Offseason Update – ILS & MO State

Overhauled Rosters After Disappointing Seasons

(St. Louis, MO) – Illinois State and Missouri State are in eerily similar places. Both coaches played at Illinois State. Each program lived through a disappointing season and both have overhauled rosters.

Beat writers, Jim Benson (The Pantagraph) and Wyatt Wheeler (Springfield News-Leader) were recent guests of the Valley Hoops Insider Podcast and both believe the overhauled rosters provide hope for better days.

Solid Core Returning

Despite the struggles both programs endured, there remain solid performers on each roster. Missouri State was picked to finish first in last season’s Missouri Valley Conference race. They finished in the middle of the pack. A highly touted recruiting class was believed to be so good that the Bears would take the title. Head coach Dana Ford struggled to find the right rotation and to get his team to, in his words, play hard.

After a 16-17 record, five Bears graduated and three players transferred. Coach Ford had some holes to fill.

Wheeler (@WyattWheeler_NL) says the there is significant reason to believe the returners on the MSU overhauled roster are a good foundation.

 

 

Prim was named to the Valley’s all-Newcomer team and was a third-team all conference player. His 13.7 point scoring average is impressive for a player that played just 22 minutes per game. Mosely’s solid freshman season (8.3 ppg; 3.6 rpg) doesn’t adequately reveal the flashes of brilliance the 6’5 guard occasionally displayed.

Dan Muller’s 2017 team won 28 games and shared the league title with Wichita State. During his first seven head coaching seasons Illinois State won at least 17 games. Last year they won ten. Four Division 1 transfers and two talented freshmen didn’t produce what Muller expected. Like his protege, Muller struggled to find a winning combination.

After suffering through a five-win conference season, the Redbirds lost three players to graduation, while two others left for medical reasons and one player transferred.

Benson (@Pg_Benson) says returning sophomore guards and senior Keith Fisher (9.6 and 6.0) will be key pieces to this year’s team.

 

 

While Horne started every game, Reeves was named to the Valley’s all-bench team. The rookies combined to contribute nearly 16 points per game. Fisher joined Prim on the all-newcomer team.

More Balance in Overhauled Rosters

The Coronavirus recruiting season has been difficult, but both Muller and Ford have ‘restocked the shelves’. Each program has six new players and one scholarship still open.

After having so many ‘sit out’ players joining the team all at once last season, Muller has a more conventional incoming class. Three freshmen and three junior college transfers are joining the team. Benson believes this class is Muller’s best since the class that led ISU to the 2017 title.

The junior college players come in with size and solid credentials.

 

 

Kotov is ranked in jucorecruiting.com’s top 80 and Strong landed on its ‘honorable mention’ list.

Benson says the freshman class includes some high end ‘sleepers’.

 

 

All three freshmen are 6’4 or taller and Andrews has a 7’1 wingspan.

For the second straight year, MSU has landed a first-team junior college all-American. Demarcus Sharp was also named the top defender in his conference. He, Keaton Hervey and Nic Tata were all rated in jucorecruiting.com’s top 70.

Wheeler says coach Ford was clearly looking for specific kinds of players. Five of the players are 6’4 or taller perimeter players. He also signed two legitimate centers to back up Prim.

 

 

Part One of our podcast deals with roster make up.

Challenges For Such Overhauled Rosters

These two programs will be playing ‘catch up’ with their Valley competitors. Due to coronavirus restrictions, both writers believe summer work outs will be limited or non-existent. With so many new faces, each program will be faced with building and learning on the fly.

There is no way to know when or if the college basketball season will begin.

During Part Two of our podcast we discuss the pandemic impact, possible NCAA rule changes and future transfer issues.

Do Good