EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – It’s the first week of off-season workouts for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team. It’s time for them to get to work and improve upon the five-win season in 2022-2023.

The head coach, David Ragland, brought in 12 new players to re-energize the team.

“They’ve been great. The energy is where it needs to be. We aren’t asking or begging for it,” said Ragland.

Quite of few of those new faces are transfers. Ragland is excited to implement the veterans into his culture.

“They’re experienced. They talk the talk and they actually walk it,” said Ragland.

Bringing in transfers that have more limited eligibilty has also created a win-now mentality with the team. The same goes for fifth-year player, Antonio Thomas.

“We are trying to make the change right now, not later,” said Thomas.

Even some of the Aces that have been with the program for a while, like Sekou Kalle, notice the difference in the first week.

“We have more leaders like Antonio. He brings his voice to the table. He’s a floor general,” said Kalle.

The younger players also are getting the advantage of learning from veteran players. Freshman Braylon Jackson loves it.

“For transfers, everyone knows something different. They’re from different cultures and coaches. So they can bring something they learned from one coach and implement it here,” said Jackson.

Another younger player, Tyler Myers, said it’s an oppurtunity to learn.

“I get to pick their brains. I get to study their routines and how they attack things. The minor details are what separates good players from great players,” said Myers.

The team will have plenty of time to learn together in the coming months.

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