SETTING THE STAGE
The Indiana State Sycamores begin the Missouri Valley Conference slate on Wednesday, December 30 at Evansville. The game is set for an 8:00 p.m. (ET) tip-off and can be heard locally on 95.9 FM The Duke as well as online via a link on GoSycamores.com. This game will be broadcast world-wide on The Valley On ESPN3. The Sycamores are 6-6 on the season and are winners of their last three games including a 76-68 road victory over Saint Louis and a 73-61 triumph over Ball State on December 22. Brenton Scott was one of three Sycamores to reach double figures scoring with 19 points versus the Cardinals. Evansville rides a four-game winning streak into Wednesday's MVC opener and are 11-2. The Purple Aces are a perfect 7-0 so far inside Ford Center.
QUICK HITS
- Indiana State is 68-8 when holding teams to 63 points or less under sixth-year head coach Greg Lansing (and 17-0 when limiting teams to 53 or less).
- Indiana State has earned 60 close victories (five points or less) since 2005. Under Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 34-17 in close games.
- Greg Lansing is just the sixth head coach in the history of the program to record at least 100 victories at the helm of the Sycamores.
- Indiana State is first in the MVC with a field goal percentage defense of .410.
- The Sycamores posted a pair of 20 point scorers in each of their wins over Illinois-Springfield and Saint Louis.
- Devonte Brown scored 24 points to lead the Sycamores to a 76-68 road victory over Saint Louis on December 19. He was a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line, which is a new school record for free throw percentage in a single game topping Jake Odum's 13-of-13 in 2013 at Bradley. He is the league leader in both free throws made and attempted and ranks 17th nationally with 93 attempts on a 25th nationally-ranked 65 makes.
- The Sycamores scored exactly 70 points in each of their first three games of the season, tying the school record for longest stretch of games with the same point total which has stood since 1930.
- Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing owns four victories over nationally-ranked teams during his tenure, which is tied for the school record with Bill Hodges and Royce Waltman.
An Indiana State Win Over Evansville Would ...
• Improve the Sycamores to 18-21 all-time in MVC openers and extend their winning streak in league lidlifters to five in a row. It would also mark the second consecutive Valley campaign to begin with a road victory.
• Improve the Sycamores to 9-4 under sixth-year head coach Greg Lansing against Evansville and level their record against the Purple Aces on the road at 3-3 during that time frame.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is 100-77 (.565) overall in his sixth season as a head coach. He is 52-38 all-time in MVC games, including a 34-11 mark at home and an 18-27 record on the road. During his career, he is 56-20 in all home games, 29-43 on the road, 15-14 in neutral court contests and 34-17 in games decided by five points or less. Lansing is 8-4 against Evansville and is 2-3 against the Purple Aces on the road. With the Trees, Lansing is 7-5 in overtime games and 68-8 when holding teams to 63 points or less. Lansing led the Sycamores to the postseason in each of his first four seasons at the helm (2011 NCAA, 2012 CIT, 2013, 2014 NIT). Lansing is the second head coach to lead the Sycamores to the NCAA Tournament in their rookie campaign in the history of the program, with the other being Bill Hodges leading ISU to a 33-1 record and a Final Four appearance in the 1979 NCAA Tournament. Lansing was just the 14th rookie head coach in the history of the MVC to lead his team to 20 victories during their debut season. Lansing is tied with Bill Hodges and Royce Waltman for most victories over a nationally-ranked team (four) in the history of the program. Lansing is currently sixth on the Indiana State all-time coaching victories list and needs 20 more to tie John Longfellow for fifth.
Television Particulars
The Evansville game will be televised world-wide on The Valley On ESPN3.
A Little History
Indiana State is currently in its 120th season of college basketball at the school. The Sycamores are 1,447-1,244 all-time on the hardwood.
Greg Lansing Sixth Head Coach To Record Victory No. 100 at Indiana State
Indiana State sixth-year head coach Greg Lansing earned his 100th career victory as Indiana State recorded a 73-61 victory inside Hulman Center on December 22. Lansing is just the sixth Sycamore basketball head coach to reach the career milestone and is sixth all-time in victories at Indiana State. He needs 20 more to tie John Longfellow for fifth on the all-time victories list with 120. Lansing is the fourth quickest head coach to 100 victories as it took him 177 games to reach the milestone. It took Glenn Curtis (replacement of John Wooden) only 135 games to reach 100 wins in the late 1940's and early 50's.
For Valley Openers
The Indiana State Sycamores open Missouri Valley Conference play on December 30 at Evansville. The Sycamores are currently 17-21 in MVC openers, including four wins all-time in MVC openers which occur on the road. Indiana State enters the game against the Purple Aces as owners of a four-game winning streak in MVC opening games. They will be looking to open MVC play with a win on the road for the second consecutive season as they did it last season on New Year's Eve at Illinois State.
