E VANSVILLE 2002-03 Game By Game Nov. 22 ILLINOIS-CHICAGO W 73-68 Nov. 27 At Dayton L 64-59 Nov. 30 At Eastern Illinois L 94-89 Dec. 3 WESTERN KENTUCKY W 81-76 OT Dec. 7 BUTLER L 77-64 Dec. 19 AUSTIN PEAY W 95-85 Dec. 21 MURRAY STATE L 76-58 Dec. 23 At Mississippi L 87-69 Dec. 30 At Miami (Ohio) W 66-58 Jan. 4 At Indiana State L 86-60 Jan. 8 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS L 90-84 Jan. 11 BRADLEY W 93-79 Jan. 15 At Creighton L 93-56 Jan. 18 At Southwest Missouri L 70-51 Jan. 23 CREIGHTON W 74-66 Jan. 25 ILLINOIS STATE W 85-74 Jan. 29 WICHITA STATE W 75-74 Feb. 1 At Northern Iowa L 63-61 Feb. 3 SOUTHWEST MISSOURI L 73-58 Feb. 8 At Drake W 62-51 Feb. 10 At Wichita State L 89-84 Feb. 16 NORTHERN IOWA W 83-63 Feb. 19 At Illinois State L 65-61 Feb. 22 DRAKE L 81-73 Feb. 26 At Southern Illinois 7:05 Mar. 1 At Bradley 7:05 Mar. 3 INDIANA STATE 7:05 Mar.7-10 MVC Tournament, St. Louis, Mo. 2002-03 MVC Standings (through games of Feb. 24) MVC Overall #17 Creighton 13-2 24-3 Southern Illinois 13-2 19-5 Wichita State 11-4 16-8 Southwest Missouri 11-4 15-9 Evansville 6-9 10-14 Bradley 6-9 10-16 Northern Iowa 5-10 9-15 Drake 4-11 9-17 Illinois State 4-11 6-18 Indiana State 2-13 6-20 Upcoming Games (Times CST) Tuesday Bradley at Wichita State 7:05 Wednesday Northern Iowa at Indiana State 6:05 EVANSVILLE AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7:05 Creighton at Southwest Missouri 7:05 Illinois State at Drake 7:05 Saturday Drake at Northern Iowa 12:05 Illinois State at Indiana State 1:05 EVANSVILLE AT BRADLEY 7:05 Wichita State at Southwest Missouri 7:05 Creighton at Southern Illinois 8:05 G AME N OTES UE PURPLEP URPLE ACESCES (10-14, 6-9) VS. SOUTHERNOUTHERN ILLINOISLLINOIS U. SALUKISS ALUKIS (19-5, 13-2) WEDNESDAY,, FEBRUARF EBRUARY 26, 2003 RENA,, CARBONDALEC ARBONDALE,, IL 7:05 CST SIU ARENA EVANSVILLE PROBABLE STARTERS PPG RPG APG F 22 Clint Cuffle 6-6 Jr. Riverton, Ill. 17.3 4.5 1.8 F 43 Ian Hanavan 6-7 Sr. Moline, Ill. 15.1 6.8 2.7 C54Dan Lytle 6-11 Jr. Edwardsville, Ill. 8.7 3.4 1.2 G 20 Lucious Wagner 6-4 So. Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. 6.3 3.3 3.3 G 2 Andre Burton 6-5 So. Memphis, Tenn. 4.9 2.3 2.8 FIRST OFF THE BENCH F 31 Tobias Brinkley 6-4 Sr. Atlanta, Ga. 10.6 3.8 1.4 F 42 Larry Ferguson 6-6 Sr. Houston, Texas 7.6 3.5 1.1 G 14 Jordan Watson 6-3 So. Galesburg, Ill. 2.8 1.2 0.4 G10Jeremy Long 6-3 Fr. Beaumont, Texas 0.6 0.5 0.6 SIU PROBABLE STARTERS F 11 Sylvester Willis 6-7 Jr. Calumet City, Ill. 4.5 4.0 0.4 F 23 Jermaine Dearman 6-8 Sr. Indianapolis, Ind. 13.7 6.4 1.3 G 1 Darren Brooks 6-3 So. St. Louis, Mo. 12.9 5.8 3.0 G 25 Stetson Hairston 6-3 So. Fairview Hts., Ill. 12.0 4.5 3.3 G 33 Kent Williams 6-2 Sr. Mt. Vernon, Ill. 15.5 1.4 3.1 THE SERIES Southern Illinois leads 49-44 after winning eight of the last nine. The only Evansville victory during that stretch was Feb. 24, 2001 at Carbondale, 79-74. The Salukis won earlier this season at Roberts Stadium, 90-84. THE COACHES Steve Merfeld (Wis.-LaCrosse 84) is 10-14 at UE and 100-71 overall in his sixth year as a head coach. He was 90-57 in five years at Hampton, where his Pirates reached the NCAA Tournament second round in 2001 and nearly beat Connecticut in the opening round last March. Merfeld was College Hoops Insider s 2002 Mid-Major National Coach of the Year. Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee 78) is 98-52 in his fifth year at Southern Illinois. He was an assistant coach at Purdue for 18 seasons before taking the SIU job in 1998. ON THE AIR Radio: 94.9 FM The River, and WUEV 91.5 FM www.gopurpleaces.com Official site of University of Evansville athletics
