Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball

The Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Ford Center. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1920s, the name Aces arose after a local sports writer wrote in a game story of the men's basketball team, "They played like Aces." The team has been known as the Aces and/or Purple Aces ever since. Evansville has won five Division II national championships (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971).

On November 12, 2019, the Aces earned one of the biggest victories in their Division I history, upsetting top-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena. Since joining Division I in 1977-78, the Purple Aces have appeared in five NCAA tournaments, making their most recent appearance in 1999. In 1989, Evansville upset Oregon State and advanced to the Round of 32 of the 1989 NCAA tournament.

History

In the early years of the men's basketball program the Purple Aces appeared in the NAIA national tournament. The Purple Aces appeared 4 times in the NAIA Tournament (1941, 1942, 1951, and 1955). The Purple Aces had a NAIA tournament record of 3–4. The furthest Evansville got in the NAIA tournaments was in third round (NAIA Quarterfinals) in 1951, only to lose to Regis University (Colo.) 70–68.NAIA Championship History

Shortly after the 1955 season the Purple Aces moved up to the NCAA College Division, now called NCAA Division II. The Evansville Purple Aces rank second all-time in NCAA College Division national championships with five: 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 (29–0 record) and 1971. The 1964 and 1965 teams starred NBA Legend Jerry Sloan, the 1971 team featured future NBA star Don Buse and future NCAA referee Steve Welmer.

In 1977, UE began playing in NCAA Division I athletics. That same year on December 13, a chartered DC-3 carrying the entire UE basketball team crashed in a field near the Evansville Regional Airport en route to a game against Middle Tennessee State. Every member of the team and coaching staff on the plane was killed. David Furr, who was a member of the 1977–78 Purple Aces squad, did not die in the crash, as he was out for the season with an ankle injury and thus was not on the plane that day. However, only just two weeks later after the crash, Furr and his younger brother Byron were killed in a car accident near Newton, Illinois, leaving the entire 1977–78 Purple Aces team dead.

Tremendous community support brought back the basketball program the next year. Evansville was a charter member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference, now known as the Horizon League. The Aces won or shared the MCC regular season title in 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1993. They also won the conference tournament title in 1982, 1992, and 1993. The Aces are now a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, and won the 1999 regular season title.

Legendary Aces coach Arad McCutchan was the first NCAA College Division coach selected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Purple Aces have made five trips to the NCAA Men's basketball tournament (1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999)NCAA Basketball History and two trips to the NIT (1988, 1994).

Seasonal records Season Team W L PCT Conf. record Postseason Head coach Independent 1977–78 Evansville 1 3 .250 Bobby Watson 1978–79 Evansville 13 16 .448 Dick Walters Midwestern Collegiate Conference 1979–80 Evansville 18 10 .643 1–4 Dick Walters 1980–81 Evansville 19 9 .679 6–5 Dick Walters 1981–82 Evansville 23 6 .793 10–2 NCAA first round Dick Walters 1982–83 Evansville 13 16 .448 6–8 Dick Walters 1983–84 Evansville 15 14 .517 7–7 Dick Walters 1984–85 Evansville 13 16 .448 4–10 Dick Walters 1985–86 Evansville 8 19 .296 3–9 Jim Crews 1986–87 Evansville 16 12 .571 8–4 Jim Crews 1987–88 Evansville 21 8 .724 6–4 NIT Sweet Sixteen Jim Crews 1988–89 Evansville 25 6 .806 10–2 NCAA Second Round Jim Crews 1989–90 Evansville 17 15 .531 8–6 Jim Crews 1990–91 Evansville 14 14 .500 7–7 Jim Crews 1991–92 Evansville 24 6 .800 8–2 NCAA first round Jim Crews 1992–93 Evansville 23 7 .767 12–2 NCAA first round Jim Crews 1993–94 Evansville 21 11 .656 6–4 NIT first round Jim Crews Missouri Valley Conference 1994–95 Evansville 18 9 .667 11–7 Jim Crews 1995–96 Evansville 13 14 .481 9–9 Jim Crews 1996–97 Evansville 17 14 .548 11–7 Jim Crews 1997–98 Evansville 15 15 .500 9–9 Jim Crews 1998–99 Evansville 23 10 .697 13–5 NCAA first round Jim Crews 1999–2000 Evansville 18 12 .600 9–9 Jim Crews 2000–01 Evansville 14 16 .467 9–9 Jim Crews 2001–02 Evansville 7 21 .250 4–14 Jim Crews 2002–03 Evansville 12 16 .429 8–10 Steve Merfeld 2003–04 Evansville 7 22 .241 5–13 Steve Merfeld 2004–05 Evansville 11 17 .393 5–13 Steve Merfeld 2005–06 Evansville 10 19 .345 5–13 Steve Merfeld 2006–07 Evansville 14 17 .452 6–12 Steve Merfeld 2007–08 Evansville 9 21 .300 3–15 Marty Simmons 2008–09 Evansville 17 14 .548 8–10 CIT first round Marty Simmons 2009–10 Evansville 9 21 .300 3–15 Marty Simmons 2010–11 Evansville 16 16 .500 9–9 CBI Second Round Marty Simmons 2011–12 Evansville 16 15 .516 9–9 CBI first round Marty Simmons 2012–13 Evansville 21 15 .583 10–8 CIT Semifinals Marty Simmons 2013–14 Evansville 14 19 .424 6–12 Marty Simmons 2014–15 Evansville 24 12 .613 9–9 CIT Champions Marty Simmons 2015–16 Evansville 25 9 .735 12–6 Marty Simmons 2016–17 Evansville 16 17 .485 6–12 Marty Simmons 2017–18 Evansville 17 15 .531 7–11 Marty Simmons 2018–19 Evansville 11 21 .343 5–13 Walter McCarty 2019–20 Evansville 9 23 .281 0–18 Walter McCartyTodd Lickliter 2020–21 Evansville 9 16 .360 7–11 Todd Lickliter 2021–22 Evansville 6 24 .360 2–16 Todd Lickliter 2022–23 Evansville 5 27 .185 1–19 David Ragland Totals 672 633 .517

