EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Three University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball Screaming Eagles have taken flight into professional basketball since the end of the 2022-23 season. Forward Trevor Lakes is playing for Brisbane Capitals of the Australian NBL One (second division), while forward Jacob Polakovich and guard Jelani Simmons have signed with Fortitudo Agrigento in Italy's Serie A2 (second division) and TFT in North Macedonian Prva Liga, respectively.

Lakes, who is posting 12 points and four rebounds per game for Brisbane, finished his only season with USI by posting 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Eagles. He also was named Ohio Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week a total of three times combined.

Polakovich joins Fortitudo Argigento after a spectacular senior season with the Eagles. The two-year USI starter was a force on the basketball court for the Eagles. The first-team All-OVC honoree averaged a double-double for the second-straight season with 12.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.
 
The 2022-23 three-time OVC Player of the Week also was among the nation's leaders in rebounding during a season that saw him post six games of 20-or-more rebounds.

Simmons signs with TFT after completing his USI career with 1,026 points, ranking 21st on the all-time USI scorers, and his collegiate career with 1,456 collegiate career points (1026 at USI; 430 at Youngstown State). The preseason All-OVC selection and OVC Player of the Week honoree ranked second on USI in 2022-23 with 13.4 points per game, while grabbing 3.6 rebounds per contest. 

Lakes, Polakovich, and Simmons join eight additional former Eagles playing abroad. They join Jamar Smith (Reggio Emilia in Italian Serie A); Nick Evans (Cimarrones del Choco in Colombian Liga WPlay); Alex Stein (Hubo Limburg United in Belgian Pro Basketball League); Emmanuel Little (Dziki Warszawa in Polish EBL); Josh Price (Tauron GTK Gliwice in Polish EBL); Aaron Nelson (Marineros in Dominican Republic LNB); George Edwards (Starlites in Maltese BOV League D1); and Danny Gibson (Medora Timberjacks in the TBL).