Evansville Purple Aces Looking to Run the Table
The Evansville Purple Aces are coming off their best season since 2018. David Ragland is building a special team looking to take advantage of a wide open Missouri Valley Conference.
The Evansville Purple Aces are coming off their best season since 2018, with a 17-18 record overall. It’s been a rough go for Aces fans over the last seven years, with four seasons in a row seeing less than 10 wins and a combined conference record of just 10-64. There’s been a series of unfortunate events, from a continuous coaching carousel that’s seen Marty Simmons, Walter McCarty, Bennie Seltzer, Todd Lickliter, and now head coach David Ragland.
Coach Ragland seems to finally have the ship pointed in the right direction as a continuous collaborative effort from both himself and the Athletic Director, Dr. Kenneth Ziggy Siegfried. With Siegfried’s department and Ragland’s staff, it seems like Evansville fans finally have something to look forward to.
Last season was a milestone, going 9-2 in non-conference with NAIA transfer Ben Humrichous leading the way, it seemed like Evansville was going to finish over .500. However, Humrichous fell to injuries, which saw the Purple Aces scuffle, but never give up. The team fought through the gritty Missouri Valley, finishing with a 6-14 record, but it easily could’ve been 8-12 after falling to back-to-back buzzer beater shots against Murray State and the eventual MVC Tournament Champions, Drake.
As with many small schools, the transfer portal has hit the Aces hard. Losing three of their top players to Power Schools and the Mountain West. However, some of the young core has remained intact, and Ragland with his staff, has hit the recruiting trail hard. As a result they’ve pieced together a team that will be underrated as they were the year prior, but could equally surprise people in a wide-open Missouri Valley Conference.
Roster Overview:
Let’s recap who the Aces have returning on their roster:
Tanner Cuff (Senior)
7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Joshua Hughes (Sophomore)
6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks
Cameron Haffner (Junior)
4.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1 assist
Braylon Jackson (Sophomore)
2.4 points, 0.9 rebounds in 7 games
Michael Day (Sophomore)
0.8 points, 0.9 rebounds in 9 games
Gui Tesch (RS Sophomore)
Redshirt
Tyler Myers, Cameron Gehlhausen, Weston Aigner, Dakota Candler (Walk-ons)
The Aces have added the following players from the transfer portal:
Connor Turnbull (Junior) - Butler
4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks
Tayshawn Comer (Junior) - EKU
7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3 assists
Ramondo Battle (Junior) - Walters State Community College
14.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Trent Hundley (Junior) - University of Rio Grande
9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists on 44.8% shooting
The Aces have added the following players as incoming freshman:
Kaia Berridge
Gabriel Pozzato
The Aces have lost the following players:
Ben Humrichous - Illinois
14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.9 blocks
Yacine Toumi - Seton Hall
10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks
Chuck Bailey - Nevada
8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Kenny Strawbridge Jr - Ineligible
9.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals
Antonio Thomas - Ineligible
7.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Gage Bobe - Ineligible
4.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Sekou Kalle - Eastern Illinois
1.8 points, 1.5 rebounds
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Obviously, the losses look detrimental. Ben Humrichous declared for the NBA Draft, but ultimately withdrew and headed to the University of Illinois where he will be able to prove to scouts that he his able to compete against higher talent. He was a remarkable talent, shooting 48% from the floor and 41% from 3pt. When he was on the floor, he made the team much better and gave them a chance to compete in every minute.
Similarly, Yacine Toumi also declared for the NBA Draft, but ultimately withdrew and headed to Seton Hall. Toumi was one of Ragland’s first recruits as head coach, sticking around after being a part of the 5-27 team that resulted in Ragland’s first season. He took a major step forward this past season to develop his mid-range shot. He has a tremendous ability to finish around the rim, shooting an incredible 54% from the floor. I’m sure one thing Seton Hall will be looking for is Toumi to work on his 3pt shot as he shot just 21% from beyond the arc, but I’m excited to watch him develop at a higher level.
