Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State continues year one of the Greg Lansing era on Friday night, January 7, when the Sycamores continue Missouri Valley Conference play against Northern Iowa at Hulman Center. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET). The game can be seen live locally over the air on WTWO TV 2 with Jason Pensky and Jim Waugh on the call. 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. The game will be available on the popular Sycamore Vision service available via GoSycamores.com with a paid subscription. Additionally live stats for the contest can be found at GoSycamores.com.
THE NORTHERN IOWA SERIES
Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs would be proud of this year's first matchup between Indiana State and Northern Iowa as the all-time series is currently tied 20-20. ISU owns a 13-6 advantage in games played in Terre Haute. The two teams first met during the 1991-92 campaign with ISU winning the first three contests. UNI has won each of the last four contests, dating back to December 28, 2008 when the Sycamores earned a double overtime victory at the McLeod Center. ISU has dropped each of its last two home games versus the Panthers.
THE HEAD COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Greg Lansing (South Dakota, '90)
- at Indiana State: 7-7 (First Season)
- Overall: 7-7 (First Season)
- vs. Northern Iowa: First Meeting
- vs. Missouri Valley Conference: 2-1
NORTHERN IOWA: Ben Jacobson (North Dakota, '94)
- Overall: 99-48 (Fifth Season)
- at Northern Iowa: 99-48 (Fifth Season)
- vs. Indiana State: 6-3
QUICK HITS
- Indiana State is looking to move to 3-1 in MVC play for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign.
- The Sycamores have won 10 consecutive games in Hulman Center and a victory over the Panthers would stretch the streak to 11 in a row, its longest home court winning streak since 1999-01 (22 games).
An Indiana State Win Over Northern Iowa Would ...
• Break a four game losing streak to Northern Iowa and be ISU's first over the Panthers at home since 2008.
• Give Indiana State 11 consecutive victories inside Hulman Center.
• Give Indiana State a 3-1 start to MVC play for the first time since 2007-08.
• Improve first-year head coach Greg Lansing to 6-0 at home.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 7-7 (.500) overall in his first season as a head coach. He is 2-1 all-time in MVC games, including a 2-0 mark at home, a 0-1 mark on the road and a 0-0 record in neutral court contests. During his career, he is 5-0 in all home games, 1-5 on the road, 1-2 in neutral court contests and 2-2 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 0-0 all-time against Northern Iowa, including a 0-0 record at Hulman Center. With the Trees, Lansing is 0-1 in overtime games, and 5-0 when holding teams to 60 points or less. Friday's game is Greg Lansing's 15th as Indiana State head coach.
Television Particulars
Friday evening's game can be seen live on WTWO TV 2 which airs locally on Channel 2 over-the-air and on Dish Network. WTWO TV 2 can be found on Channel 7 on Time Warner Cable. The contest can also be seen live on the Sycamore Vision web stream subscription service available via GoSycamores.com.
A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 115th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,355-1,154 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.
Picking Up The Slack
With Jake Kelly and Dwayne Lathan missing from the Indiana State lineup due to injury against Illinois State on Tuesday evening, four Sycamores reached double figures scoring (Aaron Carter, Jake Odum, Jordan Printy and RJ Mahurin). For the second time since Kelly has been out (span of three games) Carter has led the team in scoring as he notched 14 points against the Redbirds and posted 19 versus Bradley.
More Than Just "O.K." For Odum
Redshirt freshman Jake Odum has been more than just OK for the Sycamores this season as he is averaging 7.4 points per game so far. Additionally, he is connecting on 54 percent of his shots from the field and leads the team with 47 assists and 26 steals. His 3.4 assists per game average is fifth in the MVC and is the best of any newcomer in the league so far this season while his 2.0 assist to turnover ratio is third in the league and is also the best mark of any Valley newcomer. Odum's 1.9 steals per game average is ranked first in the Missouri Valley Conference. Odum is averaging 12.7 points per game in league play, which is tied for 13th best in the MVC, while his 5.7 assists and 4.0 steals per game is tops in the league.
Finding The Open Man
Through three 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 15.3 assists per game average. In fact, ISU has posted double figure assist totals in each of the last six games, including a Valley-best 19 in the opener against Bradley. Freshman Jake Odum is averaging 5.7 assists per game in league play which leads the league. He had a career-high eight against Bradley.
Getting To The Glass
The Indiana State basketball team has been extremely efficient on the boards through 14 contests this season as they are out-rebounding their opponents by a 35.9 to 32.8 margin. ISU has pulled down more rebounds in 9-of-14 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 7.2 rpg average, which is tied for the second-best mark in the MVC so far this season just behind Southern Illinois' Gene Teague.
Perfect At Home
Indiana State has won all five of their home games during the Greg Lansing era and has won each of their last 10 home games overall. The 10 game home court winning streak is the longest for the Sycamores since posting 22 Hulman Center victories in succession from 1999-01.
Dwayne Lathan In Top 10 Valley Scoring
Indiana State's Dwayne Lathan currently is leading the team with a 14.8 ppg average, which is good enough for fourth-best in the league. Lathan missed the Illinois State contest on Tuesday evening after suffering a concussion against Evansville on New Year's Day.
Printy Moving Up Indiana State 3-Point List
Indiana State junior Jordan Printy currently has 118 career 3-pointers and tied Rashad Reed's 118 for ninth on the ISU all-time list with his trio of treys against Illinois State. 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 two more triples to tie Gabe Moore for eighth on the all-time list (120).
63 Is The Magic Number
Indiana State is a perfect 5-0 on the season when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition. 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.
Isiah Martin Ranks Highly For Career Blocked Shots
Indiana State junior Isiah Martin now has 118 blocked shots in his career following his posting of one against Purdue. His current total of 118 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 nine more to catch Djibril Kante who 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 1.5 blocks per game average is tied for first in the league while Martin's 0.8 is 10th. As a team, Indiana State is averaging 5.6 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.
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
It will be a short turnaround for Indiana State as they take right to the Valley road on Sunday, January 9 to take on Drake. Tip-off at the Knapp Center is set for 6:05 p.m. (ET). The game will be broadcast live on Sycamore Vision subscription web stream service on GoSycamores.com and will also be available on the radio at ESPN Radio 92.7 FM as well as 1300 AM.
