ISU staying cool: Bengals hope looser practices lead to tighter performances
The team practicing in Reed Gym, Wednesday, didn't look like it was struggling. In fact, if that one practice was the extent of one's exposure to the team, the assumption would probably be that the Idaho State men were having their way with the Big Sky.
The players - the ones who have been seeking confidence for the last three weeks - were loose. The coaches - the ones who have been searching for answers amid an inexplicable shooting slump - offset every hollered plea for concentration with a well-timed joke. The gym - the rims of which have been unkind of late to its home team - was welcoming on this day for the Bengals.
Head coach Doug Oliver, he of the hard-boiled reputation, even tried to follow forward Slim Millien's one-man alley-oop dunk off the backboard with an awkward attempt at matching the feat, gravity be damned. His players responded with a mock "ooh" when the coach attempted to tip the ball in, and allowed for a laugh when the ball trickled off the rim.
"See, we can't come in here and be the meanest, dirtiest, toughest coaches in the world because we've lost games," said Oliver after practice. "Some groups that we've had responded to that. We've tried to do that with this group and it didn't work."
From day one this season, Oliver said this group presented a challenge in terms of finding "buttons to push," mainly because of its rare composition. Five players in the rotation are seniors familiar with Oliver's style, while the rest are freshmen or first-year players in the program still adjusting to the myriad challenges of being a collegiate athlete.
"We have an interesting mix," Oliver said. "Some of the younger guys are just starting to figure it out. If I came to practice upset every day, that's not fair. That's not what we're about."
"We're fragile," he added.
If Oliver has taken his cue to lay off a little in response to the team being a little too tight through four conference games, the players have taken their cue from him, allowing themselves to crack a smile - and the occasional dig on each other - during practice.
"It is starting to loosen up a little more," said sophomore forward Kyle Stevens.
That's not to say, however, the Bengals are unaware of the weight this week's slate carries. Not only does ISU need a conference win in the worst way, the Bengals will try to get their first (and second) against the co-favorites to win the league, Eastern Washington and Portland State.
The players recognize that loosening up may help on offense, but not with defense and rebounding, the latter of which has been a continual thorn in the team's side.
"It's a question of effort," Stevens said. "We need everybody crashing the boards every time. When we're playing well defensively, things start rolling offensively. The only way to get out of a slump is with hard D and rebounding."
"We're going in with the mindstate that every loose ball is ours, every rebound is ours," said senior guard Arzelle Lewis. "We can beat anyone off our defense, but we have to be playing hard."
As long as they do that when the games count, Oliver made it clear he doesn't mind a few smiles during practice. Even if they're directed at his layup attempts.
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Seniors expected to lead way out of slump
It's been a rough few weeks for Arzelle Lewis, but he's doing his best not to let it show.
The senior guard, who doubles as both Idaho State's best on-ball defender and official hype-man, is mired in a shooting slump that's given him reason to shake his head. And while he is still intent on being the Bengals' Lil' John, a 1-for-16 slump from behind the arc in Big Sky play is making his smile a little less ubiquitous than usual.
"It's hard," Lewis said of keeping his head up, "but that's my job, to provide energy."
Lewis isn't alone in that task. Head coach Doug Oliver made clear his expectation for the seniors to guide the ship this season, especially on offense, but the results so far aren't what he was looking for. The Bengals' upperclassmen - Lewis, center Jesse Smith, forward Nate Rede, wing Doug D'Amore and point guard Jeff Gardner - are combining to shoot 36 percent from the field.
Oliver said there's no question they're better than that. Much better.
"We have five seniors that, on paper, haven't played to the level they're capable of," he said. "We want the seniors to play to their potential."
Against Montana State in the first week of conference play, Oliver started all five in hopes of getting his message across, but it wasn't enough to get the Bengals over the hump.
It goes further than shooting for the seniors, as well. The Bengals faced early double-digit deficits in every conference game so far this season, adding even more pressure on a team that's been tight to begin with. Against Eastern Washington and Portland State this week, stopping that trend is the primary goal.
"We want to be leading every time out," Lewis said. "It makes it a lot easier to have the lead. When you have to fight back, it's like you've got to get a basket and get a stop."
Oliver admits this team is a little more touch-and-go than ones in years past, but he expects his seniors - to whom pressure-packed conference games should be old hat - to be the emotional rocks that get the team back in the conference race.
"The most important game we maybe have played all year is Thursday," Oliver said of the Bengals' tilt against Eastern Washington. "There's a lot of basketball left. If we do a good job Thursday, we could break out."
Breaking out - from a shooting slump, from a winless rut, into a smile - that's what Lewis and the rest of the seniors are counting on tonight.
