Evansville 2026–2027 Season Preview
Up Next: Evansville
2025–2026 Recap
Last season was flat-out painful for Evansville—and there’s no need to sugarcoat it. The Aces finished 7–25 overall and 3–17 in MVC play, landing in last place. Expectations were higher entering the year, but injuries—most notably to Connor Turnbull—combined with a lack of MVC-caliber depth derailed the season quickly.
The numbers back it up. Evansville opened at No. 248 in KenPom and slid to 312 by season’s end, placing them among the bottom tier of Division I. They struggled on both ends, finishing near the bottom of the Valley in most offensive and defensive metrics. The few bright spots: strong free throw shooting (75.7%, 2nd in MVC) and leading the league in offensive block percentage.
Offseason Turnover
There’s no way around it, I believe most Aces fans seen this coming. While I’m not sure they lost the most in the Valley, they were certainly close. I also believe that most Aces fans were probably okay with that considering last season's woes.
Departures (10 total):
- Weston Aigner (Utah State)
- Dakota Candler (Unknown)
- Leo Amari (Unknown)
- Leif Moller (UTEP)
- Connor Turnbull (Utah State)
- Marlon Barnes (Unknown)
- Kaia Berridge (Unknown)
- Joshua Hughes (USC)
- Alex Hemenway (graduation)
- Trent Hundley (graduation)
Evansville lost its top interior presence, multiple rotation guards, and the bulk of last year’s production.
Returning Core
- AJ Casey – Best returning player; frontcourt anchor
- Bryce Quinet – Primary ball handler last season
- James Dyson Merwe – Reserve minutes
- Aaron Gutman – Redshirted
Returning Minutes by Position:
- PG – 75%
- SG – 0%
- SF – 0%
- PF – 77%
- C – 23%
Takeaway: Evansville returns nearly all of its point guard and power forward minutes—but zero wing production. Perimeter scoring, shooting, and defensive versatility will depend almost entirely on newcomers.
Key Additions (Transfers In)
Makuei Reik (F, Salt Lake CC)
Athletic, defensive-minded forward with physical tools that translate immediately. Projects as a rotation piece with upside to grow into a larger role if his offense develops.
Luke Ellspermann (G/F, Wabash)
Highly productive D3 wing with a versatile scoring profile. Brings size, toughness, and motor, but the jump to MVC athleticism is the key question. Developmental piece with rotation potential.
Max Langenfeld (C, FAU)
True interior presence. Finishes, rebounds, sets screens, and plays within structure. Limited offensive range but provides needed size and stability inside.
Gustav Winther (F, Northern Illinois)
Skilled, steady forward who can space the floor and keep the ball moving. Not a primary scorer, but a reliable system piece who should carve out consistent minutes.
Incoming Freshmen
Rafayel Masumyann
Junior Kemm
David Nejezchleb
Jake Genschaw
Cayden Symons
Bryce Renn
David Ragland brings in a big class as he looks to develop within his system (Depth group—any contribution here is a bonus early.)
Key Questions
- Who replaces 0% returning production on the wing?
- Can AJ Casey become the reliable go-to scorer?
- Will Quinet stabilize guard play and limit turnovers?
- Do the transfers provide enough shooting to fix scoring droughts?
- How quickly can new pieces adjust to MVC physicality?
Outlook
This is a prove-it year for David Ragland.
Evansville should be more balanced, but proven production is limited—especially on the perimeter. Expect a team that leans into physicality, half-court execution, and defensive effort to stay competitive. The swing factor is simple: offensive consistency.
If the Aces can find reliable scoring—whether from Casey inside or new shooters on the wing—they’ll be competitive most nights. If not, the same scoring droughts that defined last year will return quickly.
Projection
- MVC Finish: 9th–11th
Evansville should play plenty of close games. They’re not at the level of the league’s upper half though, they have enough structure and toughness to pull off a few upsets—especially at the Ford Center.
Final Thought
Evansville isn’t there yet—but this roster reset gives them a path forward.
They should be more organized, more competitive, and could be harder to play against. The next step is turning effort into results for Raglans bunch. Until they prove they can score consistently and close games, the Aces remain a step behind.