I grew up on the south side of Chicago. It was pretty rough. My mom didn’t let me outside much. I pretty much just went to school. I was a straight A student first through sixth grade. Then basketball was introduced into my life around seventh . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Isiah Martin]]>

Indiana State University Basketball Player, Isiah Martin

I grew up on the south side of Chicago. It was pretty rough. My mom didn’t let me outside much. I pretty much just went to school. I was a straight A student first through sixth grade. Then basketball was introduced into my life around seventh grade. I went to a new school. It was high school that branched off with an eighth grade program. I didn’t start playing until seventh or eighth grade. That was new to me. Everybody had always told me I needed to play because I was so tall. I wasn’t that interested in it. I always watched Michael Jordan and what not. But, my dad and mom didn’t put a ball in my hands. They didn’t force it upon me like some people would have. I just came around and started playing and I started to love it right away. My mom has been there more so than my dad, but my dad is always around. He has done more lately that he did at the beginning. I actually learned how to play from my friends from around my neighborhood. We used to pull a goal out and play on the playground. We didn’t have much room but they taught me to shoot at the square. I didn’t have a jump shot at all, at first. Just shoot at the square and that is how it all started. That’s where it all started.

I have a few cousins that play. They live in Ohio, Delaware- Columbus area. My dad played in high school. My mom wasn’t into sports, she was a model. My grandparents didn’t play. I am pretty much the first one to go somewhere for it. Do something big sports wise.

Isiah Martin

I was pretty successful in high school our team didn’t do as well as I thought we could have done. I flourished because I was the big kid. The offenses ran through me. When you say my high school’s name, Morgan Park, then you thought of me. It was fun. I still talk about those guys to this day. Morgan Park was a great stepping-stone and a building block for me. I was still just learning when I was a freshman. I played on a “far-south” team, that’s junior varsity, that’s what we call it in Chicago. My sophomore year, I was starting with four seniors. That’s when I started to flourish. I was averaging nineteen points, nine rebounds and three or four blocks per game. That was pretty much one of my best years in high school. I felt like I didn’t have any pressure on me at all. There were four seniors and I was a sophomore. I was really relaxed; I was really able to play my game. My junior year was pretty tough, I sprained my ankle the day before our first game and I missed the first six games of the season. We had started out the season ranked twenty-seventh. We went one and five without me so that season never really got rolling. My senior year I flourished a little bit more. That is how I got here.

I was recruited by Central Florida, Niagara, Southern Illinois and …Indiana State, of course. Illinois State wanted me but they didn’t have a scholarship. So they wanted me to go “prep” a year. I couldn’t do that. My mom didn’t want me to do that. I didn’t want to do that either. There were a few other low and mid- major schools. Nothing really high major, I lost those (high majors) in my junior year when I got that injury and didn’t get to play as much.

Isiah Martin

The deciding factor for me to come to Indiana State was that it is close to home. My mom has come to about ninety-five percent of my home games and eighty percent of the other games. I have family in Delaware, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio. So that’s only three to four hours from there and that’s where most of my family is. They are all able to come to see my games, so that was one of the main factors in my coming here. Coach Lansing was the one who recruited me. He was a really nice guy and he seemed genuine. He was the first college coach that my mom loved and I loved also. It was Coach McKenna’s first year and I loved the idea of building something. A new coach, with new players and just starting something new…and putting my name on it, in a way,… and I have. It is special. I thought it would be with Coach McKenna but he chose to go elsewhere… and I don’t fault him for that at all. I am not mad at him for that. Coach Lansing had stepped up and been a great leader for us. He has been a great father figure for all of us. I mean he does stuff for us. He works us hard and pushes us past our limits. That’s why I think we are able to be as successful as we are this season –and we are going to keep it rolling, hopefully.

Pre-season was hard, it was really hard. It was different than Coach McKenna. He was more of a long easy night. He was more of a long easy practice– like two or three hours of practice. With Coach Lansing he is more of an hour and half practice. Get you in and out but you have to work hard. He’s going to push you. At the beginning of the season we were skeptical. Everybody was tired and didn’t know if we liked this. It was tough but it has paid off. When we went into the Chicago tournament and came out one and two we all thought we were better than that. We all realized our heads weren’t on right. We weren’t focused on the right stuff. We finally started to buy into Coach Lansing and what he was telling us. How hard he wanted us to work and it has finally paid off. We were five and six in the preseason, now we are twenty and thirteen. Fifteen wins after preseason that is pretty impressive, I think. Twelve in the valley and three in a row. I think we are on a roll right now and I think we can keep it going. After the Chicago tournament we had a meeting with the coaches and several team meetings. We still have team meetings to this day. After the Chicago tournament we had a meeting at Jake Kelly’s house and we all had to sit down and tell each other what we thought. Honesty, what we felt our roles were and what we felt like. What each other should and shouldn’t do to help us. After we got that on the table it (the season) turned around. We were in every game. We didn’t win every game but now everybody sees how important that was.

Isiah Martin

It feels good, establishing a background for the team. When I get in I just want as much as I can to help the team. I want us to be successful at the end of the day. I’m not the type to complain or be selfish. I have always tried to be a team player my whole life and I don’t think that should change now that I am in college. Whenever I get a chance, I try to make the best of it… do what I can do, I block shots, rebound, shoot if I’m put in a position I can score.  Those few games like Drake, when we were on the road, I knew when Myles (Walker) got in foul trouble he wasn’t having a good game. I just came in. I know how to play basketball. I’ve done it for the last eight or nine years of my life. It has been number one in my life these past nine years. One and two with school. I know how to play the game. I know what I need to do to help my team win. I know what I can do to make my team win. Bring energy, defense, score when I can—rebound. I mean just do the right thing.

We all hang out a lot outside of basketball. That’s what brings us together on the court. We have each other’s back on and off the court. If we’re not on the court… you can call one of the team and they are with six teammates and if you call someone else they are with the other seven teammates. We are always all together. That’s the way we have been able to mesh and become more of a family.

I am a criminology major. I am an internship away from graduating. I will be finished in May but then basketball takes up all my time so I will not get a chance to do my internship until the summer. I will probably do the ceremonial walk in May and get my diploma sometime this summer. I will hang around

Isiah Martin

here with the fellows probably all summer. Work-out and keep them motivated. Hang-out. Get the last little bit of college life I can. I was thinking about next year staying around and helping out with the team or something. I want to play basketball as long as I can –so I may just work my butt off this summer. Try to see where I can go overseas. I’ve had a few looks I am not sure from where but can’t do any talking right now. Hopefully, I can get a nice little spot over there and come back here and make it into the league one day. I feel like I have a lot of goals I haven’t reached yet but I will.

To relax I usually lay in bed watching movies. Dewayne (Lathan), Rasheed (Reed), from last year, and I live together. We don’t have cable. We didn’t think it was important to get because we are never home. We each have about two hundred movies. So after practice we go home pop a movie in and chill. Sometimes, I will play poker with a couple of friends. When I am not in the gym shooting that’s pretty much what I do, shoot, play poker and watch movies. I use to be a big horror buff but now I am an action/suspense guy. One of my favorite movies of course is “Love of Basketball”. Recently I saw the “Adjustment Bureau”. It’s pretty much amazing I love that movie. It’s a nice story line, its drama with a little suspense. I change it up a lot like I said I have over two hundred movies.

My favorite color is blue. Favorite music, I listen to a lot of different stuff, I like RAP a lot but I am an R&B guy. I like a healthy mix of both. Favorite foods I eat anything you put in front of me. You wouldn’t believe it but I can’t gain the weight. I am happy I have maintained two-fifteen (215#) this whole season. Every other season I have fluctuated between two-o-five (205#) and two-ten (210#). I have been able to maintain this year. I eat anything you put in front of me. Steak is probably one of my favorite foods… steak and mashed potatoes and gravy.

Isiah Martin

Going into the Missouri Valley Tournament I knew we had come close. We had come too far, twelve and six in the conference. We had beaten every team except Evansville and Wichita. We got to get them back in the first and second round. We knew we could beat anybody if we played defense. Our offense is going to come… we are too talented on offense not to score. Our defense is something that is bases on pride, we have to work on it to be good. We know we’ve worked our tail off on defense all year. Coach told us that if we defend then we can beat any team we play. So we took that to heart and we believed. We sat down and locked up some teams. That’s why we’re ready to do something that ISU hasn’t done but a few times. Every boy’s dream. My dream didn’t come until later seventh or eighth grade. People ask how long I have dreamed about this I say about ten years. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s just great to be able to leave your name on something. Me and JP (Jordan Printy) and Aaron (Carter) and Coach Lansing have been here from the beginning. All our work has paid off. We have made it to the tournament now. It’s not over we don’t need to get complacent or anything. We still have doubters out there, people who think we are a one and done team. We need to prove people wrong.

This team is ready. We are all back here. Happy to see each other and ready for practice. We don’t like being apart. In my four years here every time we get a break… we go home for a week and after three days we’re calling each other. It’s like there is nothing to do here and we miss each other. We come back early and everyone is ready and we are ready to work hard. We know the team we are probably going to get is playing right now. Big East and the Big Ten, whoever it is, we know they are playing right in their conference. We have to

Isiah Martin

be ready for them. They are playing games every day so our practices have to be as hard as the games, that is what Coach just told us. They are getting tested every day right now. So we have to test ourselves everyday against each other. So, when we get in that fight we are ready to win.

ISU has been a good fit for me, education as well as basketball. It has been a great experience. ISU and this little town, Terre Haute… I never would have thought it would give me what it has given me. I have grown as a person these four years. It’s just been amazing. I don’t want to believe that it is almost over but it is. I am ready. It has shaped me. I have become a man and I am ready for the real world. Not a job, just yet, but a life after college.

