The SIUE Cougars are kicking off their 56th season of men’s basketball with a game against the Dayton Flyers on Monday. The Cougars have a record of 679-796 and have won 25 out of 30 season openers. Last season, SIUE had an impressive 19 overall wins, the most in a Division I season, and a program record of nine Ohio Valley Conference wins. They also had the most true road wins at the Division I level and were the winningest road team in the OVC. SIUE dominated in free throw categories, ranking second in percentage, first in free throws made per game, and first in free throws attempted per game. In one game against Tennessee State, they attempted a season-high 41 free throws, the most since 2018. The Cougars also excelled in blocks, averaging 4.3 per game, leading the OVC and ranking 48th in the NCAA. Ray’Sean Taylor, a redshirt junior guard, was SIUE’s first-ever All-OVC First Team selection and is currently 27th on the all-time scoring list with 865 points for his career.