If you had the opportunity to sit down with new head coach Kevin McKenna and ask him one question, what would you ask?
If you could ask McKenna one question...
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Proud To Be A Tree
The Varsity Level
Can we get some hotter cheerleaders?
LMAO... I'm serious. If we get enough good questions, I'll contact the athletics office to see if he'd be interested in answering them for us. I'm sure they'd appreciate the buzz about the program.
What is the one thing he took (whether it be technique, philosophy, or strategy) from his time with Coach Altman at Creighton, that he plans to implement at ISU?
Sycamore624
The Wade Level
I started a ISU fan page last Summer but got busy with work and had to pass on it. I contacted several ISU coaches by email and they were all VERY supportive of the ideal and willing to do whatever to help. We need to get them involved.
Sycamore624
The Wade Level
Does the university have any plans to get more students to come to the games? Why not put road games on TV 2 instead of home games? We want fans coming to home games instead of watching them at home on tv.
Little Eddie
The All-MVC Level
Does it suck to know that your brother is not only a 1/2 inch taller than you but now, after 4 months of working out, is now tipping the scales at a lower weight than you???
btisu22
The Varsity Level
Does it suck to know that your brother is not only a 1/2 inch taller than you but now, after 4 months of working out, is now tipping the scales at a lower weight than you???
I'll see if I can get him to Green Acres a little more!:bigsmile:
Bump for the new folks.
bent20
The Odum Level
I want to know what kind of recruits he's looking for and what points he brings up when trying to talk them into coming to Indiana State (assuming that's not something best kept secret from other programs).
I would ask him what his personal long term goals are, specifically, if he wins here, and is offered something at a bigger school, what would persuade him to leave or persuade him to go? I would not be upset about him leaving us for a bigger school if he wins here and they come knocking, just would be curious as to whether or not he sees Indiana State as a career, or a stepping stone? No wrong or right answer,....just curious.
Little Eddie
The All-MVC Level
I can go w/ a general answer to that...the first recruits are guys that he feels that can replace the juniors and seniors that will soon be graduating...ie Tyler Cutter to replace Gabe Moore. Mavunga would have been a good fit to replace Mick...etc.
For Indy St, I'd guess he sells the conference hard and the desire for him and the team to return the team to the glory days of the Bird era...the fact that Indy St has quality academics doesn't hurt either.
BankShot
The Kleuh Level
How would he compare the ISU/Creighton programs, from an administrative and fiscal perspective? What changes (if any) would facilitate and enhance ISU success in the Valley?
ray:
ray:
bent20
The Odum Level
The Bird and Wooden eras. We're due, again.
SycamoreSage
The Captain Level
Indiana State Basketball Tradition
There is much more to Indiana State's basketball heritage than Bird and Wooden, though they are a very important part. Here is a snippet of some of the things many current fans seem to have forgotten.
Coach Birch E. Bayh, grandfather of the current U.S. Senator from Indiana, and Alfred Westphal probably should be credited with creating and establishing Indiana State's basketball tradition. Bayh coached from 1918 thru 1923 and produced Indiana State's first great player, Roy Burris. The Sycamore had consecutive 15-7, 12-3 and 20-5 seasons under Coach Bayh.
It was during Bayh's early years that the state legislature asked the administration at Indiana State to establish a branch campus of Indiana State at Muncie. Indiana State basketball coach (1917-18) Orville Ernerst Sink and outstanding Indiana State athete Billy Williams were dispatched to Muncie to help found the "Eastern Branch" of Indiana State Normal, soon to be known as "Muncie Normal." Today, it is called Ball State.
After Coach Bayh departed to head the physical education program for the public school system in Washington, D.C., Coach Wally Marks had some outstanding coaching years, including 16-1, 15-4, 13-4. As many know, Marks was an outstanding all around athlete at the University of Chicago under Amos Alonzo Stagg and played professional baseball during the summers. He once pitched a 17-inning Three-I League game and was the winning pitcher. The loser was King Carl Hubbell.
"The Wooden Era" was actually the era created by Coach Glenn Curtis, an 1914 Indiana State alumnus who was hired as coach and AD at Indiana State Teachers College in 1938 after producing a state record FOUR Indiana high school basketball tournament champions at Lebanon and, then, Martinsville. One of his players at Martinsville was Wooden. Another was Les Reynolds, later an outstanding player at Indiana State.
In eight years Curtis compiled consecutive season records of 10-9, 15-3, 11-8, 17-4, 13-4, 17-4, 18-6 and 21-7. His teams were invited to National Assocoation of Intercollegeiate Basketball (NAIB) tournaments in Kansas City three times and reached the finals twice. The Sycamores lost the 1946 championship game to Southern Illinois, 49-48. The NAIB Tournament preceded the "invention" of the NCAA tournament.
Wooden succeeded his former high school coach at Indiana State. Curtis accepted the head coaching job with Detrot of the NBA, taking three of his former players with him to the pros: George Pearcy, Harold "Stoop" Johnson and Harold Pearcy. Freddie Stelow, one of the best players of that era, was killed in an auto crash.
Wooden coached only two seasons (17-8, 27-7) at Indiana State but advanced to the championship game of the 1948 NAIB tournament before losing to Louisville, 82-70. That era produced NBA players Duane Klueh, Bobby Royer and John Hazen and legend Lenny Rzeszewski.
