EVANSVILLE — Ready or not, here comes Ohio Valley Conference play for the University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team.
The Screaming Eagles are responding well following their 1-4 start, improving to a .500 record for just the second time this season. The only game they lost this month so far came down to one possession at Southern Illinois. But the meat of USI’s schedule is about to begin as Tennessee State visits Liberty Arena Thursday to kick off OVC play. After finishing 5-13 in the conference last winter, can the Eagles bounce back and show what they’re made of?
Here are a few takeaways surrounding the Eagles following their first 10 games of this season:
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USI’s Big 3 continues to roll
The Eagles are about to head into OVC play as the conference’s second-highest scoring offense. That’s mainly in part to Jayland Randall, Stephen Olowoniyi and Damoni Harrison’s dominance on the court. All three players are transfers who started in every game.
Randall (16.5 PPG) and Olowoniyi (15.5) both tallied over 20 points each against SIU and rank inside the top-10 in the OVC in scoring; Olowoniyi’s 6.2 rebounds per contest is also a top-10 mark in the conference. Harrison (12.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG) had a strong performance against Indiana State with a near double-double of 12 points and eight rebounds.
“They’re my Big 3, man,” USI coach Stan Gouard said after the Shawnee State game. “They make us go in practice, not just with their play but with their actions as well as with their communication. We’re very fortunate to have those three guys on our roster, because they’re going to help us start something special.”
The bench is still making an impact as well
Depth at the guard position continues to work out in USI’s favor.
Sam Kodi has started in four games for the Eagles while Braxton Jones has scored double digits in two of his last three contests. Jared Washington has dealt with injuries lately but is another Eagle averaging double-digit scoring. And good luck getting Josiah Dunham off the floor. The freshman and Evansville Christian graduate has played in every game and continues to stand out with his scrappy defense.
“Josiah and Braxton are complementing each other very well,” Gouard said. “Braxton is a great scorer. Josiah is an elite defender. And we need everything these guys bring to the table.”
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The pass distribution has stepped up in Jack Campion’s absence
Despite tweaking his ankle in practice and missing the last two games, Campion’s 5.5 assists per contest are still the most in the OVC. He had three straight games totaling nine assists (the best three-game passing stretch since 2001) and also made one of USI’s biggest plays this season so far with his game-winning jumper at Bellarmine.
There’s no doubt Campion’s absence is a significant one. But even without him in the starting lineup, the Eagles are still finding ways to distribute the ball. They’ve registered 14 assists in each of their last two games, which is better than the two assists they tallied at Marshall.
“We missed that,” Gouard said regarding Campion’s assists. “At halftime (against Shawnee State), I challenged our guys that we had four assists and five turnovers. We finished with seven (turnovers), so we did a better job in the second half taking care of the basketball.”
Are Campion and Nick Hittle close to returning to the lineup?
“I hope so,” Gouard said when asked this question postgame. “We’ve just got to wait and see.”
USI’s health as a team will be something to watch moving forward. While Gouard’s goal for Hittle this winter was to have him back by OVC play, others continue to step up in his absence. In addition to Olowoniyi’s dominance inside, Alex Horiuk and Jadyn Shider have both seen valuable playing time. Gouard has also talked about playing the long game with Campion, ensuring he doesn’t miss any additional time by reaggravating his injury.
Campion has long been a reliable contributor for USI, playing in 68 of his 75 games. Hittle also started in 14 of his 24 contests last winter for the Eagles, averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds before missing the remainder of the season with a foot injury. He played in 26 games in the previous three seasons combined between USI and Indiana State.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Thoughts on Southern Indiana men’s basketball after first 10 games
