Saturday, January 28, 2017 1:00 p.m.
Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Ind.
Indiana State is probably the best team in the country to go 1-8 to start off their conference season. The Sycamores were picked to finish sixth in the MVC Preseason Poll, with three returning starters from last year. In early December, they upset #15 Butler 72-71 at the Hulman Center. The win over the Big East co-leader came just two weeks after a two-point loss to #21 Iowa State and a three-point loss to Stanford. The Sycamores also won on the road at Mid-American West co-leader Ball State, and at Utah State.
And yet, Indiana State is tied for last in the league at 1-8. Four of ISU’s MVC losses have come in overtime or by five points or less, including their last game at the MVC front-runner, Illinois State. The Sycamores led for most of the second half of their 71-66 loss at Illinois State and were tied with less than a minute to play. And through the first nine games of the conference season, ISUb has already played both of its home and road games against three of the top four teams from the conference preseason poll. So this is a dangerous team, most likely angry and seeking retribution after their dismal first half performance in conference play.
The Trees are led in scoring by super-quick 6’1” junior guard Brenton Scott, a 2nd team MVC performer last season, who averages 17.0 points per game—second in the league. Although he puts up gaudy numbers, he usually takes a lot of shots to get there. Scott leads the MVC in three point attempts by a wide margin and also leads the league in total field goal attempts. He’s taken just about 25% of his team’s total field goal attempts on the season, and both his two-point and three-point field goal percentage is down from last year. Joining Scott in the backcourt is another 6’1” guard Everett Clemons. Both Scott and Clemons are listed at 6’1”, yet they each average 5.6 rebounds per game, leading their team and ranking 12th and 13th respectively in the league. Clemons scores an average of 9.4 points per game, leads the team with 38 steals and 5.1 assists per game, and rarely shoots from three-point territory.
In the frontcourt are 6’6” senior forward Matt Van Scyoc, 6’9” senior forward Niels Bunschoten, and 6’8” center T.J. Bell. Bunschoten and Bell started against Illinois State, but sometimes the Sycs will start 6’4” sophomore guard Laquarious Page and 6’7” center Brandon Murphy. Van Scyoc leads the league in made threes with 50, ranks second on the team in points per game at 9.7, and doesn’t take many shots from inside the arc. Bell quit the team after ten games, and then asked to be—and was– reinstated two weeks ago; he averages 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Bunschoten averages 5.2 points, but is one of those 6’9” guys that prefers to shoot from distance—he takes more than half his shots behind the arc and only averages 1.3 rebounds per game. Murphy leads the team in blocks (15), and averages 4.6 points and 4.0 rebounds. Page has improved since his freshman season and averages 5.6 points and 2.2 boards.
Coming off the bench are 5’11” freshman Jordan Barnes (6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds), 6’5” sophomore guard Donovan Franklin, 6’9” sophomore forward Emondre Rickman (15 blocks), and 6’8” freshman forward Bronson Kessinger.
Loyola is 9-14 all-time against the Sycamores, but the Hulman Center has been a tough venue for the Ramblers, losing their last four in the building. Loyola’s last win in Terre Haute was in 1995, and their first loss there was in February 1924, the longest running rivalry with a current MVC team.
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