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2023 CBI First Round: San Jose State vs. Southern Indiana-First Look At The Screaming Eagles
Who are the Screaming Eagles?
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The Spartans record breaking season continues with CBI invite, will face Southern Indiana in Daytona Beach, FL.
San Jose State made their mark on the Mountain West this season, and everyone took notice. The squad is in just year two of the Tim Miles era in the Bay Area. But the Spartans achieved their highest finish (5th place) in their near decade in the Mountain Mountain West.
Here is the 2023 bracket pic.twitter.com/kY7VNLvTOB
— The CBI (@CBITourney) March 13, 2023
Coach Miles is building the Spartans into a real Mountain West contender. After winning the conference Coach of the Year award for his revitalization of the program and boasting the Mountain West Player of the Year as well in Omari Moore. San Jose State looks forward, to what used to be a foreign concept in San Jose, postseason tournament action.
This is the programs 6th postseason appearance overall, and second in the CBI (2011). They come in as the No. 2 seed with the potential and talent to win it all in Las Vegas on March 22nd.
Who are the Screaming Eagles
Coach
Southern Indiana is led by third year head coach Stan Gouard. Who as a player for the Screaming Eagles in the mid-nineties led the program to a NCAA Div. II National Championship and runner up year the following season.
As a coach of the Southern Indiana program, he helped the team navigate the unfamiliar landscape of Covid-19 in his first year. While also helping springboard the program into the Div. I ranks this season. Before his time in Evansville, he coached the University of Indianapolis for twelve years. Which included eight NCAA Div. II Tournament appearances and a GLVC Coach of the Year award in 2014.
Star Players
So. G-Isaiah Swope (5-10, 170)
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG & 42.1% from three
Gr. F-Trevor Lakes (6-8, 220)
Stats: 12.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG & 41% 3FG
Sr. F-Jacob Polakovich (6-9, 245)
Stats: 12.4 PPG, 13.0 RPG & 1.4 APG
How did they get here
The Screaming Eagles are in their first year in Div. I after transitioning up from the Great Lakes Conference in Div. II. Their new home is the Ohio Valley Conference, as a new addition to a conference that has been ransacked in recent years due to realignment.
Southern Indiana finished 6th in the OVC, with a 16-16 (9-9) record and an impact made against some of the bigger schools in the region. Boasting home wins over Missouri Valley members Southern Illinois & Indiana State along with a road win over MAC school Bowling Green. The Screaming Eagles .500 finish and participation in the Gotham Classic at the start of the season qualified the program for a CBI invite.
Biggest Wins:
At Home-Southern Illinois 71-53
@-Bowling Green 69-57
At Home-Indiana State 88-85 OT
NET: 257th
KenPom: 270th
Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.