€
In its lone exhibition contest, the Aces take on crosstown rival USI on Monday, October 28 in the Vectren Community Classic. The Screaming Eagles were 26-9 last season on their way to the Final Four of the Division II NCAA Tournament at the Ford Center. The teams have not met since a 2012 exhibition contest.
“This is a great test right off the bat,†McCarty explained. “USI made a great run in the NCAA Tournament last year and we are excited to face them in the preseason.â€
Regular season play officially begins on Saturday, November 9 when Ball State visits the Ford Center for a 6 p.m. game. The Cardinals won 16 games last year and split a home-and-home series with the Aces. UE earned an 89-77 win at the Ford Center while BSU picked up an 82-72 win in Muncie.
The first road game of the season will see UE head to Rupp Arena to face the University of Kentucky on Nov. 12. It will be the first meeting between the Aces and Wildcats. It will be a homecoming for Coach McCarty, who played for the Wildcats and was a member of the 1996 NCAA National Championship Team.
“Our first two games will be a good challenge and give us a good idea of where we stand,†McCarty added. “Ball State is a solid team who we are familiar with and played twice last season. Being able to follow that up with a trip to Lexington will be very special; I have some great memories at UK and am excited to give our guys the chance to take them on.â€
UE returns home on Nov. 14 to take on IU Kokomo. Last season, they were 26-8 on their way to the Round of 16 in the Division II NAIA Tournament. Aces junior Devan Straub attended IU Kokomo before transferring to UE two seasons ago. The game is an add-on to the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase.
Four days later, Evansville welcomes Southern Methodist to the Ford Center. SMU is led by former Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich. Last season, the Mustangs were 15-17. It will be the first meeting between the schools.
Next up will be a trip to the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase. The Aces open the tournament on Friday, Nov. 22 against East Carolina. The Pirates and Aces last met in the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Evansville’s second opponent on the 23rd will be either UMKC or George Washington. In the final game, the opponent will come from the opposite side of the bracket and will include either Liberty, Morgan State, Rice or Milwaukee.
Following a short break over Thanksgiving week, UE takes to the road on Nov. 30 to face IUPUI inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The Aces are 3-0 against the Jaguars, including an 89-62 win at the Ford Center in 2014. Two homes games will follow for UE, starting with a December 4 contest against Western Illinois and a tilt against Miami Ohio on the 7th. Evansville is a perfect 4-0 in its series against the Leathernecks while picking up 11 wins in 16 games versus the RedHawks.
A 2-game road trip will see Evansville take on a pair of foes that it faced at home last season. On Dec. 14, UE matches up against Green Bay. The Aces defeated the Phoenix by a final of 80-75 at the Ford Center in 2018, but Green Bay went on to enjoy a 21-17 season on their way to the championship game of the CIT. Another tough road foe follows as the Aces head to Jacksonville State on December 16. The Gamecocks finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 24-9 overall mark and a 15-3 record in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Non-conference play concludes on Saturday, Dec. 21 with an evening home game against Murray State. The Racers enjoyed a 28-5 record last season while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Evansville gave the Racers all they could handle last December inside the CFSB Center, dropping a hard-fought 66-64 game.
“This is a schedule our fans can really get behind,†McCarty said. “We have home games against some great regional schools like Ball State and Murray State and mix that up with tough road games against the likes of Kentucky, IUPUI, Green Bay and Jacksonville State. The trip to the Bahamas will also give us three games against top-notch competition.â€
“We are very excited to have our schedule set and have the opportunity to test ourselves and be prepared for conference play.â€
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