Setting The Stage:
Indiana State continues year three of the Kevin McKenna era on Wenesday, January 13 when the Sycamores host Wichita State. Tip-off is slated for 7:06 p.m. (ET) at Hulman Center. The game will be televised locally on WTWO-TV. Jason Pensky & Jim Waugh will call the action for television. On the radio airwaves, the game will be live on The Crock 92.7 FM as well as online at GoSycamores.com. Brian Fritz & Matt Renn will call the action live on the radio broadcast. A pay-per-view Web stream will be available on GoSycamores.com.

ABOUT THE COACHES
Kevin McKenna (Creighton '93) is in his third season as the head coach at Indiana State (36-41 at ISU & 126-74 overall). 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 one of just two NCAA Division I head men's basketball coaches who have won an NBA World Championship (with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982). Florida International's Isiah Thomas is the other. He is the only NCAA Division I men's basketball head coach to earn both an NBA and CBA Championship and is the only person in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference to win a MVC Regular Season Title , MVC Tournament Championship, NBA Championship and CBA title. McKenna is 2-3 against Wichita State, including a mark of 1-1 at Hulman Center.

Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon '85) whose teams have gone to the NCAA tournament seven of the last 11 seasons, was named the 25th head men's basketball coach at Wichita State on April 14, 2007. With two seasons behind him, the enthusiastic and energetic coach has the Shockers headed back to a place of promience on the national scene after taking WSU back to postseason in 2008-09 for the first time since 2006. Marshall, who came to WSU after a highly successful tenure at Winthrop, picked up his 200th career win in his first year as a Shocker, and enters the 2009-10 season 222-120. Marshall came to WSU after completing his ninth year at Winthrop, as he led the Eagles to their finest year with a third-straight Big South Conference championship, a seventh NCAA appearance in nine seasons, their first win in the NCAA tournament and a No. 22 ranking in the AP and USA Today Top 25 polls. Marshall was named the Collegehoops.net 2007 Mid-Major Coach of the Year for his efforts, and also received the Collegeinsider.com Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award. Marshall is 2-3 against Wichita State, including a mark of 1-1 at Hulman Center.

SERIES HISTORY
Wichita State holds a 43-27 lead in the all-time series. ISU is 18-14 all-time against the Shockers at home.

TELEVISION PARTICULARS
Wednesday's game will be televised live locally on WTWO-TV in the Wabash Valley.

A Little History:
Indiana State is currently in its 114th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,341-1,137 all-time on the hardwood. The Sycamores are 21 contests away from playing their historic 2,500th game in the history of the program.

The Marshall Plan Is DEFENSE!:
Indiana State senior guard Harry Marshall has routinely drawn the opposition's toughest assignment so far through five games of Missouri Valley Conference play and has shown why he is one of the top defenders in the league by limiting some of the conference's most potent offensive weapons to well below their season average. In fact, Marshall has already successful guarded four of the league's top 20 scorers in MVC play. To wit, of Marshall's five primary assignments in MVC play so far, Marshall has held four of them to 10 points or less. Collectively, Marshall has held the group of Southern Illinois' Kevin Dillard, Creighton's Cavel Witter. Drake's Josh Young; Bradley's Taylor Brown and Evansville's Denver Holmes to an average of 9.2 points per game. The group is shooting 15-of-47 against Marshall (31.9 percent) and is 5-of-16 from 3-point range (31.3 percent). Marshall forced this group into an average of 2.4 turnovers per contest. Below is a complete chart of Marshall's exemplary defensive work against some of the league toughest to stop.

Opponent (Primary Assignment) MVC Avg. MVC Rank FG 3FG Pts TO Under Avg.
at Southern Illinois (Kevin Dillard) 12.8 ppg 5th 3-11 0-3 6 4 -6.8
Creighton (Cavel Witter) 9.8 ppg N/A 0-5 0-5 7 1 -2.8
at Drake (Josh Young) 11.4 ppg 18th 3-9 2-5 9 1 -2.4
at Bradley (Taylor Brown) 17.0 ppg 3rd 5-10 1-1 14 4 -3.0
Evansville (Denver Holmes) 15.0 ppg 15th 4-12 2-2 10 2 -5.0

Three Or More In Double Figures Equals Sycamore Success:
Indiana State has had a least three players reach double digit scoring in nine contests this season. When the Sycamores are able to accomplish that feat they have been nearly unbeatable, as ISU is 8-1 in such situations. Below are the contests in which ISU has placed at least three scorers in double digits, along with a note of how many scorers actually scored more than 10 points and what the final score of the contest was. ISU is averaging a 9.1 point margin of victory when the Sycamores post at least three double digit scorers.

