SETTING THE STAGE

Indiana State continues year one of the Greg Lansing era on Saturday evening, January 22, when the Sycamores continue Missouri Valley Conference play by taking to the Valley road against Wichita State. Tip-off is set for 8:05 p.m. (ET). The game can be seen live on internet on Shocker Vision as part of the GoShockers.com web site. The game will also be broadcast live locally on the radio via ESPN Radio 92.7 FM & 1300 AM, as Brian Fritz and Matt Renn describe the action with an internet broadcast available on GoSycamores.com. Additionally live stats for the contest can be found at GoSycamores.com.

THE WICHITA STATE SERIES

Wichita State holds a 45-27 lead in the all-time series. The Shockers have won six in a row against the Sycamores at home. The Sycamores last won at Wichita State by the score of 64-63 on January 17, 2004. Overall, Wichita State holds a 28-7 lead against Indiana State in games played in Wichita.

THE HEAD COACHES

INDIANA STATE: Greg Lansing (South Dakota, '90)

- at Indiana State: 12-7 (First Season)

- Overall: 12-7 (First Season)

- vs. Wichita State: First Meeting

- vs. Missouri Valley Conference: 7-1

WICHITA STATE: Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon, '85)

- Overall: 262-134 (13th Season)

- at Wichita State: 68-52 (Fourth Season)

- vs. Indiana State: 3-4

QUICK HITS

- Indiana State is looking to move to 8-1 in MVC play for the first time since the 1999-00 campaign, which saw the Sycamores earn their first regular season MVC Championship since the Dream Season of 1978-79 with Larry Bird.

- Indiana State is 9-1 on the season when Jake Odum plays at least 31 minutes and are 5-1 when Carl Richard records double digit rebounds.

- The Sycamores have knocked down more 3-pointers than their opponents in each of the last 11 games.

- The Indiana State defense has been strong this season, holding opponents to just 40.5 percent shooting which is the best field goal percentage defense mark in the Missouri Valley. In league play, the Sycamores are allowing just 39.1 percent from the field, which is tops in the conference.

- Indiana State has won a total of five games by five points or less this season, upping their total of close victories to 31 since 2005.

An Indiana State Win Over Wichita State Would ...

• Give Indiana State a 8-1 start to league play which would tie this year's team with the 1999-00 MVC Championship squad for second-best start to league play in school history.
• Assure the Sycamores that they will finish the first half of league play in at least a tie for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
• Breaking a six-game road losing streak to Wichita State (2004 was the last road win for ISU over the Shockers.

The Indiana State Head Coach

Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 12-7 (.632) overall in his first season as a head coach. He is 7-1 all-time in MVC games, including a 5-0 mark at home, a 2-1 mark on the road and a 0-0 record in neutral court contests. During his career, he is 8-0 in all home games, 3-5 on the road, 1-2 in neutral court contests and 5-2 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 0-0 all-time against Wichita State, including a 0-0 record inside Koch Arena. With the Trees, Lansing is 0-1 in overtime games and 9-0 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Saturday's game is Greg Lansing's 20th as Indiana State head coach.

Television Particulars

The game can be seen live on Shocker Vision as part of GoShockers.com, which is a pay-per-view web stream subsciptson service.

A Little History

Indiana State is currently in its 115th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,360-1,154 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.

Aaron Carter Continues Hot Stretch Against Missouri State

Indiana State took down previously undefeated Missouri State at home on Wednesday night at Hulman Center. A big reason for the Sycamore success was the play of senior Aaron Carter who paced the team with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-7 mark for 3-point range. Also strong was Carl Richard with 18 points and seven rebounds plus 11 points off the bench from RJ Majurin. The Sycamore bench outscored the Bear bench by a 21-9 margin.

Carl Richard's Buzzer Beater Against Creighton Featured On ESPN; Follows Two Previous Strong Outings

Indiana State junior forward Carl Richard has posted a double-double three times this season, including in two of the last four contests - all in Valley play. Richard tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds at Drake and he posted 17 points with 10 rebounds as ISU picked up its first victory at Bradley in the last 13 tries on Wednesday evening. Richard added 11 points and eight rebounds against Creighton, but saved his best for last as he hauled in a Jake Odum 3-point miss and hit a reverse over the shoulder lay-up as time expired to seal ISU's 61-59 victory over the Jays. The play has been featured this weekend on ESPN SportsCenter (garnering No. 2 status on the popular SportsCenter Top 10 Plays segment and was rated the No. 1 Fantastic Finish Of The Day). Over the last three games, Richard has hit 19-of-37 of his shots from the field (51.4 percent), including a 7-of-12 mark (58.3 percent) from 3-point range. Additionally, he is averaging 9.7 rebounds per contest in the last three games.

