Senior guard Will Franklin leads the Braves in scoring during league play. Franklin is averaging 16.4 points per game in conference games and 15.4 points per contest on the season.
TOEING THE LINE
In the first seven Missouri Valley Conference games, the Redbirds were shooting a league-low 59.6 percent from the free throw line. However, that all changed last week, as ISU shot a combined 77.2 percent from the charity stripe in the home victories over Wichita State and Drake. The Redbirds are now shooting foul shots at 66.2 percent in league play.
AN OFFENSIVE PEAK IN THE VALLEY
Illinois State's 83-75 win over Wichita State marked the highest offensive output by the Redbirds in a Missouri Valley Conference game during the Porter Moser era. The 83 points were the most points by ISU in a conference game since downing Bradley, 89-74, on February 1, 2003. Adding in Sunday's 80-65 victory over Drake, it marked the first pair of back-to-back 80-point games in Valley play for the Redbirds since the 1997-98 season.
MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL
Not only did the Redbirds post back-to-back wins last week in which they scored 80-plus points, they did it with a pair of the fewest field goal attempts posted in a game this season. The Redbirds shot a season-low 48 field goals against Wichita State, but posted the fourth-best point total on the year (83). Against Drake, the `Birds only had 49 tries at the basket and again registered 80 points in an 80-65 win. In the two games combined, ISU shot 51-for-97, or 52.6 percent.
20/20 VISION
With the Redbirds averaging a league-low 63.7 points per game in conference games, the chances of seeing an ISU player score 20-plus points in back-to-back-to-back games seemed unlikely. That is, until Levi Dyer tossed in 20-plus points in each of the Redbirds' last three games. Dyer tossed in 20 tallies against Wichita State and a career-high 27 points against Drake, after scoring 23 points against Missouri State. Dyer became the first Redbird since Lorenzo Gordon to score 20 or more points in three successive games. Gordon had three straight 20-point games in the 2004-05 season.
WITH AGE COMES EXPERIENCE ...
Heading into the 2006-07 season, junior center Levi Dyer had amassed 138 total points in his collegiate career. After Dyer's 27-point performance against Drake, he currently totals 203 points on the season. Averaging a personal-best 10.2 points per game this season, Dyer is on pace to finish the season with 316 points, doubling his career total heading into the season.
USS ELDRIDGE
It's not the Philadelphia Experiment, but at 6-foot-3, freshman Osiris Eldridge must be teleporting himself into rebounding position during Illinois State's league games. In fact, Eldridge leads the Redbirds with 5.9 caroms per game during ISU's nine conference match-ups. He also leads the team with 20 offensive caroms in league play.
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
While most people might feel that stealing is wrong, the Illinois State men's basketball team has been effective at it on the court this season. The Redbirds boast a 7.50 steals per game average, which is fourth-best in the Valley and would put the 2006-07 Redbirds into the record books with the fourth-best in Redbird history.
DYERMAKER
Since entering the starting lineup nine games ago, junior Levi Dyer has been making the most of his opportunities. During the nine-game span, Dyer has posted double-figure scoring in each outing, including four 20-point games, one of which was a career-best 27-point effort against Drake on Sunday. During that time, Dyer's averaging a team-best 16.4 points and is shooting 52.3 percent from three-point range.
LETHAL WEAPON 3
After Boo Richardson fired in six three-pointers at Drake, it gave the Redbirds three separate players who have made six or more three-pointers in a single game this season. Osiris Eldridge dumped in eight at Creighton, while Dom Johnson poured in seven against Florida State earlier in the season. In addition, Roberto Fortes did it twice last season with seven treys at Miami (Ohio) and six at Redbird Arena against Drake.