THREE TO GO The Purple Aces three remaining regular season games are Wednesday at Southern Illinois, Saturday at Bradley and Monday back home with Indiana State. Bradley is the only one of the three that Evansville beat the first time around. Bradley is also UE s last chance to sweep a series. Since first playing in the MVC in 1994-95, Evansville has swept at least one season series each year. LOSING STREAK AT A SEASON-HIGH TWO Evansville has lost two straight games, matching its longest losing streak of the season. The last time Evansville went through an entire season without a three-game skid was 1993-94. Even the MVC championship team of 1999 lost three in a row all in league play. ANOTHER STREAK UE WOULD LIKE TO END Southern Illinois has the sixth longest homecourt winning streak in the country at 25 games, dating back to the start of last season. THE FIRST SIU GAME It s been seven weeks since Southern Illinois came from eight points down with 12 minutes to play and beat the Aces 90-84 at Roberts Stadium on January 8. Darren Brooks (18) and Jermaine Dearman (15) led the Salukis in scoring. Clint Cuffle scored 28 for Evansville, one shy of his season high, and Tobias Brinkley added 18. MIDDLE OF THE PACK TIGHTENS UP The Aces remain in a fifth place tie with Bradley, but at 6-9 the Purple Aces and Braves are edging precariously close to seventh place Northern Iowa (5-10). A tie in the final regular season standings between UE and Northern Iowa would most likely give UE the higher seed in the MVC Tournament because the Aces have beaten coleader Creighton. The first tie-breaker for seeding purposes is headto-head play. Then comes a power-rating system that awards 20 points for a win over the first place team on the road, all the way down to one point for a win over the last place team at home. FEBRUARY GOOD FOR HANAVAN Evansville senior Ian Hanavan needed only seven minutes Saturday night to reach double figures for the 10th consecutive game. He scored 10 points during Evansville's 17-8 run to begin the game against Drake, and finished with 22. Hanavan's third double-double of February came last Wednesday when he totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 65-61 loss at Illinois State. Now at 15.1 ppg and 6.8 rpg, Hanavan ranks fifth in rebounding and sixth in scoring in the MVC. He is the only player who ranks that high in both categories. NO STARTS, BUT LOTS OF FINISHES Evansville senior Tobias Brinkley has hiked his scoring average into double figures despite coming off the bench in all 16 games in which he has played. Brinkley scored 13 in Wednesday's game at Illinois State and 12 Saturday against Drake. He's averaging more than 12 points and five rebounds in his last five games. CUFFLE STAYS AT #3 IN SCORING Wednesday s game will bring together two candidates for first team all-mvc Evansville junior Clint Cuffle (17.3 ppg) and SIU senior Kent Williams (15.5 ppg). Cuffle is second in the league in free throw percentage, second in three-pointers per game, third in scoring, third in three-point percentage and seventh in field goal percentage. Williams is second in three-point percentage, fourth in three-pointers per game and fifth in scoring. EVANSVILLE BASKETBALL FACTS Nickname: Purple