Khristian Smith On The Move Towards 1,000 Career Points
Indiana State senior Khristian Smith currently has 988 career points scored through 110 games in a Sycamore uniform. He needs only 12 more points to become the 36th member of the Indiana State Basketball 1,000 Point Club. Smith would be the 12th member of the club (33 percent) either coached or recruited by current head coach Greg Lansing, the most members that one coach can claim as one of their pupils in the illustrious club.
Brenton Scott Paces Sycamores To Win Over In-State Rival Ball State
Indiana State sophomore Brenton Scott paced the Sycamores with 19 points as Indiana State wrapped up non-conference play with a home court victory over Ball State on December 22. Scott helped push the Sycamore winning streak to three games as he hit 6-of-10 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. He also went 5-of-6 from the free throw line to go with three assists and two steals. He hit both of his triples in the first half as a two-point Sycamore lead ballooned to as high as 12.
Sycamores Own Third-Best Record In MVC Play Over Last Five Seasons
In the last five seasons under the direction of head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores have amassed a total of 51 Missouri Valley Conference victories. Those 51 MVC wins by coach Lansing are second-most in the history of the program as he trails only Royce Waltman who won 69 league games during his tenure. Additionally, the 51 MVC victories for the Sycamores since the 2010-11 campaign ranks third-best among current conference members. Wichita State's 75 leads the league while Indiana State has 51 and Northern Iowa is second with 56.
Matt Van Scyoc Picks Up Sycamores' First MVC Weekly Honor
Indiana State junior Matt Van Scyoc was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on December 21 after he averaged 18.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as the Sycamores swept contests against Illinois-Springfield and Saint Louis. Van Scyoc hit 58.3 percent of his shots from the field and was 7-of-14 from long distance. He added three blocked shots. Van Scyoc began the week by hitting all eight of his shots from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range to score 20 points in the win over Illinois-Springfield. He added 16 points as he connected three times from long range and added three rebounds with two blocked shots at Saint Louis. Versus the Billikens, Van Scyoc scored the first eight points of the second half as part of a decisive 20-2 Sycamore run which opened up a commanding lead for Indiana State.
Devonte Brown Sets School Record For Free Throw Performance At Saint Louis
Indiana State senior guard Devonte Brown paced the Sycamores to a sweep of Illinois-Springfield and Saint Louis with a 22.0 ppg average while pulling down 6.5 rebounds per game, dishing out seven assists and collecting three steals. For the week, Brown was 19-of-24 from the charity stripe (79.2 percent) and hit a trio of 3-pointers. The Sycamores had two 20 points scorers in each game this past week and Brown was a member of the club in both instances. He opened the week by hitting three 3-point field goals to score 20 points against the Prairie Stars. Brown led the team with 24 points at Saint Louis on the strength of a percent 14-of-14 shooting performance at the free throw line, which is a new Indiana State single-game record topping Jake Odum's previous best of 13-of-13 at Bradley in 2014. For the season, Brown is ranked 25th nationally with 65 free throw makes and his 17th nationally with 93 free throw attempts. He leads the MVC in both categories.
Indiana State Snaps Losing Skid With Win At Saint Louis
Indiana State defeated Saint Louis on Saturday night which broke a nine-game losing skid to the Billikens. It was the first win over Saint Louis since December 28, 1983 which occurred in Terre Haute. Prior to Saturday, one would have to go back all the way to February 21, 1977 to find the last Indiana State victory at Saint Louis – which represented six defeats in a row on the road versus the Billikens.
Greg Lansing Selected For Induction Into Iowa High School Basketball Hall Of Fame
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing has been selected for induction into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Basketball Hall of Fame as part of their 2016 class. Lansing and the other selected inductees will be honored individually at halftime of the Iowa Class 4A State Championship Game at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Saturday, March 12. The IHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame is the highest honor the Iowa High School Board of Control can bestow on a high school coach or former player. Lansing graduated from Harlan High School in 1986, where he was coached by his father Dave, who was inducted into the IHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 as a coach. The Lansing father/son combination of Dave and Greg will be just the 10th father/son duo to both be inducted into the Hall of Fame since 1969.
Sycamores Picked Sixth In MVC Preseason Poll, Devonte Brown Preseason All-MVC
The Sycamores are the sixth place preseason selection for the second consecutive year, which proved to be a positive last season. Indiana State exceeded its October prediction to finish 11-7 in the MVC and earned the league's No. 3 seed at the conference tournament behind nationally-ranked Wichita State and Northern Iowa. Brown, who kept alive a streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least one Sycamore on the All-MVC Team last season, is an honorable mention selection on this year's preseason squad. He also was named the MVC's Most Improved Player in 2014-15. The senior from Killeen, Texas was named Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and also earned a spot on the NABC All-District Second Team. His 180 free throw attempts led the league and was ranked 43rd nationally, while his 117 free throws made was third in the MVC and 98th nationally.
