Indiana State Sycamores
Overall Rank: #68
Conference Rank: #3 Missouri Valley
Indiana State Team Page
2010-11: 20-14, 12-6
2010-11 postseason: NCAA
Coach: Greg Lansing (20-14 at Indiana State, 20-14 overall)
Indiana State was not the best team in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, but they got hot at the right time. They won five of their last six regular season games and knocked off favorites Wichita State and Missouri State during Arch Madness to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The emergence of Jake Odum was a big reason for the Sycamores surprising season. The point guard averaged 9.3 points, 4.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds as a freshman. He turned the ball over a little too often, but that happens to freshmen. Odum did a great job running the offense and providing his own when needed. With a year of experience under his belt, he is ready to be a big time leader for Indiana State.
Who’s Out:
Aaron Carter was the shooter in the starting lineup last season. He was also an athletic 6-4 guard who really helped this undersized team from the wing in the rebounding and defense departments. Carter averaged 8.6 points per game. Jake Kelly, yet another big guard, averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds during his 21 games of action. That size on the perimeter will be missed. Center Isiah Martin had size of a different sort. The Sycamores pretty much ran a four guard offense and Martin was asked to spell the starting big man for about ten minutes per game. Somebody else will have to fill that role this year.
Who’s In:
Jake Kitchell, a redshirt freshman, may be the man for the job. At 6-10 and 225 pounds, he is the biggest player on the roster. His time on the bench last season should help him fit into the regular rotation, even if it is just for ten minutes per game. Justin Gant may be a more talented center in the long run, but the true freshman needs to add some strength and polish his skills. The backcourt adds Devonte Brown and Brandon Burnett. Burnett is another big guard at 6-6 and 225 pounds. If this team plays small again, he may need to play some minutes right away.
Who to Watch:
The talented group of guards that surround Odum begins with Dwayne Lathan. The 6-3 shooting guard led the Sycamores with 10.9 points per game last season and added 4.6 rebounds. He does most of his damage by attacking the basket, but Lathan is a better outside shooter than his numbers would indicate. Jordan Printy will likely step into the starting lineup for Carter. Like Carter, Printy is a fine outside shooter and connected on 47.7 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. The problem is Printy is pretty much nothing but a shooter at this point in his career. That worked well when he was coming in off of the bench, but now he will have to do it from a starting role. Steve McWhorter is a little bigger and stronger than Printy and may need to play more minutes this year in order to help the undersized team on the glass. Koang Doluony has the size to play the three or four spot, but failed to earn too many minutes during his sophomore season. Carl Richard, at just 6-5, is the power forward. Ideally he would be a wing, but it worked out pretty well last year with Richard at the four. He led the team with 6.5 rebounds and also scored 9.5 points per game. Many opposing defenders have trouble with his quickness, but he can have trouble with their size on the other end of the floor.
Final Projection:
Myles Walker is the big man who has four guards running around him. He is not the most effective interior scorer, but he can put up some points…mostly coming from offensive rebounds. What Walker does provide is a big-bodied experienced player who can eat up space in the paint and at least alter some shots. That is what this team needs from their big man. R.J. Mauhurin had a decent freshman campaign and should be Walker’s primary backup or the option at the four spot when Indiana State needs to go big. The Sycamores certainly have enough talent to make another trip to the NCAA Tournament, but they are not sneaking up on anybody this year. There are more talented teams out there and Coach Greg Lansing will have a tougher time of things in his second year now that his team is being mentioned among the favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Jake Odum, Sophomore, Guard, 9.3 points per game
Dwayne Lathan, Senior, Guard, 10.9 points per game
Jordan Printy, Senior, Guard, 6.2 points per game
Carl Richard, Senior, Forward, 9.5 points per game
Myles Walker, Senior, Center, 6.5 points per game
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