Aces open the regular season with two home gamesÂ
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Featuring a unique balance that will provide important experience heading into the Missouri Valley Conference portion of the schedule, the University of Evansville men’s basketball program unveiled its 2023 non-conference slate.
One exhibition contest will take place when UE welcomes Wabash College on Oct. 28. Just as they did last season, the Purple Aces open up regular-season play against Miami Ohio. The opener is set for Monday, Nov. 6 at the Ford Center. Head coach David Ragland opened his UE tenure with a 78-74 road win over the RedHawks in 2022. Another home game is on tap on Nov. 9 when Evansville plays host to a non-Division I opponent to be named.
Southeast Missouri State will mark the first road game of the year. UE makes the trek to Cape Girardeau on Nov. 15. The Aces have won nine of the last 12 games against SEMO. On the 18th, the Aces are back home to face Ball State. The Cardinals have not win a road game at Evansville since 1954, dropping 20-consecutive games.
With the cancellation of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic, UE will now take part in a multi-team event (MTE) hosted by Chattanooga. Friday, Nov. 24 will see the Aces face the Mocs before the final game of the weekend pits UE against SEMO on the 25th.
For the first time in program history, Evansville will take on Brigham Young University. The road game in Provo, Utah is set for Dec. 5. The Cougars have won at least 19 games every year since the 2016-17 campaign. BYU is set for its first season with the Big 12 Conference. December 16 will see the Aces travel to Louisville to face Bellarmine. The squads met at the Ford Center last season with UE taking a 73-61 victory on Dec. 21.
Pre-Christmas action wraps up with a pair of home games. On the 18th, Evansville hosts UT Martin before welcoming Tennessee Tech two days later. UE has combined to go 23-5 against the two programs. The month of December comes to a close when the Aces travel to Cincinnati on the 30th. The Bearcats mark the second Big 12 team that UE will face in 2023 and is the second time in three years that Evansville treks to UC. The squads met on Nov. 9, 2021 for the first duel between the programs in 31 years.
