Jan. 4, 2008
Illinois State-Southern Illinois Game Notes in PDF Format 
Illinois State Redbirds (10-3, 2-0 MVC) vs. SIU Salukis (6-7, 1-1 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: WSIU-TV
STORYLINES
► Illinois State will be looking to improve to 3-0 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.
► Dating back to the 2002-03 season, the Redbirds have dropped 11-consecutive decisions against Southern Illinois. ISU last defeated the Salukis at Redbird Arena on Feb. 13, 2002.
► Illinois State's 10-3 start this season marks its most successful start to a season since the 2000-01 campaign, when the Redbirds started out with an 11-2 record.
► The Redbirds are coming off their first four-game road winning streak since the 2000-01 campaign, when ISU defeated Central Michigan, Western Illinois, Missouri State and Southern Illinois in four-consecutive road games.
ABOUT THE SALUKIS
► Southern Illinois University is located in Carbondale, Ill., and has a total enrollment of 20,983. The Salukis are members of the NCAA
Division I and the Missouri Valley Conference.
► The Salukis finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 29-7 record overall and a 15-3 mark in The Valley. SIU finished in first place in the league standings, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
► Southern Illinois has three players averaging double-figures, led by John Wooden Watch List honoree Randal Falker's 12.3 points and team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game. Matt Shaw (11.6 ppg) and Bryan Mullins (10.8) are also averaging double-figures in scoring. In the Salukis' two MVC games, Mullins is averaging 14.0 points per contest.
► Southern Illinois is forcing its opponents into 17.5 turnovers per game, and is averaging 7.8 steals per outing, including 9.5 thefts per conference game.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois will be playing its second-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference road contest after completing a three-game non-conference homestand. The Salukis are 0-4 on the road this season, falling to host Charlotte (Dec. 8), Saint Louis (Dec. 15), Western Michigan (Dec. 18) and Wednesday at Drake. SIU started out the season with three-straight wins before suffering a three-game losing streak. Since defeating nationally-ranked St. Mary's (Calif.) on Dec. 11, the Salukis have gone 2-4.
LAST TIME OUT: ISU Edges Wichita State 49-46, Moves to 2-0 in MVC
Illinois State put three players in double figures, highlighted by Osiris Eldridge's 11 points and eight rebounds, as the Redbirds grinded out a 49-46, defensive-minded win over host Wichita State at Charles Koch Arena Tuesday night. ISU extended its winning streak to five games, including four straight on the road, and remained unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference playing heading into a four-game homestand.
Boo Richardson and Emmanuel Holloway each scored 10 points to join Eldridge in double figures. The Shockers were led by PJ Cousinard and Phillip Thomasson, who scored 16 points apiece in the losing effort.
NEXT UP: REDBIRDS CONTINUE HOMESTAND AGAINST UNI
Illinois State will host Missouri Valley Conference foe Northern Iowa Tuesday (Jan. 8) in the second game of its four-game homestand. The Redbirds and Panthers enter this weekend with identical records (10-3, 2-0 MVC) and are tied atop the Valley standings. UNI has won four of its last five games and is 4-1 on the road this season.
TRENDS IN CURRENT FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK
In its current five-game winning streak, Illinois State is outscoring its opponents by an 10.6 point margin, 65.0-54.4, while shooting at a 44.8 clip ... six players (Osiris Eldridge, Levi Dyer, Boo Richardson, Dom Johnson, Anthony Slack, Dinma Odiakosa and Emmanuel Holloway) are averaging five or more points per game over the last five contests ... the Redbirds are averaging 35.6 rebounds per game in the stretch, 3.0 more than their opponents ... Boo Richardson has upped his scoring, averaging 9.0 points per game, and has shot at a 50.0 percent mark ... Richardson has a 2.71 assist/turnover ratio (19 assists, seven turnovers) over the last five games ... Levi Dyer has 14 three-point field goals in the stretch ... the Redbirds have averaged just 11.8 turnovers per game over the last five contests ... ISU is averaging 30.2 points per game in the first half over the past five games, compared to just 21.4 points for its opponents ... the Redbirds have 72 assists (14.4 apg) in the stretch.
HOME NOTABLES
Illinois State has not played a home game since Dec. 8, when the Redbirds defeated visiting Cincinnati, 62-52 ... the Redbirds are 6-0 inside Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena this season ... ISU is averaging 77.5 points per game at home ... the `Birds are out-rebounding their opponents, 36.2-32.8 ... ISU has tallied 115 assists (19.2 apg) at home, compared to just 54 (9.0 apg) for its opponents ... the Redbirds are shooting at a 49.4 percent clip, including a 43 percent mark from three-point range ... ISU has an average attendance of 4,873 inside Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena ... Boo Richardson has a 7.25 assist/turnover ratio (29 assists, four turnovers) at home ... Osiris Eldridge is averaging 18.8 points per game at home, more than three points per game above his season average ... Anthony Slack (12.5 ppg) and Levi Dyer (11.8) are also averaging double-figures in ISU's six home games ... Eldridge is shooting 56.9 percent at home, with a 51.6 mark from beyond the three-point arc ... he is also shooting nearly 80 percent (79.3) from the free throw line ... Slack has tallied an 80.5 shooting percentage in ISU's six home games ... Slack has also collected 13 blocks at home ... Dyer is 18-of-36 (.500) from three-point range at Redbird Arena.
