Setting The Stage:
Indiana State begins year three of the Kevin McKenna era on Friday, November 13 when the Sycamores host NCAA Division II foe Nebraska-Kearney. The game will be televised locally on WFXW-TV with Jason Pensky (pbp) and Jim Waugh (color) calling the action. On the radio airwaves, the game will live on The Crock 92.7 FM as well as online at TheCrock927FM.com & GoSycamores.com. Brian Fritz (pbp) and Matt Renn (color) will call the action live on the radio broadcast. The game will also be available on a pay-per-view webstream basis live on GoSycamores.com. Yearly and monthly packages are available and the game can be ordered stand alone for $6.95.

ABOUT THE COACHES
Kevin McKenna (Creighton '93) is in his third season as the head coach at Indiana State (26-37). In his first season with the Sycamores, McKenna led the team to its highest win total since the 2000-01 season and an impressive 12-2 record at home in the Hulman Center. Last season, he led the Sycamores to six victories in their final seven regular season games, including three consecutive league road wins in the span of 10 days. McKenna came to Indiana State after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach at Creighton, where he helped the Bluejays advance to four NCAA tournament appearances. From 2001-05, McKenna spent four years as the head coach (89-33) at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Omaha, where he guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. McKenna is 1-2 all-time in regular season contests against Nebraska-Kearney (all at UNO) and earned an exhibition victory over UNK prior to the 2007-08 campaign at Indiana State in exhibition play.

Tom Kropp (UNK '75) Tom Kropp, one of the greatest athletes ever in the State of Nebraska, has become one of the most respected coaches in the nation. In 2004, Sports Illustrated named Kropp as one of Nebraska's ten greatest sport celebrities among such notable names as Andy Roddick, Ahman Green, and Jay Novacek. The magazine cited Kropp's leadership in leading his Alma Mater to a 73.8 winning percentage, as well as his accomplishments as a two-sport athlete, drafted by the N.B.A., the A.B.A. (American Basketball Association), and the N.F.L. Four years earlier, Sports Illustrated had already selected him as one of Nebraska's 50 greatest athletes of the 20th century. Kropp has never faced the Sycamores in a regular season contest.

SERIES HISTORY
Friday night's game is the first between Indiana State and Nebraska-Kearney in a regular season contest. ISU downed UNK by the score of 90-59 in an exhibition game prior to the 2007-08 campaign.

A Little History:
Indiana State opens the 114th season of college basketball at the school on Friday night against Nebraska-Kearney. The Sycamores are 1,331-1,132 all-time on the hardwood.

For Openers:
Indiana State is looking to earn its first season opening victory since taking a 78-45 decision against Oakland City to kick off the 2007-08 campaign. ISU won six consecutive season openers from 2002 until 2008 before falling 86-79 to open last year's campaign. The Sycamores have won each of their season openers which have occured at Hulman Center since falling by the score of 66-63 to Armstrong State to open the 1979-80 campaign.

Sycamore Signees:
Indiana State inked three student-athletes to national letters of intent earlier this week as part of the NCAA Early Signing Period. Steve McWhorter, Myles Walker and Jake Kitchell comprised the Sycamores' 2009 Signing Class.

McWhorter, a 6-2, 185, point guard from Racine, Wis., won a Division 3 state championship last season at Saint Catherines High School as he averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 assists and shot 57.6 percent from the field for coach Bob Letsch. McWhorter took over as the starter at point guard when he was a sophomore. As a junior, he was on a team with nine seniors, and his talent shined in the state tournament. He had 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a 48-34 state championship victory against La Crosse Aquinas. In the state semifinals, McWhorter had nine points and nine assists.

"Steve McWhorter is first and foremost a leader," McKenna commented. "He is a very quick, aggressive point guard whose strengths are passing, ability to penetrate and defense. He continues to improve as a shooter and he has experience playing for a quality championship caliber program. He had a great summer and is working hard this fall as well. He will fill a need for us with the graduation of Harry Marshall and Rashad Reed next season. We feel very strong about the abilities he is going to be able to bring right away into the program."

Walker is a 6-8, 250, junior college post player from South Plains Junior College who averaged 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent (32 for 83) from the free-throw line as a freshman last season for coach Steve Green. Walker's best game was a 24-point, 13-rebound performance on Jan. 1. He averaged 1.0 blocks per game with a season-high of five, and he twice had three steals in a game.

At Antonian College Prep in San Antonio, Texas he played for head coach Andre Walker. Myles was named to the all-state team three times and all-district four times. He was once named to the North-South All-Star tournament. As a middle linebacker for the football team Myles earned all-state recognition three times and played in the Army All-American Bowl. He also ran track, boasting a time of 48.07 seconds in the 400 meter dash.

