So here we are, at long last....

Indiana State Sycamores (9-3) vs. Loyola Ramblers (5-7), Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Indiana
Wednesday, January 1 2:05 PM

After finishing 18-15 last year, 9-9 in conference, the Sycamores were the concensus #2 pick in the conference in preseason polls on the strength of the fact that they brought back every core member of last year's team. Two early season one-point losses at Belmont and vs. Tulsa at the Great Alaska Shootout may have derailed their RPI a bit (#97), but the Trees showed their potential and earned an impressive quality win with an 83-70 victory at Notre Dame. Their only other loss was at highly-regarded St. Louis.

Led by the double-digit scoring trio of 6'4" senior guard Jake Odum (13.4), 6'5" senior guard/forward Manny Arop (12.9), and 6'9" forward Justin Gant (12.8), Indiana State is a deep, mature and cohesive team. Nine of their players have played in every one of their 12 games, ten have played in 11 or more, eight players have made two or more starts, and eight players average 13 minutes or more per game. Gant, Arop, and Khristian Smith each shoot 48% or better from behind the arc, and the team as a whole leads the MVC in 3-pt. FG % by a wide margin with a blistering 43.8%.

The Trees out-rebound their opponents, but it's done by committee-- Odum leads the way with 4.5 boards. Don't plan on forcing them to the free throw line, either, because they lead the MVC in that category also, knocking down 74.7% of their freebies. The trio of Arop, Gant, and Odum each average 80% or better.

Loyola game notes: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/loy ... 230aaa.pdf

ISU game notes: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/loy ... a_insu.pdf

Listen: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/luc.portal#

Watch (pay): http://www.gosycamores.com/liveEvents/l ... m_id=15200

First off, welcome to the Missouri Valley. Registered back during the announcement but just now got activated. I run Sycamore Pride, the Indiana State version of Ramblermania and I liked your addition to the conference because I was born in Chicago and love the city. Really hope in future years our road game with you guys can be a Saturday game so I can trip up.

If any of you are interested, feel free to join in on our game thread: http://www.sycamorepride.com/showthread.php?28846

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Sycamore Pride

Article on tomorrow's game from the Terre Haute Tribune-Star: http://m.tribstar.com/TTS/db_265928/con ... d=BpNtz79o

First let me say I'm sorry about the delay in approving your membership. It had nothing to do with you, just the fact that I was innundated with spam membership requests back in July, when you joined. I had the same trouble at MVCfans.com when I tried to join.

Second, I really admire the SycamorePride Web site. It has-- BY FAR-- the best graphics and look of any fan web site in the MVC. I can also tell that you've put a lot of work in on making it a civil and comfortable site for all Sycamore fans. Stupendous job-- I'm envious.

Third, I'd recommend to all Loyola fans that you visit the thread (linked above) on the game tomorrow. Matt O'Leary's brother-- a lifelong Sycamore fan-- writes a lot about how Matt ended up at Loyola, his recruiting process, and his analysis of Loyola's season thus far. Nicely done.

I am also hopeful that all MVC fans can take the trip to Chicago to see in person what Loyola has to offer the conference. Even as a grizzled veteran of basketball disappointment over the past 20+ years, the infrastructure, financial health, and commitment to the sports programs growing in the future is quite evident and somewhat impressive. We've been mocked as being a token admit to the conference based solely on our market, but seeing the vastness of the market in person-- especially for bumpkins-- tends to shut off that criticism pretty quick. Seeing the majesty of Lake Michigan lapping at our shore, the impressiveness of our campus, and looking deep into the numbers that back it all up makes us an alley-oop slam-dunk. I'm glad that a lot of MVC fans are realizing it now, even as we've pretty much stunk up the joint in the non-con.

I'll be there cheering on the Ramblers today. Anyone else making trip?

We are hanging tough early, but we're getting killed on the offensive glass!

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MBB Scholarship Chart

24-23 Ramblers. Under 9 left. ISUblue has taken almost double the amount of shots and is shooting near 50%.

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Cigarboy sucks!

I believe we have the board advantage but are having some issues on the defensive side.

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Cigarboy sucks!

That's just because we aren't missing many shots. We have 7 DEF rebounds to their 6 OFF rebounds.

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MBB Scholarship Chart

Hey, you take it where you can get it.

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Cigarboy sucks!