SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State continues year two of the Greg Lansing era on Saturday, December 17, when the Sycamores travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on No. 25 Vanderbilt. Tip-off is set for 5:30 (ET). The game can be seen live on Comcast Sports South in selection areas as well as nationally on ESPN3.com with Matt Stewart and Barry Booker on the call. The game will also be broadcast live locally on the radio via ESPN Radio 92.7 FM, 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 VANDERBILT SERIES
The all-time series with Vanderbilt is tied at one each, with the Commodores winning in Nashville on Dec. 19, 1981 by the score of 72-66 and the Sycamore earning an 88-77 win inside Hulman Center on Dec. 22, 1984.

THE HEAD COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Greg Lansing (South Dakota, '90)
- at Indiana State: 27-16 (Second Season)
- Overall: 27-16 (Second Season)
- vs. Vanderbilt: First Meeting
- vs. SEC: First Meeting
VANDERBILT: Kevin Stallings (Purdue, '82)
- Overall: 365-214 (19th Season)
- at Vanderbilt: 242-151 (13th Season)
- vs. Indiana State: 10-3

QUICK HITS
- Indiana State's 7-2 start to the season is its best since starting the 2005-06 campaign with an 8-1 record, and have matched the 7-2 start to the 2000-01 season.
- The Sycamores are 4-1 this season when scoring at least 68 points and are a perfect 5-0 when holding teams to 63 points or less.
- ISU is 5-0 this season when senior Myles Walker grabs at least five rebounds.
- Senior Dwayne Lathan has reached double figures scoring in four consecutive games while Myles Walker has had 10 or more in three straight.
- The Sycamores' 12 steals against Maryville are the 15th-most in a single game this year amongst all NCAA Division I schools.
- Indiana State has won one game by five points or less this season, upping their total of close victories to 36 since 2005.
- Senior Jordan Printy has 172 career 3-pointers, which is second most all-time in the history of the program.

An Indiana State Win Over Vanderbilt Would ...
• Give the Sycamores its first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since downing No. 14 Butler in 2006 inside Hulman Center.
• Give the Sycamores a total of five victories against members of the Southeastern Conference in 12 tries and its first over a SEC member since downing Vanderbilt in 1984.
• Improve the Sycamores to 8-9 in true road contests under second-year head coach Greg Lansing.

The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 27-16 (.628) overall in his second season as a head coach. He is 12-6 all-time in MVC games, including a 7-2 mark at home and a 5-4 mark on the road. During his career, he is 14-3 in all home games, 7-9 on the road, 6-4 in neutral court contests and 10-3 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 0-0 all-time against Vanderbilt, and is 0-0 against the SEC. With the Trees, Lansing is 0-2 in overtime games and 20-0 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Saturday's game is Greg Lansing's 44th as Indiana State head coach. Lansing is the second head coach to lead the Sycamores to the NCAA Tournament in their rookie campaign in the history of the program, with the other being Bill Hodges leading ISU to a 33-1 record and a Final Four appearance in the 1979 NCAA Tournament. Lansing was just the 14th rookie head coach in the history of the MVC to lead his team to 20 victories during their debut season.

Television Particulars
Saturday's game will be broadcast on Comcast Sports South, which is available on cable and satellite packages in the Southeast portion of the United States. Nationally, the game will be made available on ESPN3.com.

A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 116th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,375-1,182 all-time on the hardwood. Indiana State's game at Oral Roberts last season was the historic 2,500th game in the history of the program.

Against The Southeastern Conference
Indiana State is 4-7 all-time against members of the Southeastern Conference. The Sycamores' last victory over a member of the SEC was against Vanderbilt in 1984. The last time the Sycamores faced a member of the SEC, came in 2009 when the Sycamores traveled to LSU in 2009. Against members of the SEC, the Sycamores own the following records: Arkansas 2-2, Georgia 0-1, LSU 0-1, Ole Miss 0-1, Mississippi State 1-1, Vanderbilt 1-1.

