College
Sycamores try to circle wagons at Wichita
ISU down to just 8 healthy players
WICHITA, Kan. — It’s wagon-circling time for the Indiana State men’s basketball team. The Sycamores have little choice.
Left with just eight healthy bodies now that Harry Marshall (foot) and Dwayne Lathan (hand, ankle) both are out for four to six weeks, not only do the players need to buckle down and try to replace the 25.9 points gone from ISU’s lineup, but ISU’s coaches have to create a new plan of attack to account for the bodies it has left behind.
By necessity, the ISU attack could be wildly different from the one McKenna has cultivated over the course of the season.
“The coaching staff been talking about it and we need to change some things around and best utilize the pieces we have left. We lose our floor leader, we lose our best penetrator, we lose our best communicator on defense, our most alert defender and our most experienced point guard,” ISU coach Kevin McKenna said.
One option is clear. Senior guard Rashad Reed will play point guard. Reed has played point guard before, notably, at the beginning of the 2008-09 season when Marshall was academically ineligible. Reed knows the offense, but sometimes takes chances within the scope of it. No matter, it’s a risk the Sycamores are going to have to live with.
Reed is ready for the challenge and is also ready to be the leader on the floor.
“Now everybody has to rally together even more. Everyone needs to step their game up. Everybody’s going to be playing, everyone’s going to be at positions they may not have played. Everyone has to step their game up,” Reed said. “That’s why you play basketball ... when you get your chance, you do everything you have to do to make sure your team survives. It’s time to jump in a hole and dig our way out of it.”
After Reed, Jordan Printy will form the remainder of the backcourt. From there, the options become a bit more varied. Aaron Carter can, and likely will, play at the small forward spot, but so might Carl Richard, who has played power forward throughout most of his two seasons at ISU. If Carter plays the 3-spot, Richard will likely stay at power forward. If Richard is the swingman, then ISU could go big and have Josh Crawford play the 4-spot and Brant Leitnaker play center.
That leaves Koang Doluony and Isiah Martin, both of whom could start in any of these scenarios. In theory, Doluony’s versatility could see him playing anywhere from the 2-spot to the 4-spot. Martin could play either of the post positions.
No matter the rotation, one thing is assured ... all of the eight Sycamores will be getting plenty of minutes. At ISU’s first post-injury practice, McKenna made it clear that misfortune for Marshall and Lathan can equal opportunity for the healthy Sycamores.
“Everyone’s going to be playing a bigger role. They’ve all had their moments when they’ve done it, now they just need to do it more consistently for a longer period of time,” McKenna said.
The Sycamores who won’t be playing know their role is to make sure morale stays up so that ISU can keep itself in good enough stead for a possible MVC Tournament run if Marshall and Lathan are healthy enough to return by then.
“Everything will be all right. Everything happens for a reason, I think. This really might be a good thing, it might be a blessing in disguise, especially for these guys who get to play. It might make us stronger by the time we come back,” Lathan said.
ISU (14-9, 6-6) has the unenviable task of rolling out whatever look it elects to come up with at what is universally perceived to be the most hostile environment in the Missouri Valley Conference ... Wichita State’s Koch Arena. Coming off a 59-56 loss at Northern Iowa on Wednesday that probably mortally damaged WSU’s MVC title hopes, the Shockers (19-5, 8-4) aren’t likely to give any quarter to the wounded Sycamores.
“Why not go play at one of the toughest places in the league to see where you’re at?” McKenna said. “We can’t worry about things we can’t control, we can’t control when we play teams. We’re just going to go out there, get a game plan together and try to execute.”
Tipoff — 8 p.m. at Koch Arena, Wichita, Kan.
Broadcasts — Radio: WSDM (92.7-FM). Live blog: tribstar.com/sports
Last time out — ISU defeated Illinois State 72-65 and Wichita State lost to Northern Iowa 59-56 on Wednesday.
Series — WSU leads 44-27. The Shockers defeated the Sycamores 84-73 on Jan 13 at Hulman Center.
The players
Indiana State Sycamores (14-9, 6-6) — G Jordan Printy (6-4, So., 6.3); G Rashad Reed (6-1, Sr., 9.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg); G-F Aaron Carter (6-4, Jr., 5.5); F Carl Richard (6-5, So., 7.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg); and C Brant Leitnaker (6-10, Jr., 3.2) are possible starters. F Koang Doluony (6-8, Fr., 3 ppg); C Josh Crawford (6-11, Sr., 3.7 ppg, 1.5 bpg) and C Isiah Martin (6-8, Jr., 3.3) are key contributors off the bench.
