The 2022–23 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by fourth-year head coach Brian Barone, played their home games at the First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 19–14, 9–9 in OVC play to finish in a tie for sixth place. As the No. 6 seed in the OVC tournament, they defeated Southern Indiana in the first round before losing to UT Martin.
Previous season The Cougars finished the 2021–22 season 11–21, 4–13 in OVC play to finish in eighth place. They lost in the first round of the OVC tournament to Tennessee State.
Despite missing a third of the season to injury, SIUE freshman guard Ray'Sean Taylor was named to the Kyle Macy Freshmen All-America Team and was a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award given to the top freshman in NCAA Division I college basketball.
Season forecast Eight players return from the 2021–22 squad. They are joined by two freshmen (one a walk-on), four transfers from junior colleges (including the NABC JuCo Player of the Year), and one graduate student transfer from a Division I program with a year of remaining eligibility.
In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men's basketball coaches and communication directors, SIUE was picked to finish 5th in the 10 team Ohio Valley Conference, while receiving two first place votes. Guard Ray’Sean Taylor and forward DeeJuan Pruitt were named to the 10 member 2022-23 Preseason All-OVC Team.
Regular season The Cougars opened the season against once frequent opponent, Harris Stowe of St. Louis. Double doubles from DeeJuan Pruitt (20 pts, 10 reb.) and Damarco Minor (11 pts, 10 asst.) led SIUE to a 28 point win, 85-57. Lamar Wright and Ray'Sean Taylor also scored in double digits, with 12 Cougar players seeing game action.
Defending Horizon League champion Purdue Fort Wayne took a double digit first half lead on the Cougars with a barrage of 3 point buckets. SIUE made a comeback in the second half, cutting the lead to three before the Mastodons' long range shooting locked up their win.
On November 14, the Ohio Valley Conference named Damarco Minor the OVC Newcomer of the Week for his play in games against Harris Stowe and Purdue Fort Wayne.
Missouri shot 60% from the field and dominated SIUE 105-80, despite four Cougars scoring in double figures.
In their opener of the JK54 Classic round robin tournament, there were 18 ties and 13 lead changes before SIUE beat Fairleigh Dickinson 79-78 on a 10-foot turnaround-jumper with 6.5 seconds to play by Lamar Wright. Damarco Minor's 22 points led four Cougars in double figures, and Jonathan Kurtas had his first career double-double (13 pts, 10 rebounds.)
After falling behind 11-3, the Cougars found their game and easily defeated VMI 93-67. Lamar Wright topped four Cougars in double figures with a career-high 24 points. Shamar Wright also had a career-high with 11 assists as SIUE had 19 assists. The Cougars forced 24 turnovers, including 14 steals---the most in the Division I era. They also hit a season-best 33 field goals, with their 13 3-pointers being the most for an SIUE team since two years ago versus LSU.
For their third game in three days, SIUE met Longwood, the hosts of the JK54 Classic (honoring Longwood All-American Jerome Kersey) and the defending Big South Conference champions. The two teams had tired legs after both had won their first two tourney games, but both brought their strong defenses to the game.. Longwood took an early lead, but the Cougars fought to an 8 point halftime lead. SIUE led by as many as 11 points before the home team went on a ten point run to take a three-point lead, but the Cougars retook the lead and held on for a 61-56 win. Ray'Sean Taylor led all scorers with 15 points, and his 11 first half points led to the SIUE halftime lead. Damarco Minor scored all of his 9 points in the second half and was a major factor in the Cougars hanging on for the win. The victory snapped Longwood's 15-game home court winning streak and earned the Cougars the program's first tournament title since defeating Longwood in the 2010 Las Vegas Classic, the two schools' only previous meeting.
Cougar redshirt-sophomore guard Ray'Sean Taylor is one of 50 players from the 21 so-called "mid-major" conferences named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List. The Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award is given annually to the top mid-major player in NCAA Division I college basketball and is named after the late former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach, who won 775 games in 41 seasons. and remains the winningest coach in both schools' histories.
It was a defensive battle with two teams shutting down the other's offence as the Cougars visited the Kansas City Roos. SIUE took a 2 point halftime lead on a slam dunk by Jonathan Kurtas at the buzzer. SIUE's shooting percentage was only 32% for the game after going only 28% in the first half. The Cougars, however, picked up the majority of the many missed shots, besting one of the best rebounding teams in the nation 47-41. SIUE garnered nine steals and forced 15 turnovers, generating 21 points off turnovers. The Cougars took their first 10-point lead on a three-pointer with 5:08 to play by Shamar Wright, only to see the Roos go on an eight point run. In the final two and a half minutes, SIUE finished on a 9-1 run while holding Kansas City to only a single free throw, to close out the 64-54 win. Shamar Wright led the Cougars in scoring, with 16 points, to go with eight rebounds and three steals. Damarco "Polo" Minor added 13 points, and DeeJuan Pruitt scored seven points while taking down in 10 rebounds---his third double-digit rebounding game of the young season. The victory gave SIUE its first 4-game road winning streak of the Division I era, and their 5-2 record is the program's best Division I season's opening.
