Evansville Basketball – Loyalty and Contributions

Lickliter & Aces Prepare for Growth

(St. Louis, MO) – Four returning Evansville basketball players have participated in 401 games and started more than 200. During in the age of transfer portal, the Purple Aces’ roster is a picture of loyalty and multiple contributors.

We spoke with coach Todd Lickliter prior to the Aces’ exhibition game with Kentucky Wesleyan (a 74-64 win) (Click here to listen to the entire conversation). While UE won just nine games last season, there is some growing confidence around the program. The veteran coach saw every significant contributor from last season return for this campaign and he has some highly regarded newcomers.

After winning just five of their previous 36 conference games, Evansville’s 7-11 Valley mark was a huge improvement. Lickliter, whose Division 1 coaching record spans eleven seasons and features 178 victories, says basketball programs take time to build and if you only look at wins and losses, you will miss what is really being built.

 

 

Four Corners of the Foundation

Noah Frederking, Evan Kuhlman, Shamar Givance and Jawaun Newton form the four corners of the Evansville basketball foundation. Frederking and Kuhlman are beginning their fifth UE season while Givance and Newton are tipping off their fourth.

These cornerstones are players that have stayed loyal and committed to Lickliter and the Aces program when other college student athletes prefer to ‘take their talents’ somewhere new. They are a unique breed. They are players that have grown as people and as players.

Last year their scoring averages ranged from Kuhlman’s 9.3 points per game to Newton’s 13.5. Each played 29 or more minutes per game and only Newton who missed three games didn’t play in all 25 contests. Givance was named to second team of the MVC all-conference team.

The 5’10 Toronto native led the league in steals (1.6 per game) and was second to Drake’s Roman Penn in assists (4 per contest). While Newton was the league’s seventh leading scorer, Givance was ninth. Both were playing their best basketball at the end of the season, topping the 20-point mark in each of the last two regular season games.

Frederking and Kuhlman have each donned the Aces purple and orange uniforms over 100 times and have watched their scoring averages and contributions to the team consistently climb upward.

Lickliter says the ‘four corners’ have demonstrated great loyalty and they will be remembered in Evansville for a long time.

 

 

Evansville Basketball Contributors

Valley watchers are very familiar with the ‘four corners’, but there are newcomers that will play a prominent role on this year’s team. Former Incarnate Word forward Antoine Smith Junior brings experience, talent and a 6’7 frame to help up front. Blaise Beauchamp is a junior college transfer who is a scoring guard. Emmette Page played just two games last season, but was a productive scorer at Northeast Community College (Nebraska) and is finally healthy.

Another senior, Iyen Enaruna was played in all 25 games last season and could start. The 6’9 Enaruna averaged 4.6 points per game last season.

Smith, whose father played college basketball at Dayton, averaged over seven points per game as a freshman at UIW and played Collin Community College last season. During the Aces’ two exhibition games he scored 13 and eight points.

Lickliter says Smith is talented and he appreciates the Ohio native’s approach to the game.

 

 

Lickliter describes Page as a good shooter and a crafty offensive player.

 

 

Beauchamp averaged 19 points per game last season for Lincoln Trail College, scored 15 points in the win over Kentucky Wesleyan.

This UE team will be much taller than some recent editions. Sophomore Trey Hall is 6’8 and two in-coming freshmen (Preston Phillips and Blake Sisley) are both 6’9.

What Lies Ahead

The Valley is loaded with returning players and Lickliter has built a schedule that will prepare his team for the MVC wars, but won’t overwhelm the Aces at the same time. UE opens at Cincinnati and after a game with IUPUI, the Purple Aces play at Ohio Valley favorite Belmont.

The Purple Aces will play five OVC teams this season. Lickliter says balancing competitiveness, travel, future return games and many other factors go into building a schedule. The former national coach of the year, is taking the long view on building the Evansville program.

Evansville, like many Valley teams, is returning veteran talent. The NCAA gave players an extra year of eligibility due to the covid affected 2020-21 season, which means there are a plethora of older players in the league.

Lickliter says the NCAA made the right decision and he knows playing the well-coached MVC players will be even more difficult this season.

 

 

Lickliter believes great things can be achieved at Evansville. He believes his coaching staff is outstanding and the loyalty shown by the ‘four corners’ speaks volumes about the unity and connected nature of the current roster.

I say ‘bring back the short sleeve uniforms’ and watch the magic happen!’

Do Good