[January 29, 2025] Indiana State (9-12) vs Missouri State (7-14)

[SycamoreStateofMind]

Never apologize for a W. Trust me I hear you though. This doesn’t cover the issues with this team. But hopefully this does something positive for the team and film should easily show the tale of two halves.

I mean I guess. I’ve seen a lot of ball in my life and this ain’t it. I don’t like anything about it.

You're not saying anything I disagree with. I think the only reason I am not seething with anger is because we actually pulled this one out when I was sure we would lose after getting down 16.

I appreciate it - but I’m honestly not trying to say anything that I want anyone to agree with. I don’t care. I’m not “angry”, I just refuse to celebrate a bull shit performance.

That was a shit ass performance save for maybe what 2 minutes of the game? I don’t know I don’t have the answer I am just really disappointed with the product.

 

[Sycamorefan96]

That win is nothing to celebrate or be happy about. That was another lack luster shit ass performance on your home floor vs a shit ass team. This is an utter embarrassment and the crowd tonight was a direct reflection of where this program is heading.

Unfortunately I agree. That was one of the ugliest D1 basketball games I've ever watched.

 

[SycamoreBlue3209]

The Harding thing is perplexing…I don’t love singling the kid out cause I’m sure he’s a great kid and it’s not an effort thing at all. We clearly had the best stretches when he was not on the floor. MG really needs to chill on subbing him in when things are going good with a different group.
Thought Walker showed some defensive prowess tonight and would like to see him get extended minutes. Let the kid play 20-25 minutes and see if he can get comfortable out there.
Is it as simple as if Camp and Teel are hitting their 3’s, we can win ball games?

 

[RunSyc]

 

[isubird33]

Win, but an incredibly ugly one.


Tbh this is pretty much what I expected going into this season. The reality is that every season is going to be a complete rebuild with how NIL is now. Unless you have an incredible NIL program and lots of athletic department funding and/or hit a home run with a coaching hire and find a lot of hidden gems in your recruiting/NIL class while having a solid program/department to build around, this is going to be the situation every season going forward. And as we saw last year, the second scenario only buys you a season, maybe 2 at most.

 

[RunSyc]

 

[bigsportsfan]

Can’t argue with any of this. The basketball IQ thing bothers me the most. That would be my top priority moving forward if I was Coach Graves.

 

[GoSycamores]

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men's basketball snapped its six-game win streak with a 72-67 home victory on Wednesday night, defeated the Missorui State Bears. Indiana State improved to 10-12, 4-7 MVC while MSU fell to 7-15, 0-11 MVC.

More...

 

[Jason Svoboda]

The issue with the team, IMO, is Graves needs to get under Teel's ass and tell him he cannot be MIA for entire halves of games.

Yesterday was a tale of two halves and if Teel isn't being aggressive, there are compounding effects on the other guys.

 

[TreeTop]

The issue with the team, IMO, is Graves needs to get under Teel's ass and tell him he cannot be MIA for entire halves of games.

Yesterday was a tale of two halves and if Teel isn't being aggressive, there are compounding effects on the other guys.

In listening to the radio post game interview and the press conference, it sounds like Graves did just that at halftime. Hopefully, he'll turn it on for the remainder of the season, we're an absolutely dreadful team when he's MIA, fo sho.

 

[jturner38]

The issue with the team, IMO, is Graves needs to get under Teel's ass and tell him he cannot be MIA for entire halves of games.

Yesterday was a tale of two halves and if Teel isn't being aggressive, there are compounding effects on the other guys.

I agree but I also think it's been difficult for him to penetrate (Got to to still find a way) because the defense has been sitting in the gaps because we haven't been shooting well. Camp's shooting in the second half got Teel more space to work with. Now with that said that wasn't the only thing. We called out Teel for not taking advantage when he had a mismatch on him.

 

[TreeTop]

It was the day before game day between the two worst teams in the MVC and I hated to wonder...

Which team breaks its losing streak? Sycamores.
How embarrassing will it be if it's not us? Very.
Are we a single-digit-win team for the entire season? Let's not forget two of our 10 wins were vs non-D1.
How many combined turnovers will there be in this game? 32. Thirty. Two.
Which Bear will shoot lights out from three? None, but Dez White was 4-9.
Will Teel and Daughtry each score 20+ points like they did in our first meeting with the Bears? Teel 20, Daughtry 18.
Will Dez White score 30 points like he did in the first meeting against us? 16.
Without looking at our season stats, who has the best A/TO ratio? Technically, Tyran Cook at 14/7.
Will Summers see the court? Negative.
Will this be the first game of the year in which our attendance doesn't break the 4,000 mark? NEGATIVE, FANS ARE THIS SEASON'S HIGHLIGHT.

