ST. LOUIS — Indiana State isn’t the only Missouri Valley Conference school excited about an Iowa transfer this season.
Southern Illinois welcomes former Iowa swingman Tony Freeman to the Saluki fold. Much in the same way ISU guard Jake Kelly stood out for the Hawkeyes last season, Freeman starred in Iowa City during his junior season in 2007. Freeman was a third-team All-Big Ten selection that season, averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds. He’ll have one year of eligibility in a SIU uniform.
Freeman was Kelly’s teammate for one year with the Hawkeyes, when Kelly was a freshman for the Hawkeyes. He thinks the excitement ISU fans have expressed in having Kelly in a Sycamore uniform is justified.
“Jake can do what you ask him to. He’s long enough as a guard to do lots of things and I think he’s become a better shooter. His forte is handling the ball and passing, but most of all, he’s just a good athlete. Jake is an all-around good player and he’s an attribute to any team he’s on,” Freeman said.
ISU opens its Valley campaign against the Salukis at Carbondale, Ill. on Dec. 29. Freeman is looking forward to seeing and playing against his former Iowa teammate.
“Them having Jake makes [Indiana State] more dynamic. I’m looking forward to it. Jake is like a brother to me, I think the match-up will really be fun,” Freeman said.
n Getting more bids — The MVC has qualified just one team into the NCAA men’s tournament in the last two seasons. Considering that the league peaked at four bids in 2006, the paucity of league representation has been a letdown.
The Valley was very young the last two seasons, so the notion prevailed that the league is better positioned to get multiple bids again this season.
However, the pie for non-BCS league schools to get at-large bids has shrunk from 12 in 2006 to four last season. It’s a trend that had several coaches concerned.
“If you’re in the 27 conference that aren’t BCS conferences, it’s very disturbing. Nationally, there’s 27 conferences that are really, really being adversely affected. The graph is going down, down, down. There are four non-BCS that are being allowed in? That’s nothing but disturbing,” Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich said.
Bradley coach Jim Les publicly favored an expansion of the NCAA tournament field.
“I know it’s tied into TV, big business and big dollars. CBS controls those first 32 games, that’s why the play-in game is on ESPN, they don’t want expansion because they’d lose control over that. I just think there’s a lot of good basketball teams that don’t get an opportunity to play in [the NCAA] tournament. We need to be inclusive, and it’s not going to hurt that tournament [if it’s expanded]. Expansion in both the NCAA and NIT need to be looked at,” Les said.
MVC commissioner Doug Elgin did not go as far as some of the coaches did in expressing concern over the make-up of the field. He said the fate of the league’s tournament status is ultimately in its own hands.
“It’s a trend, but lets face it, the league has been down as far as the competition on the floor. I think it has to do with the lack of maturity [in terms of average roster age] on the men’s side. You look at how we’ve competed against top 50 programs, you go back five years, four years, three years, we had greater success,” Elgin said. “I think you’ll progress this year and be even better next year, but to earn respect on the court, you have to play good teams and you have to beat some of them to have a chance.”
n Women’s coaches feel league is stronger — While the men’s coaches pondered how to get back to a multi-bid league after just two seasons, its been eight years since there were multiple representatives in the NCAA Tournament from the women’s side.
If there is a year where that’s going to change, the women’s coaches felt this is it.
“I think with where the league was last year from top to bottom, we’re getting better as a conference. We had teams that hadn’t been in the mix for a while have started to improve,” ISU coach Jim Wiedie said. “There’s probably four or five teams that have a legitimate shot at the regular season and its proven during the tournament that anyone can win. I just think it’s going to be really competitive this year.”
Creighton coach Jim Flanery said it’s time to think about the MVC as a possible multi-bid league.
“Our schedules in a lot cases are a lot better and I think the gap between us and the Big Ten and Big 12, I don’t think there’s not as much difference as there was five years ago, especially with players six-feet and under,” Creighton coach Jim Flanery said. “I think we can get more than one team in the tournament."
Elgin announced that the contract to have the MVC Tournament at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., was extended through 2011.
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Former Iowa teammates excited about facing each other
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Indiana State connects on all 12 of its 3-point shots vs. SIU and sets three NCAA records in process
When you’re a shooter and you’re in a slump, the boilerplate cure is to summon amnesia, forget about your struggles and keep on shooting.
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ISU's Webb wins heptathlon
Indiana State’s Robert Webb captured the heptathlon Saturday at the Grand Valley State Big Meet as he totaled the second most points in ISU history while dominating the event. Webb scored 5,140 points, which is second only to former Sycamore Anthony Bertoli’s 5,189 points in 2008.
Webb, a senior, established three more personal best efforts enroute to the overall victory as he ran 8.45 in the 60 meter hurdles and 2 minutes, 50.73 seconds in the 1,000 meters while also clearing 13-1 1/2 in the pole vault. Webb entered the second day of the event in the lead with 2,893 points after winning three of the four Friday events and setting personal bests in the long jump and shot put. -
Perfect game: ISU shoots NCAA record 12-for-12 from 3-point range in win over SIU
Indiana State set an NCAA record for 3-point percentage and consecutive 3-pointers made Saturday afternoon in Hulman Center, connecting on all 12 attempts during a 78-68 win over Southern Illinois.
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‘Frustrated’ Sycamores regroup to face Southern Illinois
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Thomas nets double-double as ISU women end losing streak
The halftime speech is one of the most time-worn clichés in sports, but once in a while, it’s meaningful. It certainly was for the Indiana State women’s basketball team on Friday against Bradley.
