NORMAL, Ill. – Still undefeated on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena this season with just two regular-season home games remaining, the Illinois State men's basketball team will try to extend its home-court streak to 20-consecutive wins dating back to last season when the Redbirds host Loyola Chicago Sunday at 3 p.m. for `90s Retro Day. ISU is aiming to sweep the season series versus the Ramblers after winning at Loyola Chicago earlier this season, 81-59, Jan. 1.
ILLINOIS STATE VS. LOYOLA CHICAGO • SUNDAY, FEB. 19, 2017 • 3 P.M.
THE SERIES:
Sunday's game marks the 18th meeting between Illinois State and Loyola. ISU leads the all-time series, 13-4, with the Redbirds winning five-straight games and nine of the past 10. Versus the Ramblers, ISU is 7-1 at home and 6-1 at Redbird Arena. Head coach Dan Muller is 6-1 against Loyola and 3-0 versus the Ramblers at Redbird Arena.
THE COACHES:
Illinois State: Dan Muller (Illinois State, 1998) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Illinois State. Muller is the first-ever Illinois State coach to beat four Top-25 teams in his first four years. He led ISU to the 2015 NIT.
Loyola Chicago: Porter Moser (Creighton, 1990) is in his sixth season as the head coach at Loyola. Moser, who was Illinois State's head coach from 2003-07, led LU to the 2015 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) title.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 14-1 MVC record, which is ISU's best-ever league record through 15 MVC games ... Features the fourth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.6) ... Features reigning MVC Player of the Week Paris Lee (20.0 ppg last week) ... Was picked to finish second in the MVC ... Returns four starters and seven of 11 letterwinners from last year's team (18-14, 12-6 T2nd MVC).
LOYOLA CHICAGO:
Is tied for fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 7-8 MVC record ... Was picked to finish seventh in the MVC ... Returns two starters and six letterwinners from last year's team which finished 15-17 overall and eighth in the MVC with a 7-11 record ... Seeking the program's first winning season in conference play since going 10-6 in the Horizon League race in 2006-07 ... Senior guard Milton Doyle has scored in double figures in 29 straight games.
22 AND COUNTING
With a victory at Missouri State (Feb. 15), Illinois State earned its 15th 22-plus win season in program history. The Redbirds also improved to 22-5 for the first time since going 22-5 through their first 27 games in 2008-09. ISU is now aiming for its 10th 23-plus win season in the history of Redbird basketball, and Illinois State is looking to improve to 23-5 through 28 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
14-1
Illinois State's 14-1 Missouri Valley Conference record is ISU's best league mark through 15 MVC games in program history. The Redbirds are now aiming to improve to 15-1 in the MVC for the first time ever. Since joining the MVC in 1981-82, Illinois State has earned 14 or more total conference victories in just three previous seasons, with ISU winning at least a share of the MVC regular-season title each time:
1991-92: 14-4 (T1st); 1996-97: 14-4 (1st); 1997-98: 16-2 (1st).
PROTECTING THE NEST
Dating back to last season, Illinois State has won 19-straight games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena to set an arena record and pass the previous mark of 17-straight games won at Redbird Arena between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. ISU's last home-court loss occurred Jan. 15, 2016 to Evansville (L, 66-55). The home-court winning streak ranks as the program's third-longest during the Division I era and is currently tied for sixth-longest in the nation. Illinois State's last undefeated home season was in 1977-78, in Horton Field House.
Longest ISU Home Winning Streaks in DI Era
1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79: 31 games
1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76: 22 games
2015-16, 2016-17: 19 games (and counting)
1982-83, 1983-84: 19 games
1996-97, 1997-98: 17 games
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.6 percent ranks fourth nationally and leads the MVC:
-ISU's program record for field-goal percentage defense is 40.2 percent (1996-97).
-Since 1980, the MVC's best field-goal defense recorded was 38.3 percent by Bradley (1997-98).
-During that 37-year span, ISU has led the league in field-goal defense five times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988 and 2009), with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament in three of those five years.
SCORING DEFENSE
Illinois State's scoring defense of 61.9 points allowed per game ranks ninth nationally and leads the MVC:
-ISU's program record for scoring defense is 59.1 points per game (2005-06).
-Since 1980, the MVC's best scoring defense was 54.6 points per game by Northern Iowa (2014-15).
-During that 37-year span, ISU has led the league in scoring defense five times (1983, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 2008), with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament in two of those five years.
