SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State Basketball continues its 125th season as they tip-off Missouri Valley Conference play on Monday, December 30 as they host Southern Illinois with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. (ET) inside the Hulman Center. The game will be televised live regionally on Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/Kansas City as well as NBC Sports Chicago, Fox Sports GO and ESPN+. The game will also be broadcast on WIBQ 97.9 FM as well as streamed (audio) on GoSycamores.com.
QUICK HITS
Indiana State has hit at least one 3-pointer in every game since December 20, 2008 against DePauw -- a span of 354 contests, which is the third-longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Greg Lansing is just the second head coach in the history of the program to record at least 150 victories at the helm of the Sycamores as he owns 155. His career win total is second-best at ISU (and his 80 MVC wins is the most in the history of the program). He also owns the school record with five wins over nationally-ranked teams.
Indiana State enters its 42nd season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference on Monday night against Southern Illinois and will be looking to open the campaign with a win for the 19th time. ISU has won 14 MVC openers all-time which occur inside Hulman Center.
A Win Over Southern Illinois Would ...
• Improve the Sycamores to 19-23 all-time in MVC openers and give the Sycamores 15 all-time MVC opening victories which occur inside Hulman Center.
• Improve the Sycamores to 5-0 inside Hulman Center this season.
• Give the Sycamores a season-high eight game winning streak -- the program's longest since an 8-0 start to begin the 2005-06 campaign.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 155-146 (.515) overall in his tenth season as a head coach. He is 80-82 all-time in MVC games, including a 54-27 mark at home and a 26-55 record on the road. During his career, he is 92-40 in all home games, 43-79 on the road, 21-26 in neutral court contests and 50-39 in games decided by five points or less. With the Trees, Lansing is 13-14 in overtime games and 97-10 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Coach Lansing is 9-11 all-time against Southern Illinois, and is 5-4 against the Salukis at home. Lansing led the Sycamores to the postseason in each of his first four seasons at the helm (2011 NCAA, 2012 CIT, 2013 & 2014 NIT). 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. Lansing holds the school record for most victories over a nationally-ranked team (five) in the history of the program. Lansing is currently second on the Indiana State all-time coaching victories list with 155. His 80 MVC victories are a school record.
A Little History
Indiana State is in its 125th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,503-1,313 all-time on the hardwood. ISU is only the fifth Missouri Valley Conference team to record at least 1,500 all-time victories.
Television Particulars
The Sycamores game against the Salukis will be televised live regionally on Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/Kansas City as well as NBC Sports Chicago and streamed on FS GO as well as ESPN+.
Tyreke Key Powers Sycamores To Home Wins Before Holidays
Indiana State junior guard Tyreke Key averaged 24.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as the Sycamores swept a pair of home contests against Tennessee State and Chicago State. He hit 13-of-24 shots from the field (54.2 percent) and was 4-of-8 from 3-point distance (50 percent). He did considerable damage at the free throw line as well as he hit 18-of-22 from the charity stripe (81.8 percent) against Tennessee State. He added one assist and three steals over the two-game stretch. Key fell just four made free throws and four attempts from a school record which has stood since 1964 against the Tigers by making 18 charity tosses and visiting the line 22 times en route to scoring a season-best 31 points. He was 5-of-12 from the field, including a trio of three pointers with a team-high eight rebounds and an assist. Against Chicago State, Key tied for the team lead with 17 points as he hit 8-of-12 from the field with a 3-pointer and five assists. He tied for team-high honors as well with three steals against the Cougars.
Jake LaRavia Ties For Team Scoring High Against Chicago State
Indiana State freshman Jake LaRavia averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as the Sycamores swept a pair of home games against Tennessee State and Chicago State. He was 9-of-14 from the field (64.3 percent) and added seven free throws to the tally. He posted four assists, three blocked shots and three steals over the two-game stretch. He began the week with an eight-point showing against Tennessee State in which he hit 4-of-8 from the field with three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. LaRavia tied for team-high honors with 17 points as he hit 5-of-7 shots from the field, including seven free throws and posted a team-high seven rebounds. He added a pair of assists, a steal and three blocked shots against the Cougars.
Sycamores Look For First 8-Game Winning Streak Since 2005
Indiana State is currently riding a seven-game winning streak which is its best since a seven-gamer since a stretch from December 2013 until January 2014 which including a perfect 5-0 start to Missouri Valley Conference play. The Sycamores will open MVC play against Southern Illinois on December 30 looking to extend their winning to eight games which would be the longest since an 8-0 start to open the 2005-06 campaign.
Tyreke Key Leads League In Free Throw's Made, Attempted & Percentage
Sycamore Basketball junior Tyreke Key has hit 68-of-76 free throw attempts this year and owns a 89.5 free throw percentage mark. That tally leads the Missouri Valley Conference and is ranked 28th-best in the country. Earlier this season, Key made 32 consecutive free throw attempts which is a new school record (in the MVC era) and is tied for 14th-best in the history of the MVC. His 68 made free throws leads the league and is 6th-best nationally while his 76 attempts also lead the MVC and is ranked 30th-best in the country. His 18.0 ppg scoring average ranks second best in the league. He was the MVC Scoring Champion following the 2018-19 campaign.
