# 2019–20 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team

The 2019–20 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by first-year head coach Brian Barone, played their home games in the First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 8–23, 5–13 in OVC play to finish in a tie for tenth place. They failed to qualify for the OVC tournament.

## Previous season

The Cougars finished the 2018–19 season 10–21, 6–12 in OVC play to finish in a three-way tie for seventh place. The Cougars received the No. 8 seed in the OVC Tournament where they lost in the first round to Morehead State.
On March 11, 2019, SIUE announced that coach Jon Harris' contract had not been renewed after a four-year record of 31–88.

## Preseason

On the day after Jon Harris' termination was announced, Brian Barone was named as interim head coach and was quickly confirmed with a two-year contract only days later.
Troy Pierce was hired to fill the assistant coach vacancy created by Barone's promotion.
Director of Operations Casey Wyllie left to be an assistant coach at Olney Central College and was replaced by Colin Schneider.
Nine players, five of whom saw major playing time, returned- from the 10–21 team of 2018–10. They are joined by one junior who saw major action as a freshman and sophomore but sat out last season as a medical "redshirt", two freshmen, three transfers from major junior college programs, and one transfer from another Division I program. Of the three members of the squad who are former walk-ons, two are in their second season as Cougars, and one is in his fourth year.
In a vote of conference coaches and sports information directors, SIUE was picked to finish in 10th place in the OVC.

## Postseason

Finishing tied for tenth place, the Cougars did not qualify for the OVC Tournament.