Aces Head Coach: Steve Merfeld (1st year) Assistant Coaches: Keith Noftz, Stacey Palmore, James Wilhelmi Director of Basketball Operations: Chris Bohlen Arena: Roberts Stadium (11,600) Colors: Purple, Orange & White UE Enrollment: 2,234 Last Year s Record: 7-21 Overall, 4-14 MVC (9th) First Year In Division I: 1977 D-I NCAA Tournament Appearances: 5 (1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999) NIT Appearances: 2 (1988, 1994) Conference Regular Season Championships: 6 (1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999) Conference Tournament Championships: 3 (1982, 1992, 1993) GENERAL INFORMATION Tickets: (812) 479-ACES Website: GoPurpleAces.Com Home Game Times: 7:05 CST except for Dec. 7 (2:05) and Feb. 16 (2:05) UE s Division I Record: Here is Evansville s season by season record at the Division I level, showing the number of games above or below.500 for that year. 78 1-3 -2 79 13-16 -3 80 18-10 +8 81 19-9 +10 82 23-6 +17 83 13-16 -3 84 15-14 +1 85 13-16 -3 86 8-19 -11 87 16-12 +4 88 21-8 +13 89 25-6 +19 90 17-15 +2 91 14-14 0 92 24-6 +18 93 23-7 +16 94 21-11 +10 95 18-9 +9 96 13-14 -1 97 17-14 +3 98 15-15 0 99 23-10 +13 00 18-12 +6 01 14-16 -2 02 7-21 -14 03 10-14 -4 UE s 26-year D-I record as of 2/25/03 is: 419-313 +106 Aces All Over The Air Between radio and TV, the Aces are hard to miss: Inside Aces Basketball airs every Sunday at 10:35 p.m. on ABC 25. Every UE game can be heard on 94.9 The River. Fans outside the Tri-State can hear all Aces home games and selected road games at www.wuev.evansville.edu. Aces Sports Hour airs most Mondays at 6:00 on WUEV (91.5 FM). Aces Talk With Steve Merfeld and Adam Alexander on 94.9 The River takes place most Tuesdays at 6:00 at Nick s Pizza & Wings. Aces Sports Report with UE Director of Athletics Bill McGillis and host Dan Egierski airs most Wednesdays at 6:00 on WGBF (1280 AM).
PURPLE ACES PLAYER CAPSULES TOBIAS BRINKLEY...#31...6-4 SENIOR...Double-figure scorer in four of his last five games; scored 13 in last Wednesday s loss at Illinois State, and 12 in Saturday s loss to Drake...has come off the bench in each of his 16 games...ue s third leading scorer...nominee for the MVC All-Bench Team...MVC Player of the Week Jan. 14 after scoring 18 against Southern Illinois Jan. 8 and 21 against Bradley Jan. 11...played briefly in just two games before Jan. 8 because of a broken bone in his right foot, suffered Nov. 8. CAREER HIGHS...30 pts. 2/23/02 vs. Wichita State...13 rebounds 2/16/02 vs. Indiana State...5 assists 2/25/02 at Illinois State...4 3-pointers three times...3 steals twice. ANDRE BURTON...#2...6-5 SOPHOMORE...Starting guard...8-point efforts Feb. 16 vs. Northern Iowa and Feb. 19 at Illinois State were his biggest since scoring a career-high 11 at Miami (Ohio) Dec. 30...added four assists and two steals at Illinois State...second on the team in assists and third on the team in steals... good defender and playmaker...transfer from Kankakee Community College, where he played one year. CAREER HIGHS...11 pts 12/30/02 at Miami...6 rebounds 12/7/02 vs. Butler...6 assists 1/25/03 vs Illinois State...1 3-pointer six times...4 steals 12/21/02 vs. Murray State. CLINT CUFFLE...