The men’s basketball team will face its second in-state exhibition opponent in a row when Indiana State visits Hinkle Fieldhouse on Oct. 18.
Here is what you need to know before the Bulldogs clash with the Sycamores:
Who: Indiana State vs. Butler
When: Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: WISH-TV
Getting tuned up
Fans in blue and white will pour into Hinkle regardless of the game, but while those fans will be cheering on the Dawgs, head coach Ronald Nored is not so concerned about the final score.
“I think the biggest thing at stake is our improvement,” Nored said. “That’s what this exhibition season is about.
There were plenty of positives to build on after Butler’s loss to Indiana in its first exhibition matchup, but a lot to improve upon as well. The Bulldogs’ scoring output was streaky and reliant on single players for extended stretches of game action. In addition, the bigs struggled against a supersized Hoosier frontcourt.
Nored pinpointed playing with pace and getting out in transition as one area to focus on.
“[That’s] who we are,” Nored said. “It’s what we want to do regardless of who we’re playing. We just have to make sure that we’re organized and pushing the ball in the way that we coach it … We could have done [that] at a higher rate and with more organization.”
The former point guard and current head man stressed efficiency at practice in the week following the loss to Indiana, getting on his players when they took unnecessary dribbles.
For Nored and his staff, a Missouri Valley Conference opponent should provide a smoother opportunity to get the details figured out.
Scouting the Sycamores
Indiana State’s first game action of the season will come when it takes the floor against the Bulldogs.
Much like many mid-major programs around the country, the Sycamores’ roster consists mostly of first-years and unheralded small-school transfers. That makes the players tough to get a read on, as even the Sycamores themselves will not know how they jell until they face off against unfamiliar faces.
Still, Nored and company know what to expect from the team from Terre Haute, Ind.
“Indiana State’s going to play a little bit differently,” Nored said. “They’ve been really good in the past with the way they move the ball and take the right shots, so it’s going to challenge us in a great way.”
What gives Nored such familiarity with the Sycamores? His time as a player, when now-Indiana State head coach Matthew Graves was sitting on Hinkle’s home sideline. Graves served as an assistant coach for the Dawgs for 10 years before three more as the associate head coach. He was on staff for Nored’s entire playing career.
“I’m excited about coaching against Coach Graves,” Nored said. “To have him back in Hinkle and be able to compete against him here is something that’s pretty special for both of us.”