Indiana State looks to add another win over UE

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Even if the Indiana State men?s basketball team?s four-game losing streak looked a bit modest next to Evansville?s 11-game losing streak, the Sycamores were still undoubtedly struggling.

They hadn?t won since beating the Aces on Jan. 10.

That is until Thursday, when ISU beat Southern Illinois to get back on track just in time to play at Roberts Stadium on Sunday at 2 p.m.

So, while Evansville (6-14, 0-10 Missouri Valley Conference) is still trying to break out of its own doldrums, Indiana State (12-9, 4-6) is trying to break into the upper half of the standings here in the second half of the MVC season.

The Sycamores are just one game out of a four-team log jam for fourth place in the league and three games out of second place ? that despite the recent slide preceding Thursday?s 68-65 win against the Salukis in Terre Haute.

?I think the biggest thing that has slipped from our standpoint is our field-goal percentage defense and our rebounding,? ISU coach Kevin McKenna said earlier this week.

?When we had some success early in the season, the rebounding was more even and our field-goal percent defense was in the low 40s, high 30s, and that?s been the biggest change and that?s what we need to work on and improve on to get some wins.?

When ISU beat the Aces three weeks ago, for example, it held UE to 34 percent from the field. Over the next four games ISU gave up 53 percent from the field. In Thursday?s win it allowed only 43 percent as the Sycamores ?played a little bit better,? McKenna said.

They also saw the return of third-leading scorer Dwayne Lathan (9.8 points per game), who had missed five games with injury.

It will therefore be a squad near full strength (shooting guard Jake Kelly remains injured, but Perry Central graduate Aaron Carter has upped his average to 7.4 points in MVC play). It also will be one that appears closer to the way it was playing in that earlier win over the Aces.

Now, entering Sunday?s game at Evansville, all that?s left for ISU to get back into the upper half of the league, McKenna said, is ?to steal some road games here and there.?

 

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Will he or won?t he? ISU men's Lathan in doubt again for UE game

Sycamores? second-leading scorer will be game-time decision today


TERRE HAUTE ? When Indiana State swingman Dwayne Lathan returned to action Thursday to help the Sycamores end a four-game losing streak in a win over Southern Illinois, no doubt many Sycamores fans hoped questions about Lathan?s health were in the past.

Guess again.

Lathan?s playing status is once again in doubt for ISU?s key road game at Evansville today. As ISU boarded its bus to head to Evansville on Saturday, Lathan was not 100 percent sure he would be able to help the Sycamores try and earn a road win.

?I?m probably going to have to sit out tomorrow and wait for Illinois State [ISU?s next game on Wednesday], I figure that might be the best thing to do,? Lathan said.

The day after is usually more meaningful when a player returns from injury than the game action itself. Lathan played 19 minutes against the Salukis, but when Friday rolled around, he was in pain.

?The day after was terrible. It swelled back up on me. At least I got to play and we got the W,? said Lathan, who also confirmed the cramping that caused him to leave Thursday?s game for good in the second half did nothing to exacerbate his existing injury.

ISU coach Kevin McKenna did not change the playing status Lathan has had since he suffered the injury at Bradley on Jan. 6.

Lathan remains day-to-day and it will be a game-time decision as to whether he plays or not.

?He cramped during the game on Thursday and he wasn?t able to do anything [during Friday practice]. We?ll see how he feels tomorrow,? McKenna said.

Lathan, ISU?s second-leading scorer at 12.8 points per game, admitted that his whole injury saga has been hard to deal with.

?It?s really frustrating. I want to be out there with my teammates, but I can?t play that many minutes. It gets stiff, then it loosens up, it gets stiff again, I couldn?t sit down the whole game [on Thursday], I had to keep moving and moving. That was frustrating too,? said Lathan, who retreated to the tunnel to get loose on an exercise bike when he wasn?t playing in Thursday?s game.

McKenna said the nature of today?s game ? it is ISU?s last, best chance to balance the ledger between its road wins and home losses, a key component in attaining a .500 or better conference mark ? won?t affect how he handles Lathan?s playing time or lack thereof.

?We?re going to play whoever?s ready. If Dwayne feels like he?s ready and our trainers give him the go-ahead, we?ll play him. If he?s not, then we?ll do what they tell us,? McKenna said.

ISU played without Lathan in a 69-55 victory over the Purple Aces on Jan. 10 at Hulman Center, but it was the only win the Sycamores (12-9, 4-6) earned without Lathan in the lineup. Evansville (6-14) is winless in the Valley with an 0-10 mark, but the Aces have fared better of late ? none of the Aces? last three losses were by more than 10 points, two of them on the road.

Moreover, a team in such desperate straits in the standings is often very dangerous and very hungry, especially when it?s on its home floor.

?They?re kind of like we were last year. They?ve had some close games, they were close to getting over the hump against Missouri State. They?re totally capable, they?re young and improving. They?re getting experience and they?re playing at home,? McKenna said.



n Magic number at five ? As ISU fans are painfully aware, the Sycamores have not had a winning season since 2001. If ISU gets five wins in its remaining games, it will break its eight-season skid.

Not counting a potential postseason bid, ISU has a minimum 10 games left in the season. That figure accounts for nine regular season games (including ISU?s BracketBusters game) and a first-round exit in the MVC Tournament.

If ISU won five of those 10 games, it would have a record of 17-14, so no matter what would happen in a postseason tournament (with that record, ISU would potentially be in line for a College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Tournament berth), the Sycamores would finish above water.

If ISU gets four wins in 10 games, it would exit St. Louis with a 16-15 record, but a possible first-round exit in a postseason tourney would knock them down to .500. Every team in the MVC with a .500 or better record was invited to the postseason in 2009.

Three wins won?t be enough. ISU would finish 15-16.

ISU has four home games left: Illinois State (Feb. 3), Drake (Feb. 13), Bradley (Feb. 16) and Missouri State (Feb. 27). ISU has five road games remaining: Evansville (today), Wichita State (Feb. 6), Creighton (Feb. 9), BracketBusters game (Feb. 19 or 20) and Illinois State (Feb. 24).

ISU doesn?t know its BracketBusters foe yet ? ESPN?s televised games will be announced early this week, the remaining games at a later date.
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Keys to the game

? If Lathan doesn't play, ISU needs to conjure up the intensity it has when he does play. Lathan's minutes in the win against SIU on Thursday meant more in terms of keeping everyone crisp than it did in actual production. If Lathan sits out, the Sycamores need to replicate that intensity.

? Do not overlook the Aces. ISU has had a tendency to play to the level of its opponent and has played down to several bad teams this year. It cost them dearly in a loss to Ball State in December and ISU escaped with a one-point victory at Toledo on Dec. 19 and the Rockets are one of the worst teams in the nation. The Aces are hungry to get that zero out of their win column, ISU had better be ready.