The team practicing in Reed Gym, Wednesday, didn't look like it was struggling. In fact, if that one practice was the extent of one's exposure to the team, the assumption would probably be that the Idaho State men were having their way with the Big Sky.
The players - the ones who have been seeking confidence for the last three weeks - were loose. The coaches - the ones who have been searching for answers amid an inexplicable shooting slump - offset every hollered plea for concentration with a well-timed joke. The gym - the rims of which have been unkind of late to its home team - was welcoming on this day for the Bengals.
Head coach Doug Oliver, he of the hard-boiled reputation, even tried to follow forward Slim Millien's one-man alley-oop dunk off the backboard with an awkward attempt at matching the feat, gravity be damned. His players responded with a mock "ooh" when the coach attempted to tip the ball in, and allowed for a laugh when the ball trickled off the rim.
"See, we can't come in here and be the meanest, dirtiest, toughest coaches in the world because we've lost games," said Oliver after practice. "Some groups that we've had responded to that. We've tried to do that with this group and it didn't work."
From day one this season, Oliver said this group presented a challenge in terms of finding "buttons to push," mainly because of its rare composition. Five players in the rotation are seniors familiar with Oliver's style, while the rest are freshmen or first-year players in the program still adjusting to the myriad challenges of being a collegiate athlete.
"We have an interesting mix," Oliver said. "Some of the younger guys are just starting to figure it out. If I came to practice upset every day, that's not fair. That's not what we're about."
"We're fragile," he added.
If Oliver has taken his cue to lay off a little in response to the team being a little too tight through four conference games, the players have taken their cue from him, allowing themselves to crack a smile - and the occasional dig on each other - during practice.
"It is starting to loosen up a little more," said sophomore forward Kyle Stevens.
That's not to say, however, the Bengals are unaware of the weight this week's slate carries. Not only does ISU need a conference win in the worst way, the Bengals will try to get their first (and second) against the co-favorites to win the league, Eastern Washington and Portland State.
The players recognize that loosening up may help on offense, but not with defense and rebounding, the latter of which has been a continual thorn in the team's side.
"It's a question of effort," Stevens said. "We need everybody crashing the boards every time. When we're playing well defensively, things start rolling offensively. The only way to get out of a slump is with hard D and rebounding."
"We're going in with the mindstate that every loose ball is ours, every rebound is ours," said senior guard Arzelle Lewis. "We can beat anyone off our defense, but we have to be playing hard."
As long as they do that when the games count, Oliver made it clear he doesn't mind a few smiles during practice. Even if they're directed at his layup attempts.
=======
Seniors expected to lead way out of slump
It's been a rough few weeks for Arzelle Lewis, but he's doing his best not to let it show.
The senior guard, who doubles as both Idaho State's best on-ball defender and official hype-man, is mired in a shooting slump that's given him reason to shake his head. And while he is still intent on being the Bengals' Lil' John, a 1-for-16 slump from behind the arc in Big Sky play is making his smile a little less ubiquitous than usual.
"It's hard," Lewis said of keeping his head up, "but that's my job, to provide energy."
Lewis isn't alone in that task. Head coach Doug Oliver made clear his expectation for the seniors to guide the ship this season, especially on offense, but the results so far aren't what he was looking for. The Bengals' upperclassmen - Lewis, center Jesse Smith, forward Nate Rede, wing Doug D'Amore and point guard Jeff Gardner - are combining to shoot 36 percent from the field.
Oliver said there's no question they're better than that. Much better.
"We have five seniors that, on paper, haven't played to the level they're capable of," he said. "We want the seniors to play to their potential."
Against Montana State in the first week of conference play, Oliver started all five in hopes of getting his message across, but it wasn't enough to get the Bengals over the hump.
It goes further than shooting for the seniors, as well. The Bengals faced early double-digit deficits in every conference game so far this season, adding even more pressure on a team that's been tight to begin with. Against Eastern Washington and Portland State this week, stopping that trend is the primary goal.
"We want to be leading every time out," Lewis said. "It makes it a lot easier to have the lead. When you have to fight back, it's like you've got to get a basket and get a stop."
Oliver admits this team is a little more touch-and-go than ones in years past, but he expects his seniors - to whom pressure-packed conference games should be old hat - to be the emotional rocks that get the team back in the conference race.
"The most important game we maybe have played all year is Thursday," Oliver said of the Bengals' tilt against Eastern Washington. "There's a lot of basketball left. If we do a good job Thursday, we could break out."
Breaking out - from a shooting slump, from a winless rut, into a smile - that's what Lewis and the rest of the seniors are counting on tonight.
