NCAA Basketball: Will Evansville become mid-major star of 2019-20?

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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 12: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to a mistake by his team in the first half in the game against the Evansville Aces at Rupp Arena on November 12, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The Evansville Purple Aces already had a historic win over Kentucky this year. Is this the end, or just the beginning, of their NCAA Basketball Cinderella story?

On November 12, 2019, the Evansville Purple Aces made history. They knocked off #1 ranked Kentucky, in Rupp Arena, and became the first team in school history to beat the #1 ranked team in the nation. Kentucky, meanwhile, made their own history in the 67-64 loss, becoming the first #1 ranked NCAA Basketball team to lose at home to an unranked non-conference opponent. At this point, you’ve probably heard all about the Purple Aces’ amazing upset and its place in history. The real question now is, are we gonna hear about Evansville anymore this season, particularly in March?

Upsets and Cinderella stories are what makes college basketball great. They capture the hearts and minds of the nation, with everyone cheering for David to take down Goliath. Except for the fans of Goliath’s team of course. The Purple Aces’ upset already gives them a place in history for regular season NCAA basketball. But, they may still have a shot at making history at the big dance in March, where true legends are made.

As it stands now, Evansville has arguably the best win of any team in the nation. They beat the #1 ranked team on the road. The rest of their schedule shouldn’t include any teams anywhere near as tough as Kentucky. As it stands, Evansville’s toughest game left, based on KenPom rankings, is their November 18 bout at home against SMU (KenPom: 87). If they are able to win that one, the Purple Aces should have a solid regular season and put themselves in a good position for their conference tournament.

Showing a lot of heart, talent and coaching against Kentucky, Evansville has put themselves in a very good position for the rest of the regular season. The Purple Aces, a fantastic name by the way, now know that they can run with anyone in the nation. The school has not made an NCAA tournament since 1999 and has never advanced past the first round. But now, with a huge win under their belt and the whole nation supporting them, will they be able to make it to March and make more history? Let’s take a look at the reasons why they will, or won’t, be able to do just that.