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The college basketball season has reached the point where the grind begins to take a toll on even the most experienced teams.

But what if you have a group that hasn't been there, done that?

Missouri State coach Paul Lusk has just such a team, and he admits he's concerned about making sure his Bears have enough zip as they enter the stretch drive.

"We have to be smart," Lusk said. "We still need to push the guys. We still need practice, but you can't wear them down. Most freshmen hit a wall. So do some junior college players."

The Bears, who head into February tied for third in the standings, have just one player who made meaningful full-time contributions in previous seasons. Senior Kyle Weems, the Valley's reigning player of the year, has been a starter since his freshman season.

The rest of Lusk's rotation is a mix of returning players who played limited roles in previous seasons, junior college transfers and freshmen. Lusk points to senior center Caleb Patterson as a player being asked to do more than ever.

Patterson hadn't averaged more than 16 minutes in either of his first two seasons in the program. This season, his first as a full-time starter, Patterson is averaging more than 24 minutes per game.

Earlier this season, Patterson missed two games with a concussion.

"I thought early in the Valley season, Caleb was running on fumes," Lusk said. "As crazy as it seems, I told him when he got the concussion that this was going to help him. You're going to get some time off, and you're going to rest your body and your mind.

"When he came back, he played like gangbusters."

Unfortunately for the Bears, Patterson is getting some more time off: He is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. That will put additional pressure on some other players trying to grind their way through the season.

"This is the first time through for most of our kids," Lusk said. "We have to be smart. On the other hand, they're 18- to 22-year-old kids. They should be able to play all day, every day."

Player honors

Player of the week: Illinois State forward Jackie Carmichael. The junior from Manhattan, Kan., recorded double-doubles in the Redbirds' two wins, averaging 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds. He shot 59.3 percent from the field.

Newcomer of the week: Missouri State guard Anthony Downing. The junior from Atchison, Kan., averaged 12.5 points in winning the award for the third time this season. He had 16 points in helping the Bears post their first win over Northern Iowa at JQH Arena in Springfield.

Stat of the week

Gregg Marshall recorded his 100th victory as Wichita State's coach when the Shockers defeated Evansville. The win came in Marshall's 158th game at Wichita. Randy Smithson is the only Shocker coach to reach 100 wins quicker, doing it in his 142nd game.

Quote of the week

"If the season ended today, we'd be in. Unfortunately, we have another month or so to play." — Wichita State's Marshall, asked to assess the NCAA tournament at-large possibilities of a Shocker team that is 18-4 with an RPI of 31.

— Steven Pivovar

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