The Indiana State men’s basketball team is preparing for its season and first-year head coach Matthew Graves is ready to get going.
The Sycamores will get things going Monday in Xenia, Ohio, as they take on Florida Atlantic at 7:30 p.m.
Graves said coaches always want more time to practice and prepare. Nonetheless, he and the Sycamores are excited to get the season started.
“The players are getting more and more antsy to get out there and compete and see where we’re at,” Graves said.
ISU will have its first home game Thursday as it hosts Eureka at 7 p.m.
With Graves making his debut as head coach this season, he thinks his players are doing a good job adjusting to his schemes.
“They’re trying to do everything that we ask of them,” Graves said. “We’re not always successful in achieving that, but the intent is good. The effort is good, as long as we stay that way. We’re going to continue to get better.”
The Missouri Valley Conference is heavy with competition and with that, Graves said it’s one game at a time.
“We don’t have a conference game until Dec. 7 thankfully, so lot of trial and error, s lot of guys that are going to get opportunities to get out there and play and produce,” Graves said.
While they’ve been practicing for the past few weeks, they’ve also had the opportunity to participate in exhibition matchups. From those matchups, Graves said the biggest thing they’ve learned is being able to play a lot of different lineups and getting a chance to have guys play in different situations and formats. He said they’re really just looking for that continued progress.
Once Monday arrives, it’s a completely different animal and Graves knows that.
“On Monday, we’re going to leave there 0-1 or 1-0 and it means a lot more when they’re keeping score for real,” Graves said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what this team does.”
While FAU is a former Final Four semifinalist from 2023, Graves noted the Owls have a new coach and are a new team.
“We don’t really look at what they’ve done in the past,” Graves said. “It’s about what you do now and staying in the present, so we’re going to dive into their personnel later this week and really figure out what we can do from that standpoint. But ultimately in the first couple games, it’s really about us and it’s about how we can go out there and be the best version of ourselves.”
As far as lineups go, he said they’re still looking at different combinations and lineups and what guys are going to impact winning the most.
The team plans to head to Xenia for their season opener Sunday.
“I’m going to be anxious, I’m going to be a little bit nervous, but ultimately I’ll say it’s because you care and you want to do well and you want to perform well for our fans, our university, so there will be nervousness, there’s going to be anxious energy,” Graves said. “But once the ball is tipped and you’re into the game, you’re used to that moment and I’m really excited for it.”
The Sycamores have a handful of transfers who joined the team prior to this upcoming season — Tyran Cook, Samage Teel, Evansville native Jahni Summers, Camp Wagner, K’mani Doughty and Markus Harding. Incoming freshmen include Merritt Alderink and Jayan Walker. Returning players include Aaron Gray, Jaden Daughtry, Derek Vorst and redshirt freshman Cooper Bean.
When it comes to players to watch this season, Gray could be a factor on the glass and on the defensive side of things. Returning Sophomore Vorst and transfer Markus Harding are the tallest players on the team at 6 feet, 10 inches and with that should be looked at to be there with Gray on the defensive side and picking off rebounds.
While Bruno Alocen and Merritt Alderink are freshmen, they should be looked at as a key player as they run plays. The team is full of midsize 6-foot-plus players who should be able to contribute across the board.
Prior to conference play this season, the Sycamores will head to the Bahamas for a few games starting next Friday against Arkansas State at 4:30 p.m.
The first game of conference play is Dec. 7 at Missouri State, with tipoff at 8 p.m. Another big game in December is on Sunday, the 29th at Ohio State with tipoff time to be determined.
The Sycamores will head to St. Louis for the Arch Madness MVC tournament, which starts March 6 and concludes March 9.
