2009-2010 Basketball Season

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FINALLY !!
THIS MUCH ANTICIPATED BASKETBALL SEASON HAS OFFICIALY ARRIVED! NOW LET'S GO AND SUPPORT OUR SYCAMORES AND HAVE A FUN TIME ALL SEASON LONG!

:sycamores::basketball::basketball::basketball::basketball::basketball:
 

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R U Ready for some Basketball?!

Sorry State football fans but I'm thrilled that the MBB season is 'just around the corner.'
 
Request...since my source will likely be pretty busy tonight and on into the weekend. Can I get some solid reports as to how the team looks...details would be appreciated but aren't absolutely necessary...an in depth analysis would be a nice perk for the pay side?? Svoboda??? Though I think something like this would be great for the regular board as well...not up to me though but hopefully someone will oblige for one out of towner who's source isn't always forthcoming or accessible.
 
Just sent an email to my bro suggesting that he have the guys run suicides for the entire practice...probably will not think that's funny...I kinda do though.
 
Sorry, I'm not going to Terre Haute since Homecoming is next weekend. Poor timing for the event for us alumni outside of Terre Haute.
 

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Jason Svoboda said:
Sorry, I'm not going to Terre Haute since Homecoming is next weekend. Poor timing for the event for us alumni outside of Terre Haute.
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I'm sure someone will come on tonight to give a synopsis...I'll take anything at this point...15 guys showed up...they had practice gear on...they dribbled...they shot...they played defense...it was good.

Even something like that would work for me. :sycamores:
 
Eddie something tells me that Morgan will have an opinion... lol I don't know that anyone will agree with it or like what I have to say. But I can assure you I will have something to say!

Let me say this Brant (who I have been highly critical of) was in the Rec Center shooting around last night and he is really a nice guy. He came up and said if we were getting ready to run up and down on the goal he was shooting on just to let him know. Most people are not that way... I hope he as a good year we will need something inside!
 
Morgan said:
Eddie something tells me that Morgan will have an opinion... lol I don't know that anyone will agree with it or like what I have to say. But I can assure you I will have something to say!

Let me say this Brant (who I have been highly critical of) was in the Rec Center shooting around last night and he is really a nice guy. He came up and said if we were getting ready to run up and down on the goal he was shooting on just to let him know. Most people are not that way... I hope he as a good year we will need something inside!
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I think he's a big wild card if he can stay healthy...he's showed promise in practice in the past but just hasn't stayed healthy long enough to show it in games.
 
Morgan I gotta agree. Brant is a great guy. I hope he really comes around this year and plays up to his ability. I am PUMPED for BBall season!!!
 
As you all know, I'm a Brant fan. If he stays healthy and puts together a solid season, that might put us over the top when competing with BCS schools outside the conference. I pray those feet stay healthy!!!

And not only is Brant a good guy, I've had the pleasure of meeting his parents, and they seem like great people as well. A big season for Brant would really add another "feel good" storyline to an already exciting team!!!
 

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Went to opening practice

Eddie, this is from the eyes of an "old" fan. ITF's dad. Enjoyed the opening for the new season. Coach had a live microphone on him most of the time which kinda neat. There were quite few fans in attendance. Everyone was on the floor, however, Josh did not get in on any contact activity. All of the others were very active. You can sure see experience makes a difference with the freshmen. Brent was really moving well, Isiah was very active and the coaches were pushing him. Kelly can do what we all hoped for, but for some reason he was limping during the early part of the session. Carter was really the one who really was into the practice, hardnosed, shot well, and was into the defense. Reed can still shoot the rock. Harry was very aggressive and was doing what we have seen in the past. I had a chance to chat with Harry and Rashad before the session and both were very upbeat. Carl kinda looked like Carl. JP was consistent, but not flashy, but I think that is him. Koang and Latham were very into the flow of what was going on. Both can contribute. Lord, does Koang have long arms or what.

The twins were very active, but you could see inexperience showing. Jake O. was very active, and you could tell he was accustom to a higher level of competion than the other freshmen. JR is very smooth, but he has a ways to go with his strength and muscle.

All in all fun to watch and people who were there are excited about the year.
 
Little Eddie said:
Request...since my source will likely be pretty busy tonight and on into the weekend. Can I get some solid reports as to how the team looks...details would be appreciated but aren't absolutely necessary...an in depth analysis would be a nice perk for the pay side?? Svoboda??? Though I think something like this would be great for the regular board as well...not up to me though but hopefully someone will oblige for one out of towner who's source isn't always forthcoming or accessible.
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I was at the practice tonight............

Here is what I saw........

We have a lot of guards...... Which is what wins in the MVC.

Brant looked the best I have seen him look since he arrived. He was moving better and seemed to be more comfortable.

Jake Kelley is good. He is clearly quicker/smoother than the other players. That being said, the other guys look to be elevating their games to his level.

I thought we could have done a better job rebounding. (I'm sure Coach McKenna will say the same thing). There were a lot of missed opportunities for putbacks and tip-ins. This is an area that improves as pre-season practice continues.

Mahurin and Odum have put on weight. But I dont see how they will get much PT this year, which means that they may redshirt.

The guys looked to be on the same page for the most part. I even saw some of the Freshmen helping upperclassmen to know where they need to be on different sets.

I didn't LOVE the effort that some of the guys gave defensively. Like rebounding, this is an area that improves as pre-season practice continues.

Koang Dulouny is a freakish athlete. They were doing lay-up drills and he was jumping up so high that his head was even with the rim. Dwayne Lathan has some crazy athletic ability. Lathan did a windmill dunk that got a good reaction from the 500+ fans in the crown.

Based on what I saw, here is my starting 5
Marshall
Kelly
Lathan
Richard
Martin

This means that we have Rashad Reed, Aaron Carter, Jordan Printy, Koang Duluouny, Josh Crawford, and Brant Lietnaker as the players off the bench.

We are very deep and are going to be able to get up and down the floor with fresh legs for all 40 minutes.

Aaron Carter had a very good practice. He was diving all over the place and coming up with nearly every loose ball. AC is a scrapper and has become a very good player. I think he realizes the depth on this team and how that will affect his PT. He has taken the right approach to this..... He was the hardest working player at practice. I think this will only help to motivate the other guys to do the same. AC has now become a strong vocal leader on this team.
 
SydCamore said:
I was at the practice tonight............

Here is what I saw........

We have a lot of guards...... Which is what wins in the MVC.

Brant looked the best I have seen him look since he arrived. He was moving better and seemed to be more comfortable.

Jake Kelley is good. He is clearly quicker/smoother than the other players. That being said, the other guys look to be elevating their games to his level.

I thought we could have done a better job rebounding. (I'm sure Coach McKenna will say the same thing). There were a lot of missed opportunities for putbacks and tip-ins. This is an area that improves as pre-season practice continues.

Mahurin and Odum have put on weight. But I dont see how they will get much PT this year, which means that they may redshirt.

The guys looked to be on the same page for the most part. I even saw some of the Freshmen helping upperclassmen to know where they need to be on different sets.

I didn't LOVE the effort that some of the guys gave defensively. Like rebounding, this is an area that improves as pre-season practice continues.

Koang Dulouny is a freakish athlete. They were doing lay-up drills and he was jumping up so high that his head was even with the rim. Dwayne Lathan has some crazy athletic ability. Lathan did a windmill dunk that got a good reaction from the 500+ fans in the crown.

Based on what I saw, here is my starting 5
Marshall
Kelly
Lathan
Richard
Martin

This means that we have Rashad Reed, Aaron Carter, Jordan Printy, Koang Duluouny, Josh Crawford, and Brant Lietnaker as the players off the bench.

We are very deep and are going to be able to get up and down the floor with fresh legs for all 40 minutes.

Aaron Carter had a very good practice. He was diving all over the place and coming up with nearly every loose ball. AC is a scrapper and has become a very good player. I think he realizes the depth on this team and how that will affect his PT. He has taken the right approach to this..... He was the hardest working player at practice. I think this will only help to motivate the other guys to do the same. AC has now become a strong vocal leader on this team.
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Can't really argue with any of that. I might have to put Reed in my starting 5 though. Everyone talks about Printy's shot, and it is a good one, but Reed might be are best shooter. He just shot lights out tonight. Everything he threw up went in. I'm really trying to temper my enthusiasm, but man this team can be scary good.

This is definately the most athleticism I have seen an ISU team have. Lathan can absolutely jump out of the gym. I'm not so sure that Duloney can't guard every position on the floor. I thought pretty much all the players looked bigger and stronger than last year. Kelly is just so smooth, Harry is tough, AC was all over the place and ground.

As for the Freshman, any other year and I think all 4 would be playing. RJ looks a lot stronger and had some nice plays. It seems the coaches are going to be all over him to toughen up. They were on him some, but in a good way. That shows they think he has some ability. I thought Odum fit right in and handled himself really good. 3-4 years ago and he might have been a starter this year. The Eitels look like they can compete at this level and see some playing time down the road. It's nice to be good enough, or look good enough, to be able to possibly redshirt all 4 because these 4 can play and will play in their 4 years here.
 
I wanted to add a few things.

*Harry did not shoot well.
*Doluony and Richard can shoot the outside set shot but I don't know that either can score with a jumper.
*Reed can shoot.
*Brant looked better but I was hoping Martin had improved more.
*It was difficult to tell who could score inside because they were not calling fouls and the defense was physical.
*Kelly is an ISU all-time top 5 talent.
*AC and JP are decent complementary players WITH experience.
*AC does have a nice all around game WITH hustle.
*Lathan got in trouble a few times, but he may have drawn some fouls.
*RJ can shoot pretty effectively from anywhere. He played center most of the time and if he can develop some moves, he will score.
*Odum is listed at 6'4". Next year we could have the tallest pair of ball handlers in the conference. Pretty impressive when you think that one of the best handling/passing PG's we have EVER had is 6'4".
* We can play 10 kids a lot of minutes but is that too many to rotate effectively? It will depend on who executes and hustles.
* I don't see much scoring inside but there could be some potential as the year progresses.
 
This team is absolutely FULL of athleticism. I will admit our struggles, If we have them, will be in the front court, by my goodness this team is going to be fun to watch. Koang will help on the frontline with his versatility and ability to guard nearly every position. This guy is incredibly long and quick to go with it. Not to embarass Carl, but there was a play when Richard got free with the ball and had a seem directly to the rim. He took two quick dribbles and rose up to put it home when all of a sudden Doulony came seemingly from nowhere and put the ball right back into Carl's face. It was a VERY impressive play from Koang. Also, Carl's shot has gotten a little quicker and he has added some strength it appears. Brant looked to be in much better shape and was quick on his feet, a nice thing to see. I don't think he'll be an outstanding player, but if he stays healthy he will be serviceable as a big man in the paint. However, i think our two most exciting players will be Kelly and Lathan. These two are amazingly athletic. Lathan plays much bigger than his 6'3" frame. On numberous occasions his head was at or above rim level. He can FLAT OUT JUMP!!!!

While these guys stood out, everyone did things that were impressive or positive. Even our two walkons played well and hustled all night long. The freshman will have very good careers at ISU, but the great thing about it is, they should be here for 5 years. When was the last time the Sycamores were able to redshirt such talented freshman.....i can't really remember a time.

As T.O would say.....Folks, get your popcorn ready! I have a very good feeling about this season!!!!
 

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Home from the Copper Bar - my thoughts...

This is indeed the most athletic Sycamore team that we have seen in some time. Here is what I saw from each player tonight... Most of what everyone has said above is right on target!

Jake Kelly: Had a sleeve on his knee and it seemed to be bothering him early on - once he got warmed up, it didn't seem to be much of a problem. I would say that he is going to take a bunch of shots for this team this year and score a bunch of points. He is clearly the best player on the floor.

Lathan: Is an athlete - he handles the ball pretty well and can get to the rim, oh and he knows how to finish. He did get into some trouble going to the rim - but you can't fault his effort. He is one of the top 5 players on this team for sure.

Martin: The coaches were on his ass most of the practice - he is going to be the starting Center but I am not sure that he is better than Crawford at this point. He really has not done all that much to improve his game as far as I am concerned.

Richard: Just looked ok - it's really hard to get a feel for to much in this practice setting. He fumbled a couple of balls which is nothing new for him. He seemed to be more comfortable with the mid range jumper and putting the ball on the floor.

Harry: Is just so darn physical - he knows how to score in the lane... His shot was nothing impressive, but I think he has always been an average shooter. But he plays hard and will be an important part of this team.

Carter: Looked as good as I have ever seen him look - I am always highly critical of Carter for 2 reasons. One, I don't think he is athletic at all and two along those same lines he is slow. Well tonight he played hard (as he always does) he really did a nice job. He has a role on this team for sure...

Printy: Was pretty low key - he made a couple shots and made a few nice passes other than that nothing really negative or positive to say. He's a good shooter and he brings that to the table, other than that he does not do to much.

Reed:As someone else said, Reed might be the best shooter on this team. He has more game experience than anyone on this team and it shows. He will get some big minutes this season you can be sure of that. He needs to find a way to limit his TO's and he will be fine!

Odum: Is as good as advertised - he handles the ball as well as anyone on the floor not named Jake Kelly. He is going to be a key player for us down the road - this year he will get the red shirt, as he should.

RJ: He has indeed put on some weight - I thought he played pretty hard. He still seems to be a couple steps slow! If he can learn to be aggressive all the time and sustain it then he will be fine. He will be a role player in the future - nothing more in my opinion.

Koang: Is an excellent athlete and for his size he can really shoot the ball. He made some deep 3s off the dribble, pretty impressive. He is a average to below average ball handler from what I can see. He can really elevate (great length) and did I mention the kid can shoot?

Brant: Looked to be in good shape - he looked as good as I have seen him look at any point in the past. Hopefully he can eat up some minutes for us - we will need a body in the paint. Some think he could be a sleeper and at this point I can't really argue with that. Up to this point in his career he has been a total wash...

Eitles: Both fit in pretty well - they didn't look out of place or anything like that. Don't count these 2 kids out - they play hard and do the little things very well. They are both pretty good shooters and are deceptively athletic.

Ok I think that is everyone and that's all I got for now. It's really hard to take anything away from a practice like tonight. I can't wait to watch them in a game setting!
 
Thanks to all that gave summaries...much appreciated. Sounds like it was a decent practice...brother was fairly upbeat on the phone last night. Lots of work to do so hopefully the guys remain focused...
 
Eddie,

I noticed Coach Altman's son is now an assitant coach at ISU...... What is the history on this kid? Was he a player? Was he helping coach at Creighton?
 
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