Mailbag: UE's hot start, USI's recent improvements, roadtrips, Rome and more

EVANSVILLE — Basketball is fun.

I asked for readers’ questions about the University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball teams for another mailbag and we got some good ones.

Let’s dive in.

What do you think the single biggest reason is for the hot UE men's start? Schedule? Recruiting? Other? - Chris A.

I think the biggest thing has to be recruiting. You don't start 6-0 for the first time since 1964 without a strong incoming contingent.

On paper, looking at this crop of Purple Aces newcomers doesn’t bring a ton of excitement outside of Chuck Bailey III due to his high-level recruitment before his commitment and Cam Haffner for being OVC freshman of the year. Outside of him, here are the newcomers: A good NAIA player, a junior college kid, a Division II player and some freshmen who weren’t highly touted or well-known outside smaller pockets. Now look at UE.

That talent identification is huge for the Aces and similar programs. Coach David Ragland and his staff, along with former assistant Marcus Wilson, have done an excellent job of finding players who fit their system and plans. The coaching has been good, too. Just look at the Chattanooga win for that.

There are still plenty of question marks about this team, but the early results are very promising.

Why are Xavier McCord, Yarin Hason and Luther Smith Jr. not playing for USI? Are any or all redshirting? - Kent G.

I received a couple of questions about McCord. He has been dealing with an injury and has been working his way back. The staff expected him to be back for the Tiffin game, but he was extended as a precaution. He’s been practicing more and catching up given the amount of time he’s missed. Since the last time I was able to ask, though, he has not been cleared to play.

Hasson is a bit of a different story and I also had a couple of people ask about him. Coach Stan Gouard told me he’s not ready from a strength or speed perspective yet. It seems they feel he needs to get fully integrated into the system. He and Smith, who I haven’t really had the chance to ask about, just both seem to be end-of-bench guys at the moment.

Yarin Hasson: He chose USI after winning a national championship with UConn. Meet Yarin Hasson

Since the last time I asked, no one was redshirting. As far as I understand the current rules, since Hasson and Smith have both seen the floor, they cannot redshirt. Since McCord hasn’t, he could potentially take a medical redshirt year if he desires. I plan on asking about all three next time I get the chance.

What is your favorite away arena to travel to for a team or game that you’ve covered? - Chris

This is a toss-up between Allen Fieldhouse and Cameron Indoor Stadium. I still have to remind myself that I’ve been privileged enough to cover games in those places.

I was obviously at Cameron for the USI men’s game against Duke this past weekend. It wasn’t at its best because most students were home for Thanksgiving, but wow. It was incredible. If that’s how Cameron is for a Black Friday buy game against an Ohio Valley Conference opponent, I cannot imagine how it is for North Carolina or another Top 25 opponent. It was simply remarkable.

That being said, in terms of my experience and the game I watched, I need to give the edge to Allen. Backstory: The game I covered in Lawrence, Kansas, was the Jayhawks hosting Missouri. This was the first time the two Border War rivals met in nearly a decade. People were camping the whole week. Given I’m from Missouri, I know the significance of that rivalry and just how much people care about it. Kansas beat Mizzou 102-67, so it wasn’t close. Looking back at my game story, my writing met the Tigers’ standard that day, too.

But being there for that game and that environment still gives me chills when I think about it. The 3-pointer that put the Jayhawks over 100 points is still the loudest noise I’ve heard in my life, and that is not an exaggeration.

Sorry to my Mizzou people who are reading that. This might mean I’m not invited back for Homecoming.

If you played Tyler Myers (TMoneySwagDawg) in a game of 1v1, what would the final score be? - Buggsy on X

If we’re playing a standard 1v1 game to 21 points, I’d say Myers beats me 21-2. I get two points on a pity basket because he’s nice.

I am not, nor have I ever been, a good basketball player.

What is your Roman Empire? - Eric R.

Aside from the Roman Empire itself, I’d say my Roman Empire is mid-major college basketball.

With Ragland going deeper into his bench this year, I’m curious, does that change how they practice? - @WhatWouldDingoDo on X

I wouldn’t say it changes how UE practices, but I think there is a noticeable difference in how prepared the team is. When you have nine or 10 players going up against the scout team in practice, that innately gets players more ready and helps with a deeper rotation. Getting that many ready to play as opposed to seven will reap some benefits.

The importance of running 10-deep, I think, will also pay dividends down the stretch of the season. You could see teams flame out and start to fold because of a lack of depth. Having a second unit that is arguably just as strong as the first should take away some of the fatigue issues.

What are some reasons for optimism for the USI men? - Readers

I think there is a decent amount, to be honest. Looking at two of the last three games — Bucknell should have been a win — you can see the growth in the team. Leading Duke, a national title favorite, at halftime at Cameron Indoor Stadium isn’t a fluke. Taking a top-150 team like La Salle to the buzzer on the road, and being able to argue that you should have won, is another sign of progress.

The biggest thing is that the team is looking like it’s coming together more. I think you can see the chemistry and familiarity starting to come. This is a team in what many consider to be the most difficult year of the Division I transition period, so growing pains were to be expected. In my year (wow I can’t believe it’s been that long since I took over) covering the team, the first half against Duke was the best I’ve seen a Screaming Eagles team play.

The platform and potential are there.

Based on what you’ve seen so far, what is the ceiling and the floor for UE's win total this season in your opinion? - Buggsy on X

To be completely honest, I never would’ve guessed I’d be covering a 6-0 team at this point. A friend asked me for my predicted number of UE wins in the preseason and, upon going through the schedule, I had the Aces at 3-3 at this point with a split against Southeast Missouri State and losses to Chattanooga and Ball State. That means they're at least three wins better than I thought.

I hesitate to put a floor or ceiling on a team because of the craziness of college basketball. I also think we’ll learn a lot about UE against Missouri State and Northern Iowa this week — both of which will be the top two on-paper teams the Aces have seen so far. I think the performances in these two games will give us a better indicator of a floor and ceiling, both of which are definitely higher than previous years.

Based on what I’ve seen, this is a team that is certainly better than advertised, but so is the Missouri Valley Conference overall so far. Illinois-Chicago has some good wins. Bradley is putting together a potential at-large bid resume. Drake is Drake. Missouri State has looked better than I anticipated. This looks to be the strongest the league has been in quite some time.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: NCAA Men's Basketball: Answering readers' questions about UE and USI