University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball announced the roster additions for the 2019-20 campaign. The seven new Screaming Eagles – junior guard Charles Wilson (Louisville, Kentucky), junior forward Clayton Hughes (Jackson, Tennessee), senior guard Joe Laravie (Kettering, Ohio), junior forward Justin Carpenter (Mt. Carmel, Illinois), senior guard Darnell Butler (Lafayette, Indiana), freshman guard Tyler Martin (Bowling Green, Kentucky), freshman guard/forward Joey Waling (Williamsport, Indiana) – includes five transfer players and a pair of freshmen.
Transferring to USI for their senior seasons are Laravie and Butler.
Laravie (6-foot-3, 180 lb.) will conclude his college career at USI, following three seasons at Christian Brothers University. He was named NABC All-Region, first-team All-Gulf South Conference and GSC Player of the Week three times in 2018-19 after averaging a career-best 18.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19.
Laravie also had a three-year career average of 14.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game during his tenure at CBU.
Butler (6-foot-4, 210 Ib.) joins the USI program after spending last season at Middle Tennessee State University. He played one season at Seminole State College (2017-18), posting 19.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Carpenter, Hughes, and Wilson join the Eagles for the next two seasons.
Carpenter and Wilson journey to USI after spending last season at Wabash Valley College. Carpenter (6-foot-9, 230 lb.), who also averaged 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University in 2017-18, posted 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore for WVC.
Wilson (6-foot-2, 170 lb.) averaged 9.1 points and 2.4 assists per game as a sophomore at WVC in 2018-19, following a year at Three Rivers College, recording 11.0 points and 3.1 rebounds as a freshman in 2017-18.
Hughes (6-foot-6, 206 Ib.) comes south to USI after two seasons at Indiana State University, averaging 3.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 54 games for the Sycamores. He posted a two-year high 4.4 points per game as a sophomore in 2018-19 that included a career-best 23 points versus San Jose State University.
Martin and Waling begin their college basketball careers at USI in 2019-20.
Martin (6-foot-2, 180 lb.) lettered in baseball and basketball at South Warren High School (Bowling Green, Kentucky) where he was named All-Region (second-team in 2019; third-team All-Region in 2018) and All-District (2018, 2019) twice. He also finished his prep career as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at SWHS. Martin is the son of former USI Men’s Basketball player, Craig Martin, who was a member of the 1994 NCAA II Tournament finalist team and a graduate assistant coach on the 1995 NCAA II National Championship team.
Waling (6-foot-5, 205 lb.) earned letters in basketball at Seeger Memorial High School (West Lebanon, Indiana), where he was named honorable mention All-State, first-team All-Conference, and first-team All-Area as a senior after averaging 19.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest in 2018-19. He also earned second-team All-Area and honorable mention All-Conference as a junior in 2017-18.
The Eagles reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight semifinals in 2018-19 after capturing the program’s fourth NCAA II Midwest Region championship. USI concluded the campaign with a 26-9 overall mark and a 13-5 record in the GLVC.
