Looking for the University of Evansville men's basketball team in the Missouri Valley Conference standings needed a reverse mentality for most of the last eight years, losing seasons all.
Start at the bottom, where Evansville stayed last year, and work your way up.But as the Aces (11-4, 3-2 MVC) prepare to host Northern Iowa (10-6, 4-1) at 7:05 tonight at Roberts Stadium, the Valley standings need a different view.
Evansville, on the strength of being 10-0 at home, is battling at the top of the league behind the Panthers, Drake (13-4, 4-1) and Bradley (10-6, 4-1).
That leaves the Aces in a tie for fourth with Creighton (13-4, 3-2) and Illinois State (14-2, 3-2). But it also leaves them one more win tonight away from a potential tie at the top if the Braves lose at Indiana State tonight and Drake loses at Illinois State on Wednesday.
"This is definitely a big game for us," said freshman guard Kaylon Williams. "But it's not just about the conference standings. It's about sustaining our effort against a quality opponent.
"We've only had one night where we put a whole game together and that was against Western Kentucky (a 72-40 home win). We need another effort like that (tonight)."
Williams said sustained effort was the problem Saturday in the Aces' 70-63 loss at Southern Illinois.
"We got off to a great start," said Williams, "but we didn't sustain it. We just have to play with the kind of intensity we can bring and we'll be fine."
UE coach Marty Simmons said that was especially true at the defensive end against a balanced scoring team like Northern Iowa. The Panthers' starters all average between 11.4 and 9.9 points.
"They start five guys who average double figures," said Simmons. "Not many teams do that and they might be the most-versatile team offensively we've played.
"They play three guards who are all shooting 50 percent from the floor and they have some real size inside with (7-foot-1 Jordan) Eglseder and (6-8 Adam) Koch, who just killed us last year."
But with three players smaller than 6-2 and two bigs, Simmons admitted that Evansville's Shy Ely, the MVC's leading scorer at 17.2 points per game, was a difficult matchup for the Panthers.
"Shy will be a big factor for us in this game," said Simmons. "But we know they understand that and that they'll probably show us some new wrinkles defensively. That just means we'll need production from some other players."
Seniors Jason Holsinger (13.1 points per game) and Nate Garner (9.6) have consistently been the next two scoring options, but the rest of the offense has been by committee.
Freshman James Haarsma (7.4 points per game), Williams (6.3), sophomore guard Kavon Lacey (5.5) and sophomore center Pieter van Tongeren (5.3) have all had their moments, but Simmons wants more.
"We need to screen better, cut harder and take good shots," said Simmons. "We can't take plays off. We have to be the aggressor."
Start at the bottom, where Evansville stayed last year, and work your way up.But as the Aces (11-4, 3-2 MVC) prepare to host Northern Iowa (10-6, 4-1) at 7:05 tonight at Roberts Stadium, the Valley standings need a different view.
Evansville, on the strength of being 10-0 at home, is battling at the top of the league behind the Panthers, Drake (13-4, 4-1) and Bradley (10-6, 4-1).
That leaves the Aces in a tie for fourth with Creighton (13-4, 3-2) and Illinois State (14-2, 3-2). But it also leaves them one more win tonight away from a potential tie at the top if the Braves lose at Indiana State tonight and Drake loses at Illinois State on Wednesday.
"This is definitely a big game for us," said freshman guard Kaylon Williams. "But it's not just about the conference standings. It's about sustaining our effort against a quality opponent.
"We've only had one night where we put a whole game together and that was against Western Kentucky (a 72-40 home win). We need another effort like that (tonight)."
Williams said sustained effort was the problem Saturday in the Aces' 70-63 loss at Southern Illinois.
"We got off to a great start," said Williams, "but we didn't sustain it. We just have to play with the kind of intensity we can bring and we'll be fine."
UE coach Marty Simmons said that was especially true at the defensive end against a balanced scoring team like Northern Iowa. The Panthers' starters all average between 11.4 and 9.9 points.
"They start five guys who average double figures," said Simmons. "Not many teams do that and they might be the most-versatile team offensively we've played.
"They play three guards who are all shooting 50 percent from the floor and they have some real size inside with (7-foot-1 Jordan) Eglseder and (6-8 Adam) Koch, who just killed us last year."
But with three players smaller than 6-2 and two bigs, Simmons admitted that Evansville's Shy Ely, the MVC's leading scorer at 17.2 points per game, was a difficult matchup for the Panthers.
"Shy will be a big factor for us in this game," said Simmons. "But we know they understand that and that they'll probably show us some new wrinkles defensively. That just means we'll need production from some other players."
Seniors Jason Holsinger (13.1 points per game) and Nate Garner (9.6) have consistently been the next two scoring options, but the rest of the offense has been by committee.
Freshman James Haarsma (7.4 points per game), Williams (6.3), sophomore guard Kavon Lacey (5.5) and sophomore center Pieter van Tongeren (5.3) have all had their moments, but Simmons wants more.
"We need to screen better, cut harder and take good shots," said Simmons. "We can't take plays off. We have to be the aggressor."
