Next 7

[Southgrad07]

The next 7 games will tell us what this team is capable of. We played a creampuff filled first 6 and we took care of business for the most part and came away with an impressive 5-1 record. However, double dips with Creighton, Wichita State, and Missouri State loom along with a home date with the Aces. The three things that we need to do well in these next 7 games to have a chance at winning more than we lose are to...

1. Shoot the three well- Our offense is hard to watch sometimes but when we hit our threes it opens so much more for us. I'll just say it right now, we will not score enough points (especially on the road) to beat the better teams consistently unless we can drain a good amount of triples. Our post game and our dribble drive scoring are not good enough to carry us.

2. Turnovers on the road- Our 3 valley home games we have 8,8, and 11 turnovers. On the road 22,18, and 15! Enough said. Take care of the damn ball!!!

3. Keep up the defensive intensity and rebounding- These are our two strengths as a ball club right now but they are largely untested. The first 6 teams we played are NOT good offensive clubs and all of them lacked a big time post player and/or quality depth in the front court. I know CU and WSU have multiple quality bigs (not sure on MSU but im guessing they have some) so we will see if the rebounding edge goes away or if it is really a strength for us.

 

[bent20]

No. 3 is probably the most important. Can't rely on shooting every game, but you can rely on defense and rebounding if you keep up the intensity.

 

[sycamorebacker]

All good points above. Last night, we jacked up too many 3's at times. We need more points in the paint. another one of our strengths is depth. Last night was mostly a team effort from a lot of players.

 

[4Q_iu]

Nice that we're back in Friendly HC --- keep that home streak going!

I think the school record is ~26 games, 1976/77 - 1977/78.

 

[SycamoreStateofMind]

Southgrad create a poll to this post - "How many games of the next 7 will Sycamores win" and edit your post to list out those games for everyone - if you want? lol It would be cool to see a poll of how people think we will do.

I think that we will win 4 of the next 7. Hopeful for 5 and think it's possible, but I am keeping a couple things in perspective. I do not anticipate that the Sycamores will be able to win out at home and I am guessing that they will lose one of the next 2 games. In Indiana State fashion (as they have done all year) I also expect them to bounce back and steal one the road in the next 7, I predict that will be at Creighton no less.


My 4 wins include 1 of the next 3 games. Then a win vs. Evansville and then a win at Creighton (for what I am guessing will be a season sweep) and then a win vs. WSU at home = 4 wins.

 

[SycamoreBlue3209]

The good thing about jacking all the threes is we have several players who can hit the shot consistently. (Printy, Carter, Koang, Mahurin, and McWhorter, Odum, and even Lathan, Kelly, and Richard at times.) Therefore, even when a few players may be off, hopefully a few of these eight players can step up and hit the big shots. I love the depth of this team!

 

[Eleven]

Holding Serve at home will be important over this stretch..
Doing so means 4-3 over that span.
I could live with that.

 

[bent20]

I went with four, but think five is very realistic. The next two are must wins at home though. I know, I keep saying each game is a "must win," but over this seven game stretch, the only losses I think would be expected or acceptable (given how well the team is playing) are at WSU and one at MSU or CU. If we can do that we should stay near the top of the standings. Again though, the team is already playing above my expectations, so I'm very pleased. All I asked for was a winning record overall and in the MVC, and we certainly have a good shot at that.

 

[Little Eddie]

I chose 3...the next game...the home game vs E-ville and one wild card.

I simply think that MSU and WSU are that much better than the rest of the league. Sure, ISU can get beat them but it would take an off game by either team and ISU would have to play lights out...maybe the Syc's win one of the two homes games vs one of these two?

It's plausible that ISU beats CU here too...CU has shown they are vulnerable at home.

 

[IndyTreeFan]

I chose 3...the next game...the home game vs E-ville and one wild card.

I simply think that MSU and WSU are that much better than the rest of the league. Sure, ISU can get beat them but it would take an off game by either team and ISU would have to play lights out...maybe the Syc's win one of the two homes games vs one of these two?

It's plausible that ISU beats CU here too...CU has shown they are vulnerable at home.

LE, why is Missouri State so much better than last year? I mean that as a serious question. Did they add that much over the off season, or what? Obviously they are much improved, but I don't get where it comes from...

 

[Eleven]

I chose 3...the next game...the home game vs E-ville and one wild card.

I was on the fence between 3 and 4.
Went with 4 because I'm optimistic... All 4 home games...

 

[SycamoreStateofMind]

Well just as we have no right to suggest that ISU can beat the likes of WSU or MSU, I don't believe it's fair for you to suggest that ISU would have to play lights out to beat anyone in this lack luster conference. I think that shows a total lack of respect for what ISU has accomplished so far this season, I'm sorry that's just the way I see it.

Outsiders say ok the Sycamores are off to a decent start but they haven't played anyone? Understand something for me, we are beating teams that we have historically struggled with in the past, maybe they are not the same Bradley and Illinois State teams we are used to seeing they are still conference games and it has been a struggle for us to win in the MVC in past seasons. So I don't buy the argument that we haven't played anyone. We have won our 5 Valley games by an average of like 12 points or something. So don't give me this you haven't played anyone, we have won and we have won convincingly! Then outsiders say yeah but go and do it on the road, ok fair enough we head out on a 2 game road swing and did something that others suggested that maybe this team wasn't cable of doing after tough losses to Wyoming and Ball State early on in the season and the collapse at Evansville.

Respect is not gained it's earned and that's clearly the case here in my mind. The Sycamores are going to have to beat some of these upper tier teams to be a factor in the minds of people outside of Sycamorepride, I have come to that conclusion. Fine - so be it. We didn't get to 5-1 by sheer luck, trust me it took a little more than that. To suggest that we would have to shoot lights out to beat MSU or WSU suggests that both of those teams are way beyond Purdue and ND who we played tough this season without shooting lights out.

