University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball opens the 2019-20 campaign with exhibition game visits to the University of Evansville Monday and Purdue University November 1. Tip-off Monday versus Evansville at the Ford Center is slated for 6 p.m., while the November 1 contest at Purdue in West Lafeyette, Indiana, is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CDT).
Tickets for the UE-USI game are available at 812-488-2237 (UE ticket office) or at Ticketmaster.com.
Game coverage for the exhibition game, including live stats, video stream, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.
Note: USI season tickets are available at 812-465-7165. Single game USI tickets for the Screaming Eagles Arena go on sale November 1.
USI Men’s Basketball vs. Exhibition Game Quick Notes:
USI starts ranked 20th in preseason poll. USI was ranked 20th in the Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25. This is the first preseason ranking for USI since the 2014 season.
USI picked 2nd in GLVC preseason poll. USI was picked to place second in the GLVC for 2019-20 in a vote of the GLVC coaches.
USI vs. UE in exhibition games. USI is looking for its first victory over Evansville in an exhibition game. The Eagles are 0-4, falling in games prior to the 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09, and 2012-13 regular seasons. The closest games were in 2006, a two-point game, 77-75, and 2008, a double-overtime game, 71-67.
2018-19 USI exhibition games. USI was 0-2 in exhibition games in 2018-19, falling at Indiana University, 96-62, and Butler University, 79-58, on the road. Guard/forward Nate Hansen led USI versus Indiana with 13 points, while guard Alex Stein led the way with 18 points versus Butler.
Watson closing on all-time record. USI Head Coach Rodney Watson, the third Eagles’ head coach to reach the 200-win mark, finished 2018-19 two wins short of the USI all-time record, held by Bruce Pearl (231-46, 1992-2001). Watson starts 2019-20 with 229 victories.
USI ends 2018-19 in NCAA II semifinals:Â USI concluded its season in the NCAA II Elite Eight semifinals with a loss to sixth-ranked and sixth-seeded Point Loma Nazarene University, 81-71, after advancing with a 94-84 victory over third-ranked and second-seeded West Texas A&M University.
Eagle fans help set record. USI fans helped set a NCAA record attendance for an Elite Eight quarterfinal session at 7,330 during the Screaming Eagles win over West Texas A&M.26 wins ties for 9th all-time at USI. The 26 wins in 2018-19 ties for ninth all-time at USI for wins in a single season.
Top Returners in 2019-20. The Eagles return senior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell, who averaged a 13.3 points per game, and junior forward Emmanuel Little, who averaged 11.5 points per game and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per outing. Caldwell also averaged 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the 2019 post-season, while Little posted 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds during the team’s tournament run.
Laravie named to Division II Bulletin Super 16.  Senior guard Joe Laravie was named to the Division II Bulletin Super 16 for 2019-20. Laravie averaged a career-high 18.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19 for Christian Brothers University. In three seasons, Laravie averaged 14.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest.
