TERRE HAUTE —
With three players new to the starting lineup and multiple freshmen and sophomores contributing, Indiana State coach Teri Moren and her veteran staff have done their share of teaching throughout the season.
While it’s nothing new to sports to use film as a tool to aid in that learning process, modern technology makes the process of watching video footage of a team’s own games and opponents’ games a different process than in the past.
Laptops might be for studying and writing a term paper, but college basketball players can also put in time watching basketball footage during down time.
Anna Munn, the Missouri Valley’s second-leading scorer at 15.7 per game, is one of the Sycamores’ most dedicated to reviewing film, Moren said.
“Our best basketball IQ kid is Anna Munn, and that’s because she watches,” Moren said. “She’ll ask for DVDs. We have Synergy, which is our scout [software] that we use. They have passwords and can watch themselves, watch our games, watch opponent games.
“Some of the kids aren’t as likely to watch all that. Anna Munn is one of the kids who watches a lot. She likes the good, bad and the ugly. She doesn’t get caught up on watching herself knock down shots. She’s watching how did we get beat.”
Riding a season-high four-game winning streak, Indiana State (16-8, 8-5 MVC) plays host to Illinois State at 2:05 p.m. today with the chance to move into third place. The Sycamores and Redbirds have each had all week to prepare for one another’s tendencies. The Sycamores have seen what the Redbirds are doing differently since their last meeting, while also analyzing what happened in that first meeting — a 66-65 Illinois State victory in Redbird Arena.
ISU had a chance to win that game, but Anna Munn’s open mid-range jumper at the buzzer just missed. But that was a promising moment for the ISU staff because the Sycamores showed they had learned from a mistake six days earlier.
“Against Evansville, we didn’t get a shot, we turned it over. [Freshman] Kasey [Johnson] gets the rebound, dribbles to half court and kills her dribble, we don’t get a shot,” Moren said. “The very next game’s Illinois State and we were in a similar situation. We get the rebound, we get it into Taylor’s hands, she gets it up to Anna, our best shooter, and we get an open look. To me, that shows progress, we talked about that situation watching film and said this is what needs to happen. We’ve witnessed that growth.”
Munn, ISU’s leading scorer at 15.1 points-per-game, said the Sycamores take a mature approach to how video of games will help them win. When four of their MVC losses are by a combined four points, it also helps the players understand how important each little thing is.
“We definitely take film seriously,” Munn said. “It’s an opportunity for us to see it on the court. It’s a chance to not only see the things we did wrong, but also to see the things we do right. And can do right again. The little things, like one rebound, one free throw, they all matter.”
The coaching staff will watch film daily, and the Sycamores will watch film as an entire team regularly. Moren said that’s the best way the staff can best teach how the guards and post players should be working together.
But it’s not a one-way process. Moren likes to make the players part of the scouting report process. The players might all watch opponent film first on their one before coming together to gameplan.
“They’re usually right on target with what they’ve seen and what they’ve picked up on. Some will be able to say we need to guard so-and-so like this,” Moren said. “We’ll kind of allow them to have input on the scouting report. You kind of make it fun. They kind of feel like they’re a part of the process of the preparation.”
The third-year Sycamore coach, who played in college for Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn at Purdue, said times have changed since the early 1990s.
“You used to have three or four tape decks on top of each other that you had to rewind on. It was so different that it is now,” said Moren, who can view on organized breakdown through the Synergy service of a game 24 hours after it happens on a computer 500 miles from her office in Terre Haute.
But the convenience of it only helps if players are receptive to the criticism and eager to learn from what the video shows.
“The film is your greatest tool that you have. It doesn’t lie. Sometimes it’s difficult. Especially individuals, sometimes it’s hard to see themselves not be successful. Everything’s a teaching point for us. We have to make sure to hammer away to them that it’s not personal,” Moren said. “This is what you did, this is the correction on it, you’ve got to be better because of it. I think sometimes you have individuals, and it’s hard to be able to criticize. This isn’t a team that’s like that. They let [mistakes] go. They want to know how to make it better.”
The growth process of the team this “young” team has been enjoyable, Munn said, and it’s more than about taking extra shots or doing defensive drills in practice.
“I really think we’ve grown, not just physically but mentally and emotionally,” Munn said. “We’ve come together a lot as a team. Even we had the tough losses — the one-point games, the two-point games — we’ve stayed together. That’s the biggest thing that’s nice about this team.”
• Battle for third place — Illinois State visits Hulman Center having won seven of the past 10 meetings in the series including the 2013 meeting in Redbird Arena mentioned earlier.
Illinois State (17-8, 9-4 MVC) is 3-3 in MVC road games, coming off a 64-46 victory at Evansville. Candace Sykes, a 5-10 senior guard, scored 21 of her career-high 24 points in the second half of that game.
“I think she posted us once or twice, but they’re looking to get her more on the block,” said ISU assistant coach Joey Wells, who did the detailed scouting Illinois State. “She was more of a 3-point shooter. She’s doing some different cuts and taking it off the bounce more.”
Redbirds’ senior guard Jaime Russell leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.3 points. With Russell and senior guard Alexis Jenkins, the Redbirds like to push the tempo.
“The first time we played them, our transition defense wasn’t very good, and [the Redbirds’] offense was really good,” Wells added. “They’re sharing the ball. The second half against Evansville they made the extra pass every time, whether that was to a perimeter player or a post.”
Redbirds’ post player Janae Smith, who scores at a clip of 13.6 per game, and 6-1 sophomore Maddie Oliver helped hold ISU’s Racheal Mahan to a 4-of-11 shooting night in the teams’ first meeting.