 

[bent20]

To suggest that we would have to shoot lights out to beat MSU or WSU suggests that both of those teams are way beyond Purdue and ND who we played tough this season without shooting lights out.

Great point. This team is also playing with confidence. Our defense and inside game are the best they've been in years. We can, and should, play everyone tough.

 

[Southgrad07]

I chose 3...the next game...the home game vs E-ville and one wild card.

I simply think that MSU and WSU are that much better than the rest of the league. Sure, ISU can get beat them but it would take an off game by either team and ISU would have to play lights out...maybe the Syc's win one of the two homes games vs one of these two?

It's plausible that ISU beats CU here too...CU has shown they are vulnerable at home.

I dont think it takes "lights out" performance for the syc's to beat either one of them if they are off. We are more than just a scrappy team that you have to show up to beat, if we play "lights out" nobody beats us in HC no matter how well they play. MSU and WSU are the two best teams at the moment, but do I see them as good as the top valley teams in the past. Hell no. This is a down year for the valley and the trees have a chance to prove they can play with or beat MSU and WSU.

 

[TreeTop]

I'm the guy that voted 7.

And I really do believe we'll win them all. It won't be easy, but it will be done.

 

[Jon]

I'm the guy that voted 7.

And I really do believe we'll win them all. It won't be easy, but it will be done.

My hotel and tickets are already booked for St. Louis, but I'd almost double book if that happened!

I think this team has every ability to win all 7...I just think the inconsistencies of Kelly and Lathan this year, along with them coming off injury, combined with our youth off the bench will all hurt us against the top teams. I voted for 4, though I think we'll drop one of WSU/MOST at home and steal a road win in there as well.

I just want to point out that this team COULD be 8-1 at the halfway point of the Valley schedule. I feel like we've had recent seasons where we've been 1-8. This is awesome!

 

[Little Eddie]

That's fine...I've seen MSU and WSU live already...I feel that they are head and shoulders above the rest of the Valley and it's not even close.

I've seen Drake live...they are not good. Bradley is decimated w/ injuries...there's 3 of the wins. Wins at home vs UNI and Illinois State I like a lot...I think one or both of these teams could be a tough out later in the season.

I get that ISU played Purdue and ND tough...I think both Purdue and ND did not necessarily have very good games vs ISU though...and I think ISU played good (not great) in both games.

Take it as a slight if you feel the need...I think ISU is positioned well to get that 3rd slot but no higher than that...they just have to show it vs CU. We'll see in the next couple weeks I guess...

 

[Southgrad07]

My hotel and tickets are already booked for St. Louis, but I'd almost double book if that happened!

I think this team has every ability to win all 7...I just think the inconsistencies of Kelly and Lathan this year, along with them coming off injury, combined with our youth off the bench will all hurt us against the top teams. I voted for 4, though I think we'll drop one of WSU/MOST at home and steal a road win in there as well.

I just want to point out that this team COULD be 8-1 at the halfway point of the Valley schedule. I feel like we've had recent seasons where we've been 1-8. This is awesome!

I would love to have some of what your drinking right now :sycamores:.... But really I just dont see us sweeping WSU and CU because they are really physical teams that have multiple bigs that bang around and will give us problems. Walker is our only physically imposing player and in at least one of those games he will get into major foul problems. Idk about you but I think its a lot to ask KD, RJ, or Isiah to guard those bigs for an extended period. Isiah might be our best play but I just dont think we have the bigs to beat ALL of those teams. People also forget how hard it is to beat the same team twice, let alone within 2 weeks. Thats why im pretty confident we will go 3-4, 4-3, 5-2. Would lovvvvee the 7-0 though!!

 

[Jon]

I would love to have some of what your drinking right now :sycamores:.... But really I just dont see us sweeping WSU and CU because they are really physical teams that have multiple bigs that bang around and will give us problems. Walker is our only physically imposing player and in at least one of those games he will get into major foul problems. Idk about you but I think its a lot to ask KD, RJ, or Isiah to guard those bigs for an extended period. Isiah might be our best play but I just dont think we have the bigs to beat ALL of those teams. People also forget how hard it is to beat the same team twice, let alone within 2 weeks. Thats why im pretty confident we will go 3-4, 4-3, 5-2. Would lovvvvee the 7-0 though!!

I voted for four wins and pointed that out in my post. And 4 wins could easily be UE, CU, @CU, and MOST/WSU...and would stick with my thought of dropping one at home and stealing one on the road. I'm actually on the same page as you as far as 7-0 goes.

However, the part I bolded in your post works both ways. It will be equally difficult for a team to sweep us. To be honest, I kind of hope we DON'T sweep MSU or WSU. As hard as it is to go 2-0 against a team, it's even HARDER to go 3-0, and the road to a Valley Championship in St. Louis will go through those two teams.

 

[Little Eddie]

I would love to have some of what your drinking right now :sycamores:.... But really I just dont see us sweeping WSU and CU because they are really physical teams that have multiple bigs that bang around and will give us problems. Walker is our only physically imposing player and in at least one of those games he will get into major foul problems. Idk about you but I think its a lot to ask KD, RJ, or Isiah to guard those bigs for an extended period. Isiah might be our best play but I just dont think we have the bigs to beat ALL of those teams. People also forget how hard it is to beat the same team twice, let alone within 2 weeks. Thats why im pretty confident we will go 3-4, 4-3, 5-2. Would lovvvvee the 7-0 though!!

I think Isiah may be able to defend Doug McD better than most on the team...Doug is tough on the posts for a four man.