TERRE HAUTE — The nonconference season is essentially over (save one BracketBusters game in February) for the Indiana State men’s basketball team.
So what do you think?
The Sycamores’ 8-3 record is right about on the money where I expected them to be. I figured ISU would drop a couple of games in the Preseason NIT, though I didn’t expect one of them to be Coastal Carolina — the Chanticleers, by the way, are currently 10-2 with one of the losses to Duke.
I also figured ISU would drop another game along the way, most teams do, but figured it would be one of its road games, not a home loss to Ball State.
So, to channel Dennis Green, the Sycamores are what I thought they’d be … better than last season.
IUPUI coach Ron Hunter thought so, too, after ISU defeated the Jaguars 72-59 on Wednesday and avenged a 62-41 loss suffered one year earlier.
“They’re a much better team than they were a year ago. Much better. Jake Kelly does a good job for them, but they have some other guys who can play,” Hunter said. “Last year we pressed them and they looked like they wanted to turn it over. This year, they were ready for it and weren’t afraid of it. We played Drake, and Drake’s a good basketball team, but I think Indiana State is better.”
So what does 8-3 mean going into the Missouri Valley Conference season?
Very little, other than avoiding the negative vibe of a poor start, such as the one ISU had last year. Your mileage may vary, but a good nonconference record doesn’t always translate to conference success.
Recent ISU teams have taken good records into Valley action before. The 2006-07 Sycamores — Royce Waltman’s last team — were 7-3 in nonconference games and started 5-1 in the conference that season before falling apart with 14 losses in its last 16 games.
The 2005-06 Sycamores did even better, with a 7-0 mark entering nonconference play. However, a David Moss hamstring injury morphed that season out of recognition as an 0-for-January killed what could have been a promising campaign.
ISU point guard Harry Marshall was a freshman on the 2007 team. He knows that the real work is ahead of the Sycamores.
“We’re 8-3, but if you lose a couple in a row in conference, you’re right back to .500. We need to forget about the nonconference,” Marshall said. “We’ve gone into conference in a good way before and gone downhill. I feel good about this team, though, and hope we can sustain [what ISU has done] throughout the conference.”
The jury is still out as to where ISU fits in the MVC pecking order this year. The Sycamores were picked seventh in the league, I personally picked them sixth. Though ISU is unquestionably better than last season, so is the rest of the league, and other than Missouri State’s surprisingly good start and Creighton’s struggles, most league teams are playing to form so far.
Northern Iowa has probably been best of all at 8-1, with wins over Boston College, Iowa, Iowa State and a good Siena team. Wichita State is 11-1 and has won nine in a row, including a victory over ranked Texas Tech. The Shockers are not to be slept on. The surprising Bears are 10-1, finally losing a game in overtime to Arkansas on Tuesday.
Illinois State is 9-2 and Southern Illinois is 7-2, though neither has a win that jumps out. Creighton is 5-6, but the Bluejays aren’t going away. Three Creighton losses were to ranked teams and the other three setbacks were all on a neutral floor or on the road.
ISU is probably better than Bradley (5-5), Drake (5-7) and Evansville (6-4), but is not so much better that they couldn’t lose to any one of them, especially on the road.
In other words, ISU is going to have to fight again to try and finally escape the MVC Tournament play-in round. Good nonconference record or bad, the song remains the same.
n Nonconference MVC awards — Most MVC teams are done with their nonconference slates, so there’s no better time than the present to give some early season awards:
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n Player of the Nonconference — Kevin Dillard, Southern Illinois. It’s hard to argue with Dillard’s numbers. He is second in the MVC in scoring (15.9), first in assists (5.9), first in steals (1.9) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s just a sophomore, folks.
n Coach of the Nonconference— Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State. A no-brainer. Martin has the Bears at 10-1, a major surprise. Martin’s even-keeled style is paying dividends.
n Freshman of the Nonconference — Colt Ryan, Evansville. Ryan is third in the league in scoring, sixth in assists and seventh in steals. Give the Batesville native the nod.
n Newcomer of the Nonconference — Dwayne Lathan, ISU. Lathan is the only newcomer in the conference in the top 10 in scoring and rebounds and is 12th in field goal percentage. No homerism here, Lathan stands out above the newcomer crowd. Lathan would also be a prime candidate for Sixth-Man Award.
• • •
• Ex-ISU player Mick Yelovich blasts off — Former ISU center Mick Yelovich has made a name for himself on golf’s long-drive circuit. If you want to see just how far Yelovich has come, check out ESPN2 on Christmas Day.
Yelovich, who graduated from ISU in 2008, competed in the Re/Max World Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nev., in October. He was one of eight world finalists. He qualified in August with a drive of 372 yards (!) at a qualifier in St. Louis.
I’m not going to give anything else away, other than to say Yelovich’s long-drive exploits will be aired at 2 p.m. on Christmas Day on ESPN2.
Todd Golden is sports editor of the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. He can be reached at (812) 231-4272 or todd.golden@tribstar.com.