I would tell a recruit looking at ISU that on the outside I know it doesn’t look like much but this is probably one of the best places you could come for basketball. If that’s what you want to do is play basketball then this is the place you want to come. It’s Indiana, you should just check the tradition and the history. The coach is amazing and the teammates are like no other. Like Jake Odum, Ketchell, Steve (McWhorter), the young guys Lucas and Logan (Eitel). All of them are young and they are going to be great building blocks for this team. I would tell them I am jealous of them getting their next four years here with these guys because they are amazing. They are my brothers.  These people will have been in and out of my life, Gabe (Moore), Harry (Marshall), Josh (Crawford), Rasheed (Reed), Mic (Yelovich), Jay (Tunnel) everybody that has been in and out of this program. I still talk to them to this day. I don’t ever want to think that it will stop because this is a brotherhood. This is like a fraternity, but I feel like it is stronger than that…it’s amazing, I don’t want it to end.

Family…my dad’s name is Jeff,  my mom’s Kelley and I have 2 younger sisters. One sister, Jaime, is a sophomore, she plays basketball at Iowa. She’s had a great career so far. It’s fun watching her play and my younger sister, Jenna, is a 7th grader this year. She’s big into . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Jordan Printy]]>

Family…my dad’s name is Jeff,  my mom’s Kelley and I have 2 younger sisters. One sister, Jaime, is a sophomore, she plays basketball at Iowa. She’s had a great career so far. It’s fun watching her play and my younger sister, Jenna, is a 7^th grader this year. She’s big into dance. She’s got all these dance competitions that are fun to go to and watch her. I’m real close to my family, –talk to them all the time.

My mom ran track one year at Iowa and my dad played basketball in high school and played at a junior college close to home for 2 years. Sports have always been a big part of our lives. My sisters have had a pretty big career too. We’re all pretty close. We’re a pretty close family.

I’ve always pretty much been just basketball.  In high school that’s the only sport I played.  Middle school I did run track and stuff like that but mainly its always been basketball. I do like to golf in my free time.

I joined the Martin Brothers AAU team out of Iowa. I joined that after my freshman year in high school. We had some tournaments that summer and I started getting some letters and more recruiting after that. So I’d say college recruitment really picked up my sophomore year of high school.

At first I was getting letters from lot of all the Iowa schools, Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, Drake, then recruitment started branching out a little bit and then my college offers ended up being from here (Indiana State) and them Indiana State, Evansville, Drake, Wright State, and Wyoming were my five major offers. Then decided to come to ISU.

Coach Lansing actually recruited me and I knew a little about him from when he was at Iowa. He recruited me and I really liked what he had to say. I came down for a couple unofficial visits and liked all the guys, liked the program . That was actually when Waltman was still here but I just saw myself fitting in and I wanted to play in the Missouri Valley plus I thought it was a good fit for me.

I’m in social studies education… that’s my major. I wanna keep playing as long as i can then the plan is to coach either at the college level or teach and coach at the high school level. so that’s  what I want to do.

Life is busy you know.  I room with Aaron Carter. I lived in the dorms my first two (2) years and then Aaron and I got an apartment last year. Life’s fun, it’s a lot of fun, real busy but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Do I have friends outside of basketball? Yeah. I’ve met a lot of people on campus. I’ve got a couple good friends that are in my classes for my major so, yes, I’ve met a lot of good people since I’ve been here.

I just like some “chill time”. I listen to a lot of hip-hop and rap, R-n-B. My favorite probably would be Drake. I mean, we’re so busy with practice and classes… so mainly I just hang out with either the guys on the team or I spend time with my girlfriend. She goes here now too.  We went to the same high school and then she ended up transferring here. She actually dances for the Pacers so its cool… I get to go to a lot of Pacer games.

Basketball is a way of life and then you’ve got assignments, homework and projects that catch up with you. It is a lot of work, but but I’ve learned over the years how to balance ball and books. You know it’s fun though.

Was my injury frustrating? It was. It was frustrating cause you know it happened early I think it was in the 5^th or 6^th game, and it was a pretty bad high ankle sprain and I had a little hairline fracture there too. So it set me back quite a bit and then once I was  able to come back it still was frustrating because I still wasn’t a 100% you know. My movement and athleticism, all that kind of stuff was affected but I just had to keep getting treatment and work. You know just work thru it now its finally better. These last couple weeks its really starting to feel good again but it’s something that just kinda lingered on you know. I mean I came back, it was healed pretty good but it wasn’t 100% and then little tweets and little stuff like that kept setting me back. I don’t think I came back too soon but it’s one of those things where if you didn’t let it get all the way to 100% you know here or there it’s gonna bug you thru out. It’s good now. It’s doing real good. Brad (Yeargin), he did a great job with me all year. It’s just doing treatment and exercises and stuff like that, so it’s been good.

It felt pretty good the other night (at UNI). I had most of my family there. The family still lives in the Cedar Rapids area and it’s about an hour from UNI so I had quite a bit of them, probably 20-30 family members there. Also some friends, that I know, that went to UNI. So it’s always fun to go back home and play in front of them … especially when we’re playing well and we win. So it was good.

This is actually my 4^th year since I red-shirted my 1^st year so yes the time has definitely gone fast.

From last year to this, I think it was a smooth transition just because you know all the guys. We knew Coach Lansing obviously from being here and we all respect him and know how hard he works so we try to do the same for him. The difference… it’s a lot of the offense. It’s a lot of motion and just a lot of playing off your basketball instincts. I think it gives us a lot of freedom on offense and I think over the year we’ve definitely improved on it. Its’ been pretty smooth.

The change in offense I think it fits my game better. I think I’m more a motion player, the spread offense, I don’t have anything against it but I prefer the motion and the running up and down more.

The Missouri Valley tournament… we’re excited for it. I mean, we think we’ve been playing well and getting better just the thing we’ve gotta keep doing. Just improving everyday until the tournament and then go down there (St Louis) and try to make some noise.

Depth of the team makes a difference. It does. I mean the last game against UNI in the last minute of the game we had Lucas Eitle in there, Koang was in. Lucas hit a couple of big free throws for us. Coach always talks to us about how he feels like he can go down the whole bench and throw a guy in and we’ll be fine so it has definitely helped us out. Yeah, definitely, like you said we’re deep and coach isn’t afraid. He trusts everybody. He’s not afraid to throw one of the guys down at the end of the bench into the game… so its been good for us.   It’s been a big advantage for us all year. I think is our depth just helps practice too. The guys that don’t get a lot of game time they fight everyday and they work hard in practice too so its been good.

After school? I don’t know, I mean, I’ve thought about it a little bit but I just wanna focus on finishing this year out and next year just enjoy it.

If anyone asked me about coming to Indiana State I would definitely be positive and encourage it, because I’ve had a great experience so far. You know with the basketball team being like my family here… I mean I’m kinda far from home, it’s about 5 hours but I think I adjusted well and I think the group of guys we have here are really close. I like all the coaches and then on the education part of it …you know its been great as well, I think that Indiana State has a really good education teacher program here and my experience in that has been great so far too. A lot of good experiences. I’ll be doing my student teaching next fall so I’ll be out in some of the Terre Haute schools teaching a little bit and then just working towards my degree next fall. So,ISU’s been good I would encourage it.

My mother and father are still together. I have an older brother and older sister. My brother in high school played basketball the first two years. He was the number one guard in the state. He got caught up with his friends and girls, so he stopped playing basketball. I didn’t . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – CARL RICHARD]]>

Carl Richard

My mother and father are still together. I have an older brother and older sister. My brother in high school played basketball the first two years. He was the number one guard in the state. He got caught up with his friends and girls, so he stopped playing basketball. I didn’t seriously start playing until about my sophomore year in high school. My father wasn’t a constructive basketball player. He didn’t play on school teams but he did play on club teams. He wasn’t really skilled. All he did was rebound. That was his thing. He lead all the leagues he played on in rebounds. My mother didn’t get into sports. My sister was a cheerleader.

I started getting attention my very first varsity game in my junior year. We played against Eisenhower; I had eighteen and thirteen, something like that. I received my first college letter.  I thought basketball was just fun. I didn’t think I could do anything with it. I received my first college letter and  I was like, “Oh wow”. I thought,” I can actually play somewhere”. We won state my senior year. We were having a pretty good season. It seemed to me that my teammates couldn’t get me the ball where I needed it. I don’t know if they didn’t know how or if they just didn’t want to. There was one game that I had thirty points and maybe fifteen rebounds. That was my highest points I made in one game and we lost. I think it clicked right then that, “ maybe we should just get him the ball and good things will happen”. None of my points were coming from them passing me the ball. They were just from offensive rebounds, me getting the board, me pushing coast to coast. Then it clicked and we ended up winning State. They just got me the ball and they found out that I am not selfish.

Carl Richard

I received a lot of scholarship offers. I committed to ISU when I had six or seven offers. After we won State I received a lot of them. I was primarily recruited by Coach Lansing.

I enjoy playing basketball. I enjoy the team atmosphere that came along with basketball. When I dunked on someone the first time I really enjoyed it. Nothing tops it. When I came here people were pumping my head up saying you are going to do this and you are going to do that. I have seen myself getting better every year. When I got to college it was a completely different game. I realized that everybody jumps as high as I do. You have to find an edge. My freshman year I didn’t have an edge. All I could really do, the reason I play the way I do, is because I can rebound a basketball. That is what I rest my hat on. Based on percentages I didn’t shoot the ball very well. I couldn’t get lay ups, people were blocking me. It was rough, it was real rough. My confidence took a real hit. At the beginning of my sophomore year, my confidence had built back up over the summer, and then it happened again. I knew I was better than this and then it was the luck of the draw. We had a few players go down and he (Coach McKenna) called my number. He saw that I could deliver and from then my confidence skyrocketed.

