u25aa Like last season, Indiana State muddled through its non-conference schedule before jumping into the Missouri Valley Conference race.
The Sycamores are 4-1 in the MVC with wins over Illinois State and Northern Iowa. They went 6-6 in non-conference play against a schedule ranked No. 102 nationally. Last season, they went 4-8 in non-conference play before rebounding to start 5-0 in the Valley and finish tied for third at 11-7.
Coach Greg Lansing expected a better start to the season with three starters back. Poor three-point shooting and missed free throws hurt the Sycamores in losses to IUPUI (at home), Tulsa and at Eastern Illinois.