Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com

SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State continues year four of the Greg Lansing era on Saturday, December 14 when the Sycamores (6-2) travel to Missouri-Kansas City (2-6) as they continue a three-game road swing inside Municipal Auditorium. Tip-off is set for 3:05 p.m. (ET). The game will be televised locally on WAWV-TV as well as online on ESPN 3 with Neil Harwell (pbp) and JC Pearson (color) on the call. The game can be heard on the radio via WIBQ 98.5 FM and along the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network with Brian Fritz (pbp) on the call. There will be a live audio stream available on GoSycamores.com. Live statistics can also be found on GoSycamores.com.

THE MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY SERIES
Indiana State and UMKC have faced off just once against each other in the history of the two programs. Indiana State won the only previous meeting it has had with UMKC, by taking a 75-55 victory on December 17, 1960 on the road. Indiana State has a long history inside Municipal Auditorium as they captured the 1950 NAIB National Championship inside the building with a 61-57 victory over East Central Oklahoma.

THE HEAD COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990)
- at Indiana State: 62-46 (Fourth Season)
- Overall: 62-46 (Fourth Season)
- vs. UMKC: First Meeting
- vs. MVC: 29-25
UMKC: Kareem Richardson (Evansville, 1997)
- Overall: 2-6 (First Season)
- at UMKC: 2-6 (First Season)
- vs. Indiana State: First Meeting

QUICK HITS
- Indiana State is 41-4 when holding teams to 63 points or less under fourth-year head coach Greg Lansing (and 16-0 when limiting teams to 53 or less).
- Indiana State has earned 47 close victories (five points or less) since 2005. Under Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 21-12 in close games.
- Jake Odum now has 488 career assists which ranks him fifth on the Indiana State Career List. His 182 steals also ranks fifth at Indiana State. He is one of eight Sycamores to be in ISU Top 10 for both assists and steals in a career.
- Jake Odum now has 1,232 career points scored as he tossed in 15 against Eastern Illinois and currently sits 17th on the ISU all-time scoring list. Odum is the 35th member of the ISU 1,000-point club and is just the eighth Sycamore to reach that mark during his junior season.
- Indiana State and Quinnipiac are the only two NCAA Division I Teams to play in all four major postseason tournaments in each of the last four years.
- The Sycamores have defeated three nationally-ranked teams in a row dating back to last season — a road win over No. 14 Wichita State on January 29 as well as a home court win over No. 13 Creighton on February 6. Most recently, the Sycamores downed No. 21/22 Notre Dame in South Bend on November 17, 2013.
- Indiana State has scored over 80 points in five of their first eight games this season, including for in a row for the first time since 1984. The Sycamores scored 80 or more in five games in a row during that season.
- The Sycamores recorded 35 made field goals against Alaska-Anchorage which is the most in a single-game since 1996.
- Indiana State was credited with 23 assists versus Alaska-Anchorage which is the most by the Sycamores since 2003.
- The Sycamores are a perfect 4-0 this season when hitting at least 50 percent of their 3-point attempts.
- Justin Gant has led the Sycamores in scoring in four of eight games so far in 2013.
- The Sycamores 10 steals against Pepperdine are the most since tallying the same amount versus UCLA in 2012.
- Indiana State is a perfect 4-0 this season when committing 10 or fewer turnovers.

An Indiana State Win Over Missouri-Kansas City Would ...
• Improve the Sycamores to 2-0 all-time against the Kangaroos.
• Give the Sycamores a 7-2 start to the season, tying them with the 2011-12 squad for the best start through nine games under head coach Greg Lansing.
• Give the Sycamores their first road victory over a current member of the Western Athletic Conference since a 91-89 overtime win at New Mexico State on February 1, 1979 (than a member of the MVC).
• Improve the Sycamores to 12-7 all-time against current members of the Western Athletic Conference.

The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 62-46 (.574) overall in his fourth season as a head coach. He is 29-25 all-time in MVC games, including a 20-7 mark at home and a 9-18 record on the road. During his career, he is 34-10 in all home games, 17-27 on the road, 11-8 in neutral court contests and 21-12 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 0-0 against Kansas City, and is 0-0 against the Kangaroos on the road. With the Trees, Lansing is 4-4 in overtime games and 41-4 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Lansing has led the Sycamores to the postseason in each of his first three seasons with the Sycamores (2011 NCAA, 2012 CIT, 2013 NIT). Saturday's game will be Greg Lansing's 109th 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
The Missouri-Kansas City game will be televised locally on WAWV-TV in the Wabash Valley. For those outside of the area, the game will be shown live on ESPN 3 and the WatchESPN app.

