By Mark Bennett
Before the Sycamore bandwagon unloads, it
might not hurt for Indiana State basketball followers to remember
a little bit of recent history.
Though the last four seasons ended remarkably
well, they haven't been non-stop net-cutting and floor-rushing
celebrations. And the two-game losing streak ISU takes into today's
3:05 p.m. game at Butler may not necessarily be the sign of a
rough season.
In 1997-98, Coach Royce Waltman's first Sycamore
team was 13-5 going into the final month of the regular season,
before descending into a five-game losing streak. And that squad
had four future 1,000-point scorers -- Jayson Wells, Nate Green,
Matt Renn and Michael Menser, as well as future pro Steve Hart.
But they recovered nicely and finished 16-11.
A year later, the '98-99 team lost five of
seven games in a mid-season slump, but still finished 15-12.
And if not for a miracle 3-pointer by Southwest Missouri State's
William Fontleroy in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
for a 79-78 Bears win in overtime that eventually led to a NCAA
Sweet Sixteen berth, Steve Alford might still be coaching in
Springfield.
Then in 1999-2000, Waltman's Sycamores gave
Terre Haute its first MVC regular-season title and NCAA berth
since the Bird era with a 22-10 season. But if you remember,
those Sycamores came home from an early-season Alaska tournament
trip and played three simply dreadful games, losing in humbling
fashion to Ball State, Austin Peay and Butler in succession.
And then take last season. Ah, the Menser
miracles against IU in Hulman Center and Creighton at St. Louis,
the automatic NCAA berth, and Kelyn Block's heroics in the stunner
over Oklahoma at Memphis, Tenn. Don't forget, though, that superb
22-12 year also included a hard-to-watch end to the regular season.
ISU lost six of its last eight games, including a 67-60 thumping
at last-place Northern Iowa and a 61-59 loss to Southern Illinois
on Senior Night for Menser and Renn.
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Now, don't misunderstand. This isn't a Gipper
speech. Bad things could still happen. But two losses in November
may not mean much by the time March rolls around if the Sycamores
start to play better.
Waltman acknowledged that as he watched his
2001-02 team finish practice Saturday afternoon in Hulman Center.
They've already lost 70-54 at Illinois-Chicago and 71-54 to Valparaiso
at home.
"All we have as encouragement is history,"
Waltman said. "Two years ago, we got drilled by Ball State
and Austin Peay and Butler, and then won the IU tournament. History
tells us we can turn it around. Now, have we seen any indication
of that? Not yet."
That's for sure. The youngest Sycamores wore
deer-in-the-headlights looks when the aggressive Illinois-Chicago
guards tore through the ISU defense, and when Valparaiso's tall
international lineup through up its long arms in a zone defense.
Zone defenses weren't common tactics for Sycamore
opponents in the past two seasons. Slashers Nate Green and Kelyn
Block would damage a zone, and Menser could bomb 3-pointers over
a zone all night. Now with big men Terence Avery and Djibril
Kante becoming key targets on offense, foes may try zones to
clog up ISU's passing routes to them.
Avery and Kante seem up to that challenge.
Both have played well in the first two games, and with 11 assists,
Block has made sure they're getting the ball.
But it would be tough for the Sycamores to
end their tailspin getting just 54 points a game. And so far,
32 points of that 54-point average are coming from the seniors.
The new generation at ISU has talent and will
shine in the future. To allow this Sycamore team to join the
previous four with winning records and big moments, that potential
needs to show in the very near future.
Mark Bennett can be reached by telephone
at 1-800-783-8742, Ext. 377, by e-mail at mark.bennett@tribstar.com
or by fax at (812) 231-4321.
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