The Sycamores might need a strong night from Mahan, who has shot over 60 percent in three of her past four games. She’s getting help from freshman Marina Laramie, who has scored in double figures in three of the past four.
“Both of them are a tough matchup, but Illinois State is one of the few teams [in the MVC] that have two legit post kids,” Wells said.
Indiana State University
With help of easy access to film, Munn, Sycamores growing as a team
- Indiana State University
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ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction
Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. -
ISU sending largest group yet to postseason
On the heels of their thrilling double victory at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships both the Indiana State men and women moved up in the national rankings which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
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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. -
Indiana State to host 2014 MVC baseball tourney
Build it… and they will come. The Missouri Valley Conference and Indiana State University made that famous line from the movie “Fields Of Dreams” reality Thursday.
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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. -
TODD GOLDEN: Don't give up on ISU baseball just yet
If you had to pick one word that would describe the 2013 Indiana State baseball season, it would have to be frustration.
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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. -
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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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
ISU, MVFC brace for change at FCS football level
It seemed so far-fetched.
Internet rumors circulated that Indiana State had been approached by the Sun Belt Conference to bring the Sycamores’ football team into the Sun Belt’s fold.
The Sun Belt is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Bowl football. Big boy football … and all it entails.
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ISU football in good spirits after healthy Spring Game
Was Saturday afternoon’s weather an omen for Indiana State football as the Sycamores wrapped up spring practice with the annual Blue-White Game at Memorial Stadium? After several practices conducted in less-than-perfect conditions, they’d like to think so.
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Loyola ready to take big step
Loyola University and the Missouri Valley Conference took their first steps together Friday and the MVC is hoping the Ramblers don’t have to take too many baby steps before they become a competitive part of the conference.
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Sanford wraps up first spring with ISU
The final day of Indiana State football’s first Mike Sanford experience is upon the Sycamores.
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Lansing excited about Etherington's signing with Sycamores
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To find a diamond-in-the-rough at the high school level who can give you four years? That’s harder to come by. -
Creighton sweep puts ISU in thick of things
In a difficult early-season Missouri Valley Conference schedule, Indiana State took its lumps. Unenviable back-to-back trips to contenders Missouri State and Wichita State had ISU reeling with five straight MVC losses eight days ago.
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Second City in the Valley: Loyola joins the MVC
For the first time in its history, the Missouri Valley Conference will have a home in the Second City.
The Chicago Tribune confirmed Saturday via a Loyola University source that the Ramblers will replace Creighton as the MVC’s 10th team. Loyola — a member of the Horizon League — will join the MVC effective July 1.
Indiana State Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman — who was part of the MVC search committee that scouted potential replacements for Creighton — confirmed Sunday that the Ramblers were in the MVC loop. -
Sycamore baseball holds off Creighton rally
By his own estimation, Indiana State baseball coach Rick Heller has been involved in close to 2,000 baseball games. If anyone has seen it all on the field, he’d be as good a candidate as any.
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Devin Moore pitches gem in 6-1 victory over Creighton
A hip injury suffered by Indiana State ace starting pitcher Sean Manaea shuffled the Sycamores’ starting rotation for the second weekend running as it opened a Missouri Valley Conference home series against Creighton on Friday.
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Sanford gets 2nd look at Sycamores
In the immediate aftermath of a practice, game, or in Friday’s case for Indiana State, a scrimmage, most football coaches defer to the film to paint a true picture of what was and wasn’t done. ISU coach Mike Sanford is no different. With the flurry of activity on both sides of the ball, it’s hard to get a true evaluation of anything watching it live.
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ISU center FN Lutz glad to be back in the middle of things
For someone who missed an entire season due to a knee injury, Indiana State center FN Lutz has certainly kept himself visible since then.
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU's Brandon Pounds the top collegian in Sea Ray relays
Indiana State senior Brandon Pounds was the top collegian in the men’s hammer throw and fellow senior Felisha Johnson opened up the Sycamores’ three-day competition at the University of Tennessee’s Sea Ray relays with a second-place finish in the women’s hammer throw.
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Stealing records: ISU softball’s offense gaining momentum
The Indiana State softball offense is no juggernaut, but the fog may be clearing on a program that has had a long history of struggles with few signs of consistent winning.
Explosive, dedicated athletes like Morgan Allee and Megan Stone are two reasons to believe this group of Sycamores can spark a turnaround.
The Sycamores are scoring an average of 3.1 runs per game while also ranking in the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference pack in hits and batting average. But the Sycamores are on pace to break the school record for on-base percentage as they lead the MVC in walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts and stolen bases.
Allee, with 17 regular-season games to go, broke the school record for stolen bases in a season Tuesday against IUPUI and is among the 10 best in the NCAA. Her total of 30 makes up almost half of ISU’s 74.
“I’m so big [that] they think I won’t go. It works out well,” the stocky shortstop said. -
ISU’s QB battle
Quarterback battles come in all shapes and sizes, but one could forgive Indiana State’s Mike Perish, Robert Tonyan Jr. and Trent Lancaster if they feel a bit more beleaguered than your average signal-caller.
Not only is the trio fighting for the right to be named ISU’s starter by the Sycamores’ football opener Aug. 29 at Indiana University, but all three also are trying to learn a new offense, they’re acclimating themselves to new coach Mike Sanford’s different way of running things, and they’re trying to maintain harmony amongst each other, so whoever the ultimate winner is can effectively lead the team without angst.
All of it is playing out during ISU’s spring practice, and so far, none of the quarterback candidates have separated themselves from the pack. - More Indiana State University Headlines
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