i was going to reply about this game in hoops' thread but all that clammering about getting pay picks got the thread closed. you know, it really is more fun if you do the work yourself. anyway, about the game, i looked at this game a lot wanting to play the blue raiders but this is what scared me off:
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Basketball Indians vow to play harder against MTSU
Arkansas State promises a substantially better effort tonight than it gave in its previous meeting against Middle Tennessee. Then again, the Indians admit they played half-hearted the first time.
The Indians return to Sun Belt Conference play against the Blue Raiders this evening hoping to avenge an embarrassing 83-64 loss two weeks ago at Murfreesboro, Tenn. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m.
ASU (12-12 overall, 3-6 SBC) enters the rematch spiraling downward on a four-game losing streak while MTSU is headed upward on a five-game winning streak, including a 70-52 thumping of Texas-Pan American Monday night. Both streaks began with the outcome in Murfreesboro.
But the Indians contend they didn't play with much heart that night. ASU led 36-34 at the half, but ended up on the losing end of 19-point blowout after shooting just 26.5 percent in the second half.
ASU junior point guard Odie Williams admitted the team quit on itself.
"You hate to say it, but it looked like that," Williams said. "We watched the tape and it looked like that. It was real ugly. We don't even want to think about that anymore."
So what the Indians are thinking about is mending some fences, a little redemption for themselves and payback for a few of the words some of the Middle Tennessee players had afterward that night.
"In the second half, we just didn't come out to play," ASU senior center Jason Jennings recalled. "I guess our whole team stayed in the locker room at halftime and we didn't do anything. We just let them do whatever they wanted. I think what they said in the papers the next day was an honest statement -- we didn't have the effort that we had in the first half and it showed."
What MTSU (12-11, 5-5) did was shoot the ball and shoot it well. The Blue Raiders made 15-of-24 shots from the field in the second half for 62.5 percent, including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers. They hit a total of 11 3-pointers for the game.
ASU coach Dickey Nutt said the Indians played as poorly against Middle Tennessee as they had in any game all season.
"We played the worst game that we've played all year long," Nutt said. "Obviously, when you shoot 26 percent, you're not going to win many games. I thought they got on a serious roll and our defense was very soft. We shot the ball as soon as we got it -- one pass, one shot."
So, tonight the plan is different. ASU's style and philosophy has been altered and the Indians are more consistent. Although they haven't been successful on the winning end yet, they appear improved.
ASU's last two losses are to the top two teams in the Sun Belt's East Division, Western Kentucky and Arkansas-Little Rock. The Hilltoppers survived a 45-42 slugfest in Bowling Green, Ky., while UALR's Mark Green nailed a 3-pointer in the final seconds to lift the Trojans to a 65-63 victory in Little Rock last Saturday.
Nutt is confident the Indians have finally made the adjustment to a slower-paced way of playing since several injuries to key players early in the season.
"We're a different team now," Nutt said. "In the last two games, we have been very close to success. We've just got to get over that hump and win one that's close like that. We are going to have to do a better job defensively on the perimeter (tonight) and we have done that in the last couple of games."
The Indians suffered another setback at UALR when sophomore forward Kim Adams sprained his right wrist on a break-away layup that he was intentionally fouled on. Adams said he will play tonight, despite some swelling and pain.
He did not practice at all Monday or Tuesday but did participate on Wednesday.
"I can't flip my wrist with my right hand," Adams said. "It's a little swollen and it hurts a little bit when I do certain things with it, but I'm going to play Thursday regardless."
Junior walk-on guard Juran Bragg is battling the flu and was unable to finish practice Wednesday. His status for tonight's game is uncertain.
As for MTSU, the perimeter is where the Blue Raiders have been dangerous, just as they were against ASU the first time. Senior center Lee Nosse (6-10, 250) leads the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and has made 24-of-48 shots from behind the 3-point line for 50 percent.
Other Blue Raiders that can drain the 3-pointer include sophomore guard Tommy Gunn (6-3, 205), junior guard John Humphrey, junior forward Williams Pippen (6-8, 200) and junior guard Eric Parham.
Gunn made 3-of-4 3-pointers the first time against the Indians while Humphrey was a perfect 3-of-3 and Pippen was 2-of-4.
"Their perimeter guys are very athletic -- they're tall, they're big, they're strong and they can shoot," Nutt said. "They can all shoot the 3-pointer and they bring them off the bench that can shoot the '3', too."
Williams said the Indians are well aware of MTSU's outside arsenal and prepared for it this time.
"Their outside shooting is something we have to stop," Williams said. "They have got four guys that can shoot the '3'. Their big man can step out and shoot it and all their wings and their point guard can shoot it, too. We basically have to watch out for their 3-pointers. Our new defense is just keeping them in front of us, stopping them from shooting the '3' and making them penetrate more."
Jennings said the Blue Raiders aren't just a 3-point shooting team, though. Defending them well means keeping up with them for all 94 feet of the floor.
"They are real good on making backdoor cuts and hitting the guy with the ball," said Jennings, who leads ASU in scoring at 14.9 points per game. "They get up and down the court real well. We have just got to stick with them and stay on them."
A loss tonight would be Arkansas State's fifth straight and give the Indians a losing record for the first time this season. The last time ASU lost five games in a row was the 1999-2000 season when the Indians finished 10-18.
Jennings said because of the remarks several of the Blue Raiders made after the 83-64 loss two weeks ago, the Indians are taking tonight's game a little more on the personal side.
