As autumn color takes hold of the foliage surrounding Illinois States campus, the season of fall seems to be in full swing, and yet another sure sign of summers end will take place Saturday as the Redbird mens basketball team takes the court for its first practice.
Head coach Porter Moser heads into his second season at Illinois State, but with his first recruiting class.
Were excited to get started, Moser said. We are further along than we were a year ago and the difference was the preparation leading up to this day. The off-season workouts and conditioning and the individual workouts have been what we were looking for.
The Redbirds, who finished with a 10-19 mark last season, faced some transition in the off-season. Despite seven letterwinners lost and five newcomers added to the roster, Moser isnt concerned about getting the Birds ready to play for their exhibition opener on Nov. 3 against Missouri-St. Louis.
We are really going to count on the veterans on getting the new guys up to speed, Moser said. Through the individual workouts, the newcomers are picking up things quickly, but I wont really have a complete evaluation on where we are at until that exhibition game.
The Redbirds will practice twice on Saturday, with both taking place in the North Gym and both closed to the public.
Illinois State will hold its annual Red/White Scrimmage on Oct. 28, at 7 p.m., in Redbird Arena for the Birds first public appearance of the season. ISU opens the 2004-05 campaign on Nov. 14 against Penn State at Milwaukee, Wis., in the first round of the BCA Classic.