Sycamores Leading The MVC (11th Nationally) in 3-Point FG Percentage
The Sycamores have hit 87-of-212 attempts from 3-point range so far this season which equates to a mark of 41.0 percent. That number not only leads the Missouri Valley Conference, but is seventh-best in the country. Saint Mary's (Calif.) leads the country at 45.1 percent.
Jordan Barnes Up To No. 3 On ISU 3-Pointers Made List
Indiana State senior Jordan Barnes owns 1,320 points in his career – which makes him the active career scoring leader at Indiana State. Barnes now has 239 3-pointers in his career and he is in sole possession of third place on the Sycamore Basketball career 3-point chart. He needs 31 more trifectas to tie Brenton Scott for second. His 1,320 career points ranks 14th in the history of the program. He needs only one more to reach No. 13 all-time at Indiana State and pass legendary Sycamore free throw shooter Ray Goddard. As a sophomore in 2017-18, he hit the 1,000 point mark in his 77th career game -- the fourth-fastest to reach the mark in program history. Larry Bird owns the school record hitting the 1,000 point milestone in just 31 career games. Tyreke Key needs just 14 more points to join the Sycamore 1,000 point club and if he does it in the next game he will do it in 73 games which would now be the fourth fastest in the history of the program.
Greg Lansing Second On ISU Wins List With 155
Greg Lansing became just the second head coach in the history of the program to record at least 150 victories when he picked that milestone win on Sunday, November 24 in the Bahamas against Air Force. His 155 career victories rank second in the history of the program. In 2018, with the Sycamores' victory at home over Illinois State, he earned his 73rd career MVC victory which is a school record. Coach Lansing now only trails Duane Klueh who owns the school record with 182 career victories. He currently holds the school record with 80 all-time MVC regular season victories.
Sycamores Secure Program Win No. 1,500 Against North Dakota State
Indiana State picked up historic win No. 1,500 in program history with a 71-60 victory over North Dakota State on December 3, 2019. Among the current membership only Bradley, Illinois State, Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Indiana State have won as many as 1,500 games in their program's history.
Sycamores Enjoy Two Wins And Runner Up Finish At Junkanoo Jam
The Sycamores traveled to beautiful Bimini, Bahamas last week for the 2019 edition of the Junkanoo Jam and came away with a runner-up finish as well as a 2-1 record. ISU has enjoyed great success in MTE play under 10th-year head coach Greg Lansing as the Sycamores have now earned 15 victories, including third place finishes in recent years during the Advocare Invitational, Hawaiian Airlines Diamondhead Classic and Paradise Jam. ISU finished as the runner in 2018 at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Classic and the 2019 Junkanoo Jam.
63 Is The Magic Number
The Sycamores win by the score of 71-60 on December 3, 2019 against North Dakota State was ISU's third this year in which they held an opponent to 63 points or less and earned the victory. Under 10th-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 97-10 when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 21-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less).
Good Starter On The Battery
Indiana State's starting five has outscored the opposition's top five eight times this season and have earned the win seven times in those situations. Under 10th-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 104-29 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's starters.
Indiana State With A Pair Of Top 10 Career Scorers In Their Respective High School States
A pair of Indiana State players in Tyreke Key and Cooper Neese are in the Top 10 in career scoring in both of their respective home states. Key finished his career at Clay County High School in Celina, Tenn., with 3,287 points scored which is 10th most in the history of the state of Tennessee. As a senior, he set the Tennessee High School record for most points scored in a season, breaking a 25-year old record held previously by Kentucky legend Tony Delk. Cooper Neese, who will sit out the 2017-18 season serving his year-in-residence as a transfer, enters his Indiana State career having scored 2,496 career points at nearby Cloverdale High School which is seventh-best in the Indiana High School Basketball history.
Sycamores Tally School Record Fifth Victory Over Nationally-Ranked Team Under Lansing
Indiana State ended a skid of nine losses to nationally-ranked teams when No. 15/16 Butler fell inside Hulman Center on December 7, 2017 by the score of 72-71. Coach Lansing has led the Sycamores to a school-record five victories against nationally-ranked teams during his time at the helm of the program. He passed Bill Hodges (head coach of the Dream Team in 1978-79) and Royce Waltman (head coach of the Sycamores during back-to-back NCAA Tourney trips in 2000 & 2001) for the most in program history with the win over Butler. It was just the second victory for the Sycamores under Lansing at home against a nationally-ranked team and the first overall since a win at No. 21 Notre Dame in 2013.
Greg Lansing Inducted Into Iowa High School Basketball Hall Of Fame
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Basketball Hall of Fame as part of their 2016 class. Lansing and the other selected inductees were honored individually at halftime of the Iowa Class 4A State Championship Game at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on March 12. The IHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame is the highest honor the Iowa High School Board of Control can bestow on a high school coach or former player. Lansing graduated from Harlan High School in 1986, where he was coached by his father Dave, who was inducted into the IHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 as a coach. The Lansing father/son combination of Dave and Greg are just the 10th father/son duo to both be inducted into the Hall of Fame since 1969.
Up Next
Indiana State hits the state of Iowa for a two-game road swing which begins on Saturday, January 4 at Drake at 6 pm (ET) and continues on Tuesday, January 7 at Northern Iowa which is set for an 8 pm (ET) tipoff.