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Bradley visits Terre Haute tonight looking to sweep the season series from the Sycamores, who are in jeopardy of the program’s first seven-game losing streak since the 1995-96 season.
“I think it should [add to motivation]. There’s no doubt that group in the locker room in there is very disappointed,” Coach Teri Moren said. “As I keep saying, we’re in a rough patch right now, and there’s no group of kids that wants to get right back on track more than they do.” -
Leonard dominates in first half, but IU, Zeller earn the victory
The first half belonged to Illinois’ Meyers Leonard.
The win belonged to Indiana and Cody Zeller.
The 23rd-ranked Hoosiers (19-6, 7-6 Big Ten) took advantage of a glaring free-throw discrepancy to defeat the Illini 84-71 on Thursday. -
Rose women roll; Dickerson becomes all-time assists leader
Rose-Hulman senior Alisa Dickerson became the college’s career leader in assists as the Engineers cruised past Defiance 60-33 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball Saturday afternoon in Hulbert Arena.
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MVC’s worst a tantalizing option for ISU
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Sycamores can’t stop Stutz, Shockers
All or nothing. It was that kind of game for Wichita State center Garrett Stutz. Unfortunately for Indiana State’s men’s basketball team, the “all” came in the second half.
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McWhorter’s fortunes rise with ISU’s
More so than any other Sycamore, Steve McWhorter might embody the decline and the recent rise of the Indiana State men’s basketball team.
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Johnson dominates again for ISU track
Felisha Johnson continued to dominate women’s weight throw while two Indiana State hurdlers moved into today’s finals after solid performances in the preliminaries Friday at the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.
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Indiana State women lose at Illinois State
Playing short-handed again, Indiana State’s women suffered their sixth straight Missouri Valley Conference basketball loss Friday night, falling 78-67 to host Illinois State.
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Indiana, Purdue meet with both looking to regain momentum
Indiana University’s stint in the Top 25 may be coming to an end. Purdue is just looking for a winning streak.
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ISU women looking to end five-game losing streak at Illinois State
Within a few points in the final minutes, Indiana State had chances to win women’s basketball games at Missouri State and Wichita State last weekend.
But the Sycamores lost for the fourth and fifth straight games, also losing freshman Jessica Valley for the season at Wichita State. The promising backcourt player tore the ACL in her right knee and began strengthening exercises this week in order to make plans for surgery. -
ISU Senior Day game to be televised on ESPN
The Missouri Valley Conference announced Thursday that Indiana State’s regular season finale against No. 12-ranked Creighton on Feb. 25 in Hulman Center has been chosen as the MVC’s “wild card” game that will be telecast on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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Hoosiers load up on in-state players
With a 1-11 record in his first season as IU football coach, Kevin Wilson knew there were a lot of holes to fill in terms of personnel.
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It’s on: Sycamores, Bulldogs to play at Hinkle on Feb. 18
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METRO ROUNDUP: Four from Rose receive weekly honors
Four Rose-Hulman athletes earned Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference weekly honors, the HCAC announced Monday.
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Hoosiers reclaim needed offensive momentum
Indiana hadn’t allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent in three straight games heading into Sunday’s home game against Iowa.
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Sycamores will have to match Aces’ toughness
Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing has an enduring respect for the toughness Evansville coach Marty Simmons coaxes out of his Purple Aces.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rose, The Woods post weekend victories
Rose-Hulman relied on a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to earn a 55-44 women’s basketball victory Saturday over Mount St. Joseph.
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ISU's Stacia Weatherford sets school record in 60-meter hurdles
Indiana State junior Stacia Weatherford set the school record in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, while sophomore Greggmar Swift dominated the action in the men’s 60 hurdles during competition Saturday at the Indiana Relays.
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Rose takes first in Engineer Track and Field Invitational
Rose-Hulman relied on nine event victories, 13 top-two finishes and three school records for a strong performance at the ninth annual Engineer Track and Field Invitational on Saturday.
The men’s squad captured first place honors in a meet that featured two of the nation's top 20 NCAA Division III squads and 12 institutions from seven states. The day’s competition also included 10 meet records. -
Mattox’s 31 not enough for ISU women
Indiana State pulled within 63-57 with a 6-0 run with 8 minutes, 50 seconds remaining Friday night at JQH Arena, but the Sycamores lost 84-70 to host Missouri State in a Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball game.
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Mattox, Sycamores staying positive on road trip to Missouri State, Wichita State
Indiana State seniors Brittany Schoen and Deja Mattox are within striking distance of passing 1,000 points in their women’s basketball careers, and they would join classmate Shannon Thomas in that club. Schoen needs just 16 points, while Mattox is 89 points away.
But Mattox has been on a roll of late, scoring a team-high 15.1 points through ISU’s 4-3 start to Missouri Valley Conference play. -
IU triumphs
When Indiana’s Will Sheehey left the floor after receiving his second technical foul, the Hoosier fans cheered.
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ISU women nipped at buzzer
Creighton sophomore Carli Tritz — blanketed by Indiana State senior Brittany Schoen — had just two points at halftime Friday in Hulman Center.
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ISU needs to find chip on its shoulder
When one looks back at the totality of Indiana State’s 2010-11 men’s basketball season, there’s a recurrent theme that tied together the high points in a 20-14 campaign. A recurrent theme that might give ISU a lifeline in what has been a disappointing 2012 season.
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