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 35.6 percent shooting and 58.8 points against Illinois State over the past 18 games, with ISU holding six of its past 18 foes to season-low averages at the time. The Redbirds have gone 16-2 during that stretch. Conversely, during ISU's first seven games, the Redbirds earned a 4-3 record while allowing opponents to shoot 43.0 percent and average 69.1 points per game. In MVC games, ISU ranks first in field-goal percentage defense (36.7 percent) and scoring defense (59.4 points per game).
LUCKY SEVEN
Senior forward Deontae Hawkins is the only player who currently ranks amongst the top seven MVC players in both scoring (seventh: 14.6 points per game) and rebounding (fourth: 6.8 rebounds per game).
MR. CONSISTENT
Having started all 27 games this season, senior forward Deontae Hawkins has reached double-digit scoring in a team-high 24 contests, including three-straight and 13 of the past 14. Hawkins has also led the Redbirds in rebounding eight times this season, which ranks as second-most on the team. In Illinois State's 22 victories this season, Hawkins has averaged a team-best 15.6 points, whereas in ISU's five games lost, Hawkins has ranked third on the team with 10.0 points per game.
PHIL `ER UP
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne (who earned MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 30), ranks second in the MVC in field goal percentage (60.3 percent) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (2.4 per game).
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 14-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 19-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 14-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
THREE FOR LEE
For the third time this season, senior guard Paris Lee is the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Feb. 13. Lee averaged 20.0 points per game in wins over Drake (Feb. 7) and Bradley (Feb. 11). Lee – who previously won the honor Dec. 5 and Dec. 19 – has earned MVC Player of the Week recognition more than any other player in the league this season. Lee's three MVC Player of the Week honors also mark the most bestowed upon an Illinois State player in one season since Jackie Carmichael was named MVC Player of the Week three times during the 2012-13 campaign.
NEXT MAN UP
Junior forward MiKyle McIntosh underwent surgery Feb. 1 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and missed five-straight games, with ISU going 4-1 during the stretch. While McIntosh recovered from his injury, his teammates stepped up:
-at Evansville (Jan. 29): DJ Clayton started and went a career-best 7-for-8 at the free throw line.
-vs. Northern Iowa (Feb. 1): Keyshawn Evans started and scored six points in a career-high 31 minutes.
-at Wichita State (Feb. 4): Daouda "David" Ndiaye collected a then career-high eight rebounds.
-at Drake (Feb. 7): Keyshawn Evans started and netted a career-high 16 points.
-vs. Bradley (Feb. 11): Daouda "David" Ndiaye collected a career-high nine rebounds with nine points.
McIntosh returned to action Feb. 15 at Missouri State, scoring nine points in 22 minutes off of the bench.
RECORD WATCH
With three regular-season games remaining, Illinois State (22-5, 14-1 MVC) is approaching some potential milestones based on the following current program records:
-Best conference record in program history: 16-2 (1997-98).
-Most regular-season wins in program history: 24 (24-4: 1977-78).
-Most single-season wins in program history: 25 (25-3: 1967-68; 25-6: 1997-98; 25-10: 2007-08).
-Last time Illinois State went undefeated at home: 1977-78 (14-0 at home).
*ISU went 11-0 at home during the 1983-84 regular season, but lost at home in the MVC Tournament semifinal to finish the season 12-1 at home (after going 1-1 in MVC Tournament home games).
-Illinois State is currently riding a Redbird Arena-best 19-game home winning streak (back to last season).
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 59th nationally with 4.6 blocks per game. The Redbirds recorded a program-record 11 blocks in their win over Drake (Jan. 21).
TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the MVC and ranks 52nd nationally with 7.4 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks first in the MVC and 15th nationally with 2.2 steals per contest.
DEEP DISH
Senior guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and ranks 54th nationally in assists (5.0 assists per game). He has recorded at least two assists in every game this season.
LEE FOR THREE!
Senior guard Paris Lee ranks second in the MVC in both three-point field goals per game (2.3) and total three-point field goals made (62). Lee is shooting 62-for-149 (41.6 percent) from beyond the arc this season. His previous season-best was 26-for-71 (36.6 percent) from three-point range as a sophomore.
STEALS LEE-DER
Senior guard Paris Lee broke Illinois State's career steals record at Bradley (Jan. 18). Lee passed Ron Jones who held the previous record of 222 since 1980. Lee now has 242 career steals and is the NCAA active-career leader. He also ranks seventh in MVC career-steals, having just passed Indiana State's Larry Bird (1976-79) and Nate Green (1996-2000) who each earned 240 career steals.
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