Coach Lansing has demanded the most from me. When he first recruited me I was a four and he is trying to turn me into a three. It is taking some steps. “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, is what I always say. I couldn’t shoot the ball on the outside very well, so I had to learn to do that. I didn’t really have a post-up game. I just could jump. Then I had to get post moves. I want to be an inside-outside player. I had to work on my handles. I basically I’ve had to reshape my whole game. I was a raw player, just pure athleticism. Coach Lansing has tried to develop me some skills.

My cousin (Dwayne Wade) and I have two completely different games. He is more of a “slasher” and I’m a spot-up shooter and like to drive on occasions. He has told me what I need to work on to get to the next level. At the end of the day it is just basically me putting in hard work. I know what I need to do. My ball handling right now is the only thing separating me from being an overseas player or an NBA player.When I first got here I was like 180 pounds… now I am around 220 pounds. The weight I put on makes a complete difference. Before I came here I never lifted a weight in my life. In the off-season I enjoy the weight room. During the season I don’t even mind it because I know it helps. I tell the freshman coming in the best gift they ever gave me was that weight room. Without it I would be a skinny “four” getting pushed around, now I am doing the pushing.I am studying criminology. I haven’t really thought what I want to do with that yet. I have looked into it and there are a few things I can do with it. But right now I’m playing basketball. I feel like I want to develop my skills, I want to do this with my life. My father always told me that it is a whole lot easier to wake up and do something you enjoy. I enjoy playing basketball.My grades are pretty good. When I first started in my freshman year over the summer I made two A’s. Coming into the year it was a totally different class than the summer classes. It was kind of shaky at first but I found a balance between basketball and books.

I hang out with Odum a lot. We live together. It’s usually just him and I… we go play a game a lot. I occasionally go watch other people play basketball because I love the game. That’s just something I enjoy. I play the game and work out. I am friends with everybody on the team. I kick it with other people plus I am friends with people on other teams we play. A lot of my friends do what I do.

When I graduate from school I want to play basketball. Ideally, there’s about an eighty (80%) percent chance I will probably end up overseas. If I can get my ball handling right the sky is the limit.  I really believe that in my heart. I feel like you have to believe.

My freshman year was so rough. I feel like in my freshman year I got my shot blocked more than anyone else in the NCAA. I started to stay away from the base line.  I decided to go middle and just jump up in the air and say you aren’t going to block this. My jump shot is kind of flat but it goes in.

This year we’ve have had our ups and downs. Some games we play fantastic. Some games we play fantastic and lose, like Notre Dame. I feel like we played good at Notre Dame. There was a stretch in the game, when I went out in the game early in the first half, we were up when I went out. We dug ourselves a hole when I went out and we just couldn’t come back from it. I feel like we were right there. That’s a top team in the Big East. Then there are games like Wyoming. We have had stretches where we have been good. Like our six and one win streak. We have had stretches where we have been bad. Not necessarily bad — we just didn’t win games. I don’t think we played bad in all the games we lost. There were a few that we did (lost) just because of confidence issues. I feel like we can compete with anybody in our league on any given night. I feel like going into the tournament we are going to be the most dangerous team to

play against. In order for us to be the team we want to be we are going to need Lathan to perform. We have to find a way to mesh with him. He has to buy into the same concept as the rest of us. We need him (Lathan). He is a key component to this team.

I am indecisive with all the ups and downs. I feel like I knew what we are supposed to do when we were winning. I knew things that were helping us win. Besides our defensive intensity I feel like nothing has flipped. Like some days our offense isn’t going to flow as well as other days. The only thing you can really control is your defense. I think that’s the only thing that slips. We have won six or seven and lost four or five. We have fallen victim to letting our offense affect our defense. If I come out and miss four or five shots all I am going to be thinking about is missing those shots and other people do that too. We need not let that happen.

I think we are going to win out. I think we will go to the conference tournament with our head in the clouds. Not in the clouds… just feeling really good about ourselves, high confidence. I feel like we are going to make a deep run in the tournament.

Coach Lansing is the reason I chose ISU. He is kind of close to the family. So it is kind of like – I’m riding with him. Then he got the head job so it was kind of like “whoa hoo”. If anyone is thinking of coming to ISU to play basketball then I would tell them that Lansing is a great coach. It’s a great team atmosphere. I feel like this is the style of offense that a lot of people want to play. Nobody is put to any restrictions, like you can do what you are good at. Coach Lansing will let you.

Growing up, I was always played sports, I was into baseball and basketball especially. Playing basketball really hit around third grade I started playing on a local AAU team, for Bobby Moore. The Terre Haute Wildcats, that really got me kick started, that was big. I still love Bobby Moore to . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Jake Odum]]>

Growing up, I was always played sports, I was into baseball and basketball especially. Playing basketball really hit around third grade I started playing on a local AAU team, for Bobby Moore. The Terre Haute Wildcats, that really got me kick started, that was big. I still love Bobby Moore to this day and the players on that team. RJ (Mahurin) was actually on that first AAU team back in third grade.  We have two other kids that were on that team playing baseball here at ISU now. I think eight out of ten of us are playing Division-1 sports now. From that team right there… from third to eighth we made a solid case of unity. We really learned how to play team basketball. That is where it originated, how I approach the game of basketball.  Hard work and you get what you put in. I feel like if you put hard work and time into something you can be whatever you want to be and however good you want to be. I started off at that (AAU) and then went on to Woodrow Wilson and played three years there. I kind of got a chip on my shoulder when I went there because they we all about Terre Haute North. I was all about Terre Haute South so I decided I needed to work hard. I lived on the tennis courts over there playing basketball since my house was a couple of blocks away.  I was there every day before and after practice, before school shooting on the courts. I moved on to high school…. Coach Saylor is a great coach. He put me in a system where I was able to develop my game. He had me in different areas, distributing and scoring. He taught me many things that I still use today in the game out here in the college level. I didn’t realize what he was doing back then but now that I have been through four years of high school and two years here (ISU) I realize what kind of path he put me on in high school.

I realize that there are definitely some distractions playing in my hometown. I had to pull myself from that. You are going to lose some friends. You are going to have a bunch of people want to be your friend that should not be your friend. You just have to stay in reality when you are in your hometown. Now that we are doing well everybody’s talking about us. We really haven’t done anything yet. We are at twelve and eighteen. We have plenty more to do. The main thing about distractions is stay down to reality and not catch on to all the hype that our fans are bringing on to our program right now.

I realized when I was at Terre Haute South that you have to distance yourself from people that might be a little jealous and might want to bring you down. Because you are doing something that they might not be doing. That is just something you realize and you recognize growing up. I have parents that are good and they taught me well when I was growing up. I have had that since I was a young age.

During the whole year last year I wanted to play. That’s just how I am in basketball. I just thought I could go out there and compete with anybody.  Now that I am playing this year as a freshman, it’s (red-shirting) the best thing I ever did.  I am glad the coaches talked me into doing that. It has really helped developed my game, comparing me now to last year. I wasn’t ready to play physically or mentally. It is a very challenging game here at the college level compared to high school. The red-shirt year is huge and I think it is going to benefit Jake Kitchell this year. For him to come out and be a freshman next year it is going to be big.

Physically I have probably grown an inch to an inch and a half since I have gotten in school. I have gained about ten to twelve pounds. You can’t really tell it. I have definitely gotten a lot stronger,…unbelievably stronger actually. Mentally it is a hard game especially compared to high school. It is more draining and challenging. You have to be able to play possession for possession. In college basketball you can’t have any mental lapses and have possessions where you can’t get a good shot. Or a quality possession where the ball moves around the floor. So for the red-shirt year helped me mentally. It helped me realize that by watching players like Harry Marshall and Reed. It definitely helped me mentally for this year.  Being ready to compete for thirty minutes every night.

Being red-shirted for a year you have to pick up the offense.  With Coach McKenna’s offense it really takes you about a year to learn.  I was learning that all last year. I was running the second groups offense when we would play against the first group. I still had to learn the plays and stay with it all through last year. That goes both ways. This year, I am out there and have to know where everybody is on the floor. I probably know the plays a little more detailed this year but, as far as knowing the plays my red-shirt year compared to this year… I know the plays pretty well inside and out.

When I was younger and playing with Bobby Moore, he was a great coach, he made me see the floor and that’s one of the key things in basketball. To see the floor and see what everyone is doing– you can see what is going to happen.  That has helped me out in the college game. When I can see the floor as well as I do then I can see the plays as they are developing then I know what plays are going to be run. I can see it in my head more and that is what helps me in my steals. I don’t get a lot of “on ball” steals. All my steals are “off ball” steals. I am reading a play and I kind of know what is going to happen and where each guy is going to be and I try to beat them to the spot. That is how the game slows down in my head out there on the floor.

I am still learning, I try to learn something new every day. Growing up my dad would ask me what did I learn in school today. I would always say nothing. He would always make me try and do the best. Try to learn something every day. Even the smartest people in the world can learn something. Not just on the basketball floor but in life in general that can turn into something on the basketball floor.  Even though I think I am pretty intelligent on the basketball floor there is always something to learn. There is always something I can do better to help my team win or to do better on the floor.

I am working my hardest to improve my overall game. I have some weaknesses. I need to stay in the weight room, even in the off-season, more than I have been. I need to work on my shot. My “on ball” defense has been slacking I need to step that up. Everything can get better but those are the ones I need to focus on.

My mentor has been transferred to Coach Lansing. All my mentors growing up have been my coach. I bought into their offenses and their programs and what they were trying to do. I think that is the only way to have a good team is to listen to the coach and to be kind of a coach on the floor. That is what I have been trying to do with Coach Lansing. He is the head coach but he wants me to be the coach on the floor. I try to translate what he is trying to say in the huddles to how the team plays out there on the floor.

