After tribulation comes triumph
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
December 6, 2017
Before Aaron Nelson started donning the uniforms of professional basketball teams, he had much to overcome. The 26-year-old Chicago Heights native was blessed with his on-the-court skills, but parts of his life off the court have been far from blessed. Aside from personal issues he’s had to overc...
Hansen returns from suspension
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
November 17, 2017
He’s back. Nate Hansen is finally back. The junior guard/forward has played in two games since being suspended for the first three games of the season for a “violation of team rules.” In those two games, USI (3-2) is 2-0 and has outscored its opponents 180-143. With Hansen sidelined, USI w...
Rajala, Dickson aim to add range
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
October 19, 2017
One of the advantages the University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team has over other Division II teams is the size of its forwards. Last seasons starters, Julius Rajala and DayJar “Day Day” Dickson are both 6-foot-9. They’re two of the three tallest players on the team. The two haven’...
Reunited on the West Side
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
October 19, 2017
Five miles and a 13-minute drive are all that separate the campuses of Reitz High School and the University of Southern Indiana. That short distance is how far from USI Alex Stein, Jacob Norman and Nate Hansen played high school basketball. At Reitz, while seniors, they played on an up-tempo team...
Stein receives preseason honor
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
September 26, 2017
Stein is the first USI player to receive preseason honors since Jamar Smith in the 2009-10 season and only the 10th Screaming Eagle overall.
Love of the game
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
September 19, 2017
Kyle Aiton still loves basketball, even though he left the USI men’s team with a year of eligibility still on the table. However, he doesn’t love everything that goes into being a college basketball player. From the offseason workouts to the early morning and afternoon shootarounds sandwiched ...
Gant takes on court experience to the sideline
August 25, 2015
Kevin Gant is ready to use his experience as an athlete at USI in his new role on the coaching staff. The new assistant men's basketball coach played for three years under head coach Rodney Watson and said since his graduation in 2012 he had looked into coaching but knew for a long time before that he ...
Focused Eagles beat Hawks
February 6, 2015
The men's basketball team beat Quincy University Thursday night 68-62. Quincy held strong in the first half, at one point leading by five, until there was about eight and a half minutes left to play, at which time the Eagles started building a lead. The Eagles took control of the lead with 7:16 left ...
Teams learn from holiday games, hope to see more students court-side
Bradie Gray
January 20, 2015
While many students were binge-watching Netflix, catching up on sleep and preparing for another semester, the men’s and women’s basketball teams spent winter break putting in work on the court. The men played a total of four games over break, winning three. The Eagles entered the spring s...
Do the Eagles have what it takes? Men’s basketball needs winning streak if championship is in its future
Jerry McCartney
January 20, 2015
The USI men’s basketball team has performed well up to this point. With an overall record of 11-4 and a 4-3 record in the GLVC, I wonder how the rest of the season will play out. The Eagles started the season looking to be contenders in the NCAA Division II Tournament, but have since dropped...
Fall Festival gives exposure to basketball teams
October 7, 2014
A tradition started in 2003 by former Men's Head Basketball Coach Rick Herdes has stayed strong throughout the years. Every year, the USI basketball teams are introduced on the main stage at the Fall Festival for all attendees to see. When current Men's Head Basketball Coach Rodney Watson took over i...
USI Men’s Basketball adds Happe to mix
Bradie Gray
September 11, 2014
On Aug. 26, the Men’s Basketball Team announced the hiring of Clinton Happe as its new graduate assistant to replace Blake Woodard. Woodard is now at Millikin University in Illinois, where he has accepted an assistant coaching position for the Division III basketball team. Happe, a former McKendre...