Coach — Kevin McKenna (40-46 at ISU, 3rd year; 129-79 overall, 7th year).
Wichita State Shockers (19-5, 8-4) — F Aaron Ellis (6-9, Jr., 3.9); G Clevin Hannah (5-11, Sr., 12.2 ppg, 4.7 apg); G Graham Hatch (6-4, Jr., 9.4); G Toure Murry (6-4, So., 12.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and F J.T. Durley (6-7, Jr., 11.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) are possible starters. G David Kyles (6-3, So., 5.3); F Gabe Blair (6-8, Jr., 7.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg); C Garrett Stutz (7-0, So. 6.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg); G Kenny Manigault (6-4, Fr., 1.5); and G Demetric Williams (6-2, Fr., 2.3) are key contributors off the bench.
Coach — Gregg Marshall (47-42, 3rd year at WSU, 241-125 overall, 12th year).
Injuries — For ISU, G Jake Kelly (knee) is out for the season. G Harry Marshall (foot) and F Dwayne Lathan (hand, ankle) are out.
Keys to the game
n Keep it together. The task in front of the Sycamores is massive, but ISU cannot be overwhelmed by it. To their credit, the Sycamores were very loose during their practice on Thursday, projecting gallows humor in the face of devastating injuries.
n Be creative. ISU's coaches shouldn't leave any options out of the club bag, including schemes that would normally be gimmicky with its regular lineup intact. If one is to stretch the limits and say ISU has an advantage, it's that no team has seen the Sycamores play in whatever configuration they intend to play in. Element of surprise is ISU's friend at present.
Tidbit — ISU has not won a game this season without its leading scorer in the lineup. When Marshall, who is currently ISU's leading scorer was suspended for the Toledo game, Lathan was the team's leading scorer at the time.
Next games — ISU plays at Creighton and WSU is at Evansville on Tuesday.
— Todd Golden
- College
-
-
ISU football coach Miles will hire OC to replace Walters
Troy Walters resignation from Indiana State’s football staff won’t leave the Sycamores a coach down once football season starts. Though ISU players report for practice in a week, ISU coach Trent Miles said he does plan to fill the open offensive coordinator position left vacant when Walters took the job as wide receivers coach at Texas A&M on Monday.
-
College Report: Odds-and-ends from the college world as summer slows down pace
Cleaning out the summer e-mail bag: • Ledune-Bourgasser honored — The University of Southern Indiana softball team had five players named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference team.
-
Terre Haute North's Justin Gant to play at Indiana State
Terre Haute North center Justin Gant had a wealth of teams to choose from when it came time to make the decision on where he’d play college basketball. He traveled the country to decide which school was best for him.
-
Ragland to join ISU men’s hoops staff
Indiana State stayed close to home when it hired Greg Lansing to replace Kevin McKenna as men’s basketball coach in June. In turn, Lansing has elected to stay near home when it came to hire his first assistant coach.
David Ragland, who has coached Vincennes University to a 79-20 record in two years at the helm at the successful junior college program, will join ISU’s basketball staff. -
Brazil bound: North product and Hanover post player taking her game to South America next month
Molly Martin wasn’t sure she should accept the Facebook inquiry. The e-mail to her mother was a little more persuasive. As a result, the former Terre Haute North and current Hanover post player — with, fittingly, her parents — is preparing for a basketball trip to Brazil next month with the USA D-3 All-Stars.
-
ISU women’s hoops picks up another recruit from Indiana
The Indiana State women’s basketball team received a fourth straight verbal commitment from within the Hoosier State.
-
Metro Roundup: ISU pole vaulter Hutson eighth at USA Outdoors
Kylie Hutson wasn’t thrilled with an eighth-place finish in women’s pole vault but Major Clay enjoyed a ninth-place showing in men’s high jump as the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships ended Sunday.
-
NCAA cross country nationals changing courses
While this November will be the seventh straight year and eighth time overall Indiana State will serve as host for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, the NCAA has chosen to rotate the event. The NCAA meet will return again in 2013.
-
ISU track’s Moore not pleased with her performance at USA Nationals
A misstep early in the 400-meter hurdle semifinals cost Indiana State senior Erica Moore a chance to advance to the finals while freshman Stacia Weatherford, racing in the junior event, finished seventh in the finals of the 400 hurdles at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Nationals on Saturday.
- Metro roundup: Strausborger earns national Rawlings Gold Glove award
- More College Headlines
-
ISU football coach Miles will hire OC to replace Walters
