Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State continues year one of the Greg Lansing era on Saturday evening, December 4, when they travel to Wyoming for the Sycamores participation in the Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge. Tip-off at Wyoming's Arena-Auditorium is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET). The contest will be televised on the The Mountain TV Network with James Bates and Joe Cravens on the call. The game will be broadcast live locally on the radio via ESPN Radio 92.7 FM & 1300 AM, with an internet broadcast available on GoSycamores.com. Additionally live stats for the contest can be found at GoSycamores.com.
THE WYOMING SERIES
Wyoming leads the all-time series against Indiana State by a 2-1 margin. ISU defeated Wyoming in 1939 by the score of 48-43 and did not meet again until December 19, 2001 with the Cowboys winning 72-58 in Laramie. The two schools last meeting came on December 30, 2002 at Hulman Center with Wyoming earning a 69-57 victory.
THE HEAD COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Greg Lansing (South Dakota, '90)
- at Indiana State: 3-4 (First Season)
- Overall: 3-4 (First Season)
- vs. Wyoming: First Meeting
- vs. Missouri Valley Conference: 0-0
WYOMING: Heath Schroyer (Armstrong Atlantic State, '95)
- at Wyoming: 43-58 (Fourth Season)
- Overall: 78-105 (Seventh Season)
- vs. Indiana State: First Meeting
QUICK HITS
- Indiana State's game at Wyoming is part of the annual Missouri Valley/Mountain West Conference Challenge Series. ISU downed Colorado State by the score of 65-60 last season at Hulman Center in the first year of the series.
- ISU is returning to Wyoming for the first time since 2001, a 72-58 Cowboy victory.
- Indiana State is playing away from Hulman Center for the seventh time in its first eight games. The Sycamores will play at home for its next two contests.
An Indiana State Win Over Wyoming Would ...
• Give Indiana State wins in each of the two years it has participated in the MVC/Mountain West Challenge.
• Be Their First Against The Cowboys Since 1939.
• Give Indiana State at least a 4-4 start to seven of its last eight seasons.
• Give Head Coach Greg Lansing His Second Career True Road Victory.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 3-4 (.429) overall in his first season as a head coach, all with the Sycamores. He is 0-0 all-time in MVC games, including a 0-0 mark at home, a 0-0 mark on the road and a 0-0 record in neutral court contests. During his career, he is 1-0 in all home games, 1-3 on the road, 1-1 in neutral court contests and 2-1 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 0-0 all-time against Wyoming, including a 0-0 record at the Arena-Auditorium. With the Trees, Lansing is 0-1 in overtime games, and 2-0 when holding teams to 60 points or less. Saturday's game is Greg Lansing's eighth game as Indiana State head coach.
Television Particulars
Saturday's game will be televised live on The Mountain TV Network, which is located on Directv Channel 616.
A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 115th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,351-1,151 all-time on the hardwood. Indiana State's game at Oral Roberts this season was the historic 2,500th game in the history of the program.
Four In Double Figures Scoring At Notre Dame
Dwayne Lathan led a total of four players in double figures scoring at Notre Dame as the Irish came away with an 81-72 victory over the Sycamores. Lathan has 22 points while Jake Kelly posted a Sycamore-high 17 points. Carl Richard added 14 and Myles Walker posted 10 in the contest. Notably, Indiana State committed a season-low seven turnovers and forced 12 Irish miscues which resulted in 12 ISU points.
Jake & Jake Plus Nine
Jake Kelly and Jake Odum paced the Sycamores with 10 points each during the 58-54 home opener victory against Buffalo. Kelly was 3-of-7 from the field, hit a key 3-pointer and was 3-of-4 at the free throw line. He added a pair of rebounds and assists as well as two blocked shots despite battling foul trouble. Redshirt freshman Odum was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and was 2-of-4 at the free throw line with three assists and two blocked shots plus three steals in 35 minutes of action against the Bulls. While the two Jakes scored a combined 20 points the other nine players who saw action for the Trees, tallied 34 points in the victory.
Getting To The Glass
Indiana State has been extremely strong on the boards this season as ISU has pulled down a total of 247 rebounds while the opposition has just 233. ISU is averaging 35.3 caroms per game while opponents are averaging 33.3. Leading the way for ISU has been the performance on the boards of Carl Richard, who is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game, including a total of 19 offensive rebounds. Indiana State has outrebounded four of its seven opponents this season. The Sycamores are one of seven Valley teams to hold a positive rebounding margin so far this season. Richard's 8.9 rebounds per game is currently tops in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Printy Moving Up Indiana State 3-Point List
Indiana State junior Jordan Printy currently has 113 career 3-pointers and needs just two more to tie David Moss' 115 which is 10th on the ISU all-time list. Printy is one of just 14 Sycamores in the history of the program to hit at least 100 3-point field goals in a career. His march up the record book is currently on hold as Printy has missed action in each of the last two contests with an ankle injury.
Isiah Martin Ranks Highly For Career Blocked Shots
Indiana State junior Isiah Martin now has 117 blocked shots in his career following his posting of one against Buffalo. His current total of 117 blocks ranks third all-time in the history of the program as he recently passed Nate Green for third (109). The Indiana State school record is 168, set by DeCarsta Webster from 1975-78. Martin needs 10 more to catch Djibril Kante who for second place with 127. For the season, Martin is averaging 1.6 blocked shots per game and is one of two Sycamores to rank in the Valley's Top 5. Myles Walker's 1.7 blocks per game average is second while Martin's 1.3 is fifth. As a team, Indiana State is averaging 5.5 blocked shots per game which is the best in the league. ISU had seven rejections in their last outing against Buffalo.
