Men's Basketball | 2/5/2016 9:45:00 AM
Game #23: Truman (17-5, 9-3 GLVC) at Indianapolis (16-4, 10-2 GLVC)
When: Saturday, February 6, 2016 || 2:15 p.m. (CST)
Where: Indianapolis, Ind. || Nicoson Hall
Audio: 104.7 FM KRES (Brad Boyer, Play-by- Play; Hank Janssen, Analyst) || Online Feed
Live Stats || Live Stats (Mobile) || Live Video
Series Record: Indianapolis leads, 2-0
Series Record in Indianapolis: Indianapolis leads, 1-0
Series Record Since Truman Joined GLVC: Indianapolis leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: February 14, 2015 || Indianapolis won, 83-64 (Kirksville, Mo.)
Last TSU Win vs. UIndy: N/A
Series Streak: Indianapolis – W2
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - All alone in first place atop the Great Lakes Valley Conference West division, the Truman men's basketball team looks to close out a four-game road trip with an unblemished record. However, to do so, the Bulldogs will have to defeat the toughest opponent of the trip, as the purple and white invade Indianapolis to face the UIndy Greyhounds at 2:15 p.m. (CT) on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (17-5, 9-3 GLVC) moved into a solo lead atop the GLVC West on Thursday night, battling Saint Joseph's in a 98-94 victory while Quincy slipped into a second-place tie with Drury at 8-4 in league play after a 98-66 defeat at Indianapolis. The Greyhounds, who check into Saturday afternoon at 16-4 overall (10-2 GLVC), sit one game back of East division-leading Bellarmine (18-3, 11-1 GLVC) and are tied with Wisconsin-Parkside (17-3, 10-2 GLVC) with six games to play on the conference schedule.
Truman got 21 points from redshirt junior forward Connor Erickson – tying his previous career-high – along with double-digit scoring efforts by redshirt senior Andrew Vander Zwaag (19), junior Kyle Kanaskie (17), and junior Billy Daniel (11) to top the Pumas by four points. The Bulldogs shot 53% from the field and converted on 30-of-39 free throw opportunities to earn their ninth GLVC win. In addition, Truman out-rebounded Saint Joseph's by a 40-34 margin, marking the second straight game the under-sized Bulldogs have scrapped their way to an edge on the glass.
Saturday will mark the third time that Truman and UIndy have met on the hardwood, with all three meetings coming since the Bulldogs joined the GLVC in the 2013-14 season. In the last trip to Indianapolis two seasons ago, the Greyhounds got a buzzer-beating lay-in by Tyrae Robinson to defeat the 'Dogs 75-73. Then, last season, UIndy – ranked seventh in the nation at the time – got 22 points from Jordan Loyd and a 12-point, seven-assist game from Lucas Barker to out-duel the Bulldogs by an 83-64 score in Pershing Arena. Andrew Vander Zwaag has averaged 12.5 points per game in the two meetings against UIndy, while Cole Myers scored nine points in last season's battle.
Chris Foster is in his second season as the head coach of the Bulldogs and is in his third season with the program overall. He has a career record of 37-15 (.712) and was a former standout guard at the University of Northern Iowa, where he ranks among the program's top-10 in games played, assists, and three-pointers. Foster was a member of UNI's 2003 and 2004 NCAA Div. I tournament squads. He is assisted by Mike Annese, who returned to the program this season after a one-year stint at Minnesota-Crookston, and graduate assistant Nik Koprivica.
About the Bulldogs:
The Bulldogs come into Saturday afternoon as winners of five straight – the longest active streak in the GLVC – and are shooting 47.4% from the floor as a team, which includes a 35.3% mark from three-point range. Truman is shooting 71.6% from the foul line and has forced 123 more turnovers (376-253) than it has committed.
The Bulldogs remain one of the nation's most balanced squads, as five different players are averaging double-figures offensively. Junior Kyle Kanaskie holds team lead in scoring average at 12.5 per game. However, he is closely followed by redshirt junior Connor Erickson (12.1 ppg/ 4.2 prg) and redshirt junior Cory Myers (11.9 ppg/ 4.2 rpg/ 84 assists/ 41 steals). Senior Cole Myers (11.2 ppg) and senior Andrew Vander Zwaag (10.4 ppg) round out the top-5 in scoring for the 'Dogs.
