The connection between Eaton ands Sills is growing stronger. Sills is gaining confidence as the primary scorer as Eaton does as Eaton does and that’s come up big in tough moments.
Mike Balado
The Red Wolves are right as projected – in the middle of the pack. What’s unfortunate is that aside from an away game with Texas Tech (we just missed you, Chris Beard), Arkansas State has little opportunity to see their NET standings improve before conference play begins on December 30.
Fans need something. If you’re rebuilding on the gridiron, give us a competitive team on the diamond. If the men’s basketball program is struggling, have a women’s team capable of giving us something to cheer for
Against the heroically undersized Harding Bison, the sound I heard resonating from the Red Wolves was KER-THWAK.
Yes, the Red Wolves return nearly everyone, with t walk-on freshman Nicholas Tingling and transfer junior Desi Sills as the only newcomers. But is Sills really the “big-time Sun Belt weapon” CBS projects the 6’2″ guard to be?
On the latest Fun Belt Podcast, I play some one-on-one with Arkansas State head basketball coach Mike Balado to discuss the upcoming Sun Belt season and the positive energy pulsating from the team.
Nostalgia won’t win games, though. Last year’s team finished 11-13 (7-8) However, you could see that there was something different about the 2020-21 version of the Red Wolves. They played with cohesion. They began to reduce mistakes. Those painfully long scoring droughts melted away.
Bottomline: Balado now has a team with as much talent as anyone in the Sun Belt. He has perimeter shooting, rebounds, big game experience and leadership on the floor. He doesn’t have a “back to the basket” big, but he’s not that concerned. In fact, I haven’t seen him this stoked for some time.
I’m a little stoked right now. The guy who guided Jonesboro High School to back-to-back 6A state championships and last season started for an SEC team that went to the Elite 8 has just joined Arkansas State basketball.
But if you watched last year’s version of the team, you had to like what you saw on the floor. Omier is a double-double superstar, and the young roster can only become better by Eaton’s well-practiced hand. If ever were to come Balado’s make-it or break-it year, this is absolutely it.
Howlraiser 