Whenever a coaching change is made, the concern is getting past the get-to-know-you phase and make sure the teaching phase is capitalized upon. It doesn’t always come off smoothly, however, when you speak to Indiana State men’s basketball coach Matthew Graves or players, such as returning forward Jaden Daughtry, there are no signs of concerns coming out of three weeks of workouts. Only rave reviews.
“From the team we had on the first day of workouts compared to now? It’s night and day. It’s two different teams. We’re all starting to get on the same page.
We’re not all there now, but we’re getting better, learning the offense, learning how the system goes,” Daughtry said. Rave reviews come easy in June. Whether the test is passed is a process that begins in November, but ISU’s staff has taken a measured approach to preparing a Sycamores team that has nine newcomers on it and a largely new coaching staff in-place.
In June, Graves elected to focus solely on the offensive side of the ball. Given that the spread offense concepts can be difficult to master, it’s an approach that makes sense. Graves feels the benefits are being stowed away as players begin to pick up on the ways of the ISU offense.
“It’s been tremendous. You come in on day one and not everyone knows everybody’s name. Three weeks later, we’re able to read some backdoor cuts, we’re able to talk and communicate, we’re able to understand good shot versus great shot.
Our conditioning has.