A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 118th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,409-1,213 all-time on the hardwood. Indiana State's 76-57 home court victory over No. 13/16 Creighton was the 1,400th victory in the history of the program on February 6.

Jake Odum Tallies 15 Points To Lead The Sycamores Past Eastern Illinois On The Road
Indiana State senior guard Jake Odum paced the Sycamores with 15 points in the Sycamores' 66-48 victory at Eastern Illinois. Odum was 3-of-4 from 3-point range and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 31 minutes of action. Odum's first trifecta of the day came with just under seven minutes to go in the first half to give ISU a 21-18 advantage. He then connected on his second 3-pointer of the contest with 10:32 remaining in the game for a 44-35 and helped salt the game away with 5:50 on the clock as he drilled his final trey and gave the Sycamores a 53-39 lead.

Demetrius Moore Starts Key Second Half Run To Down Eastern Illinois
Indiana State junior Demetrius Moore tied his career high with 10 points while pulling down three rebounds in 15 minutes of action at Eastern Illinois. Moore was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and he scored eight points in the second half against the Panthers. Leading 44-39, the Sycamores needed a spark and Moore provided it as he scored six consecutive points to kick start a 12-0 Sycamores' run which ended with a 56-39 Indiana State lead in en route to the 66-48 victory.

Two Former Sycamore Assistants Take On Each Other As Head Coaches Saturday
Two members of the Royce Waltman Coaching Tree will face off against each other when Indiana State travels to UMKC on Saturday, December 14. Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing was an assistant coach for Waltman in Terre Haute twice while Kangaroo head coach Kareem Richardson served on Waltman's staff in the early 2000's. Indiana State won the only previous meeting it has had with UMKC, by taking a 75-55 victory on December 17, 1960 on the road.

Sycamores Turn In Best Defensive Performance Of The Year At Eastern Illinois
The Indiana State defense limited Eastern Illinois to 16-of-54 shooting (29.6 percent) in allowing a season-low 48 points to the Panthers. The Sycamores earned their first victory of the season when holding teams to 63 points or less (1-1 on the year), after going 14-2 last season with similar defensive efforts in 2012-13. Additionally, the Sycamores are now 41-4 under Lansing when holding teams to under 63 points are a perfect 16-0 when limiting teams to 53 points or less.

Indiana State's Offense Ranked Tops In The Missouri Valley Conference
The Indiana State offense ranks atop the Missouri Valley Conference with a 79.8 ppg average as eight of the league's 10 teams are averaging over 70 points per game. The Sycamores are the MVC's top free throw shooting team as they have hit 135-of-177 attempts the charity stripe (76.3 percent) and from the field are tops in the MVC with a 50.3 field goal percentage. ISU also leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage as they have hit 61-of-135 attempts from long range (45.2 percent). The Sycamores have three of the league's top four 3-point shooters as Khristian Smith leads the Valley with a 57.1 percent mark while Justin Gant ranks second at 53.3 percent. Manny Arop is fourth with a 46.2 3-point field goal percentage.

Jake Odum Reaches Top 20 In Scoring At Indiana State
Sycamore point guard Jake Odum has 1,232 career points and cracked the top 20 on the ISU scoring chart with eight points against Tulsa. Odum topped the 1,000 point mark last season as he became just the eighth Sycamore to reach that milestone before the end of their junior campaign. One of the many ways he has found the scoring column over his career is at the free throw line. He currently has made 455 career free throws, which ranks fourth-best in the history of the program. He needs four more to tie Jerry Newsom for third and five more to reach second place along with John Sherman Williams. Additionally, Odum is just 88 free throws away from topping Larry Bird (542) on the Sycamores' all-time list.