It's Cool Inside Cause The "A.C." Is ON!

Senior Aaron Carter spurred ISU to a perfect 2-0 week on the road against Bradley as well as a home court victory over Creighton. Carter tallied a career-high 20 points versus the Bluejays, hitting 6-of-9 3-pointers, including five in the second half, as he added a pair of rebounds and steals as well as an assist in 24 minutes of action. Carter's six 3-pointers were the most by a Sycamore in one game since Jordan Printy drilled six at Missouri State last season. He added 14 points, bolstered by an 8-of-9 mark from the free throw line at Bradley to go with two rebounds and assists plus a pair of 3-pointers in the victory. For the week, Carter averaged 17.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He was a blazing 8-of-13 from behind the 3-point line (61.5 percent) and was 8-of-9 at the free throw line (88.9 percent).

Steve McWhorter Makes It Back-to-Back MVC Newcomer Of The Week Honors For Indiana State

Freshman Steve McWhorter played a key role in Indiana State's perfect 2-0 week as he averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists (against zero turnovers) and 1.5 steals against Bradley and Creighton and was rewarded with his first career MVC Newcomer Of The Week honor. Jake Odum was the reigning MVC Newcomer Of The Week before McWhorter's honor. McWhorter was 5-of-7 from the field (71.4 percent), including a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range over the two-game stretch. McWhorter tallied 11 points against Creighton, going 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from behind the 3-point line. He added three assists and three steals versus the Jays. On the road against Bradley, McWhorter added four points and five rebounds, hitting his only 3-pointer in 23 minutes of action.

Good Starter On The Battery

Indiana State is a perfect 9-0 this season when the Sycamores starting five outscores the opponent's starting five in a contest. ISU starters have bested their counterparts against UT-Pan American, Buffalo, DePaul, Oakland City, the home contest versus Bradley, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, at Drake and against Creighton. In those nine contests, ISU's average margin of victory in 17.1 points, as the Sycamores are averaging 70.1 ppg and allow just 53.0 ppg. ISU also owns a 35.0-29.8 advantage in the rebounding battle and have totaled 137 assists against just 112 turnovers. The Sycamores field goal percentage defense is 36.5 while the are giving up just 27.8 percent from 3-point range.

Perfect At Home

Indiana State has won all eight of their home games during the Greg Lansing era and has won each of their last 13 home games overall. The 12-game home court winning streak is the longest for the Sycamores since posting 22 Hulman Center victories in succession from 1999-01. The Sycamores are winning their home contests by an average margin of 71.4 to 53.4 and are hitting 207-of-436 shots from the field (47.5 percent), including a mark of 69-of-144 from 3-point range (47.9 percent). ISU has recorded 126 assists at home this season, against just 93 turnovers.

Valley Win Streak Now At Six

Indiana State has rattled off six consecutive league victories over the past two weeks which is the most for the Sycamores since they tallied seven in a row during the 1999-00 MVC Championship season. ISU's 7-1 start to league play marks the first time the Trees have began MVC competition with as a good mark through seven games since that same season and is tied for the second-best start in Valley play behind the 1978-79 dream season which saw ISU start 7-0 en route to finishing the year undefeated.

Getting To The Glass

The Indiana State basketball team has been extremely efficient on the boards through 19 contests this season as they are out-rebounding their opponents by a 35.8 to 32.1 margin. ISU has pulled down more rebounds in 13-of-19 contests this season and has been at least +10 in the rebounding category in four separate contests - Texas-Pan American, at Ball State, at Wyoming and against DePaul. Individually, junior Carl Richard owns an 6.6 rpg average, which is the fifth-best mark in the MVC so far this season.