Coach Lansing was the first college coach to really start recruiting me. He was real laid back cool guy. I was really glad he got the job here. I couldn’t ask for a better coach. We definitely jelled. I think that is because he trusts me. That’s a big thing. That really helps me with my confidence on the floor as a freshman. When the head coach puts the ball in my hand and expects me to make a play and he knows I can do it. That really gives me confidence. That makes me want to learn from him and pay attention even more. It has surprised me that I am playing as much as I am… but I am a kind of guy who has always played with a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I was under recruited going through high school…so, I kind of play with a chip on my shoulder. I just try to play harder every time I get on the floor.

The team has grown tremendously this year. We have taken a couple of bad losses. Up in Chicago to start the season, lost again at Ball State… which was a disappointment after they beat us here. Embarrassed us here in Hulman Center last year. We’ve picked it up. We are seven and two in conference. Like I said before we haven’t done anything yet but we are on the right track. I don’t look too far ahead in the future because we have this season to pay attention to. But, the future is looking good for ISU basketball.

I think the local favor here is huge. It has brought more fans out to the crowds. I have played with and against RJ and the Eidels my whole life. Me, RJ, Rene, Eugene on the Terre Haute Wildcats playing against the Terre Haute Jammers who the Eidels played for back in third, fourth and fifth grade. It will show more when we are older and we are all playing together. The Eidels are not getting much playing time.  I think they should be in even a little more. It will show later on in our careers along with (Rhett) Smith and Justin Gant. Those guys know how to play the game and they play the game the right way. That’s kind of the mentality we are trying to bring out to the floor this year is “play the game the right way and share the ball”. If you do that it is hard to stop even if you don’t necessarily have a star player. We have five players playing as one. You can’t have one player better than five.

I would tell anyone looking at ISU to come here. It’s a great place to be. Terre Haute is a good city. We are getting more support. It’s a great place to be and the program is moving up and the future looks good for us. As far as any recruits coming in we would be glad to have you and get ready to keep winning games.

My Dad played basketball in high school. He actually has the rebounding record for most in a game in high school. He had twenty-six (26) or something like that. He claims that is what he got in the season but, he’s just being modest. My brother played… he was really good . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Aaron Carter]]>

My Dad played basketball in high school. He actually has the rebounding record for most in a game in high school. He had twenty-six (26) or something like that. He claims that is what he got in the season but, he’s just being modest. My brother played… he was really good in high school. He has a lot of records in high school. He played at the University of Southern Indiana for four years. He was recruited by I U and schools like that. So he was pretty good.  My sister played volleyball in college down in Tennessee.  One of my uncles played college basketball at Oakland City. It’s in the blood a little bit, I guess.

My family is great. They are very supportive. My Mom and brother come to every home game. My Dad comes when he can. Just yesterday, Sunday, some of my high school teachers and athletic director came to the game. That was pretty neat. My whole family came up. They are really supportive. I love them.

I am a marketing major with a minor in sports management. I should graduate in May. I have to take fifteen (15) hours to get my diploma. I’m looking forward to that. It is kind of bitter sweet. I will be out of college and into the real world but it’s time to grow up.

It is surprising how fast college life goes. It flies, it seems like yesterday we were just freshmen.  Little naïve freshmen not knowing what college life is all about. Not knowing what it takes to make it in college athletics. It has gone by fast but I have learned a lot and I have grown a lot, both as a freshman and a basketball player.  It has been really fun.

Indiana State was the first college I received mail from. I was so happy. I was a sophomore in high school and I received a big packet from ISU. That was my first one; they were recruiting me the longest. They were recruiting me really hard. I liked all the coaches and the guys I would be coming in and playing with. I signed under Waltman. Coach Lansing and Coach Gerrard recruited me and they stayed when McKenna got hired. That was a big deal for me, having coaches I was familiar with… that I could play for. That is basically why I came here. It was a tough decision but I think I made the right one.

I do have a life outside of basketball. I have friends and stuff. Basketball consumes most of your life during the season. It is not my life. I still like to do other things and focus on school quite a bit. Just hanging out and try to enjoy myself. My teammates and I go see movies and play poker,… do things like that. Just play video games. It is mostly with my teammates. I have friends who go to other schools. We see each other whenever we can. When we are on campus, our teammates are together all the time. It is great because I love all the guys.

Right now I haven’t thought too much about the future. I am trying to focus on basketball. I want to do business somehow but I don’t know what kind of entry level position I can get. I would say it would be somewhere around Indianapolis. That is a bigger city and I would have more opportunities. I know several people in Indianapolis so hopefully that will work out.

Last year I wasn’t getting to play a lot early on during the season. It was frustrating and I tried not to let affect me. I tried to go into practice every day hard and make the most of it. I knew I would get an opportunity sometime and when I did I’d take advantage of it. I think I did last year. This year started off pretty much the same way. We were losing some games and we were all pretty frustrated. I wasn’t getting to play as much as I would have liked.  I wasn’t letting it get to me too much because I knew I would get my opportunity eventually and I did. We have just been playing really well and it has been really fun.

The team you see now is a lot different than when we started the season back in November. I think it is for the better.  We have learned to play together more.  We play as a team; we play loose and with confidence.  I think that’s key.  I think it’s a result of a lot of things, the coaches they are coming in here and bringing in energy. They are intense in practice and they get us going. All the guys are drawn together and playing together really well. We enjoy playing and we want to play as well as we can for each other and the coaches…not just for ourselves.  I think when we finally figured that out and when we became a little more selfless it started helping us out a lot. It is a little bit of the style. The style of offense and defense we are running.  Definitely because we are winning, everything is more enjoyable. Even the food tastes better when you are winning. We have been on a roll. We have been enjoying it and having fun. We are still working hard. We have intense practices. Today (Monday) was kind of laid back because it was right after a game; we were just doing some shooting and stuff. Tomorrow we will come in here and get after each other. It will be pretty intense but it will be good.

What surprises me about this team is how well we did when players went down. Like last year, we did pretty well, we held our own. But this year we are tied for second in the conference. Nobody would have expected that with losing our two (2) top scorers. I think that just goes to show how deep we are and how tough our guys are. Everybody was getting experience when those guys were out – people were just playing more. They were getting experience and getting confidence. Now they are back that’s key because those guys that are coming off the bench have that experience and that confidence under their belts so they can come in and help us.

It is always cool to be on sports center. I was getting texts saying I just saw you guys on sports center and all that. That’s really cool. There are not a lot of people from small colleges that can say that. To get notoriety that’s really nice. We can’t let it affect us. We just have to keep doing the same thing and keep working hard. Keep getting better and better.

My intensity and aggressiveness:  that’s something I have developed in college. In high school I was just a scorer. I am from a small high school (Perry Central, Cannelton, IN) and I didn’t have to play like that. I was more just the scorer and did things like that. I would block shots but I wouldn’t be like diving on the floor and taking charges that much in high school. In college I acquired that out of necessity. When I was a freshman I wanted to get more minutes in play so I had to do the little things. In my freshman year it was around conference time that something kind of clicked.  I said, I don’t care, I am just going out there and play as hard as I can and do whatever I can. If I get tired, I get tired.  I have been playing like that ever since. Just trying to do anything I can, little things, trying to hustle all the time to make plays and help the team. I feel like if I am playing as hard as I can there is really nothing else I can do. That’s the mindset I have, just go in there and play as hard as I can and try to make things happen. I try not to be intimidated by size or speed or anything like that, just go in there and go after it.

This team has grown a lot. Like I said, we are a really different team than when we started in November. Everybody has matured a little bit and they have figured out what it is. We didn’t really know we were good. We knew we had talent from the beginning but we had to harness all that talent and get it together and play the right way. It has been a process.

Steve (McWhorter) has come a long way. Since he came up here this summer until now he has worked on his shot and he has worked on his defensive ball handling. He gets after it in practice. He has done really well. He has surprised me but it has been good. Myles (Walker), we knew he was going to be physical inside, he was going to be a “banger”.  He has done really well for us. He will “D” up and rebound. That is what he wants to do. He could care less if he scores twenty (20) a game. He just wants to help the team. That’s another thing… learning and maturing as a team. Learning what it takes to help us win. He has come a long way too. It has been good watching those guys develop.  Sunday’s game (Creighton) was a tough challenge for him. I think he held it well. That guy was really big and skilled. The guards were helping out a little bit too. We did well defending him as a team and Myles.

I expect for the rest of the season more of the same of what we have been doing. Everybody playing harder and is playing together. Playing tough and knowing what it takes to tough it out on the road. That Evansville loss was the hardest of all because we knew we were a better team. We had them down early. We just let it slip away. We just weren’t tough enough to close it out in the end. I think that’s what we needed to develope. We won two (2) road games since then — but we are going to have some tough ones on the road coming up. Being able to get out like that and finish it strong. I don’t know how to explain the Wyoming game. That was just awful from the beginning. We did alright the first few minutes after that it started getting out of control. That was during the stretch where we were on the road a lot. We had a couple of home games. That definitely wears on you but, we can’t use that as an excuse.  I would hate to use the altitude as an excuse because I mean we shouldn’t have let that affect us but it might have. It was a bad game but I kind of look at it as a turning point of the season. After that game we started playing better. We got beat by Purdue but I thought we played pretty well for the most part against them.  Other than that Evansville was the only slip up since the Wyoming game.  It kind of opened our eyes a little bit and showed us that if we don’t play hard and don’t play together we’re not that good. We’re talented but we’re not that good. We needed to have it all together to win.

