By Mark Bennett
Royce Waltman is looking for a fifth starter
for his 2001-02 Indiana State Sycamore basketball team.
Tonight at 5:45 in Hulman Center, ISU fans
will get a chance to see some of the possibilities in the team's
annual Blue-White Scrimmage. The doors open at 5 p.m. Fans will
have an opportunity to select season-ticket locations, and players
and coaches will sign autographs afterward. Admission is free
and the public is invited.
The likely candidates for starting jobs, at
the outset, are returning starters Kelyn Block and Marcus Howard
at guards, and Djibril Kante at forward, along with last season's
sixth man Terence Avery at center.
"The fifth spot is still up for grabs,"
Waltman said after Tuesday's practice.
Sophomore Matt Berry was an occasional starter
at guard last season, as was junior Matt Broermann. But ISU must
fill the void left by the graduation of point guard Michael Menser.
With three young point guards -- sophomore Barry Welsh, freshman
Lamar Grimes and junior-college walk-on transfer Batiste Haywood
-- Waltman has some options at the point.
"It could be one of the younger guys.
It could be Marcus [Howard]. It could be Kelyn," Waltman
said. "Regardless of who we start, we're still going to
have to get Barry Welsh ready to play, and get Lamar Grimes ready
to play."
Using Howard or Block as the starting point
guard would open the fifth spot for a taller player. Waltman
has four freshmen -- the 5-foot-11 Grimes, 6-6 Darron Evans,
6-9 Jerod Adler and 6-8 Jake Sams -- as well as Broermann, and
6-11 redshirt sophomore center Michael Kernan.
Sycamore women impress coach -- After the first 10 days of practices, ISU women's
coach Jim Wiedie likes what he's seen from his Sycamores.
"The effort level has been outstanding.
What's really encouraging is they're tuned into what we're saying,"
Wiedie said before Tuesday's practice.
|
|
He's been particularly impressed by 5-9 junior
guard Kourtney Mennen. "Kourtney Mennen is really playing
well," Wiedie said. "I think people are going to see
a different Kourtney this year." She averaged 10.8 points
per game last season after getting 15.5 a game as a freshman.
Wiedie also mentioned strong early workouts
by April Kirby, Kristin Stewart, freshman Casey McDowell, Kristy
Thomann and Erin Rhodes. Thomann is playing through a foot injury,
Rhodes has tendinitis in her knee (which was surgically repaired
last season after a torn anterior cruciate ligament), and redshirt
freshman Lindsay Galbraith is recovering from back and knee surgeries
in the offseason.
With 10 players on the roster, depth is one
concern for the Sycamores. Guard Shana Sparksdecided to end her
playing career after some lingering injuries, and another guard
Danielle Evans decided to transfer to another school, Wiedie
said.
"Losing [Danielle], from a depth standpoint,
kind of hurts," Wiedie said.
Around the state -- Former Terre Haute South
athlete Ryan Reynolds made the switch from football to basketball
at Butler University.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound sophomore made the
Bulldogs' men's basketball team as a walk-on, and will serve
as a guard this season for new coach Steve Farley. He played
for the Butler football team as a freshman in 2000, but decided
to give hoops a try this year. He and the Bulldogs made their
public debut at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in an exhibition against GT
Express of Canada.
Former South standout Dorcas Lawson has left
the Ball State women's basketball team, according to the BSU
sports information office. Lawson transferred to Ball State from
Butler after last season.
Last season at Butler, Lawson averaged 7.4
points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a sophomore forward.
Around the world
-- Pro basketball has taken former Indiana State guard Nate Green
around the world. After being released last week by the NBA's
Detroit Pistons, the 6-5 Green is now playing in Israel. Last
season, Green played for the Canberra Cannons of the National
Basketball League in Australia.
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.
|
