INDIANA STATE AT MISSOURI STATE
Hammons Arena (11,000), Springfield, Mo.
February 18, 2015, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
SETTING THE STAGE
The Indiana State Sycamores continue the Missouri Valley Conference slate as they hit the road on Wednesday, February 18 to take on Missouri State inside JQH Arena. The game is set for a 8:00 p.m. (ET) tip-off and can be heard locally on 95.9 FM The Duke as well as online via a link on GoSycamores.com. This is the 119th season of intercollegiate basketball at Indiana State University. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN3 as an exclusive broadcast as part of the MVC TV Network. The Sycamores are 13-13, 9-5 MVC following the win over Drake on Saturday inside Hulman Center. The Bears are 9-17, 3-11 MVC, having dropped four in a row.
QUICK HITS
- Indiana State has made five consecutive trips to the postseason (2010 CBI, 2011 NCAA, 2012 CIT, 2013 & 2014 NIT), which is a new school record.
- The Sycamores have put together four consecutive seasons of 18 or more victories which is a new school record. Indiana State advanced to the 2014 MVC Tournament Championship where they fell to No. 1 Wichita State.
- Indiana State is 62-6 when holding teams to 63 points or less under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing (and 16-0 when limiting teams to 53 or less).
- Indiana State has earned 59 close victories (five points or less) since 2005. Under Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 33-15 in close games.
- Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing owns four victories over nationally-ranked teams during his tenure, which is tied for the school record with Bill Hodges and Royce Waltman.
- Devonte Brown and Brenton Scott each went over the 20-point mark at Loyola as Brown tallied 22 second half points and Scott posted a career-high tying 21 in the victory.
- Devonte Brown hit six 3-pointers as he posted a career-high 24 points in the home win on January 24 against Loyola.
- Devonte Brown leads the Sycamores with 18 double digit scoring performances, as Brown scored 15 against Drake.
- Five different Sycamores reached double figures scoring in the win over Drake on Saturday.
An Indiana State Win Over Missouri State Would ...
• Snap a two-game losing skid to the Bears in Springfield, dating back to a 59-46 win in 2012
• Even the Sycamores' record on the road in MVC play at 4-4.
• Be the Sycamores' 51st victory in MVC play over the last five seasons -- currently three behind Northern Iowa for second-most among all league members during that same stretch.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 92-68 (.575) overall in his fifth season as a head coach. He is 50-36 all-time in MVC games, including a 33-10 mark at home and a 17-26 record on the road. During his career, he is 52-17 in all home games, 27-39 on the road, 13-11 in neutral court contests and 33-15 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 6-4 against Missouri State and is 1-3 against the Bears on the road. With the Trees, Lansing is 7-5 in overtime games and 62-6 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Lansing has led the Sycamores to the postseason in each of his first four seasons with the Sycamores (2011 NCAA, 2012 CIT, 2013, 2014 NIT). Wednesday's game will be Greg Lansing's 161st 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. Against nationally-ranked opponents Lansing holds a 4-12 record, including a 3-6 mark in road contests. He is tied with Bill Hodges and Royce Waltman for most victories over a nationally-ranked team (four) in the history of the program. Lansing is currently sixth on the Indiana State all-time coaching victories list and needs 28 more to tie John Longfellow for fifth.
Television Particulars
The Missouri State game will be shown on ESPN3 in an exclusive broadcast as part of the MVC TV Network. The game can be seen online as well as via the Watch ESPN app on smartphones and tablets with a valid internet or television provider subscription.
A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 119th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,439-1,235 all-time on the hardwood.
Devonte Brown Leads The Way For The Sycamores In Win Over Drake
Indiana State junior guard Devonte Brown paced the Sycamores in a split against Wichita State and Drake with a 12.5 ppg average as he hit 43.8 percent of his shots and was 9-of-11 from the free throw line. He added 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game as well as a pair of steals. He opened the week with 10 points at nationally-ranked Wichita State to go with three rebounds and a 7-of-8 mark from the free throw line. Against Drake, Brown paced the team with 15 points and added five rebounds, six assists and two steals. He was 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from the field. Brown hit an early 3-pointer to give the Sycamores a lead that would never lose and hit a pair of jumper as part of a 9-0 first half run to open up an 18-point cushion. He then hit shots in the second half to both begin and end a game changing 17-0 run to open up a late 22-point advantage.
Tre' Bennett Solid In Last Two Games For The Sycamores
Indiana State junior Tre' Bennett averaged 11.5 points, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game as the Sycamores split against Wichita State and Drake. Bennett hit 58.3 percent of his shots and was 50 percent from distance (4-of-8). He added an 83.3 percent mark (5-of-6) from the charity stripe. Bennett led the Sycamores with 11 points at Wichita State, including a pair of first half 3-pointers which staked the Sycamores to an early four point advantage. He came back with a 12-point performance against Drake as hit 5-of-8 shots, including a pair of trifectas. Bennett capped an early 8-0 run with a 3-pointer and was part of a longer spurt to give the Sycamores a first-half high 18-point lead with a 3-pointer mid-way through the period.
Devonte Brown One Of The MVC's Top Marksmen From The Outside
Indiana State junior guard Devonte Brown is ranked in the Missouri Valley Conference's Top 10 for league only stats in seven different categories. His 13.8 point per game average inside the Valley ranks fourth-best and is also the highest of any Sycamore. Brown has hit 51.3 percent of shots from the field, which ranks eighth best in a statistical category that is heavy on post players which play closer to the basket than his guard position allows. In addition to his scoring ability, Brown is averaging 3.4 assists per game and on the other end of the floor is seventh with 1.1 steals per Valley contest.
Sycamores Record 24th 20-Plus Point Margin Of Victory In Their Valley History
While any win in the Missouri Valley Conference is tough to come by, a win by 20 or more points is even more rare, especially on the road. Since the Sycamores joined the league for the 1977-78 campaign, Indiana State has earned 24 victories by at least 20 points. The Sycamores' win by 21 points over Drake on Valentine's Day was its first over 20 points since a 2011 victory over Northern Iowa by 25 points. Indiana State's 65-44 victory in 1998 at Northern Iowa is the program's only win by at least 20 points against a MVC opponent.
Sycamores Own Third-Best Record In MVC Play Over Last Five Seasons
In the last five seasons under the direction of head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores have amassed a total of 50 Missouri Valley Conference victories. Those 50 MVC wins by coach Lansing are second-most in the history of the program as he trails only Royce Waltman who won 69 league games during his tenure. Additionally, the 50 MVC victories for the Sycamores since the 2010-11 campaign ranks third-best among current conference members. Wichita State's 72 leads the league while Indiana State has 50 and Northern Iowa is second with 53.
Indiana State Continues To Visit Free Throw Line Frequently
The Indiana State Sycamores are ranked 41st nationally, a mark which is second in the Missouri Valley Conference, with 412 free throws made. They are getting to the free throw line at a 2nd place in the Valley rate of 587 attempts which ranks 48th nationally. Individually, Devonte Brown has visited the charity stripe 173 times to lead the MVC and ranks 22nd in the NCAA, while his 112 makes at the line is third in the conference and 58th in the nation. Additionally, Brenton Scott leads the MVC with an 84.2 free throw percentage during the conference slate.
Both Devonte Brown And Brenton Scott Reach 20-Point Mark At Loyola
Indiana State guards Devonte Brown and Brenton Scott each reached the 20-point scoring mark in the 79-65 victory over Loyola. Brown led the way with 22 points, which were all scored after halftime, while Scott tied his career-high with 21 points. The two combined to hit 12-of-16 shots from the field (75 percent) and were 5-of-8 from distance (62.5 percent) against the Ramblers. The two also visited the charity stripe 16 times and hit 14 of those free throws (87.5 percent). It is the second time this season a Sycamore duo has went over 20 points in the same game as Brown and Khristian Smith did it against Brown in non-conference play.
Seven Different Sycamores Have Led The Team In Scoring This Year
For much of the 2014-15 season, Indiana State has received big contributions from several players along the way. Of the 10 Sycamores who have played in at least half of the team's games this year, seven have led Indiana State in scoring in at least one game. Devonte Brown has led the team in scoring seven times this year while redshirt freshman Brenton Scott has led the team in scoring 5.5 times and Justin Gant has held team high honors five times. Khristian Smith who has been at the top of the scoring chart 3.5 times, and the Sycamores have used a multitude of weapons over the course of the year. Tre' Bennett and Jake Kitchell have led the team in scoring while Grant Prusator scored 17 points to lead the team against Illinois.
63 Is The Magic Number
The Sycamores win by the score of 75-54 on February 14, 2015 vs. Drake was ISU's seventh this season in which they held an opponent to 63 points or less and earned the victory. ISU was 15-1 last season when holding an opponent under that total. Under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 62-6 when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 16-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less).
Exploring the Magic Number League Wide
Indiana State owns a 61-6 record in games under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing in which they hold the opposition to the defense's magic number of 63 points or less. An impressive record, but how does that stack up against other members of the Missouri Valley Conference over the same time period? Wichita State leads the league with 99 victories in games in which they have held a team to 63 points or less while suffering just seven defeats (93.4 winning percentage). The Sycamores are second with a 91.2 winning percentage in such games but rank third to Northern Iowa for total victories as the Panthers owns 75 since the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign.
Sycamores Have Had Success In Bounce Back Games Under Head Coach Greg Lansing
In the last five seasons, the Sycamores have been known as a team with the ability to bounce back from defeat. Since the 2010-11 campaign, the Sycamores are 40-26 (.605) in a game which follows a loss. Indiana State won seven consecutive games following a loss last season. The Sycamores bounced back in the MVC opener against Illinois State from a double overtime defeat at the hands of Missouri-Kansas City on December 28. Likewise, the Sycamores came back with a victory against Drake after falling on the road against nationally-ranked Wichita State last week.
Good Starter On The Battery
Indiana State is 9-5 this season when the Sycamore starters outscore their counterparts for the opposition. Under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 55-18 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's starters after doing so in the win over Loyola.
Sycamore Success Against “Power 6” Teams Under Greg Lansing
With its 83-70 victory over Notre Dame last season, the Sycamores have 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 fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 5-7 against teams from “Power 6” Conferences, and all 12 of those contests have either come on the road or on a neutral court.
Sycamore Success Inside Hulman Center Under Greg Lansing
The Sycamores are 52-17 (.754) inside Hulman Center under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have won 42 of their last 55 home games. Additionally, the Sycamores have won 33 of their last 43 MVC games at home. The Sycamores finished 11-2 at home last season and are 9-5 (including 6-1 in MVC play) so far in 2014-15.
Indiana State Picked Sixth In Missouri Valley Conference Race
The Indiana State basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference race as announced on October 28 by the league office as part of its annual MVC Basketball Tipoff festivities held at Palladium St. Louis. The league preseason poll is conducted by a vote of the league's head coaches, sports information directors and a media panel. The Sycamores finished second last season in the MVC race with an overall record of 23-11 and a 12-6 mark in league play. Indiana State garnered 219 points to be picked sixth from the 46-person voting panel. The prediction includes the Sycamores finishing ahead of Southern Illinois (191 points), Bradley (140 points), Drake (92 points) and Loyola (91 points). Defending league champion Wichita State was picked to win the league with 45 first place votes and 459 points. Northern Iowa was second with a total of 411 points. Missouri State was third (338 points), Evansville fourth (300 points) and Illinois State was sixth with one first place vote (287 points).
Sycamores Make Fifth Consecutive Trip To The Postseason
With Indiana State's appearance in the 2014 National Invitation Tournament, the Sycamores have now made five consecutive trips to postseason play, including two in a row to the NIT. 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 and 2014. It marks the first time in the history of the Indiana State basketball program that the Sycamores have reached the postseason in five consecutive seasons. Indiana State is the only team to play in each of the four national postseason tournaments over the past five seasons.
Sycamores Have Reached 18-Victory Mark For School Record Fourth Consecutive Season
Indiana State finished 23-11 last season. The Sycamores with their 23 victories now have four consecutive seasons of 18 or more wins. It marks the first four-year stretch in the 119-year history of the program that the Sycamores have won at least 18 games in four or more seasons in a row. Additionally, the Sycamores locked up their fifth consecutive winning season, the longest such stretch of over .500 seasons since the 1960's.
Up Next
Indiana State returns home to face Southern Illinois on Saturday, February 21 inside Hulman Center. Tip-off is set for 1:05 p.m. (ET).
