At first glance, the 7th place finish that's predicted for Greg Lansing's Sycamores seems a bit insulting, since the Coach and top player are still around from ISU's 2011 Missouri Valley Conference title team. Upon further review, I think the Sycamores are in a perfect position. There's no denying they have some extremely talented newcomers that will be added into the mix. The top two newcomers, Khristian Smith and Manny Arop, each had to sit out last season, so expecting them to be at their best, right off the bat is probably too much to ask.
More importantly, expecting a team that will be forming a new identity to be properly gelled early on, is also too much to ask. Hence patience is needed from Sycamore fans early, while it is easy to see how someone outside of Terre Haute, might look at the roster, and wonder what this group will be like without regulars Lathan, Richard and Printy.
The good news is the brief track record of head coach Greg Lansing. When he took over it was not an overnight process for him to instill the toughness, mindset, and practice habits he wanted for this program. He also inherited a team that had a brutal early season schedule. The result might have been a 3-5 start, but once this team forged an identity, they went on to become a respectable 3rd place team in the regular season, and eventually a conference tournament champion.
This season's schedule is not easy (at UCLA, New Mexico), but it also isn't as harsh as the 2010-11 slate. It will take some time for Lansing to figure out roles, and rotations, and for Smith and Arop to get their bearings as they return to competitive basketball. The optimistic, glass-half full side of me, knows that they have more talent than most people realize. I know Jake Odum is healthier than he was last year, and I know they don't have a senior on the roster. This is a process with this group, one that will be worth watching unfold, and one that should have many good times ahead, over the next couple of seasons and beyond.
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