The Matadors have three players averaging double-figure points per game, two of which are starters led by Jonathan Heard, who averages 15.0 points per game.
20/20
When Boo Richardson and Greg Dilligard each scored over 20 points in the game against McNeese State it marked the first time since Nov. 27, 2004, where two Redbirds reached the 20-point plateau. Richardson finished with a career-high 23 points, while Dilligard was two off his career best with 20 tallies. The Redbird duo became the first to achieve the feat since Trey Guidry (27 pts.) and Lorenzo Gordon (23 pts.) did against Tennessee-Martin.
MATCHBOX 20
If the Illinois State box scores from the 2005-06 season were compared to the box scores from this season - one thing in particular jumps out. In 28 games last season, the Redbirds had a 20-point scorer three times. Greg Dilligard did it once and Roberto Fortes reached 20 points twice. This season, in only three games, the Redbirds have already equaled that performance. Dom Johnson, Boo Richardson and Dilligard have all netted 20 points or more this season.
THIRTY SOMETHING
Junior guard Dom Johnson became the first Redbird to score 30 or more points in a game since Trey Guidry tossed in 30 at Creighton on Jan. 22, 2005. Johnson torched Florida State for 32 points on 12-for-23 shooting. It was the most points by a Redbird since Tarise Bryson scored 38 in the 2001 National Invitational Tournament game at Purdue.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS
In the first two games, the Redbird starting line-up has been Anthony Slack (New Orleans, La.), Greg Dilligard (Labelle, Mo.), Roberto Fortes (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Boo Richardson (Kansas City, Mo.) and Dom Johnson (Bell City, Mo.) - five players from outside the state of Illinois. The last time Illinois State started five players who weren't from the state of Illinois was 1997, when the `Birds started Skipp Schaefbauer (Minn.), Dan Muller (Ind.), Rob Gibbons (N.J.), Steve Hansell (United Kingdom) and Jamar Smiley (N.Y.) on Dec. 13, at Creighton.
FOR RBA OPENERS
Head coach Porter Moser has never lost a season home opener in his previous three seasons at Illinois State. Because of Moser's three-game winning streak, Illinois State has a winning record in its first home games of the season at Redbird Arena. The `Birds own a 10-7 mark when playing season home openers in the arena.
203 GAMES WITH A TREY
ISU enters tonight's game against Cal State Northridge with at least one made three in 203 straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton on Dec. 12, 1999.
THREE-BALLIN'
Through three games, 42 percent of ISU's field goal attempts have come from beyond the 3-point arc. The `Birds are averaging 23.7 three-point tries per game and have almost made as many (22) as their opponents have shot (33). ISU has shot 71 treys this season, led by Dom Johnson, who has taken 34 attempts from three.
THAT 70's SHOW
Under head coach Porter Moser, ISU has limited its foes to 70 points or fewer in 60 of its 90 games (66.7 percent). There is also some significance when the `Birds reach 70 points. When ISU scores 70 or more, the `Birds are 20-4 under Moser.
CARRYING THE VALLEY FLAG
In Porter Moser's tenure at Illinois State, the Redbirds have carried the Valley flag well in non-conference match-ups. To date, ISU's fourth-year head coach boasts a 20-12 (.625) record in non-league games.
CONNECTIVITY ISSUES
There is not a wireless or a router problem, but so far this season the Redbirds have had difficulty getting on line - on the foul line that is. Through three games, ISU has gotten to the free throw line 21 times, while its opponents have doubled the Redbirds from the charity stripe with 42 attempts.
TAKING THE `NORM' OUT OF NORMAL
After finishing the 2005-06 season with a 9-19 record, the `Birds were in the midst of an aberration. The campaign marked only the sixth losing season in ISU's 35 years of being a Division I program.
DILLIGARD JOINS CENTURY CLUB
When it is all said and done, Greg Dilligard will go down in history as one of the best defensive players to suit up for ISU. In his final season, Dilligard ranks No. 4 in career blocked shots with 128 and is only the fifth player to post 100 or more career blocks as a Redbird. His junior year ended with 62 blocks, which is second best single-season effort all-time.
MAKING THE GRADE
The Illinois State men's basketball team set a record GPA during the Fall 2005 semester by posting a collective 2.81 GPA, topping the old mark of 2.75. The athletics department as a whole also netted a new standard during the Spring 2006 semester with a 2.99 GPA.
GONE IN 60 POINTS
The 60-point plateau continues to be a viable measuring stick for the Redbirds' success. Under head coach Porter Moser, the Redbirds own a 31-15 (.674) record when they score 60 points or more. When ISU scores less than 60, the Redbirds' record falls to 6-37 (.140).
POINT-N-SHOOT
It's not just the points either; shooting percentage is also a key factor for ISU in terms of wins and losses. When ISU shoots better than its opponent, the `Birds are 33-10 (.767) over the last four seasons. When the Redbirds shoot worse, ISU is 4-42 (.087).
JUCO ALL-AMERICA U.
Dominitrix Johnson and Keith "Boo" Richardson became the second and third junior college all-Americans respectively, to sign with ISU since Porter Moser's arrival. Richardson claimed first-team honors, while Johnson was a third team selection. The duo joins Lorenzo Gordon, who went on to earn Valley Newcomer of the Year honors in 2005.
INSTANT IMPACT
Through three games, the six Redbird newcomers have made immediate impacts. The newest Redbirds have accounted for 64.1 percent of ISU's scoring, 50 percent of the rebounding and 71.8 percent of the assists this season.
RUBIN SIGNS
During the early signing period, head coach Porter Moser added his first to the 2007-08 recruiting class. Point guard Alex Rubin from Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minn., signed his national letter of intent to continue his education and basketball career at ISU. At 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, Rubin led the Falcons to a 19-10 overall record, before falling in the sectional finals. A two-time all-Classic Lake Conference selection, Rubin averaged 14.5 points and 4.8 assists per game as a junior. In 2006, he was named to the all-metro defensive second team and was an honorable mention all-state selection.