"Myles Walker is a good post player prospect," McKenna said. "He plays the game with a physical presence especially on defense. Myles is an extremely athletic player who can score around the basket. His physical presence was one of the things that attracted us to Myles because that is something that I feel we need to improve on. He has been very well coached in high school and at the junior college levels and that also was a key factor in his recruitment."

Kitchell is a 6-9, 225, power forward from Union Mills, Ind., and played for coach John Steinhilber at South Central High School. Kitchell averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and six blocks per game for a team that finished the 2008-09 season with a record of 17-5. He is expected to be a first team all-state selection later this month in the upcoming edition of the annual Hoosier Basketball Magazine. He was a member of the Indiana Junior All-Stars last spring.

"Jake Kitchell is a inside/outside post player that will remind those that watch our games of Jay Tunnell," McKenna commented. "He is a tough, physical player that can shoot from the perimeter well. He comes from both a winning high school and AAU program (SYF). He has put up some big numbers in several categories and we are looking forward to having him join the program next season."

Preseason Valley Predictions:
The Indiana State basketball team has been picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll as announced today by the league office. Additionally, senior Harry Marshall and junior transfer Jake Kelly were named Preseason All-MVC Honorable Mention selections in the annual vote of conference head coaches, media and sports information directors.

The Sycamores' seventh place predicted finish is its highest since the 2001-02 campaign when Indiana State was picked to finish third. Last season, ISU won six of its final seven regular season contests to finish with an 11-21 record, including winning three MVC road contests in the span of ten days. Indiana State captured the league's No. 8 seed at the State Farm MVC Tournament and downed Drake in the opening round before being nipped in the waning moments against eventual league champion Northern Iowa, 71-67, in the tournament quarterfinals.

UNI is picked to repeat as the league's champion with 38 first place votes (389 points) and are followed by the only other team to garner a first place tally, Creighton (336). Picked to finish third is Illinois State (299), followed by Southern Illinois (272), Wichita State (216), Bradley (208), Indiana State (173), Drake (105), Missouri State (92) and Evansville (55).

Marshall was an All-MVC Honorable Mention selection at the end of last season after leading the team with a 13.6 ppg average. Kelly will make his Sycamore debut this season after earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention status last year before transferring from Iowa.

Sycamores Open Exhibition Season With Victory Over RHIT:
Infused with new blood, the Indiana State Sycamores raced to an 89-50 exhibition victory over cross town foe Rose-Hulman in front of 4,812 fans at Hulman Center. Indiana State and Rose-Hulman met on the hardwood for the first time since 1932.

The Sycamores placed four scorers in double figures, paced by junior transfer Jake Kelly and redshirt freshman Koang Doluony who scored 13 each. Also in double figures were sophomore Dwayne Lathan with 11 and freshman Jake Odum who finished with 10. None of those four players were on the active roster one season ago. Of the 89 points the Sycamores piled on the scoreboard, Sycamore newcomers scored 56. All 13 Sycamores that played scored in the contest.

Indiana State blazed the nets in the game, hitting from the field at a 55.6 percent clip. Outside of the 3-point arc, the Sycamores were just as deadly, connected on 12 triples, hitting at a 54.5 percent mark. ISU was 17-of-21 at the free throw line in the exhibition victory.

Victory Of Indianapolis Closes Exhibition Portion Of The Schedule:
Just as it did in its first exhibition game of the season, the Indiana State men's basketball team saw four players reach double figures in a 82-67 win over the visiting University of Indianapolis Greyhounds in front of 3,261 fans at the Hulman Center Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore guard Dwayne Lathan led all scoring with 16 points, while senior guard Harry Marshall tallied 14 points in his first game action of the season. Also reaching double figures were junior guard Aaron Carter with 13 points -- including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc -- and junior guard Jake Kelly with 11.

The Sycamores stood tall again on the defensive end of the court, recording 12 blocks, paced by six from senior center Josh Crawford. Junior Isiah Martin and Kelly both recorded a pair of blocks with freshmen Koang Doluony and RJ Mahurin each tallying one. Indiana State's defense forced Indianapolis to shot just 32.3 percent from the field on 20-62 shooting.

Up Next:
Indiana State opens play in the 2009 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tipoff when they travel to Baton Rouge, La., to take on LSU Monday, November 16. Tipoff is slated for 8:07 p.m. (ET) and the game can be heard live on The Crock 92.7 FM.