MEN'S BASKETBALL: Streaky Apaches stay at .500
By Nate Bloomquist
Apache Editor
Call it a yo-yo, call it a bouncing ball, whatever you call it, the IVCC men’s basketball team isn’t playing consistently.
At press time, the Apaches were 5-5 overall with five games remaining in the semester. The team’s makeup, which has only one sophomore, is the reason for the team’s variation in level of play.
“We’re playing a lot like freshmen, which is what we are,” says head coach Mike Riley. “We get a great effort one game and then not so good of an effort in the next.”
To complicate things further, the Apaches are without Terrell Robinson, who was averaging close to 25 points per game. Robinson violated a team rule and is no longer on the team.
IVCC dropped its contest with Rock Valley, Dec. 2. by a score of 82-66. It was a game in which Riley feels was within the Apaches’ grasp.
“We just didn’t play with a lot of enthusiasm,” says Riley. “It just seems like every time we go up one or two games above the .500 mark we go back down.”
Riley says his players will need to step up in Robinson’s absence. So far, only one player has been up to the task - Pontiac product Jeremy Woodward. In the Dec. 2 game at home against Rock Valley. Woodward scored 29 points. In the three previous games he had an average of 22 points per game.
Riley says he also expects Matt Pusch and Sam Beyer to step up their play.
The Apaches have proven they can play to the level of better competition. In the Southeastern Iowa Tournament (Nov. 24-25) IVCC upset Florissant Valley, Mo., ranked No. 20 amongst D-I community colleges, by a score of 98-89.
“If we have everyone playing to their potential we can have some really good results,” says Riley. “If not, we don’t do nearly as well.”
IVCC has been struggling on the boards and on defense. The Apaches have been able to successfully run a match-up zone. However, that has left opponents open for treys, which they have been able to connect on, more than usually.
In some of IVCC’s losses this season, their opponents have shot better than 40 percent and almost 50 percent from beyond the three-point arch.
“There’s not a whole lot we can do when the other team does that,” says Riley. “It’s just disappointing to us. We’re running into some good shooters.”
And the Apaches have played well and still lost. Against Rock Valley (6-1) and Joliet (6-3), both of which IVCC lost, the Apaches had a strong showing.
“We played really tough against them,” says Riley. “There was a lot of enthusiasm there; Joliet just shot at 50 percent from three-point range.”
Riley says he believes some of the inconsistency is a result of players adjusting to their roles. At the beginning of the year Riley said it was something he was expecting from his young players.
“When you’re dealing with freshmen who were all stars in their own right in high school, it’s a bit of an adjustment,” says Riley. “The players are trying to adapt and to find their own roles. They all mature at a different rate. Hopefully by the time the conference season starts in January we’ll have everyone on board with what we’re trying to do.”
The Apaches have some important games coming up. On Saturday Dec. 9, IVCC will play against Oakton, a team it beat earlier in the season 91-63. The Apaches will play against Rock Valley again Dec. 12 and then host a couple of games in the men’s and women’s IVCC Classic on Dec. 15-16.
“I’m looking to see some more positive things out of these next few games as we develop,” says Riley. “We’re looking to be more consistent.”