Indiana State continues year two of the Greg Lansing era on Wednesday, December 28, when the Sycamores hit the road to open Missouri Valley Conference play at Drake. Tip-off is set for 8:05 (ET) at the Drake Knapp Center. The game can be seen live on a pay-per-view basis world-wide on Sycamore Vision with Larry Coltlar and Dolph Pulliam 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. 

Indiana State leads the all-time series against Drake by a 39-34 count, having won each of the last six meetings. The six consecutive games won versus Drake is the longest active winning streak Indiana State owns against a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. ISU has not won seven games in a row against a MVC member school since downing Evanvsille that many times from 1999-2003. The Sycamores have swept the season series against Drake for two consecutive seasons and have won two games in a row at the Knapp Center. The Sycamores are 11-23 all-time against Drake in Des Moines.

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

- at Indiana State: 29-16 (Second Season) 

- Overall: 29-16 (Second Season) 

- vs. Drake: 2-0

- vs. MVC: 12-6 

DRAKE: Mark Phelps (Old Dominion, '96)

- Overall: 51-57 (Fourth Season) 

- at Drake: 51-57 (Fourth Season) 

- vs. Indiana State: 1-6

- Indiana State has started the 2011-12 campaign with an 9-2 record. The last time the Sycamores opened the season with nine victories or more in their first 11 games was in 1979-80.

- The Sycamores are 4-1 this season when scoring at least 68 points and are a perfect 7-0 when holding teams to 63 points or less.

- ISU is 6-0 this season when senior Myles Walker grabs at least five rebounds while they are 6-1 when Jake Odum plays 32 or minutes.

- 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 179 career 3-pointers, which is second most all-time in the history of the program.

• Even the Sycamores record in true road games under second-year head coach Greg Lansing at 9-9.

• Improve the Sycamores to 15-20 all-time in MVC openers, including a 3-14 mark when open league play on the road . A win would also improve the Sycamores to 1-3 all-time against Drake in Valley opening games.

• Give the Sycamores a 10-2 start to the season, which would be the best for the Sycamores since the 12-0 start to the 1978-79 season.

• Give the Sycamores seven consecutive victories over the Bulldogs, its longest streak against them since winning the first eight games of the series from 1945-1980. The seven consecutive victories over Drake would extend the longest active streak for the Sycamores against a league member.

Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 29-16 (.644) 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 15-3 in all home games, 8-9 on the road, 6-4 in neutral court contests and 10-3 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 2-0 all-time against Drake, and is 1-0 inside the Knapp Center. With the Trees, Lansing is 0-2 in overtime games and 22-0 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Wednesday's game is Greg Lansing's 46th 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.

Wednesday night's game will also be available live on the web on Sycamore Vision. Sycamore Vision is a pay-per-view subscription service available exclusively on GoSycamores.com.

Indiana State is beginning its 35th season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference on Wednesday evening at Drake inside the Knapp Center. ISU is 14-20 all-time in Valley openers, including a 2-14 mark when opening the league slate on the road. ISU won its first-ever MVC opener against Southern Illinois on January 4, 1977 at Hulman Center (66-58). ISU won its league opener last season on December 29, 2010 with a 80-66 victory over Bradley. The only times that ISU has opened the league schedule with a road victory came at Evansville in 2007 and at Northern Iowa (double overtime) in 2008. The Sycamores last opened the league schedule against Drake on December 30, 2004 with a 74-69 home court loss. ISU also opened the MVC slate at Drake on December 9, 2001 with an 85-71 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs. ISU is 0-3 (0-2 on the road) when beginning conference play against Drake.

Carl Richard tied for a team-high 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds as the Sycamores earned a tough 50-35 home court victory over Louisiana-Monroe on December 21 inside Hulman Center. Richard connected on three field goals in the contest and was 6-of-8 from the free throw line. He added one assist and a steal in 25 minutes of action as the Sycamores swept the season series against the Warhawks.

