Welcome to The Sports Bank’s second annual college basketball season preview series. Last year we looked at 99 teams in 99 days. This year, we are being slightly more aggressive and expanding to 111 teams in 111 days. We will rank the 74 power conference teams and top 37 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order. We’ll break down rosters, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch for each team.
In his first season as head coach, Greg Lansing led the Indiana State Sycamores to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. With most of their key contributors returning, Larry Bird’s alma mater should be in the thick of the Missouri Valley Conference race.
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES
Last Season: 3rd, 12-6 in MVC, 20-14 overall
Predicted MVC Finish: 2nd
Projected Depth Chart
C: Myles Walker (Sr)/Jake Kitchell (Fr)/Justin Gant (Fr)
F: Carl Richard (Sr)/R.J. Mahurin (So)/Koang Doluony (Jr)
G/F: Jordan Printy (Sr)/Brandon Burnett (Fr)
SG: Dwayne Lathan (Sr)/Devonte Brown (Fr)/Logan Eitel (So)/Lucas Eitel (So)
PG: Jake Odum (So)/Steve McWhorter (So)
Gone: G/F-Jake Kelly, SG-Aaron Carter, F/C-Isiah Martin
2011-2012 Outlook:
Balance was the best weapon Indiana State had last season as five guys averaged between 8-11 points. 11 players saw quality minutes throughout last season and with nine of those guys back, ISU boasts an experienced roster.
Former Louisiana Tech transfer Dwayne Lathan was the team’s leading scorer last season despite averaging 10.9 points per game. He is sneaky athletic and a physical shooting guard who is not a true threat from downtown. His likely fellow starter on the wing can light it up deep though. Jordan Printy hit 47. 7% of his triple tries.
Freshmen Brandon Burnett and Devonte Brown figure to earn the top reserve roles on the wing although twin brothers Logan and Lucas Eitel will compete for some minutes as well. Gonzaga transfer Mangisto Arop will sit out this season but is able to practice with the team.
All-MVC Freshman and Defensive Team member Jake Odum is back to run the point. He can do a little bit of everything on the floor and at 6-4, has great size for a one. Odum will once again be backed up by Racine, Wisconsin native Steve McWhorter who is coming off a solid freshman season.
6-5 senior Carl Richard does have the typical size of a power forward but did lead the team in rebounding last season. R.J. Mahurin is a three-point threat off the bench while Koang Duluony is a lengthy forward who adds even more depth up-front.
Myles Walker retains his role as the starting center, bringing some needed physicality to an under-sized starting five. Redshirt freshman Jake Kitchell is the tallest Sycamore at 6-10, but offers more versatility for a big man. Justin Gant needs to add some strength but does bring length and athleticism to the frontcourt.
ISU will not sneak up on anybody this season. They should contend for the MVC Championship along with Wichita State and Creighton. The Missouri Valley has gotten two bids into the tournament recently, but as always, the safest bet for the Sycamores is to win the conference tourney and earn the league’s automatic bid.
Player to Watch: Jake Odum
As a redshirt freshman, Odum showed great poise in running the point for Indiana State. With a year under his belt, look for Odum to assume even more of a leadership role on the floor. He may not be a great outside shooter, but uses his length to be a pest on the defensive end and a solid rebounder.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/18 vs. Ball State
11/24 vs. Texas Tech (Old Spice Classic)
11/25 vs. Minnesota/DePaul (Old Spice Classic)
11/27 vs., Arizona State, Dayton, Wake Forest, Fairfield (Old Spice Classic)
12/3 at Boise State
12/17 at Vanderbilt
2/17 vs. TBA (ESPN Bracket Busters)
OTHER 111 IN 111’S:
#71 Oklahoma State Cowboys
#72 Indiana Hoosiers
#73 UAB Blazers
#74 Iowa State Cyclones
#75 Creighton Bluejays
#76 USC Trojans
#77 Weber State Wildcats
#78 Maryland Terrapins
#79 Tulsa Golden Hurricane
#80 Minnesota Golden Gophers
#81 Western Michigan Broncos
#82 Dayton Flyers
#83 Stanford Cardinal
#84 Yale Bulldogs
#85 Georgia Bulldogs
#86 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
#87 Richmond Spiders
#88 Ball State Cardinals
#89 Utah State Aggies
#90 Arizona State Sun Devils
#91 Marshall Thundering Herd
#92 Oregon State Beavers
#93 Washington State Cougars
#94 Iowa Hawkeyes
#95 Ole Miss Rebels
#96 Nebraska Cornhuskers
#97 Oklahoma Sooners
#98 South Florida Bulls
#99 LSU Tigers
#100 Colorado Buffaloes
#101 DePaul Blue Demons
#102 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
#103 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
#104 Seton Hall Pirates
#105 Providence Friars
#106 Auburn Tigers
#107 South Carolina Gamecocks
#108 Texas Tech Red Raiders
#109 Penn State Nittany Lions
#110 Boston College Eagles
#111 Utah Utes
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.
You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.