Tanner Cuff's near triple-double headlines UE men's basketball's balanced win vs UT Martin

EVANSVILLE — Tanner Cuff isn’t flashy. Almost everything he does is inconspicuous: A simple rebound here, picking the right pass there. Backing down an opponent to the basket for a simple layup; finding an open teammate.

He doesn’t overwhelm or provide the biggest highlights more often than not. But he’s lethal and exited to a standing ovation from the 4,112 fans at Ford Center.

“He’s funny. He’s got a methodical game and he just finds a way to get to a spot,” University of Evansville men’s basketball coach David Ragland said. “That’s why we recruited him, because of his IQ and his feel for the game.”

The Purple Aces preached the importance of balance throughout the offseason and throughout the first 11 games. Scoring, rebounding, defending: Ragland wants his team to do everything by committee.

UE did that, though Cuff did a bit more. His performance in the Aces’ 98-91 win over Tennessee-Martin embodied much of who he is. Near a triple-double with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists: None of the stats were big highlights but all of them were important in a game like Monday.

“I didn’t think I had that many rebounds, honestly,” Cuff said. “I knew that I was finding guys in their spots and they were hitting shots, so that was fun to see that. Then I was getting a couple buckets.”

“I think Tanner has been amazing for us,” forward Yacine Toumi added. “He was such a nightmare, he’s a mismatch. … He’d be making great plays, he’d be really great weith defense and he’ll be amazing for us.”

In fact, UE’s team performance showed its balance. Five players — Cuff, Kenny Strawbridge Jr., Ben Humrichous, Toumi and Chuck Bailey III — scored double figures. Four of them had four or more rebounds.

That makes scouting more difficult. Cuff can have a night like he did against the Skyhawks. Strawbridge, who led UE with 21 points, can do the same. Humrichous has been an efficient passer. Anyone on the roster, in one way or another, can hurt an opponent.

It’s hard to prepare for; it’s hard to scout. That’s why the Aces (9-2, 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference) have had the success they’ve had.

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“When you have that many people that can generate and give you points, that’s what we envisioned in our recruiting,” Ragland said. “Getting five guys that can dribble, pass and shoot on the court at the same time, it makes you really hard to guard.”

Cuff’s balanced performance was the highlight of the night, but it could be anyone in any given game. Humrichous has done it, as has Toumi. Strawbridge is finding his shot and Bailey is adjusting well to college basketball. Even Cam Haffner, who hasn’t shot as the level expected, has chipped in with the feeling that a breakout game is on the horizon.

There’s a confidence that comes with that. UT Martin (6-6) led by as many as seven points in the second half. No one on the Aces’ bench looked out of sorts. A 13-1 UE run with five consecutive stops followed. This team has learned how to win. Coming back from a 20-point deficit against Chatanooga, a two-game sweep of Southeast Missouri State, a dramatic overtime victory against Northern Iowa and several other games show it.

And it all comes back to balance.

“Games like this should be, even last game I think we had five guys in double figures, I feel like that should be almost all the time,” Strawbridge said. “We all got different ways to score, so it’s just whoever has a good night depending on matchups. I feel like this should be the standard.”

Cuff was the standout on the box score and he, and the other Aces, exited with their ovation. But that ovation could easily have been for Strawbridge, or Toumi, or Humrichous, or Bailey, or whoever. Balance is UE’s key. Cuff is the latest beneficiary of that.

“He’s worked to find his way every game,” Ragland said. “He’s a little tricky that way, where he’s methodical, he’s I guess kinda unassuming. … He’s a smart player, good player, and (we’re) lucky to have him on our team.”

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville Aces: Balanced effort leads to win over Tennessee-Martin