Opponent Number Of Double Digit Scorers Final Score
Nebraska-Kearney Five (Marshall, Printy, Kelly, Reed, Carter) 88-58
vs. Milwaukee Four (Reed, Marshall,Kelly, Lathan) 76-63
Colorado State Three (Marshall, Kelly, Lathan) 65-60
at Arkansas State Four (Richard, Leitnaker, Marshall, Kelly) 77-72
at Toledo Three (Richard, Kelly, Lathan) 55-54
Creighton Three (Reed, Lathan, Marshall) 70-64
at Drake Three (Lathan, Reed, Marshall) 60-46
at Bradley Four (Richard, Reed, Marshall, Printy) 85-91 (ot)
Evansville Four (Marshall, Carter, Reed, Printy) 69-55

Marshall's March To 1,000 Career Points & Milestone Game Against Wichita State:
Indiana State senior Harry Marshall currently has 889 career points, needed 111 to become the 32nd member of the Indiana State 1,000-point club. Marshall also is playing his 100th career game on Wednesday night when they Sycamores face off against Wichita State.

Martin Nearing Century Mark For Blocked Shots:
Indiana State junior Isiah Martin needs two blocked shots to reach 100 for his career. His current total of 98 blocks ranks fourth all-time in the history of the program and he needs 12 more to overtake Nate Green for third (109). The Indiana State school record is 168, set by DeCarsta Webster from 1975-78.

Air Marshall:
Harry Marshall paced Indiana State with a 17.5 points per game average last week as the Sycamores won at home against Evansville but fell on the road at Bradley. Marshall was 10-of-21 from the field (47.6 percent), but was effective at getting to the free throw line, hitting 13-of-17 attempts (76.5 percent). Marshall recorded 4.5 rebounds as well as 7.5 assists per game. He posted an impressive 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio over the two-game stretch (15 assists against eight turnovers). He led ISU with a season-best 19 points in the home victory over Evansville, hitting 6-of-10 shots from the field, including a 2-of-3 mark from 3-point range and was 5-of-6 at the free throw line. Marshall added five rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals in 34 minutes of action. He was outstanding as well in defeat at Bradley, leading the Sycamores with 16 points and tying a career-high with nine assists and a steal in 38 minutes of action. Marshall was 8-of-11 at the free throw line versus the Braves.

The Koang Show:
Koang Dulouny averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as the Sycamores battled on the road against Bradley and returned home to down Evansville last week. Doluony scored a career-high eight points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers at Bradley. He added a pair of rebounds as Doluony was 3-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from long range in 17 minutes of action. Duluony added two points and a career-high tying six rebounds in the home court victory over Evansville.

Long Range Success Against Bradley & Evansville:
Indiana State made 10 field goals from 3-point range against Evansville as that performance came on the heels of a 16-trey performance at Bradley which marks the first time the Sycamores have connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in consecutive contests since draining 14 at Illinois State (02/08) and 11 versus Drake (02/11) last season.

The Chairmen Of The Boards:
The Sycamores held a 40-34 advantage on the boards against Evansville and moved to a perfect 9-0 on the season when posting more rebounds than an opponent. The Sycamores' 40 rebounds against the Purple Aces where the most for an ISU squad since recording 44 caroms against NebraskaKearney in the season openers. ISU was able to out-rebound a Purple Aces squad which ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a +5.1 rebounds per game margin. Indiana State is virtually even for the season in rebounds as the Sycamores have hauled in 553 rebounds while opponents have gathered 554.

They're Free! Take Em!:
Indiana State has been hitting the freebies so far this season, as the Sycamores are a close second to Wichita State for top honors in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 76.6 percentage from the charity stripe. ISU has hit 245-of-320 while the Shockers are 263-of-342. ISU currently ranks ninth nationally in free throw percentage.

Ability To Bounce Back:
With 69-55 victory over Evansville, ISU improved to 19-23 under third-year head coach Kevin McKenna in games following a loss. The Sycamores suffered a 91-85 overtime loss at Bradley, but were able to bounce back for the victory over the Purple Aces. This season, ISU is 5-0 in games which following a loss, having not lost consecutive games so far.

