By Yaneek Smith

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A lot of freshmen basketball players sit the bench and hardly get a chance to see much game action, whether it’s in high school or college.

But Indiana State University 6-f0ot-10, 250-pound freshman forward Derek Vorst has been playing his share of minutes in his inaugural season with the team.

The Rossford alum has played in 16 games for a team that went 28-7 and won the Missouri Valley Conference title, finishing one game ahead of Drake. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs defeated the Sycamores, 84-80, in the MVC Tournament championship game Sunday, ensuring Drake of the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

ISU rallied from an 18-point deficit to take the lead late in the game, but the Bulldogs were able to find a way to take back control and eke out the win.

Will the Sycamores get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament? It’s unlikely, but certainly not possible.

ISU is currently ranked 43rd in the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings but doesn’t have any marquee wins other than a 76-74 victory over Toledo back in November.

If the Sycamores don’t get into the NCAA Tournament, there’s a realistic shot at them earning a spot in the National Invitational Tournament.

Vorst, who led Rossford to district and league titles last year under the direction of his father, Brian, talked about adjusting to the college game.

“I wouldn’t say it’s more difficult than I thought, but the same. It’s definitely faster, I struggled with that at first — I had some faster teams in high school and AAU — and that helped me prepare,” he said. “Physicality is the hardest thing to adjust to. I’m not the biggest guy out there. I was in high school, but not now.

“All my life, when I was younger, I always played up age-wise, which has really prepared me for this. When I was in third grade, I’d be playing against fifth or sixth graders. Coming into a college with a whole new system, a new offense and new coaches, persistence has helped me the most and staying on course. Besides that, just being coachable.”

Five ISU players are averaging between 10.7 points and 17.5 points per game.

The leading scorer is 6-10 center Robbie Avila, who is averaging 17.5 points, followed closely by four guards in Isaiah Swope (16.5 ppg) and Ryan Conwell (16.3 ppg). The rest of the starting lineup includes Jayson Kent, who is averaging 12.6 points, and Julian Larry, fifth on the team with 10.7 points per game.

Vorst says there are reasons why the team is playing so well.

“I really think it’s the chemistry between us. Coming into the year, there were eight newcomers and five scholarship players,” he said. “We really just fit together very well. We’ve had some success thus far. We play for each other instead of going out for (ourselves).

“It’s been nice compared to being on a losing team. It’s more enjoyable to play on a winning team, especially in the Valley, where anyone is capable of beating anyone. The skill sets and the physicality, anyone can win if you catch someone on a bad night.

“Everyone wants to respond after they lose. The hard thing is to respond when you’re facing success. That’s the toughest thing about winning, but it’s definitely more enjoyable than a team that’s 2-25.”

The coach of the Sycamores, Josh Schertz, cut his teeth in Division II, coaching at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. He won 83% of his games there, going 337-69 in 13 seasons leading the Railsplitters.

Schertz’s teams went to 10 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, won 14 total conference championships and three Southeast Regional titles, and had five seasons of 30-or-more victories.

“(The coaches) like to think of it as a players-first program. They’re real cool guys, they’re mentors for us. They’ll correct you when needed, (but) their doors are always open if you need to talk or if you need help with anything,” said Vorst.

“They’re real cool, real welcoming. No one on the staff is a screamer, which is a change of pace after (playing for) my dad. I really like the staff here.”

The MVC, known to basketball fans as The Valley, stretches across Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. There are 12 teams in the league, one of the best mid-major conferences in the country. For decades, a number of MVC schools have made noise by pulling off upsets in the NCAA Tournament.

As you might expect, it’s made for long bus rides as the team travels throughout the Midwest.

Still, Vorst has to manage his studies with playing basketball.

“I manage. I had good grades in the first semester. It’s not too bad. I get a lot of work done on the bus. We have long bus rides, so it’s not unmanageable,” Vorst said.

“We’ve flown probably five or six times, (but) we usually take the bus. For most of the league games, we drive, except for the ones in Iowa.”

Sports fans know that basketball in Indiana is like religion. The home to basketball legends like John Wooden and Larry Bird, who is an ISU alum, the Hoosier state is obsessed with basketball like Ohio is with football.

Terre Haute, where ISU is located, is home to over 58,000 people and is located in the heart of the Crossroads of America. It is 78 miles southwest of Indianapolis and is located in the middle of Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville and Cincinnati.

And while it may not be the biggest city, Terre Haute is home to a great deal of people who are excited about basketball, specifically the Sycamores.

“It’s standard city, a big basketball town,” said Vorst. “Being recognized out at the store is pretty cool. People care about the team.”