Bears open a key Missouri Valley Conference road trip tonight, at Indiana State. They figure to receive a boost by the return of starting guard Marcus Marshall, who sat out last Friday?s game with No. 10 Creighton with a bad ankle and flu symptoms.
That likely means a diminishing role for the 5-foot-8 Aromona, who matched his career high with five points in 14 solid minutes against Creighton. If that?s the case, so be it.
?I don?t think it?s very tough at all,? Aromona said of his be-ready-when-needed role. ?You just have to be able to make your own energy. You practice to be ready.
?It?s a growing process every day. Every opportunity I get, the more comfortable I become.?
Lusk said having Aromona on the bench is a nice insurance policy to have. He said Aromona?s energy and effort, in practice and games, can be a model for teammates to follow.
?Tomie comes in and gives it all he can,? senior guard Anthony Downing said. ?His job is to provide defensive havoc and shoot open shots.
?He just adds a lot of toughness to our team.?
Aromona earned a roster spot last season after not playing his senior season at Lincoln Prep in Kansas City due to eligibility issues that had nothing to do with academics.
After starting his high school career at O?Hara High before transferring to Lincoln Prep as a sophomore he ran into a snafu that left him with only two years of eligibility.
?I decided that I wanted to go to a Division I school and walk on,? he said. ?I decided to come here because it wasn?t too far from home.?
Lusk said Aromona caught his eye immediately from tryouts, but with four seniors on last season?s team Aromona played only 26 minutes in eight games, scoring a total of five points.
This season he?s been in 15 of 17 games with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and only two turnovers in 106 minutes.
?He?s terrific defensively and has the ability to make a shot,? Lusk said. ?We tried playing him at point guard in preseason, but that?s not his natural position. That?s unfortunate because he?s 5-8, but he?s better off the ball as a second handler and he can make a shot.
?He?s perfect for our team and our program, every day in practice and he has a tremendous attitude.?
MSU and Indiana State will break a fourth-place tie tonight. The Sycamores have been one of the early surprise teams in the Valley, though they?re coming off a Saturday loss at Southern Illinois.
Still, their RPI is a strong No. 42 boosted by nonconference victories over Mississippi and Miami plus a league road win at Northern Iowa.
All-conference guard Jake Odum averages 14.4 points and his 4.4-assist average ranks fourth in the league. Forward Manny Arop, a junior transfer from Gonzaga, is averaging 13 points and 5.5 rebounds.
?It all starts with Jake Odum,? Lusk said of ISU. ?He manufactures so many things for them. The ball?s in his hands a lot. And Manny Arop is one of the better new kids in the league. They?re just a solid team.?
That likely means a diminishing role for the 5-foot-8 Aromona, who matched his career high with five points in 14 solid minutes against Creighton. If that?s the case, so be it.
?I don?t think it?s very tough at all,? Aromona said of his be-ready-when-needed role. ?You just have to be able to make your own energy. You practice to be ready.
?It?s a growing process every day. Every opportunity I get, the more comfortable I become.?
Lusk said having Aromona on the bench is a nice insurance policy to have. He said Aromona?s energy and effort, in practice and games, can be a model for teammates to follow.
?Tomie comes in and gives it all he can,? senior guard Anthony Downing said. ?His job is to provide defensive havoc and shoot open shots.
?He just adds a lot of toughness to our team.?
Aromona earned a roster spot last season after not playing his senior season at Lincoln Prep in Kansas City due to eligibility issues that had nothing to do with academics.
After starting his high school career at O?Hara High before transferring to Lincoln Prep as a sophomore he ran into a snafu that left him with only two years of eligibility.
?I decided that I wanted to go to a Division I school and walk on,? he said. ?I decided to come here because it wasn?t too far from home.?
Lusk said Aromona caught his eye immediately from tryouts, but with four seniors on last season?s team Aromona played only 26 minutes in eight games, scoring a total of five points.
This season he?s been in 15 of 17 games with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and only two turnovers in 106 minutes.
?He?s terrific defensively and has the ability to make a shot,? Lusk said. ?We tried playing him at point guard in preseason, but that?s not his natural position. That?s unfortunate because he?s 5-8, but he?s better off the ball as a second handler and he can make a shot.
?He?s perfect for our team and our program, every day in practice and he has a tremendous attitude.?
MSU and Indiana State will break a fourth-place tie tonight. The Sycamores have been one of the early surprise teams in the Valley, though they?re coming off a Saturday loss at Southern Illinois.
Still, their RPI is a strong No. 42 boosted by nonconference victories over Mississippi and Miami plus a league road win at Northern Iowa.
All-conference guard Jake Odum averages 14.4 points and his 4.4-assist average ranks fourth in the league. Forward Manny Arop, a junior transfer from Gonzaga, is averaging 13 points and 5.5 rebounds.
?It all starts with Jake Odum,? Lusk said of ISU. ?He manufactures so many things for them. The ball?s in his hands a lot. And Manny Arop is one of the better new kids in the league. They?re just a solid team.?
