Men’s basketball

Basketball Bears look to make plays this season

STEPHEN TERRILL Sports Editor @Stevethe2nd

Entering year three under head coach Dana Ford, the Missouri State basketball Bears are looking to be more consistent than last season.

Before last season even began, the Bears were picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference. That title ended up going to Northern Iowa, while the Bears placed seventh with a record of 16-17.

This season will see an increased emphasis on playmaking, something Ford said the team needs more of.

“I think playmaking was a part of last year’s team that we really lacked,” Ford said on an episode of “Inside the Cave,” an interview series with Missouri State coaches. “We lost one of the best playmakers in the conference in Josh (Webster), and we didn’t do a good enough job replacing him.”

Ford said the additions of NJCAA Division I All-American Demarcus Sharp, a transfer from Colby Community College in Kansas, and Skylar Wicks, a 6’6” freshman forward from Florida, will help the team make File Photo by Jaylen Early/The Standard plays. The Bears’ backcourt will have to have a different look this season, due Sophomore Isiaih Mosley shoots a layup during a January 2020 game against the to both graduation and transfers. Northern Iowa Panthers at JQH Arena.

Last season’s leader in playing time, guard Keandre Cook, as well as the graduation and being healthy. Prim played late-season spark plug Ross Owens, gradulimited minutes last season due to a lingerated in the spring. ing knee injury.

Redshirt senior guards Tyrik Dixon and “I don’t anticipate (Prim) not being Josh Hall and sophomore guard Ford Cooper healthy this year,” Ford said on “Inside the Jr. have all entered the NCAA transfer porCave.” “Last year’s injury was brought to tal. our attention literally on the day of our sea

Sophomore guards Ja’Monta Black and son tip-off. We had to adjust a lot of what Isiaih Mosley, who were starters at times we had practiced when that happened. When last season, may see more playing time behealthy though, we feel like he’s one of the cause of the departure of so many guards. best players in (the MVC).”

The guard position is going to be more The Bears’ non-conference schedule will of a utility spot than a singular role, accordbe more local than it has in years past due ing to Ford. to the lack of money college athletic depart

“We’ve kind of moved away from the ments have as a result of COVID-19. Ford traditional point guard, shooting guard, said MSU has reached out to a lot of Division small forward,” Ford said on “Inside the I colleges in the area to schedule games, but Cave.” not all schools have said yes.

There are fewer changes in the frontcourt The Bears’ season will start near the end for the Bears, with only Tulio Da Silva gradof October or beginning of November, but uating. the start date could be changed as the

Senior forward Gaige Prim will likely COVID-19 pandemic progresses. They play see an increase in minutes due to Da Silva’s their home games in JQH Arena.

A challenging year lies in wait

Sports are back. I think.

As I sit here in mid-July writing this, the MLB, NHL and NBA seem on track to return to play within a few weeks.

The NCAA also seems poised to return, but at a cost. COVID-19 testing is an expensive endeavor, and for mid-major schools like Missouri State, it is a strain on an already tight budget.

This year is going to be interesting for MSU athletics. If the MSU football team does not play its opening game against Oklahoma this fall, the university is out $1.2 million in ath letic funding. Half of that is from the canceled NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in the spring, and the other half is the guaranteed money from OU as payment for the game.

Volleyball and beach volleyball have already been consolidated into a single program due to budget cuts for the upcoming year. Head coach Steven McRoberts, in his first year in Springfield, has given the impression of being excited to take on the challenge. I would not want to be in his position, especially with the burden of being in charge of an indoor team

STEPHEN TERRILL Sports Editor @Stevethe2nd

that has had a tumultuous past year.

If the OU football game is canceled, I am not sure what MSU’s course of action will be. MSU is at the point where cutting sports will cause trouble for their NCAA and federal aid standing.

In order to be a Division I school, a university must offer at least six men’s sports. MSU has six.

Cutting women’s sports is equally hard. The current count of 10 women’s sports is kept that way in order to remain Title IX compliant.

It would be unfortunate to see any program go in the event the money is not there. I have had interactions with a fair number of coaches and players on most teams during my time at The Standard, and all of them have been professional and welcoming to me.

In addition, the athletes are all playing games they have devoted a significant amount of time to. It would be sad to see their hard work ripped away by circumstances beyond anyone’s control.

Now, that is a fairly depressing view of what the sports year could be at MSU. It could also surprise us. Things could turn out all right with precautions like widespread testing and masking coming through for us. There could be a repeat playoff appearance for the men’s soccer team and another season in the top-25 for the Lady Bears.

Sports are a positive force in the world. I just hope by the time the date rolls around for

File photo by Jaylen Early/The Standard Will football tailgate parties be back this fall? Will games even be played? Time will tell.

kickoff, puck drop, first pitch and so on, things are in place to have them.