Indiana State’s Journey is Going Well

Slessinger Praises Team and Graves

(St. Louis, MO) – When head coach Matthew Graves had to step away from coaching Indiana State for health reasons, the Sycamore season took a major shift. After a 2-1 start, we can say Indiana State’s journey is going well. Associate Head Coach Mark Slessinger took on the ‘interim head coach’ title and the team has rallied around one another and coach Graves.

Graves was experiencing chest tightness and after a medical examination it was determined that he needed triple bypass heart surgery. The late October operation was deemed a success and the 52-year-old is recovering well. He tells Valley Hoops Insider that he is ‘getting better every day, but that it is a slow process’.

Coach Graves is in our prayers.

Indiana State’s Journey – Edwardsville, Illinois

After Indiana State’s 64-55 road win over Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Slessinger and the Sycamores are rounding into shape. Bruno Alocen and Camp Wagner had battled injuries, but are playing meaningful minutes and Jo von Buggenhout and Hunter Harding are out with injuries of their own, different players are ‘stepping up’.

The Sycamores dominated the early portions of their game with SIUE, but the Cougars came roaring back to create a half-time tie. While the Sycamores are known for their offensive creativity and production, it was defense and rebounding that paved the way for the team’s first Division 1 win of the season.

They held SIUE to 23 second half points and forced the Cougars to connect on only twenty-eight percent of their second stanza shots.

Slessinger says his team needed to learn how to win a road game and the character they showed is a testament to their hard work and what coach Graves’ has instilled in his second team.

 

 

Growth and Development

Wagner, Markus Harding and Derek Vorst and Alocen are Indiana State’s most recognizable returners. All played a role in the victory. While Wagner led the ‘Trees’ with 16 points, Harding and Vorst shared the post combining to score 13 points and grabbing eleven rebounds. Alocen is still finding his shot, but contributed defensively and on the glass.

The 6’6 sharp-shooting Wagner had made just three of sixteen attempts from long distance coming into this contest. A four-for-ten night from long range is just what Indiana State needed. Slessinger says neither he nor ‘Camp Swagger’ had lost any confidence in his shooting ability. He went on to praise the Texas native’s work on the defensive end against SIUE’s Ring Malith.

 

 

Several people close to the program have hinted that Graves could return soon after the New Year.

Friday night the Sycamores take on the Duke Blue Devils before playing two straight games at home.

Do Good

 

Editor: Cover photo of Sterling Young, courtesy of gosycamores.com.