Sycamores 6-2 For Best Start Since 2005
Indiana State has opened the 2011-12 campaign with victories over Eastern Illinois, Louisiana-Monroe, Ball State, Green Bay, Texas Tech, Fairfield and Maryville. The Sycamores are off to a 7-2 start to a season which is its best since the 2005-06 season when the Trees opened with an 8-1 ledger and also matches a 7-2 start to the 2000-01 season.

Walk This Way
Myles Walker scored a career-high 20 points as the Sycamores downed Maryville by the score of 68-57 on December 10. Walker went 8-of-11 from the field and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the victory. He added five rebounds and a blocked shot in 32 minutes of action. Walker scored his final three points on a conventional 3-point play in the game's final minutes which helped ISU secure the victory.

Walker Strong In Each Of Last Three Games
Myles Walker has been force for the Sycamores in the last three games as he is averaging 15.3 points and five rebounds per game. Walker tallied a career-high 20 points on the strength of a 8-of-11 shooting performance against Maryville. He also scored 16 points in the final game of the Old Spice Classic against Fairfield and then came back with 10 more in just 15 minutes of play at Boise State. Walker has reached double figures scoring in each of the last three games. Over that stretch, Walker has hit 20-of-29 shots from the field (69.0 percent) and is a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

Sycamore Success Inside Hulman Center Under Greg Lansing
With the 68-57 victory over Maryville on December 10, the Sycamores are now 14-3 (.824) inside Hulman Center under second-year head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have won each of their last five home games, dating back to a loss last season to Morehead State in the annual Sears Bracketbusters contest.

Road Warriors
Indiana State saw its road winning streak of four games snapped with a 74-65 loss at Boise State as part of the Missouri Valley/Mountain West Conference Challenge Series on December 3. The Sycamores had downed Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa on the road to end last season and began this year with a road victory over Louisiana-Monroe to keep the string alive. The Sycamores are 7-9 under second-year head coach Greg Lansing on the road, and have won six of their last 10 road contests.

Printy Moving Up Indiana State 3-Point List
Indiana State junior Jordan Printy currently has 172 career 3-pointers and recently passed Eddie Bird for second 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. Printy needs 111 more to tie Michael Menser for first on the ISU all-time 3-point list with 283. Additionally, Printy is the older brother of Iowa women's basketball sophomore Jaime Printy who was the 2010 Big Ten Freshman Of The Year. The Iowa women's basketball team received an at large bid into the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament also last season made Jordan and Jaime the only brother/sister combo in the Big Dance in 2011.

Good Starter On The Battery
Indiana State is 5-2 on the season when the Sycamores' starting five outscores the opponents' starting five. ISU's starters outscored the opponent's at Louisiana-Monroe and against Green Bay plus Texas Tech, Fairfield and Maryville this season and won. ISU starters outscored Minnesota and Boise State, but fell to each. Under second-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 17-4 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's counterparts.

63 Is The Magic Number
Indiana State is 5-0 this season when holding an opponent to 63 points or less. Under second-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are a perfect 20-0 when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 9-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less).

Triple-Double For Odum And Tournament Record To Boot
Sycamore sophomore guard Jake Odum battled a foot injury while playing three games in four days at the 2011 Old Spice Classic. After two solid performances in the first two days of the event, Odum saved his best for last as he posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists against Fairfield on November 27. That triple-double was the first by a Sycamore since Larry Bird posted one in 1979 versus Drake and the first by a member of the MVC in 14 seasons. Additionally, the 12 assists are an Old Spice Classic single-game record. His 12 assists is the first double digit assist total in his career and the first by a Sycamore since Michael Menser had 11 against Wichita State in 2001.

Odum Close To Second Triple-Double At Boise State
One game removed from posting the first triple double by a Sycamore since the 1979 season, sophomore Jake Odum nearly did the impossible and posted one in consecutive games as he scored nine points, pulled down eight rebounds and dished out six assists in 34 minutes of action at Boise State. Only Larry Bird posted a triple-double in consecutive contests for the Sycamores as he opened the 1976-77 campaign with triple-doubles against both Chicago State and St. Ambrose.

