Indiana State ranked for first time given that Bird
Feb 12, 2024, 01:23 PM ET Indiana State’s well balanced scoring, free-flowing offense and its goggle-wearing huge guy have the program off to one of its finest starts in years.Now the Sycamores have something that hasn’t happened because Larry Bird played in Terre Haute: an area in the AP Top 25. Riding a nine-game winning
streak, Indiana State debuted at No. 23 in The Associated Press guys’s college basketball poll Monday, the Sycamores’very first ranking since reaching No. 1 in 1978-79. Icon Sportswire”It’s a group that the community can truly cover their arms around, and I believe they have. That’s simply terrific to see, “Indiana State coach Josh Schertz told press reporters recently.” I know Terre Haute. They enjoy basketball. I understand there’s an excellent history and tradition, from Larry Bird to John Wooden to Clarence Walker.”UConn and Purdue kept the leading 2 spots in the AP Top 25. The safeguarding nationwide champ Huskies received 45 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel and the Boilermakers had 16. Schertz took control of the Indiana State program during the pandemic, acquiring a depleted lineup with no opportunity to get
players to go to school. Schertz patched together a team that won 11 games his very first season, and the Sycamores improved to 23-13 last season.Indiana State(22-3) has been on a roll in Schertz’s 3rd season, winning all 11 home games while taking a two-game lead over Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference at 11-1. The Sycamores have five players scoring in double figures, led by dynamic 5-foot-10 guard Isaiah Swope’s 17.7 points per game. Huge guy Robbie Avila has actually become a fan favorite with his goggles, balancing 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.Team Overall Points 1. UConn (45)22-2 2. Purdue(16 )22-2 3. Houston 21-3 4. Marquette 18-5 5. Arizona 19-5 6. Kansas 19-5 7. North Carolina 19-5 8. Tennessee 17-6 9. Duke 18-5 10.
| Iowa St. 18-5 11. South Carolina 21-3 12. | |
|---|---|
| Baylor 17-6 13. Auburn 19-5 14. Illinois 17-6 15. Alabama 17-7 | |
| 16. Dayton 19-4 | |
| 17. Creighton 17-7 | |
| 18. Saint Mary’s | |
| 20-6 19. BYU 17-6 20. Wisconsin 16-8 21. Virginia | |
| 19-5 22. Kentucky 16-7 23. Indiana St | |
| 22-3 24. FAU 19-5 25 | |
| . Oklahoma 18-6 Indiana | |
| State is 5th nationally in scoring at 85.6 points per game, ninth in 3-point portion(39 %)and is No. 1 in adjusted field goal | |
| portion, according to KenPom | . The combination |
| has the Sycamores eyeing their very first NCAA competition berth given that 2011 | |
| . “Our goal is we want to get to the NCAA tournament and advance,”Schertz | |
| said.”You never ever want to put ceilings | on yourself. You want |
| to get to the tournament and win games and reach you can. |
You saw what occurred in 2015 with Florida Atlantic and San Diego State playing in the Final Four– there’s absolutely nothing beyond your reach.”AT THE TOP Losses by No. 6 Kansas and No. 7 North Carolina resulted in a shake-up in the top 10 behind UConn and Purdue.Houston went up two spots to No. 5, Marquette rose 3 places
to No. 4 and No. 8 Arizona climbed up 3 following a sweep of the Pac-12’s mountain schools. Tennessee, Duke and Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones returned to the top 10 for the first time given that the 2021-22 season.RISING AND FALLING Iowa State and No. 11 South Carolina had the greatest jumps, each rising 4 spots.No. 20 Wisconsin had the most significant drop, falling 9 locations after losing four straight games.No. 22
Kentucky dropped 5 places after losing 3 straight games at Rupp Arena for the first time it opened in 1976.
The Wildcats had not lost 3 in a row in the house since the 1966-67 season, when they played at Memorial Coliseum.IN AND OUT No. 18 Saint Mary’s returned into the AP Top 25 for the very first time considering that the preseason survey after wins over Pacific and Portland. No. 19 Virginia went back to the poll for the very first time because mid-December thanks to an eight-game winning streak.No. 25 Oklahoma returned into the survey after leaving recently following wins over No. 18 BYU and competing Oklahoma State.Utah State dropped out from No. 22 after losing in the house to Nevada and beating Boise State. Texas Tech fell from No. 23 to unranked following a loss to No. 12 Baylor and a win over UCF.San Diego State likewise left from No. 24 after an overtime loss to Nevada.CONFERENCE ENJOY The Big 12 leads the nation with six ranked teams, followed by the SEC with five. The Atlantic Coast, Big 10 and Big East conferences were next with three. The Pac-12, Atlantic 10, West Coast, Missouri Valley and American Athletic conferences each had one.