From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball

American college basketball team

Field	Value
current	2025–26 Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team
name	Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball
logo	Evansville Athletics logo.svg
logo_size	150
university	University of Evansville
conference	Missouri Valley
location	Evansville, Indiana
coach	David Ragland
tenure	4th
arena	Ford Center
capacity	10,000
nickname	Purple Aces
h_pattern_b	_thinsidesonwhite
h_pattern_s	_blanksides2
h_body	470A68
h_shorts	470A68
a_pattern_b	_thinorangesides_2
a_pattern_s	_orangesides
a_body	470A68
a_shorts	470A68
3_pattern_b	_thinpurplesides
3_pattern_s	_purplesides
3_body	ED8B00
3_shorts	ED8B00
bestfinish	1
NCAAchampion	1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971*
NCAAfinalfour	1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971
NCAAeliteeight	1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1971
NCAAsweetsixteen	1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976*
NCAAsecondround	1989
NCAAtourneys	1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976*, 1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999
conference_tournament	Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1982, 1992, 1993
conference_season	Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993Missouri Valley Conference
1999
collapseconfregsea	yes
below	'* at Division II level'''''

1982, 1992, 1993 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993Missouri Valley Conference 1999 The Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Ford Center. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1920s, the name Aces arose after a local sports writer wrote in a game story of the men's basketball team, "They played like Aces." The team has been known as the Aces and/or Purple Aces ever since. Evansville has won five Division II national championships (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971).

On November 12, 2019, the Aces earned one of the biggest victories in their Division I history, upsetting top-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena. Since joining Division I in 1977-78, the Purple Aces have appeared in five NCAA tournaments, making their most recent appearance in 1999. In 1989, Evansville upset Oregon State and advanced to the Round of 32 of the 1989 NCAA tournament.

History

In the early years of the men's basketball program the Purple Aces appeared in the NAIA national tournament. The Purple Aces appeared 4 times in the NAIA Tournament (1941, 1942, 1951, and 1955). The Purple Aces had a NAIA tournament record of 3–4. The furthest Evansville got in the NAIA tournaments was in third round (NAIA Quarterfinals) in 1951, only to lose to Regis University (Colo.) 70–68.

Shortly after the 1955 season the Purple Aces moved up to the NCAA College Division, now called NCAA Division II. The Evansville Purple Aces rank second all-time in NCAA College Division national championships with five: 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 (29–0 record) and 1971. The 1964 and 1965 teams starred NBA Legend Jerry Sloan, the 1971 team featured future NBA star Don Buse and future NCAA referee Steve Welmer.

In 1977, UE began playing in NCAA Division I athletics. That same year on December 13, a chartered DC-3 carrying the entire UE basketball team crashed in a field near the Evansville Regional Airport en route to a game against Middle Tennessee State. Every member of the team and coaching staff on the plane was killed. David Furr, who was a member of the 1977–78 Purple Aces squad, did not die in the crash, as he was out for the season with an ankle injury and thus was not on the plane that day. However, only just two weeks later after the crash, Furr and his younger brother Byron were killed in a car accident near Newton, Illinois, leaving the entire 1977–78 Purple Aces team dead.

Tremendous community support brought back the basketball program the next year. Evansville was a charter member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference, now known as the Horizon League. The Aces won or shared the MCC regular season title in 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1993. They also won the conference tournament title in 1982, 1992, and 1993. The Aces are now a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, and won the 1999 regular season title.

Legendary Aces coach Arad McCutchan was the first NCAA College Division coach selected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Purple Aces have made five trips to the NCAA Men's basketball tournament (1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999) and two trips to the NIT (1988, 1994).

