The University of Indianapolis men’s basketball team is raking in the accolades after finishing their season 26-5 following their fall to eight-seeded McKendree University in the quarter-final of the Midwest Divisional round of the NCAA Tournament. The tournament was hosted at the University of Indianapolis, according to UIndy Athletics.
Redshirt sophomore guard Jesse Bingham was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference First Team and received All-America status from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, according to UIndy Athletics. Bingham also made the GLVC All-Defensive team alongside senior forward Jakobie Robinson. Junior forward Kendrick Tchoua also received recognition in the postseason, being named both the GLVC Player of the Year and Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) Midwest Region Player of the Year. Greyhound’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach and UIndy alum Paul Corsaro brought in his own accolade as the Midwest Coach of the Year, according to UIndy Athletics.
After a standout season for him, Tchoua was at the top of all NCAA divisions for field goal percentage shooting 72.6% from the field. according to UIndy Athletics. He said he did not even expect to collect any of the awards, he just wanted his team to win.
“I never really expected them,” Tchoua said. “Yeah, they’re cool, but I just move on.”
Corsaro, in his third year as head coach, led the Hounds to the top spot in GLVC regular season for only the second time in program history, according to UIndy Athletics. He said that the individual accolades come as a result of the success of the team as a whole.
“I think it goes back to the team,” Corsaro said. “Awards and individual success come as a result of team success. So, no one’s individual accolades would be possible without the help of the other teammates and coaches. This program is truly about the word team, and it’s a total effort.”
It is the team effort that allowed the Greyhounds to attain success that they have not necessarily seen in recent seasons, according to Corsaro. The team tied program records for most wins in a season with 26, and the program win streak grabbing 18 consecutive wins within the 2022-2023 season, according to UIndy Athletics.
The success in the team’s regular season allowed them to achieve something that has only been done twice in program history, according to UIndy Athletics. This was the first time the program has hosted a NCAA regional since 1997, according to UIndy Athletics,
“It showed everyone in DII that UIndy’s a powerhouse,” Tchoua said. “And that we’re ready to play.”
Corsaro said he was proud of his team for achieving the opportunity to host that had only been done twice before.
“That was really neat from the standpoint of it’s only been done twice in school history prior, it also gave us a shot to have home court advantage,” Corsaro said. “It put us in a position to compete at the highest level for the ultimate prize. We fell short, but nothing to hang our heads on.”
Motivation is exactly what the experience brought the Hounds who wasted no time getting right back onto the court, according to Tchoua. Hard work has been key for this team from the start, he said.
“We just lost a week ago and we had guys coming in every day, still putting the work in,” Tchoua said. “We don’t start playing again for another eight months, it just shows a lot.”
Even though the team fell short of winning the Midwest Regional Championship, they learned valuable lessons that will help them bounce back for the next time the team steps on the national stage, according to Corsaro.
“Understanding that even when you position yourself to be the number one seed in the postseason that job’s not finished,” Corsaro said. “Winning is incredibly hard, regardless of what position you’re in, there’s still work remaining.”
Corsaro is pleased with all that the team has accomplished this season and the way that the group continues to support each other as a tight-knit group.
“I’m really proud of our guys. They accomplish history on numerous fronts, and it’s a really fun group to be around,” Corsaro said. “We won a regular season championship [and] tied a lot of school records, and I’m really proud of the year that they put together.”
