| ‘Birds look to finish nonconference slate undefeated |
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| Written by Tony Andracki, Daily Vidette Sports Editor |
| Friday, 04 December 2009 03:31 |
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While the rest of the campus is getting ready for finals, the ISU men’s basketball team is preparing for a month’s worth of games on top of classwork and exams. Winter break is just around the corner and after the Basketball Travelers Classic concluded on Sunday, the Redbirds have just two games in the next two weeks, providing ample time to improve their game on the hardwood. “Because we have so many days in a row this week and next week, we’re not just practicing for our next opponent, we’re trying to head in a direction for big picture stuff and make sure that we got as many things in as we need to,” ISU head coach Tim Jankovich said. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there a little bit. It’s been great for us. “I really like the schedule laid out with the three games [last weekend]. I thought that really helped us. I think this week of practice will really help us also.”  The ‘Birds have five nonconference games remaining on their agenda, beginning with Central Michigan at home on Saturday. Niagara (Dec. 13) and Grambling State (Dec.22) also make the trek to Redbird Arena while the Redbirds take flight Dec. 16 to head to Ohio University. Three days later, ISU will battle the Utes of the University of Utah Dec. 19 for their final nonconference game. With a 6-0 record heading into the home stretch of the nonconference season, Jankovich and the Redbirds understand the importance of using the next five games to improve before they hit conference play. “It’s critical,” Jankovich said. “We’re not last year’s team with all juniors and seniors. Our juniors last year were old guys. Our juniors this year are really, really new guys. “We have to keep improving. We’re not where we need to be, but I think anybody who’s watched us would say that we’ve become a much better team, especially over the last two or three weeks. We still have areas that we need to work on and we have to get better in a lot of ways.” The Redbirds won’t have much time to rest after their nonconference and final schedules end as they begin Missouri Valley Conference play a week later when Wichita State comes to town Dec. 29. ISU, who finished the 2008-09 season in third place in the Valley with an 11-7 conference record, will play five MVC games over winter break with road contests Jan. 1 (Missouri State) and Jan. 6 (Evansville) and home games Jan. 3 (Southern Illinois) and Jan. 9 (Northern Iowa). With Valley play looming, Jankovich knows how important experience is in conference matchups, something his team does not have with just three guys who played an extensive amount last year. The other teams in the MVC, however, don’t have that same issue, as Northern Iowa, for example, returns their entire roster from their Valley Championship last season. “[The MVC] is really strong,” Jankovich said. “It’s a great league. It always has been a great league. But, this year, there are some teams that are very, very experienced and returning most everybody, most all the key guys. Six of their top eight, five out of their top six, those types of things. “[Plus] they were already good teams last year. Now they’re even better. So, I think it’s gonna be a tremendous conference this year. And we’ll have our work cut out for us for those reasons, trying to catch that experience. That’s why what we’re doing [in practice] right now is so important.” |
