UCSB owns a 3-3 record this season, but two of the Gauchos' losses were by a total of three points.
SIXTH CENTURY
In the history of the world, the sixth century was deemed as the start of the dark ages. However in Redbird basketball, players who score their 100th point of the season through the first six games has been anything but dark. ISU's Champ Oguchi has 104 points through the first six games for the Redbirds. The last player at ISU to surpass the 100-point plateau through six games was Lorenzo Gordon in the 2004-05 season. The 2005 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year had 107 points after six games.
HAVEN'T SEEN THIS SINCE THE 13¢ STAMP
The Redbirds and the Gauchos haven't met on the hardwood since Jan. 5, 1978. At the time of the previous meeting, a first-class postage stamp was 13 cents. Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States, Annie Hall received the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Eagles' "Hotel California" was the record of the year and Sony introduced the "walkman," the first portable stereo.
IN-SEASON MEDIA CONFERENCES
Illinois State Athletics Media Relations will host seven in-season media conferences during the 2008-09 season. Each conference will feature head coach Tim Jankovich and a member of the Redbird basketball team. The media conferences will start at 1 p.m., and be held in the Redbird Arena Media Room, which is just off the southwest loading dock. The scheduled dates are: Dec. 18, Jan. 5, Jan. 23, Jan. 29, Feb. 23 and March 3.
VALLEY TELECONFERENCES
Teleconferences with The Valley head coaches will be conducted each Tuesday throughout the season. The first teleconference is slated for Dec. 16, followed by every Tuesday from Jan. 6 to March 6. The conferences begin at 10 a.m. CT. To participate in the conference calls, call 913.981.5517. Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich will participate at 10:30 a.m.
GOING FOR BACK-TO-BACK
By claiming the SMU Tipoff Classic championship, the Redbirds won their first regular-season tournament title since the 1998 Hawaii-Pacific Shootout. By advancing to the 2008 World Vision Invitational title game, Illinois State has the opportunity to claim two regular-season tournament titles in the same season. The last time the Redbirds did that was during the 1984-85 season when ISU won both the American Savings Classic in Stockton, Calif., and the Fleet Classic in Providence, R.I. The Redbirds are 10-14 all-time in regular-season tournament championship games.
HOME SWEET HOME
Illinois State is in its 21st season of basketball action on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds notched a 16-2 home record last season, which were three more victories than the previous best for a season. ISU owns a 202-78 all-time record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, and boasts a 72.1 percent winning percentage.
PHILLIPS FILING IT UP
Junior guard Lloyd Phillips is off to a good start shooting the ball. Through six games, Phillips is second on the team, only to post player Dinma Odiakosa, in field goal percentage with a 48.9 percent success rate. He is also shooting nearly as well from beyond the arc. Phillips leads the team with a 48 percent three-point field goal percentage.
BALL SECURITY
Senior Emmanuel Holloway understands that possession is nine-tenths of the basketball law. In his two seasons at ISU, Holloway has dished out 68 assists, while only turning the ball over 38 times. He owns a 1.79 career assist-to-turnover ratio and is averaging only 0.05 turnovers per minute played.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Illinois State is off to a great start hitting the offensive glass. Through six games, the Redbirds have totaled 66 offensive rebounds, or 11 offensive boards per game. The last time ISU averaged 11 or more offensive rebounds per game was during the 1998-99 season (11.03). Dinma Odiakosa leads the Redbirds with 18 offensive rebounds this season.
NON-CON SUCCESS
Since his arrival to Illinois State, head coach Tim Jankovich and the Redbirds are 18-5 (.783) in non-conference games.
START ME UP
Illinois State's starters are accounting for 82.3 percent of the offensive output so far this season. In the first six games, the Redbird starters have had 25 double-digit scoring efforts. ISU's starting five each posted double-digit points in the wins against Wright State, Houston Baptist and SMU.
EVERYTHING IS FINE FROM THE LINE
Through the first six games, Illinois State is enjoying an 16.1 percent increase in free throw percentage from last season's team. ISU is shooting 79.3 percent from the line and at this pace, the Redbirds would set the school standard for free throw percentage in a season, breaking the old mark by 1.8 percent.
JUST IMAGINE ...