Seasonal records

Season	Team	W	L	PCT	Conf. record	Postseason	Head coach	Totals
Independent
1977–78	Evansville	1	3	.250			Bobby Watson
1978–79	Evansville	13	16	.448			Dick Walters
Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1979–80	Evansville	18	10	.643	1–4		Dick Walters
1980–81	Evansville	19	9	.679	6–5		Dick Walters
1981–82	Evansville	23	6	.793	10–2	NCAA first round	Dick Walters
1982–83	Evansville	13	16	.448	6–8		Dick Walters
1983–84	Evansville	15	14	.517	7–7		Dick Walters
1984–85	Evansville	13	16	.448	4–10		Dick Walters
1985–86	Evansville	8	19	.296	3–9		Jim Crews
1986–87	Evansville	16	12	.571	8–4		Jim Crews
1987–88	Evansville	21	8	.724	6–4	NIT Sweet Sixteen	Jim Crews
1988–89	Evansville	25	6	.806	10–2	NCAA Second Round	Jim Crews
1989–90	Evansville	17	15	.531	8–6		Jim Crews
1990–91	Evansville	14	14	.500	7–7		Jim Crews
1991–92	Evansville	24	6	.800	8–2	NCAA first round	Jim Crews
1992–93	Evansville	23	7	.767	12–2	NCAA first round	Jim Crews
1993–94	Evansville	21	11	.656	6–4	NIT first round	Jim Crews
Missouri Valley Conference
1994–95	Evansville	18	9	.667	11–7		Jim Crews
1995–96	Evansville	13	14	.481	9–9		Jim Crews
1996–97	Evansville	17	14	.548	11–7		Jim Crews
1997–98	Evansville	15	15	.500	9–9		Jim Crews
1998–99	Evansville	23	10	.697	13–5	NCAA first round	Jim Crews
1999–2000	Evansville	18	12	.600	9–9		Jim Crews
2000–01	Evansville	14	16	.467	9–9		Jim Crews
2001–02	Evansville	7	21	.250	4–14		Jim Crews
2002–03	Evansville	12	16	.429	8–10		Steve Merfeld
2003–04	Evansville	7	22	.241	5–13		Steve Merfeld
2004–05	Evansville	11	17	.393	5–13		Steve Merfeld
2005–06	Evansville	10	19	.345	5–13		Steve Merfeld
2006–07	Evansville	14	17	.452	6–12		Steve Merfeld
2007–08	Evansville	9	21	.300	3–15		Marty Simmons
2008–09	Evansville	17	14	.548	8–10	CIT first round	Marty Simmons
2009–10	Evansville	9	21	.300	3–15		Marty Simmons
2010–11	Evansville	16	16	.500	9–9	CBI Second Round	Marty Simmons
2011–12	Evansville	16	15	.516	9–9	CBI first round	Marty Simmons
2012–13	Evansville	21	15	.583	10–8	CIT Semifinals	Marty Simmons
2013–14	Evansville	14	19	.424	6–12		Marty Simmons
2014–15	Evansville	24	12	.613	9–9	CIT Champions	Marty Simmons
2015–16	Evansville	25	9	.735	12–6		Marty Simmons
2016–17	Evansville	16	17	.485	6–12		Marty Simmons
2017–18	Evansville	17	15	.531	7–11		Marty Simmons
2018–19	Evansville	11	21	.343	5–13		Walter McCarty
2019–20	Evansville	9	23	.281	0–18		Walter McCarty
Todd Lickliter
2020–21	Evansville	9	16	.360	7–11		Todd Lickliter
2021–22	Evansville	6	24	.360	2–16		Todd Lickliter
2022–23	Evansville	5	27	.185	1–19			David Ragland

Postseason results

Division I NCAA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in five NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–5.

1999	First round	Kansas	L 74–95

Division II NCAA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in 14 NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their combined record is 39–9. They are five time national champions (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971).

1976	Regional Seminfinals
Regional Finals	Wright State
Eastern Illinois	W 85–75
L 73–75

NAIA tournament results

The Purple Aces have appeared in four NAIA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–4.

1955	First round	Atlantic Christian	L 88–95

NIT results

The Purple Aces have appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 1–2.

CBI results

The Purple Aces have appeared in two College Basketball Invitationals (CBI). Their combined record is 1–2.

2012	First round	Princeton	L 86–95

CIT results

The Purple Aces have appeared in three CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their combined record is 8–2. They were CIT champions in 2015

2015	First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game	IPFW
Eastern Illinois
Louisiana–Lafayette
UT Martin
Northern Arizona	W 82–77
W 83–68
W 89–82
W 79–66
W 71–65

Retired Jerseys

Twelve players and two coaches have had their jerseys retired by the school. Nevertheless, numbers remain active and can be worn by future players.

—	Jim Crews	1985–2002

References

[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/naia/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mensd1champhistory.pdf NAIA Championship History] {{webarchive. link. (March 25, 2009)
[http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_champs_records/2008/d1/champs.pdf NCAA Basketball History]
"NIT Championship Home".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

evansville-purple-aces-men's-basketball

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report