# 2018–19 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team

The 2018–19 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by fourth-year head coach Jon Harris, played their home games at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 10–21, 6–12 in OVC play, to finish in a four-way tie for seventh place. As the No. 8 seed, they lost in the first round of the OVC tournament to Morehead State.

## Previous season

The Cougars finished the 2017–18 season 9–21, 5–13 in OVC play, to finish in a three-way tie for ninth place. Due to Southeast Missouri State being ineligible for postseason play due to APR violations, the Cougars received the No. 8 seed in the OVC tournament where they lost in the first round to Tennessee Tech.

## Preseason

In a vote of conference coaches and sports information directors, SIU Edwardsville was picked to finish in 12th place in the OVC.

## Postseason

On March 11, 2019, SIUE announced that coach Jon Harris's contract had not been renewed after a four-year record of 31 wins and 88 losses. Assistant coaches Brian Barone, Charles "Bubba" Wells and Mike Waldo were all retained, with Barone being named as interim head coach. Former head coach Marty Simmons, one of only three Cougars coaches with a winning record, had expressed an interest in returning.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 2, 2018* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Kentucky State | W 80–61 | | 17 – B. Jackson | 10 – Uzuegbunem | 7 – Ellis | Vadalabene Center (1,107) Edwardsville, IL |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Pacific | L 65–74 | 0–1 | 17 – McFarland | 7 – B. Jackson | 4 – Williams | Vadalabene Center (1,387) Edwardsville, IL |
| November 10, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Winthrop | L 82–94 | 0–2 | 20 – McFarland | 7 – Uzuegbunem | 5 – Ellis | Vadalabene Center (1,358) Edwardsville, IL |
| November 21, 2018* 7:00 p.m. | | at Valparaiso | L 70–75 $^{OT}$ | 0-3 | 24 – Williford | 7 – Ellis & B. Jackson | 4 – Williford | Athletics–Recreation Center (1,940) Valparaiso, IN |
| November 25, 2018* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Incarnate Word | W 80–68 | 1–3 | 20 – Williford | 6 – Williford | 8 – Williford | Vadalabene Center (1,011) Edwardsville, IL |
| November 28, 2018* 7:00 p.m. | | at Western Illinois | L 58-83 | 1–4 | 12 – McFarland | 6 – Ellis | 4 – Williford | Western Hall (441) Macomb, IL |
| December 1, 2018* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southern Illinois | L 61–82 | 1–5 | 24 – McFarland | 7 – B. Jackson | 3 – Martin, McFarland & Williford | Vadalabene Center (3,360) Edwardsville, IL |
| December 8, 2018* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Harris–Stowe | W 92–87 | 2–5 | 28 – B. Jackson | 11 – B. Jackson | 4 – Williford | Vadalabene Center (856) Edwardsville, IL |
| December 17, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Drake Las Vegas Classic campus game | L 66–79 | 2–6 | 21 – McFarland | 6 – B. Jackson | 2 – Kinchen | Knapp Center (2,375) Des Moines, IA |
| December 19, 2018* 9:30 p.m., P12N | | at Washington State Las Vegas Classic campus game | L 73–89 | 2–7 | 24 – McFarland | 7 – McFarland | 3 – McFarland & McCoy | Beasley Coliseum (1,776) Pullman, WA |
| December 22, 2018* 1:00 p.m. | | Cal State Northridge Las Vegas Classic Visitors Bracket semifinals | L 79–85 | 2–8 | 18 – McFarland | 7 – B. Jackson & D.J. Jackson | 6 – Williford | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| December 23, 2018* 1:00 p.m. | | Northern Colorado Las Vegas Classic Visitors Bracket third-place game | W 82–72 | 3–8 | 25 – Williford | 8 – Williams | 3 – Williford | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| December 30, 2018* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Missouri S&T | W 79–66 | 4–8 | 16 – Williams | 6 – B. Jackson, Uzuegbunem & Williford | 6 – Williford | Vadalabene Center (1,137) Edwardsville, IL |
| Ohio Valley Conference regular season |||||||||
