Illinois State-UNC Wilmington Game Notes in PDF Format 
Nov. 16, 2007
Illinois State Redbirds (2-0) vs. UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (1-0)
Normal, Ill. • Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
Radio: Redbird Radio Network
Dick Luedke (Play by Play), Mike Matthews (Color), Bruce Evans (Sideline)
Flagship WJBC 1230 AM
TV: None
STORYLINES
► Sunday's non-conference contest marks just the the third all-time meeting between Illinois State and UNC-Wilmington. The all-time series is tied, 1-1, with each team claiming wins on the opponents' home court.
► The Redbirds will be looking to clinch their first 3-0 start to the regular season since the 1996-97 campaign, when ISU opened the season with three-consecutive wins over Pittsburgh (69-50), Eastern Kentucky
(87-64) and DePaul (75-50).
► With its 90-71 win over Southeast Missouri State Wednesday and last Sunday's 70-37 victory over UMSL, ISU opened the season with back-to-back double-digit wins for the first time since 1996-97.
► Illinois State and UNC-Wilmington will be playing in the second round of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. The Redbirds defeated Southeast Missouri State (90-71) in the first-round Wednesday, and host the Seahawks Sunday before completing the final two rounds of the invitational against No. 8/8 Indiana (Nov. 23), and either Xavier or Kent State (Nov. 24) at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS
► UNC-Wilmington is located in Wilmington, N.C., and has an enrollment of 12,000. The Seahawks are members of the NCAA Division I and the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
► The Seahawks finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 7-22 record overall and a 4-14 record in the CAA.
► Head coach Benny Moss (UNC-Charlotte `92) is beginning his second season at the helm of the Seahawk program, his only head coaching position.
► UNCW returns two starters from last season, as well as T.J. Carter, the CAA Tournament MVP in 2005-06, who led the team to the NCAA Tournament. Carter was sidelined last year with an injury. Vladimir Kuljanin is the leading returning scorer from last season, averaging 13.6 points per game.
► The Seahawks finished tied for 11th place in the CAA last season, a year after winning the conference and making it to the NCAA Tournament.
THE STARTING FIVE
(1) Continuing the Challenge - Illinois State opened the Chicago Invitational Challenge with a convincing 90-71 win over visiting Southeast Missouri State Wednesday night, improving its record to 2-0 on the season. With the victory, ISU improved to 48-35 overall in regular-season tournaments in the Division I era.
(2) Dunk You Very Much - Illinois State has tallied 14 dunks in its two wins this season. Anthony Slack has provided eight dunks; Osiris Eldridge has four dunks on the season and Dinma Odiakosa has tallied two dunks in his two starts this season.
(3) Home Sweet Home - The Redbirds have won four straight games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena and own a 186-76 (.710) all-time mark at the facility.
(4) "O's" New Role - While it is still early in the season, if the first two games are any indication, it doesn't appear that 2007 MVC Freshman of the Year Osiris Eldridge will suffer any sort of sophomore slump. Eldridge's stat line Wednesday read like this: 27 points, seven rebounds (four offensive caroms), two assists (just one turnover) and six steals. Through two games, Eldridge leads the Redbirds in minutes played (54), field goals (13), steals (9) and ranks second in rebounding (4.5 rpg).
(5) Marginally Speaking - The Redbirds' 26-point average margin of victory over the first two games is the highest for ISU since the 1980-81 season. That team opened the season with an average margin of victory of 39 points for the first two games of the campaign.
CHICAGO INVITATIONAL CHALLENGE AT-A-GLANCE
After defeating Southeast Missouri State 90-71 in the first-round Wednesday, Illinois State's next three games will be in the Chicago Invitational Challenge. The Redbirds will take on UNC-Wilmington Sunday before squaring off against No. 8/No. 8 Indiana Nov. 23, and either Kent State or Xavier Nov. 24 in the Sears Centre at Hoffman Estates, Ill. Below is the game schedule for the challenge at the Sears Centre.
Third Round Schedule - Nov. 23
Noon - UNC Wilmington vs Longwood
2:30 p.m. - SEMO vs Coppin State
5 p.m. - Xavier vs Kent State
7:30 p.m. - Indiana vs Illinois State
Championship Round - Nov. 24
11:30 a.m. - Loser of UNCW/LU vs Loser of SEMO/CSU
2 p.m. - Winner of UNCW/LU vs Winner of SEMO/CSU
5 p.m. - Loser of XU/KSU vs Loser of IU/ISU
7:30 p.m. - Winner of XU/KSU vs Winner of IU/ISU
LAST TIME OUT: ELDRIDGE, SLACK LEAD `BIRDS TO 90-71 WIN OVER SEMO
Sophomore Osiris Eldridge poured in 27 points, while senior Anthony Slack recorded his third-career double-double to lead the Illinois State men's basketball team to a 90-71 rout of Southeast Missouri State in the first round of the Chicago Invitational Challenge Wednesday night on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Eldridge added seven rebounds and a career-high six steals to go along with his game-high 27 points, while Slack notched career-highs in rebounds (13) and equaled his career-best in blocks (3) in addition to his 15 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting from the field.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Seniors Daniel Fountain and Vladimir Kuljanin combined for 52 points and UNC Wilmington scored the first eight points in overtime to outscore the College of Charleston, 98-91, in the season opener for both teams Saturday night at Trask Coliseum. Fountain, out of Woodbridge, Va., poured in a career-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-9 behind the arc, to lead the Seahawks. Kuljanin added career highs of 25 points and 18 rebounds, while fellow seniors Todd Hendley and T.J. Carter chipped in 15 and 14 points, respectively.
