Today was certainly a “Big Monday” for Evansville basketball

0

UE recognized nationally in both polls

Following last Tuesday’s 67-64 win at top-ranked Kentucky, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team and head coach Walter McCarty received several accolades on Monday.

The Purple Aces are on the verge of being ranked for the first time in their Division I history.  In Monday’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Evansville received 43 votes, ranking 30th on the list.  UE also garnered 8 votes in the Coaches Poll, which put them at 39th.

Evansville’s day got started on a high note with the squad being named the “Team of the Week” by March Madness digital reporter, analyst and host Andy Katz.  Following UE’s win over the Wildcats, Coach McCarty joined Katz for an interview that recapped the game.

Speaking of Coach McCarty – he was named the HoopDirt.com Division I Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions.  With the honor, McCarty is now eligible to receive the HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year award, which will be announced at the conclusion of the season.  The 2019-20 season marks the fifth year that HoopDirt.com has given out weekly and yearly awards.

Coach McCarty has been making headlines in the early season, as his Evansville squad pulled off what could be the upset of the year on the road against top-ranked Kentucky. The Aces opened the season with a home victory over Ball State before heading to Lexington on Tuesday to take on McCarty’s alma mater, who had moved into the #1 spot in the country just a day prior.

When all was said and done, the Purple Aces had shocked the college basketball world, coming away with a 67-64 win. The upset marked the first time in program history that Evansville had beaten the top-ranked team in the country, and snapped Kentucky’s 52 game home winning streak over unranked non-conference opponents. After an 89-71 win over IU-Kokomo on Thursday, Coach McCarty and the Aces are sitting at 3-0 on the season as they await a home matchup with SMU tonight.