Indiana State Goes 2-1 At 2011 Old Spice Classic
Indiana State downed Texas Tech and Fairfield while falling to Minnesota as the Sycamores put together a 2-1 record at the 2011 Old Spice Classic held over Thanksgiving Weekend on the campus of Walt Disney World Resort. The Sycamores have now won two games in a row of over members of the Big 12 Conference (Texas Tech and Oklahoma in the 2001 NCAA Tournament). Jake Odum was named to the Old Spice Classic All-Tournament Team. ISU is the third MVC team to play in the event and the third place finish is the highest by any league team.

Indiana State Opens Tournament Play With A Win Over BCS School For First Time Since 1973
Indiana State's victory over Texas Tech in the opening round of the 2011 Old Spice Classic marked the second consecutive year that the Sycamores have opened an early season multi-team event with a win. ISU downed Texas Pan-American in the opening game of a tournament at Loyola-Chicago last season. Prior to the victory over Texas Tech, the last time a Sycamore team opened a tournament such as the Old Spice Classic with a win over a BCS school came on December 27, 1973 when ISU downed Florida State in the first game of the Bear Classic, played on the campus of Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

New King Of The Four-Point Play
Indiana State redshirt freshman RJ Mahurin learned a few trick from Aaron Carter, a graduated player who had eight career four-point plays. Mahurin posted two 4-point plays during his freshman season, one each in ISU's 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. Mahurin was fouled on a 3-point attempt against Illinois State, and made all three of his free throws. He is already at it again this year as he was fouled on a 3-point attempt against Ball State, missed the shot, but made all three of his awarded free throws. Mahurin was fouled on a 3-point attempt against Minnesota, but missed the ensuing free throw.

Jake Odum Named To Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference Squad; Sycamore Picked Third
Jake Odum was one of two sophomores league wide to be named to the 2011-12 Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference Team as voted upon this fall by league head coaches, media and sports information directors. Odum was named to the league's honorable mention squad as well as to the all-freshman, all-newcomer and all-defensive squads one year ago as a freshman. Odum headlined a group of five players selected to the 2011-12 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team. Joining Odum were Creighton's Doug McDermott, Wichita State's Toure' Murry, Evansville's Colt Ryan and Missouri State's Kyle Weems. Weems is the league's preseason player of the year. As a team, Indiana State was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference race behind Creighton and Wichita State. The Sycamores third place prediction is tied for its highest since the league began using preseason polls in 1985.

Sycamore Signees
Indiana State second year head coach Greg Lansing announced a pair of signees during the NCAA Early Signing Period in November of 2011. ISU has inked TJ Bell (Charleston, Ill./Charleston HS) and Rhett Smith (Sullivan, Ind./Sullivan HS) to national letters of intent and they will begin their Sycamore careers as freshman in time for the 2012-13 campaign.

Bell is a 6-8 guard/forward who will begin his senior season at Charleston (Ill.) High School later this month. He was listed early in his career as one of the Top 25 players in the state of Illinois and averaged 13.9 points as well as 8.2 rebounds as a junior. Bell was named to the All-Apollo Conference in 2011 for his Charleston team which finished with a 16-13 record.

Smith is a 6-7 post player who will begin his senior campaign next week for Sullivan High School and head coach Jeff Moore. He has been the Golden Arrows leading scorer each of his first three seasons of playing at the varsity level. He averaged 17.3 points per game last season as a junior despite missing playing time due to a hand injury. Smith connected on 61.6 percent of his shots from the field. He scored a season-best 28 points against West Vigo during the 2010-11 campaign.

Up Next
The Sycamores return home to host Louisana-Monroe on Wednesday, December 21 in its final pre-conference game of the year. Tip-off at Hulman Center is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET).