ISU continues rapid-fire start to season with trip to Myrtle Beach

Nov. 17—The rapid-fire state of play for the Indiana State men's basketball is just what coach Josh Schertz wanted for a team with scant Division I experience.

ISU finds itself in the middle of a six-game, 12-day stretch and will clear the back end of the grueling stretch when it takes part in the Myrtle Beach Invitational — starting at 9 p.m. Thursday against Old Dominion.

ISU will play three games in four days at Coastal Carolina's HTC Center in Conway, S.C., several miles inland from Myrtle Beach itself.

ISU has already had a variety of experiences to draw upon. The opening 81-77 win at Green Bay tested the Sycamores' mettle. The 92-67 loss at then-No. 7 Purdue on Friday demonstrated what it's like to play against Division I elite. Then, Sunday's 90-49 win over Division III Hanover put the Sycamores in a position where they had to recover from a loss on short notice.

"The best thing you can do with a group that has newness to this system and to this level is to play. We got to experience a wide variety of things," Schertz said. "We're learning a lot about ourselves in six games over 12 days."

The Hanover game may have been against a foe in a lower division, but it gave the Sycamores some useful things they hope to build on. Schertz spread out the minutes and rested core players. Everyone got minutes — an important thing considering the short turnarounds ISU will deal with in the Palmetto State.

"Our depth is improving and that's what's going to be called on in Myrtle. We'll have foul trouble and fatigue. We're going to need everyone in Myrtle to be able to play. I normally play seven or eight. Even in rotation times, we'll play nine or ten in Myrtle," Schertz said.

Another welcome development was improved 3-point shooting. ISU struggled in its first five halves of the season, but it perked up and converted 9 of 16 in the second half of Sunday's victory.

Schertz has been waiting for shots to fall. ISU has consistently been creating open looks, even against Purdue last Friday.

"We chart good play percentage. That's an uncontested layup, free throws, or a paint-touch or rotation three. Generally, if you hit 70% on your play percentage? You're going to win. You're running great offense," Schertz said. "Even at Purdue, we had about five layups that were erased that wouldn't be erased by any other team in the country. We also generated 19 uncontested threes, but only made four."

ISU opens against Old Dominion. The Monarchs enter at 2-1, with wins over Manhattan and Virginia Wesleyan. ODU lost to James Madison.

Like so many teams, the Monarchs have had quite a bit of roster churn. Forward Kalu Ezikpe leads ODU at 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. One transfer — C.J. Keyser from North Carolina Central after a two-year stint at Wichita State — averages 15.8 points.

"They're trying to play in transition. They're running on misses. The things that jump out are their athleticism and physicality," Schertz said. "They're terrors on the glass. It's almost like the shot is whatever, it just initiates the offense and then they all go to the glass and they fly in there. It will challenge our ability to defensive rebound. That's an area where we haven't been as physical as we need to be."

ISU played ODU in its last tournament trip to South Carolina — a 62-44 loss at the Charleston Classic in 2017. None of the players who played in that game will be active on Thursday.

ISU will play the winner or loser of the Oklahoma-East Carolina game on Friday at either 5:30 or 7:30 p.m.

—Peterson close to return — Freshman guard Quimari Peterson is not expected to play at Myrtle Beach, but he did return to practice this week.

Schertz wants to make sure Peterson is up to speed before he throws him into a game. Until then? Peterson's value is to provide another body in practice, something ISU sorely needs.

"He's cleared to resume. We have 13 guys in practice for the first time since early September," Schertz said.

—Key surgery — ISU senior guard Tyreke Key had his surgery on Friday. Schertz said it was successful.

"It went well. It's great that it was done. The normal surgery of that type takes about 90 minutes. His took two hours, that's how much damage there was. The surgery was a success and he'll make a complete recovery," Schertz said.

Schertz also explained the player-coach role Key will take on as he rehabilitates and recovers.

"He'll sit in on the scouting meetings and have responsibility on the bench. We want him to take this window of time where he can't play or work out and improve his understanding of the game and see it from a different perspective. He can grow mentally and enhance his basketball IQ, so when he takes the court, he can be an improved player without having touched a basketball. That's the goal," Schertz noted.

ISU vs. Old Dominion — Myrtle Beach Invitational

Tipoff — 9 p.m. Thursday at HTC Center, Conway, S.C.

Broadcasts — TV: ESPNU. Radio: WZJK-FM (105.5). Twitter: @TribStarTodd.

Records — ISU 2-1, ODU 2-1.

Series — ODU leads 1-0. The Monarchs beat ISU in 2017 at the Charleston Classic.

Last time out — ISU defeated Hanover 90-49 on Sunday. ODU defeated Manhattan 79-58 on Monday.

Next — The winner and loser gets the winner or loser of Oklahoma-East Carolina at 5 or 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Myrtle Beach Invitational

Thursday

Game 1 — Davidson (1-1) vs. New Mexico State (2-0), Noon. (ESPNU)

Game 2 — Penn (2-2 or 1-3) vs. Utah State (1-1), 2 p.m. (ESPNU)

Game 3 — Oklahoma (2-0) vs. East Carolina (3-0), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Game 4 — Indiana State (2-1) vs. Old Dominion (2-1), 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

Friday

Game 5 — Winners of Game 1 and Game 2, Noon (ESPN2)

Game 6 — Losers of Game 1 and Game 2, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)

Game 7 — Winners of Game 3 and Game 4, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Game 8 — Losers of Game 3 and Game 4, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Sunday

Seventh place game, 12:30 p.m. (ESPNews)

Fifth place game, 6 or 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU or ESPN2)

Third place game, 6 or 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU or ESPN2)

Championship, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)