Ben Humrichous made the jump from NAIA stardom to the University of Evansville. Why?
EVANSVILLE — Ben Humrichous walked into Ford Center as one of the players the University of Evansville men’s basketball team highlighted as a potential threat. He was with NAIA outfit Huntington University at the time, which ended the regular season ranked No. 15 and made the national tournament, and he was a big reason why.
The Purple Aces were hosting the Foresters in a preseason exhibition, with Huntington’s size being comparable to many teams UE would face. Humrichous, the forward with the hard-to-pronounce name (it’s Humm-rick-ouss), was on the front of the scouting report. For him, though, it was an opportunity.
“He showed athleticism, shooting, ability to put it on the deck. There was a lot of his game that we liked,” UE coach David Ragland said. “During the scouting report, this guy’s gonna be a handful to defend and stop.”
The game, official or not, was Humrichous’ first opportunity to play against a Division I opponent. He and Huntington dropped a close 74-64 contest in which Humrichous scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds.
“I got to play against a lot of really talented guys,” Humrichous said. “It was my chance to, maybe not show out, but have a chance to show myself. The experience was awesome. … I’m just blessed that we got the opportunity to play.”
Almost a year to the day, Humrichous has traded Huntington green for Evansville purple. Former assistant coach Marcus Wilson and current associate head coach Craig Snow both used their connections to bring him to UE. He sat in Ragland’s office and looked back on what brought him there, the same gym where players prepared to face him, a place for him to step out of the forest and into the spotlight.
“I think I needed my years at Huntington to really be successful here because I had a lot of growing up to do,” Humrichous said. “I think some of the highs and struggles I had at Huntington were to prepare me to be here.”
Ben Humrichous and the Duncan Robinson example
Humrichous wanted to be a baseball player growing up. He loves the diamond and has a passion for America’s pastime. Why did he switch to hoops?
“I grew and I made a lot of shots,” Humrichous said. He made the full switch during his junior year of high school. “I loved baseball, but basketball is something I enjoyed much more. Once I started to train hard and work hard at it, it was something that I realized I could have a good future with.”
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Leaving the diamond led to more opportunities. He had some Division I interest coming out of high school, but he was small for a forward at the time — about 6-foot-7 and 170 pounds. He’s since grown and filled out. UE lists him at 6-9 and Ragland has commended his weight room efforts.
Both Ragland and Humrichous have compared and admired Duncan Robinson’s story when looking at the first-year D-I transfer. Robinson started with D-III Williams College before moving to Michigan, where he made a name for himself and has since played a role with the Miami Heat.
“He just knows how to fill his role very well,” Humrichous said. “When you score enough points and you make enough plays, you eventually increase. As I come here, if I can continue to be efficient and knock down shots, be able to defend and be in the right spots, that’ll help me be successful.”
That’s not to say Humrichous is the next Robinson, but the similarities in their games go beyond just jumping up from one level to the next. Ragland said they both have the right shooting form, build and strength to be successful.
“(Humrichous has) had moments where it’s automatic. There’s not one person in the gym that doesn’t think it’s going in,” Ragland said. “You think about stature, size and position played, then that’s where Ben gets Duncan Robinson and probably where our staff got the comparison, too.”
Humrichous: UE transfer is ‘something that’s paying off’
Humrichous sat on the black couch in Ragland’s office reflecting on his journey, the comparisons and what comes next. He knows the level and competition is going to be up, even if the NAIA platform is better than advertised.
Division I hoops and the Missouri Valley Conference puts him on a platform he hasn’t experienced but is ready for. Humrichous has the game and size; personality and faith; team and execution. This is his season to prove himself right.
“The reason I always wanted to make the jump up to the Division I level was really just to chase a dream,” Humrichous said. “I thought I had the skills and opportunities. … That’s something that’s paying off.”
Humrichous, in the preseason at least, appears to have a major role in Ragland’s plans. His hopes to prove himself at the highest level are materializing with the Nov. 6 opener against Miami (Ohio) inching closer.
“He’s gonna be successful here,” Ragland said. “He is. No doubt.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville Purple Aces: Ben Humrichous made the from from NAIA to UE