AGAINST THE CAA
Illinois State has played just 12 total games against current members of the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) in its 110-year history. The Redbirds lead the all-time series against Delaware (1-0) and Northeastern (2-0); trail the all-time series against James Madison (0-1) and VCU (1-3) and have split the all-time meetings against Hofstra (1-1) and UNC-Wilmington (1-1).
GLARING SIMILARITIES
The CAA has been represented by four different teams in the NCAA Tournament over the past two seasons. George Mason and UNC Wilmington went to the Big Dance in 2006 and VCU and Old Dominion represented the
conference in 2007. Outside of the six BCS conferences, only the Missouri Valley Conference has sent more of its members (five) to the NCAA Tournament in the last two seasons.
90 HAS SIGNIFICANCE
ISU's 90 points against SEMO Wednesday were the most scored by a Redbird team since a 94-89 double-overtime win at Evansville Feb. 12, 2001. The 90 points were also the most by ISU in a regulation game since defeating Texas-San Antonio 95-87, Dec. 17, 2000.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DEAL
Prior to Wednesday's 90-71 win over SEMO, the last time Illinois State opened the season with a pair of double-digit wins was during the 1996-97 season. That Redbird team went on to participate in the NCAA Tournament later that season after downing Pitttsburgh (69-50) and Eastern Kentucky (87-64) to open the campaign.
STEALIN' THE SHOW
The Redbirds collected 13 more steals against SEMO Wednesday night, pushing their season total to 30 steals after collecting 17 thefts in Sunday's 70-37 win over Missouri-St. Louis. Illinois State recorded double-digit steal outings in back-to-back games just once last season, tallying 11 steals against Texas-Arlington, and 10 thefts versus Miami (Ohio).
ROBINSON, HILL AND SMITH SIGN
After verbally committing to Illinois State and first-year head coach Tim Jankovich over the summer, former Redbird guard and current Lincoln College star Bobby Hill, Decatur Eisenhower forward Jeremy Robinson and Chicago Simeon point guard Kenyon Smith made it official Wednesday, signing their respective National Letters of Intent to continue their education and basketball careers at ISU. All three players will begin their eligibility in the 2008-09 campaign.
BREAKING FREE
After building as large as a seven-point first-half lead in Wednesday's win over SEMO, the Redbirds saw the Redhawks string together a 10-1 spurt over the final 2:46 of the frame, and take a 46-44 lead into the locker room at halftime. ISU answered with a dominating 18-2 run to begin the second half, and take a 69-56 lead with 10:02 remaining in the game. Anthony Slack opened the second half with seven of the Redbirds' first 10 points.
AIMING FOR THE "BIGGER BASKET"
Head coach Tim Jankovich said following Wednesday's game against SEMO that junior guard Brandon Holtz was shooting into a "bigger basket" than some of his teammates and individual opponents. That was evidenced by Holtz's 5-for-7 effort from beyond the three-point arc, which resulted in a career-high 15 points. Holtz is now 7-for-9 on the season from three-point land. His five made treys were a single-game best for Holtz in his two-plus years with the Redbirds.
SHARING THE ROCK
While Illinois State's defensive effort may still be admittedly more fine-tuned than the offense, the Redbirds are continuing to show signs of their ability to grasp Jankovich's new offensive system, which largely involves sharing the ball in transition. ISU registered 21 assists against UMSL in the opener (the most since ISU recorded 23 assists in a win over Lewis, Dec. 23, 2006), and followed it up with 23 assists against SEMO Wednesday. The last time the Redbirds recorded back-to-back games with 20 or more assists was in the respective fourth and fifth games of the 2004-05 campaign, when ISU tallied 22 assists in a 82-47 win over Tennessee State (Nov. 22, 2004) and had 20 assists in an 80-51 victory over Tennessee-Martin (Nov. 27, 2004).
DISHING THE ROCK
Point guard Boo Richardson ended last season averaging 4.9 assists-per-game, which is the highest average by a Redbird since Jamar Smiley dropped 6.4 assists-per-game during the 1997-98 season. In ISU's two games this season, Richardson is averaging a team-best 4.5 assists per game (nine total assists). He has committed just one turnover in each of those contests in an average of 22.0 minutes per game.
SLACK ATTACK
Anthony Slack isn't cutting any slack on ISU's opponents early this season. In ISU's two wins over UMSL and SEMO, Slack has averaged 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, along with collecting four blocked shots. Fourteen of Slack's 27 total points have come off dunks, as he also leads the Redbirds with a stellar .813 shooting mark from the field. His double-double clinching 13 rebounds against SEMO were a career-high, and marked his fifth career game with double-digit boards. Slack also equalled his career-high for blocked shots in a game with three.