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Discussion
TODD GOLDEN: Sycamores are where they should be entering MVC play
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ISU's athletic treasure trove
Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.
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Ort sets ISU RBI record in 16-7 win
Robby Ort celebrated his Indiana State baseball Senior Day on Saturday by becoming the Sycamores’ all-time leader in RBIs as ISU ended its regular season with a 16-7 win over Bradley at Bob Warn Field.
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Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU
Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
ISU couldn’t do it. -
Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
Indiana State women add five transfers, including experienced D-I point guard
Indiana State coach Teri Moren believes the addition of five more newcomers to the program — in addition to the five who had already joined the program earlier this calendar year — will provide her coaching staff the athleticism and depth it needs to play a successful, up-tempo brand of basketball next season.
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Metro roundup: Woods softball takes seventh in national tournament
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball team finished seventh in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association softball tournament on Tuesday at Firestone Stadium.
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Metro Roundup: Indiana State’s Shakir Bell on Performance Awards watch list
College Football Performance Awards has announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Running Back Award, and Indiana State’s Shakir Bell earned a spot on the list.
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ISU baseball team builds on success with 14-2 rout
Indiana State’s baseball victory over Alcorn State on Friday would take on more meaning Saturday if the Sycamores could build momentum and pick up on the good work they did in Friday’s ninth-inning rally.
Mission accomplished.
The Sycamores were aggressive from the opening inning at the plate and starting pitcher Devin Moore gave them eight valuable and effective innings on the mound as ISU defeated Alcorn State 14-2 at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a really good experience for everybody. It felt great to finally come out here and put some things together. It’s also really nice when your offense puts a lot of runs on the board,” Moore said.
Moore’s eight innings of work were as valuable as gold to an ISU team that is short on quality arms due to injury and ineffectiveness. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and one of the two runs he conceded was unearned. -
Johnson, Lyke win MVC titles for ISU
Indiana State’s Felisha Johnson and Maurice Lyke were both crowned Missouri Valley Conference champions on Saturday during the MVC Track and Field Championships at Drake University.
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ISU earns badly-needed win
Alcorn State’s baseball team might be ranked in the bottom 10 in RPI and Indiana State might have never lost to a Southwestern Athletic Conference team. So it wouldn’t appear that a quality win was in the offing when Alcorn State visited Bob Warn Field on Friday.
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Metro roundup: RHIT’s Evans sets Div. III record in high jump
For the third time this season, Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans topped the NCAA Division III all-time national record in the outdoor high jump Friday night.
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ISU’s Mascari and Hope win MVC track & field titles
Indiana State produced two champions during the opening day of action in the Missouri Valley Conference track and field championships Friday at Drake. Freshman John Mascari, a Terre Haute native, won the men’s 10,000-meter race and Nicole Hope won the women’s pole vault for the second time in three seasons.
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ISU pole vault tradition continues with help from its author
Pole vault is track and field for the adrenaline junkie, Indiana State senior Nicole Hope proclaimed during a recent practice at Marks Field.
To catapult oneself about 14 feet into the air with a large $500 fiberglass pole on a daily basis is a risky endeavor.
“We have to be fearless. You can’t be afraid at all,” said Hope, who has also catapulted herself into the NCAA’s elite in the event, ranking 15th in the NCAA with her leap of 13-feet, 9 1/4. -
Sycamores searching for answers after seventh loss in eight games
These are the bad times for the Indiana State baseball team.
The will is there for the Sycamores to pull out of their worst slump of the season, but the results are not. The suffering continued on Wednesday at Bob Warn Field as Eastern Illinois defeated ISU 5-3. -
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU men's track picked first in MVC Championships, women second
The Indiana State men’s track team has won the last two Missouri Valley Conference outdoor championships, but the women have not stood on the top podium since 1999.
That may change this year, but the Sycamores will face some stiff competition in their quest for the championships. -
North grad Welker helps Whitson earn first NCAA bid as coach
Eastern Kentucky girls golf coach Mike Whitson, an alumnus of his employer, enjoyed his stay in Terre Haute as coach of Indiana State, where he started the women’s golf program.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman wins HCAC all-sports trophy
Rose-Hulman has won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s all-sports trophy for the fifth time in the past six year, the league announced Monday.
Rose tallied 66.5 points for its finishes in 11 men’s sports, just ahead of Franklin with 66. Hanover was third with 53 points. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman tennis falls in HCAC semifinal
Rose-Hulman’s hot streak in men’s tennis came to an end Saturday in the semifinal round of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament at the West Indy Racquet Club.
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Manaea fights off bad hip, wet weather to toss four innings
Mother Nature has been the bane of the Indiana State baseball team’s existence all season. Eight games wiped due to weather are a testament to that. So it was no surprise, though no less disappointing, when she didn’t deal Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea the greatest hand on Saturday as he tries to recover from a hip injury.
