Indiana State's men's basketball has learned that they can absorb a punch. Several of them in fact.
The question moving forward, as the Sycamores host Air Force at 7 p.m. tonight as part of the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge, is whether ISU can learn from the punches that have made the early part of their season black-and-blue.
After a 93-85 home loss to Ball State on Saturday, many questions were asked of the Sycamores. Can they start better? Can they defend better? Can they finish near the basket? Most of all, can they demonstrate the concentration and intensity required to break out of a funk that has seen ISU lose four of its last five contests?
"We had flat starts and didn't play how we knew we could play. We have to credit our opponents for that. We should have learned our lesson after Charleston. I feel like we're learning it slowly, but we need to learn it faster. Saturday was definitely a wake-up call that we can't do this anymore," ISU forward Bronson Kessinger said.
ISU guard Brenton Scott, who is going through the worst shooting slump of his career having converted 4 of 23 from 3-point range in ISU's last five games, acknowledged that the Sycamores haven't had the energy they've needed from start to finish.
"We just have to talk about it [as players]. The coach always talks about effort and attitude and we can control those things. We have to have that energy all of the time," Scott said.
ISU (2-4) places an emphasis on what they demonstrate in practice and the Sycamores had an encouraging one on Monday. The players were talking, to one another and at one another, with far more force than usual. ISU swingman Qiydar Davis implored the Sycamores' scout team to "make them work", meaning, ISU's starting players.
It got intense at times, which is a good thing, but until the same attitude prevails in games, it won't mean much. ISU coach Greg Lansing acknowledged that it's frustrating that the Sycamores show what they can do, but don't always do it.
"It's beyond me why you'd have more energy at the end of a practice than you would in a game. As coaches sometimes, young guys are confusing," Lansing said.
Lansing was asked if he can remind players in the midst of a game of how they can conjure the energy and concentration required when they want to do it.
"I'll say that stuff in a huddle and remind them. You can certainly say that in a timeout and I will," said Lansing, who then expressed more frustration about having to coax energy and concentration from players. "I just remember as a player that maximum effort, going as hard as you can the whole time, should be the minimum. We coast too much, we don't communicate well enough and all of that stuff has to be more consistent."
Air Force (3-2) will certainly test the Sycamores in the concentration department. The Falcons use the very patient Princeton-style offense. Air Force will extend possessions and use endless movement to create easy shots and back-door cuts created when the defense is lulled to sleep.
"You have to have high concentation levels throughout a 30-second possession because they'll do some movements that are designed to get you sleeping. They're great in the last five or 10 seconds of a possession to get a three or a back-door cut up," Lansing said.
Scott feels ISU can defend this defense, even though the Sycamores rarely see it. Like most things, ISU's defensive prowess has come and gone with each passing game. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it isn't.
"The Princeton offense is very effective. We just have to talk and communicate better and work together as a group better," Scott said.
Since the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge was revived in 2015, the Sycamores have won both of their contests in it. ISU beat Wyoming in 2015 and won at Utah State in 2016. ISU is 3-3 all-time in the Challenge, which dates to the 2009-10 season.
The question moving forward, as the Sycamores host Air Force at 7 p.m. tonight as part of the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge, is whether ISU can learn from the punches that have made the early part of their season black-and-blue.
After a 93-85 home loss to Ball State on Saturday, many questions were asked of the Sycamores. Can they start better? Can they defend better? Can they finish near the basket? Most of all, can they demonstrate the concentration and intensity required to break out of a funk that has seen ISU lose four of its last five contests?
"We had flat starts and didn't play how we knew we could play. We have to credit our opponents for that. We should have learned our lesson after Charleston. I feel like we're learning it slowly, but we need to learn it faster. Saturday was definitely a wake-up call that we can't do this anymore," ISU forward Bronson Kessinger said.
ISU guard Brenton Scott, who is going through the worst shooting slump of his career having converted 4 of 23 from 3-point range in ISU's last five games, acknowledged that the Sycamores haven't had the energy they've needed from start to finish.
"We just have to talk about it [as players]. The coach always talks about effort and attitude and we can control those things. We have to have that energy all of the time," Scott said.
ISU (2-4) places an emphasis on what they demonstrate in practice and the Sycamores had an encouraging one on Monday. The players were talking, to one another and at one another, with far more force than usual. ISU swingman Qiydar Davis implored the Sycamores' scout team to "make them work", meaning, ISU's starting players.
It got intense at times, which is a good thing, but until the same attitude prevails in games, it won't mean much. ISU coach Greg Lansing acknowledged that it's frustrating that the Sycamores show what they can do, but don't always do it.
"It's beyond me why you'd have more energy at the end of a practice than you would in a game. As coaches sometimes, young guys are confusing," Lansing said.
Lansing was asked if he can remind players in the midst of a game of how they can conjure the energy and concentration required when they want to do it.
"I'll say that stuff in a huddle and remind them. You can certainly say that in a timeout and I will," said Lansing, who then expressed more frustration about having to coax energy and concentration from players. "I just remember as a player that maximum effort, going as hard as you can the whole time, should be the minimum. We coast too much, we don't communicate well enough and all of that stuff has to be more consistent."
Air Force (3-2) will certainly test the Sycamores in the concentration department. The Falcons use the very patient Princeton-style offense. Air Force will extend possessions and use endless movement to create easy shots and back-door cuts created when the defense is lulled to sleep.
"You have to have high concentation levels throughout a 30-second possession because they'll do some movements that are designed to get you sleeping. They're great in the last five or 10 seconds of a possession to get a three or a back-door cut up," Lansing said.
Scott feels ISU can defend this defense, even though the Sycamores rarely see it. Like most things, ISU's defensive prowess has come and gone with each passing game. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it isn't.
"The Princeton offense is very effective. We just have to talk and communicate better and work together as a group better," Scott said.
Since the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge was revived in 2015, the Sycamores have won both of their contests in it. ISU beat Wyoming in 2015 and won at Utah State in 2016. ISU is 3-3 all-time in the Challenge, which dates to the 2009-10 season.
