Arkansas State is in no position to take Florida International lightly.
Tumbling from the effects of a 3-game losing streak, the Indians have plummeted from the summit to the foothill of the Sun Belt Conference East Division. Maybe a little sand, saltwater and sunshine can cure their ills.
ASU (13-10 overall, 5-5 Sun Belt Conference) begins the final leg of its third straight week on the road when it visits Florida International this evening. Like Arkansas State, the Golden Panthers (8-14, 1-8) have plenty of their own problems, having lost nine of 10 games to rank dead last in the SBC.
Tipoff at Pharmed Arena is 6:30 p.m.
Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt said his team isn?t taking anything for granted after three straight losses in conference play. The Indians were on top of the Sun Belt?s East Division after beating Arkansas-Little Rock on the road a little more than two weeks ago, but find themselves fighting to avoid fourth place after losses at New Orleans, at Western Kentucky and at home to UALR.
?I think our players know that Division I basketball is a bear,? Nutt said. ?They know that any time you go to somebody?s place or any time you play period, that you better strap it up. We are not the type of team that can overlook anybody or take somebody lightly.?
Arkansas State scored the game?s final 10 points to rally for a 60-55 victory when it hosted FIU in January. The Indians trailed 55-50 with 1:44 to play, but took advantage of four straight turnovers to win their ninth straight against the Golden Panthers.
But ASU could be without its second-leading scorer this evening or only see limited action from him. Senior guard J.J. Montgomery, who averages 16.1 points, sprained his right ankle in Thursday night?s 73-67 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock when he went up for a rebound and landed on the foot of UALR?s Josh Jacobs.
Montgomery said Saturday he wasn?t sure it would be a good idea for him to make the trip to Miami, much less play. Montgomery made the trip, though, and will be available.
?Right now, it?s not looking too good at all,? Montgomery said. ?It?s still swollen. It?s hard to walk on. I know if it?s hard to walk on, it?s going to be hard to play on. I?m going to see what I can do on it, but if I feel like I can?t play on it, then I?m not going to play.?
Nutt said junior Jerry Nichols will take Montgomery?s place in the lineup. Nichols is averaging 10.1 points off the bench and is shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range.
Montgomery said it is important that the Indians get Nichols more involved in the offense whether he rests his ankle or plays.
?I feel like when Jerry is in the game that we?ve got to start looking for him more,? Montgomery said. ?We got to get him some shots to get him going. If Jerry gets going, it means our shots are going to come easier and we?ll all have better games.?
The Indians will definitely be without the services of junior forward Marcus Ardison, who was suspended indefinitely following Saturday?s short practice in Jonesboro.
Ardison is averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds while starting 8 games this season. He was suspended by Nutt ?for conduct detrimental to the team,? according to an announcement.
Florida International is among the top defensive and rebounding teams in the Sun Belt despite its poor record in Sergio Rouco?s first year as head coach. The Golden Panthers are second in the league defensively, holding opponents to just 41.8 percent shooting. They are also the league?s top rebounding team, averaging 39.6 a game while holding opponents to 33.4.
FIU?s downfall has been the same self-destruction that cost the Golden Panthers in the first meeting at ASU. Florida International turns the ball over an average of 20.3 times a game and is last in the SBC in turnover margin (-5.3).
Nutt said the Indians will put plenty of defensive pressure on Florida International, try to create some turnovers and turn them into easy scoring opportunities.
?I think we have got to put a lot of pressure on them defensively,? Nutt said. ?I think we have to get back to our shell defense. We?ve got to have a lot of tremendous helping out. We?ve got to get back to fundamental defense, being tough, blocking out and rebounding.?
Forward Ivan Almonte, a 6-foot-6 junior, leads Florida International in scoring with 16.6 points a game. Senior guard Junior Matias follows at 14.3 points a game while junior forward Ismael N?Diaye averages 14.1.
Nutt said ASU sophomore Isaac Wells will defend Almonte, who is shooting 52.1 percent from the field. ASU?s Dewarick Spencer will guard Matias while Nichols will defend N?Diaye.
?They are a very tough-minded team,? Nutt said. ?We?ve got to really be inside oriented. We?ve got to make sure that our emphasis is getting the ball inside.?
If the past is any indication, Arkansas State will be in for a tough battle. The Indians have won nine in a row against FIU, including four straight in Miami. But, almost all of ASU?s wins against FIU on the road have been close, including a one-point victory and a pair of two-point victories.
Typically, Arkansas State?s games at FIU have been low-scoring and Nutt expects a similar pace tonight.
?They feel like the best way they can win is to slow it down and make it a slugfest,? Nutt said. ?They haven?t had many wins there but they have played everybody very, very tough. This is going to be a very tough test for us.?
