WICHITA, Kansas – Alone atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings – one game ahead of Wichita State – the Illinois State men's basketball team (19-4, 11-0 MVC) will try to increase its league lead when the Redbirds play at WSU (20-4, 10-1 MVC) Saturday at 7 p.m. ISU features the MVC's top scoring defense, while WSU boasts the league's top scoring offense.
ILLINOIS STATE AT WICHITA STATE • SATURDAY, FEB. 4, 2017 • 7 P.M. CT
THE SERIES:
Saturday's game marks the 82nd meeting between Illinois State and Wichita State. WSU leads the all-time series, 41-40. The Redbirds have won two of the past three games in the series, including this season's 76-62 home victory (Jan. 14). Versus the Shockers, ISU is 11-26 at Wichita State and 11-25 at Charles Koch Arena, with the Redbirds last winning there January 1, 2008. Illinois State is aiming for its first regular-season series sweep of WSU since 2008.
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.
Wichita State: Gregg Marshall (Randolph Macon, 1985) is in his 10th season as the head coach at Wichita State and his 19th overall. Marshall has led WSU to five-straight NCAA Tournaments.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is in sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a program-best 11-0 MVC record ... Features the fourth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.1) ... Has won 12-straight games, including six-consecutive contests on the road which matches a program record ... Was picked to finish second (out of 10 teams) in the MVC ... Returns four starters and seven of 11 letterwinners from last year's team (18-14, 12-6 T2nd MVC).
WICHITA STATE:
Is one game behind Illinois State, in second place, with a 10-1 MVC record ... Has won five-straight games and 11 of the past 12 ... Holds a 12-1 home record this season (losing at Intrust Bank Arena) and has not lost at Charles Koch Arena since Feb. 13, 2016 ... Was picked to finish first in the MVC ... Returns three starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team (26-9, 16-2 1st MVC) ... Earned an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament and went 2-1.
VALLEY SHOWDOWN
Saturday's Illinois State (11-0) at Wichita State (10-1) game Saturday marks the first matchup of an 11-0 (or better team) versus a one-loss team in MVC play since 1922.
-Feb. 21, 1922: Missouri (12-0) at Kansas (11-1). Kansas won the game, and later, the national title.
PHIL-ING UP THE STAT SHEET
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne has averaged a team-best 17.3 points per game plus 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in Illinois State's past three games. Fayne is the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week (announced Jan. 30), marking the first MVC Newcomer of the Week accolade of his career and the fourth weekly award bestowed upon the Redbird men's basketball team this season. Paris Lee (Dec. 5, Dec. 19) and MiKyle McIntosh (Jan. 16) were each previously named MVC Player of the Week.
19 AND COUNTING
With a victory over Northern Iowa (Feb. 1), Illinois State earned its 19th win of the season to mark the 16th time in 36 seasons that the Redbirds have recorded 19 or more victories. The Redbirds have already surpassed their win total from three of the past four seasons. Their 19-4 record is ISU's best through the first 23 games since also starting the 2008-09 season with a 19-4 record. After 24 games, ISU fell to 19-5 that year. The Redbirds are now aiming to improve to 20-4 for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
`BIRDS FLYING HIGH
-Won 12-straight overall (longest winning streak since starting 2008-09 with a 14-game winning streak).
-Won program-best 11-straight MVC games (surpassed the previous program-best nine-game MVC winning streak achieved to begin the 1982-83 season).
-Won an arena-record 18-straight games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena dating back to last season (surpassed the previous arena record of 17-straight games between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons). ISU's home-court winning streak ranks as the program's fourth-longest during the Division I era.
-Won six-straight on the road (longest road winning streak in a single season since also winning six-straight in 1960-61). ISU has never-before won seven-straight road games in the same season.
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.1 percent ranks fourth nationally and leads the MVC:
1. UCF, 35.8% | 2. Gonzaga, 36.9% | 3. Cincinnati, 36.9% | 4. Illinois State, 37.1% | 5. S. Carolina, 37.4%
-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 61.6 points allowed per game ranks 10th 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.
DANCE DEFENSE
The past seven MVC teams to lead the league in field-goal percentage defense advanced to the NCAA Tournament, combining for 10 NCAA Tournament wins. Illinois State's 2009 team was the last league team to lead the MVC in that statistic and not make the NCAA Tournament.
DROUGHT BUSTER
Illinois State aims to snap an eight-game losing streak at Charles Koch Arena when the Redbirds play Wichita State Saturday. ISU's road losing streak to the Shockers ranks second behind Illinois State's 12-game losing streak at Northern Iowa. The Redbirds have already busted one road drought this year, as Illinois State earned its first victory at Indiana State (Jan. 7), since Feb. 14, 2007. The Sycamores had won nine-straight games over Illinois State at the Hulman Center.