#22...6-6 JUNIOR...First team on 2003 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team...finalist for the Verizon Academic All-America Team...reached 20 points for the 11th time by scoring 21 Saturday vs. Drake... added 17 in last Wednesday s loss at Illinois State...two-time MVC Player of the Week...nominee for MVC Most Improved Team...ranks #3 in Valley in scoring, second in FT%, second in 3-point FGs, third in 3-point FG% and seventh in overall FG%...scoring average has increased from 9.6 last season to current 17.3. CAREER HIGHS...29 pts. 12/19/02 vs. Austin Peay...9 rebounds three times...7 assists 11/24/01 at Tenn. State...6 3-pointers 12/19/02 vs. Austin Peay...3 steals 12/23/02 at Mississippi. LARRY FERGUSON...#42...6-6 SENIOR...One of first players off the bench...fifth leading scorer...hit a career-high five three-pointers Feb. 16 and scored 18 points in win over UNI...scored a career-high 24 off the bench Feb. 1 at UNI...scored 12 in Feb. 3 loss to SMS...primarily a forward, but can also play center...in his second year at UE after two years at Jacksonville (Texas) College...averaged 5.2 points as a junior. CAREER HIGHS...24 pts. 2/1/03 at Northern Iowa...9 rebounds 2/1/03 at Northern Iowa...4 assists 11/22/02 vs. Illinois- Chicago...5 3-pointers 2/16/03 vs. Northern Iowa...2 steals three times. JIMMY FUNKHOUSER...#12...6-0 SOPHOMORE...Walk-on who attended UE last year as a freshman but did not play basketball...joined the team last spring...has played briefly in four games. DREW GORE...#24...6-2 SOPHOMORE...Limited by a pulled hamstring muscle, suffered Jan. 8 in practice...had worked his way into UE s rotation...walk-on who also played substantial amount last season. CAREER HIGHS...12 pts 2/25/02 at Illinois State...5 rebounds 12/19/02 vs. Austin Peay...4 assists twice...2 3-pointers twice...2 steals 12/19/02 vs. Austin Peay. IAN HANAVAN...#43...6-7 SENIOR...Only player in the MVC who ranks among league s top six in both scoring (6th at 15.1) and rebounding (5th at 6.8)...also ranks fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in free throw percentage...nominee for MVC Most Improved Team...10 straight games in double figures...three double-doubles this month alone, most recently a 13-point, 11-rebound effort Feb. 19 at Illinois State...Pre-Season Leadership Award recipient from UE s new coaching staff...in second year at UE after transferring from UIC. CAREER HIGHS...25 pts. 12/3/02 vs. Western Kentucky...12 rebounds 2/1/03 at Northern Iowa...8 assists 1/23/03 vs. Creighton...2 3-pointers five times...4 steals 2/13/02 vs. Illinois State. NATHAN KOSTER...#5...5-11 FRESHMAN...Out for the season after undergoing surgery Jan. 9 for a dislocated shoulder...played in one game, Dec. 3 vs. Western Kentucky...signed with Evansville last fall. DEYWANE LEE...#1...6-8 FRESHMAN...Reserve center...passes well...good shot-blocker...first player signed by the new coaching staff...son of University of Memphis all-time scoring leader Keith Lee. CAREER HIGHS...11 pts 1/4/03 at Indiana State...6 rebounds 12/7/02 vs. Butler...4 assists three times...0 3-pointers...2 steals three times...2 blocked shots twice
JEREMY LONG...#10...6-3 FRESHMAN...Reserve guard...good defender...attended The MacDuffie School in Springfield, Mass. last year and was rated the nation s 61st best prep school player...2001 grad of West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas. CAREER HIGHS...2 pts twice...2 rebounds 11/27/02 at Dayton...1 assist 11/22/02 vs. Illinois-Chicago...0 3-pointers...0 steals. DAN LYTLE...#54...6-11 JUNIOR...Starting center...second team selection on 2003 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team...