EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball Coach Stan Gouard continues to add to his 2026-27 roster, this time with the announcement that the Screaming Eagles have signed 6-foot-2 junior guard Ari Gooch for the upcoming campaign.
 
Gooch joins a list of newcomers that includes 6-foot-6 senior guard LA Hayes, 6-foot-8 senior forward Donovan Hunter, 6-foot-9 sophomore guard Ebrahim Kaba and 6-foot-10 junior forward/center Johanna Pautch.
 
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gooch spent the 2025-26 season at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he played in 17 games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest. He had a season-high eight points against Florida Atlantic and recorded a season-best four assists and four steals against Rhodes.
 
Prior to his season at UAB, Gooch spent his first year of collegiate basketball at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, where he averaged 14.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. 
 
Gooch, who reached the 20-point plateau seven times during the 2024-25 season, recorded a season-high 31 points against Ranger College as well as Collin County. He was named the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year as well as first-team All-Conference.
 
A graduate of Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Gooch earn first-team All-Conference honors as a freshman.