UNDEFEATED
By winning their first 11 MVC games of the season, the Redbirds recorded their best start to an MVC season, surpassing the program's previous best start of 9-0 before suffering a loss in game 10, which occurred in 1982-83. That year, ISU finished second in the regular-season standings (13-5) and won the MVC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Counting Illinois State this season, only 18 teams in league history have started an MVC season with 11-straight wins, with 10 of those occurring since World War II (and seven since 1960).
TOP OF THE STANDINGS
Illinois State's 76-62 victory over Wichita State (Jan. 14) lifted the Redbirds into sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings for the first time since the 1997-98 season (when head coach Dan Muller was a senior), which is also the last time ISU won the MVC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Both teams entered the game with 5-0 MVC records. The victory knocked WSU out of first place in the conference standings for the first time since the end of the 2013 season. The Shockers had been either alone in first place or tied for first since 2013-14.
RANKING THE STREAKS
-ISU's 12-game winning streak is tied for the fifth-longest in the nation.
-ISU's 11-game conference winning streak is the third-longest in the nation.
(behind 15-game league winning streaks by Gonzaga and Middle Tennessee)
-ISU's 18-game home winning streak is tied for the seventh-longest in the nation.
-ISU's six-game road winning streak is tied for fifth-longest in the nation.
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 34.2 percent shooting and 68.9 points against Illinois State over the past 14 games, with ISU holding six of its past 14 foes to season-low averages at the time. The Redbirds have gone 13-1 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 (35.4 percent) and scoring defense (57.8 points per game).
ROAD WARRIORS
After dropping their first three road games by an average margin of 4.7 points, the Redbirds have won six-straight road contests by an average margin of 15.6 points. ISU's six-game road winning streak is the program's longest in a single season since winning six-consecutive road games in 1960-61. The Redbirds also won six-consecutive road games stretched across the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Additionally, ISU has won its first five MVC road games for the first time in program history.
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 234 career steals and is the NCAA active-career leader. He also is tied for ninth in MVC career-steals.
LEAVING HIS MARK
Along with setting the career steals record, senior guard Paris Lee also ranks sixth in ISU career assists (441), 33rd in points (1,117), second in games started (120), and fourth in minutes played (3,638).
NATIONAL ATTENTION
By receiving two votes in the AP Top 25 Poll release Jan. 30 (Week 13), the Redbirds were recognized in a national poll for the third-consecutive week after earning one vote in last week's (Jan. 23, Week 12) AP Top 25 Poll. Before that, ISU garnered one vote in the USA Today Coaches Poll (Jan. 16, Week 11). Prior to this season, Illinois State had not been recognized in a national poll since garnering three votes in the Dec. 7, 2009 (Week Five) AP Top 25 Poll. Illinois State has not been ranked nationally in the Top-25 since Nov. 18, 1997 when the Redbirds were ranked No. 24.
RPI REPORT
Following ISU's victory over Wichita State (Jan. 14), the Redbirds' NCAA RPI ranking elevated 16 spots from 43rd to 27th nationally. Illinois State's RPI has since dropped to 34. ISU's best-ever season-ending RPI was 27 in 1997-98 (the Redbirds were 33 on Selection Sunday that season).
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 50th nationally with 4.8 blocks per game. The Redbirds recorded a program-record 11 blocks in their win over Drake (Jan. 21), as MiKyle McIntosh blocked a career-high five shots. Daouda "David" Ndiaye totalled a career-best six blocks in the win at Evansville (Jan. 29).
TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 55th nationally with 7.4 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks first in the MVC and 17th nationally with 2.2 steals per contest.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 12-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 16-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 13-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
DEEP DISH
Senior point guard Paris Lee leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 45th nationally in assists (5.3 assists per game). He has recorded at least three assists in every game this season.
HAWK'S ON A ROLL
Senior forward Deontae Hawkins has recorded double-digit scoring in 10-straight games and 19 of the past 20. Hawkins leads the Redbirds in both scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg) which ranks eighth and third in the MVC, respectively. He has also recorded a team-best four double-doubles. In Illinois State victories, Hawkins is averaging 15.6 points and has reached double-digit scoring in all but one win this season. Conversely, Hawkins is averaging 11.0 points per game in Redbird losses.
PLAYING THE FIELD
By beating Northern Iowa (Feb. 1), Illinois State secured its fifth win over a 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifier. Before that, ISU beat tournament qualifiers Saint Joseph's (Dec. 18), Hawai'i (Dec. 22), Tulsa (Dec. 25) and Wichita State (Jan. 14). The Redbirds are 5-1 against the 2016 NCAA Tournament field, with their lone loss at Tulsa (Dec. 7). ISU can improve its mark when facing WSU and UNI once more.
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