​Heading into year seven, Southern Indiana coach Stan Gouard knows the 2026-27 season must look and feel different. After winning only seven games last season and watching a wave of players depart via the transfer portal, Gouard has centered his message on unity as the cornerstone for a fresh start. The term that best captured his mindset with this new group versus last year’s squad: unity.
Evansville vs. Southern Indiana men’s basketball game set for November highlights the ongoing transition as the Screaming Eagles prepare for the 2026-27 season. Josiah Dunham, wearing number 22, drives the ball as Southern Indiana hosts the Eastern Illinois Panthers in a doubleheader at Liberty Arena in Evansville, Indiana, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
Gouard emphasized the need to cultivate team camaraderie this summer, acknowledging a shortfall in that area during the previous year. “I think it’s very important that we develop some type of team camaraderie this summer,” Gouard said. “I don’t think we did enough of that last year. That’s why you saw the results you saw.” Establishing that unity early is viewed as a crucial component in turning the program around, especially after Southern Indiana posted its worst record since 1971.
The 2026 roster is reshaped by 12 incoming transfers, with only three players returning: Kaden Brown, Josiah Dunham, and Alem Fejzic. Fejzic was away from offseason practices on national team duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Brown and Dunham have embraced leadership roles, comprehending Gouard’s expectations and helping to relay the message to new arrivals. Among the transfers, Ari Gooch—arriving from Alabama-Birmingham—has stood out early on. Gouard has been impressed by the guard’s motor and energy, though he notes Gooch must improve at bringing his teammates along. “He has a different motor,” Gouard said. “He just has to do a better job of bringing guys along with him. I’m looking for hard play right now, someone who is going to take ownership of the team.”
June practices gave Gouard early reads on his squad—how they handle intensity, pace, conditioning, and execution. Dunham has perceived a heightened sense of urgency, a sentiment Gouard shares with a nod to his Evansville roots. “It’s a lot different than the past couple years,” Gouard remarked. “We’ve got to keep these guys in the mindset that we’re going to fight for every single possession. We’re loaded at the guard spot. It seems like every guy is thinking there’s someone who could easily take my spot.” That recognition speaks to the competitive culture Gouard is trying to foster.
Despite the promising start, Gouard knows the roster isn’t complete and the team has to still come together to play fast and smart. This process will require time for the pieces to click, a responsibility that offseason preparation is designed to address. Gouard has intentionally built the roster with players from similar class years, aiming to create depth, cohesion, and a high level of competition across practices and workouts. Early indicators suggest this approach is taking shape, as the team shows flashes of the toughness and urgency Gouard wants to be the hallmark of the program.
In the long run, the emphasis remains on unity and shared purpose. The offseason work is about establishing a collective identity that can translate to improved on-court performance, faster transition, and smarter decision-making. If Gouard’s expectation of a connected, driven, and accountable group holds, Southern Indiana could begin to rewrite the narrative of a season that started in adversity and aim for a successful pivot in 2026-27.