John Longfellow succeeded Wooden at Indiana State and was the coach of the 1950 NAIA tournament championship team (after reaching the Final Four in 1949). As a result of the 1950 championship, eight Sycamores and Coach Longfellow were selected to play for the 1951 U.S. Pan American Games team, which won the gold medal. One of those players, Dick Atha, later played in the NBA.
Longfellow produced 24-8, 27-8, 15-10, 19-10, 23-8 and 12-15 seasons. He had a stroke during the 1954-55 season and was succeeded in 1955 by Klueh, 1948 Helms Foundation All-America and former NBA player.
Klueh, who won more games than any coach in Indiana State's basketball history, produced teams in 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967 which won 17 games or more. Gordon Stauffer succeeded Klueh in 1967-68 and promptly took his first team, consisting primarily of Klueh recruits, to the 1968 NCAA Small College championship game, losing to Evansville.
There is much more to Indiana State's basketball heritage than Bird and Wooden, though they are a very important part. Here is a snippet of some of the things many current fans seem to have forgotten.
Coach Birch E. Bayh, grandfather of the current U.S. Senator from Indiana, and Alfred Westphal probably should be credited with creating and establishing Indiana State's basketball tradition. Bayh coached from 1918 thru 1923 and produced Indiana State's first great player, Roy Burris. The Sycamore had consecutive 15-7, 12-3 and 20-5 seasons under Coach Bayh.
It was during Bayh's early years that the state legislature asked the administration at Indiana State to establish a branch campus of Indiana State at Muncie. Indiana State basketball coach (1917-18) Orville Ernerst Sink and outstanding Indiana State athete Billy Williams were dispatched to Muncie to help found the "Eastern Branch" of Indiana State Normal, soon to be known as "Muncie Normal." Today, it is called Ball State.
After Coach Bayh departed to head the physical education program for the public school system in Washington, D.C., Coach Wally Marks had some outstanding coaching years, including 16-1, 15-4, 13-4. As many know, Marks was an outstanding all around athlete at the University of Chicago under Amos Alonzo Stagg and played professional baseball during the summers. He once pitched a 17-inning Three-I League game and was the winning pitcher. The loser was King Carl Hubbell.
"The Wooden Era" was actually the era created by Coach Glenn Curtis, an 1914 Indiana State alumnus who was hired as coach and AD at Indiana State Teachers College in 1938 after producing a state record FOUR Indiana high school basketball tournament champions at Lebanon and, then, Martinsville. One of his players at Martinsville was Wooden. Another was Les Reynolds, later an outstanding player at Indiana State.
In eight years Curtis compiled consecutive season records of 10-9, 15-3, 11-8, 17-4, 13-4, 17-4, 18-6 and 21-7. His teams were invited to National Assocoation of Intercollegeiate Basketball (NAIB) tournaments in Kansas City three times and reached the finals twice. The Sycamores lost the 1946 championship game to Southern Illinois, 49-48. The NAIB Tournament preceded the "invention" of the NCAA tournament.
Wooden succeeded his former high school coach at Indiana State. Curtis accepted the head coaching job with Detrot of the NBA, taking three of his former players with him to the pros: George Pearcy, Harold "Stoop" Johnson and Harold Pearcy. Freddie Stelow, one of the best players of that era, was killed in an auto crash.
Wooden coached only two seasons (17-8, 27-7) at Indiana State but advanced to the championship game of the 1948 NAIB tournament before losing to Louisville, 82-70. That era produced NBA players Duane Klueh, Bobby Royer and John Hazen and legend Lenny Rzeszewski.
John Longfellow succeeded Wooden at Indiana State and was the coach of the 1950 NAIA tournament championship team (after reaching the Final Four in 1949). As a result of the 1950 championship, eight Sycamores and Coach Longfellow were selected to play for the 1951 U.S. Pan American Games team, which won the gold medal. One of those players, Dick Atha, later played in the NBA.
Longfellow produced 24-8, 27-8, 15-10, 19-10, 23-8 and 12-15 seasons. He had a stroke during the 1954-55 season and was succeeded in 1955 by Klueh, 1948 Helms Foundation All-America and former NBA player.
Klueh, who won more games than any coach in Indiana State's basketball history, produced teams in 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967 which won 17 games or more. Gordon Stauffer succeeded Klueh in 1967-68 and promptly took his first team, consisting primarily of Klueh recruits, to the 1968 NCAA Small College championship game, losing to Evansville.
One question
I would ask him if he has any plans on keeping the past players involved in the program, I know that a couple of them come back and work at the summer basketball camp, and I see some of them around the team from time to time. Is this going to change (most of the players are from the waltman era) or is he going to reach out and keep them involved? Maybe use them in recruiting alittle? I think that they could really help!!
I would ask him if he has any plans on keeping the past players involved in the program, I know that a couple of them come back and work at the summer basketball camp, and I see some of them around the team from time to time. Is this going to change (most of the players are from the waltman era) or is he going to reach out and keep them involved? Maybe use them in recruiting alittle? I think that they could really help!!
BankShot
The Kleuh Level
Will Larry Bird ever become a viable part of the ISU program again while he is HC?
Also, curious as to comparative administrative & financial support - Creighton v. ISU/Omaha v. Terre Haute?
Also, curious as to comparative administrative & financial support - Creighton v. ISU/Omaha v. Terre Haute?
BankShot
The Kleuh Level
Was Westphal associated w/ the "Westphal Drugs" chain?
BankShot
The Kleuh Level
Great ISU "History in a Nutshell," Sage! Minor correction @ end...KY Wesleyan def. ISU in the NCAA Small College Final Game @ Roberts Stadium in Evansville.