Today In The Valley (Nov. 23)
Indiana State (0-1) vs. North Texas (2-1)
1:00 p.m.
Hulman Center; Terre Haute, Indiana
After a disappointing and sloppy season opener, the Sycamores look to correct rebounding and turnover issues at home against North Texas. They welcome the “Mean Green” to the Hulman Center, a squad fresh off a big win over Sam Houston (not the guy; the state university), snapping the Bearkats’ 45-game non-conference home winning streak. That streak was second only to Duke’s 58-game active stretch. The young ISU team will have its hands full with the Mean Green, as North Texas returns two of their top scorers from their 20-11 season last year, Josh White ( 13.9 points per game this season) and Collin Denis (13.6 ppg).
A win in this game is important for not only Indiana State, but also the Valley as a conference. North Texas is a serious contender in the Sun Belt conference again this year, and right now the MVC needs all of the RPI help it can get. But as we saw last weekend, this is still a very inexperienced Sycamores team that needs to find itself before they get too deep into the season. Newcomer Rashad Reed led the Sycs with 21 points in their season opener, one of four ISU players in double figures against Northern Illinois. Scoring points wasn’t the problem in their loss; they need to get stops and grab boards. Hopefully they can fill their new scoreboard with some rebounds and a W today.
~ Dance Cam Guy
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Drake (1-1) vs. South Dakota State (1-2)
2:00 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, Iowa
The Jackrabbits of SDSU head to Des Moines no doubt excited about the outcome of yesterday’s football showdown against North Dakota State. The Jacks look to make it a perfect weekend for SDSU athletics against Mark Phelp’s Drake Bulldogs. Or should I say Josh Young’s Bulldogs.
The sensational junior, named to the MVC preseason all-conference team, dropped 34 points in Drake’s win over Morehead State on Wednesday. Although we’re just two games into the season, Young’s averaging nearly 27 points per game. Phelps will need to develop more consistent scoring threats around Young as the season develops, but right now seems content to some degree to let Young control as much of the offense as possible.
In the season-opening loss to Butler, Young didn’t have much help from the floor scoring-wise, and Jonathon Cox needs to step up and start matching his award-wining production from last season (12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds per game). So far he is under those numbers after the first two games.
The Jackrabbits are led by sophomore Clint Sargent’s 17.3 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per contest. He dropped a career-high 20 points in their loss at Virginia Commonwealth. He gets help offensively from junior Garrett Callahan, who ranks second on the team with 16.3 points per game.
A key matchup will be Cox and Jacks forward Anthony Cordova, who leads SDSU with 11.7 rebounds per game and chips in 8.3 points per contest.
~ Creighton Otter
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Northern Iowa (1-1) vs. Texas Southern (0-2)
4:00 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
Northern Iowa is coming off its first road game (at Illinois-Chicago), which also happened to be their first loss. They will be focused on a return trip to Chicago, though, when they start the Chicago Invitational Tournament today against the Texas Southern Tigers. The Panthers host the first two rounds on campus before traveling to take on Marquette and Auburn in the Chicago area later next week.
While Jordan Eglseder has been controlling the paint, UNI has plenty of fresh faces patrolling the perimeter. Junior college transfer Ali Farokhmanesh is averaging 16.5 points per game, including a 20 point night at UIC. True freshman point guard Johnny Moran, a native of Chicago suburb Algonquin (A-Town, home of our friend D.J.), will welcome the trip back to Illinois over the holiday. He had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in his first collegiate game.
Like fellow Southwest Athletic Conference member Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Tigers are starting the year on the road. They have 12 games away from their home gym (aptly-named “Health and PE Arena.” Really?!) before their first home game on December 27. Michael Drewy scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the season opener at UTEP. DeAndre Hall had a career high 29 points in a losing effort at Cincinnati. They will need more than two guys to step up if they want to steal a win in Cedar Falls. These road warriors will have to play a perfect 40 minutes to pick up a win, something a lot of teams, UNI included, have not done this year.
~ Panon
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Illinois State (3-0) at SMU (2-1)
7:30 p.m.
Moody Coliseum; Dallas Texas
Illinois State seems to be in a rather good mood as Tim Jankovich’s team heads into tonight’s game against the host of the SMU Tip-off Classic, the Southern Methodist Mustangs. The Redbirds are entering the contest after a very convincing win over a completely overwhelmed Houston Baptist team 107-70. Once again, a multitude of Redbirds recorded double figure scoring totals. Osiris Eldridge was only 1-7 from 3-point range, but he still managed to lead all ISU scorers with 16 points. Also joining Big O was Emmanuel Holloway (15 points), Landon Shipley (14), Brandon Sampay (12), and Champ Oguchi, Dinma Odiakosa, Lloyd Phillips, and Brandon Holtz (11 points each). The 107-point offensive clinic was the highest scoring total put up by Illinois State since they walked over South Alabama 107-82 on February 19, 1977.
SMU enters the game after winning an ugly game against Alabama State. Both teams turned the ball over 20 times or more. And while Matt Doherty might be an acclaimed recruiter, I do not believe that the Mustangs have enough fire power to win their own tournament; the Redbirds will leave Dallas with new hardware to hoist in the trophy room in Normal.
This tournament has been a great tool for Illinois State to gel offensively and give them some momentum as they get closer to conference play.