I made a good decision coming to ISU. I had twelve or fourteen Division-1 offers. I only considered about five (5) of them seriously. In the end it really came down to Evansville or Indiana State. The “Valley” is a good conference; I wanted to play in it. Evansville was close to home, only about an hour from my house.  I got to know the coaches and the players really well. I would come and play open gym with them. In the end it came down to those two schools and I kind of weighed what would be a better fit for me. Not just the basketball aspect but how much I can get out of the college experience. Indiana State is a bigger school and you get more of the college experience. Evansville is a good school too. I know I made the right decision but it was tough.  I am glad I did because after I committed to ISU Waltman resigned but so did Evansville’s coach but Evansville’s whole staff was replaced. I wouldn’t have known any of them so coming up here I was more familiar with the staff. In high school I didn’t like to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted familiarity; I was familiar with the coaches. That was one of the big things coming here.

ISU is a good place. Some people talk bad about it but it is what you make it. You can have a great time at ISU and get a good education. The campus is making improvements all around town and on the campus. We have the new Rec Center… and they are doing things to improve the campus. Like the basketball team we are heading in the right direction in all athletes. Football, they did better this year too.  Baseball they

have been good for a while. I think we are going in the right direction in athletics and as a campus.

My accident, I have a stress reaction. It is basically, like,… a prerequisite of a stress fracture.  It is where the tissues around the bone in my middle foot are inflamed and weakened. I have to really take it easy. I have to wear a boot when I am not on . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Jake Kelly]]>

Jake Kelly

My accident, I have a stress reaction. It is basically, like,… a prerequisite of a stress fracture.  It is where the tissues around the bone in my middle foot are inflamed and weakened. I have to really take it easy. I have to wear a boot when I am not on the court. I can’t practice for at least two weeks but basically the diagnosis is day to day.  It is just about what pain I can bear or if I am having any pain at all, I can’t play. If I get a stress fracture then I will have to have a surgery.

I grew up here. I moved away when I was twelve years old. I stayed in touch with my close family who lived around here. I came here on the weekends with my dad all through high school. So it’s definitely my home.  During Christmas and holidays I am home.  I am visiting family. That’s definitely nice.  I can see them whenever I want instead of two or three days that I was allowed at Iowa for Christmas break.

My family understands my schedule and everything. When they call me at night and I don’t answer they know I am probably just resting and tired and don’t feel like talking. At times when we have family get-togethers, if I have a late practice they understand if I don’t make it. I don’t hear any bad things from that side. As far as that being a distraction on being on the court… it can be. I came back because I wanted to be around my brother and I wanted the support of my dad. Also to help my brother out.  I am doing that. He is living with me. None of that is a distraction. It only makes you stronger I guess. It’s just part of life.

At Iowa, it was just basketball and school and nothing else. I was up there for basketball and basketball only. Here… I do have family. I do have relationships that I like to keep intact. I visit family members and help people out. Whether it be financially or just being there for people. I get to be a more of a well-rounded person. Like at Iowa it was basketball, school, basketball and school and that was it. I wouldn’t say it hinders my performance but there are definitely a lot of other things here.

I have had three head coaches in four years. I have torn my ACL. I have moved towns. I lost my mom. I have had a lot of other things that have been problems. I am just trying to stick to it…. and I have a good coach in Lansing. I try to ignore all the expectations as far as comparing me to Larry Bird or anything like that. I grew up idolizing Larry Bird and wanted to play just like him. Our games are completely different and the times have changed and the teams are different. I would say it would be hard for Larry to move schools and play with all new people and do the things he did. It is a building process. It is what it is and that’s what has been put in front of me and that’s what I have had to handle.

I have been in three (3) completely opposite offensive systems. Defensively change is easy to adapt to but offensively my positions changed, personnel has changed, style of play and the pace has changed. So, offensively it is a lot of adjustments. Every year since I have been in college I have felt like I was a first year player, I will admit that.

Coming down the road, I still have high expectations. I will keep faith in my leg and pray every day that my foot heals up.  In a couple of weeks I hope to come back and I hope to make a run. I think we can do it.  We showed it the other night against Bradley. We are definitely one of the top teams in the conference. We play as hard as or harder than anybody. We are going to continue to learn. We are going to keep pushing. Just because we are five hundred doesn’t mean we can’t win “the Valley”.  Repetition is what it is, we are getting in the gym.  We are getting better every day. We have to play more as a team offensively. I think, our defense is always going to be there… that’s effort and that’s coaches getting on us at practice and making sure we are perfect. Offensively… it is about chemistry and we have to build that throughout the season.

I love that Lansing was made head coach. I know the guys respect him and love him. We are having a fun year. We are having fun playing basketball. This is the hardest working practices I have had since I have been in college. I feel like we are in great shape and we are determined and we are confident and every day as we get better with each other.  I think it will produce on the court and nobody in this conference is going to be able to stop us.

My first comment was, “you people are crazy”.  No, I don’t think it can get any better.  You kind of go through your life working to a point you have goals and things you want to accomplish in life. And this has certainly been my goal my . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Greg Lansing]]>

ISU Men's Basketball Coach, Greg Lansing

My first comment was, “you people are crazy”.  No, I don’t think it can get any better.  You kind of go through your life working to a point you have goals and things you want to accomplish in life. And this has certainly been my goal my whole life. And, 20 years into coaching, it’s how I’m celebrating my 20th year… in my first head coaching job in college. I’m just really, really happy and feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be the head coach at a place that means a lot to my wife and I.

A line of very good men have coached mens’ basketball here. We’ve had Curtis, Wooden, Kluegh, King, Waltman and I’d certainly add Kevin McKenna there too. We had a lot of work to do when he got hired and hired us as assistants.  And I think we did a really good job of building this thing and the talent level where we needed to.  And if it hadn’t been for two or three injuries last year I think we’d have been talking about something a little more special than what it was. I don’t know. I’m not going to put any we have to win this many games or this is what I want to do.  All I know is I’m going to want to win championships.  I’m going to want to win the Missouri Valley every year.  I’m going to want to play in the NCAA tournament every year.  I’m going to recruit guys that would have the same types of goals.  Granted we were pleased with how we survived last year with the injuries, but .500 in the conference isn’t good enough.  It’s not what we’re shooting for. We want to be up there fighting for a conference championship every year.  , putting a really good product out on the floor.

You know, I’m a basketball junkie.  I’m a high school coach’s kid. So it’s been from since I could walk and talk that I’ve been doing basketball stuff.  My dad was a tremendous coach.  He’s in the hall of fame in Iowa

and showed me right away how hard to work. I also learned that you don’t want to accept loosing. It wasn’t nice to be around the house or around him after a loss. And it’s how to handle those things. I’ve had so many good coaches and friends along the way that I’ve picked up stuff from.  Way too many to say. But I have to give Coach Waltman a ton of credit for hiring me twice, when he didn’t have to, and he did.  He’s still as good of a game coach and basketball coach as I’ve ever been around.  And then Steve Alford . A basketball junkie. And he’s really competitive.  He’s a student of the game.  He’s a film watcher. Always looking to approve.  And then with Coach McKenna. A lot of his NBA philosophies and some of the things there.  There are a lot of other guys as well but those guys have made me to kind of where my philosophy is.  I’ll be more emotion. And I want to be more fast paced.  My relationship with the Phoenix Suns for the past 7 years makes me want to play a little faster, with the ball screening and more freelance on offence. Defensively.  We’re going to work very hard on the defensive end.  On defensive rebounding.  Mostly man to man guy.  I’d really only rather play man to man.  Those types of things.  I think it’s going to be a fun style to watch. The biggest thing is I hope our guys compete and  play as hard as they can.

I think we’ve got good guards.  I really like what we have. Two of them are Jakes, you know.  And both of those guys can handle a ball. There both very different, their bodies look the same, they could be brother and younger brother.  I really like both of those guys and what they bring to the table.  Incoming Steve McQuarter is … we can’t watch our guys right now, but all of our guys are raving about him right now. When I saw him last summer, we weren’t even recruiting him, and I kind of liken him to a key smart type guy that can handle the ball and do things that a decent shooter, good, good enough shooter, but a guy that competes and wants to defend.  So um, being a point guard in high school and college, and a coach’s son, I want that person on the floor with the ball in his hands to be thinking like I do a bit. We’ll have a lot of work to do on that. Loosing Harry and Rashad is a huge loss.

Walker, he’s hopefully going to be the biggest, baddest guy on the floor every night.  I just went down to see him.  For one.  Lou gets all the credit for recruiting him.  The Junior college coach is a good friend of his.  He got that done and we beat some big schools. If we hadn’t got him early, we wouldn’t have had a chance.  He’s 6’8,  255.  Doesn’t have much body fat on him at all.

Body just like that (Antonio Davis).  No high flying or anything like that.  But he’s a great kid, a kid that works hard.  There are coaches that just rave about how hard he works, runs and plays all the time.  Phenomenal kid.  Yes sir, no sir type of guy.  And he’s so excited to get here and I can’t wait to get him up here.  He’s going to walk into the place and you’ll know he’s going to make a little difference for us.

You know you have to have a physical presence and Brandt tried, but with his feet it just wasn’t something he could really do all the time for us.  And we were a little thin in there with Josh and Isaiah, but this guy can handle your physical load with out any problem, and some of our… Kitchel, he’s 235, he’s a little more physical, and R.J’s put on some weight, so we’ve got a little more physical in there.  And Miles isn’t going to be out shooting a bunch of threes but I think every one of those other guys can do that.

Kitchel’s a very nice young man.  Very mannerly.  Mom and dad did right there.  Any small town kid that puts up big numbers you kind of worry about how he’s going to be against a higher level competition. In his AU stuff he’s done that and he’s been real solid with all that.  Is he going to come in here and average 20/10 next year? No. But he’s certainly a piece to the puzzle and a high quality kid.   And I think he’s a guy that is skilled enough, like R.J., that can do stuff out on the floor and will continue to develop.