| January 3, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southeast Missouri State | W 94–88 | 5–8 (1–0) | 27 – Williams | 8 – B. Jackson | 6 – Williford | Vadalabene Center (1,048) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 5, 2019 3:15 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Eastern Illinois | L 81–84 $^{OT}$ | 5–9 (1–1) | 26 – B. Jackson | 9 – B. Jackson | 11 – Williford | Lantz Arena (1,088) Charleston, IL |
| January 10, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Tennessee Tech | L 69–78 $^{OT}$ | 5–10 (1–2) | 17 – McFarland | 7 – B. Jackson | 6 – Ellis | Eblen Center (1,674) Cookeville, TN |
| January 12, 2019 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Jacksonville State | L 54–90 | 5–11 (1–3) | 10 – McFarland | 5 – Uzuegbunem | 2 – Williford | Pete Mathews Coliseum (2,189) Jacksonville, AL |
| January 17, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Austin Peay | L 71–79 | 5–12 (1–4) | 16 – Williams | 8 – B. Jackson | 4 – Ellis & Williford | Vadalabene Center (1,322) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 19, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Murray State | L 72–82 | 5–13 (1–5) | 33 – Williford | 6 – B. Jackson | 4 – Williford | Vadalabene Center (2,178) Edwardsville, IL |
| January 24, 2019 7:45 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Southeast Missouri State | W 87–86 $^{3OT}$ | 6–13 (2–5) | 21 – McFarland | 15 – B. Jackson | 5 – Williford | Show Me Center (1,188) Cape Girardeau, MO |
| January 26, 2019 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UT Martin | L 69–85 | 6–14 (2–6) | 19 – McFarland | 8 – Martin | 5 – Williford | Skyhawk Arena (1,031) Martin, TN |
| January 31, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Morehead State | W 83–76 | 7–14 (3–6) | 23 – Williford | 5 – Uzuegbunem | 4 – Ellis | Vadalabene Center (1,079) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 2, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Eastern Kentucky | W 88–82 $^{2OT}$ | 8–14 (4–6) | 27 – Williford | 13 – Uzuegbunem | 6 – Ellis | Vadalabene Center (1,060) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 7, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Austin Peay | L 45–80 | 8–15 (4–7) | 12 – B. Jackson | 8 – B. Jackson | 4 – Williford | Dunn Center (1,479) Clarksville, TN |
| February 9, 2019 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Murray State | L 55–86 | 8–16 (4–8) | 14 – McFarland | 8 – B. Jackson | 3 – McCoy | CFSB Center (8,007) Murray, KY |
| February 14, 2019 5:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Eastern Illinois | L 65–79 | 8–17 (4–9) | 16 – B. Jackson | 10 – B. Jackson | 6 – McFarland | Vadalabene Center (1,012) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 16, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | UT Martin | L 69–73 | 8–18 (4–10) | 15 – McFarland | 6 – B. Jackson | 5 – Williams | Vadalabene Center (1,011) Edwardsville, IL |
| February 21, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Tennessee State | W 85–84 | 9–18 (5–10) | 22 – B. Jackson | 7 – Uzuegbunem | 3 – Williams | Gentry Complex (2,301) Nashville, TN |
| February 23, 2019 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Belmont | L 75–97 | 9–19 (5–11) | 22 – B. Jackson | 7 – Uzuegbunem | 5 – Williford | Curb Event Center (4,094) Nashville, TN |
| February 28, 2019 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Tennessee Tech | W 76–68 | 10–19 (6–11) | 16 – B. Jackson | 8 – B. Jackson & Uzuegbunem | 6 – Williford | Vadalabene Center (1,350) Edwardsville, IL |
| March 2, 2019 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Jacksonville State | L 72–97 | 10–20 (6–12) | 19 – B. Jackson | 4 – McFarland | 5 – McCoy | Vadalabene Center (1,631) Edwardsville, IL |
| Ohio Valley Conference tournament |||||||||
| March 6, 2019 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | (8) | vs. (5) Morehead State First round | L 68–72 | 10–21 | 17 – B. Jackson | 9 – B. Jackson | 5 – McFarland | Ford Center Evansville, IN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central. |||||||||
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