Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball

Evansville Purple Aces

2015–16 Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team

University

University of Evansville

Conference

Missouri Valley

Location

Evansville, IN

Head coach

Marty Simmons (8th year)

Arena

Ford Center
(Capacity: 10,000)

Nickname

Purple Aces

Colors

Purple, White, and Orange

Uniforms

Home

Away

Alternate

NCAA Tournament Round of 32

1989

NCAA Tournament appearances

1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999

Conference tournament champions

1982, 1992, 1993

Conference regular season champions

1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999

The Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They are currently led by head coach Marty Simmons and play their home games at the Ford Center. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1920s, the name Aces arose after a local sports writer wrote in a game story of the men's basketball team, "They played like Aces." The team has been known as the Aces and/or Purple Aces ever since. Evansville has won five Division II national championships (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971).

History

The memorial display case at the Ford Center honoring UE's championship tradition

In the early years of the men's basketball program the Purple Aces appeared in the NAIA national tournament. The Purple Aces appeared 4 times in the NAIA Tournament (1941, 1942, 1951, and 1955). The Purple Aces had a NAIA tournament record of 3-4. The furthest Evansville got in the NAIA tournaments was in third round (NAIA Quarterfinals) in 1951, only to lose to Regis University (Colo.) 70-68.^[1]

Shortly after the 1955 season the Purple Aces would move up to the NCAA College Division, now called NCAA Division II. The Evansville Purple Aces rank second all-time in NCAA College Division national championships with five: 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 (29-0 record) and 1971. The 1964 and 1965 teams starred NBA Legend Jerry Sloan, the 1971 team featured future NBA star Don Buse and future NCAA referee Steve Welmer.

In 1977, UE began playing in NCAA Division I athletics. That same year on December 13, a chartered DC-3 carrying the entire UE basketball team crashed in a field near the Evansville Regional Airport en route to a game against Middle Tennessee State. Every member of the team and coaching staff on the plane was killed. One player was not able to attend the game and thus was not on the plane; not long after the plane crash, however, the player who was not on the plane was killed in a car accident along with his younger brother.

Tremendous community support brought back the basketball program the next year. Evansville was a charter member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference, now known as the Horizon League. The Aces won or shared the MCC regular season title in 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1993. They also won the conference tournament title in 1982, 1992, and 1993. The Aces are now a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, and won the 1999 regular season title.

Legendary Aces coach Arad McCutchan was the first NCAA College Division coach selected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Purple Aces have made five trips to the NCAA Men's basketball tournament (1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999) ^[2] and two trips to the NIT (1998, 1994).^[3]

Season by Season Records

Season	Team	W	L	PCT	Conf. Record	Postseason
Independent
1977–78	Evansville	1	3	.250
1978–79	Evansville	13	16	.448
Midwest Collegiate Conference
1979–80	Evansville	18	10	.643	1–4
1980–81	Evansville	19	9	.679	6–5
1981–82	Evansville	23	6	.793	10–2	NCAA First Round
1982–83	Evansville	13	16	.448	6–8
1983–84	Evansville	15	14	.517	7–7
1984–85	Evansville	13	16	.448	4–10
1985–86	Evansville	8	19	.296	3–9
1986–87	Evansville	16	12	.571	8–4
1987–88	Evansville	21	8	.724	6–4	NIT Sweet Sixteen
1988–89	Evansville	25	6	.806	10–2	NCAA Second Round
1989–90	Evansville	17	15	.531	8–6
1990–91	Evansville	14	14	.500	7–7
1991–92	Evansville	24	6	.800	8–2	NCAA First Round
1992–93	Evansville	23	7	.767	12–2	NCAA First Round
1993–94	Evansville	21	11	.656	6–4	NIT First Round
Missouri Valley Conference
1994–95	Evansville	18	9	.667	11–7
1995–96	Evansville	13	14	.481	9–9
1996–97	Evansville	17	14	.548	11–7
1997–98	Evansville	15	15	.500	9–9
1998–99	Evansville	23	10	.697	13–5	NCAA First Round
1999–2000	Evansville	18	12	.600	9–9
2000–01	Evansville	14	16	.467	9–9
2001–02	Evansville	7	21	.250	4–14
2002–03	Evansville	12	16	.429	8–10
2003–04	Evansville	7	22	.241	5–13
2004–05	Evansville	11	17	.393	5–13
2005–06	Evansville	10	19	.345	5–13
2006–07	Evansville	14	17	.452	6–12
2007–08	Evansville	9	21	.300	3–15
2008–09	Evansville	17	14	.548	8–10	CIT First Round
2009–10	Evansville	9	21	.300	3–15
2010–11	Evansville	16	16	.500	9–9	CBI Second Round
2011–12	Evansville	16	15	.516	9–9	CBI First Round
2012–13	Evansville	21	15	.583	10–8	CIT Semifinals
2013–14	Evansville	14	19	.424	6–12
2014–15	Evansville	24	12	.613	9–9	CIT Champions
Totals		573	508	.530

Postseason results

Division I NCAA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in five NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–5.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
1982	First Round	Marquette	L 62–67
1989	First Round Second Round	Oregon State Seton Hall	W 94–90 ^OT L 73–87
1992	First Round	UTEP	L 50–55
1993	First Round	Florida State	L 70–82
1999	First Round	Kansas	L 74–95

Division II NCAA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in 14 NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their combined record is 39–9. They are five time national champions (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971).

