EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team was ranked fifth in the Preseason Top 20 of the November issue of Basketball Times. The Screaming Eagles also have been ranked number one by Division II Bulletin and fifth by Street & Smith's College Basketball.

Individually, USI senior guard Cris Brunson (Evansville, Indiana) was named preseason All-American by Basketball Times. Brunson, who was named preseason honorable mention All-American by Division II Bulletin, picked up where he left off in the Eagles' first exhibition game by scoring 15 points in the 88-75 loss to the University of Evansville last week. He averaged 10.8 ppg as a junior, 16.1 ppg in the post-season.

The Eagles return to exhibition action Saturday at the University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati won its season-opening exhibition game, downing the GLVC's Northern Kentucky University, 103-64. The Bearcats, who were 25-7 a year ago, are receiving votes for the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 and are ranked-32nd in the Associated Press poll.


Basketball Times Preseason Top 25
1. Philadelphia
2. Alaska-Fairbanks
3. Rollins
4. Kennesaw State
5. Southern Indiana
6. Michigan Tech
7. Virginia Union
8. Valdosta State
9. Clayton State
10. Saint Anselm
11. Bridgeport
12. Metropolitan State
13. BYU-Hawaii
14. Bowie State
15. Pfeiffer
16. Tarleton State
17. Washburn
18. Concord
19. District of Columbia
20. Florida Gulf Coast

Basketball Times Division II Preseason All-Americans
Jeff Bond, Cal Poly-Pomona
Yandel Brown Columbus State
Cris Brunson, Southern Indiana
Josh Buettner, Michigan Tech
Jake Chrisman, BYU Hawaii
Lee Cook, Bowie State
Eric Faber, Rollins
Rico Grier, Pfeiffer
Geoff Husted, Gannon
Louis McCullough, Francis Marion
Billy McDaniel, Arkansas-Monticello
Jonathan Moore, North Carolina Central
Lewis Muse, Concord
Brad Oleson, Alaska-Fairbanks
Brian Robinson, Assumption
Tayron Thomas, Philadelphia
Dontae Truitt, Kentucky Wesleyan
Tarvoris Uzoique, Henderson State
Brent Welton, Philadelphia
Rasheim Wright, District of Columbia