Postseason results

Division I NCAA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in five NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–5.

1982 First round Marquette L 62–67 1989 First roundSecond Round Oregon StateSeton Hall W 94–90 OTL 73–87 1992 First round UTEP L 50–55 1993 First round Florida State L 70–82 1999 First round Kansas L 74–95

Division II NCAA tournament results The Purple Aces have appeared in 14 NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their combined record is 39–9. They are five time national champions (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971).

1957 Regional SeminfinalsRegional Finals Illinois StateBuffalo W 108–96L 75–77 1958 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite EightFinal FourNational 3rd-place game WabashAkronAmericanSt Michael'sWheaton W 70–68 OTW 82–70W 82–72L 70–78W 95–93 1959 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite EightFinal FourNational Championship Game Belmont AbbeyWittenbergSt. Michael'sNorth Carolina A&TSW Missouri State W 66–54W 56–50W 82–63W 110–92W 83–67 1960 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite EightFinal FourNational Championship Game Arkansas StateWabushAmericanKentucky WesleyanChapman W 91–74W 89–68W 101–91W 76–69W 90–69 1961 Regional SeminfinalsRegional 3rd-place game Lincoln (MO)MacMurray L 90–77W 98–97 OT 1962 Regional SeminfinalsRegional Finals North Carolina A&TSouthern Illinois W 97–82L 83–88 1963 Regional SeminfinalsRegional FinalsElite Eight Concordia (IL)Washington-St. LouisSouthern Illinois W 66–56W 85–76L 73–86 1964 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite EightFinal FourNational Championship Game Jackson StateSouthern IllinoisCal Poly PomonaNorthern IowaAkron W 97–69W 64–59W 95–73W 82–67W 72–59 1965 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite EightFinal FourNational Championship Game Bethune-CookmanBellarminePhiladelphiaSt. Michael'sSouthern Illinois W 116–77W 81–74W 92–76W 93–70W 85–82 OT 1966 Regional SeminfinalsRegional Finals LamarSouthern Illinois W 111–103L 77–90 1968 Regional SeminfinalsRegional FinalsElite Eight Lincoln (MO)SW Missouri StateTrinity W 95–80W 79–73L 77–93 1971 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite EightFinal FourNational Championship Game AshlandCentral MichiganHartwickSouthwestern LouisianaOld Dominion W 72–64W 78–60W 105–69W 93–74W 97–82 1972 Regional SeminfinalsRegional Finals WittenbergEastern Michigan W 81–73L 88–93 1976 Regional SeminfinalsRegional Finals Wright StateEastern Illinois W 85–75L 73–75

NAIA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in four NAIA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–4.

1941 First round Texas Wesleyan L 62–71 1942 First roundSecond Round Peru StateEast Central W 73–50L 30–42 1951 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinals WestminsterMorningsideRegis W 85–74W 75–62L 68–70 1955 First round Atlantic Christian L 88–95

NIT results

The Purple Aces have appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 1–2.

1988 First roundSweet Sixteen UtahBoston College W 66–55L 81–88 1994 First round Tulane L 63–76

CBI results

The Purple Aces have appeared in two College Basketball Invitationals (CBI). Their combined record is 1–2.

2011 First roundQuarterfinals HofstraBoise State W 77–70L 69–75 2012 First round Princeton L 86–95

CIT results The Purple Aces have appeared in three CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their combined record is 8–2. They were CIT champions in 2015

2009 First round Belmont L 72–92 2013 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals Tennessee StateEastern KentuckyCanisiusEast Carolina W 84–72W 86–72W 84–83L 58–81 2015 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship Game IPFWEastern IllinoisLouisiana–LafayetteUT MartinNorthern Arizona W 82–77W 83–68W 89–82W 79–66W 71–65

Retired Jerseys Twelve players and two coaches have had their jerseys retired by the school. Nevertheless, numbers remain active and can be worn by future players.

3 Scott Haffner 1986–1989 5 Marcus Wilson 1995–1999 10 Don Buse 1969–1972 15 Brad Leaf 1979–1982 19 Gus Doerner 1939–194220 Hugh Ahlering 1957–1959 Scott Shreffler 1989–1993 31 Andy Elkins 1991–1995 40 Ed Smallwood 1958–196050 Larry Humes 1963–1966 Marty Simmons 1986–1988 52 Jerry Sloan 1962–1965 — Arad McCutchan 1946–1977 — Jim Crews 1985–2002

References

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