Tumbling from the effects of a 3-game losing streak, the Indians have plummeted from the summit to the foothill of the Sun Belt Conference East Division. Maybe a little sand, saltwater and sunshine can cure their ills.
ASU (13-10 overall, 5-5 Sun Belt Conference) begins the final leg of its third straight week on the road when it visits Florida International this evening. Like Arkansas State, the Golden Panthers (8-14, 1-8) have plenty of their own problems, having lost nine of 10 games to rank dead last in the SBC.
Tipoff at Pharmed Arena is 6:30 p.m.
Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt said his team isn?t taking anything for granted after three straight losses in conference play. The Indians were on top of the Sun Belt?s East Division after beating Arkansas-Little Rock on the road a little more than two weeks ago, but find themselves fighting to avoid fourth place after losses at New Orleans, at Western Kentucky and at home to UALR.
?I think our players know that Division I basketball is a bear,? Nutt said. ?They know that any time you go to somebody?s place or any time you play period, that you better strap it up. We are not the type of team that can overlook anybody or take somebody lightly.?
Arkansas State scored the game?s final 10 points to rally for a 60-55 victory when it hosted FIU in January. The Indians trailed 55-50 with 1:44 to play, but took advantage of four straight turnovers to win their ninth straight against the Golden Panthers.
But ASU could be without its second-leading scorer this evening or only see limited action from him. Senior guard J.J. Montgomery, who averages 16.1 points, sprained his right ankle in Thursday night?s 73-67 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock when he went up for a rebound and landed on the foot of UALR?s Josh Jacobs.
Montgomery said Saturday he wasn?t sure it would be a good idea for him to make the trip to Miami, much less play. Montgomery made the trip, though, and will be available.
?Right now, it?s not looking too good at all,? Montgomery said. ?It?s still swollen. It?s hard to walk on. I know if it?s hard to walk on, it?s going to be hard to play on. I?m going to see what I can do on it, but if I feel like I can?t play on it, then I?m not going to play.?
Nutt said junior Jerry Nichols will take Montgomery?s place in the lineup. Nichols is averaging 10.1 points off the bench and is shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range.
Montgomery said it is important that the Indians get Nichols more involved in the offense whether he rests his ankle or plays.
?I feel like when Jerry is in the game that we?ve got to start looking for him more,? Montgomery said. ?We got to get him some shots to get him going. If Jerry gets going, it means our shots are going to come easier and we?ll all have better games.?
The Indians will definitely be without the services of junior forward Marcus Ardison, who was suspended indefinitely following Saturday?s short practice in Jonesboro.
Ardison is averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds while starting 8 games this season. He was suspended by Nutt ?for conduct detrimental to the team,? according to an announcement.
Florida International is among the top defensive and rebounding teams in the Sun Belt despite its poor record in Sergio Rouco?s first year as head coach. The Golden Panthers are second in the league defensively, holding opponents to just 41.8 percent shooting. They are also the league?s top rebounding team, averaging 39.6 a game while holding opponents to 33.4.
FIU?s downfall has been the same self-destruction that cost the Golden Panthers in the first meeting at ASU. Florida International turns the ball over an average of 20.3 times a game and is last in the SBC in turnover margin (-5.3).
Nutt said the Indians will put plenty of defensive pressure on Florida International, try to create some turnovers and turn them into easy scoring opportunities.
?I think we have got to put a lot of pressure on them defensively,? Nutt said. ?I think we have to get back to our shell defense. We?ve got to have a lot of tremendous helping out. We?ve got to get back to fundamental defense, being tough, blocking out and rebounding.?
Forward Ivan Almonte, a 6-foot-6 junior, leads Florida International in scoring with 16.6 points a game. Senior guard Junior Matias follows at 14.3 points a game while junior forward Ismael N?Diaye averages 14.1.
Nutt said ASU sophomore Isaac Wells will defend Almonte, who is shooting 52.1 percent from the field. ASU?s Dewarick Spencer will guard Matias while Nichols will defend N?Diaye.
?They are a very tough-minded team,? Nutt said. ?We?ve got to really be inside oriented. We?ve got to make sure that our emphasis is getting the ball inside.?
If the past is any indication, Arkansas State will be in for a tough battle. The Indians have won nine in a row against FIU, including four straight in Miami. But, almost all of ASU?s wins against FIU on the road have been close, including a one-point victory and a pair of two-point victories.
Typically, Arkansas State?s games at FIU have been low-scoring and Nutt expects a similar pace tonight.
?They feel like the best way they can win is to slow it down and make it a slugfest,? Nutt said. ?They haven?t had many wins there but they have played everybody very, very tough. This is going to be a very tough test for us.?
