The Eastern Illinois men's basketball team's big win over St. Francis on Friday night helped the Ohio Valley Conference have successful night. Out of the 10 games OVC teams played, they won six of the matchups, including EIU's 83-41 win over St. Francis. Then on Saturday, the OVC picked up two more wins, so the conference had eight wins in 12 tries in two days.
EIU hopes to continue the early non-conference success the OVC has had when the Panthers take their longest road trip of the season when they face Troy University (in Troy, Ala.) at 7 p.m. on Monday. It's about a 10-hour bus ride for EIU.
While that long in a bus sounds tough, EIU coach Jay Spoonhour said even though teams have to figure out how to win on the road, they also adjust well to long bus rides.
"Players kind of like them. You start stringing a lot of long road games together and it bothers them, but the players enjoy it," Spoonhour said. "The returning guys understand it and the new guys will learn that it's harder to win on the road. You usually have to be five to 10 points better than the team you are are playing in order to win."
The game against Troy is the first of back-to-back road games for the Panthers with the next one on Thursday, but it's a short drive to Saint Louis.
Both EIU and Troy are 1-0 going into Monday's game, but both wins were against non-NCAA Division I teams. St. Francis is a NAIA team and Troy won 135-76 over National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association member Toccoa Falls.
The Trojans are coming off a 9-22 season and were picked to finish ninth in the Sun Belt conference, but they have plenty of talent returning from last season's team. Both Wesley Person and Jordon Varnado were picked on the All-SBC preseason team, plus the Trojans have a transfer from Florida (Devon Walker) and a junior college transfer, Kevin Baker from Pensacola State College.
"They are a talented, athletic team," Spoonhour said. "They are a year older and I think they feel like they are going to have a good team. We are similar to each other, not in style, but with where we are. Wesley Person can score and Varnado is an SEC-level player."
Person is the son of former NBA star Wesley Person Sr. and Varnado is the brother of Jarvis Varnado, who is the NCAA record-holder for career blocked shots. Person is a junior and Varnado is a sophomore.
Phil Cunningham is in his fourth season as the Trojans head coach. Seven players scored in double figures in the season-opening win and the Trojans shot 60.7 percent from the field. Shawn Hopkins was the top scorer with 19 points and he hit five 3-pointers.
Spoonhour said the Trojans have the look of a good OVC team.
"They have some guys that can really shoot. Person can really score and if you don't stay tight with him, he's going to score a lot of points," Spoonhour said. "They are a good, solid team. They aren't quite sure how good they are going to be yet and I think we are going to be good, too. It's more about us going down there and playing well."
EIU hopes to continue the early non-conference success the OVC has had when the Panthers take their longest road trip of the season when they face Troy University (in Troy, Ala.) at 7 p.m. on Monday. It's about a 10-hour bus ride for EIU.
While that long in a bus sounds tough, EIU coach Jay Spoonhour said even though teams have to figure out how to win on the road, they also adjust well to long bus rides.
"Players kind of like them. You start stringing a lot of long road games together and it bothers them, but the players enjoy it," Spoonhour said. "The returning guys understand it and the new guys will learn that it's harder to win on the road. You usually have to be five to 10 points better than the team you are are playing in order to win."
The game against Troy is the first of back-to-back road games for the Panthers with the next one on Thursday, but it's a short drive to Saint Louis.
Both EIU and Troy are 1-0 going into Monday's game, but both wins were against non-NCAA Division I teams. St. Francis is a NAIA team and Troy won 135-76 over National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association member Toccoa Falls.
The Trojans are coming off a 9-22 season and were picked to finish ninth in the Sun Belt conference, but they have plenty of talent returning from last season's team. Both Wesley Person and Jordon Varnado were picked on the All-SBC preseason team, plus the Trojans have a transfer from Florida (Devon Walker) and a junior college transfer, Kevin Baker from Pensacola State College.
"They are a talented, athletic team," Spoonhour said. "They are a year older and I think they feel like they are going to have a good team. We are similar to each other, not in style, but with where we are. Wesley Person can score and Varnado is an SEC-level player."
Person is the son of former NBA star Wesley Person Sr. and Varnado is the brother of Jarvis Varnado, who is the NCAA record-holder for career blocked shots. Person is a junior and Varnado is a sophomore.
Phil Cunningham is in his fourth season as the Trojans head coach. Seven players scored in double figures in the season-opening win and the Trojans shot 60.7 percent from the field. Shawn Hopkins was the top scorer with 19 points and he hit five 3-pointers.
Spoonhour said the Trojans have the look of a good OVC team.
"They have some guys that can really shoot. Person can really score and if you don't stay tight with him, he's going to score a lot of points," Spoonhour said. "They are a good, solid team. They aren't quite sure how good they are going to be yet and I think we are going to be good, too. It's more about us going down there and playing well."
