Bengals off to Reno in search of rebound
POCATELLO - Yes, senior guard Arzelle Lewis usually has a bounce in his step and a toothy smile draped across his mug. But the sight of both was cause for relief after Wednesday's practice for the Idaho State men's basketball team, because there was some doubt as to how much longer his teammates - and Bengals fans - would have to wait to see them again.
"Man, I feel a lot better," said Lewis, who missed Saturday's game with post-concussion syndrome, and was only recently cleared to play in Friday's Dodge Holiday Classic Tournament opener against Eastern Illinois in Reno, Nev. "I've never experienced any type of head injury before. I'm excited about getting back out there again."
So is Lewis' coach, Doug Oliver, who had to watch Southern Utah's Jason Baker - the player Lewis likely would have checked down the stretch Saturday - nail the coffin shut for the Bengals in overtime with his outside shooting.
But even with his best on-the-ball defender back in the fold this week, Oliver knows his squad will have to play better team defense if it wants to scratch its way back to .500 tonight.
"We're going to have to do whatever it takes to win ballgames," Oliver said. "We need a win to get back on track."
In an effort to shorten the learning curve for newer players - and help some veterans get out of a funk - the coaching staff stripped down ISU's hefty playbook and went back to the basics in practice this week.
"I think we've made things a little more simplified, and as a team we're beginning to understand more of the aspects we have to know individually," said senior guard Doug D'Amore. "Our lack of offense has led to, at times, a lack of effort on defense, and at times we're not understanding what we need to do on the floor."
This week's practices have been of the intense variety, to be expected after a loss as ulcer-inducing as the one to Southern Utah.
"I think it's been good for us to have a few days to come in and get things accomplished," said senior guard Jeff Gardner, after confirming that "intense" was the proper adjective for this week. "We're trying to get more consistent on doing the little things to help us win."
The biggest source of Oliver's disquiet Saturday night was his team's post play, which struggled on the offensive side - senior center Jesse Smith was virtually shut out, with only two points on 1-of-5 shooting - the defensive side - junior forward Slim Millien hardly played down the stretch because Oliver was infuriated with his effort - and in just about every other category.
"We wanted to establish that we'd be relentless in the post against SUU, and the posts collectively did not establish themselves as threats, time and time again," Oliver said. "As a group, they did not do a good job of opening up opportunities."
ISU's big men can count on Eastern Illinois to provide plenty of opportunities for them, as the Panthers feature a starting lineup devoid of a player taller than 6-foot-5. But having that kind of size advantage doesn't guarantee much, as the Bengals have proven this season.
"Eastern Illinois has some similarities to teams we've played this past week," Oliver said. "They're a halfcourt team, a lot like Idaho and even Portland. They don't start a lot of size, but their guards are very good."
POCATELLO - Yes, senior guard Arzelle Lewis usually has a bounce in his step and a toothy smile draped across his mug. But the sight of both was cause for relief after Wednesday's practice for the Idaho State men's basketball team, because there was some doubt as to how much longer his teammates - and Bengals fans - would have to wait to see them again.
"Man, I feel a lot better," said Lewis, who missed Saturday's game with post-concussion syndrome, and was only recently cleared to play in Friday's Dodge Holiday Classic Tournament opener against Eastern Illinois in Reno, Nev. "I've never experienced any type of head injury before. I'm excited about getting back out there again."
So is Lewis' coach, Doug Oliver, who had to watch Southern Utah's Jason Baker - the player Lewis likely would have checked down the stretch Saturday - nail the coffin shut for the Bengals in overtime with his outside shooting.
But even with his best on-the-ball defender back in the fold this week, Oliver knows his squad will have to play better team defense if it wants to scratch its way back to .500 tonight.
"We're going to have to do whatever it takes to win ballgames," Oliver said. "We need a win to get back on track."
In an effort to shorten the learning curve for newer players - and help some veterans get out of a funk - the coaching staff stripped down ISU's hefty playbook and went back to the basics in practice this week.
"I think we've made things a little more simplified, and as a team we're beginning to understand more of the aspects we have to know individually," said senior guard Doug D'Amore. "Our lack of offense has led to, at times, a lack of effort on defense, and at times we're not understanding what we need to do on the floor."
This week's practices have been of the intense variety, to be expected after a loss as ulcer-inducing as the one to Southern Utah.
"I think it's been good for us to have a few days to come in and get things accomplished," said senior guard Jeff Gardner, after confirming that "intense" was the proper adjective for this week. "We're trying to get more consistent on doing the little things to help us win."
The biggest source of Oliver's disquiet Saturday night was his team's post play, which struggled on the offensive side - senior center Jesse Smith was virtually shut out, with only two points on 1-of-5 shooting - the defensive side - junior forward Slim Millien hardly played down the stretch because Oliver was infuriated with his effort - and in just about every other category.
"We wanted to establish that we'd be relentless in the post against SUU, and the posts collectively did not establish themselves as threats, time and time again," Oliver said. "As a group, they did not do a good job of opening up opportunities."
ISU's big men can count on Eastern Illinois to provide plenty of opportunities for them, as the Panthers feature a starting lineup devoid of a player taller than 6-foot-5. But having that kind of size advantage doesn't guarantee much, as the Bengals have proven this season.
"Eastern Illinois has some similarities to teams we've played this past week," Oliver said. "They're a halfcourt team, a lot like Idaho and even Portland. They don't start a lot of size, but their guards are very good."