Jake Odum Was Just Eighth Sycamore Junior To Join The ISU 1,000-Point Club
Indiana State junior guard Jake Odum reached the 1,000-point mark for his career as he posted a team-best 22 points in the victory over No. 13/16 Creighton on February 6 inside Hulman Center. Odum became the 35th member of the Indiana State 1,000 Point Club with a free throw late in the second half against the Bluejays. Odum is just the eighth Sycamore in the history of the program to reach the 1,000-point mark during his junior season. With his 15 points against Eastern Illinois, Odum now has 1,232 career points, which is 17th on the ISU scoring list and needs 10 more to tie Greg Thomas for 16th. Other Sycamores to reach 1,000 points by the end of their junior campaign are Larry Bird (1,877 in two seasons), John Sherman Williams (1,787), Jerry Newsom (1,338), Butch Wade (1,135), David Moss (1,214), Eddie Bird (1,207) and Kelyn Block (1,018).

Jake Odum Now One Of Eight Players At ISU To Reach The Career Top 10 Lists For Assists & Steals
Indiana State junior guard Jake Odum has 182 career steals, which ranks him fifth all-time in the Sycamore basketball record book, needing six more to reach fourth place which is currently held by Michael Menser (188 from 1997-01). Odum also now has 488 assists for his career which is good enough for fifth place. He needs eight more to catch Nate Green (496 from 1996 to 2000) for fourth all-time. Odum is the third Sycamore in the history of the program to rank in the Indiana State Top Six for both assists and steals in a career (Nate Green & Gabe Moore are the others).

Sycamores Continue Run Of Success In Multi-Team Events Under Head Coach Greg Lansing
Indiana State went 2-1 at the Great Alaska Shootout with victories over host Alaska-Anchorage as well as Pepperdine to secure fourth place in the event. Under fourth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores have gone at least 2-1 in their early season multi-team event (2011 at Old Spice Classic, 2012 at Diamondhead Classic, 2013 at Great Alaska Shootout). The Sycamores are 7-5 in multi-team events under Lansing.

Sycamores Top 35 Field Goal Mark For First Time Since 1996 At Alaska-Anchorage
The Indiana State Sycamores recorded 35 field goals made against Alaska-Anchorage on November 29. Those 35 field goals are the most made by a Sycamore basketball team since tallying 36 against Middle Tennessee State in 1996. ISU recorded 23 assists on those 35 field goals, which is the most by a Sycamore team since posting 25 against Evansville in 2003.

Khristian Smith Tallies Career-Best 28 Points Off The Bench At Belmont; Named MVC Player Of The Week
Indiana State sophomore Khristian Smith has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player Of The Week as announced on Nov. 18 by the league office. Smith averaged 21.5 points per game while hitting 16-of-24 shots (66.7 percent), including 5-of-7 from 3-point range (71.4 percent) as the Sycamores fell narrowly 96-95 to Belmont before winning 83-70 at No. 21/22 Notre Dame to cap off the week. He tallied a career-high 28 points by hitting 10-of-13 shots and 4-of-5 from 3-point range at Belmont to go with two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 31 minutes of action.The Sycamores trailed early against Notre Dame before Smith entered the game off the bench to score 15 points in the road victory over nationally-ranked Notre Dame. Smith hit 6-of-11 shots from the field, a 3-pointer and was a perfect 2-of-2 from the free throw line with four rebounds against the Fighting Irish. It is the first career MVC Player Of The Week honor for Smith. He is joined by Illinois State's Michael Middlebrooks who was named the MVC Newcomer Of The Week.

Sycamores Take Down Third Consecutive Nationally-Ranked Opponent With Victory At No. 21/22 Notre Dame
The Indiana State basketball program downed No. 21/22 nationally-ranked Notre Dame on the road by the score of 83-70, making it three straight victories in a row for the Sycamores against teams ranked in the nation's Top 25. ISU began its current streak on January 29, 2013 with a 68-55 road victory over Wichita State and continued it with a 76-57 victory over No. 13/16 Creighton inside Hulman Center on Feb. 6. Additionally, the Sycamores have now defeated a nationally-ranked team on the road in each of the last three seasons (No. 25 Vanderbilt in 2011-12, No. 14/15 Wichita St in 2012-13 and No. 21/22 Notre Dame in 2013-14).

Sycamores Continue Success Against “Power 6” Teams Under Greg Lansing
With its 83-70 victory over Notre Dame, the Sycamores have now won back-to-back games against the Atlantic Coast Conference as ISU downed Miami (Fla.) on December 25, 2012 as part of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Classic. Under fourth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 5-6 against teams from “Power 6” Conferences, and all 11 of those contests have either come on the road or on a neutral court.

