TERRE HAUTE — Strong words, considering the Sycamores were picked seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, were 11-21 a year ago, and that ISU hasn’t had a winning season since 2001.
But Marshall said that’s kind of the point … the 2010 Sycamores have depth recent-vintage ISU teams have not had, so in Marshall’s estimation, why should past performance play a role in what ISU’s expectations are?
“I don’t know if it’s a ‘why not us?’ type of thing for the guys. We’ve kind of been a laugh in the Valley for the time I’ve been in the program. We’re picked seventh or eighth or worse every year. Teams around the conference take us lightly,” said Marshall, who noted that 2008 league champion Drake was picked ninth in the league in that year’s preseason poll. “No one thinks we can win, so we can’t we believe it? Why can’t we make them believe it?”
Marshall’s words likely ring true with many Sycamore fans, who are excited about the depth of talent ISU has at its disposal this season.
With the transfer of ex-Iowa guard Jake Kelly and the game-eligibility (after a NCAA-mandated two-game suspension) of ex-Louisiana Tech swingman Dwayne Lathan, ISU added 19.8 points per game to its arsenal based on Kelly and Lathan’s last seasons at their respective former schools, though Kelly was well above his season average of 11.6 ppg during his last month with the Hawkeyes.
Add that to a group that won seven of its last nine games last year — Marshall (13.6 ppg), guard Rashad Reed (11 ppg) and guard Jordan Printy (6.9 ppg) were among those who were key components in that run — and there’s reason for ISU to feel good going into the season, which starts tonight against Nebraska-Kearney.
Depth is oft-repeated strength of the Sycamores and for good reason. In addition to the five aforementioned players, ISU has swingman Aaron Carter (7.6), forward Carl Richard (6.1), center Isiah Martin (4 ppg), center Josh Crawford (3.7) and center Brant Leitnaker (2 ppg) in tow — and those are just the experienced players. Redshirt freshman Koang Doluony will also play after sitting out a season.
Given the depth, ISU will player a faster more athletic system that will take advantage of the depth and ISU’s guard-heavy roster, one that closer approximates what ISU coach Kevin McKenna intended to run when the came to Terre Haute from Creighton.
Finding minutes for everyone could constitute a problem, but in a way, that’s what thrills McKenna the most about the Sycamores’ depth.
McKenna hopes a mentality change will evolve among the players. For many seasons, ISU had to ride their best players for punishing amounts of minutes, whether it was David Moss, Gabe Moore (who worked out with the team on Friday), or last season, Marshall, Reed and others. That won’t be necessary now.
“We had games last year where Jordan [Printy] played 37 and 38 minutes back-to-back. The message we’re trying to get across now is we’re not asking them to do that anymore,” McKenna said. “What we are asking them to do is play harder, play faster and be more productive with the minutes they have. If they do that, they can be as productive as they were last season with fewer minutes played.”
McKenna said ISU isn’t close to a finished product yet. He pointed out that he wants to see better communication and more toughness, especially with ISU’s rebounding. The players said they need to work on their on-court chemistry. Because of the rotation changes McKenna plans, it will take longer for players to get accustomed to who’s where on the floor.
But when and if it all clicks, ISU could be a dangerous team.
“Winning the conference seems like something we couldn’t do to others, we were picked seventh, but I think winning the conference is realistic,” Reed said. “When we get things going, we’re going to be a good team. And once we win the conference, the sky’s the limit.”
McKenna also said on Thursday he hasn’t made a final decision on who will be redshirted, though it is known that Rockville native R.J. Mahurin will be at least one of the freshman who won’t see game action this season. McKenna said a decision will be announced on ISU’s other freshmen — Terre Haute native Jake Odum and Marshall, Ill. brothers Logan and Lucas Eitel — today.
n ISU opens against Nebraska-Kearney tonight — The Sycamores open their season tonight against the Division II Lopers. McKenna is good friends with UNK co-head coach Tom Kropp, who was drafted by the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, the NBA’s Washington Bullets and the (then) ABA Denver Nuggets.
“He’s one of the toughest, hard-nosed athletes that ever came out of Nebraska. He’s as good a guy and as hard a worker as I’ve ever been around,” said McKenna of his friend, with whom he once caught a 9 1/2 pound, 31 inch walleye.
UNK (11-15 last year) came to Hulman Center for an exhibition game in 2007. For ISU to handle the Lopers in real action, the Sycamores need to put the wraps on guard Max Froehlich, an all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference guard.