Truman continues to lead the GLVC in turnover margin (+5.6) and steals per game (9.6). The Bulldogs also remain second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34-to-1) and three-pointers (9.2 per game), while once again entering the week as the nation's No. 2 team in turnover margin, trailing St. Edward's (Texas) who holds the top spot at +7.2.
GLVC Tournament Outlook:
With this week's worth of play taking us down to a one-hand count of games left on the regular season docket, teams have begun to set their sights on the 2015 GLVC post-season tournament, to be held from February 28 through March 6 on both campus sites and at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
The top 12 teams will earn a berth, with the top-4 seeds earning an automatic bye into the quarterfinal round and a direct ticket to St. Charles. Seeds 5-8 will play host to seeds 9-12 on campus sites on Sunday, Feb. 28, with the four first-round winners advancing to the quarterfinals.
Heading into Saturday afternoon, Truman's one-game lead in the West puts them just clear of both Quincy and Drury – both at 8-4 in league play. Truman's "magic number" to clinch a post-season berth is just one, as either a win Saturday or losses by any two of UMSL, MCK, or UIS will put Truman in the field. The Bulldogs also hold a "magic number" of three to clinch – at minimum – a first-round home game. Bellarmine, UIndy, and UW-Parkside are in the postseason tournament and are inching closer to a top-8 seed and guaranteed bye or first-round home game.
If the tournament started before Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs would be the No. 2 seed and would receive a first-round bye.
Scouting the Greyhounds:- UIndy is averaging 83.7 ppg (3rd in GLVC) offensively while giving up 75.7 ppg (8th in GLVC) on the defensive end. The 'Hounds lead the league in free throw shooting (80.2%) and are fourth in three-pointers made at 8.2 per game.
- The Greyhounds are a stout 10-1 at home this season and are a combined 35-2 in Nicoson Hall during the last three seasons. UIndy will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, with four straight road games to follow before a Thursday night season-ending home game against Saint Joseph's on Feb. 24.
- UIndy features a balanced scoring group from players 2-6 in the scoring column; however, the difference-maker offensively is senior guard Jordan Loyd (#3), who is averaging 19.9 ppg (3rd in GLVC) and 6.6 rebounds per game (12th in GLVC) with 40 steals (3rd in GLVC).
- Joe Retic (#24; Sr., 6-foot-4) is the other 'Hound in double-figures at 10.7 ppg, while Lucas Barker (#11; Sr., 6-foot-0) runs the offensive and averages 9.7 points and 4.5 assists per game.
- Stan Gouard is in his eighth season at the helm of the UIndy program and has posted a 145-76 record at the school.
Pick Your Poison:
As balanced as the Bulldogs have been all season long in scoring with five players in double-figures, a second glance is typically needed when looking at the Truman scoring lineup in conference-only games. Truman has five players in double-figures through 12 league games as well, but it's how tight the numbers are that show the balance of the Bulldog offense.
12.5 / 12.3 / 11.9 / 11.4 / 11.4 // 9.7
That sextet consists of – in scoring order – Kyle Kanaskie, Cole Myers, Connor Erickson, Cory Myers, Andrew Vander Zwaag, and Dwight Sistrunk Jr. As a group, they are shooting 47.5% (team – 46.0%) overall, 36.3% (team-34.1%) from three, and 75.9% (team-71.8%) from the foul line.
Bulldog Tweet-ables (140 characters or less):- #80IsGravy: 'Dogs have won all 30 games under HC Foster when scoring at least 80 points (15-0 in 2015-16).
- #UniWatch: 'Dogs have three uni combos this season – 12-2 in whites, 3-2 in purples, and 2-1 in anthracite greys.
- #NoLeadTooBig: The Bulldogs have come from 10 points down to win twice this season (CU, 11/28; UMSL, 1/21).
