Indiana-Kokomo vs Evansville prediction: Evansville's rebuild gets a Ford Center test against NAIA Indiana-Kokomo
After a 7-25 season and a late collapse at Austin Peay, the Purple Aces need a clean 40 minutes against an NAIA visitor.
- Evansville should control an NAIA opponent at home. The real test is whether it can protect a lead late after its exhibition at Austin Peay slipped away.
- Watch Evansville's perimeter defense, which allowed 37.0% from three last season, 353rd nationally. It needs to show it has changed.
- No line or total is posted. Evansville's adjusted net rating ranked 305th of 365 at the end of last season, a low bar to clear.
A program trying to turn the page
David Ragland enters his fifth season at Evansville with a 40-91 record, coming off a 7-25 year that included a 3-17 mark in the Missouri Valley. The Nov. 2 visit from Indiana-Kokomo, an NAIA program coached by Eric Echelbarger in his ninth season, offers a chance to show the reset is real. The two schools have not said the same thing about the game: Kokomo lists it as an exhibition, while Evansville lists it as a regular-season game.
The last look at the Aces was uneven. They lost 79-74 at Austin Peay on Oct. 11 after the Governors ended the game on a 13-0 run. Finishing games is the first thing to watch.
What last season left behind
Only four players return from last year's team, so last season's numbers are a loose guide. They still show where the problems were. Evansville gave up 37.0% from three, 353rd of 365, and gave the ball away on 19.0% of its possessions, 319th. It also grabbed just 23.0% of its own misses on the offensive glass, 356th, which left it few second chances.
Two departures make the turnover harder to read: Connor Turnbull transferred to Utah State and Joshua Hughes left for USC. AJ Casey, a Lindy's preseason All-MVC first-team pick, is the clearest name back.
The calendar around it
Evansville has two more exhibitions before this game: Southeast Missouri State on Oct. 21 and Wabash on Oct. 29. Both could bring fresh news on who is available. We found no injury reports for either team. The staff's status is less settled, because associate head coach Craig Snow's reported resignation hasn't been confirmed.
Five days after Kokomo, the Aces host Southern Indiana in the inaugural River City Classic at the Ford Center. That makes this game the tune-up for a bigger home night.
Numbers that matter
| Opponent 3-point % (last season) | 37.0% | Ranked 353rd of 365, the weakest spot on a defense that has to show improvement. |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rate (last season) | 19.0% | Ranked 319th, a ball-security problem the Aces have to fix. |
| Adjusted net efficiency rank (last season's final) | 305th | Shows how far the Aces have to climb in the Missouri Valley. |
| Closing run at Austin Peay | 13-0 | How the Governors turned the Oct. 11 exhibition into a 79-74 Evansville loss. |
Indiana-Kokomo vs Evansville: quick answers
When is Indiana-Kokomo vs Evansville?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.