The Creighton men’s basketball team got another big win on the road Wednesday night at Missouri State. Despite their turnover problems since the conference season has started, the Bluejays have still found ways to win games.
The opposite can be said for Indiana State. The Sycamores were predicted to finish in the top half of the Missouri Valley Conference at the beginning of the season. However, they are sitting at 2-6 in conference play and have lost five out of their last six games.
You would think that the Sycamores will break out of this slump at some point. Creighton fans hope it isn’t Saturday in Omaha, when the Trees take on the Bluejays at 2 p.m. (TV: ESPN2). For a better look at Indiana State we talked to the beat writer for the Sycamores, Todd Golden from the Tribstar.
White & Blue Review: What were the expectations on Indiana State coming into the season? Are they where they want to be?
Todd Golden: Expectations were to be in the hunt for the MVC championship. ISU was picked third in the league. So to say they have under-achieved is an understatement.
WBR: How have injuries hurt the Sycamores this season? Are there some players suffering injuries that won’t go away?
TG: Jake Odum’s plantar fasciitis has cast a pall over his entire season. He’s never been at more than 75 percent health. Recently, forward Carl Richard has suffered from back spasms and sat out brief portions of the last two games. ISU had some players sick with a virulent flu strain early, but aside from that, ISU hasn’t dealt with anything any other team doesn’t deal with.
WBR: After the win against Vanderbilt, it appeared that Indiana State was heading into conference play with a lot of confidence. Since MVC play started, what has hurt Indiana State the most? Are there any signs that they will make a run through the second half of MVC play?
TG: ISU’s defense has fallen apart. In three of four MVC road games, ISU has let its opponent shoot 50 percent or better from the field. Offensively, they don’t finish well and take quick shots. I’ve seen no evidence that suggests that they will break this pattern.
WBR: Who has been a surprise this season for the Sycamores?
TG: Few players have produced better than expected and many have produced worse. Sophomore forward R.J. Mahurin has played well in spurts. Freshman center Jake Kitchell has done well in the last two games.
WBR: Conference opponents have played Doug McDermott differently each game. What will Indiana State do to try and defend him?
TG: That’s the $64,000 question. Normally, Richard — a good defender — would get the assignment, and he still might, but he’s not 100 percent. If Richard can’t go, ISU has no viable man option to deal with McDermott. They might be forced to play zone.
WBR: Dwayne Lathan started the season coming off the bench, but has been recently moved into the starting lineup. Is he better suited as a starter or provide a better spark off the bench?
TG: Lathan has mostly performed well in both roles. It is lack of production from his teammates that have altered his original sixth-man role, which was designed with the idea that Lathan would provide an additional spark for the starters and give opposing teams a difficult defensive assignment when their own starters tired and they had to go to their bench. But ISU’s starters struggled so badly to score that Lathan was inserted back into the starting lineup to keep ISU from falling behind.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will Indiana State have to do to steal a win in Omaha?
TG: There is nothing in ISU’s recent performance that suggests this matchup will be competitive. ISU is playing poorly, especially on the road, and never plays well in Omaha. ISU needs to exercise offensive patience, take good shots, and re-discover the defensive edge it had during the non-conference season to have a chance. Creighton would also have to slip in concentration and I don’t see that happening. About the only other thing ISU has going for it is that it seems to focus better when playing a strong opponent, as it did against Vanderbilt and Wichita State (a loss, but a game they were in late). But that’s too many things that need to come together at once. I expect Creighton to win by a 10- to 20-point margin.