"They are coming here, so we want to show them that they can't have everything they want," Jennings said. "That's our incentive. We want to show them that we are a totally different team than what we showed at Murfreesboro."
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Basketball Indians vow to play harder against MTSU
Arkansas State promises a substantially better effort tonight than it gave in its previous meeting against Middle Tennessee. Then again, the Indians admit they played half-hearted the first time.
The Indians return to Sun Belt Conference play against the Blue Raiders this evening hoping to avenge an embarrassing 83-64 loss two weeks ago at Murfreesboro, Tenn. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m.
ASU (12-12 overall, 3-6 SBC) enters the rematch spiraling downward on a four-game losing streak while MTSU is headed upward on a five-game winning streak, including a 70-52 thumping of Texas-Pan American Monday night. Both streaks began with the outcome in Murfreesboro.
But the Indians contend they didn't play with much heart that night. ASU led 36-34 at the half, but ended up on the losing end of 19-point blowout after shooting just 26.5 percent in the second half.
ASU junior point guard Odie Williams admitted the team quit on itself.
"You hate to say it, but it looked like that," Williams said. "We watched the tape and it looked like that. It was real ugly. We don't even want to think about that anymore."
So what the Indians are thinking about is mending some fences, a little redemption for themselves and payback for a few of the words some of the Middle Tennessee players had afterward that night.
"In the second half, we just didn't come out to play," ASU senior center Jason Jennings recalled. "I guess our whole team stayed in the locker room at halftime and we didn't do anything. We just let them do whatever they wanted. I think what they said in the papers the next day was an honest statement -- we didn't have the effort that we had in the first half and it showed."
What MTSU (12-11, 5-5) did was shoot the ball and shoot it well. The Blue Raiders made 15-of-24 shots from the field in the second half for 62.5 percent, including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers. They hit a total of 11 3-pointers for the game.
ASU coach Dickey Nutt said the Indians played as poorly against Middle Tennessee as they had in any game all season.
"We played the worst game that we've played all year long," Nutt said. "Obviously, when you shoot 26 percent, you're not going to win many games. I thought they got on a serious roll and our defense was very soft. We shot the ball as soon as we got it -- one pass, one shot."
So, tonight the plan is different. ASU's style and philosophy has been altered and the Indians are more consistent. Although they haven't been successful on the winning end yet, they appear improved.
ASU's last two losses are to the top two teams in the Sun Belt's East Division, Western Kentucky and Arkansas-Little Rock. The Hilltoppers survived a 45-42 slugfest in Bowling Green, Ky., while UALR's Mark Green nailed a 3-pointer in the final seconds to lift the Trojans to a 65-63 victory in Little Rock last Saturday.
Nutt is confident the Indians have finally made the adjustment to a slower-paced way of playing since several injuries to key players early in the season.
"We're a different team now," Nutt said. "In the last two games, we have been very close to success. We've just got to get over that hump and win one that's close like that. We are going to have to do a better job defensively on the perimeter (tonight) and we have done that in the last couple of games."
The Indians suffered another setback at UALR when sophomore forward Kim Adams sprained his right wrist on a break-away layup that he was intentionally fouled on. Adams said he will play tonight, despite some swelling and pain.
He did not practice at all Monday or Tuesday but did participate on Wednesday.
"I can't flip my wrist with my right hand," Adams said. "It's a little swollen and it hurts a little bit when I do certain things with it, but I'm going to play Thursday regardless."
Junior walk-on guard Juran Bragg is battling the flu and was unable to finish practice Wednesday. His status for tonight's game is uncertain.
As for MTSU, the perimeter is where the Blue Raiders have been dangerous, just as they were against ASU the first time. Senior center Lee Nosse (6-10, 250) leads the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and has made 24-of-48 shots from behind the 3-point line for 50 percent.
Other Blue Raiders that can drain the 3-pointer include sophomore guard Tommy Gunn (6-3, 205), junior guard John Humphrey, junior forward Williams Pippen (6-8, 200) and junior guard Eric Parham.
Gunn made 3-of-4 3-pointers the first time against the Indians while Humphrey was a perfect 3-of-3 and Pippen was 2-of-4.
"Their perimeter guys are very athletic -- they're tall, they're big, they're strong and they can shoot," Nutt said. "They can all shoot the 3-pointer and they bring them off the bench that can shoot the '3', too."
Williams said the Indians are well aware of MTSU's outside arsenal and prepared for it this time.
"Their outside shooting is something we have to stop," Williams said. "They have got four guys that can shoot the '3'. Their big man can step out and shoot it and all their wings and their point guard can shoot it, too. We basically have to watch out for their 3-pointers. Our new defense is just keeping them in front of us, stopping them from shooting the '3' and making them penetrate more."
Jennings said the Blue Raiders aren't just a 3-point shooting team, though. Defending them well means keeping up with them for all 94 feet of the floor.
"They are real good on making backdoor cuts and hitting the guy with the ball," said Jennings, who leads ASU in scoring at 14.9 points per game. "They get up and down the court real well. We have just got to stick with them and stay on them."
A loss tonight would be Arkansas State's fifth straight and give the Indians a losing record for the first time this season. The last time ASU lost five games in a row was the 1999-2000 season when the Indians finished 10-18.
Jennings said because of the remarks several of the Blue Raiders made after the 83-64 loss two weeks ago, the Indians are taking tonight's game a little more on the personal side.
"They are coming here, so we want to show them that they can't have everything they want," Jennings said. "That's our incentive. We want to show them that we are a totally different team than what we showed at Murfreesboro."