 

[CoachShipp]

I don’t know I don’t have the answer I am just really disappointed with the product.

Same....I try to come up with answers (with my limited basketball knowledge) and it turns into a laundry list of stuff that seem to not be working right for the Sycamores.

Like many others have stated, I'm hopeful a "W" can spark these guy to keep working to try to improve each and every day.

 

[DyedBlue]

Teams don't win many games when they go 8.5+ minutes without scoring.

 

[treeman]

I mean it was an ugly game and ugly performance by both squads. There is a TON of concern going forward and I don't think for a second we moved in the right direction after last night. But we were on a 6 game lose streak, it's just nice to get a win no matter how we got it at this point. We went 2-0 against a Missouri State program leaving for "greener" FBS pastures; we did our part in this conference to send their asses packing with a horrible taste in their mouths.

Is it as simple as Camp and Teel hitting shots? Perhaps. But we need to get back to how we were playing in late Dec and early JAN. Hopefully if nothing else last night eased the tension with this team and staff and they are able to get at it

 

[IndyTreeFan]

They aren't even attempting to run "the system" that we were promised. There was way too much standing around, aimless weaving on the perimeter, and iso going on. If Graves is going to revert to Lansingball, he can leave now. He needs to get players in who can learn and execute the read and react thing we had going. If not, we're going to be just another boring mid-major.

Free pass in year one, free pass in year one, free pass in year one...if I repeat it often enough, maybe I'll believe it...

 

[jturner38]

They aren't even attempting to run "the system" that we were promised. There was way too much standing around, aimless weaving on the perimeter, and iso going on. If Graves is going to revert to Lansingball, he can leave now. He needs to get players in who can learn and execute the read and react thing we had going. If not, we're going to be just another boring mid-major.

Free pass in year one, free pass in year one, free pass in year one...if I repeat it often enough, maybe I'll believe it...

You can't run your system if you don't have the personnel for it. We don't have a good cutter and we don't have a hub.

 

[IndyTreeFan]

You can't run your system if you don't have the personnel for it. We don't have a good cutter and we don't have a hub.

I don't completely agree with that. You still run, or at least teach and work on, the principles. I recall in Thumb's first season, he obviously didn't have the horses he needed, but you could see what they were trying to do. You could see what they were working on. They didn't do it well, but you could see that there was foundation being laid. All I see out of the team right now is that they have given up and are just doing iso and weaving.

But this season is a free pass. If we're still dealing with this crap next year, they'd better start a buyout fund...

 

[treeman]

I don't completely agree with that. You still run, or at least teach and work on, the principles. I recall in Thumb's first season, he obviously didn't have the horses he needed, but you could see what they were trying to do. You could see what they were working on. They didn't do it well, but you could see that there was foundation being laid. All I see out of the team right now is that they have given up and are just doing iso and weaving.

But this season is a free pass. If we're still dealing with this crap next year, they'd better start a buyout fund...

Don't disagree. But even 4 years ago the NCAA has changed. Neese, Bledson, Henry, Stephens weren't going anywhere at the end of year 1. JS knew he had some tools to work with so it made sense to lean into "the system" more when you have key pieces coming back next year.

Next year, who do we have coming back? Teel, Doughty & Harding are gone so why build a system with them? You can bank on 5-6 guys entering the portal either by themselves or coaching staff telling them they are moving on.

Right now the way I see it is you have Wagner & Daughtry as the only guys producing this year that I would be happy if they came back.

LeGree, Walker, Alderink, alocen are all nice freshman that I'd welcome back and see where it goes but no way all 4 are going to be here.

Summers seems out already and I can't imagine Cook sticking around either.

This new NCAA sucks ass

 

[Sycamorefan96]

I'm about to the point where I'm willing to give all of our coaches a free pass unless their play calling and in-game adjustments completely suck. If we're losing because we don't have the horses, then I kind of get it, but at least make it look like you want to win.

This season is over as far as being overly competitive. Hopefully we can beat Valpo, Evansville, and SIU at home; and then maybe be good enough to pull off an upset on Thursday on St Louis. No way this team makes it past Friday, and it will take a lot of improvement to make it that far imo.