Aces face Quinnipiac at 4:30 p.m. CT
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Making its first postseason appearances since the 2015 CIT, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team is in Daytona Beach, Fla. for the College Basketball Invitational. Tip is set for 4:30 p.m. CT with the FloHoops and the Purple Aces Radio Network on the call.
All-Bench Team Honorees
– Chuck Bailey III and Tanner Cuff were both named to the 2024 MVC All-Bench Team on Tuesday afternoon
– Bailey played in 32 games as a freshman while making one start
– The 4-time MVC Freshman of the Week averaged 8.4 points and 2.6 boards per game
– Cuff saw action in all 33 regular season games with his top game being a 16-point effort in the win over UIC
Last Time Out
– Arch Madness saw the Purple Aces win their first game in St. Louis since 2017 with a 59-53 win over Illinois State in the opening round
– Ben Humrichous posted his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Yacine Toumi approached a double-double with 10 points and 8 caroms
– In their second-round game, UE faced eventual league champion Drake and fell by a 79-58 final
Finishing Strong
– Yacine Toumi had an excellent showing at Arch Madness, approaching a double-double in both games
– Toumi averaged 12 points and 8.5 boards as he opened with a 10-point, 8-rebound effort in the win over ISU before adding 14 tallies and 9 caroms versus Drake
Reversing the Trend
– Entering the SIU game, Antonio Thomas averaged 2.8 points in the prior four games while shooting 21.4%
– He rebounded against the Salukis with 10 points before adding 11 at Belmont; he has notched 9.0 PPG while going 17-of-32 from the field in the last five contests
– Thomas continues to be efficient from the line, connecting on 85.9% of his tries (4th in MVC); he has hit 30 of his last 32 tries
Scouting the Opponent
– Entering the SIU game, Antonio Thomas averaged 2.8 points in the prior four games while shooting 21.4%
– He rebounded against the Salukis with 10 points before adding 11 at Belmont; he has notched 9.0 PPG while going 17-of-32 from the field in the last five contests
– Thomas continues to be efficient from the line, connecting on 85.9% of his tries (4th in MVC); he has hit 30 of his last 32 tries
How is this a plus for the UE basketball program? A $27,000 entry fee, only basically breaking even if they win not counting travel expenses, no prestige to gain from participation, and no national exposure unless they make it to the semi’s. This is their third time participating and what has been the upside? I hope there is an alumni group funding this Florida vacation.
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