By Mark Bennett
A sure basket swatted away in mid air. A rebound
ripped down through a sea of taller arms under the hoop. A pass
stolen in heavy traffic.
Game after game, year after year, Djibril
Kante has delivered such plays for the Indiana State Sycamores.
As for scoring, Kante's eight or nine points a game often come
on timely dunks or baseline jumpers.
Now as a senior, though, Kante and his teammates
are still working to fill the scoring void left by graduated
stars Matt Renn and Michael Menser. As the Sycamores (2-5 overall,
0-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference) prepare for Sunday's 4:05
p.m. game at Creighton (4-2, 0-0), Coach Royce Waltman understands
that Kante is contributing plenty, even if his scoring average
doesn't climb this season.
"In some ways, we all made a mistake
in thinking that Djibril would suddenly score more points,"
Waltman said.
Kante's scoring has been steady, ever since
the 6-foot-8, 245-pound power forward from Bloomington North
arrived on campus. He averaged 7.6 points per game as a high
school junior when the Cougars won the 1997 state championship,
and raised that to 10.2 a game as a senior. As a collegian, Kante
carried a 6.3 points-per-game average into this season, after
scoring 9.3 a night last year. So far in 2001-02, he's averaged
8.3 points.
Kante simply wants to deliver what the team
needs to win, whether it's more points, rebounds or defense.
After Sunday's 85-71 loss at Drake in the MVC opener, the Sycamores
are still looking for that formula. Using a smaller starting
lineup, they attempted 26 3-pointers and hit 12. Both totals
were season-highs.
"I think I probably have the ability
[to score more], but at the same time there's a lot of other
things going on," Kante said before Friday's practice. We're
still trying to find our identity right now offensively. Last
game, we took a lot of outside shots, and it's going to take
time to see if we want to get it inside. We have to find that
balance, inside and outside. Right now, everybody's numbers are
going to fluctuate up and down until we actually have a balance
between that."
In a 74-66 win Dec. 3 over Murray State, Kante
scored a career-high 19 points. But the numbers from that box
score that also deserve appreciation are his nine rebounds, two
blocked shots, two steals and two assists, his coach said. With
105 career blocked shots, Kante needs just five to pass former
teammate Nate Green into the No. 2 spot on ISU's all-time list.
"We should expect from Djibril just what
he's provided in the past," Waltman said Friday. "He
defends well, rebounds well and is an inspirational player in
the way that he plays. Now we could use an extra basket or two.
But that's not necessarily his game."
Indeed, the Sycamores are averaging just 59.7
points per game, the lowest team total in the MVC. Kante's two
senior teammates - guard Kelyn Block and center Terence Avery
- are the lone Sycamores with double-figure scoring averages
at 12.3 and 11.9 points per game, respectively.
Some scoring help has emerged. Sophomore guard
Matt Berry scored 14 points against Murray State and nine in
last Sunday's loss at Drake.
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| Tribune-Star/Joseph
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| Two the strong way: Indiana
State's Djibril Kante (3) throws down a dunk earlier this month
against Murray State in Hulman Center |
Kante finished with seven points at Drake,
but also had eight rebounds, a block and a steal. Avery came
off the bench in that game, and put up virtually identical numbers
- seven points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Kante's teammates understand he has other
duties in addition to scoring.
"Everybody on the team knows he's our
workhorse, especially on defense," Avery said. "I think
he's definitely big enough and strong enough to score down low.
But sometimes when he gets assignments like [guarding Creighton
forward Kyle] Korver or a four-man who really shoots well, it's
going to be hard to stop him and also concentrate on scoring
down low. He's got a tough role this year, but I think he's capable
of scoring big numbers on any given night."
Today's game, contrary to past Creighton-ISU
clashes, could be determined inside, rather than on the perimeter
where Menser and Renn once dueled with departed Bluejays Ryan
Sears and Ben Walker. Now ISU's big concerns are in the Creighton
frontcourt - Northwestern transfer Brody Deren (10.3 ppg), Preseason
All-MVC first-team forward Kyle Korver (15.7 ppg) and center
Joe Dabbert (8 ppg). Korver, along with reserve guard Terrell
Taylor, are also dangerous 3-point shooters.
Waltman expects typical full-court Creighton
defensive pressure, but added, "Offensively, I think they'll
try to go inside."
The presence of Kante and the 6-9, 240-pound
Avery helps in such matchups, Waltman said. Still, stopping a
team with strong frontcourt players is never easy.
"Defending inside is always hard,"
Waltman said. "We're not going to be overmatched physically.
But defending in the post is always hard."
And doing that fresh off a disappointing loss
isn't simple either. The Sycamores struggled to stop Drake's
drives to the baskets. They committed 23 fouls, which allowed
the Bulldogs to hit 20 of 29 free throws. But a week-long layoff
during finals week helped ISU to accept the loss at Des Moines
as a learning experience, Kante said.
"We came back with a new focus. This
is Creighton. We had to put Drake behind us," Kante said
as a graduate athletic trainer Jodi Johnson strapped a protective
brace around his waist before Friday's practice in the ISU Arena.
"I think we're a lot better than we were before Drake, actually."
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