Aces and Cougars square off on Tuesday nightÂ
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second time this season, Chuck Bailey III has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week as he and his University of Evansville teammates prepare to face BYU on Tuesday evening in Provo, Utah. The game will be carried by Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network. Tip is set for 8 p.m. CT.
Bailey opened MVC play with a spectacular week, averaging 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. He opened the week with a career-high 27 points at Missouri State. Bailey knocked down 10 of his 17 attempts and all 5 free throws. In the win over UNI, Bailey added 6 points and 5 rebounds. He was a perfect 9-of-9 from the line in UE’s two games. Bailey’s 27-point game at MSU was the top scoring effort by a freshman in the MVC this season and just the second 20-point game by a league freshman in 2023-24.
Last Time Out
– In a game that featured a season-high 13 lead changes, the Aces overcame a 7-point deficit in the second half to take a 91-89 overtime win over Northern Iowa on Saturday inside the Ford Center
– Antonio Thomas put together his top Division I performance with 27 points while Ben Humrichous scored 18 and Joshua Hughes added 11
– Tanner Cuff hit a triple with seven seconds left in overtime to seal the victory
Clutch Shot
– With seven seconds remaining in overtime against UNI, Tanner Cuff knocked down a 3-pointer to give UE a 4-point lead and seal the win
– He finished the game with nine points and has averaged 8.25 points over the last four games
– Cuff has the top assist-to-turnover ratio in the MVC and second in the nation at 5.80 and has 29 assists and just 5 turnovers this season
– Cuff had an excellent all-around performance at Missouri State, recording 8 assists, 7 points and 7 boards
– He had UE’s first double-double of the season at Chattanooga, totaling 10 points and 11 caroms
Top Performance
– Scoring 27 points in the win over UNI, Antonio Thomas put together the top effort in his Division I career
– He recorded 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting and a 9-for-10 effort from long range
– Thomas is tied for 6th in the MVC with 1.75 steals per game
– He has posted 7+ points in six of the last seven outings and had his first double-digit game of the season in the win at Chattanooga
Scouting the Opponent
– BYU is a perfect 7-0 on the season with wins over #17 San Diego State, Arizona State and North Carolina State
– The Cougars were ranked 19th in last week’s top 25 polls and are sure to rise this week
– Five BYU players average double figures with Jaxson Robinson leading the way with 16.6 PPG
– He is a 47.2% shooter from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range
– Spencer Johnson and Trevin Knell average 12.4 and 12.0 PPG, respectively
– Noah Waterman checks in with 11.1 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds
