Indiana State Sycamores (5-4) vs. Missouri State Bears (5-3)
Great Southern Bank Arena - Springfield, MO
Saturday, December 7th, 2024
Tip: 8:00pm EST
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[December 7, 2024] Indiana State (5-4) at Missouri State (5-3)
- Thread starter Jason Svoboda
- Start date
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Indiana State Sycamores (5-4) vs. Missouri State Bears (5-3)
Great Southern Bank Arena - Springfield, MO
Saturday, December 7th, 2024
Tip: 8:00pm EST
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Quite likely the final time we'll ever play in Springfield barring a future home/home OOC series.
won't miss that place ...... never many wins there and the great Southwest road trip will be over (Wichita gone & MO State going).
Prisonmate
The Varsity Level
I've been there. It's a shell of the Hammons Student Center during the Barry Hinson days. It's been a morgue there for years now.
Didn't realize we don't play until Saturday. Gotta a long wait between games
And another 11 day break after that.
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Missouri State is an interesting team; very much the opposite of us. They are a defense-first team that's scrappy as hell, and they play a ton of ISO/slow-paced offensive ball with a huge emphasis on drawing fouls. Their point distribution is wild - 29.1% 3PT (240th in D1), 46.8% 2PT (251st) and 24.1% FT (30th). While they deemphasize the three-point shot and put a premium on free throws, they're actually a very good three-point shooting team (38.9% - 23rd in D1) and a very average free throw shooting team (72.2% - 158th in D1).
What they do really well is what worries me. They are very good at creating turnovers defensively. They're 65th in TO% at 20.6%, while our abilities to protect the basketball are very well documented (i.e. we're terrible at it). They're very good at creating steals and causing unforced errors, and they run their opponents off of the three-point line pretty well.
I didn't see any of the games in the Bahamas...only listened to them on the radio. From what I gathered some of the teams we played were pretty physical, but I think this will be a shock to the system. It'll be interesting to see how we respond to a team that wants to do nothing more than frustrate the hell out of you defensively.
Bottom line, if we can limit our turnovers we will win this game. If we turn the ball over like we have most of the season, we're screwed.
What they do really well is what worries me. They are very good at creating turnovers defensively. They're 65th in TO% at 20.6%, while our abilities to protect the basketball are very well documented (i.e. we're terrible at it). They're very good at creating steals and causing unforced errors, and they run their opponents off of the three-point line pretty well.
I didn't see any of the games in the Bahamas...only listened to them on the radio. From what I gathered some of the teams we played were pretty physical, but I think this will be a shock to the system. It'll be interesting to see how we respond to a team that wants to do nothing more than frustrate the hell out of you defensively.
Bottom line, if we can limit our turnovers we will win this game. If we turn the ball over like we have most of the season, we're screwed.
Good conversation.
Takeaways
Teel - Was challenged to be the leader and to be more vocal. He's trying to lead the team. Learning when to play make and when to score.
Harding - Unselfish and Graves sometimes want him to be more selfish under the rim.
Vorst - Has started practicing
Graves - still adjusting to players and lineups also not afraid to sit guys if they are not producing. Realized LeGree had to play because of our suspect ball handling. We will probably never play 2 bigs at the same time. Saturday he knows 4 who will start.
My guess is the starters are going to be Teel, Legree, Alocen, Doughty, and Harding.
One of the better interviews Graves has done. Also helps that we have seen the team and basically know exactly what he is talking about. I will say he sounds more confident about this team coming together, and you can see that happening on the court. We will be a work in progress but I've come off the ledge as far as thinking we are the worst team in ISU history. I think we will be competitive in the MVC games more times than not hopefully we can pull out majority of the close games we will partake in
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I'll give them credit, the team we saw in Baha Mar looked completely different than the team that was chirping at each other at USI just a few days before.
I get that we're going to lose some games we probably shouldn't this year, but I just hope moving forward we're at least competitive when we do so. Arkansas State is the kind of loss I can live with if that's how we play against Drake and Bradley, a close fought game where we ultimately might not have the talent to pull out a win this year.
I just don't want to see another USI game. Losing and not being fun to watch aren't going to put butts in seats.
GoSycamores
The Wade Level
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Indiana State men's basketball is prepped for its Missouri Valley opener at Missouri State on Saturday, with the game slated to tip at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
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GameDay and I have to wonder…
Has LeGree solidified himself into the rotation?
Will we see Vorst back on the court tonight?
Will we see Gray back on the court tonight?
Will Harding be our de facto starter at the five for every game this season?
Can we please please please limit our turnovers even a little bit?
Who will lead us in 3pt attempts tonight?
Will we double-up MSU in assists this game?
Will MSU top their attendance-high of 2,364?
Will Wyatt Wheeler debut his MVC power rankings after this game?
Has LeGree solidified himself into the rotation?
Will we see Vorst back on the court tonight?
Will we see Gray back on the court tonight?
Will Harding be our de facto starter at the five for every game this season?
Can we please please please limit our turnovers even a little bit?
Who will lead us in 3pt attempts tonight?
Will we double-up MSU in assists this game?
Will MSU top their attendance-high of 2,364?
Will Wyatt Wheeler debut his MVC power rankings after this game?
Last time playing in Great Southern Bank Arena for the foreseeable future, and to that I say Good Riddance. Sycamores have not played well there historically despite MSU not exactly being an MVC power during their conference tenure. A beautiful basketball arena and probably the best in the conference when it first opened. But steel, bricks, and lights don't make a place; the people do, and because of that, GSBA has been one of the worst environments we've played in recently. The potential is there, maybe they find their footing in C-USA? But looking back there aren't too many memorable moments that have happened in that building for our beloved blue & white. For me you don't have to look back very far: 2/10/2024 the Sycamore squad struggles, shooting 12-40 from 3 point land, but gut out a 73-71 win. The game itself was very forgettable but after, we found ourselves 22-3 and entered the top 25 for the very first time since the magical 79' season.
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Not sure why, but I feel like we’re going to win today. Go Sycamores
Boy that would be a hell of a way to start the conference season… I haven’t seen MoState play so I don’t really have any idea what to expect.
I’d assume if we can knock down some shots and take care of the rock we will be in the game… Taking care of the ball being what I’m most interested in - can’t shoot the ball if your turning it over and playing defense.
We're going to get a heaping helping of 90s Purdue scheme today. Dirt and muck and all.
Game will depend on whether or not we can shoot at a plus level against it.
Game will depend on whether or not we can shoot at a plus level against it.