Aces to face nationally-ranked squad
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 2016-17 season officially begins on Friday as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team takes on Louisville for the first time in 59 years.
Game time is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be televised live on the ACC Network Plus. The network is part of ESPN3 and is available on your mobile device or computer with your cable subscription.
Evansville is coming off of a 25-9 season that saw them finish with their highest win tally since the 1988-89. Starters D.J. Balentine, Egidijus Mockevicius and Adam Wing from last year’s team have moved on following graduation while fellow starter Blake Simmons is out for the 2016-17 season with a knee injury. That leaves Jaylon Brown as the lone starter from last season; in his first full season as a starter, Brown started all 34 games while notching 10.8 points per game. Seven newcomers complement the returning players.
Brown had his best collegiate season in 2015-16, notching 10.8 points per game on his way to a berth on the MVC Most Improved Team. He started each game at point guard for UE and hit his career-high of 19 points on three occasions last year. In 34 games, Brown scored 8 or more points on 26 occasions; as a sophomore, he scored at least 8 points just ten times in 36 games.
Friday’s contest will mark the first game of the 98th season of Evansville basketball. UE is 65-32 in its first 97 openers and has won its last three; the last season-opening loss came in 2012 at Notre Dame.
Evansville and Louisville will tangle on the hardwood for the first time since December 2, 1957 when the Purple Aces earned a 92-90 home victory. UE holds a 13-12 lead in the overall series and is 8-4 in home games and 4-8 on the road. The last meeting in 1957 was also the season opener for both squads.
Ranked in the top 15 in both of the preseason polls, Louisville is coming off of a stellar 23-8 campaign last season, which included an 18-1 mark at the Yum Center. The Cardinals were picked to finish 4th in the ACC Basketball Preseason Poll behind only Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.
Louisville returns ten lettermen including starters Quentin Snider and Jaylen Johnson from last year’s team, which topped eventual Final Four participants North Carolina and Syracuse. Snider scored an average of 9.4 points per game while leading the squad with 109 assists last season; he was also a 40.4% shooter from outside. Johnson started 22 games on his way to averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest.