#2 in MVC in blocked shots (1.2 per game)...averaging less than five points in his last eight games... last double-figure effort was 14 points Jan. 25 vs. Illinois State...set career bests for 3-point field goals (3) and assists (5) Jan. 23 in win over 9th ranked Creighton...2002 Honorable Mention All-MVC...2002 MVC Most Improved Team member...2nd team on 2002 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team. CAREER HIGHS...31 pts 12/22/01 vs. UW-Green Bay...11 rebounds twice...5 assists 1/23/03 vs. Creighton...3 3-pointers 1/23/03 vs. Creighton...2 steals four times...4 blocked shots three times. ERIC OTTENS...#3...6-7 FRESHMAN...Scored his first collegiate points on a 3-pointer late in Jan. 18 game vs. SMS...made his collegiate debut Dec. 7 against Butler...has also played in seven other games...redshirted last season...ap and IBCA first team Class A all-state player at Fulton (Ill.) High School as a senior. CAREER HIGHS...3 pts 1/18/03 at SMS...0 rebounds...0 assists...1 3-pointer 1/18/03 at SMS...1 steal 12/7/02 vs. Butler. CRAIG PHIFER...#32...6-6 FRESHMAN...Walk-on who joined the team in September...has not played... valedictorian at Staunton High School, where he averaged 19.1 points and earned IBCA Honorable Mention All-State honors as a senior...played briefly in first exhibition game; did not score. LUCIOUS WAGNER...#20...6-4 SOPHOMORE...Honorable mention on 2003 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team...scored 14 points, one shy of his career high, in Feb. 16 win over UNI...added 10 in Saturday s loss to Drake...ranks seventh in Valley in assist-to-turnover ratio and ninth in assists...nominee for MVC Most Improved Team...scored a career-high 15 Jan. 23 against Creighton...recipient of 2002-03 Bobby Watson Award, given to a UE player based on scholarship and Christian attitude...redshirted in 2000-01. CAREER HIGHS...15 pts 12/3/02 vs. Western Kentucky...7 rebounds 2/8/03 at Drake...6 assists twice...3 3-pointers 1/9/02 at Creighton...4 steals 11/30/02 at Eastern Illinois. JORDAN WATSON...#14...6-3 SOPHOMORE...Honorable mention on 2003 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team...reserve guard...13-for-27 from 3-point range this season...totaled 8 points and a career-high 6 rebounds Dec. 30 at Miami...13 of his 16 field goals have been 3-pointers...member of the five-man MVC All- Bench Team in 2002...led the MVC last season in three-point percentage at.451 (23-51). CAREER HIGHS...17 pts 11/27/01 at UIC...6 rebounds 12/30/02 at Miami...4 assists 1/2/02 vs. Southern Illinois...5 3-pointers 11/27/01 at UIC 11/24/01...1 steal nine times. PRONUNCIATIONS DEYWANE...Dwane IAN...E-un LYTLE...LIE-tull OTTENS...OTT-uns TOBIAS...toe-BY-us Play At Home... 8-5 Play On The Road... 2-9 Lead At Halftime... 4-2 Trail At Halftime... 5-11 Tied At Halftime... 1-1 Shoot Higher FG% Than Opponent... 9-4 Shoot Lower FG%... 1-10 Shoot 50% Or Better... 7-5 Shoot Less Than 50%... 3-9 Make Fewer Turnovers Than Opponent. 1-2 Make More Turnovers... 8-12 Make Same Number Of Turnovers... 1-0 THE ACES RECORD WHEN THEY... Outrebound Opponent... 7-6 Are Outrebounded... 3-8 Same Number of Rebounds... 0-0 Make More FTs Than Opponent... 6-3 Make Fewer FTs... 3-11 Make Same Number Of FTs... 1-0 Make More 3-Pointers Than Opponent.. 3-3 Make Fewer 3-Pointers... 6-10 Make Same Number Of 3-Pointers... 1-1 Lead Or Are Tied With 5 Minutes To Play. 9-0 Trail With 5 Minutes To Play... 1-14 Play In Overtime... 1-0