After giving up a 'layup drill' to Southern Illinois in the first half, Wichita State picked up their second half defense.

"We mixed up our defenses a little better, tried to take them out of rhythm," head coach Greg Marshall said. "They got in great rhythm to start the game. They started the big lineup and pounded it in. The second half we just mixed up our defenses a little more."

"They really struggle with their point guard play," said the Shockers' Toure' Murry. "We switched defenses and went to a zone and really caused some havoc."

Southern Illinois had a 40-26 lead over Wichita State with 1:46 remaining in the second half, but were out scored 48-24 over the remaining 21+ minutes of their 74-64 loss.

"Our guards played great," said SIU coach Chris Lowery. "They showed up. We took them out of everything they tried to do, and then it flip-flopped. They hit a couple of shots and we became nervous for some reason and we allowed that press to really bother us."

The Shockers picked up their defense and also began to press down the stretch.

"Their press changed it," Lowery said. "It was something we worked on for two days. They got into it and we turned it over two straight times and the third time we get Carlton a foul. Seck was the only guy we had that played with no fear attacking their press."

Southern Illinois guards have historically been tenacious on defense and efficient on offense.

This is what head coach Chris Lowery is attempting to accomplish with his 10-10 team.

"That's the one thing that's always defined us," Lowery said. "Right now, our guard play is not consistent. When our guards are consistent, that's when we play well."

SIU ranks ninth in the MVC with an 0.8 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference games.

Former Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, who guided the men's team for four seasons, has come out of retirement to coach at Roanoke Catholic School in Virginia.

Hodges coached during the legendary 1978-79 campaign that ended with the Sycamores losing to Michigan State 75-64 in the NCAA championship game at Salt Lake City.

“My daughter [Zoie Park] had taken a job teaching at Roanoke Catholic,” Hodges told the Tribune-Star. “Their coach had retired and they talked me into doing it [in March 2010].

“I had moved up here [to Virginia] to be close to my grandkids, and I started teaching [world history] at William Fleming High School.”

After leaving Indiana State with a 67-48 career record in 1982, he landed head-coaching jobs at Georgia College (1986-91) and Mercer University (1991-97).

Indiana State has spread the basketball around this season, which has been hard for the Missouri Valley Conference to handle.

Nine different Sycamores have had at least one double-figure scoring game since MVC action began in December.

“I think I’d defend us the same other coaches are, to tell the truth,” coach Greg Lansing said. “It just boils down to having players to make plays so you can win games.”

The team's scoring versatility, along with its defense, has made the Sycamores hard to defend.

“When me and Dwayne went down, I think that helped us a lot in the way that guys got confidence and came together. Now that me and Dwayne are back and tried to fit in the best we can, it’s added to our repertoire,” Kelly said. “Everybody can pick each other up and it makes us hard to guard.”

San Diego State is one of only three teams without a loss in Division I men's basketball.

"We feel like we can play with anybody," forward Kawhi Leonard said.

It was revealed on Monday that the Aztecs are ranked No. 6 in the nation, which didn't sit well with fans.

"It says we have a very special team and our fans notice it," senior point guard D.J. Gay said. "When they’re down that we didn’t move up, that just shows that the backing that we have from this city and it’s something special."

SDSU is 19-0 and has at least five résumé victories (Gonzaga and New Mexico on the road, St. Mary’s, Wichita State and UNLV at home).

“I’m not surprised at all,” Gay said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

The Evansville Aces are 9-8 this season, including 3-4 in MVC play, but they are starting to show some toughness.

"We've played a little better the last three games and hopefully we're getting more confident," said coach Marty Simmons. "But it all comes down to having to do it each time out."

The Aces were treated to a double feature of "True Grit" and "The Fighter" on the bus ride home from a conference road game over the weekend.

"True grit, that's what we need," said senior center Pieter van Tongeren.

Still, Evansville is a work in progress.

"We're figuring some things out," said sophomore guard Colt Ryan. "Down the stretch, we're making more plays. We've just got to make sure on the defensive end that we're still clamping down, especially near the end of the game. That's big for us."

Indiana State improved to 4-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference with a win over Drake.

There were seven times on Sunday when ISU led by more than seven points.

“That showed people how much tougher we’re getting. We wouldn’t have won that game last year because we’d build those leads early and get complacent.

“Lately, we’ve been doing a better job with our toughness,” said ISU center Isiah Martin.

ISU (9-7, 4-1) is tied with Creighton and Wichita State for second in the MVC.

Illinois State held an early lead against favored Wichita State on Friday night before they went ice cold from long range.

The Redbirds led 19-14 with more than eight minutes left in the first half of the eventual 65-51 defeat.

They finished 3-for-19 from three-point range.

“They out-toughed us,” said Austin Hill, who led ISU with 14 points. “Everything was going good. We have to be stronger in certain situations. We can’t start taking bad shots and not rebounding. We’ve got to give 100 percent the whole time.”

Greg Lansing has excelled in his first season as the head coach of Indiana State.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Lansing, a former Iowa assistant, said. “Everything that I expected it to be, it certainly is.

“I’m just having a lot of fun, really enjoying it and learning every day.”

The Sycamores (7-7, 2-1) are 5-0 at the Hulman Center this season.

Lansing was a member of Steve Alford’s staff at Iowa for seven years before he was let go in 2006.

“When you get fired, it throws your life into crises mode,” Lansing said. “I’m lucky enough I’ve got good people around me and my reputation is good in the college basketball world.

“I was confident I was going to get another job. I just didn’t know where.”