EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Basketball season has officially arrived at the University of Evansville with the men's basketball team set to open exhibition play on Saturday against Mount St. Joseph. Set for a 1 p.m. tip, it will mark the first of two exhibition contests for the Purple Aces.
| Evansville vs. Mount St. Joseph | |
| Game Information | Saturday, Oct. 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Ford Center |
Setting the Scene
- Four starters highlight an experienced group that heads into the 2021-22 season with Evan Kuhlman, Noah Frederking, Jawaun Newton and Shamar Givance back in the lineup
- The lone starter to graduate as Jax Levitch, who started last season for UE as a graduate transfer
- Six newcomers join the team including four freshmen, a sophomore and a junior
Wrapping up 20-21
- Last season saw a rapid climb up the Missouri Valley Conference ladder for UE, who went from an 0-18 mark in 2019-20 to a 7-11 finish a season ago
- With its improvement, UE became just the second team in MVC history to follow a winless conference season with seven victories
- The 7-game improvement for UE is the best that the conference has seen since Loyola went from eight league wins in 2016-17 to 15 a season later
- Evansville is the first team to jump from 10th in the MVC standings to a top five seed since Drake went from 10th in 2017 to 4th place in 2018
- UE completed the regular season in 5th place, marking its MVC finish since 2016
Last Time Out
- Facing Indiana State in its Arch Madness opener in March, the Aces fell by a final of 53-43 at the Enterprise Center
- Evan Kuhlman and Noah Frederking led the way with 10 points apiece while Jawaun Newton totaled 9 rebounds
- The Sycamores held a 43-41 lead with 8:19 remaining in the contest before the defense held UE to just two points over the duration of the contest to seal the win
A Brief History Lesson
- While Saturday's exhibition contest does not count as an official game, this will mark the second meeting between the Aces and Lions
- On December 22, 2016, the teams met inside the Ford Center with UE taking a 68-55 win
- Evansville's star that game was Jaylon Brown, who totaled 33 points and 6 rebounds.