We’re going to see a change in basketball style… more motion.  I’m not going to run sprints.  I like some of the sets coach (McKenna) had out of that.  Because he was so good with those things.  I’m not a guy to run set after set after set.  I want to give them the freedom to get the rebound or get it and go and play with some freedom and not be looking over their shoulder at me with what the heck are we doing.  Coach has so many good ones (plays), we’ll try to keep it (the playbook), we’ve changed them a lot, but we’ll try to keep them as small as possible.  We’ll be tougher to scout, because we won’t be running a lot of sets on offense.

What about your communication with the players? Are you going to be closer to them on a day by day basis? Because of your background, you’re known to be family friendly, and family oriented, and wanting everyone on the team to be a family. Are you going to be closer to them?

I think so.  Coinciding with that, I’m also going to be really hard on them.  Their going to have to do things academically. And they want that.  Practices are going to be tough.  They’ll have to defend, and really work in the off season.

They’re going to have to guard somebody if they want to play.  I love them. Out of all these guys, I want to know everything about them, and what’s going on with their families, what their social life is like.  Even if they’ve messed up, I want them to be able to walk in here be a man and tell me.  We’re going to challenge them in that way too. I think I’m going to have close relationship with them on and off the court. And know that coming here isn’t just a commitment to play basketball for me for four years, it’s a lifetime commitment as a family member.

Lou Gudino has already done a great job with recruiting.  We basically worked hand and hand.  I may have been the coordinator, and kind of ran it, but he’s very good at what he does. I think I’m pretty good at that still, I’ll still be hands on with that because I like to recruit, but Lou’s going to coordinate it, and kind of lead the whole staff in where we’re going and what we’re doing.

We defiantly need another assistant.  And I’ve narrowed that to a real short list. And I’ve already talked to the guys. And we’re going to get a good one (David Ragland, Vincennes University). There’s not question on being really good.  Amazing how many people wanted the job. So I was able to narrow that down quick.  And I’ve wanted to be head coach for awhile, so I knew of guys for a while anyway.  And then hopefully, we’re one person short .  Every school in the conference has a director of basketball operations.  We don’t.  But I’m going to try to raise enough money to pay them out of our budget, and get somebody back in here.  They can’t do any on floor coaching, but everything else. It’s a lot of office work, video work.  It’s very, very important, because we’re traveling, coordinating, recruiting, being here, stuff that our guys don’t have time to do… we don’t have a secretary either, so it’s a lot of work.  We need something like that.  Mr. Prettyman’s been great. And hopefully we’ll be allowed to do that.

With (former players), it’s open door policy.  Obviously I was very close to the players when I was here, I want to have all those former players back around, and whether it be friends of ours or local people that want to come in… I really want to reach out to the community and make it the hometown team.  I want people to be here, and it starts with former players and they’re welcome here anytime and anything I can ever do for them, but we have to give them some pride and sense of ownership in what’s going on here.  Obviously with my relationship with Michael Menser, Nate Green and Matt Rant, those guys will be around here.  Those three will be involved.

NO matter where I’ve been, you always have somebody that has seen some kid, that’s called, emailed about this guy. By no means do we think that we have all the answers or that we don’t have the time to see everybody. So all that helps appreciated.  If somebody has something I’ll respond to the email and so will the coaching staff.  Maybe we don’t get to see them all the time, but if somebody wants to take the time to promote some kid, then we’re happy to have help.

Coach McKenna was the right hire three years ago.  I think it’s just three more years of experience.  It’s learning things under another guy.  It’s being at Indiana State for three more years and continuing to develop relationships and continue to develop relationships with our current players.  Three years ago I was coming from a staff that had been let go. I understand.  Ron explained that to me.  It came down to Kevin and I, and the one drawback was I came from the previous staff. And there needed to be a change.  I understand that, I also understand if you put Kevin McKenna’s resume next to mine three years ago, you’d pick his every time.  So, I just appreciated the chance three years ago, didn’t get it, was happy to stay on, and it meant something to me.  I’ve turned down other jobs to stay here and now it’s worked out for the best.  And I’m just happy to get it now.

I’ve had a long relationship with the Phoenix Suns and David Griffin, who is a VP of player personnel.  He should be a GM this year sometime coming up here.  He’s involved with that stuff right now.  You know, the longer you go in the business, sometimes you get frustrated, about not getting chances at being head coach, and seeing other guys get it.  I’d say for the past four or five years that’s always been something in the back of my mind.  I’ve gone down and I’ve done pre-draft work for the Suns, the Bulls and worked out some pros locally up in Indianapolis.  I like the pro game and I’ve always had an interest in it, But I haven’t had any particular job offered in the Pros, but it’s something that’s always in the back of my mind.

We don’t need to talk about that. I’ll say this.  I’ve had other opportunities in college.  There’s no question, I’ve thought about professional basketball.  Never had any offers on any of that, but in college I have.  But when it came right down to it, I wanted to be a head coach, and if I was going to move somewhere, I wanted it to be for a head coaching position. Angie’s got her family here, We’re happy here.  We love it here. This place means something to us.  So I’d rather have been here than go somewhere else in the system.

Scheduling…It’s hard and it’s difficult.  I’ve tried to help him (McKenna) some with it as has Lou.  It’s harder to get bigger schools to come here and play you. Or play in general. I want to play schools.  I want to play in-state rivals.  I want to play good games.  It’s just not easy.  I think one thing I’ll try to do is get stuff a little earlier. Get games earlier, and things like that.  Not wait.  But in college basketball, today… I talked to Wichita today,  they need three games yet.

I’d do two for one with any instate big school.  No Question. Matt Painter is nice enough this year to let us come up there and play them at Conseco. We’re really happy about that. Indiana won’t do it, Notre Dame’s not gonna do it.  It’s just part of those guys philosophy.  And I understand.  When I was at Iowa, we had to play Northern Iowa and Drake every year. You’re supposed to win those games.  If you do win, you don’t win by enough, and I understand that… What ever it would take to get any of them on our schedule any year, we’d do it.

We were talking to Illinois before the Purdue thing happened.  Actually it was almost a done deal.  So. We have to get home games.  We already have a brutal schedule for road games, we have to get some home games.  Plus for our fans.  The season ticket package, we need that,  we have to have that.  But I’ve got good relationships with all of those coaches in the big 10, and we’d love to at least play one of them every year.

We want people to come to our games.  If people call and need me to do something for them, or our players, we’re certainly going to try.  The foundation department here are a bunch of really good people.  They’ve already had me doing some things with, whether it be golf outings or speaking.  I’m going to do as much as I can with them non stop. Because it’s an arms race in college sports.  You have to raise money.  And here especially.  It’s something that’s got to be priority number one with us.  And our head coaches have to help.  Players have to help.  And that has mostly to do with fundraising, but stuff with the community.  We ask people to support us and come to our games, we want to get out there, so if people, whether it be schools, getting out in the community, helping in anyway. We want people to ask us.  If we can’t do it, these guys are busy to, if we can’t do it, we’ll say we can’t do it, but we’d certainly like to be asked.

The players.  They go into schools, they read, do those things.  They do cleanups and different types of things.  They’ve done special Olympics, they’ve gone around town and done different things, so what every somebody would want us to do, if there are ever promotional things that help their businesses, or they would want to promote themselves or Indiana State or Indiana State Athletics, we need to get them there.

TH-  There’s always a question about schedules. Would it be possible to have players go to businesses and pass them out..

Yeah, I mean they could do that, it’s not a bad idea.  I think with one thing, there are people with jobs that it’s kind of their job to do that, to promote us.  But that’s not a bad idea.  Next things is, the only thing you get caught with is there is “Oh Jake Kelly took a poster to this business” and them somebody else is wondering why nobody came to theirs.  You know what I mean?  You don’t want to offend anybody.  We want to do all that we can, certainly, but you might run in to a little trouble there.

We can try though.

Lou’s local, and I’m local now too.  I’m a hometown Terre Haute guy now. I consider myself.  I just grew up in Iowa. I was just lucky enough to work at University of Iowa for 7 years. We recruited a lot of out of state kids there too.  Again, we want to build it from right around here.  There are enough players we don’t have to go too far if we do our jobs.  And happen to beat some really good schools on kids then we’ll do that. As our need comes we’ll expand as far out as we have to go.  But… Indiana and Illinois there are plenty of good players.

Obviously, look at our team. RJ and Jake, and Jake … But any coach wants to win.  Whoever it takes, if it’s somebody from in town, or if it’s somebody from New York or LA, you’ve got to go where you can get players.  We don’t have to go very far.  But there are kids… you’re not going to win every recruiting battle.  There are just too many good programs out there.  Too many good coaches, and kids are looking for different things. So, we’re going to start right here at home, and work our way out, and if we can finish it by just getting Indiana kids, then we’ll do that.

You have to go by your needs. What’s your team and positions like… we’re recruiting different things in the 2011 class than we are in the 2012 class. We’ve already targeted all those guys’ positions and we’ll work hard at those now.  Things change in your program some time or your recruiting changes, or you get to your team and you’re like “boy we need another one of these” or this or that. So you have to be able to adapt your philosophy.  But you really target certain positions and then you get the best player you can.

You go all over the place.  There are players everywhere now.  Jake Kitchell is from a small little dinky school in the middle of no where. But we think he’s going to be a good player.  Aaron Carter’s from down in a little small town. So you go where the players are.