~ Dance Cam Guy
1:00 p.m.
Hulman Center; Terre Haute, Indiana
After a disappointing and sloppy season opener, the Sycamores look to correct rebounding and turnover issues at home against North Texas. They welcome the “Mean Green” to the Hulman Center, a squad fresh off a big win over Sam Houston (not the guy; the state university), snapping the Bearkats’ 45-game non-conference home winning streak. That streak was second only to Duke’s 58-game active stretch. The young ISU team will have its hands full with the Mean Green, as North Texas returns two of their top scorers from their 20-11 season last year, Josh White ( 13.9 points per game this season) and Collin Denis (13.6 ppg).
A win in this game is important for not only Indiana State, but also the Valley as a conference. North Texas is a serious contender in the Sun Belt conference again this year, and right now the MVC needs all of the RPI help it can get. But as we saw last weekend, this is still a very inexperienced Sycamores team that needs to find itself before they get too deep into the season. Newcomer Rashad Reed led the Sycs with 21 points in their season opener, one of four ISU players in double figures against Northern Illinois. Scoring points wasn’t the problem in their loss; they need to get stops and grab boards. Hopefully they can fill their new scoreboard with some rebounds and a W today.
~ Dance Cam Guy
---
Drake (1-1) vs. South Dakota State (1-2)
2:00 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, Iowa
The Jackrabbits of SDSU head to Des Moines no doubt excited about the outcome of yesterday’s football showdown against North Dakota State. The Jacks look to make it a perfect weekend for SDSU athletics against Mark Phelp’s Drake Bulldogs. Or should I say Josh Young’s Bulldogs.
The sensational junior, named to the MVC preseason all-conference team, dropped 34 points in Drake’s win over Morehead State on Wednesday. Although we’re just two games into the season, Young’s averaging nearly 27 points per game. Phelps will need to develop more consistent scoring threats around Young as the season develops, but right now seems content to some degree to let Young control as much of the offense as possible.
In the season-opening loss to Butler, Young didn’t have much help from the floor scoring-wise, and Jonathon Cox needs to step up and start matching his award-wining production from last season (12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds per game). So far he is under those numbers after the first two games.
The Jackrabbits are led by sophomore Clint Sargent’s 17.3 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per contest. He dropped a career-high 20 points in their loss at Virginia Commonwealth. He gets help offensively from junior Garrett Callahan, who ranks second on the team with 16.3 points per game.
A key matchup will be Cox and Jacks forward Anthony Cordova, who leads SDSU with 11.7 rebounds per game and chips in 8.3 points per contest.
~ Creighton Otter
---
Northern Iowa (1-1) vs. Texas Southern (0-2)
4:00 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
Northern Iowa is coming off its first road game (at Illinois-Chicago), which also happened to be their first loss. They will be focused on a return trip to Chicago, though, when they start the Chicago Invitational Tournament today against the Texas Southern Tigers. The Panthers host the first two rounds on campus before traveling to take on Marquette and Auburn in the Chicago area later next week.
While Jordan Eglseder has been controlling the paint, UNI has plenty of fresh faces patrolling the perimeter. Junior college transfer Ali Farokhmanesh is averaging 16.5 points per game, including a 20 point night at UIC. True freshman point guard Johnny Moran, a native of Chicago suburb Algonquin (A-Town, home of our friend D.J.), will welcome the trip back to Illinois over the holiday. He had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in his first collegiate game.
Like fellow Southwest Athletic Conference member Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Tigers are starting the year on the road. They have 12 games away from their home gym (aptly-named “Health and PE Arena.” Really?!) before their first home game on December 27. Michael Drewy scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the season opener at UTEP. DeAndre Hall had a career high 29 points in a losing effort at Cincinnati. They will need more than two guys to step up if they want to steal a win in Cedar Falls. These road warriors will have to play a perfect 40 minutes to pick up a win, something a lot of teams, UNI included, have not done this year.
~ Panon
---
Illinois State (3-0) at SMU (2-1)
7:30 p.m.
Moody Coliseum; Dallas Texas
Illinois State seems to be in a rather good mood as Tim Jankovich’s team heads into tonight’s game against the host of the SMU Tip-off Classic, the Southern Methodist Mustangs. The Redbirds are entering the contest after a very convincing win over a completely overwhelmed Houston Baptist team 107-70. Once again, a multitude of Redbirds recorded double figure scoring totals. Osiris Eldridge was only 1-7 from 3-point range, but he still managed to lead all ISU scorers with 16 points. Also joining Big O was Emmanuel Holloway (15 points), Landon Shipley (14), Brandon Sampay (12), and Champ Oguchi, Dinma Odiakosa, Lloyd Phillips, and Brandon Holtz (11 points each). The 107-point offensive clinic was the highest scoring total put up by Illinois State since they walked over South Alabama 107-82 on February 19, 1977.
SMU enters the game after winning an ugly game against Alabama State. Both teams turned the ball over 20 times or more. And while Matt Doherty might be an acclaimed recruiter, I do not believe that the Mustangs have enough fire power to win their own tournament; the Redbirds will leave Dallas with new hardware to hoist in the trophy room in Normal.
This tournament has been a great tool for Illinois State to gel offensively and give them some momentum as they get closer to conference play.
~ Dance Cam Guy
posted by Creighton Otter at 11:06 AM
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