Aces take on Arkansas State
The 2017-18 season begins on Friday as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes Arkansas State to the Ford Center for a 7 p.m. game.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early as FanFest will take place just outside the arena on Freedom Plaza from 4:30 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. Former basketball star Reed Jackson will be on hand to speak to the crowd. Live music, a photo booth and bounce house are just some of the activities that will be on hand. Admission is free. Food vendors will also be on site.
After going 16-17 last season, the Purple Aces welcome back two starters and five letterwinners heading into 2017-18. Ryan Taylor is the leading returning scorer while Duane Gibson and Blake Simmons return as fifth-year seniors.
Taylor, a 2-time MVC Newcomer of the Week in 2016-17 is the top returning scorer. Taylor was seventh in the MVC last season with 14.1 points per game. Against Norfolk State last season, he set his career mark with 38 points. Taylor was a Preseason All-Conference Second Team player.
Dru Smith earned a nod on the All-Freshman Team in 2017. Smith played in 28 games and made eight starts for UE. He had a stellar effort at Wichita State, posting 19 points while draining five 3-pointers.
After missing last season due to a knee injury, Blake Simmons makes his return to the squad. A redshirt senior, Simmons has started all 103 games that he has participated in at the collegiate level. For his career, Simmons has averaged 7.4 points per contest.
Fellow redshirt senior Duane Gibson brings a wealth of experience. As a junior in 2016-17, Gibson notched 7.1 PPG while dishing out a team-high 114 assists. His 3.8 assists per game was 5th in the MVC and he is the top returner in the league in that statistic.
Senior Dalen Traore will get extended time at the center position. Playing in 21 games in his first season with the Aces, Traore notched 2.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. Traore missed the majority of February due to injury. In his first season with the Aces, Solomon Hainna played in 28 games while making four starts. He averaged 1.9 points per game.
UE’s six newcomers include: freshmen Noah Frederking, Evan Kuhlman and John Hall along with sophomore K.J. Riley and juniors Dainius Chatkevicius and Marty Hill.
This season will mark the 99th year of college basketball at the University of Evansville. The Aces are 65-33 in their first 98 season openers and have won three of their last four. Last season’s opener saw Evansville fall at Louisville by a final of 78-47.
Arkansas State is coming off of a 20-12 campaign last season and went 11-7 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Red Wolves were an impressive 12-1 at home while also winning seven road contests. Their top returning scorer is Devin Simms, who scored 13.4 points per game as a junior in 2016-17. Rashad Lindsey also notched double figures last year, finishing with 10.3 PPG.