If the three-point line was not moved back a foot. Through six games, the Redbirds are averaging 10.3 made three-pointers per game, which is three more threes per contest than last season. Also, ISU is shooting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc this season, after shooting 37.2 percent last year. In six games this season, the Redbirds have already made double-digit three-pointers in four games. In 2007-08, ISU had five games in which it made 10 or more threes in a game.
THE HOST WITH THE MOST
ISU is hosting its first regular-season tournament since the 1979-80 season. Back then, ISU hosted US International, Lamar and Northern Illinois in the Illinois State Holiday Festival. The Redbirds won the event.
O, SHALL HE STEAL
It has been an unofficial commandment of Illinois State basketball since his arrival, and Osiris Eldridge is back at it again this year. Eldridge tied his career-best with six steals against Houston Baptist last Saturday night and is second on the Redbirds with 11 steals on the season. He now has 90 in his ISU career, which ranks No. 22 in the Redbird record books.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?
For Winston-Salem State Saturday night it was 33 points. The Rams set the standard for Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena for fewest points in the facility in the 53-33 loss to Illinois State. The 33 point total was three less than the previous mark set by Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW), which lost 65-36 to the Redbirds Dec. 6, 2005.
BOARDING CALL
Even though the Redbirds have started a four-guard offense in all six games this season, it hasn't affected Illinois State's rebounding effort. In fact, in every game, the Redbirds have won the battle of the boards. On the season, ISU is boasting a +8.8 rebounding advantage.
RARE COMPANY
After being named the Valley's Preseason Player of the Year, junior Osiris Eldridge appears to have an inside track to join a select group. Eldridge won the conference's freshman of the year award in 2007. If he ends his Illinois State career with the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year Award, which he finished runner-up for last season, Eldridge would become only the second player in league history to win both the freshman of the year and player of the year award, joining Southern Illinois' Ashraf Amaya.
272 GAMES WITH A TREY
After sinking six three-pointers in the victory over Winston-Salem State, ISU enters today's game against UC-Santa Barbara with at least one made three in 272-straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton Dec. 12, 1999.
BACK ON TRACK
With the 25-10 overall record in 2007-08, the Redbirds ended a string of two-straight losing seasons. Non-winning seasons are not common around Illinois State basketball. In the 37 years of being an NCAA Division I program, the Redbirds have had just seven losing seasons.
COURTING THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
If he stays at last season's scoring pace (15.8 points per game), Illinois State junior Osiris Eldridge should become the 39th member of the Redbirds' 1,000-point club against Morehead State (Dec. 14). Eldridge now has 943 career points and needs only 68 tallies to join the club. He would be the first addition since 2005, when Gregg Alexander, Vince Greene and Trey Guidry became members.
BEING THANKFUL FOR THE WINS
In 111 years of Redbird basketball, Illinois State owns a 61-33 (.649) record in the month of November. The Redbirds posted a 4-2 mark in the 11th month last season. Today's game against UC-Santa Barbara is the seventh game this season in the month of November. ISU has already posted a 6-0 mark by defeating Wright State (69-61), Alabama State (77-71), Houston Baptist (107-70), SMU (84-73), Nicholls (75-65) and Winston-Salem State (53-33).
JANKOVICH'S ENCORE
Head coach Tim Jankovich's first season at Illinois State was a memorable one, not only for him, but for the program. With a 25-10 record, Jankovich guided the Redbirds to a school-record-tying 25 wins and he posted the most single-season wins for a first-year coach in program history. Currently he holds a 75.6 percent winning percentage (31-10) at Illinois State, which ranks fourth on the all-time coaching ledger in ISU's 111-year history.
SEVENTH HEAVEN?
After defeating Winston-Salem State, 53-33, Illinois State opened season with a perfect 6-0 record. The last time ISU won its first six games of the season was in 1982-83, and then suffered a 67-60 loss at Illinois in game seven. The Redbirds will go for their seventh-straight Sunday against UC-Santa Barbara. ISU won its first 12 games of the season in 1977-78.
NEWCOMER NUMBERS
Newcomers Champ Oguchi and Lloyd Phillips are putting up some early numbers. So many numbers in fact, that Oguchi has scored in double-figures each game this season and Phillips has posted double-digits in five games. Oguchi leads the team with 17.3 points per game, while Phillips is third, averaging 11.5 per contest.