Jordan Barnes Inks National Letter Of Intent With Sycamore Basketball
On National Signing Day (November 11), the Indiana State Basketball program received a NLI from Jordan Barnes, a 5-11, 155 point guard from St. Louis, Mo., who is a senior at Christian Brothers College High School. He helped his team win Missouri's Division 5 State Championship in 2014. No stranger to the spotlight, Barnes connected on a double-clutch, 3-point buzzer-beat for the St. Louis Eagles, his AAU team last summer in a play which was featured on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. As a junior, Barnes averaged 15 points, six assists and two steals per game. He was rewarded for his outstanding play by being named a first team all-conference selection. In addition to his other offensive exploits, Barnes is a 48 percent shooter from 3-point range. Barnes played for head coach Justin Tatum at Christian Brothers.
Devonte Brown Makes It Eight Years In A Row For Sycamores In All-MVC Voting
Junior guard Devonte Brown took home his first career all-conference honor as he was selected to the All-MVC Second Team following last season. Brown's honor extended a school-record stretch of eight consecutive years in which a Sycamore has been named to one of the All-MVC Teams. That is the third-longest active stretch among the current membership of the MVC. Additionally, Brown finished sixth in the Larry Bird MVC Player Of The Year voting and was named the MVC's Most Improved Player. Brown's 180 free throw attempts led the league and ranked 43rd nationally, while his 117 free throws made was third in the MVC and 98th nationally. He ranked eighth in the league in scoring with a 12.2 ppg average while his 4.6 rebounds per game ranked 15th. He hit 46.7 percent of his shots from the field to rank ninth in the MVC while his 3.2 assists per game ranked fifth. Brown put together an 1.0 assist-to-turnover ratio to rank ninth and his 4.1 defensive rebounds per game ranked fourth in the league. In MVC games, Brown averaged 12.1 ppg to rank eighth in the league and he connected on 47.2 percent of his shots to finish 10th. Brown averaged 3.6 assists per MVC game to rank third while his 1.0 assist to turnover ratio ranked seventh. His 3.6 defensive rebounds per MVC game was seventh-best.
Sycamores Record 25th 20-Plus Point Margin Of Victory In Their Valley History
While any win in the Missouri Valley Conference is tough to come by, a win by 20 or more points is even more rare for the Sycamores. Since Indiana State joined the league for the 1977-78 campaign, Indiana State has earned 25 victories by at least 20 points. The Sycamores' win by 21 points over Drake on Valentine's Day was its first over 20 points since a 2011 victory over Northern Iowa by 25 points. Indiana State added a 20-point win over Southern Illinois on February 21 for its second of the season. Indiana State's 65-44 victory in 1998 at Northern Iowa is the program's only win by at least 20 points against a MVC opponent.
63 Is The Magic Number
The Sycamores win by the score of 73-61 on December 22, 2015 vs. Ball State was ISU's fourth this season in which they held an opponent to 63 points or less and earned the victory. Under sixth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 68-8 when allowing less than 63 points to the opposition (including a 17-0 mark when holding teams to 53 or less).
Sycamores Have Had Success In Bounce Back Games Under Head Coach Greg Lansing
In the last five seasons, the Sycamores have been known as a team with the ability to bounce back from defeat. Since the 2010-11 campaign, the Sycamores are 45-30 (.600) in a game which follows a loss.
Good Starter On The Battery
Indiana State's starting five has outscored the opposition's top five in six games so far this season. Under sixth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 62-19 when the ISU starting five scores more than their opponent's starters after doing so in the win over Ball State.
Sycamore Success Against “Power 6” Teams Under Greg Lansing
With its 83-70 victory over Notre Dame two years ago, the Sycamores have won back-to-back games against the Atlantic Coast Conference as ISU downed Miami (Fla.) on December 25, 2012 as part of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Classic. Under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing, the Sycamores are 5-7 against teams from “Power 6” Conferences, and all 12 of those contests have either come on the road or on a neutral court.
Sycamore Success Inside Hulman Center Under Greg Lansing
The Sycamores are 56-20 (.737) inside Hulman Center under fifth-year head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have won 46 of their last 62 home games. Additionally, the Sycamores have won 34 of their last 45 MVC games at home. The Sycamores are 3-2 at home this season.
Up Next
Indiana State returns home to play their first MVC contest inside Hulman Center when they host Loyola on Saturday, January 2. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. (ET).