“They have a fast, uptempo game. They run a lot of motion and score a lot of points. They’ve had good players there through the years,” said McKenna, who coached at Division II Nebraska-Omaha.
The biggest question mark for ISU is the health of Reed, who bruised his knee in ISU’s Nov. 3 exhibition game against Rose-Hulman. Reed did not play Saturday against Indianapolis, but McKenna expects him to play tonight.
“He should be able to play … his vacation is over. He had a bad bruise, but Rashad is better conditioned than he was last year, which is a good thing. The knee injury also helped a groin injury he had as he got to rest,” McKenna said.
Reed admitted he isn’t 100 percent, but he wants to play.
“I’m still sore. I had a deep bone bruise. I’m about 80 to 85 percent, but I’ll be able to give the team a few minutes,” Reed said.
Lathan will sit out the first of two games after the NCAA levied a two-game suspension dating from Lathan’s time at Louisiana Tech when he played in an unsanctioned charity basketball tournament.
The biggest key for the Sycamores is to not overlook the Division II Lopers with Monday’s Preseason NIT matchup with LSU looming.
“You can’t look past anyone. We can’t come in and be thinking about LSU.. Everyone needs to come in focused on Kearney,” Reed said.
UNK at ISU
Tipoff — 7:05 p.m. today at Hulman Center.
Broadcasts — TV: WTWO-2. Radio: WSDM (92.7-FM). Internet: gosycamores.com.
Series — first meeting.
The players
Indiana State Sycamores (0-0) — G Harry Marshall (6-0, Sr., 13.6 ppg in ’09), G Rashad Reed (6-1, Sr., 11.0), G Jake Kelly (6-6, Jr., 11.6 at Iowa), G Jordan Printy (6-4, So., 6.9), F Carl Richard (6-5, So., 6.1 ppg, 6 rpg), C Brant Leitnaker (6-10, Jr., 2.1), G Aaron Carter (6-4, Jr., 7.6), C Josh Crawford (6-11, Sr., 3.7), F-C Isiah Martin (6-8, Jr., 4 ppg) are all possible starters.
Coach — Kevin McKenna (26-37 at ISU, 3rd year; 115-70 overall, 7th year).
Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (0-0) — G Jeremy Cruise (6-0, Jr., 9.5 ppg in ’09), G Max Froehlich (6-4, So., 11.5), F Chris Deans (6-4, So., 8.3), F Drew Sankey (6-6, Fr.), C Josiah Parker (6-10, Sr., 11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg) are projected starters.
Co-coaches — Tom Kropp (400-135, 20th year) and Kevin Lofton (47-41, 4th year).
Injuries — For ISU, G Rashad Reed (knee) is questionable. G Harry Marshall (foot) and C Brant Leitnaker (foot) are probable. Also, G-F Dwayne Lathan (suspension) is out.
Keys to the game
• With the loss of Lathan, ISU must compensate for his athleticism by hitting the boards and by forcing turnovers.
• The Sycamores must not look past the Division II Lopers in anticipation of their game at LSU on Monday.
Tidbit — UNK has played just eight games east of the Mississippi River. The Lopers’ only Division I win came against Southern Illinois in 1995.
Next games — ISU plays at LSU in the Preseason NIT on Monday. UNK plays Hastings on Wednesday.
— Todd Golden
Indiana State University
ISU's Marshall: ‘Anything less than a championship is a failure’
- Indiana State University
-
-
Is this ball rolling? Can Sycamores keep finding their shooting stroke?
Can Indiana State expect any carryover from its record-setting shooting performance Saturday when the Sycamores resume Missouri Valley Conference play against Illinois State at 7:05 p.m. today in Hulman Center?
-
Time for a pick-me-up
Indiana State’s magnificent 3-point shooting duo of Brittany Schoen and Anna Munn connected at crucial times Sunday in Hulman Center.
-
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.
-
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.
-
‘Frustrated’ Sycamores regroup to face Southern Illinois
Indiana State’s men’s basketball struggles have hit one Sycamore senior hard.
-
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.
-
Freezing in Peoria: Sycamores fall at last-place Bradley
When Indiana State’s men’s basketball team has excelled, it has done so via effort, concentration and grit as much as raw talent.
