EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Game one of the 2023-24 University of Evansville men’s basketball season is set for Monday evening when the Purple Aces welcome Miami Ohio to the Ford Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m. with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network covering the action.
Setting the Scene                                                     Â
– With one exhibition contest under their belts, the Aces square off against the RedHawks in the season opener for the second year in a row
– Last year in Oxford, UE hung on for a 78-74 victory with Kenny Strawbridge Jr. and Yacine Toumi leading the way
– Strawbridge opened his UE career with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting while Toumi recorded 15 points
– Sekou Kalle played a pivotal role in the game, hauling in 10 rebounds
– The victory marked the first for David Ragland as a Division I head coach
– It marked the first time Evansville won a season-opening game on the road since a 63-51 win over Western Michigan in 1994
Coaching Link
– Aces head coach David Ragland has a connection to Miami assistant Khristian Smith from their days at Indiana State
– Ragland was an assistant coach for the Sycamores in Smith’s first two seasons – 2012-13 and 2013-14
– In those two seasons, ISU was 41-26 with two berths in the Postseason NIT
Season Openers
– Monday will tip off the 105th season of Aces basketball
– In 104 previous season openers, the Aces are 68-36
– This marks the seventh time UE has opened the season at the Ford Center since the building opened in 2011 – the Aces are a perfect 6-0 when playing their season opener at the arena
Last Time Out
– On Oct. 28, Evansville outlasted Wabash for a 76-66 exhibition victory
– The Little Giants opened the game on a 16-5 run and held a 40-39 lead at the break before UE clamped down and finished the game on an 8-0 run to seal the win
– Chuck Bailey III led the way with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting while Tanner Cuff added 14 points including two triples
– Yacine Toumi had an excellent all-around performance as he totaled 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists
– Kenny Strawbridge Jr. added 10 points
Scouting the Opponent
-Â Miami is coming off a 12-20 campaign that included a 6-12 mark in the Mid-American Conference
– Despite losing its top two scorers from last year (Mekhi Lairy and Morgan Safford), the RedHawks have reason for optimism with the return of Anderson Mirambeaux
– The senior earned a spot on the Preseason All-MAC Second Team following a season that saw him post 14.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game
– Sophomore Ryan Mabrey recorded 8.4 PPG last season
