Rested Redbirds look to bounce back against rival Bradley
MiKyle McIntosh is coming off the best three-game stretch of his Illinois State career. Yet, like his teammates, the sophomore forward didn't mind a two-day break from basketball last weekend.
The Redbirds have lost three straight Missouri Valley Conference games, dropping from a tie for first place into a tie for fifth in the league. ISU (9-10, 3-3) tries to get back on the winning track at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it meets rival Bradley (3-16, 1-5) at Carver Arena.
After returning from Christmas break on Dec. 27, ISU didn't take a day off. Last Friday's 66-55 loss to Evansville was the Redbirds' fifth game in 13 days and the players seemed physically and mentally worn down.
"Sometimes, I don't want to say it becomes overwhelming, but it's a lot to deal with," said McIntosh, who averaged 18 points in the last three games. "Sometimes you step back, look at everything and re-evaluate so you can get back out there and be fresh and be mentally ready for the rest of the season."
ISU coach Dan Muller said the weekend off helped a couple players, including McIntosh, recover from lingering illnesses. With five days between games, the Redbirds also didn't have to rush and prepare for the next opponent.
"This is the first time we've had two days in a row of actual practice," said Muller. "I think after (Tuesday) we'll feel better about our fundamentals."
Muller believes his team "really took a step back" against Evansville, especially on the offensive end. The Redbirds shot a season-low 30.7 percent and went 6 of 31 outside the arc.
Point guard Paris Lee said a lot of film watching showed the Redbirds what areas need correction.
"We would see moments we attacked and we missed a couple kickouts, and we would see moments where we attacked and should have taken the shots," said Lee. "The film will really help us from here on out with decision making as far making the right plays off ball screens or even the right shots to take."
Lee said facing Bradley for the first time this season is almost like playing a nonconference opponent. Only one Braves player who will play Wednesday, sophomore forward Donte Thomas, has seen action against the Redbirds.
Bradley underwent an almost total overhaul after Geno Ford was fired as coach last spring and Brian Wardle was brought in from Green Bay. There was a mass defection of returning players, making the baby Braves the country's youngest team.
The only Bradley senior, guard Ka'Darryl Bell, is out with a fractured hand. What Wardle is left with on his active roster against the Redbirds is 10 freshmen and Thomas.
"We've had inconsistency and inconsistent play, but we've had bright spots," said Wardle. "Every player has shown a five-game game stretch here or there ... we just haven't put a stretch together as a group yet. Hopefully we've still got that in us as conference play goes on."
One of those players on a good stretch now is 6-foot-9, 245-pound Callum Barker from Australia. Barker averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in two games last week, including a 54-53 victory at Loyola that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Wardle has Barker and Thomas coming off the bench in an attempt to keep them out of foul trouble.
McIntosh said the Redbirds are trying to overlook Bradley's youth.
"It doesn't matter if you start all freshmen or all seniors. You just go in there trying to win the game and get the W," he said. "They may be inexperienced and having a bad season, but on any given night a team can come out and play good and realize how good they can be."
MiKyle McIntosh is coming off the best three-game stretch of his Illinois State career. Yet, like his teammates, the sophomore forward didn't mind a two-day break from basketball last weekend.
The Redbirds have lost three straight Missouri Valley Conference games, dropping from a tie for first place into a tie for fifth in the league. ISU (9-10, 3-3) tries to get back on the winning track at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it meets rival Bradley (3-16, 1-5) at Carver Arena.
After returning from Christmas break on Dec. 27, ISU didn't take a day off. Last Friday's 66-55 loss to Evansville was the Redbirds' fifth game in 13 days and the players seemed physically and mentally worn down.
"Sometimes, I don't want to say it becomes overwhelming, but it's a lot to deal with," said McIntosh, who averaged 18 points in the last three games. "Sometimes you step back, look at everything and re-evaluate so you can get back out there and be fresh and be mentally ready for the rest of the season."
ISU coach Dan Muller said the weekend off helped a couple players, including McIntosh, recover from lingering illnesses. With five days between games, the Redbirds also didn't have to rush and prepare for the next opponent.
"This is the first time we've had two days in a row of actual practice," said Muller. "I think after (Tuesday) we'll feel better about our fundamentals."
Muller believes his team "really took a step back" against Evansville, especially on the offensive end. The Redbirds shot a season-low 30.7 percent and went 6 of 31 outside the arc.
Point guard Paris Lee said a lot of film watching showed the Redbirds what areas need correction.
"We would see moments we attacked and we missed a couple kickouts, and we would see moments where we attacked and should have taken the shots," said Lee. "The film will really help us from here on out with decision making as far making the right plays off ball screens or even the right shots to take."
Lee said facing Bradley for the first time this season is almost like playing a nonconference opponent. Only one Braves player who will play Wednesday, sophomore forward Donte Thomas, has seen action against the Redbirds.
Bradley underwent an almost total overhaul after Geno Ford was fired as coach last spring and Brian Wardle was brought in from Green Bay. There was a mass defection of returning players, making the baby Braves the country's youngest team.
The only Bradley senior, guard Ka'Darryl Bell, is out with a fractured hand. What Wardle is left with on his active roster against the Redbirds is 10 freshmen and Thomas.
"We've had inconsistency and inconsistent play, but we've had bright spots," said Wardle. "Every player has shown a five-game game stretch here or there ... we just haven't put a stretch together as a group yet. Hopefully we've still got that in us as conference play goes on."
One of those players on a good stretch now is 6-foot-9, 245-pound Callum Barker from Australia. Barker averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in two games last week, including a 54-53 victory at Loyola that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Wardle has Barker and Thomas coming off the bench in an attempt to keep them out of foul trouble.
McIntosh said the Redbirds are trying to overlook Bradley's youth.
"It doesn't matter if you start all freshmen or all seniors. You just go in there trying to win the game and get the W," he said. "They may be inexperienced and having a bad season, but on any given night a team can come out and play good and realize how good they can be."
