The Salukis lead the conference in scoring defense, by only allowing 56.3 points per game, but, as a result, SIU is also last in the conference in scoring offense with 63.1 points per game.
IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED ONCE
Today is the second time this season in which Illinois State will face the Missouri Valley Conference leader heading into the game. The last time, ISU knocked off Northern Iowa and handed the Panthers their first league lost with a 67-64 overtime win at Redbird Arena on Jan. 9.
DIVERSITY IN SCORING
By the end of the season, Illinois State will have six players post 200 or more points on the season. Boo Richardson (222), Anthony Slack (215) and Levi Dyer (214) have already reached the plateau, while Dom Johnson (195), Greg Dilligard (192) and Osiris Eldridge (181) are a few made baskets away. The last time the Redbirds had six players score 200 or more points in a season was during the 1997-98 season.
PERCENT AND PROBABILITY
So far this season, when Greg Dilligard attempts a field goal there is a high probability it is going in. In fact it is so high, that if he stays on this pace it would be the second highest single-season field goal percentage in Illinois State history. Dilligard is making 63.9 percent of his field goals this season, including an 8-for-8 effort at Bradley on Wednesday. Dilligard's shooting night tied the ISU record for the best single-game shooting percentage and was the best shooting performance against Bradley, topping the old record of 7-for-7, set by Porter Moser during the 1988-89 season.
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 the 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.
WITH AGE COMES EXPERIENCE ...
Heading into the 2006-07 season, junior center Levi Dyer had amassed 138 total points in his collegiate career. This year, he has already totaled 214 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.
221 GAMES WITH A TREY
ISU enters today's game at Southern Illinois with at least one made three in 221 straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton on Dec. 12, 1999.
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 10 conference match-ups. He also tied for the team lead with 22 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 fifth-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 10-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. During that time, Dyer's averaging a team-best 15.9 points and is shooting 50 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 today's game with 152 career swats. Dilligard is only the fifth player in Redbird history to post 100 or more blocked shots in a career. He currently has 28 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 231 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 45 baskets inside the arc. He has also continued to shoot from three and ranks second on the team with 31 made three-pointers.
KEPT OFFLINE
The Redbirds have the fewest free throw attempts in the Valley this season. ISU has only attempted 376 free throws on the year and is averaging 17.9 charity tosses per game.
DISHING THE ROCK
Junior point guard Boo Richardson enters today's game averaging 5.4 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 167, 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.
A BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State, as a team, ranks No. 2 in the Valley for blocked shots per game. The Redbirds are averaging 3.4 blocks per contest, just one percentage point behind league-leader Northern Iowa at 3.5 bpg.
CLEANING THE GLASS
The Redbirds also rank second in the conference with 11.24 offensive rebounds per game, only behind Drake (14.76). That is the highest offensive rebound average since ISU averaged 13.5 offensive caroms per contest during the 1996-97 campaign.
THREE-BALLIN'
Through 21 games, 40.8 percent of ISU's field goal attempts have come from beyond the 3-point arc. The `Birds are averaging 22.2 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 689 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 239 made treys, which would claim the school standard and top the current mark of 220 set during the 1997-98 season.
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 41-19 (.683) 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 5-48 (.094).
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 12-4 record.