DILLY FOR THE BLOCK
Senior Greg Dilligard became Illinois State's career leader in blocked shots this season and he enters tonight's game with 151 career swats. Dilligard is only the fifth player in Redbird history to post 100 or more blocked shots in a career. He currently has 27 blocks on the season.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Not only did freshman Osiris Eldridge tie the school record at Creighton for made three pointers with eight, but he also poured in a career-high 28 points in the process. His 28 tallies marked the third highest single-game point total by a Redbird freshman in school history. By doing so, he joined a pretty elite group of ISU scorers - Bubbles Hawkins (30 points at Jacksonville, 2-16-73), Roger Powell (30 points vs. Morehead State, 1-8-73), Billy Lewis (28 points at West Virginia, 3-1-75) and Tarise Bryson (28 points vs. Southern Mississippi, 11-28-98 and vs. Wisconsin, 12-5-98).
CHAIRMAN OF THE OFFENSIVE BOARDS
Offensive rebounds have only been an official stat for a little more than 15 years, but during that time no one at Illinois State has been better at hitting the offensive glass than Greg Dilligard. During his career, Dilligard has registered 229 offensive caroms and is only the fourth player at ISU to collect 200 or more offensive boards. Dilligard is joined by Rico Hill (211), Dan Muller (205) and LeRoy Watkins (205).
DYER FOR TWO?
Junior center Levi Dyer has been working hard on his post play and it shows. Entering this season, Dyer had made 14 two-point baskets in his Redbird career. Already this season, Dyer has made 42 baskets inside the arc. He has also continued to shoot from three and ranks tied for second on the team with 30 made three-pointers.
KEPT OFFLINE
The Redbirds have the fewest free throw attempts in the Valley this season. ISU has only attempted 352 free throws on the year and is averaging 17.6 charity tosses per game.
220 GAMES WITH A TREY
ISU enters tonight's game at Bradley with at least one made three in 220 straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton on Dec. 12, 1999.
DYER JOINS DOUBLE-DOUBLE CLUB
With a career-high 13 rebounds and 14 points at Drake, junior Levi Dyer netted his first career double-double. Dyer's performance marked the seventh double-double by the Redbirds this season. Greg Dilligard leads the way with three, Anthony Slack has recorded two and Boo Richardson posted one this season.
THREE-BALLIN'
Through 20 games, 41.0 percent of ISU's field goal attempts have come from beyond the 3-point arc. The `Birds are averaging 22.5 three-point tries per game. Against Texas-Arlington on Dec. 2, the Redbirds set a Redbird Arena record with 14 made treys, which was also the second most in ISU history. The Redbirds are on pace to shoot 698 threes on the season, which would top the school record of 615 set in 1995-96. ISU is also on pace to finish the season with 245 made treys, which would claim the school standard and top the current mark of 220 set during the 1997-98 season.
DISHING THE ROCK
Junior point guard Boo Richardson enters tonight's game averaging 5.7 assists per game this season, which is the highest average by a Redbird since Jamar Smiley dropped 6.4 assists per game during the 1997-98 season. Richardson has 113 assists on the season and is on pace to finish the regular season with 175, which would be No. 9 all-time.
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.
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.
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 41-18 (.695) record when they score 60 points or more. When ISU scores less than 60, the Redbirds' record falls to 6-41 (.128).
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, the Redbirds have had players score 20 or more points in a game 12 times. Levi Dyer has scored 20-plus four times, Boo Richardson three times, Anthony Slack twice, while Dilligard, Dom Johnson and Osiris Eldridge have all accomplished it once.
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 42-12 (.778) over the last four seasons. When the Redbirds shoot worse, ISU is 5-47 (.096).
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.
SEAD ADDED
Sead Odzic (SEE-add ODD-zik) transferred to Illinois State from Southern California following the fall semester. Odzic, a 6-foot-3, 192-pound guard, is a native of Skokie, Ill., and played prep basketball at Niles West. He will have to serve a year of residency and will not be eligible to compete in a game for the Redbirds until the completion of the Fall 2007 semester.At USC last season, Odzic averaged 3.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. Prior to USC, Ozdic averaged 20 points, five rebounds and four assists during his senior season at Niles West.
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. This season, Rubin is averaging 21 points per contest, while Armstrong owns an 11-4 record.
