Men’s basketball outlook:

The UIS men’s basketball team is off to a 2-4 start at the beginning of the season. Coach Ben Wierzba stated, “We’re continuing to get better for these first three or four weeks.”

UIS men’s basketball has played in seven games so far this season. The team participated in one exhibition game and six non-conference games.

The team participated in their GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Nov. 9 and 10. The team played two games: One was against Northwood and the other was against Lake Superior State. UIS was defeated in both games.

The first game ended with a score of 74-85, Northwood gaining one non-conference victory. The second game against Lake Superior State had a final score of 71-93.

UIS then had back-to-back wins at home against Cedarville and Missouri Western. UIS won the game against Cedarville, 72-63. In the game against Missouri Western, UIS won with a final score of 88-73.

UIS is now on a two-game losing streak. The first game was against Lidenwood. The Prairie Stars could not surpass Lidenwood and were defeated with a final score of 68-84. The following game was against Kentucky Wesleyan; the game ended with a score of 60-71.

Defense and rebounding are two keys to the game that Wierzba says the team needs to continue getting better at. Up to this point, the offense has done some good things, according to Wierzba. Wierzba expects to see the team “getting better and better as the season goes on.”

Wierzba stated that the team needs to “step up to the plate and take our opportunities one step and one game at a time.”

Women’s basketball outlook:

UIS women’s basketball has faltered slightly during the first few weeks of playing. The team currently is 1-4 with no conference games.

Coach Chad Oletzke stated that the team has been “inconsistent in individual games or from game to game” throughout these first games of the season. The inconsistency is “in different areas” and the team needs to change that, according to Oletzke.

Oletzke stated that there are “flashes here and there” in which the team plays well, but they need to do those things consistently in order to be more successful.

UIS has competed in seven games so far this season, one exhibition game and five that have contributed to their overall record. The Prairie Stars currently have a 1-4 record after playing all non-conference matches.

This first weekend consisted of two losses with deficits in the double digits. The first game was against Missouri Western; the final score was 41-78. UIS lost to Southwest Baptist in the second game with a final score of 48-67. Oletzke stated that the “first weekend was a disappointment.”

Two of these matches were played in the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover. The fifth game UIS has competed in so far was against Oakland City University.

Oletzke stressed that they are learning how to compete in a consistent level, and they can do so, but it is not shown all the time by the team. Oletzke hopes that the team can work to “slide to the consistent side” during the remaining games this season.

Oletzke explained that he is not sure exactly what the other teams in the conference look like because of the new players to the team and because many players from last year graduated. He also added that “all basketball teams attempt to get better over the season,” and this makes it difficult to gauge what other teams will bring to the floor.

Oletzke hopes that the team can “make a run at the conference tournament.” He also added that everyone in one program wants to do so.

At this point no conference games have occurred; this means that “everyone’s got the same shot as everyone else” according to Oletzke. UIS will enter conference play this weekend in the game against McKendree. This game will take place at McKendree.