TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men's basketball opens up the 2026-27 exhibition slate this weekend as the Sycamores head to Indianapolis and historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday evening to take on Butler University. Tipoff between the Sycamores and the Bulldogs is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend and Wish-TV.
 
The Sycamores are set to make their public debut on Sunday as Indiana State heads into the first of two scheduled exhibitions prior to the start of the regular season on November 2. Indiana State will travel to Butler and host Rose-Hulman (Oct. 24) to complete the preseason slate prior to the start of the season.
 
New Look Roster
It's a new-look Indiana State roster on the floor under head coach Matthew Graves as the Sycamore head coach heads into his third season at the helm of the program. The Sycamores returned just redshirt freshman Martin Kaupanger to the floor from the 2025-26 squad, while welcoming nine transfers, five freshmen, and international big man Alessio Calamita to the roster this year.
 
All-Americans on Roster
Indiana State men's basketball added two players that bring All-American status to the program with Jackson Cooper and EJ McQuillan both joining the roster in 2026-27. Cooper earned NAIA Second Team All-American honors following a standout 2025-26 campaign at Oregon Tech where he led the team in scoring (17.7), rebounds per game (7.7), and assists per game (5.8) while finishing seventh in the NAIA with 174 total assists.
McQuillan earned NAIA Second Team All-American honors following a standout 2025-26 campaign at LSU Alexandria where he averaged 20.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.5% from the three-point line. He highlighted his year by tying the LSUA single-game points record with 41 against Texas Wesleyan on October 31.
 
Power 4 Experience
Indiana State welcomes redshirt sophomore guard Chance Puryear to the roster this season as the Dallas, Texas native joined the team by way of Atlantic Coast Conference institution SMU. Puryear lined up in 14 games for the Mustangs over his redshirt freshman season adding a three-pointer in a contest against Boston College.
 
A former McDonald's All-American Game Southwest Nominee, Puryear earned TABC 4A All-State honors and District 13-4A Player of the Year recognition at Carter High School. He was a three-star signee ranked as high as No. 12 overall in the state of Texas and 34th nationally at his position coming out of high school.
 
They Can Score
Indiana State men's basketball features four 1,000-point scorers heading into the 2026-27 season with another closing in on the mark. EJ McQuillan, Karmani Gregory, Meechie White, and Jackson Cooper have already achieved 1,000 career collegiate points heading into the year, while Greyson Pritzl sits at 860 points following his three years playing at Saint Leo and Lander.
 
Sycamore 1,000 Point Scorers
• 1,322 - EJ McQuillan (LSU Alexandria)
• 1,130 – Meechie White (Three Rivers C.C./EIU)
• 1,026 – Karmani Gregory (USC Upstate/Florida SouthWestern)
• 1,019– Jackson Cooper (Oregon Tech)
• 860 - Greyson Pritzl (Saint Leo/Lander)
 
About the Opponent
Butler was selected 11th overall in the Big East's preseason coaches poll as announced by the conference office. The Bulldogs received 13 total points in the poll released on October 1. Butler did not place a player on the preseason All-Big East team.
 
The Bulldogs return five players from last season's roster, headlined by Drayton Jones and Jalen Jackson. Jones was one of two Bulldogs to start all 32 games during the 2025-26 season. He led the team by shooting 59 percent from the field last season. Jackson led the Bulldogs to a 5-1 start in 2025-26 before his season was ended due to surgery on his left ankle.
 
Butler's 10 newcomers include five NCAA transfers, three international players who have yet to play NCAA basketball, and two domestic freshmen.
 
Last Season Against the Bulldogs
Indiana State men's basketball played at Butler University for an exhibition, falling 105-80, on October 29, 2025.
 
Indiana State was led offensively by Sterling Young with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the floor and 2-for-5 from three. Young added six rebounds and six assists. Ian Scott followed with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, finishing 6-for-10 from the floor.
 
Indiana State as a team shot 41.1% from the field (30-for-73) and 33.3% from deep (11-for-33). Butler shot 50.0% from the floor (37-for-74) and 45.8% from three (11-for-24). The Sycamores finished 9-for-18 from the line while the Bulldogs shot 69.0% (20-for-29).
 
Back on the Mic
Indiana State men's basketball welcomes back Joey O'Rourke to the microphone as the primary play-by-play broadcaster for the Sycamores in the 2026-27 season. O'Rourke heads into his fourth season as the voice of the Sycamore basketball program after taking over the call in 2023-24. The owner of JKO Media, O'Rourke will be live for all Indiana State men's basketball games this year starting with the Owen Ford Pregame Show set to begin one hour prior to tipoff.
 
Season Tickets Remain On Sale, Upper Level-Single Game Tickets Available
Season tickets remain on sale for the entirety of the 2026-27 slate. For more information on season tickets, contact Mason LaGrange, Manager for Sales and Service, by calling 812-237-8972 or emailing mason.lagrange@indstate.edu. Fans can also call 877-ISU-TIXS or email ISU-Tickets@indstate.edu.

Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Basketball, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.