Jake Kelly & Dwayne Lathan In Top 10 Valley Scoring
Indiana State's Dwayne Lathan currently is leading the team with a 12.9 ppg average, which is good enough for eighth-best in the league. Right behind Lathan is Jake Kelly, who has posted 12.4 ppg so far this season and is ranked in a tie for 10th in the MVC statistical rankings.
King Of The Four-Point Play
Indiana State senior Aaron Carter has become known as the "King of the 4-Point Play" in the Sycamores circles. For the most part, converting a 4-point play is extremely rare, but for Carter it is becoming old hat. Carter converted a 4-point play, defined as being fouled in the act of shooting a successful 3-point field goal and then converting the free throw, six times in his Sycamore career. Carter posted a pair as a sophomore and had four last year, including one with 3:42 to play in the first half against Drake this past week. Carter converted two in one game earlier this season at Missouri State as part of a 24-point second half comeback for Indiana State.
Notching An Oklahoma Road Victory
Indiana State kept up its winning ways against Oral Roberts with a 74-69 road victory versus the Golden Eagles. ISU has now won each of the last three meetings in the series, including their first on the road. ISU also won its first game in the state of Oklahoma since February 14, 1980 when the Sycamores took down then Valley-member Tulsa, 70-66. The win at Oral Roberts was also the first road victory for first-year head coach Greg Lansing.
Preseason Missouri Valley Conference Predictions
The Indiana State basketball team has received a seventh place predicted finish as announced by the league office. The annual preseason poll was conducted earlier this month by the conference's head coaches, media panel and sports information directors.
The Sycamores finished in a tie for fifth place last year in the league standings and received the No. 6 seed at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis. ISU finished the 2008-09 campaign with a 17-15 overall record and a 9-9 mark in league play.
Wichita State garnered 33 first place votes and are picked to win the league with 382 points. Missouri State took home one first place vote and is slated to finish second (313 points) while 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen qualifier Northern Iowa received three first place votes and is picked third (289 points). In fourth is Creighton with 282 points while Bradley received the final two first place votes and tallied 264 points. Illinois State was sixth with 165 points while the Sycamores had 136 in seventh. Drake was eighth with 121 points, Southern Illinois was ninth with 120 and Evansville rounded out the poll with 73 points.
The MVC preseason team included Kwadzo Ahelegbe (Northern Iowa), Kenny Lawson, Jr. (Creighton), Sam Maniscalco (Bradley), Toure Murry (Wichita State) and Kyle Weems (Missouri State). The honorable mention squad included Taylor Brown (Bradley), J.T. Durley (Wichita State), Adam Leonard (Missouri State), Colt Ryan (Evansville), Seth VanDeest (Drake) and Andrew Warren (Bradley).
Sycamores Sign Devonte Brown & Justin Gant
Indiana State basketball head coach Greg Lansing landed two in his first official recruiting class during the Early Signing Period as Devonte Brown & Justin Gant inked a national letters of intent and will join the Sycamore program next season as incoming freshmen.
Brown is a native of Killeen, Texas where he is a senior guard for Killeen Ellison High School. He is 6-3, 185 and averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists per game at Ellison during his junior season, one year after he earned a starting role for the Screaming Eagles. Brown played shooting guard for 22-11 Ellison last season, leading it to the Texas 5-A playoffs as Killeen's best team in that class. Brown will switch and play point guard during his senior season at Ellison.
Gant is a 6-8, 210 power forward who has been a three-year starter for head coach Todd Woelfle at Terre Haute North Vigo High School. Gant was third in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference in scoring, averaging 17 points per game for the 17-7 Patriots. Gant averaged 17 on a team that scored 50 points per game, one of the best percentages among MIC leaders as far as percentage of points he provided for his team. He also averaged 8 rebounds per game. He played AAU basketball for the Spiece Select 2011 team. Gant averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game for Spiece. He also played for the Indiana Elite team between his sophomore and junior seasons at North.
Sycamores Return To Postseason In 2010
Indiana State made its first appearance in the postseason by accepting an invitation last year to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) by traveling to Saint Louis since participating in the 2001 NCAA Tournament when the Sycamores downed No. 4 seeded Oklahoma in the first round by the score of 70-68 (OT). ISU is 38-20 all-time in postseason play. The Sycamores won the 1950 NAIB National Championship, downing Delta State, Arkansas State, Baldwin-Wallace, Tampa and East Central Oklahoma. The Sycamores have appeared in the 1942 & 1943 National Intercollegiate Tournament, the 1946, 1948, 1949 & 1950 NAIB National Tournament, the 1952, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1962 & 1963 NAIA National Tournament; the 1966, 1967 & 1968 NCAA College Division Tournament; the 1977 & 1978 National Invitation Tournament; and the 1979 & 2001 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship. ISU made a run to the 1979 NCAA Final Four behind the star power of Sycamore legend Larry Bird, falling in the national championship contest to Michigan State, 75-64 in a game that is still the highest rated television basketball broadcast of all-time.
Up Next
The Sycamores return home to take on DePaul on December 8 at 8:05 p.m. (ET). The team will be wearing their throwback powder blue jerseys for the contest to commemorate the 1979 matchup between the two schools at the NCAA Final Four. ISU downed DePaul by the score of 76-74 in Salt Lake City, its only victory against the BIG EAST school in 12 tries.