EVANSVILLE — The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team’s tipoff to the 2024-25 season is quickly approaching for its Nov. 4 showdown with DePaul in Chicago.
There’s excitement for the Screaming Eagles heading into Year 3 as a Division I program. They aim to improve upon one of their worst seasons in program history and make a stamp in the Ohio Valley Conference. But there are also some question marks entering a new campaign.
Let’s examine what USI’s season could look like, as well as a few players who could break through and the games to watch.
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Best-case scenario: Winning OVC championships
Depth and athleticism will be two of USI’s biggest factors as it aims to be a conference contender after the Eagles were projected to finish eighth in the OVC preseason poll. And they could exceed expectations with a handful of scoring threats and athletic bigs.
Amid this transitional period to being a full-time D-I member, the main goals are regular season and conference tournament titles until they can become eligible for the NCAA Tournament. However, this could be the final season of waiting. The NCAA is set to vote in January to shorten the period from four to three years.
Coach Stan Gouard said at last week’s OVC Media Day he expects USI to stretch the floor with players who can play multiple positions. He added they’re students of the game and willing defenders.
“We put these guys in tough situations every day in practice to see if we can challenge (them) or push buttons to push them to a certain level,” he said. “There’s been days where it’s not been great, but they’re leveling up and pushing themselves and taking everything with a grain of salt and trying to get better every single day.”
Worst-case scenario: Another season like last year
USI finished 16-17 in its first D-I campaign and competed in a postseason tournament before taking a step back last season with an 8-24 finish. Now, it enters Year 3 ranked 324th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency preseason ratings out of 364 teams.
Only seven players return, so can a group mostly comprised of newcomers gel together to take a step forward? Or will they face similar woes?
Many prognosticators have expressed difficulty handicapping the OVC because nearly every program revamped its roster after losing stars to the NCAA transfer portal. Yet, KenPom projects USI to go 14-16 overall and 10-10 in conference play. Both marks would be an improvement, but Gouard has stressed that will only happen if players buy in.
“We always tell those guys, ‘The bus is going to move with or without you. If you’re not on that bus, you’re probably not going to play,'” he said. “And I think our guys took that wholeheartedly. They come to work every single day and trying to get better to give ourselves a chance to compete for a championship.”
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These could be the Screaming Eagles’ X-factors in 2024-25
One of USI’s eight transfers, 6-foot-5 junior guard Jayland Randall joins the Eagles with two years of D-I experience after averaging 7.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 33 games at Alabama A&M. The Detroit native also brings toughness and grit to the West Side, so expect to see him fill a key role in USI’s offense.
“I love the fact that he’s not afraid to hold guys accountable,” Gouard said. “He’s a lead-by-example guy, he’s not just all talk. This young man is the ultimate warrior, and we’re fortunate to have him on our roster.”
Gouard also looks for 6-10 forward Nick Hittle to build off his strong outings last season once he is fully healthy. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in his 24 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
“He’s still trying to get himself back to 100%, and my goal with Nick is to have him back by league play, if not a couple of weeks prior to that,” Gouard said. “But we have some guys inside (6-8 Stephen Olowoniyi, 7-0 Alex Horiuk and 6-8 Jadyn Shider) that can come in and give us a different look if Nick isn’t doing his job. But we expect Nick to come back 100%, ready to roll and be able to be productive for this basketball team.”
5 USI basketball games we have circled on the calendar
Monday, Nov. 25 vs. Indiana State, 7 p.m.
The Sycamores, who went 32-7 and played in the NIT championship last season, visit Screaming Eagles Arena the week of Thanksgiving. However, they’re a new-look program with a new coach and an overhauled roster.
Saturday, Dec. 7 at Southern Illinois, 2 p.m.
The Eagles and Salukis have split a pair of contests against each other and neither was particularly close. This should be a nice tune-up for USI with OVC play around the corner.
Thursday, Dec. 19 vs. Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m.
This is USI’s OVC opener and could be another nail-biter. Both of their showdowns last season went down to the wire, decided by seven total points.
Saturday, Jan. 11 at Little Rock, 7 p.m.
The preseason pick to win the OVC after finishing runner-up in the OVC tournament, Little Rock has one of the conference’s top players in 6-foot guard KK Robinson. He totaled 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists at Screaming Eagles Arena last winter.
Saturday, Jan. 18 vs. Western Illinois, 3:30 p.m.
Kiyron Powell, a former Eagle and Bosse player, transferred to the Leathernecks over the offseason after they finished 21-12. They were picked second in the OVC this year.