The 35 points allowed by the Sycamore defense against Louisiana-Monroe is the fewest an ISU team has allowed since the shot clock was adopted prior to the 1985-86 campaign. The previous best defensive showing came as part of a 38-37 defeat at the hands of Long Beach State on Dec. 23, 2004 as part of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. Additionally, the Sycamores improved to a perfect 22-0 under Lansing (7-0 this season) when holding teams under 63 points, including a 10-0 mark when limiting teams to 53 points or less.

Indiana State sophomore RJ Mahurin picked up his first MVC Player Of The Week honor for his performance in the road victory over No. 25 Vanderbilt. Mahurin came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points against the Commodores. He hit 5-of-8 shots from the field and was 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He added a pair of rebounds and one large assist in the contest. Mahurin hit three of his 3-pointers in the first half, including a key one with 1:31 left before the half which drew the Sycamores within two points of the Commodores. He then found Carl Richard open for another three with 36 seconds left and at the end of the shot clock which sent the two teams into the half tied. He hit each of his first two 3-pointers early in the first half to help ISU build an early 16-4 lead over No. 25 Vanderbilt. His fourth 3-pointer came with 14 minutes left in the game to even the score at 41 after Vanderbilt had taken a brief lead.

Indiana State's win over No. 25 Vanderbilt was its first over a nationally-ranked opponent since a 72-64 home court victory over No. 14 Butler on December 9, 2006. The win over Vanderbilt was the first for the Sycamores over a nationally-ranked road opponent since a 63-60 win over No. 15 Indiana in Assembly Hall on December 12, 1999. The win over Vanderbilt was also the first by a Sycamore team over a member of the Southeastern Conference since a 1984 home court victory over the Commodores.

Indiana State sophomore guard Jake Odum leads the Missouri Valley Conference with a 6.7 assists per game average. That mark is ranked 11th nationally. Odum recorded a career-high 12 assists against Fairfield as part of the Old Spice Classic. Odum also leads the MVC in steals per game with a 2.2 average, which ranks 38th nationally.

Indiana State has opened the 2011-12 campaign with victories over Eastern Illinois, Louisiana-Monroe (twice), Ball State, Green Bay, Texas Tech, Fairfield, Maryville and No. 25 Vanderbilt. The Sycamores are off to a 9-2 start to a season which is its best since the 1979-80 season when the Trees also opened with an 9-2 ledger. The only better start to a season that Indiana State has enjoyed was a perfect 11-0 start to the 1978-79 campaign.

Indiana State has won five of their last six true games dating back to last season. The Sycamores downed Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa on the road to end last season and began this year with a road victories over Louisiana-Monroe and No. 25 Vanderbilt, with the lone defeat coming at Boise State on December 3. The Sycamores are 8-9 under second-year head coach Greg Lansing on the road, and have won seven of their last 11 road contests.

Indiana State senior Carl Richard has amassed 618 rebounds during his career, which is currently 11th all-time in the Sycamore Record Book. Richard needs nine more boards to catch Brad Miley (1976-80) for 10th place with 627.

With the 50-35 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on December 21, the Sycamores are now 15-3 (.833) inside Hulman Center under second-year head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have won each of their last six home games, dating back to a loss last season to Morehead State in the annual Sears Bracketbusters contest.

Indiana State junior Jordan Printy currently has 179 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 104 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.

Indiana State is 6-2 on the season when the Sycamores' starting five outscores the opponents' starting five. ISU's starters outscored the opponent's twice against 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 18-4 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's counterparts.

The Sycamores win by the score of 50-35 over Louisiana-Monroe was ISU's seventh this season in which they have held an opponent to 63 points or less. Indiana State is 7-0 this season when holding an under that total. Under second-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are a perfect 22-0 when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 10-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less).

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.

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'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.

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.

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.

It will be a Holiday Showcase at Hulman Center as the Sycamores continue Missouri Valley Conference play at home against Bradley. Tip-off against the Braves is set for 1:05 p.m. (ET).