EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball will give Screaming Eagles fans a sneak preview of the 2022-23 season with an exhibition game Wednesday night when it hosts Midway University at Screaming Eagles Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
 
Tickets, which are a special $5 exhibition price, can be purchased on-line or at the USI Ticket Office. The ticket office opens one hour prior to game time.  
 
Season and single game tickets at Screaming Eagles Arena also are available at USIScreamingEagles.com/Tickets.
 
The Eagles begin their NCAA Division I journey after completing their final year in Division II with an 18-8 overall record and 12-6 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. USI also won the GLVC East Division before advancing to the GLVC Tournament semifinals last year.
 
Entering the 2022-23 season, USI has been predicted to finish seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference by the head coaches and the athletic communicators. The Eagles also were predicted to place as high as fifth in the league by Blue Ribbon Basketball Magazine.
 
Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) was named Preseason All-OVC by Blue Ribbon Basketball Magazine and the league coaches and athletic communicators after posting 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last year. The senior guard reached the 1,000 points for his collegiate career last season (USI: 597 points; Youngstown State University: 430 points).
 
In addition to Simmons, USI bring back junior guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York), sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana), and sophomore forward Jack Mielke (Downers Grove, Illinois). Henry was second on the squad last year with 12.2 points per game, while Swope and Mielke posted 8.2 and 1.0 points per contest, respectively.
 
The Eagles also return senior center Jacob Polakovich, who averaged 11.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in 2021-22. Polakovich, who had 11 double-doubles last year and ranked fourth nationally in rebounding, rejoins the team in December once he recovers from an injury.
 
USI's 2022-23 squad also features 10 newcomers – graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana), junior guard Gary Solomon (Detroit, Michigan), sophomore guard Ryan Hall  (Kettering, Ohio), sophomore guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois), sophomore forward Nick Hittle (Indianapolis, Indiana), sophomore guard Sam Mervis (Indianapolis, Indiana), freshman center Kiyron Powell (Evansville, Indiana), freshman guard/forward Peter Nwoke (Nigeria), freshman guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois), and freshman guard Jack Campion (Milton, Wisconsin).
 
USI Head Coach Stan Gouard returns for his third season at the helm of the Eagles. Gouard has compiled a 30-13 record at USI and is 234-124 as a head coach.
 
Following the exhibition game, USI starts the 2022-23 regular season at the University of Missouri November 7 and opens the 2022-23 home slate by hosting Southern Illinois University November 13 at Screaming Eagles Arena.
 
Midway is 0-2 in exhibition games this year, falling to University of Alaska-Anchorage twice, 87-63 and 87-65, over the weekend. The Midway Eagles open the regular season Tuesday at Simmons University before visiting USI for their final exhibition game of this fall.