We have three players playing in the Indy Pro End Summer League.  This something new here … our staff can’t work with them this summer, They’re here lifting 4 days a week, playing 4 days a week for themselves, but it’s something.  They can go up there and play with other college guys, some pro guys. I really encourage that. Last night was the first night of it. I see no reason that we wouldn’t continue that. As long as nothing interferes with this, I think it’s a good opportunity for them.
I just feel very lucky to be in the position that I’m in.  You know, a lot of people, have had a large impact on this. Along the way.  So it’s not like I said at the press conference, This is not about me, this is about the program. I’d like to think it’s in real good hands with the current staff and we’re certainly going to make the most of it. We’re going to work like crazy, have a lot of fun and hopefully make people from Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley and around Sycamore Alumni every where, make them really proud and have some ownership in this thing.

Opening night practice. We’ve already talked about that a little bit. I think they’re just talking about doing a function that night. We’ll practice, but I will say this… people want to come practice, they can come practice.  The more people that want to come and watch our guys and get to know them and see how hard their going to be working .. I think that’s a good thing. I’m not going to have a closed door policy during practice.

A 3 point shooting contest.  A dunk contest.  I’m sure our guys would like that.  Something.  I agree with how Coach McKenna and Coach Waltman did it.  That’s first day of practice. We’re ready to get our hands on them.  We want to get a practice. One thing we will do is get that practice. Now if there’s some others, so fun stuff we can do, we’ll do as much as we can.

Superstitions.  My dad was like that, with stuff he’d wear. Maybe some of the things he’d eat or do. I’m a little bit like that, you know if… I think Coach Waltman would always be.  If stayed at a hotel or ate at a certain restaurant, and you got your butt beat on the road, you didn’t stay there again the next year.  Sometimes you’ve got to rotate that stuff. But, ah, hopefully I’m not overly superstitious.  I just like to think that’s the way it goes.  You didn’t deserve to win that night.

My favorite color is Royal Blue. Sycamore Blue.
Favorite song?  Oh.. there’s a lot of them. I grew up you know… an old classic rock guy, then you get into college athletics, straight early hip-hop. I love all that stuff.. I hate to say it because Angie loves country, I’m not a huge country guy, other than maybe a Johnny Cash here or there.  But I’ll listen to anything.  I love music, so I’ll listen to anything.

My game day routine… I think it’ll be the same as an assistant. I get up early every morning and work out.  Get up about 5:30, try to be working out by 6.  Get here in the office when it’s quiet.  Before people start rolling in here and get some things done.  I’ll be watching tape.  I’m big on that.  If they are our opponent, I’ll be watching a lot of tape on them. We’re always going to be very prepared for who we play. So that whole game day, I’ll be doing a lot of that.  Getting with our guys, maybe bring them in here and show them things about who we’re playing.  You’ve got your pre-game and walk through the day before. That time after pre-game and walk through is so long before the game starts, I hate it as an assistant, I’m just going to struggle with that time.  I’m going to have to walk around Hulman Center or something like that for a couple hours. And hopefully be happy after its over.

We lost our best, our two toughest kids, our best leaders. They both played 35 minutes a game. So we’ve got to find ourselves. We’ve got to find leaders.  We’ve got talent here, but we’ve got to find some leadership with guys on the floor.  Guys are going to take ownership. And get after their own teammates and be coaches on the floor.  And do those things. We’ve got good kids, This is the nicest group of kids I’ve been around in 28 years of coaching. They’re going to work hard.  They are working hard.  They have been working hard.  Now it’s as a staff, we’ve got to get things going.  Build a chemistry. Its on them too when they’re outside of here to build they’re chemistry and be around each other.  It’s on us to turn them into a good team.  If they just compete and work every day, it’ll be our job to do those things, and I think they will.  They’ll going to listen and work, they’re going to be demanded a lot of stuff. And they’re going to have to come to practice with great effort all the time. To play and compete against each other everyday like it’s a game and hopefully that will carry over to the floor.
We’ve had good kids, we had leadership ability, but it wasn’t overt.  I lead by example, I don’t get in their face, I don’t tell them this, I don’t tell them that, it seems that we’ve lacked that personal touch to grab the other person and say. Hey!

I wasn’t a great player, but one thing I tell our guys, is I could lead.  I was a guy that talked and competed, and fought and worked everyday.  Getting in fights and practice with your buddies and then you walk off the court and it’s over.  I’m not asking them to go fist to fist during practice, but I’m asking them to get after each other and make it as hard if not harder in a practice as in a game. And if those guys do that then a leadership will develop. And you need your hardest workers and your toughest kids to be those guys. To get your team where you need to be. That’s going to be a tough job for us, with what we’ve lost with Harry and Rashad, but I’m looking forward to it.

I’ve said this before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, It’s been overwhelming.  The support and I know a lot of that has to do with I’ve been here a while, but I know a lot of it has to do with Angie being a student athlete here, Michael Mentzer playing here, her whole family here … but those are good people that deserve what they get.  Angie is the hardest working person in the athletic department.  Terrific person. Her whole family,  they’re all here now.  That’s how much of a passion they have for Indiana State and Terre Haute and I’m an adopted son. I’m not from here, I’m from Iowa. But this is my 2^nd time here.  There could have been other things that happened, but I certainly want to be here, and really appreciate the opportunity to have a chance to guide the program.  I want everybody to have ownership.  We want to be here, we want everybody to be excited about it and come support us and come have fun with it. So it means something when we win or lose a game. I want people to feel what we feel.

Harry Marshall

by Tony Harper

I’m originally from Louisville, Kentucky, a lot of people think I was born and raised in Bowling Green. Moved to Owen Valley, Spencer, whenever, I was 10. Loved the quietness. Loved the peacefulness. Real quiet out . . . → Read More: In His Own Words – Harry Marshall]]>

Harry Marshall

by Tony Harper

I’m originally from Louisville, Kentucky, a lot of people think I was born and raised in Bowling Green. Moved to Owen Valley, Spencer, whenever, I was 10. Loved the quietness. Loved the peacefulness. Real quiet out there Bowling Green, Indiana. Great place to live. People are nice. People welcomed me.

Family of course Mom and Dad –love them both. Dad’s probably one the most hardest working guys or man I’ve seen ever in my life. I have three brothers Antonio, Jordan, Brandon and one older sister, Carolyn. All of us played basketball. Three of us still play basketball now. So a very competitive family and you know… we learned from each other and we back up each other. I think without family I really wouldn’t be here. I really wouldn’t be anything in life.

I played tennis in high school, ran track in high school. Ran the 100, 4 by 1, high jump and long jump. Those are just things after basketball season to keep some shape, jumping and any thing involving jumping back in high school I loved to do. Tennis, I played with my brother just to play with him so he would have someone to play with. Played football in middle school into my freshman year concentrating on basketball and just keeping in shape and working hard at that.

Tennis is a very delicate and really I think the key is finesse. You got to be light on your feet. Got to be able to move, cut and be in shape. Tennis is a really hard sport. Tennis definitely helped on my footwork and track helped on conditioning my legs.

My younger brother, 1 year younger than me, Antonio plays basketball at Olivet Nazarene up in Kankakee Illinois, he is a sophomore starting there. Younger brother, Jordan plays at Terre Haute North, senior graduating and also is looking to play somewhere next year as he graduates high school.

After the Pizza Hut Tournament I started getting letters to small junior colleges… nothing big, nothing Division-1 nothing Division-2, just small junior college letters. It was one of those cases where you feel like your good enough to play, you feel like you should be looked at, you should be getting recruited by somebody. And when you come over to Terre Haute, Indiana and there is a Division-1 within 4 miles of where you’re playing and you play like that and really nobody is recruiting you it makes you feel like you are trying to show somebody something or prove something to somebody. Before that tournament (Pizza Hut Classic) I was playing and I was playing well but I don’t know what that tournament did but after that first game, exposure just it came out of nowhere. It made me a better person. It made me feel like a better person. It made things back at home better. My family was happy for me because finally out of all the work I have put in, my dad helping me, my brothers being competitive with me and me being competitive with them it was really rewarding for me and not just me my whole town back in Bowling Green and Spencer. And for my family it was really rewarding.

Funny story… we had won our first sectional in, I think, 21 years at Owen Valley, we were going down to the Washington Regional. I’m sure people remember Norman Wells freshman year here, he was being recruited and I think he had signed with Indiana State and Coach Stan Garrard that use to coach here was down there watching him play, but he was playing the game after me. Coach Garrard was down there early. I played Evansville in our first regional game. We lost by 4 but I had 31 points and 10 rebounds. I didn’t know he was in the gym, I got out of the locker room and there was over 15-20 people telling me an Indiana State coach was here, an Indiana State coach was here. I heard of the guy, I didn’t know Norman at the time, I heard he was playing after me so I thought he was just really here to watch Norman and maybe he just happened to see me play.

After I got back home I just wanted to play somewhere so bad I started to write my own personal letters. I sent them out. I sent to IUPUI, I sent them out to, I remember one team, Dane Fife was the coach. I sent them out to Butler. I sent them to Indiana, I sent them out to Indiana State, I sent them out to Louisville, I sent them out to any in state Division-1…any Division-1 that was around here. Just asking to walk on …asking for a chance. I got a letter back from juco Kelly Community College all the way down in Kansas. They were recruiting me. They were the only one that was really spending time coming to see me, took a visit down there (Spencer, Owen Valley High School). I was about to sign with them, I think the next day after I came home from a visit. Then I got a call from Coach Waltman to my high school coach saying he was going to come down to my school and watch open gym. Watch me play and I had to sit up some guys and ask some guys to come in and play cause this was after season. I had to ask them to come in and play because a  Division-1 coach was coming to watch me play. I just want guys to come in and play …and play me hard so he could see me play. He came in, didn’t introduce himself, I was a nervous wreck. I think we played for about 20 minutes I just look over and he’s gone. So,  I’m thinking maybe I am not Division-1 or maybe he didn’t like me. So I’m nervous and go home …can’t sleep.