FOR HOME VALLEY OPENERS
Dating back to the 1981-82 season, the Redbirds are 19-7 in Missouri Valley Conference home openers. ISU has won two of its last three Valley home openers.
ISU-SIU ROSTER CONNECTIONS
Illinois State sophomore guard Sead Odzic and Southern Illinois junior guard Bryan Mullins played two years of AAU summer basketball together with the Illinois Wolves during their high school years. The two have remained close friends throughout college, and will be competing against each other for the first time Saturday. Mullins was the 2006 MVC Freshman of the Year and is a two-time member of the Valley's All-Defensive team, and Odzic made his ISU debut on Dec. 29 at Creighton after sitting out more than a year following transferring from USC.
SHOWCASING THE STATE
Between Illinois State and Southern Illinois, there are a combined 10 Illinois natives on Saturday's respective rosters. The Salukis have seven players that hail from the state of Illinois, while the Redbirds currently have three Illinois natives on their roster.
LAST SEASON AGAINST SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois recorded its sixth-consecutive regular season sweep over the Redbirds in the 2006-07 campaign, capturing a 68-49 win at Redbird Arena, and outlasting ISU at SIU Arena, 73-62. Randal Falker had a combined 29 points and 21 rebounds in the two games to lead the Salukis, while Levi Dyer paced the Redbirds with 10 points in Normal, and 18 points in Carbondale. Osiris Eldridge (13.5 ppg) also averaged double figures in the two games against the Salukis. Southern Illinois shot a combined 50.5 percent in the two games, and recorded 12 blocks and 15 steals defensively. The Redbirds held a 31-25 halftime lead at SIU Arena, but the Salukis shot 64 percent in the second half, and outscored ISU, 48-31.
REDBIRDS AND SALUKIS IN NORMAL
Southern Illinois has not only held a decisive advantage in the all-time series, it has also had significant success at Redbird Arena in recent years. The Salukis have recorded five-straight wins in Normal, and have won those contests by an average of 15.6 points per game.
DYER NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After leading Illinois State to its first win in a conference opener since the 1998-99 campaign, senior center Levi Dyer was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week as announced by the league office Monday afternoon. It is Dyer's first player of the week honor this season, and the second plaudit of his career. Dyer, an honorable mention All-MVC selection last season, scored a team-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 5-of-7 effort from three-point range, in Illinois State's 80-67 win at Creighton on Dec. 29. Dyer poured in 16 points in the first half (4-of-6 three-point range), including two stretches where he scored seven-consecutive and nine-straight points, respectively. He also pulled down three rebounds and did not commit a single turnover in 25 minutes.
LEVI LIGHTIN' IT UP FROM DISTANCE
Senior center Levi Dyer entered last weekend's slate of Valley games ranked first in the league in three-point percentage (.493). It's still early, but if that stat holds up, Dyer would become the sixth Illinois State player to lead the MVC in the category in a single-season. In the modern era (1987-present), Dyer would also represent the only center in league history to pace the Valley in three-point percentage.
BIG SHOT DOM
While he hasn't yet reached the status of Robert Horry, dubbed "Big Shot Bob" for his late-game heroics in helping secure six NBA championship rings for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, Dom Johnson is building a reputation for taking (and making) big shots at the end of close games. With the Redbirds clinging to a 44-43 lead at Wichita State Tuesday, Johnson hit a three-pointer to push ISU's lead to 47-43 with 1:08 remaining. The shot ended up representing the Redbirds' final field goal of the game, as they held on for a 49-46 victory. Johnson also hit a big three with 1:56 remaining against Cincinnati on Dec. 8, helping ISU break a late 7-2 Bearcat run and preserve the 62-52 win.
WINNING IN CONVINCING FASHION
For the first time this season, Illinois State won a game by a single-digit margin when it outlasted Wichita State, 49-46, Tuesday night at Charles Koch Arena. All nine of ISU's previous wins came by 10 or more points.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO WIN?
