Illinois State-Wichita State Game Notes in PDF Format 
Jan. 15, 2008
Redbird All-Access members, watch head coach Tim Jankovich talk about Wednesday night's Wichita State game.
Redbird All-Access members, watch Emmanuel Holloway and Levi Dyer talk about playing the Shockers Wednesday night.
Illinois State Redbirds (13-3, 5-0 MVC) vs. Wichita State Shockers (8-8, 1-4 MVC)
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: Comcast Spotlight (Kurt Pegler/Bob Morris)
STORYLINES
► Illinois State is 5-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play for the first time since the 1997-98 season, when the Redbirds started the league slate 6-0. That team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after going 25-6 (16-2 MVC) and winning the MVC regular-season and tournament titles.
► The Redbirds are on an eight-game winning streak, which is the longest such stretch by Illinois State since the 1991-92 season, when the `Birds rattled off eight-consecutive victories before falling to Missouri State in the semifinals of the State Farm MVC Tournament.
► Illinois State is 9-0 at home this season, outscoring its opponents by a 17.6 point margin (71.8-54.2). The Redbirds have also doubled the amount of assists (162-81) than their opponents on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
► The Redbirds edged host Wichita State, 49-46, on Jan. 16 at Charles Koch Arena. ISU held the Shockers to just a 28.3 shooting percentage, and Osiris Eldridge led a threesome in double figures with 11 points.
ABOUT WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY
► Wichita State University is located in Wichita, Kan., and has an enrollment of 14,298. The Shockers are members of the NCAA Division I and the Missouri Valley Conference.
► The Shockers finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 17-14 record overall and a 8-10 record in The Valley. WSU finished in sixth place in the league standings, and lost its opening game of the State Farm MVC Tournament.
► Head coach Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon College `85) is in his first year at the helm of the Shocker program, after spending the previous nine seasons at Winthrop. While at Winthrop, Marshall led the Eagles to seven NCAA Tournament appearances. The Eagles advanced to the second round in 2007. Marshall is assisted by Earl Grant, Chris Jans (former ISU assistant coach) and Marty Gross.
► WSU returns six lettermen from last year's roster, including starter PJ Couisnard. A native of Houston, Texas, Couisnard leads the team in scoring through 16 games with an average of 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Senior center Phillip Thomasson has improved his game this season, and is second on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg).
SCOUTING THE SHOCKERS
Wichita State enters Wednesday's game with an 8-8 overall record, including a 1-4 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Shockers have lost two straight in the league, falling two host Missouri State (71-47) on Jan. 8, and dropping a home decision against Creighton on Jan. 12. WSU ranks ninth in the Valley in scoring offense (61.4 ppg), but are allowing just 60.2 points per game, the fourth-best mark in the conference. The Shockers are shooting 40.5 percent from the field, which ranks last in the Valley. Wichita State's 67.3 free throw mark ranks ninth overall, just ahead of Illinois State (63.0 percent). PJ Couisnard is the Shockers' leading scorer (12.0 ppg, including 14.4 ppg in MVC play) and Ramon Clemente's 7.5 rebounds per game leads Wichita State. Gal Mekel has filled in for the injured Matt Braeuer at point guard, and has contributed a team-high 52 assists (3.3 apg).
In the first meeting between the Redbirds and Shockers this season (Jan. 1, 2008), Clemente did not play due to injury. It was the only game he missed this season.
NEXT UP: REDBIRDS TRAVEL TO CO-LEADER DRAKE SATURDAY
Illinois State will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on co-Missouri Valley Conference leader Drake (14-1, 5-0 MVC) Saturday beginning at 7:05 p.m. The Bulldogs have won 13-straight games, the nation's sixth-longest streak, and have defeated their five Valley foes by an average of 9.4 points per game. Drake is led by Josh Young, who is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per contest, and Jonathon Cox, who is contributing 11.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs are a perfect 9-0 at the Knapp Center this season.
FOUR ISU BASKETBALL GAMES TO AIR ON COMCAST SPOTLIGHT
As Illinois State sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings, fans of the Redbirds in the central Illinois area will be able to see more games in their living rooms as a result of a new four-game agreement between the Illinois State Athletics Department and Comcast Spotlight, formerly Insight Cable. Comcast Spotlight will televise two road games live as part of the agreement, including the Jan. 30 game at Northern Iowa and the Feb. 20 contest at Evansville. In addition, ISU home games against Wichita State (tonight), and the Feb. 27 game against Creighton will be available live. WMBD sports director Kurt Pegler and former ISU assistant men's basketball coach Bob Morris will serve as the broadcast team on all four telecasts. In the Bloomington-Normal area, Comcast Spotlight customers will be able to view the games on channel 74. In Peoria, the games will be seen on channel 44.
LAST TIME AGAINST WICHITA STATE
Illinois State outlasted host Wichita State (49-46) in a defensive struggle at Charles Koch Arena on New Year's Day. The Shockers held the lead for 16:44 in the first half, including a 24-23 halftime edge. But the Redbirds opened the second half on an 11-0 run, and took a 35-24 advantage with 13:59 remaining after Anthony Slack completed a conventional three-point play. Wichita State cut the lead to one-point (44-43) with 1:45 left, but ISU's Dom Johnson hit a three-pointer with 1:08 remaining to push the Redbird advantage back to two possessions (47-43), and the Shockers' Gal Mekal's potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer fell short. Wichita State shot just 28.3 percent in the game, while ISU countered with a 36.5 shooting mark.
WSU AND ISU COACHING CONNECTIONS
Current Wichita State graduate assistant coach Dana Ford is no stranger to Illinois State, having played four years (2003-06) for the Redbirds. On Dec. 31, 2005, he sank a 40-footer with no time left on the clock for a heroic 53-50 victory over Creighton at Redbird Arena. WSU's assistant coach Chris Jans spent the past three seasons at Illinois State before moving on to Wichita State.
ANOTHER COUISNARD INVADES REDBIRD
For the second-consecutive game, an opposing player with the last name of "Couisnard" will play for the visiting team. PJ Couisnard, Wichita State's team leader in scoring (12.0 ppg), is the brother of Jay Couisnard, who scored one point, but fouled out, in 15 minutes of action for Evansville in ISU's 74-66 win over the Purple Aces at Redbird Arena Saturday. PJ Couisnard has averaged 11.1 points per game in seven games against during his three-plus year career. The Couisnard brothers hail from Houston Texas.
CAREER RECORDS WATCH
Levi Dyer is 10th all-time in career three-point field goals (128), and is nine treys away from tying Vince Greene (2001-05) for the ninth position ... Dom Johnson's 72 made threes ranks 17th all-time, and he trails Chad Altadonna (1991-95) by four three-pointers for the 16th spot ... Dyer has attempted 287 three-pointers in his career, the 13th-best mark in the Illinois State annals ... Johnson's 213 three-point attempts rank 15th, and Osiris Eldridge's 208 attempted threes ranks 16th ... Dyer's 44.6 career three-point percentage ranks third all-time ... Eldridge (38.5) ranks 13th in career three-point field goal percentage, and Johnson (33.8) is 20th all-time ... Boo Richardson's 215 career assists ranks 22nd in the career category, and he is just five assists away from moving into the top-20 ... Anthony Slack has 62 career blocks, good for eighth in ISU history ... Richardson and Johnson are each averaging 31.5 minutes per game in their respective careers, tied for the fourth-highest individual mark in program history.
REDBIRDS RECEIVE SEVEN AP TOP-25 VOTES
After defeating both Northern Iowa and Evansville to improve to 5-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play last week, Illinois State collected six more votes in the updated Associated Press Top-25 poll, released Monday afternoon. The Redbirds garnered one vote last week, and had a total of seven Monday. Last week and today's poll marked the first two times Illinois State had received votes or been ranked in the AP Top-25 poll since the 1997-98 season, when the Redbirds were ranked No. 24 on Nov. 18, 1997.
TRENDS IN CURRENT EIGHT-GAME WINNING STREAK
• In its current eight-game winning streak, Illinois State is outscoring its opponents by a 9.4 point margin, while shooting at a 44.9 percent clip.
• Opponents are shooting just 36.5 percent (27.3 percent from three-point range), and averaging just 53.9 points per game.
• The Redbirds have averaged 7.0 three-point field goals per game, and allowed their opponents to connect on just 4.8 treys per contest.
• Seven players (Osiris Eldridge, Levi Dyer, Boo Richardson, Dom Johnson, Anthony Slack, Dinma Odiakosa, Emmanuel Holloway and Brandon Sampay) are averaging five or more points per game.
• Boo Richardson has collected 15 steals (1.9 spg) in the stretch.
• Levi Dyer has 19 three-point field goals in the stretch.
• The Redbirds have averaged just 11.8 turnovers per game, and forced their opponents into 14.5 (2.8 turnover margin).
• Illinois State has tallied 3.4 blocks per game over the past eight contests.
• ISU is averaging 31.5 points per game in the first half over the past eight games, compared to just 20.5 points for its opponents.
• The Redbirds have 119 assists (14.9 apg) in the stretch ... opponents have tallied just 10.3 assists per game in the stretch.
HOME NOTABLES
• The Redbirds are 9-0 inside Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena this season.
• ISU is averaging 71.8 points per game at home, compared to just 54.2 points per contest for its opponents (+17.6 scoring margin).
• The Redbirds have forced their opponents into 18.1 turnovers per game at home.
• ISU has tallied 162 assists (18.0 apg) at home, compared to just 81 (9.0 apg) for its opponents.
• The Redbirds are shooting at a 48.1 percent clip, including a 41.9 percent mark from three-point range.
• ISU's opponents are shooting just 35.0 percent from the field, and 26.1 percent from three-point range.
• Redbird visiting opponents are averaging 18.1 turnovers per game.
• The Redbirds are averaging 8.7 made three-pointers per game over the last nine contests.
• ISU has an average attendance of 5,652 inside Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
• Boo Richardson has a 4.11 assist/turnover ratio (37 assists, nine turnovers) at home.
• Osiris Eldridge is averaging 17.3 points per game at home, two points per game above his season average.
• Anthony Slack (10.9 ppg) and Levi Dyer (10.4) are also averaging double-figures in ISU's nine home games.
• Eldridge is shooting 52.7 percent at home, with a 51.1 mark from beyond the three-point arc ... he is also shooting 76.1 percent from the free throw line.
• Slack has tallied a 74.6 shooting percentage in ISU's nine home games ... Slack has also collected 14 of the Redbirds' 29 total blocks at home.
• Dyer is 23-of-45 (51.1 percent) from three-point range at Redbird Arena.
IN THE MIX FOR SIX
Illinois State already has five MIssouri Valley Conference wins this season, just one victory short from equaling the Redbirds' entire 2006-07 league win total. ISU has won its first five MVC games for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
ENDING THE STRETCH
When Evansville took an early 3-0 lead in Saturday's 74-66 Redbird win, it broke a stretch of 99 prior minutes in which Illinois State held the lead over a Missouri Valley Conference opponent. Before that point, the Redbirds led their opponent from wire-to-wire since the 18:47 mark of the second half against Wichita State (Jan. 1).
WHAT PRESEASON POLL?!?
When examining the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll through five conference games, it becomes evident that very few voters had a grasp on what would unfold in the league this season. Three of the top four teams in the poll (Southern Illinois, Bradley and Missouri State) find themselves in the bottom-five of the league, and the top-three teams (Drake, Illinois State and Indiana State) were picked ninth, fifth and eighth, respectively.
DOM, LEVI CHASING MILESTONES
Seniors Levi Dyer and Dom Johnson will each be looking to set rebounding milestones Wednesday against visiting Wichita State. Dyer has 198 career rebounds, and is just two away from equaling 200 for his career, while Johnson enters the game with 98 rebounds in his one-plus-year career. He is just two rebounds away from hitting the 100-career rebound plateau.
LEVI, SLACK CRACK TOP-10
Seniors Levi Dyer and Anthony Slack have both cracked the career top-10 lists for three-point field goals made and blocks, respectively. Dyer's 128 career treys ranks 10th all-time and Slack's 62 blocks are the eighth-highest mark in program history. Dyer also continues to chase ISU's three-point field goal percentage career record -- he currently ranks third all-time with a 44.6 career mark from three-point range.
BOO'S RATIO AMONG NATION'S BEST
Boo Richardson's 3.44 assist/turnover through 16 games ranks third in the nation in the latest version of the NCAA Individual Statistics (through games Jan. 13, 2008). Richardson trails just Michigan State's Drew Neitzel (4.59) and Arkansas State's Ifeanyi Koggu (3.57) in assist/turnover ratio this season.
DYER'S THREE-POINT SUCCESS RECOGNIZED BY NCAA
Through Jan. 13, 2008, Levi Dyer's 50.0 percent three-point field goal percentage (40-80) was tied for the seventh-best mark in the NCAA Division I ranks this season. Dyer went 1-for-1 from beyond the three-point arc against Evansville.
PERCENT AND PROBABILITY
So far this season, when Anthony Slack 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 highest single-season field goal percentage in Illinois State history. Slack is making 66.7 percent of his field goals this season, which ranks second overall in the Missouri Valley Conference. The numbers are somewhat skewed when reviewing how Slack matches up against the rest of the nation. The minimum number of converted field goals to appear on the list for the NCAA Statistics is five; and Slack averages four made field goals per game. In the updated NCAA Statistics (through games of Jan. 13), Slack's current 66.7 field goal percentage would rank second in the NCAA Division I ranks.
OTHER NCAA STATISTICAL NOTABLES
Illinois State had a considerable amount of representation in the updated version of the NCAA Statistics (through games of Jan. 13, 2008). The Redbirds were tied for 11th in scoring defense (57.2 ppg), 13th in field goal percentage defense (37.6), 47th in three-point field goal percentage (39.1) and were tied for 30th in both win-loss percentage (81.3) and assist/turnover ratio (1.21).
DOUBLE-DIGITS BECOMING A FAMILIARITY
Against Evansville, sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge scored in double figures for the 12th-straight game and for the 14th time this season. He scored 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a 6-of-7 effort from the free throw line.
SAMPAY'S ELEVATED PLAY
Junior forward Brandon Sampay has seen his playing time steadily increase this season, and especially in conference play. In the past three games, Sampay has played an average of 14.0 minutes per game, exactly four minutes above his season average. Against Evansville, he scored six points, including a 4-of-6 effort from the free throw line, and corralled a career-high eight caroms. He also added a season-high four assists in 15 minutes.
FIRST-HALF SHOOTING
Illinois State has led at halftime in eight of the past nine games. In seven of those eight contests, the Redbirds shot 40 percent or better in the first period. The Redbirds have trailed at halftime in six contests this season, and have shot less than 40 percent in the opening stanza in four of those games.
PRESERVING A LEAD
Illinois State's second-half strength this season has been well-documented, but one aspect that hasn't been further examined is the Redbirds' ability to put the clamps down on opponents in "winning time." ISU is 13-0 this season when leading with 5:00 remaining in the game. Last season, when the Redbirds were within one possession with 5:00 left (whether winning, losing or tied), ISU was just 4-4.