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
1957	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals	Illinois State Buffalo	W 108–96 L 75–77
1958	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Wabash Akron American St Michael's Wheaton	W 70–68 ^OT W 82–70 W 82–72 L 70–78 W 95–93
1959	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game	Belmont Abbey Wittenberg St. Michael's North Carolina A&T SW Missouri State	W 66–54 W 56–50 W 82–63 W 110–92 W 83–67
1960	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game	Arkansas State Wabush American Kentucky Wesleyan Chapman	W 91–74 W 89–68 W 101–91 W 76–69 W 90–69
1961	Regional Seminfinals Regional 3rd Place Game	Lincoln (MO) MacMurray	L 90–77 W 98–97 ^OT
1962	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals	North Carolina A&T Southern Illinois	W 97–82 L 83–88
1963	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals Elite Eight	Concordia (IL) Washington-St. Louis Southern Illinois	W 66–56 W 85–76 L 73–86
1964	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game	Jackson State Southern Illinois Cal Poly Pomona Northern Iowa Akron	W 97–69 W 64–59 W 95–73 W 82–67 W 72–59
1965	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game	Bethune-Cookman Bellarmine Philadelphia St. Michael's Southern Illinois	W 116–77 W 81–74 W 92–76 W 93–70 W 85–82 ^OT
1966	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals	Lamar Southern Illinois	W 111–103 L 77–90
1968	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals Elite Eight	Lincoln (MO) SW Missouri State Trinity	W 95–80 W 79–73 L 77–93
1971	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game	Ashland Central Michigan Hartwick Southwestern Louisiana Old Dominion	W 72–64 W 78–60 W 105–69 W 93–74 W 97–82
1972	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals	Wittenberg Eastern Michigan	W 81–73 L 88–93
1976	Regional Seminfinals Regional Finals	Wright State Eastern Illinois	W 85–75 L 73–75

NAIA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in four NAIA Division I Tournamentss. Their combined record is 3–4.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
1941	First Round	Texas Wesleyan	L 62–71
1942	First Round Second Round	Peru State East Central	W 73–50 L 30–42
1951	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Westminster Morningside Regis	W 85–74 W 75–62 L 68–70
1955	First Round	Atlantic Christian	L 88–95

NIT results

The Purple Aces have appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 1–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
1988	First Round Sweet Sixteen	Utah Boston College	W 66–55 L 81–88
1994	First Round	Tulane	L 63–76

CBI results

The Purple Aces have appeared in two College Basketball Invitationals (CBI). Their combined record is 1–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
2011	First Round Quarterfinals	Hofstra Boise State	W 77–70 L 69–75
2012	First Round	Princeton	L 86–95

CIT results

The Purple Aces have appeared in three CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their combined record is 8–2. They were CIT champions in 2015

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
2009	First Round	Belmont	L 72–92
2013	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Tennessee State Eastern Kentucky Canisius East Carolina	W 84–72 W 86–72 W 84–83 L 58–81
2015	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game	IPFW Eastern Illinois Louisiana–Lafayette UT Martin Northern Arizona	W 82–77 W 83–68 W 89–82 W 79–66 W 71–65

References

External links

Evansville men's basketball

University of Evansville

Facilities	Charles H. Braun Stadium Ford Center Harlaxton Manor

Athletics	Men's basketball Men's soccer

Media	WUEV

Organizations	Aces Brass

Awards	Richard Wilbur Award

Related	Men's basketball team plane crash

Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball

Venues	Roberts Municipal Stadium (1956–2011) Ford Center (2011–present)

Culture & lore	History 1977 team plane crash Aces Brass

People	Head coaches

Seasons	1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

NCAA national championships in bold

Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball

Teams	Bradley Braves Drake Bulldogs Evansville Purple Aces Illinois State Redbirds Indiana State Sycamores Loyola Ramblers Missouri State Bears Northern Iowa Panthers Southern Illinois Salukis Wichita State Shockers

Tournament & awards	MVC Basketball Tournament Coach of the Year Player of the Year

Seasons	1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

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