Quick Start To League Play

Indiana State's 7-1 start to MVC play is their best start since the 1999-00 campaign which also saw the Sycamores win six of their first seven league contests before making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the MVC Regular Season Championship. ISU's victory at Drake gave the Sycamores back-to-back victories in Des Moines for the first time since also winning their in 1997 & 1998 while their win at Bradley was their first in the last 13 tries. Additionally, ISU's road victory over Drake broke a four-game losing road MVC losing skid for the Sycamores -- earning their first Valley win away from Hulman Center since a January 31, 2010 win at Evansville. The Sycamores picked up another road league victory at Bradley following the Drake triumph. ISU has not started league play with a 8-1 mark since the 1999-00 campaign which saw the Sycamores pick up their first MVC regular season title since Larry Bird led ISU to a perfect league record during the 1978-79 Dream Season.

Odum More Than "O.K." For ISU As A Freshman

Redshirt freshman Jake Odum has been more than just OK for the Sycamores this season as he is averaging 7.2 points per game so far. Additionally, he is leading the team with 73 assists and 35 steals. His 3.8 assists per game average is third in the MVC and is the best of any newcomer in the league so far this season while his 2.2 assist to turnover ratio is second in the league and is also the best mark of any Valley newcomer. Odum's 1.8 steals per game average is ranked first in the Missouri Valley Conference. In league games only, Odum's 5.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game are tops in the league. Odum set a new career high with nine assists (against just one turnover) in the 61-59 victory over Creighton.

Finding The Open Man

Through eight league games, Indiana State has shown an ability to find the open man and it is being reflected routinely in the box scores as ISU is currently second in the league with a 14.3 assists per game average. In fact, ISU has posted double figure assist totals in 10 of its last 11 games, including a Valley-best 19 in the opener against Bradley and again against Northern Iowa. Freshman Jake Odum is averaging 5.4 assists per game in league play which leads the league.

Carter Top 10 In MVC Contests

In Valley play, senior Aaron Carter is leader for the Sycamores in scoring with a 13.5 ppg average which is ranked sixth-best in the MVC.

Printy Moving Up Indiana State 3-Point List

Indiana State junior Jordan Printy currently has 122 career 3-pointers and has passed Gabe Moore's 120 for eighth on the ISU all-time list with his trio of treys against Northern Iowa. 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. Printy now needs three more triples to tie Marcus Howard & Marico Stinson for sixth on the all-time list (125).

63 Is The Magic Number

Indiana State is a perfect 9-0 on the season when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 5-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less). ISU's best defensive effort this season that was not rewarded with a victory came on the opening weekend when 64 points allowed in overtime against Eastern Kentucky and another 64 point defensive showing at Evansville. The Trees have held each of their last five opponents below the magic number of 63.

Isiah Martin Ranks Highly For Career Blocked Shots

Indiana State junior Isiah Martin now has 122 blocked shots in his career following his posting of one against Creighton. His current total of 122 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 five more to catch Djibril Kante for second place with 127. For the season, Martin is averaging 0.9 blocked shots per game and is one of two Sycamores to rank in the Valley's Top 10. Myles Walker's 1.2 blocks per game average is third in the league while Martin's 0.9 is 10th. As a team, Indiana State is averaging 4.8 blocked shots per game which is the best in the league. ISU had a season-best 10 blocked shots against Bradley, it most since recording 11 against Evansville during the 2008-09 campaign.

King Of The Four-Point Play

Indiana State senior Aaron Carter has become known as the "King of the 4-Point Play" in Sycamores circles. For the most part, converting a 4-point play is extremely rare, but for Carter it is becoming old hat. Carter has 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, seven times in his Sycamore career, including one against Purdue earlier this season which gave the Trees a brief 31-29 lead just before halftime. 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. Carter converted two in one game last season at Missouri State as part of a 24-point second half comeback for Indiana State. During his career, Carter has been fouled in act of shooting a 3-pointer a total of 12 times.

Prince Of Wales Of The Four-Point Play

Indiana State redshirt freshman RJ Mahurin may not be the Sycamores' King Of The Four-Point Play, but he is currently can be considered the Prince Of Wales. Mahurin has posted two 4-point plays this season, one each in ISU's last two games against Drake and Bradley. His two 4-point plays have each come in the first half of the two contests in which he has been fouled while stepping out for a 3-pointer, has been fouled and has converted the ensuing free throw.

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.

Up Next

Indiana State returns home on Wednesday, January 26 when they host Evansville, who is the lone league team to knock off the Trees this season. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET).