BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL PRESENTED BY: LABOR LINK
No. 14/15 NORTHERN IOWA AT INDIANA STATE
Hulman Center (10,200), Terre Haute, Ind.
February 3, 2015, 7:05 p.m. (ET)
SETTING THE STAGE
The Indiana State Sycamores continue the Missouri Valley Conference slate at home on Tuesday, February 3 to take on No. 14/15 Northern Iowa inside Hulman Center. The game is set for a 7:05 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 online on Sycamore Vision, which is a pay-per-view subscription service provided by GoSycamores.com. The Sycamores are 11-11, 7-3 MVC after win over the weekend against Bradley. Northern Iowa is 20-2, 9-1 MVC and are tied for first place in the league. The Panthers dropped their opener at Evansville but have won nine in a row, including a win over ranked Wichita State on Saturday by the score of 70-54.
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 61-5 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.
- Devonte Brown hit six 3-pointers as he posted a career-high 24 points in the home win on January 24 against Loyola.
- Brenton Scott leads the Sycamores with 16 double digit scoring performances, including a 20-point outburst at Evansville earlier this week.
- Four different Sycamores reached double figures scoring in the win over Bradley.
An Indiana State Win Over Northern Iowa Would ...
• Be the Sycamores first against a nationally-ranked team since a win at No. 21 Notre Dame on Nov. 17, 2013 and the first inside Hulman Center since a Feb. 6, 2013 win over No. 13 Creighton.
• Improve the Sycamores to a perfect 6-0 inside Hulman Center during MVC play.
• Be the Sycamores' 49th victory in MVC play over the last five seasons -- currently one 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 90-66 (.577) overall in his fifth season as a head coach. He is 48-34 all-time in MVC games, including a 32-9 mark at home and a 16-25 record on the road. During his career, he is 51-16 in all home games, 26-38 on the road, 13-11 in neutral court contests and 33-15 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 6-3 against Northern Iowa and is 3-1 against the Panthers at home. With the Trees, Lansing is 7-5 in overtime games and 61-5 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). Tuesday's game will be Greg Lansing's 157th 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 for most victories over a nationally-ranked team (four) in the history of the program.
Television Particulars
The Northern Iowa game will be televised world-wide via Sycamore Vision, which is a pay-per-view web stream service provided by GoSycamores.com.
A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 119th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,437-1,233 all-time on the hardwood.
Brenton Scott Takes Home Second MVC Newcomer Of The Week Honor
Indiana State redshirt freshman Brenton Scott paced the Sycamores with a 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game average on the road against Evansville and back home versus Bradley. Scott hit 10-of-19 field goal attempts (52.6 percent), was 6-of-10 from distance (60 percent) and added a 7-of-8 mark from the free throw line (87.5 percent). Scott led the Sycamores in scoring in both games, including a 20-point outburst against the Purple Aces. He hit 6-of-10 shots from the field, including a 3-of-4 mark from 3-point range. He added a 5-of-6 mark from the free throw line along with a team-best seven rebounds and four assists. Against Bradley, he scored 13 points as he once again hit a trio of 3-pointers as well as five assists and three steals. All three of his 3-pointers against Bradley, came in the opening moments of the second half when the Sycamores erased a 3-point halftime deficit and turned it into a nine-point lead midway through the stanza.
Devonte Brown Scores Career High 24 Points (With 6 Treys) In Win Over Loyola
Indiana State junior guard Devonte Brown averaged 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds to go with six assists, one blocked shot and a steal in a pair of games against nationally-ranked Northern Iowa and Loyola. Brown opened the week with 10 points and five rebounds at Northern Iowa. He added three assists and one blocked shot against the Panthers. Against Loyola, Brown scored a career-high 24 points as he went 8-of-11 from the field (72.7 percent) and was a blazing 6-of-8 (75 percent) from the field in the 72-61 victory. He added five rebounds, three assists and one steal against the Ramblers. His six 3-pointers against Loyola are the most in a game by a Sycamore since Dawon Cummings had the same amount in the 2013-14 season opener against Ball State.
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. Redshirt freshman Brenton Scott has led the team in scoring a team-best 5.5 times while Devonte Brown and Justin Gant have each held team high honors four times as well as Khristian Smith who has been at the top of the scoring chart 3.5 times, 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.
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 48 Missouri Valley Conference victories. Those 48 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 48 MVC victories for the Sycamores since the 2010-11 campaign ranks third-best among current conference members. Wichita State's 68 leads the league while Indiana State has 48 and Northern Iowa is second with 49.
Sycamores Doing Damage At The Free Throw Line
The Indiana State Sycamores are ranked 44th nationally, a mark which is second in the Missouri Valley Conference, with 352 free throws made. They are getting to the free throw line at a Valley-leading pace of 506 attempts which ranks 45th nationally. Individually, Devonte Brown has visited the charity stripe 147 times to lead the MVC and ranks 25th in the NCAA, while his 91 makes at the line is third in the conference and 86th in the nation.
63 Is The Magic Number
The Sycamores win by the score of 64-58 on January 31, 2015 vs. Bradley was ISU's sixth 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 61-5 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 61-5 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 95 victories in games in which they have held a team to 63 points or less while suffering just seven defeats (93.1 winning percentage). The Sycamores are second with a 92.4 winning percentage in such games but rank second to Northern Iowa for total victories as the Panthers owns 72 since the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign.
Indiana State In Games Against Nationally-Ranked Foes
Indiana State owns 13 victories all-time against nationally-ranked teams, with a school-record tying four of those coming under fifth-year coach Greg Lansing. A 76-57 victory over No. 13 Creighton on Feb. 6, 2013 marks the last win for Indiana State against a nationally-ranked foe inside Hulman Center. ISU also defeated No. 21 Notre Dame on the road on November 17, 2013. Under coach Lansing, the Sycamores are 1-3 against nationally-ranked teams at home, 3-6 on the road and 0-5 on a neutral court.
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 38-26 (.594) 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 Loyola following last week's defeat at No. 19/20 Northern Iowa and downed Bradley after falling to Evansville.
Good Starter On The Battery
Indiana State is 7-4 this season when the Sycamore starters outscore their counterparts for the opposition. Under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 53-17 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's starters after doing so in the win over Illinois State.
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 51-16 (.761) inside Hulman Center under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have won 41 of their last 53 home games. Additionally, the Sycamores have won 32 of their last 41 MVC games at home. The Sycamores finished 11-2 at home last season and are 8-4 (including 5-0 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.
Former Sycamore Jake Odum Now Overseas Enjoying Success In Greece
Former Indiana State guard Jake Odum, who finished his career first in career made free throws and career free throws attempted, five in points scored, and second in assists as well as steals has graduated. Odum is currently playing professionally in Greece, and has played for both the Indiana Pacers as well as the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League in Orlando and Las Vegas. Former Sycamores Manny Arop and David Moss are also continuing their careers in the professional ranks overseas.
Up Next
Indiana State travels to Loyola on Saturday, February 6 to face the Ramblers. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. (ET).
