Missouri Valley Conference Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25
No. 8 – Indiana State Sycamores
After last year’s magical, 32-win season, every player with significant playing time and the head coach all left Terre Haute. Coach Josh Schertz and all-Valley players Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope left for Saint Louis.
Three other all-MVC players left for other programs. Jayson Kent and Julian Larry moved to Texans and Ryan Conwell headed to Xavier.
Indiana State promoted Schertz assistant Matthew Graves to continue the Sycamore success. This is Graves’ second shot at a head coaching position. The former Butler star coached four seasons at South Alabama.
With virtually every player of significance gone, Graves is in full rebuild mode. Returners Aaron Gray, Jaden Daughtry and Derek Vorst know the exotic Sycamore offense and are teaching the newcomers. None of those players started a game or played over five minutes per game.
Vorst was Avila’s backup and knows the role, but isn’t the same kind of player. Big things were expected of the 6’7 Gray upon his arrival in Terre Haute, but injuries hampered his beginning and then he never got untracked. Graves believes Gray and Daughtry can be very productive Valley players. Gray averaged over twelve points at Niagara in 2023.
Double-digit scoring Division 1 transfers Samage Teel, Tyan Cook and Markus Harding bring some explosive scoring to the Sycamore stable. Teel’s 42 percent three-point shooting percentage makes him the perfect fit in Graves’ offense. The 6’10 Harding isn’t known as a three-point shooter and Cook is a versatile guard who can score, rebound and distribute.
Junior college transfer Jahni Summers average 18 points for Coffeyville Community College and was named to jucorecruits.com’s ‘Fabulous 50 Freshman’ list.
Graves’ freshman class is impressive. Merritt Alderink, Jayan Walker and Bobby Cannon are three-star recruits with extensive resumes.
Indiana State fans have set a record for season ticket sales, but Graves is preaching patience. This Sycamore team has the talent to compete, but it will take some time for the team to approach the heights of last year’s NIT runner up.