Winnin' By A Whisker:
Indiana State has recorded four victories in close games this season, defined as a game decided by five or fewer points. Winning the close ones has been a staple of third-year head coach Kevin McKenna's career as he has already has 13 "close" wins while at Indiana State. In addition to the four already posted this season, his Sycamores' recorded five in 2008-09 and four more during his first season at the helm, 2007-08. In fact of McKenna's first 74 games as head coach of the Sycamores, 20 have been decided by five points or less and ISU is 13-7 in those games, for a .650 winning percentage.

Carl Richard Posts First Double-Double of the Year:
Carl Ricahrd scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the 91-85 overtime road loss at Bradley to post Indiana State's first double-double of the season. Richard was 5-of-8 from the field, including a 3-pointer. It marked Indiana State's first double-double since Richard posted one himself at Missouri State last season. In that contest, Richard had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Best Defensive Performance In A Year At Drake:
The Indiana State defense clamped down in the final 10 minutes at Drake and held the Bulldogs to just 46 points, which is Drake's lowest offensive production at home this season. The 46-point defensive gym turned in by the Sycamores marks the first time that the Sycamores have held an opponent to less than 50 points since Jan. 23, 2008 when ISU held Evansville to just 42 points.

Lathan Named Valley Newcomer of the Week Twice:
Indiana State sophomore Dwayne Lathan was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season following his performance before the Holiday Break against IUPUI. Lathan led ISU with a career-best tying effort in leading ISU with 18 points. Lathan hit 6-of-11 shots from the floor and was 6-of-10 from the free throw line as he led ISU with 18 points and 7 rebounds. He added one assist and a steal in 29 minutes of action. Lathan leads ISU with nine double digit scoring performances in his 10 games played (missed season opener against Nebraska-Kearney). Lathan also leads ISU with a 14.3 ppg scoring average which is the fifth-best mark in the Missouri Valley Conference and is the top by any league newcomer. Lathan also leads ISU with his 5.8 rebounds per game average, which is seventh in the league. Lathan also took the league's top newcomer honor following the second week of play at LSU, on a neutral floor against Milwaukee and at home versus Colorado State.

Jake Kelly Suffers Season Ending Knee Injury Against Salukis:
Jake Kelly has been lost for the season following a knee injury that will require season ending surgery. The team learned of the severity of Kelly's injury following an evaluation conducted by team physician Dr. Tom Klootwyk at Methodist Sports Medicine in Indianapolis. Kelly was third on the team this season with a 9.0 ppg scoring average with 18 assists and six steals. He drained the game winning jumper in a 55-54 road victory over Toledo on December 19. Kelly was playing this season following his transfer from the University of Iowa as the NCAA waived the year in residence requirement and allowed him to compete this season.

Triple Trouble On The Road:
Indiana State has defeated Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Toledo in back-to-back-to-back road non-conference games. It marks the first time ISU has won three consecutive road non-conference games since the 2005-06 campaign when the Sycamores downed Butler, Western Michigan and Eastern Illinois. ISU was 8-1 in non-league games that season.

Stepping Up To The Challenge:
Indiana State did its part for its league in the inaugural Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge as the Sycamores downed Colorado State 65-60 at Hulman Center. All nine of the Mountain West Conference schools will face off against a predetermined member of the MVC with the exception of Evansville. The MVC won the inaugural Challenge this year by a 5-4 margin, capped by a win by Northern Iowa over Wyoming last week.

Best Shooting Performance In Five Seasons:
Indiana State connected on 30-of-52 field goals in the 76-63 victory against Milwaukee. That performance equates to a 57.7 percent mark. The 57.7 percent showing is the best by an Indiana State state team since they hit 59.6 percent from the field in January of 2004 against Drake.

Local Flavor Of Team To Get Some Seasoning:
All four of Indiana State's incoming freshmen are expected to redshirt this season. Jake Odum, a native of Terre Haute, along with RJ Mahurin (Rockville, Ind.,) and Logan & Lucas Eitel (nearby Marshall, Ill.) will all sit out their initial seasons in the program and take a redshirt season. Subject to change as the season progresses, the four local student-athletes will push the total to of six freshmen to ++++redshirt in head coach Kevin McKenna's three seasons. Jordan Printy redshirted during the 2007-08 campaign while Koang Doluony took a redshirt season last year and made his Sycamore debut on Friday against Nebraska-Kearney.

Sycamore Signees:
Indiana State inked three student-athletes to national letters of intent 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.

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.

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.

Up Next:
Indiana State takes to the Missouri Valley road to take on league leading Northern Iowa on Saturday, January 16 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Tip-off is slated for 8:05 p.m. (ET). The game can be heard live in the Wabash Valley on The Crock 92.7FM as well as worldwide on the internet at GoSycamores.com.