Southern Indiana’s Trevor Lakes

Seeing the Big Picture

(St. Louis, MO) – Southern Indiana’s Trevor Lakes is an example of how the transfer portal can benefit mid-major basketball programs. The 6’8 forward sees the big picture and ‘came home’ to USI to help his former coach build a successful Division 1 basketball program.

Monday the Nebraska transfer was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week. While the Screaming Eagles (5-5) were winning two games, the Lebanon, Indiana native was averaging a a double-double. He’s making the most of his fifth (covid) year of college basketball.

Lakes is his team’s second leading scorer and second leading rebounder. His accuracy from down town would make Special Forces snipers blush and he understands his role on Stan Gouard’s team. He says Gouard wants him to “rebound and make threes”.

Lakes played with Gouard in Division 2 basketball at the Great Lakes Valley Conference school the University of Indianapolis. During their two years together, the Greyhounds won 43 games and participated in the NCAA Tournament. Gouard moved from UIndy to Southern Indiana and Lakes transferred to the Big Ten’s Nebraska.

Seeing the Big Picture

Playing time at Nebraska wasn’t abundant, but Lakes was a valuable member of the Cornhusker team. After two seasons in the Big Ten, he believed he could contribute to what his former coach was doing at Southern Indiana.

The Screaming Eagles had moved to Division 1 and the Ohio Valley Conference and Lakes was excited to work with Gouard once again. Lakes learned valuable lessons while playing with Huskers. Since he has experience with those bigger, faster, stronger players of the Big Ten, he is more able to help his teammates adjust to D1 play.

 

 

USI is 5-5 and carries an undefeated 4-0 record at Screaming Eagle Arena. Lakes’ skill set works well with Gouard’s desire to play fast and to shoot threes. Lakes is the OVC’s 15th leading scorer (12.2 ppg), fifth in rebounding (6.6), third in three-point percentage (.444) and second in triples per game (2.8).

He says Gouard’s style fits his game perfectly and it is a fun style to play. Lakes loves playing with Jelani Simmons who he says, can dominate games.

 

 

USI leads the OVC in three-point percentage and made three-pointers. They are the OVC’s third leading scoring team and are second in overall field goal percentage and in steals. While they haven’t played an Ohio Valley Conference game yet, other league members are taking notice of what they are accomplishing.

Huge Early Season Wins

USI is learning the Division 1 ropes. The Screaming Eagles opened the season at Missouri and lost by just six points. Gouard’s squad then upset Southern Illinois before losing by 12 at Notre Dame and 14 at Saint Bonaventure. A win over a non-D1 team and a victory at Bowling Green left USI 3-3 and feeling good about how they had competed.

Dropping games at Western Illinois and Chicago State were not encouraging. An easy win over Anderson (where Lakes scored 29 points) led into a huge opportunity for the Screaming Eagles to play Indiana State at home.

This past Sunday the Missouri Valley Conference’s surprise team visited Evansville and USI won a heart-stopping overtime affair 88-85. That win and the one over SIU were not just statement games, but contests that allowed this USI roster to see they could truly compete at the D1 level.

 

 

Isaiah Swope scored 28 points and the Screaming Eagles remained undefeated at home and against Missouri Valley teams.

USI has three games left before conference season begins in Cape Girardeau on December 29. After a game with St. Mary’s of the Wood College, the Screaming Eagles travel to Fort Wayne for the ‘Indiana Challenge.

Texas A&M Commerce joins USI, IUPUI and Purdue Fort Wayne in a brief tournament that Lakes is anxious to play in due to his familiarity with those other Indiana-based schools.

Our entire conversation can be seen on YouTube or listened to at Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts.

Southern Indiana’s Trevor Lakes and his teammates are poised to be a factor in the OVC race. This conference season will be the most competitive and wide open as any as OVC watchers have seen in years. It will be enjoyable to watch.

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