EVANSVILLE, Ind. – When the University of Evansville men's basketball team completed its season in March, there was a feeling of optimism at every level of the program.  The Purple Aces completed one of the top turnarounds in Missouri Valley Conference history and the majority of their roster would remain intact heading into next season.
 
Joining the returning players are six newcomers who arrived on campus earlier in the summer.  The entire group has worked with the coaching staff to lay the foundation for the 2021-22 season and for the program itself.  Summer workouts are an opportunity for teams to build camaraderie on and off the court while becoming acclimated to doing classwork during summer sessions.  In 2020 – none of this was possible due to the pandemic.
 
"Having the opportunity to work out in the summer is very important.  It allows the guys to get to know one another while being able to make advancements towards their degrees in a more limited environment as far as the workload goes," UE head coach Todd Lickliter explained.  "As coaches, that is where we introduce them to our identity and the way we are going to compete as a team.  Our approach has been wide ranging.  We have had everything from the whole team and half of the team to one-on-one work with the staff."
 
Those types of interactions last summer were all completed over Zoom.  While it was beneficial to see your teammates and coaches, it is not the same experience that you have in person. 
 
"Our Zoom meetings last year worked to a degree; we could at least talk about what our values and vision were, but things were so limited as far as the physical part of preparation went," Lickliter said.  "It is such a pleasure to be able to be in the gym together and see everyone in more of a casual environment.  Our practice facility is such an asset and is the best situation that I have been in as far as availability and amenities.  Due to the pandemic and limitations on in-person contact last year, we could not utilize it as we would have liked, but this summer has been more conventional and allowed us to begin a return to normal."
 
Things across the board over the last 16 months have been anything but normal.  As Lickliter put it, his team was unable to have any "typical" practices.  While the team wore masks during practices and at all team functions, everyone worked to limit the in-person contact.  This including reduced film sessions and lifting.  Exertion was cut down on due to the use of face coverings.  There were challenges across the board, but a full team effort overcame each obstacle and college basketball as a whole completed its season.
 
"We had a tremendous group of young men that navigated it so well. Whatever we did, they adapted and adjusted. I think you can see from the strides they made that they embraced the way that we needed to prepare and never used any obstacles as an excuse," Lickliter recounted.  "They prepared with a competitive purpose along with an understanding and appreciation for safety and health. Our student-athletes, along with our assistant coaches, deserve the credit for balancing it."
 
It is that experience that Lickliter believes will help his returning players take the next step while being able to serve as leaders to the newcomers on the squad.
 
"I am really excited about this group.  The returners have done a great job of communicating our priorities and what we are striving to be as a team and as a program and our newcomers have embraced it," he explained.  "You can just see the commitment level by both groups.  Our returning guys have directed the newcomers in a very positive way and it is hard not to be excited about what we have seen so far."
 
Aside from the leadership shown by the upperclassmen for UE, they are not happy with the status quo.  They look for ways to improve and build on the strides they have made since Lickliter assumed head coaching duties in January of 2020.  It is this type of attitude that will establish a winning culture for years to come.
 
"All of our guys want to put their mark on the program and establish that winning culture that we are striving for.  We want to be a program that competes for championships and advances in tournaments.  That is what makes Division I college athletes so epical – they have the right attitude, approach and commitment.  This is the vision and we are working to make it a reality."

As the calendar turns to August, things begin to ramp up for the season.  While final details for the 2021-22 schedule are being ironed out, Lickliter explained the goal of putting together a non-conference slate.
 
"We work to maximize the number of contests that we play in while looking to travel in an efficient manner that limits the amount of missed class time.  It is about having the opportunity to compete and grow while preparing ourselves for the Missouri Valley Confence.  Evansville is located in an ideal location and the Ford Center is a large draw for visiting teams," Lickliter said.  "We are going to play a very competitive schedule against challenging competition.  It is always a challenge to balance it as you examine the competition dates, recovery time, classes and travel, but that is the nature of scheduling.  Logan (Baumann), Mark Spencer and myself have been working together to put a schedule together that accomplishes our goals and prepares us for the MVC."
 

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