Kenny Strawbridge along with Toumi was a part of the 5-27 team, but stuck around for his 5th year to help Ragland continue to build the program. He had a tremendous attitude as he was willing to take a bit of a step back from being the go-to guy the year prior to more of a support piece as Humrichous took over. The Aces are definitely going to miss his leadership and his 41% shooting percentage.
Chuck Bailey is a highly talented player with a high ceiling. The freshman was incredible at times throughout the season, and his athleticism is next level. He has a knack for slashing and finishing around the rim while also being able to knock down tough shots. On the season, he shot 41% from the floor and 35% from 3. Nevada picked up a legitimate talent where Chuck will be looking to take another step forward as he progresses in his career.
Both Gage Bobe and Antonio Thomas provided role pieces as Antonio served as the primary ball handler and an ability to finish down low. Bobe was a hustler and was always a 3pt threat on the floor. Sekou Kalle rarely saw the floor, but he did provide a height advantage.
Chatting about their additions, it’s hard not to be excited about Connor Turnbull. Turnbull is 6-10 and was listed as a 3-star recruit out of Missouri. He’s spent two years at Butler where he was recruited by then assistant coach David Ragland which has led Turnbull to the Purple Aces. As a sophomore, he averaged 4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in just 11.6 minutes per game. Against East Tennessee State, he had 6 blocks in 20 minutes. He provides excellent size and an immediate defensive threat to compliment Joshua Hughes.
Speaking of Hughes, Aces fans have to be high on this kid. Coming out of the NBA Global Academy, he was an immediate impact as a freshman. As many freshman do, there were some inconsistencies, especially in conference play against some strong talent, however, in the non-conference Hughes averaged 9.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 assists per game. Plus, he has the ability to knock down tough shots as he shot 36% from beyond the arc. Turnbull also can, as he averaged 47% from 3pt (just 8-17 overall) however, combined between his freshman and sophomore campaigns he has shot 45% from 3pt on 14-31 shooting. These two big men are going to provide a deep presence down low from the Purple Aces.
Tanner Cuff was an instrumental piece in the rotation last season. At 6-6, he has an incredible ball handling ability. Some of his passes last season were magical to watch, plus he could create offense for himself. He was a strong finisher at the rim, which contributed to his 48.8% shooting, despite just 28% from beyond the arc. That’s been a big piece of his offseason, working on his 3pt shot. If he could bump that to 31-33% and be a viable threat, his ability to handle the ball and finish down low will make him a threat from both shooting and driving down. Cuff is the definition of a do-it-all player as he can also disrupt the defensive end. Against Chattanooga, he posted a double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and he had some near triple-doubles including a 14 point, 8 rebound, 8 assist performance against UT-Martin. As mentioned, if his 3pt game has truly improved, he’ll be a massive piece
I’m very high on three additions in particular (outside Turnbull): Tayshawn Comer, Ramondo Battle, and Gabriel Pozzato. Hitting on Pozzato briefly, he’s an international recruit who I just discussed as a result of his FIBA U20 EuroBasket Tournament performance for Italy. You can read about that below, but he had a 33 point performance against older talent on North Macedonia. He is freakishly athletic and can shoot it as well. I think he’ll be an immediate contributor as a freshman.
Mid-Majors Dominated in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket Tournament
The FIBA U20 EuroBasket Tournament wrapped up in July and there were some notable performances by Mid-Major players coming into the 2024-2025 season.
Tayshawn Comer is a transfer out of Eastern Kentucky. Comer is a true point guard, with the ability to shoot as well. Last season, he averaged 7.8 points, 3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. In his freshman season, he averaged 8 points, 3.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Shooting percentage wise, he shot 39% from the floor and 36.5% from beyond the arc last season. Both steps up from his freshman season. He has an incredible ability to drive to the basket, while also being able to knock down shots from deep. Aces fans are going to love Comer.
Ramondo Battle dominated at the JUCO level at Walters State. He shot an incredible 47% from the floor while also shooting at a 31.5% clip from 3pt. At 6’8 he is a perfect forward, with quick feet both on the offense and defensive ends. He’s going to be instrumental for the Aces success this coming season, teaming up with Hughes and Turnbull to build on a strong frontcourt.