The next day, I get a call saying he wants me to come up and play with the team. They were having open gym that day. So I came up here and played open gym. I think I did very well. He asked several guys that was on the team,  Trent was still here and Gabe was still here,… and to their credit they told Coach Waltman I would be a steal to get me as a walk on. Coach Waltman walked up to me and offered me a walk on spot. I would definitely be a practice player not guaranteeing any playing time not guaranteeing any dress time. Everything from that moment on I earned. I just remember that day Coach Garrard was down at our regional. I had one of those games that I can’t even explain… the rim was huge, the crowd in Washington was huge, it was one of the best high school games I ever played in. It was Coach Stan Garrard who spotted me.

Freshman year we made that Canada trip. First time ever going outside of probably 2 states. First time leaving the country. First time going on any type road trip. I’m 18. I remember being so nervous, so scared. I went over there and I played in maybe 2 of the games. I think I played a couple of minutes. I did terrible.. -did terrible. The whole ride back home, all the way-back from Canada, I’m thinking I made a mistake. I’m thinking I made a big mistake. Something, I don’t know what it was, something inside of me just clicked. Freshman year Gabe is guarding me everyday in practice. I can’t bring the ball up the court. I’m guarding him for 2½ hours everyday ,cause I can’t play on offense, cause Coach Waltman can’t trust men with the ball. Well, you know that’s what made me a better player and that’s really what earned me my position my freshman year… playing defense. I think I started a game my freshman year and played in every game back here after the Canada tournament. I just worked hard.

My major was elementary education I changed it to criminology. I should be graduating this summer before I leave to go over seas or before I start my basketball professional career. Hopefully, after all my basketball is said and done I can come back and get a minor in education. Be a teacher, be a coach. After school there is scouts out there for overseas basketball then there is a slight chance I could get into the camps here and try to stay in America and play. If that would work out that would be really fortunate I would be really blessed. There has been a Pacers scout and an Atlantic Hawks scout here a couple of times so maybe, maybe so… I hope so.

On the basketball court I am aggressive. I kind of play with a sense of I’m angry… kind of mad at the world…that’s because of the way I am off the court. Off the court I am very outgoing, laid back, relaxed. I like to laugh, like to have fun, never really have an attitude problem. Very emotional, I am very emotional. I use to be real shy when I was younger. I use to cry all the time whenever I was younger. Like my Dad use to tell me… I have a real big heart. Sometimes when you have a big heart people try to take advantage of you. Take your kindness for a weakness. How I get that out of me? I step inside the four lines of the court and I play basketball. Off the court I think I am a loveable person. A lot of people, I think, look at me different because of the troubles I have been through these last couple of years. The things that’s been going on off the court the last couple of years people think maybe I’m a bad person, a bad influence on other people or maybe other people are being a bad influence on me. I don’t think that’s necessary the case. I was born and raised pretty much in Spencer. My family, they raised me right. I have manners. I’m polite. Anybody you ask back home… I am a well-mannered kid yes sir, no sir. That’s because my parents wouldn’t have it any other way. My Dad was a Marine for a little bit so things are definitely strict back at home. You aren’t going to get away with anything.

My Mom she is a little bit of the sensitive kind but she will still get after you when she needs to. My brothers, we love each other to death. We’ll fight with each other and we’ll fight for each other. I think that’s pretty much like how I would bundle myself and wrap myself up as a whole. Family oriented. I’ll do anything to help anybody who is willing to help me. What it all boils down to is, kind of like, if you take a bullet for me I will take a bullet for you. If you are willing to take something for me and shield me a little bit whenever I need you to help me, when I need to lean on you, you can always lean on me… no matter what the circumstances. No matter what’s going on.

Back home,I hang out with my real close friend… he plays down at Oakland City right now, Jarret Manners. He played with me in high school. Back home I really don’t get out too much. I hang out with him and couple other old teammates. Here at Indiana State I hang out with my teammates. You always have to hang out with them… create that team bonding, team chemistry. I hang out with Gabe Moore as people know. That’s only because my freshman year with Gabe Moore. Me and him are a similar type person. I know this interview is about me buy people have a real bad image of Gabe. He’s not what people think. He is not what people make him out to be.

My freshman year, I came in not knowing anything about being a point guard. I played small forward and power forward in high school. I might have dribbled the ball up every once in a while in high school but I couldn’t bring the ball up the court. I couldn’t bring the ball up against a true point guard for my life. Gabe not only made me a better person on the court… in here everyday for the 2 years he played with me but he made me a better person off the court in seeing things in general. His family background once again a Mom that’s in the Army, he’s got a Dad that works everyday and 3 loving brothers just like I do. They fight for each other. They fight with each other. Just the same as I do, I just think, he along with my dad and my brothers, he is a big key to me being the player that I am on the court today and me being the person I am off the court today. I hang out with him pretty much. But I’ve made a lot of friends this year. I don’t know how it happened this year. I have opened up and people have opened up to me… so just hanging out with the right people the right group. Staying true to the people who know me and not straying too far outside my circle.

Outside of my family, outside of my teammates I would say half a dozen people. I just started hanging out with most of them. Besides my teammates one person is a true friend, true absolute friend, that’s Gabe Moore. If we’re not playing basketball we’re either one having fun, you can ask anybody on campus we’re going to talk to everybody on campus weather we’re dancing, we’re joking, we’re singing to you, making jokes, laughing, going to parties every once in a while… just having fun, watching TV, even like to play poker every once in awhile. Then whenever you just need to step away from the game of basketball you just go to a movie. You go to Boogey’s… is a nice place. Just arcade games maybe ride the go-carts, play a game of miniature golf.

Superstitions in life? Black cats and broken mirrors. In basketball, I don’t have to wear the same socks. I don’t have to wear any of the same stuff.

The one and only superstition I have and that’s not really a superstition that’s just a routine… is to pray while the Star Spangle Banner is being played. I pray for myself. I pray for my family. I pray for both teams. For everybody that’s in the arena and I pray for the world as a whole.

In the conference, the team I like to play would have to be Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois… they kind of test your manhood. If you are going to back down from them you’re most likely going to get beat. If you’re going to stand up to them you are going to be in a fight for 40 minutes. So as a team they are going to play defense. They are going to get after you and their coach is a great coach. I like coach Ligherty and I think his personality and his aggression is what his players do out on the court. So, I like playing against Southern and guys I really like playing against are Josh Young and Osias Eldridge. We all came in as freshmen. The last two years we most likely guarded each other. With those two guys, we are competitors. We go against each other. After the game and before the game it’s friendship with them… in between the four lines it’s something where nobody wants to lose. We’re going to be competitive and play hard against each other.

The time (in school) it’s been a roller coaster. The four years I have been here have been a roller coaster that I thought would be a slow uphill grind. With the ups and downs of this roller coaster its been anywhere between us losing and us beating Butler here, us beating Purdue here and just the simple fact of basketball being a hard sport to play day in and day out. You got to come in every single day ready to play basketball every single day. The big key is if you’re not ready to play every single day then it gets hard and it gets to be a grind on you. With the ups and downs its just been a real big roller coaster. My freshman year it was mostly good for me. I played all the time. I started when I never thought nor media people thought I would ever be able to play.

My sophomore year, we got a new coach and things were different the system was different. I still came in and worked hard earned my spot. Earned the scholarship that I always wanted. That was another up to the roller coaster. We had a bad ending to our season. Never had a winning season until this season now. My junior year, I had struggles with not playing the first half. That was one of the lowest moments not only my life but basketball career and that was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Just sit on the bench and watch. Watch basketball. Last year another up was us going to Illinois State and me hitting a game winning shot. Us winning 7 games in a row. Our 7 games out of 8 ending the season well… even thought it was a bad season.

This season, the guys are so much different than the first three teams I have been with. This group is kind of… you can’t explain it cause you have so many different personalities, you have so many different looks, all types of ways people go about things. This year is just different. I stepped up as a leader, I stepped up as a player, I stepped up as a person I think this season has made me do that. This season we have already clinched our first winning season since 2001. The feeling is a great feeling because we have always been one game or two games under 500. Whenever you can be apart of a winning season to turn around a program… you put your stamp on it and me, as a person, I feel good and I feel great about that. To put a stamp on it and be a leader on this team. I hope people will remember me, I hope people will remember how hard I play and I hope people will remember this team.

I would not only like to beat the number one team which is Kansas I would pick them because I would want to beat the number one team in basketball right now… and then I would want to beat and play who I think is number one or one of the top 3 guards in college basketball today. Its just a competitive thing with me I want to play the best, I want to beat the best and I want to compare myself to the guys and to the people that NBA scouts are looking at and see what I can do against them.

I can’t say this team is more of a team… because our previous years we have been a group, we’ve been a team. This team, I think, is most likely the most athletic team and the most sporadic team. You normally have guys that act the same, guys that tend to do the same thing but with this team you really and truly, even the twins, have 15 different personalities. You have 15 different ways. You have 15 different looks. You have 15 different ways of going about things. That makes us as a team, us as a whole, a unique bunch you don’t always have. This group is just different. They are going to play hard. They’re going to compete and its just mind boggling how when you get 15 different people how they can come together as one person, as one big family. I think that’s the biggest key to us being and having a winning season this year… is that at the beginning, we talked about family and it slowly has become a true family.

I want a ring so bad. We came close last year. I think whenever we step in St. Louis that’s when I will remind my team about it… of how close we were last year. I said it and I am going to say it again, cause I said it in the newspaper at the beginning of the year and I feel this exact same way, anything short of a championship is a disappointment. I feel with the group we have, with the talent we have, with the players we have and how we have come together, throughout this whole season… with injuries, with suspensions, with anything going on the court, off the court… we should have and we do have the toughness to play 110 percent in St. Louis.