EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE men's basketball Head Coach Brian Barone has announced that two Ohio Valley Conference All-Tournament team members from last year's championship team will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to injury. Ring Malith (Twic, South Sudan), who was on the OVC Players to Watch Preseason List, and Myles Thompson (Hutchinson, Kansas) will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
"Losing Ring and Myles at this time of the year is very disappointing," Barone said. "Although this is a tough loss and I am sad our fans will not be able to see them on the floor the remainder of the season, they will both continue to be positive impacts on our program. These two men are far bigger than the people you see on the floor. Both will always have a place in our community and our family that goes well beyond basketball. We put Family into Basketball for a reason and that will not change. I look forward to the remainder of the season, and I am excited to see our team continue to grow together."
Malith was injured during SIUE's win over Southern Indiana Jan. 1. After playing 35 minutes and leading SIUE with 12 points and six rebounds, it was discovered that his knee injury would sideline him the rest of the year.
The dynamic senior forward has played in 14 games and was the leading scorer in the Ohio Valley Conference at 17.0 points per game. He has led the team in scoring 11 times during the season and has scored at least 20 points in a game six times, including a career-high 31 points in the Cougars' win at North Florida. He was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 8 and Dec. 29.
Malith was an OVC All-Tournament team member last year, averaging 10 points and 5.5 rebounds over two games during the Cougars' championship run. Malith finished the season as the fourth-leading rebounder in the OVC at 7.2 rebounds per game.
"Ring is someone who plays every position on the floor and has worked so hard to become a dynamic star," Barone said. "He was growing in all areas of the game on a daily basis, and his impact on our team on and off the court is special. I am sad for his season to be cut short, because I know what he has done to put himself in a position to be known as one of the OVC's premier and most impactful players."
Thompson has battled a right shoulder injury throughout the season and played in eight games before being sidelined. He was second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game and led the team in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game. He recorded his second career double-double at Drake, scoring 11 points and grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds.
Thompson also was an OVC All-Tournament selection in 2025 after scoring nine points in each of SIUE's two victories. In 34 games a season ago, Thompson averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.
"Myles is an absolute warrior," Barone said. "He came onto campus and made an immediate impact on and off the court for our program. He is a versatile player that worked extremely hard this offseason to expand his game. He was really beginning to show his growth prior to his injury. Myles gave it everything he could, and it was time to get him healthy. He is someone that impacts the game in so many areas when he is on the floor, and there is a reason he was an all-tournament selection that helped us win a conference championship."
Malith and Thompson came to SIUE before the 2024-25 season from Barton Community College, where they helped lead the Barton Cougars to a NJCAA National Championship in 2024.
SIUE concludes its four-game homestand Thursday at First Community Arena. The Cougars will face Little Rock in the second game of a doubleheader with the women.
