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| Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal |
Idaho State is talking rebounds.
Offensive or defensive, both are important, vital even, to a 3-2 Bengal squad still searching for respect.
Rebounds won’t win a game. They might not even guarantee a close one, but against the University of Utah (7-1) tonight, Idaho State had better crash the glass.
Sure, watching a few long-distance jumpers fall would be nice. And getting the occasional fast-break layup could do a lot for an underdog’s confidence — though ISU players say they already have that — if the Bengals want to pull a stunner in the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City against the Utes.
But they had better get a board or two.
Rebounding starts everything. It validates a solid defensive possession when the Bengals force a miss. If Ayibakuro Preh, Jeffrey Solarin, Andre Hatchett, whoever, grab the loose ball then ISU is off on a full sprint with senior point guard Tomas Sanchez leading the charge.
Offensive boards provide another chance, a second opportunity to run a defense ragged. How often is an O-board a prelude to a kick out pass for a wide open 3-pointer?
Last season’s 6-24 team had its issues and rebounding stood at the forefront. ISU finished last in the Big Sky Conference for rebounding margin (-5.9) and 333rd in the country (out of 345 Division I programs). The rebounding, or lack of it, hindered the Bengals’ offense (last in the league) and guaranteed they played defense for long stretches.
In tight games, too, a defensive stop is only complete when the errant shot is gobbled up by a defender.
Following head coach Bill Evans’ first year at ISU, the Bengals formed a recruiting class with rebounding in mind in the offseason. A guy like Solarin came in from Northwest College junior college with a very specific skill set — he gets after it under the basket.
Solarin, a junior, is averaging 8.5 rebounds, fourth best in the conference and he’s gobbling up a league-leading 5.25 offensive boards a game.
Last Friday against Carroll College, Solarin scored 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting. All his offensive boards underneath the basket have meant easy layups. The Denver, Colo., native has hit 25 of his 40 shot attempts (62.5 percent), second in the Big Sky.
“That’s one of the reasons I’m here — to rebound,” Solarin said after the Carroll game. “So my goal every game is to get as many rebounds as I can.”
And it’s not just Solarin. It’s a team mandate. Whether it’s 6-foot-9 Preh or the 6-3 Sanchez, every Bengal talks about rebounding.
Just ask Evans what’s important for Idaho State against Utah.
“We have to be fearless and we have to rebound the ball,” he said. “We have to rebound the basketball.”
They’ve recruited players better equipped to do it, and the Bengals have spent plenty of time in practice working through rebounding drills. So far, it’s worked.
Idaho State has gone from worst to first in rebounding margin, flipping that -5.9 from last season to a positive 6.0 this year. Granted, it’s early. ISU has played 17 percent of its schedule, but after the first five games of the 2012-13 season the Bengals were a -9.8 in rebounding.
Of course, that’s only a small part of what Idaho State has to do well against Utah. The Utes have outscored opponents 701-487 this season, and their lone blemish is a 69-67 loss to Boise State on the road.
Four players average double figures and they’re led by a dynamic duo, junior point guard Delon Wright and sophomore forward Jordan Loveridge.
Wright is a junior college transfer who poured in 23 points and dished out 12 assists in the Utes’ 90-77 victory against Fresno State last Saturday.
“We’re going to be the underdogs but in our locker room we feel like we have a good chance of winning, and we’re going to go in there with confidence,” Sanchez said.
Utah is the beginning of a four-game stretch for ISU that includes games against Washington, Idaho and Cal State Bakersfield, four teams with a combined record of 20-9. It’s arguably the toughest section of Idaho State’s schedule this year, and it all leads to conference action that kicks off Jan. 2.
But make no mistake, underdog or not, the Bengals head to Salt Lake City with one goal.
“Win ’em all. I’m not trying to be silly. That’s my goal and, of course, I’m realistic enough to know that we won’t always reach our goals but we’re going in there to win,” Evans said. “I can tell you that for dang sure.”
NOTES: Ajak Magot, the junior college transfer from Cochise College who broke his foot in Idaho State’s exhibtion game Nov. 4, could return from surgery for the CSU Bakersfield game Dec. 28. ... ISU is 3-19 all time against Utah, the last victory coming in Holt Arena 72-68 Dec. 6, 2008.
Idaho State at Utah
Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Radio: 930 CBS Sports or Rock 102.5
TV: Pac-12 Network
Web: isubengals.com (live stats)
Records: Idaho State is 3-2. Utah of the Pac-12 is 7-1.
Last outing: Idaho State beat Carroll College 77-50 on Friday. Utah outgunned Fresno State 90-77.
Up next: Idaho State heads to Seattle to face Washington Saturday.
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