Purple Aces Ready To Get Back On The Court
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – An exciting non-conference schedule awaits the University of Evansville men’s basketball team with the season approaching in less than three months.
A balanced lineup features high-profile home opponents, challenging road contests and a trip to Fort Myers, Florida for the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Purple Aces head coach Todd Lickliter is excited about the schedule and the challenges that will help his team heading into Missouri Valley Conference play.
“We are excited about the many opportunities our non-conference schedule presents,†he said. “Our goal was to challenge ourselves as we continue to build. We believe this schedule will prepare us to play well in the MVC as well as at Arch Madness.â€
Preseason action includes a pair of home exhibition contests which begins on Saturday, October 30 against Mount. St. Joseph. Five days later (11/4), the Aces will face Kentucky Wesleyan in their final tune-up before the start of the regular season.
For the first time since 1990, UE will take on the University of Cincinnati. The regular-season opener is set for Tuesday, November 9 in Cincinnati. The 2019 American Athletic Conference Champions won 20 games in 2019-20 before going 12-11 a season ago. Evansville has won two of the last three matchups versus the Bearcats while UC took the last game in December of 1990 by a final of 58-48 at Roberts Stadium.
IUPUI will mark the home opener on Nov. 11. This will mark the fifth meeting between the program with the Aces taking the first four contests. The squads last met in 2019 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum with UE earning a 70-64 road win. On Nov. 13, UE will be back on the road for a contest at Belmont. The Bruins are coming off a stellar 26-4 campaign, which ended with a hard-fought loss to Morehead State in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game. In four previous meetings, each team has picked up a pair of wins. In the lone meeting in Nashville, the Aces grabbed a 65-62 win in 2014.
Two home games follow with Evansville welcoming DePauw to the Ford Center on Nov. 16. The Tigers from Greencastle, Ind. won 12 of their 13 games a year ago. The University of Central Florida heads to Evansville for its first-ever contest against the Aces on Saturday, Nov. 20. UCF won 11 games in 2020-21 including triumphs over #15 Florida State and Auburn. The Knights reeled off a 24-9 campaign in 2018-19 and gave Duke all it could handle in the NCAA Tournament before falling by a 77-76 final.
Next up is the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Aces make the trek to Fort Myers for three contests between Nov. 22 and 24. Tournament play opens against Rice. The Owls were 15-13 last year, their first season finishing above .500 since going 23-12 during the 2016-17 campaign. In the lone meeting between the programs, the Owls defeated the Aces by a score of 59-54 in the 1997 San Juan Shootout. Game two in Florida will take place against either Vermont or Oakland. One of the most consistent mid-major programs in the nation, the Catamounts recorded a 10-5 mark in 2021 and won at least 20 games each season between 2007 and 2020. Oakland is coming off of a 12-18 record. UE has not faced either program in its history. The finale in the tournament will pit the Aces against one of the following: Akron, Appalachian State, Delaware, or Fordham.
Evansville remains away from home on Sunday, Nov. 28 with a short trip to Charleston, Illinois to face Eastern Illinois. In a Dec. 9 contest last season, UE put a halt to a 22-game winless streak with a 68-65 win over the Panthers. Three of the next four outings will be held at the Ford Center, starting on December 1 with the Missouri Valley Conference opener. The opponent will be announced with the remainder of the league slate.
Next up on Dec. 4 is a matchup versus Tennessee Tech, marking the first of three OVC opponents in a row. The teams split a home-and-home series in 2011 and 2012 with the road team winning each time. Evansville wrapped up the series with a 62-50 decision in Cookeville and holds an 11-3 edge in the all-time series. A trip to Cape Girardeau, Missouri will pit the Aces against Southeast Missouri State on the 8th before UT Martin heads to the Ford Center for a game on Dec. 18.
Non-conference action wraps up on Dec. 21 with a road game at SMU. In the lone meeting between the squads, the Mustangs came out on the winning end of a 59-57 defensive battle at the Ford Center in 2019.