The Cougars beat St. Ambrose 89-54 in only their second home game of the season. It was the team's fifth consecutive win and its sixth non-conference win of the season--- both high marks in SIUE's Division I era.. Four SIUE players scored in double figures, and three others just missed that goal, each scoring at least eight points. Terrance Thompson's career-high 15 points led the team. He was 7-9 from the field and added 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Ray'Sean Taylor scored 13 points and had 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Lamar Wright scored 12 points, striking early on his first three shots from three-point range. Damarco Minor had 10 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and 2 steals. In all, twelve Cougars saw game action and added to their statistical totals.
SIUE and Troy were both 6-2 before their Saturday afternoon game. The Trojans scored the first basket, but the Cougars scored the next nine points and never trailed again. When Ray'Sean Taylor sank a three pointer with 7:39 left before halftime, the home team took its largest lead at 12 points. SIUE had a 41-34 halftime lead, but the Alabama team's pressure caused two quick turnovers as the second half began, shaving the lead to only three. Several times, the Cougars then stretched the lead, only to see the visitors move closer. As time closed down to 10 minutes left in the game, Troy scored eight straight points to tie the score on a three-point shot. The home team stretched their lead once more, only to see the visitors close the gap to 65-64 at the five-minute mark. The Cougars then allowed no more and outscored Troy 13-8 for the hectic remainder of the game. Ray'Sean Taylor led the game in scoring (21) and rebounding (8). This was his first 20-point scoring job of the year and the 10th of his career. Three other Cougars hit double digit scoring--- Damarco Minor- 17 with 4 assists and 3 steals, Lamar Wright - 14 with 3 3-pointers, and Shamar Wright -13. SIUE began the game among the top 35 in the NCAA in turnovers forced and forced 17 from Troy, turning them into 25 points. The Cougars now have a six-game winning streak--- the longest for SIUE since the 2005-06 (Division II) season. Their now-seven nonconference wins is also a program high since the school joined the Ohio Valley Conference.
Ray'Sean Taylor's last second over-the-shoulder shot went in, but the final buzzer sounded while it was still in the air, and the Bradley Braves won 56-54 to stop the SIUE win streak at six games while extending their own to four. The Cougars came out strong, shooting 54% in the first half, for an eight point halftime lead. The second half was another story. Bradley began with 13 unanswered points, helped by three Cougar turnovers. After giving up the lead, SIUE played the visitors fairly even for the rest of the game, but they were never able to regain the lead. Nine Cougar players saw action, but DeeJuan Pruitt missed his third game due to illness.
For their second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference opponent, the Cougars visited the Illinois State Redbirds for their Return to Horton Fieldhouse to honor ISU alumnus Doug Collins. The home team scored the first basket before SIUE reeled off nine unanswered points. ISU battled back, but SIUE held onto their lead, going into halftime up 34-33. The Redbirds again scored first in the second half and went out to a six point lead before the Cougars ran off a 12-2 run to take a four point lead. The two teams went back and forth from halfway through the second half until 3:44 remaining, when ISU took its final lead. They stretched it out to as many as seven points. Then it was SIUE scores, SIUE fouls, ISU shoots free throws, and repeat, and repeat with the Redbirds winning 77-71. Despite losing, four Cougars scored in double figures; Ray'Sean Taylor' - 20, Shamar Wright -12, Terrance Thompson -11, Jonathan Kurtas -10.
The Division III Scarlet Hawks of IIT, coached by former Cougar Terrance "T.J." Gray, visited First Community Arena. The visitors held their own during the first half of the first half, taking the lead three times by as many as four points. Then, the Cougars defense clamped down, and they started hitting their shots, with a streak of eleven made shots while going 13 for 15 in the last ten minutes of the half, and SIUE led by as many as 16 on the way to a 51-40 halftime lead. Fourteen years after graduating, T.J. Gray still holds the SIUE record for 3 point baskets in a season, and his team played the same way, shooting 15-32 from outside the line to keep the Cougars from blowing them out of the gym. The home team was 10-23 on 3's, while shooting an overall 59% for the game. They tied their season high for points and tied the school record of 11 blocked shots in a game. Twelve Cougars saw game action (including DeeJuan Pruitt after missing four games), and all twelve scored, with five scoring in double figures; Ray'Sean Taylor - 20, Damarco "Polo" Minor- 17, both Lamar Wright & Shamar Wright -13, Jonathan Kurtas -10.