USI's early basketball schedule was meant to be a challenge. So far, it's passed the test.

EVANSVILLE — Throughout the summer, Stan Gouard and the University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball coaching staff put an early emphasis on shaping the program’s first Division I schedule.

When finding opponents, there were several aspects to keep in mind. They wanted to give fans a chance to see the team early – they landed five home games, including two against D-I foes, before Ohio Valley Conference play begins in late December. They also wanted some return games for several of the road trips they’ll take this year – at least four away opponents will travel to Screaming Eagles Arena in 2023-24.

But perhaps most importantly, they wanted to be challenged out of the gate. It doesn’t get much tougher than what USI scheduled for the program’s first three games as a Division I program: at Missouri, home against Southern Illinois and a road trip to Notre Dame. Three programs all ranked in the top-100 of the KenPom rankings.

So far, these tough tasks haven't bothered the Screaming Eagles.

USI scored 91 points and lost by just six to Missouri in the opener. It followed that with an 18-point home victory over Southern Illinois as 9.5-point underdogs. USI is continuing to prove it belongs at this level.

“We can’t be content,” Gouard said. “We have another big game for us this week at Notre Dame. When we made this schedule, we wanted it to prepare us for the OVC. I think this has been a great challenge for us.”

Just three days after making a statement with its first D-I victory, USI will have another challenge on its hands as it makes the five-hour trek north to battle Notre Dame on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Another power conference program like Missouri.

The Fighting Irish are currently 59th in KenPom and 2-0 on the season. However, they’ve struggled in their opening two victories against mid-major programs. They opened with a narrow 79-76 victory over Radford and defeated Youngstown State 88-81 on Sunday.

Challenges like these are what Gary Solomon envisioned when he transferred to USI this offseason after playing at JUCO Henry Ford College in Michigan. Wednesday gives them another opportunity to showcase themselves on a national level.

“With the types of guys that coach was recruiting, I knew the schedule was going to be something like this,” Solomon said. “Going into these games, it’s about having the right mindset and making sure everyone is buying in.”

So, what’s allowed USI to find immediate success right out of the gate? It’s been something different both times.

Against Missouri, the Screaming Eagles' offense was red-hot in the second half. They scored 60 points after halftime and shot a whopping 14-of-17 (that’s 82%, by the way) from three in the final 20 minutes. They trailed by 20 with a little over five minutes to play but seven made threes brought them within striking distance to put a scare in Mizzou.

While the offense was efficient enough on Sunday, it was the defense that allowed USI to pull off an upset win over the Salukis. SIU was held to just 32% shooting with the Eagles turning 12 steals into 15 points. A scoreless drought of over three minutes in the final 10 minutes of the second half allowed USI to build up a double-digit advantage.

“In the Missouri game, I learned we can score. (Against Southern Illinois), I learned we can defend. Now we gotta bring those two together when we go to Notre Dame,” Gouard said. “Hopefully we can put together the right guys on the court and build off of what happened (Sunday).”

The Screaming Eagles are also still working on crafting a rotation. Senior guard Jelani Simmons has been the leading scorer in the first two games and was named the OVC’s Player of the Week. He along with Solomon, grad transfer Trevor Lakes, sophomore guard Isaiah Swope and freshman center Kiyron Powell have been the starting five for both contests.

Junior guard Tyler Henry, sophomore guard Jeremiah Hernandez and freshman guard Jack Campion have played 10 or more minutes in both contests. Gouard feels confident that he can play a variety of lineups – such as the small-ball lineup of Solomon, Simmons, Swope, Henry and Lakes that helped seal the victory on Sunday – and be able to get strong production.

“When it comes to looking for the perfect fit, we have so many different weapons,” Gouard said. “We can put any five out there and get it rolling. As we go along, we make adjustments throughout each game.”

After Wednesday’s game at Notre Dame, USI will return home for a contest against a non-DI opponent in Loras College. Then, it’s right back on the road for four straight games. Another lengthy stretch that includes tough teams such as St. Bonaventure.

No matter what happens moving forward, the Eagles know this start is going to help prepare them for whatever the OVC throws their way. A conference where they believe they can become an immediate threat.

“For us to be exciting down the stretch against these top teams shows us that we can come into the OVC and make some noise,” Henry said. “I know we were ranked in the lower half (of the conference) but I knew we could come in and make a difference this first year.”

Contact Courier & Press sports reporter Hendrix Magley via email at hendrix.magley@courierpress.com or via Twitter @TweetsOfHendrix.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: USI basketball: 2022-2023 schedule continues with trip to Notre Dame