Brent Carey is in his fourth season working with the Sycamore Basketball. The highly personable Carey has become known around the Wabash Valley as the "King of the Fist Pump".
During the 2019-20 season, the Sycamores defeated every Missouri Valley Conference team at least once and complemented their 18-12 overall record with an 11-7 ledger in MVC play. Tyreke Key was named First Team All-MVC while Jordan Barnes picked up Third Team All-MVC plaudits. Key and Barnes were both named to the NABC Second Team All-District squad. Key was also a All-MVC Scholar-Athlete while Jake LaRavia was tabbed to the MVC All-Freshman and All-Newcomer teams and Christian Williams picked up a spot on the MVC All-Defense Team. Jordan Barnes became the first Sycamore in the history of the program to rank in the ISU Top 10 for career points scored, 3-pointers made as well as assists and steals. Tre Williams became the first Sycamore since John Sherman Williams to start every game as a true freshman.
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Indiana State set a new program record by limiting Loyola Chicago to just 39 points in its game with the Ramblers inside Hulman Center. That is the second-best defensive showing under coach Lansing and the lowest point total in a Missouri Valley Conference contest since ISU joined the league prior to the 1977 campaign. Additionally, when Christian Williams was named the MVC Player of the Week and Jake LaRavia the MVC Newcomer of the Week on the same day late in the season it was the first time since 2006 that the Sycamores swept the league's weekly awards.
The Sycamores finished the season ranked 16th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage while Jordan Barnes joined Brenton Scott and Michael Menser in the MVC All-Time Top 10 for career 3-pointers made.
In the spring of 2018, the Sycamores had three honorees in the Missouri Valley Conference Postseason Awards. Jordan Barnes was named an All-MVCÂ Second Team selection while also appearing on the MVC Most Improved Team and was named the MVC's Most Improved Player of the Year. Senior Brenton Scott wrapped a career in which he finished as the program's fourth all-time leading scorer with All-MVCÂ Third Team honors. Tyreke Key parlayed a successful initial campaign into MVC All-Freshman Team plaudits.
The 2017-18 season opened in historic fashion as the Sycamores recorded a 21-point victory over Indiana inside Assembly Hall. The Sycamores set a record by connecting on 17 3-pointers -- the most ever by a visitor in the iconic venue and recorded the largest margin of victory for the program against the Hoosiers. ISU went on to become the only team to defeat 2018 NCAA Final Four participant Loyola-Chicago inside Gentile Arena with a four-point victory early in MVC play.
In the spring of 2018, the Sycamores had three honorees in the Missouri Valley Conference Postseason Awards. Jordan Barnes was named an All-MVCÂ Second Team selection while also appearing on the MVC Most Improved Team and was named the MVC's Most Improved Player of the Year. Senior Brenton Scott wrapped a career in which he finished as the program's fourth all-time leading scorer with All-MVCÂ Third Team honors. Tyreke Key parlayed a successful initial campaign into MVC All-Freshman Team plaudits.
It was more of the season in 2019 as Tyreke Key was named to the All-MVC Second Team and was selected as the league's Most Improved Player. He led the league in scoring becoming just the fourth Sycamore ever to earn that honor as he joined Larry Bird, John Sherman Williams and David Moss in that elite club. Cooper Neese was picked for the MVC All-Freshman Team and Jordan Barnes surpassed the 1,000-point mark in just 77 career games -- the fourth fastest in the history of the program to accomplish that feat.
Indiana State parlayed victories over Colorado and UNLV into a Championship Game appearance against Top 50 N.E.T. opponent TCU at the 2018 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. It was the first non-conference title game appearance for the Sycamore Basketball program since they won the 1999 Indiana Classic – becoming the first team not named Indiana to win the Bloomington, Ind., based tournament. The Sycamores were vying for their first tournament championship of any kind since the 2011 edition of Arch Madness in St. Louis. In the process, the Sycamores downed Colorado for their first win against a member of the PAC-12 since 1946 when they beat Oregon. Additionally, the Sycamores earned their league-best fifth consecutive win over the Mountain West Conference with its win over UNLV. The Sycamores wrapped up the MVC / Mountain West Conference Challenge with a league-best record of 5-3.
Tyreke Key and Cooper Neese entered the collegiate portion of their careers having reached 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.
With Cooper Neese and De'Avion Washington on the roster being joined by Cobie Barnes and Jake LaRavia in 2019-20, the Sycamores will have four former Indiana All-Stars on the roster which is the most for the program in a single-season since the 1998-99 campaign.
Carey came to the Sycamore Basketball program after spending nine years at UNC-Asheville, including the final two years as the program's Associate Head Coach.
A former standout player for the Bulldogs, Carey played key roles in helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back Big South Conference championships in 2011 and 2012 as an assistant coach. Since his ascension to Associate Head Coach the Bulldogs have had back-to-back 20-win seasons and claimed the 2016 Big South Tournament title and a share of the 2016-17 Big South Conference regular-season championship. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and played in the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Carey was a two-year letterman for UNC Asheville from 1999-2001 where he started in the backcourt both years he was with the Bulldogs. He helped guide a young Asheville team to the Big South Conference championship game in 2000 and earned All-Tournament honors for his play. As a senior, he led the Bulldogs in three-pointers made and free throw percentage. Carey earned second-team All-Conference honors for his play and was named UNC Asheville Male Athlete of the Year and was chosen the Bulldog MVP. He was also third in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.
Carey, a native of Lincolnton, N.C. went back to UNC Asheville in the fall of 2008 after serving as an assistant coach at national prep power Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. The Warriors went 34-4 in the 2007-08 season and had some of the top high school players in the nation on their team, including current Washington Wizards standout Brandon Jennings. They were ranked third in the nation for high school programs by ESPN. He also worked at Oak Hill during the 2002-03 year where he coached Marcus Williams, who was the 22nd pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Carey was also a member of the Oak Hill Academy basketball team, playing with teammate Stephen Jackson.
Carey worked for Dave Odom at the University of South Carolina as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. He was a part of the Gamecocks' 2006 NIT championship squad. Carey coached Renaldo Balkman while he was at South Carolina. Balkman was a first-round draft pick of the New York Knicks in 2006. He also coached Tarence Kinsey and Tre Kelly, who also played in the NBA.
Upon graduation from UNC Asheville in 2001, Brett was placed on the NBDL's Asheville Altitude before playing professional basketball in Norway for a year.
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