- #HappyNewYear: Truman went 7-2 this year in January; 14-5 in month under HC Foster.
- #ForceTheMistakes: In 22 games this season, Truman has had equal/fewer turnovers than opponents 20 times (17-3 in those games).
- #Familiarity: Truman has jogged out the same starting five each of the last nine games: 12, 22, 30, 32,45
- #MBBHistory: Saturday's game will mark the 2,228th in program history. TSU has a 1,147-1,080 overall record (.515) in 96th season.
- #MasseySays: The Bulldogs are ranked No. 52 in the nation by Massey, online CPU rankings of D2 MBB.
- #MasseySaysSquared: According to Massey, the 'Dogs rank between Div. I Drake (#337) and Lipscomb (#339) amongst all NCAA programs.
Hank's History Lesson – February 6:- Truman is 13-10 all-time in games played on February 6.
- The Bulldogs last won on the date in the 2013-14 season, when Truman defeated Southern Indiana by a 71-68 score in overtime in Pershing Arena. Vander Zwaag scored 22 points off the bench, as Truman overcame a six-point halftime deficit to improve to 16-4 on the season.
I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends:
Truman has been incredibly generous with the rock this season, averaging more than 15 assists per game overall. The Bulldogs, who have topped the 20-assist mark in a game five times this season, are 11-0 this year and 24-3 during the past two seasons when they dish out at least 15 assists in a game.
"Three"sy-Peesy:
Truman has seen sustained success from distance throughout program history, with the Bulldogs having made at least one three-pointer in every game since Feb. 12, 2003 – a stretch of 357 consecutive games.
In addition, the No. 13 has been the Bulldogs' lucky/unlucky number this season, as Truman has knocked down 13 triples in a game five times this year. In order to make the program's all-time single-game team top-10, a current eight-way tie for eighth-most is currently held by the No. 14.
Vander Zwaag Reaches 100; Myers Eyes It:
Senior guard Andrew Vander Zwaag played in his 100th game as a Bulldog last week, while fellow senior backcourt mate Cole Myers is just two away at 98. To crack the top-10 at Truman, the magic number 110, with the Bulldogs having five more regular season games after Saturday.
Checking the Career Charts:
Four Bulldog regulars are creeping up on a handful of career individual charts, as senior Andrew Vander Zwaag, senior Cole Myers, junior Cory Myers, and junior Kyle Kanaskie have each seen their all-time numbers climb in recent outings.
Vander Zwaag now ranks seventh all-time in three-point attempts (481) and eighth in three-point makes (184). He needs two more makes to match Andy Guethle's 7th-best mark of 186 (1996-200), with Austin Kirby's 199 (2003-07) next in sight for sixth-most all-time.
Meanwhile, the Myers twins continue to race each other up the career steals chart, as Cole now has a four steal lead on Cory at 128-124. The elder (by athletic year) is now eighth all-time, having passed Gary Bussard's four-year total of 126 (1980-83) last Saturday, with the younger (again, by athletic year) in 10th all-time. Jason Reinberg (1996-2000) is seventh on the all-time list with 136.
Cory (a redshirt junior) has also moved past Ethan Freeman into eighth all-time on the career assist chart with 298, leaving him next behind Banks Estridge's mark of 319 (2005-09) for 7th place.
Kanaskie isn't quite eligible for the program's all-time free throw percentage list at this point, as he needs just two more makes to reach 100 made for his career (the minimum standard). However, his current clip of 89.1% (98-for-110) would be first place overall, as Tom Norton (2009-13) has the current top spot at 85.8% (211-for-246).
Up Next:
The gauntlet of the GLVC schedule continues into next weekend, as the Bulldogs return home to take on nationally-ranked Wisconsin Parkside (17-3, 10-2 GLVC) and Lewis (16-6, 8-4 GLVC) in Pershing Arena on Thursday and Saturday. Tipoff against the UWP Rangers is set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 11) night before a 3 p.m. Senior Day tipoff against the Flyers on Saturday (Feb. 13) afternoon.