Kaia Berridge is a true freshman, but at 6’4 he provides nice size at the point guard position. Coming out of New Zealand, he was a part of the NBA Global Academy team, just as Joshua Hughes was prior to heading to Evansville. Berridge has nice potential and over the course of the season, we could see him provide some meaningful minutes while backing up Comer as a ball handler.
As for Braylon Jackson, Trent Hundley, Gui Tesch, and Michael Day, the jury is still out. Braylon Jackson flashed signs last season, as he dropped 14 points on 6-8 shooting against University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (that’s a mouthful). Obviously, this is not a Division I team by any means, but regardless, with another year to develop under his belt, he’ll be looking to crack the rotation.
Tesch redshirt last season, so everything’s virtually unknown about him. Day appeared in just 9 games and scored in just two of those. He provides some depth in the frontcourt at 6’11. It’ll probably be hard to break the rotation with Turnbull, Hughes, and Battle, but barring an injury Day could see some time on the floor at some time.
Trent Hundley is a newcomer from the University of Rio Grande which is an NAIA school. Across 30 games, he averaged 9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, while shooting 44.8% overall and 40.9% from beyond the arc. It’s incredibly difficult to grade NAIA talent until you actually match them up against DI talent (Ben Humrichous averaged just 12.8 points at NAIA before UE), but it is clear that Hundley has a strong ability to shoot. If his game translates, he could be a great piece to assist Cam Haffner as a 3pt shooter.
Preseason Expectations
The Missouri Valley is wide open this season, while just Bradley returning legitimate rotation pieces from the prior season. As Bradley will enter the season as the favorites, 2-10 are completely open in my opinion. Schools like Evansville, Illinois State, and Murray State will be looking to take advantage of coaching and player turnover. For Aces fans, they are going to be drooling, coming off their best season in years.
The Purple Aces obviously lost some big pieces in Humrichous, Thomas, Toumi, Bailey, and Strawbridge, but Coach Ragland and his staff have done a great job replacing those spots. Last season, there were times it was hard to compete down low, especially in the tough MVC. However, now, they have Hughes, Turnbull, and Battle that can tighten up the defensive end in the paint.
If Tanner Cuff has really stepped up his shooting as it has been discussed, having Cuff help take pressure of Haffner will hopefully allow Haffner to build the confidence he needs in his stroke early in the season. Tagging up with Comer, Berridge, Hughes, and Turnbull as main rotation players, the Aces will be able to stretch the floor with their shooting. Throw Hundley and Pozzato as additional threats as well.
The frontcourt has definitely improved and I’m excited to see how Cuff and Hughes have developed further, building off their strong debuts for the Aces last season. Battle is a huge addition, while Comer is the true point guard they need. With all this being said, this is a younger team. Humrichous and Toumi are in their last seasons of eligibility, while Strawbridge, Thomas, and Bobe all graduated. That was their entire starting lineup at times last season, so now, the Aces are going to have to rely on leadership from Cuff as he’s the sole senior.
Looking at their non-conference schedule, it’s clear that they wanted to play some tougher talent. Last season, they played four Ohio Valley Conference games, while this season they play none. I’m projecting a 7-4 finish in the non-conference. Normally, I wouldn’t do non-conference projections in August, but lets have some fun with it:
Wins:
Brescia
Radford
Green Bay
Campbell
Ball State
Tossups:
Chattanooga
WKU
MTSU
UT-Arlington
Losses:
North Texas
Ohio State
All of this being said, there’s a lot of unknowns on this team, but the potential is there. Cam Haffner has to be much more consistent, Cuff & Hughes have to take another step forward, Battle and Turnbull have to be ready day one to make an impact, and you have to hope that you get some solid production out of Pozzato, Berridge, and/or Hundley. While maybe there can be a surprise in there with Jackson/Tesch/Day.
There’s a lot to like about this squad, the ball handling has improved, the size down low has improved, now you just have to hope you can replace some of the shooting in guys I mentioned above. With the state of the Missouri Valley, the Evansville Aces could very well be looking at their first above .500 finish since 2018.
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