Illinois State has proven that it can win in many ways through its 10 victories this season. After recording a 49-46 win over Wichita State Tuesday, the Redbirds have captured wins when scoring in the 40s (Wichita State), 60s (Cincinnati, Bowling Green and Ball State), 70s (Missouri-St. Louis and Illinois-Chicago), 80s (UNC-Wilmington, Chicago State and Creighton) and 90s (Southeast Missouri State). The two times that ISU scored in the 50s ended up being defeats (Indiana and Kent State).
10-3 OUT OF THE GATE
After defeating Wichita State Tuesday night, Illinois State improved to 10-3 on the season, matching its best 13-game start since the 2000-01 campaign. That team went 21-9 overall (12-6 MVC) and advanced to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), the Redbirds' last postseason appearance.
LEADER OF THE PACK
For the sixth time this season, Osiris Eldridge led the Redbirds in scoring at Wichita State. Eldridge scored a team-high 11 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds.
SLACK ATTACK
Anthony Slack, the league leader in blocked shots, isn't cutting ISU's opponents any slack so far this season. Through 13 games, Slack has posted a team-best 29 blocked shots. He is averaging 2.2 blocks per game, which would rank as the second-highest blocked shots average in a single season at ISU. Slack has tallied three or more blocks six times this season, including four swats apiece against UNC-Wilmington, Indiana and Tuesday at Wichita State.
BOO'S RECENT SCORING SURGE
Boo Richardson scored in double-figures for the third-consecutive game at Wichita State Tuesday, chipping in 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, including a 2-of-4 mark from three-point range. Prior to the Dec. 22 game at Ball State, Richardson had not recorded a double-digit scoring output this season.
HOLLOWAY COMING INTO HIS OWN
Junior guard Emmanuel Holloway's production has steadily increased in recent games, and it continued against Wichita State Tuesday. He equaled his season high with 10 points in a career-high tying 22 minutes off the Redbird bench. Holloway's effort included a team-high seven first-half points to go along with a season-high tying three rebounds for the fourth time this season.
HITTING THE 80-POINT PLATEAU
Illinois State scored 80 points against Creighton on Dec. 29, marking the third time ISU has equaled or surpassed the 80-point plateau this season. In the past five seasons, the Redbirds are a combined 15-1 when scoring 80 or more points.
SLACK DOUBLES OVER ... AGAIN
Anthony Slack tallied his second double-double of the season with 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds at Creighton last Saturday. Slack has led the Redbirds in rebounding four times this season, and now has six double-digit rebounding efforts in his career. Slack's six defensive caroms helped him eclipse the 250-career rebound plateau -- Slack now has 264 career caroms. Slack's first double-double this season came against Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 14.
LEVI'S LINE
Levi Dyer scored a team-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 5-of-7 effort from three-point range, in Illinois State's 80-67 win at Creighton Saturday night. Dyer poured in 16 points in the first half (4-of-6 three-point range), including two stretches where he scored seven-consecutive and nine-straight points, respectively. Dyer has three games with five or more three-point field goals this season.
LONG (BUT SUCCESSFUL) DECEMBER
Illinois State finished the month of December with a 5-1 record after securing wins over Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 1), Cincinnati (Dec. 8), Bowling Green (Dec. 16), Ball State (Dec. 22) and Creighton (Dec. 29). The six-game start equaled ISU's best record in December since the 2004-05 season, and is the best December start since 2000, when the Redbirds went 7-0 in the final month of the calendar year.
REBOUNDING TRIO
Anthony Slack (6.7 rpg), Dinma Odiakosa (5.8) and Osiris Eldridge (5.8) are all averaging more than five rebounds per game through 13 games this season. The last time Illinois State had three players average at least five rebounds per game in a single season was during the 1998-99 campaign, when L. Dee Murdock (6.1 rpg), Sean Riley (5.3) and LeRoy Watkins (5.5) all grabbed more than five caroms per outing.
A TRIO OF SCORERS
At this point, Illinois State has three players averaging double-digit points per game. Osiris Eldridge is pouring in 15.5 points per contest, Anthony Slack is averaging 10.0 points per game and Levi Dyer is tossing in 10.8 tallies per game. The last time Illinois State had three players averaging double-figures was during the 2002-03 season with Gregg Alexander (11.1 ppg.), Vince Greene (12.3 ppg) and Trey Guidry (11.1 ppg).
PROTECTING THE ROCK
Illinois State matched a season-low with just 10 turnovers at Wichita State Tuesday night. The Redbirds have committed less than 15 turnovers in each of the past six contests.
THESE GUYS CAN SHOOT IT
Thirteen games into the season, all five of Illinois State's starters are shooting at better than a 40-percent clip from the field. Anthony Slack has a 67.9 shooting percentage; Osiris Eldridge is shooting 47.7 percent; Dom Johnson is shooting at a 41.4 percent clip, Levi Dyer is shooting 42.1 percent from the field this season and Dinma Odiakosa is shooting 52.3 percent from the field.
