It’s Homecoming Weekend at the University of Evansville, and time for the Purple Aces' men's basketball team to play its final exhibition game prior to the regular season opener November 14 against Oakland City University. Saturday's opponent is Division II Kentucky Wesleyan College, at 7:05 at Roberts Stadium following the women's basketball exhibition game between UE and Oakland City at 4:00.

KWC was a big rival of the Aces in the ‘50s and ‘60s when both were competing for NCAA college division national championships. The two went their separate ways in the late ‘70s when UE moved up to the Division I level. In fact, this is only the second time since 1986-87 that the two have played. The most recent UE-KWC meeting was also an exhibition game, won by the Aces 84-75 on Nov. 8, 2006. Evansville's Pieter van Tongeren made his collegiate debut in that game, and is the only player on either team this year who played in the 2006 contest.

KWC is in the middle of a whirlwind, coast-to-coast early season schedule. The Panthers lost to San Francisco State and then beat Western Washington and Grand Canyon at last week’s Disney West Tip-Off Classic at Anaheim, California in D-II’s version of the Pre-Season NIT. Coach Todd Lee’s squad was home for two days, then boarded the bus for Thursday’s exhibition game at South Carolina, won by the Gamecocks 78-55. Saturday it’s Evansville, and Monday the Panthers play at Purdue. That’s six games in 11 days, although Wesleyan’s record will still be 2-1 officially next week since the three contests against Division I schools count as exhibition games.

Coach Marty Simmons gets one more chance Saturday to see his Aces in a game situation before the regular season begins. Three of his newcomers led the team in scoring in last Saturday’s 77-50 win over Division III Hanover. Sophomore Bryan Bouchie, playing for the first time since his freshman season at Valparaiso in 2007-08, totaled 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Freshman Colt Ryan also scored 16 and hit three of UE’s five 3-pointers. Freshman Troy Taylor was the other Ace in double figures, with 10. “We saw some good things, and the rest we’ve been working on hard in practice this week,” according to Simmons.

For the first time since practice began in mid-October, all 14 players are suiting up. Sophomore James Haarsma returned to practice Thursday, about 10 days earlier than expected, and could play Saturday. He has been sidelined with a foot injury since mid-October, but was given the go-ahead by doctors to resume full activity. The left knee of junior Kavon Lacey continues to hold up well. He underwent surgery six months ago Saturday (May 7). Lacey started and played 26 minutes against Hanover.