Incarnate Word finished last season on a streak of 16 consecutive losses. The Cardinals went 6-25 overall, including just 2-25 against Division I competition, with a 1-17 mark in the Southland Conference. 

Coach Carson Cunningham was at certain points down to seven healthy players while leading scorer and rebounder Christian Peevy played through a broken hand.  

The Cardinals closed the year dead last in the nation in defensive efficiency, per KenPom, and their turnover rate on offense ranked third from the bottom nationally.  

With Peevy among five players transferring out of the program during the offseason, Cunningham enters the 2019-20 campaign with another young roster. The greatest source of hope is the notion that last year’s struggles have hardened the returning players enough to produce better results.  

“We knew we would be young, and we knew it would probably be pretty bloody, because we have a long-term plan in mind with an emphasis on four-year guys and just developing that in time,” Cunningham said. “That made it definitely tougher, but I do think the guys have been able to learn from that experience. I think you see that now. We're playing just with a better feel and an understanding of what we’re trying to do.” 

UIW will not have a senior on the roster this year, fielding a group of four juniors, four sophomores and seven freshmen.  

That rotation will be tasked with patching up some glaring holes. The Cardinals struggled on the interior last year, rebounding poorly and ranking last in the nation by allowing opponents to hit 61.2 percent of their 2-point shots, per KenPom.  

Freshman Marcus Larsson, from Norway, will be the tallest player on the roster at 6-foot-10. No other UIW player stands taller than 6-foot-7.  

Cunningham said Larsson and 6-foot-7 freshman Vincent Miszkiewicz will play significant roles in the frontcourt this season, adding length to a team that last year didn’t boast a player 6-foot-8 or taller.  

“We know we’re young. We've known that we were going to be young for some time,” Cunningham said. “We’re going to stick with the plan and just keep fighting to execute well.” 

Junior guard Morgan Taylor averaged 11.5 points and 3.2 assists per game last year — the best marks among the Cardinals’ returners. He missed UIW’s last 13 games with a broken wrist but recovered in time to revamp his shooting mechanics during the offseason, Cunningham said. Taylor shot 16.1 percent beyond the arc last year.  

Augustine Ene, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, is the Cardinals’ leading returning rebounder at 3.6 per game. He hit 39.3 percent from 3-point range last season and gives UIW a versatile defensive presence, Cunningham said.  

The biggest bright spots for the Cardinals last year were their NCAA-leading 81.0 free-throw percentage and the team’s 54.5 effective field goal percentage, which ranked second in the Southland. 

Preseason MVP: Morgan Taylor
A 6-foot-3 sophomore, Taylor is UIW’s leading returner in points (11.5 per game) and assists (3.2 per game). He also expects to be more productive from the perimeter this year after retooling his shot.  

Game of the Year: Jan. 8 against Northwestern State
UIW opens its home conference slate against one of the league’s bottom-feeders and will want to win to look any part of a contender.  

Impact First-Year Player:
Marcus Larsson