Larry Bird Honored With Statue Dedication During Opener Against Ball State
It was a special weekend on the Indiana State University campus as Sycamore legend Larry Bird was the centerpiece of opening week activities. “Honoring a Legend” was held inside Hulman Center on Friday, November 8 in which special guests such as Bill Walton and Quinn Buckner told stories about the legend and fans got to hear quite a bit from Bird himself. On Saturday, November 9 a 17-foot statue was unveiled in honor of Bird with all of 1978-79 teammates around to help him celebrate. Bird was also honored at halftime of the season opener by being named one of the 75 Best Players In The History Of March Madness and also became the 241st person to be named an Indiana State University Distinguished Alumni.

Sycamores In Postseason Play For Fourth Consecutive Season
With Indiana State's appearance in the 2013 National Invitation Tournament, the Sycamores have now made four consecutive trips to postseason play. ISU played in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational as well as the 2011 NCAA Tournament in addition to the CIT Tournament in 2012 and the NIT in 2013. It marks the first time in the history of the Indiana State basketball program that the Sycamores have reached the postseason in four consecutive seasons. Indiana State and Quinnipiac are the only two NCAA Division I Teams to play in all four major postseason tournaments in each of the last four years.

Jake Odum Named To Lute Olson Preseason All-America Team & Bob Cousy Award Watch List
Indiana State senior guard Jake Odum is one of 24 players nationally to be named to the 2013-14 Lute Olson Preseason All-America Team. The list is comprised of only college basketball players that are in their junior or senior campaigns. Odum also has been named to the 2013-14 Bob Cousy Award Watch List. The Bob Cousy Award is given annually to the nation's best point guard.

Jake Odum And Manny Arop Named To Preseason All-MVC Team
Jake Odum was named to the First Team Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference squad — an honor he has earned in each of the last three seasons. Manny Arop picked up his first conference-wide honor when he was named to the Preseason All-MVC Honorable Mention Team.

Sycamores Picked To Finish Second In MVC Race In 2013-14
The Indiana State Sycamores have been picked to finish second behind Wichita State in the annual MVC Preseason Poll of head coaches, sports information directors and a media panel. ISU garnered 352 points in the annual poll while the Shockers finished first with all 40 first place votes. The second place finish is the highest for the Sycamores since the MVC began conducting preseason predictions prior to the 1985-86 campaign.

Indiana State Has Reached 17 Regular Season Victories For Fourth Consecutive Season; First Time Since Early 1960's
With its 65-64 victory over Iona on February 23, 2013, the Sycamores have now posted at least 17 victories for the fourth consecutive season, which is the first time four Indiana State teams have reached that mark in succession since the 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63 and 1963-64 seasons. The Sycamores won 17 in 60-61, 19 in 61-62, 18 in 62-63 and 17 in 63-64. The Sycamores won 17 games in 2009-10, 20 in 2010-11, 18 in 2011-12 and 18 in 2012-13. Indiana State has also secured its fourth consecutive winning season for the first time since a stretch of campaigns in 1997-98 through 2000-01.

Sycamore Success Inside Hulman Center Under Greg Lansing
The Sycamores are 33-10 (.767) inside Hulman Center under fourth-year head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have won 24 of their last 31 home games. Additionally, the Sycamores have won 20 of their last 27 MVC games at home. Last season, the Sycamores lost just three times at home, in overtime to nationally-ranked New Mexico on December 1, on Feb. 19 to league-leading Wichita State and in the home finale on Feb. 27 to Drake.

63 Is The Magic Number
The Sycamores win by the score of 66-48 on December 7 at Eastern Illinois was ISU's first this season in which they held an opponent to 63 points or less and earned the victory. ISU was 14-2 on the season when holding an opponent under that total. Under fourth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 41-4 when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 16-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less).

Good Starter On The Battery
Indiana State was 10-5 last season when the Sycamore starters outscored their counterparts for the opposition and are already 3-0 in 2013-14 when doing so. Under fourth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 37-12 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's starters.

Up Next
The Sycamores return to action on Wednesday, December 18 when they travel to Saint Louis. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. (ET).