-
MVC’s worst a tantalizing option for ISU
Even though the Indiana State men’s basketball team has played better of late, having won three of its last four games, there’s only one team with a worse record in the Missouri Valley Conference standings than the Sycamores.
-
Sycamores can’t slow down Stutz, Wichita State
All or nothing.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
ISU grinds out win
Drake’s men’s basketball played three overtimes on Saturday; Indiana State played two on Sunday.
-
Sycamores introduce 27 football recruits
Christmas came a bit late, or quite early, depending on your point of reference, but 27 recruits were welcomed to the Indiana State football program on National Signing Day at Hulman Center on Wednesday.
-
After 2 wins, Indiana State isn’t rolling quite yet
With a modest winning streak — two in a row would certainly qualify as modest — the Indiana State men’s basketball team would like to move on to momentum.
-
It’s on: Sycamores, Bulldogs to play at Hinkle on Feb. 18
How badly did Indiana State want to get Butler as its BracketBusters opponent?
-
Sycamores need 2 overtimes to claim win at Evansville
Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing constantly talks about how the Sycamores need to match Evansville’s toughness.
-
Schoen scores 1,000th point in ISU loss
Brittany Schoen scored a game-high 20 points Sunday, becoming the 24th Indiana State women’s basketball player to reach the 1,000-point career mark, but host Wichita State pulled away in the final minutes for a 74-63 win over the Sycamores in Koch Arena.
-
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.
-
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.
-
VICTORY! Sycamores shake losing streak against UNI
With 4 minutes, 20 seconds to go, Indiana State’s men’s basketball led by 10 points and seemed to be on their way to a comfortable victory over Northern Iowa.
-
ISU not without options at quarterback
With the graduation of Ronnie Fouch, Indiana State coach Trent Miles has a big hole to fill at quarterback for the 2012 season.
-
MVC play-in round a stronger possibility for ISU
If you’re familiar with the Beetle Bailey comic strip, a classic scene depicts Sarge hanging from a branch growing out of the side of a cliff with Beetle looking down from above.
-
TILL IT'S OVER: Mahan’s emergence comes at a good time
In the preseason of her second year, Indiana State women’s basketball coach Teri Moren spoke with excitement about having more “pieces” to fit together for a winning puzzle.
-
Halfway to ninth: No. 18 Creighton blows out ISU
The defensive job the Indiana State men’s basketball team did on Creighton super sophomore Doug McDermott might be the envy of the Missouri Valley Conference.
-
TODD GOLDEN: Indiana State men caught between expectation, reality
The Missouri Valley Conference is hush-hush on how it puts together its matchups for the annual conference schedule.
-
ISU women focusing on turnovers today
The ISU women will be concentrating on hanging on to the ball today against Drake in Hulman Center.
-
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.
-
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.
- More Indiana State University Headlines
-
Raw Video: Kim Jong Il Statue Unveiled
Authorities: Houston Found Underwater in Tub
Raw Video: Hearse Arrives at N.J. Funeral Home
Trial Opens for Ala. Man in Bride's Diving Death
Baltimore's 'Crime Stopper' Is a Basketball Star
Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death
Raw Video: Houston Body Flown From L.A. to N.J.
Bacteria Keep Swimmers Off Some Fla. Beaches
First Person: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious
Raw Video: Biden Greets Chinese VP for Visit
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Obama's New Budget: The Winners and Losers
Israeli Diplomats Targeted in India, Georgia
Gregoire: Marriage Equality Is Right for Wash.
Raw Video: 5 People Injured in Bangkok Blasts
Attempted Bomb Attack Stopped in Georgia
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked
Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury
Watch: Whitney Houston's Golden Hearse
Kate Upton MLB 2K12 Commercial
Olympic Swimmer Proposes on Podium After Big Win
Scarlett Johansson's Bikini P-D-A
Man Allegedly Drowns Wife While Scuba Diving
Sports Illustrated Cover Leaked
Wash. becomes 7th state to okay same-sex marriage
Romijn's 60 Pound Weight Loss
The 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast Meets Donald Trump
Kissing contest heats up
Hugh Hefner's Son Arrested
Jacqueline Kennedy's personal papers released
Did Tyler Perry Have a Secret Wedding?
Iran denies Israeli embassy bombings
'Bachelor' Free Falls into the Ocean
Facebook Parenting: Father Posts Video Responding to Daughter's Post
Bobby Brown on Houston's Death