## Roster

Source =

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||||
| October 29, 2019* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | Fontbonne | W 104–57 | | 15 – Williford | 7 – L. Wrught | 5 – Williams | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (833) Edwardsville, IL |
| Non-conference regular season ||||||||
| November 5, 2019* 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | Quincy | W 61–52 | 1–0 | 17 – Williams | 7 – Adewunmi | 5 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (902) Edwardsville, IL |
| November 8, 2019* 8:00 pm, BTN | Iowa | L 60–87 | 1–1 | 10 – Duling & Williams | 7 – Uzuegbunim | 3 – Williams & S.Wright | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (10,300) Iowa City, IA |
| November 12, 2019* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | Valparaiso | L 76–89 | 1–2 | 17 – Jackson & Williford | 10 – Adewunmi | 7 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (778) Edwardsville, IL |
| November 16, 2019* 1:00 pm | Incarnate Word | W 57–55 | 2–2 | 12 – Adewunmi | 9 – Adewunmi | 4 – Williford | McDermott Center (96) San Antonio, TX |
| November 18, 2019* 7:00 pm | South Dakota | L 56–72 | 2–3 | 15 – Moore | 6 – Adewunmi & Williford | 3 – Williams | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,833) Vermillion, SD |
| November 23, 2019* 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | Northern Illinois | L 64–68 | 2–4 | 18 – Williford | 9 – Adewunmi | 8 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (627) Edwardsville, IL |
| November 26, 2019* 9:00 pm | Pacific | L 50–78 | 2–5 | 11 – Williford | 4 – Adewunmi, Martin & Williford | 4 – Williford | Alex G. Spanos Center (1,102) Stockton, CA |
| November 29, 2019* 4:00 pm | UC Riverside | L 51–69 | 2–6 | 14 – James | 5 – Adewunmi & Williams | 3 – Uzuegbunem & Williams | Student Recreation Center Arena (304) Riverside, CA |
| December 4, 2019* 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | Chicago State | L 81–89 | 2–7 | 28 – Moore | 7 – Team | 5 – Williams | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (607) Edwardsville, IL |
| December 15, 2019* 3:00 pm, ESPNU | Northwestern | L 54–72 | 2–8 | 18 – Moore | 7 – Moore | 3 – Benton & Uzuegbunem | Welsh–Ryan Arena (5,464) Evanston, IL |
| December 17, 2019* 10:00 am | Winthrop | L 73–93 | 2–9 | 15 – Moore & Williams | 4 – Moore & S.Wright | 6 – Williford | Winthrop Coliseum (5,312) Rock Hill, SC |
| December 21, 2019* 2:00 pm | Detroit Mercy | L 55–81 | 2–10 | 16 – Uzuegbunem | 5 – Uzuegbunem | 3 – Williams | Calihan Hall (1,003) Detroit, MI |
| December 29, 2019* 2:00 pm | Lindenwood–Belleville | W 96–48 | 3–10 | 18 – Moore | 8 – Adewunmi | 5 – Williams & Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (447) Edwardsville, IL |
| Ohio Valley Conference regular season ||||||||
| January 2, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | Belmont | W 79–69 | 4–10 (1–0) | 17 – Moore | 12 – Williams | 4 – Williford | Curb Event Center (1,960) Nashville, TN |
| January 4, 2020 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | Tennessee State | L 74–79 | 4–11 (1–1) | 22 – Moore | 5 – Williford | 4 – Williford | Gentry Complex (905) Nashville, TN |
| January 9, 2020 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | Morehead State | L 77–84 | 4–12 (1–2) | 25 – Williams | 8 – Team | 5 – Williford | Ellis Johnson Arena (1,157) Morehead, KY |
| January 11, 2020 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | Eastern Kentucky | L 72–78 | 4–13 (1–3) | 20 – Williford | 6 – Williford | 5 – Williford | McBrayer Arena (1,767) Richmond, KY |
| January 16, 2020 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | Tennessee Tech | L 69–72 | 4–14 (1–4) | 16 – Moore | 6 – Adewunmi & Williams | 7 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (527) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 18, 2020 3:30 pm, ESPN+ | Jacksonville State | L 56–64 | 4–15 (1–5) | 16 – Moore | 6 – Wright | 2 – Adewunmi, Duling & James | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (1,061) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 23, 2020 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | Southeast Missouri State | W 84–65 | 5–15 (2–5) | 23 – Adewunmi | 10 – Williams | 9 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (655) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 25, 2020 4:30 pm, ESPN+ | UT Martin | L 76–79 | 5–16 (2–6) | 18 – S.Wright | 5 – Moore & S.Wright | 5 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (740) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 30, 2020 8:00 pm, ESPN+ | Austin Peay | L 58–82 | 5–17 (2–7) | 14 – Williams | 5 – Uzuegbunem | 3 – Williford | Dunn Center (1,729) Clarksville, TN |
| February 1, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | Murray State | L 55–74 | 5–18 (2–8) | 22 – Williford | 6 – Uzuegbunem & S. Wright | 2 – Adewunmi & Moore | CFSB Center (7,512) Murray, KY |
| February 6, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | Morehead State | L 49–58 | 5–19 (2–9) | 13 – Moore | 9 – Adewunmi | 3 – Williams & Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (856) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 8, 2020 3:30 pm, ESPN+ | Eastern Kentucky | W 83–75 | 6–19 (3–9) | 20 – S.Wright | 10 – Uzuegbunem | 5 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (840) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 13, 2020 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | Eastern Illinois | W 76–74 | 7–19 (4–9) | 25 – Adewunmi | 11 – Adewunmi | 7 – Williford | Lantz Arena (1,111) Charleston, IL |
| February 15, 2020 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | Southeast Missouri State | L 71–75 | 7–20 (4–10) | 16 – Moore | 8 – Williford | 5 – Williford | Show Me Center (1,678) Cape Girardeau, MO |
| February 20, 2020 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | Austin Peay | L 60–78 | 7–21 (4–11) | 10 – Moore | 8 – S.Wright | 5 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (568) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 22, 2020 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | Murray State | L 58–59 | 7–21 (4–12) | 14 – Williford | 7 – Uzuegbunem & S.Wright | 7 – Williford | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (747) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 27, 2020 7:30 pm, ESPN+ | UT Martin | W 90–75 | 8-22 (5-12) | 21 – Jackson | 7 – Team | 7 – Williford | SKyhawk Arena (813) Martin, TN |
| February 29, 2020 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | Eastern Illinois | L 52–70 | 8–23 (5–12) | 17 – Williford | 6 – Jackson | 2 – Adewunmi & James | First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center (1,021) Edwardsville, IL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time Source. ||||||||