TERRE HAUTE —
More so than any other Sycamore, Steve McWhorter might embody the decline and the recent rise of the Indiana State men’s basketball team.
In the first nine games of the season, McWhorter struggled, especially on the offensive end. The sophomore averaged 2.2 points per game. Along with other Sycamores in the first half of the Missouri Valley Conference campaign, his 3-point shot wasn’t falling and it seemed to be the only way he knew how to create a shot. McWhorter was 1-for-9 from 3-point range in the first nine MVC games.
In the three games since, McWhorter has experienced a revival in fortune and it’s no coincidence that the Sycamores have risen along with him.
During ISU’s three-game win streak, McWhorter has averaged 9.3 points in the trio of victories. ISU has won every rematch it has had against teams it played in the first half of the season. That trend will be tested at 10 p.m. today as the Sycamores travel to second-place Wichita State. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
“We’ve been getting back down to playing better defense. I feel like we’ve been winning because of the defense we’ve been playing. We will continue this run if we keep it up,” said McWhorter on the team’s general improvement.
McWhorter has always been cast as a defensive stopper and it’s a role he’s continued this season. McWhorter ran Drake’s Ben Simons around ragged in Wednesday’s 61-54 victory, keeping the hot-shooting forward from getting into a rhythm. Simons was 5 of 15 from the field.
McWhorter and the team were hoping his offense would make him a dual threat. It didn’t seem it would happen early in the MVC campaign, but McWhorter has turned things around.
He’s worked on his shot. He made an adjustment to his low release and has been more accurate from 3-point range. During ISU’s win streak, he’s made 4 of 6 from long range.
“I’ve had a higher release and got a little more arc on. I’ve had a smoother stroke on it. That has a lot to do with [better shooting],” McWhorter said.
But McWhorter’s scoring improvement also has to do with where he’s been shooting. ISU has become less trigger-happy from 3-point range as it has tried to score off penetration. Even if penetration means getting a medium-range shot, it has forced opposing defenses to account for a more diverse ISU offense.
“We felt like we were taking a lot of 3-point shots. We were settling for shots more than attacking and putting pressure on the other team’s defense. We’ve been getting back to that more the last few games. It’s helped us and worked out for us,” McWhorter said.
McWhorter hasn’t been perfect — his five turnovers against Drake on Wednesday equaled his season high — but ISU coach Greg Lansing is happy that he’s come around.
“Steve competes so hard and he’s so tough. He’s a game-changer defensively and we really rely on him doing what he’s doing. All of the sudden, you feel good about what he’s doing on the offensive end and he’s knocking down shots,” Lansing said.
ISU will need every bit of offensive diversification and a top defensive effort to take down the Shockers. ISU has played WSU (19-4, 10-2) tough at Koch Arena in recent years without ever breaking through for a win. The most notable example was last year’s 93-83 triple-overtime defeat.
As far as its sheet array of weapons, WSU might be the hardest team in the league to defend. Garrett Stutz and Carl Hall are both capable scorers inside. Point guard Joe Ragland, and fellow guards Toure’ Murry, Demetric Williams, David Kyles and Ben Smith — who has averaged 8.7 points off the bench against the Sycamores the last two seasons and has hit several big shots — can all get hot and carry the Shockers.
“If they’re making 3s, you’re going to have a hard time beating them. They’re so good and dynamic around the basket,” Lansing said. “Stutz is one of the best low-post scorers, not only in the conference, but in the country. You have to start your defense inside and work your way out from there.”
A renewed McWhorter is looking forward to the challenge.
“We expect a fight; you don’t expect anything else going to Wichita. It’s going to be buzzing. It’s always packed and it’s on ESPN. These are games you look forward to,” McWhorter said.
College
McWhorter’s fortunes rise with ISU’s
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Indiana State throwers advance to NCAA championships
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“Both were very focused and had great starts,” ISU women’s track coach Angela Martin said. “They did just what we wanted them to … be relaxed, have fun, and do what they have already done this season.” -
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ISU claims Missouri Valley Conference baseball title
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Major Clay takes fourth straight MVC high jump title
For the fourth straight year, Indiana State’s Major Clay will climb to the top spot on the awards podium as the Sycamore captured his fourth high jump championship at the 2012 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday.
The competition was conducted at Cessna Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University. -
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Edgewood and senior Jackson Cowden took top honors in the Western Indiana Conference boys golf championship played Saturday at Idle Creek.
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North grad wins 10,000 at Big Ten Championships
Terre Haute North alumnus Zach Mayhew ran a Dan McClimon track record at the University of Wisconsin to win the 10,000 meters at the Big Ten Championships.
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Terre Haute native getting national attention as freshman for Kentucky
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Top seed, home field doesn’t guarantee Rose success
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Metro roundup: ISU’s Lucas honored by Missouri Valley again
For the fifth time in the last nine weeks, Indiana State junior catcher Jeremy Lucas has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
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Sycamores top Shockers in 10 innings in MVC series opener
If free baseball is what you want, Indiana State has what you need. For the sixth time in the span of a month, ISU’s series opener went extra innings.
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ISU starting pitchers in rhythm heading into Wichita State series
“Gettting into rhythm” is such an oft-used cliché in sports that it’s hard to hear the term and fight the urge to not let it enter one ear and escape another.
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ISU goes to well too many times
Perhaps the most unnecessary pursuit for a Wabash Valley sports fan during the now-completed weekend was watching the first few innings of nonconference college baseball between Indiana State and visiting Nebraska-Omaha.
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ISU baseball living on the edge
Indiana State’s baseball team got its game against Nebraska-Omaha in Saturday between morning and evening rain showers. But in the wake of another walk-off 3-2 victory against the struggling Mavericks, one might be forgiven if they felt the Sycamores are walking between the raindrops a bit.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North Central baseball improves to 10-2
North Central lost a 7-1 game to Vincennes Rivet, and then Nolan Kinnett pitched the Thunderbirds to victory, adding a double and three RBIs against Riverton Parke in a pair of high school baseball games on Saturday.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Jenkins, Goatee win inaugural Rush the Punter 5K
Steve Jenkins and TaPring Goatee were the 5K winners in the inaugural Rush the Punter event on Saturday at Fairbanks Park.
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Providing perspective: ISU’s vets have 2009 as window into 2012
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Missouri State wins MVC golf championship as expected
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Uphill Battle: ISU 23 strokes back of MVC leader No. Iowa
Indiana State maintained sixth place after two rounds of the Missouri Valley Conference Golf Championships, but the Sycamores face a tough challenge to move into the top half of the league after today’s final round at the Country Club of Terre Haute.
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Enter Cummings, exit McWhorter
All it took was a stat sheet to show Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing the glaring need the Sycamores had as they built their 2013 team.
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TH golf community steps up for ISU
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ISU blue after football scrimmage
One of Indiana State football coach Trent Miles’ stated goals for Saturday’s Blue-White spring football scrimmage was to get through the game unaffected by injuries.
As the 12-minute running clock ticked down — one of the concessions made by the football staff to speed the scrimmage up and get players off the field unscathed — it appeared ISU would make it through its spring game more-or-less unscathed.
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