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MVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Harry Schroeder

Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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David Ragland University of Evansville Men’s Basketball David Ragland 01
David Ragland University of Evansville Men’s Basketball David Ragland 01 /

12. Evansville Purple Aces – Head Coach David Ragland
 
2021-22 record: 6-24 overall, 2-16 in the MVC

There is a new energy in the Evansville program. New head coach David Ragland has brought former Aces all-time greats Marcus Wilson and Craig Snow as part of his coaching staff and the new leadership is building excitement and interest in Evansville.

Ragland spent last season at Butler and nearly 20 seasons in collegiate coaching. He spent four seasons at the Missouri Valley’s Indiana State. His personal energy and passion is obvious and fans and recruits alike have noticed.

Ragland’s incoming recruits include Division 1 transfers Marvin Coleman (UNLV), Kenny Strawbridge (Alabama State), and Sekou Kalle (Akron). While UE has struggled to find players with talent and size, this group contains two 6’10 players and the perimeter players are all 6’3 or taller.

Coleman and Strawbridge have great experienced and accomplished players. The 6’3 Coleman missed time with a stress fracture last season but has participated in 60 career games for the Wolfpack. Strawbridge averaged 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds and scored over 500 points during his two seasons at Alabama State.

Sophomores Blaise Beauchamp, Antoine Smith and Preston Phillips are the most accomplished returners. This is a completely remade team, but last season’s team was last in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and rebounding.

Six freshmen guards dot the UE roster including two from the state of Indiana and one (Matus Malovec) has international experience. Malovec played for Slovakia’s FIBA U18 squad. Zaveion Okoh-Chism is a product of Branson, Missouri’s Link Year Academy.

How Ragland can mesh these newcomers together into a cohesive unit will determine the Purple Aces’ ability to climb out of the Valley cellar.