ELDRIDGE DOES IT ON BOTH ENDS
It was difficult to ignore Osiris Eldridge's offensive performance Wednesday night, but perhaps even more impressive was his activity on the defensive end and on the glass. Eldridge had a career-high six steals in the game, and pulled down a team second-best seven rebounds (behind Slack's 13 caroms). Despite playing a game-high 34 minutes and taking 15 shots, Eldridge turned the ball over just once in the game.
DYER STRAIGHTS
Despite his atypical 6-foot-11 frame, Levi Dyer has proven to be lethal from beyond the three-point arc. Heading into Sunday's game, Dyer has now made a triple in 22-consecutive games. It is the longest streak by a Redbird since Trey Guidry went 21 straight games with a three-pointer to end the 2002-03 season and open the 2003-04 campaign.
HOME SWEET HOME
If Illinois State's won-loss record in recent years translates over to this season, the Redbirds could be in for some early success in the 2007-08 campaign. ISU has a combined 32-13 record at Redbird Arena over the past three seasons. The `Birds have five of their first seven games at home.
GIVING THANKS -- FOR THE WINS
During its 109-year history Illinois State has compiled a 53-31 (.631) record in the month of November. The Redbirds have played just two games against ISU's six scheduled November opponents this season. Indiana defeated Illinois State in the first-round of the 1988 preseason NIT, and the `Birds tallied an 88-46 win over Chicago State in the 2000-01 season opener at Redbird Arena.
DYER, ELDRIDGE NAB PRESEASON HONORABLE MENTION PLAUDITS
In the 2007-08 MVC Preseason Poll, senior center Levi Dyer (12.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge (9.5 ppg) were each named honorable mention All-Valley selections. The league appointed five preseason all-MVC players, and recognized five honorable mention players. Dyer was voted captain of the Valley's "Most Improved Team" last season, and Eldridge earned the league's Freshman of the Year honor.
STARTING ANEW
Despite having just one freshman on the roster, Illinois State will welcome four newcomers to the mix this season, as first-year head coach Tim Jankovich signed junior college transfers Emmanuel Holloway and Brandon Sampay to the program; sophomore transfer Sead Odzic will be eligible in mid-December and freshman guard Alex Rubin was the lone member of ISU's 2007 recruiting class.
SITTING IT OUT
Along with Holloway, Sampay, Odzic and Rubin, two other Division I transfers joined the Redbird basketball program during the offseason, as 6-foot-5 Oregon guard Chamberlain Oguchi and six-foot Austin Peay State guard Landon Shipley both transferred to ISU. Each sit out the 2007-08 season, and begin their eligibility at Illinois State in the 2008-09 campaign. Both Oguchi and Shipley are currently practicing with the Redbirds.
THE NEW STAFF
Jankovich hired three assistant coaches that boast a combined 40 years of college coaching experience. He hired 18-year state of Illinois coaching veteran Rob Judson, who had spent the past six years as the head coach at Northern Illinois. Prior to his stint with the Huskies, Judson spent the previous 12 years as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois (1989-91), Bradley (1991-96) and his alma mater, Illinois (1996-2001). Anthony Beane, who was an assistant coach under former Redbird head coach Tom Richardson (2000-02) was also hired after a four-year stint at Saint Louis. Jankovich bolstered his Chicago recruiting ties with the hiring of Paris Parham, a well-respected high school coach in Chicago's Public League. Parham, who was ISU sophomore Osiris Eldridge's high school coach at Morgan Park, also boasts 10 years of college coaching experience.
232 GAMES WITH A TREY
ISU enters Sunday's game with at least one made three in 232 straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton on Dec. 12, 1999.
LEADING THE CLASSES
Last season, Illinois State's junior class (now seniors) was a key figure in the team's statistical success. The Redbirds' contingent of Levi Dyer, Boo Richardson, Anthony Slack, Dom Johnson and Julius Moor scored 1,227 of ISU's 2,068 total points (39.5 points-per-game) and accounted for nearly 60 percent (.593) of its scoring. The five players averaged 14.0 rebounds per game (434 total caroms) and 9.8 assists-per-contest (268 assists), making up 59 percent of the team assist total. In addition, the fivesome shot a combined 42 percent from the floor.
DIVERSITY IN SCORING
Illinois State had six players with 200 or more points last season. Levi Dyer (375), Boo Richardson (304), Anthony Slack (292), Greg Dilligard (291), Osiris Eldridge (295) and Dom Johnson (249) all reached the plateau. The last time the Redbirds had six players score 200 or more points in a season was during the 1997-98 campaign.
VANDELLO NAMED SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Junior Mike Vandello was the recipient of the Doug Collins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award at the State Farm Student-Athlete Academic Excellence banquet in Redbird Arena on Oct. 21. Vandello was a member of the AFNI Honor Roll and the Dean's List both semesters last year with identical 4.0 GPAs. He appeared in 27 games during his sophomore season and recorded career-highs of eight points and eight rebounds against Sacramento State. The junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, has a 4.0 cumulative GPA in biological sciences.