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ISU track enjoys big night at IU's Billy Hayes Invitational
The Indiana State Sycamores either won or finished as the top collegian in 12 events, led by the record-breaking performance of senior Brandon Pounds at the 2013 Billy Hayes Invitational Friday at Indiana University.
Pounds broke his own school record to win the men’s hammer throw. -
Lansing looking for more home games for next fall
Indiana State’s men’s basketball team is looking for a few good games.
Home games that is.
The Sycamores have filled in most of the blanks in their nonconference schedule, but as ever, ISU coach Greg Lansing would like to visit the friendly confines of Hulman Center a bit more often. -
Secret weapon: Kelsey Rosselli finishing Woods career with a bang
At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, reporting game results to the Tribune-Star after a win or a loss is not always a high priority.
So when one of its athletes enjoys an outstanding season, like senior Kelsey Rosselli is doing for the Pomeroys’ softball team in 2013, media publicity doesn’t always follow.
In fact, her efforts almost seem like a government secret.
Rosselli’s name might sound familiar to longtime Terre Haute softball followers because she was a standout for North High School, from where she graduated in 2009.
Since then, she’s helped The Woods finish runner-up in three straight U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national tournaments in 2010, 2011 and 2012. -
ISU baseball gets back into rhythm with victory
Baseball is a rhythm game. With contests every day or five times a week in the case of many college programs, you have the chance to build on success or wallow in a slump.
Mother Nature took that rhythm away from Indiana State’s team last week. After a 7-1 loss to Indiana on April 24, ISU was supposed to play a three-game series at Tennessee-Martin, but it was wiped out by rain.
So the rhythm was disturbed, but perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.
ISU was in a five-game losing streak before its unintended vacation and the Sycamores made a move in the right direction Wednesday with a 7-0 win over DePauw at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a disappointing weekend. We went all the way down to Tennessee and didn’t get to play. We sat around in the hotel room. We came here and it was still raining. It was nice to get out and see some live pitching,” ISU center fielder Landon Curry said. -
Metro roundup: ISU hands out spring awards
The Indiana State University athletic community, along with family, friends and fans, paused Tuesday night to honor the spring sports teams at the Terre Haute Savings Bank Spring Sports Banquet.
Most of the ISU teams are still in competition with the baseball team having 13 games left of its regular-season schedule before beginning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament May 21, the softball team with just three games left of the docket this coming weekend against Southern Illinois and the track and field program with just one more meet before beginning its postseason events.
The ISU women’s golf team is the team that has ended at this time, with the group recording a sixth-place finish at the MVC championships one week ago. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball wins another thriller
Rose-Hulman earned its third victory in its last at-bat in the last five days with a 6-5 win over Franklin in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball Tuesday night at Art Nehf Field.
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ISU relay teams enjoy strong day at Drake Relays
It was a day for the relay teams to shine at the 104th Drake Relays Saturday as four of the five Indiana State relay teams that competed ran times that put the team among the top five in school history for their respective events.
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.
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Metro roundup; Five Wabash Valley players on Terre Haute Rex team
The Terre Haute Rex will look to three-peat as Prospect League Western Division champions with a roster that includes a quartet of Wabash Valley players. Indiana State University standouts Tyler Wampler and Josh Dove will reunite with former Little League and high school rivals Cody Gardner (Wright State), Tim Johnson (Vincennes) and Bryan Nacke (Vincennes) for the summer season.
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Indiana State loses 2 in MVC softball
Indiana State aspired to upset Illinois State to get at least a doubleheader split in Missouri Valley Conference softball Thursday at Price Field as the Sycamores opened an eight-game season-ending homestand.
Paige Schreiner hit a two-run blast over the left-field fence in the fifth inning and junior Shelby Wilson delivered a sizzling RBI triple down the right-field line in the sixth as ISU ended the day playing well against the league’s highest-scoring offense.
The result was still a 5-3 loss to the Redbirds (26-18, 11-6 Missouri Valley Conference) as freshman Halle Humphrey gave up four runs in the first two innings. Humphrey, called upon to pitch the opener as well — she’s the only full-time pitcher remaining on the team — gave up six runs and eight hits as the Sycamores dropped a 6-1 game to start the day. -
Sycamores fall: Slumping ISU drops 8-1 decision to No. 19-ranked IU
The margin in baseball between success and failure is so tight.
Indiana State learned that lesson the hard way against No. 19-ranked Indiana on Wednesday.
For most of the contest, ISU matched IU hit-for-hit, but couldn’t match the Hoosiers run-for-run as IU took maximum advantage of its baserunners to post an 8-1 victory at IU’s new Bart Kaufman Field.
IU — winners of four in a row and owners of a 19-game win streak earlier this season — proved its quality by putting the foot on the gas in the last three innings of the contest. The Hoosiers scored five of their runs in that period.
But up until that point, the game was in either team’s hands, but the Hoosiers took it with better situational hitting. IU’s first baserunners in three separate innings came around to score; two of them did so with two outs on the board. - More College Headlines
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