By Grant Miller<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t be deceived by Illinois Tech\u2019s record.<\/p>\n
A 4-21 record might make it seem like yet another losing season for the Scarlet Hawks, but that\u2019s not the case. In fact, opposing coaches think they will could be Division III contenders within the next couple seasons.<\/p>\n
Despite losing to UC Santa Cruz February 13, coach Todd Kelly said his team used to be an \u201cassembly of guys,\u201d Now\u00a0he says\u00a0they\u2019re a college level team.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s right. The Scarlet Hawks\u2019 real improvements haven\u2019t shown up in the win column yet, but they will next season when they return with a new recruiting class, a full roster and a season together behind them.
\n
\nHere\u2019s a measure of Illinois Tech\u2019s progress: Both of its wins last season were by slim margins of three points or less. This season, it won by five points, seven points, nine points, and 20 points.<\/p>\n
Last season, none of Illinois Tech\u2019s games went into overtime. This season, it played past regulation twice, and one of those games went into double-overtime.<\/p>\n
Out of Illinois Tech\u2019s 23 losses last season, only two were by a deficit under 10 points. This season, that number quadrupled to eight games.<\/p>\n
No, they\u2019re not good yet, but they\u2019re better.<\/p>\n
They also have plenty of\u00a0time to grow with eight freshmen on the roster. One of those freshmen, 6-foot-2 guard Anthony Mosley, led the team in scoring with 20 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field.<\/p>\n
Illinois Tech\u2019s second-leading scorer was junior forward Samuel Rarick, \u00a0who despite suffering a couple injuries, averaged 17 points per game.<\/p>\n
[vimeo 157326876 w=474]<\/p>\n
Considering that Rarick averaged 27 points a game last season, some may think he lost his scoring prowess.<\/p>\n
Please don\u2019t get it twisted.<\/p>\n
Rarick didn\u2019t fall off. His scoring average dropped because he shared the scoring load with Mosley. He can explode on any given night, as he did when he dropped 29 points while shooting over 70 percent from the field twice this season.<\/p>\n
Rarick and Mosley have one more season together as a dangerous one-two knockout combination for opposing teams. However,\u00a0both players must improve their outside shooting, because Mosley shot 24 percent on\u00a0three-point attempts\u00a0and Rarick was at 20 percent. If they both improve from long range, defenses will play them straight up instead of using the zone, and that will play to Rarick and Mosley\u2019s strengths as isolation scorers.<\/p>\n
Mosley admitted that he has a tendency to play to\u00a0the level of his competition, and he is\u00a0correct. During an exhibition game against Chicago State, he scored 26 points against a lineup of Division I guards. He then scored as low as four points against Division III competition.<\/p>\n
But Mosley made great strides during the\u00a0second-half of this season. He scored over 20 points in 11 out of his last 12 games, including a last-second layup that took Illinois Tech into overtime against Trinity International.<\/p>\n
Freshman guard Jake Bruns is the anti-Mosley. He won\u2019t blow by his man or throw down any dunks, but he shot 43 percent from behind the arc and will continue to punish defenses when they collapse. Playing Mosley and Bruns together will continue to provide a balanced attack from the three-point line to the cup.<\/p>\n
With all of this shooting, someone has to rebound. Jake Digiorgio grabbed 15 or more boards in four contests, including a season-high 19 against MacMurray, while averaging a double-double. When he learns to finish with authority around the basket and shoot from mid-range consistently (42 percent field goal percentage), he will be a force down low.<\/p>\n
Digiorgio already has the unteachable work ethic, and said he will work on his athleticism, his outside game and, of course, rebounding.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you average 10 or 11 this year, get 12 next year,\u201d Digiorgio said.<\/p>\n