Indiana State – Learning To Adjust – UPDATED – SYCAMORES PULLING OUT OF SHOWCASE!

Part One of Our Conversation With Greg Lansing

(St. Louis, MO) – Greg Lansing and his Indiana State Sycamores are learning to adjust. A corona infection, an injured, highly touted transfer and ever-changing schedules are some of the hurdles facing the highly talented Sycamores.

As Lansing begins his eleventh season in Terre Haute, his roster contains proven producers and collection of players that have quickly become a tight knit unit. Lansing brags about the character and enjoyability of his team.

His talented team is facing significant hurdles.

Covid Interruptions

While preparing for the season, the Sycamores became one of more than 30 Division 1 programs to pause team activities due to a coronavirus infection. ISU went on an automatic shutdown and Wednesday resumed practices.

During the five weeks of summer work outs Indiana state was virus-free. Lansing says his players adjusted quickly and have had good attitudes toward masks, regulations and testing. Injuries and two different positive covid-19 tests have challenged Lansing and his team.

 

 

When a player tests positive, the whole team quarantines, but after contact tracing occurs, some players can begin to rejoin team activities. Lansing says following protocols is important, he also believes the college basketball season will have plenty of interruptions.

 

 

The ISU coaching staff and players talk about the pandemic everyday. Lansing is preaching the importance of the ‘next man up’ mentality.

ISU plays in Estero, Florida for the Gulf Coast Showcase and Lansing says the tournament officials are working hard and taking the appropriate pre-tournament precautions. The Sycamores will be living in a ‘bubble’ while participating.

BREAKING: Another Positive Test & Pulling out of Showcase

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NEWS | Indiana State Men’s Basketball Withdraws from Gulf Coast Showcasehttps://t.co/X7tsG3ehpL

— Sycamore Basketball (@IndStMBB) November 21, 2020

The Big Names

Lansing is learning to adjust to having four returning starters. During the ‘mad transfer era’ of college basketball, the Sycamores are amazingly stable. All-league guard Tyreke Key returns and Lansing expects ‘more of the same’ from his star player. Key is closing in on 1,300 career points, and has a legendary work ethic. Lansing calls his senior leader the hardest worker he’s ever been around and Key knows there is talent on this year’s team.

 

 

Cooper Neese is back for his senior season. Great things were expected from the 6’4 Butler transfer when he arrived in Terre Haute. Lansing says he expects Neese to have the most productive season of his Sycamore career. While Neese has been a solid contributor, Lansing believes the Cloverdale, Indiana native has matured and has eliminated some of the things that have interfered with success.

 

 

Jake LaRavia and Tre Williams had outstanding freshman seasons. LaRavia landed on the Valley’s all-freshman team and was among the league’s leading rebounders. While LaRavia has added about ten pounds of muscle, Lansing plans on utilizing his 6’8 sophomore’s guard skills this year.

Though undersized, Williams is an ‘old school’ center. Lansing says the two roommates are best of friends, model student athletes and play well together.

 

 

LaRavia averaged 9.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while converting 38% of his shots from deep. He averaged 7.4 rebounds during Valley play and his unique skill-set makes him an extremely difficult player to defend. A recent toe injury could hinder LaRavia early in the season.

Newcomers Learning to Adjust

A list of talented newcomers was trimmed with the achilles injury to Kailex Stephens. The 6’7 junior college transfer would have been in ISU’s eight man rotation.

Talented D1 transfers Randy Miller and Tobias (TJ) Howard join the team with proven resumes. Miller (North Carolina Central) averaged over 14 points per game last year, before his season was ended by an injury. Howard (Towson) was with Indiana State sitting out his transfer season. He is a proven deep threat and ball handler. He averaged 10.2 points and led Towson with 2.5 assists per game.

Lansing isn’t demanding stardom from his proven producing transfers, just that they are significant contributors. Both are 6’2 grad transfers with plenty of experience. Miller has played in the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

Who Is Off Our Radar?

While Indiana State will not have great size, the Sycamores are loaded with guards and wings. When asked what player, that we’re not thinking about, who will jump out at us this season, Lansing didn’t hesitate in saying ‘Julian Larry’. He calls him ultra competitive.

 

 

During Part Two of our conversation with Lansing we discuss, recent shake ups in transfer and eligibility issues and other issues surrounding college basketball.

Indiana State opens the season (short-handed) November 25 in Florida against East Carolina.

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