Senior Leon Buchanan and sophomore Kenneth Faried were named to the 2008-09 Preseason All-OVC Team. Buchanan leads the Eagles with 12.4 points per game, while Faried is averaging a double-double with 12.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per contest.
AND THEN, THERE WERE 17
Illinois State is one of just 17 NCAA Division I basketball programs that are still undefeated. The Redbirds are joined by Brigham Young, Butler, Clemson, Connecticut, Gonzaga, LSU, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, Villanova, Wake Forest and Xavier.
A ONE-TWO PUNCH
For everyone who has seen the Redbirds play this season, it is pretty obvious that Osiris Eldridge and Champ Oguchi have made a pretty solid one-two punch for Illinois State this season. However, the word is getting out. In the latest Missouri Valley Conference stats (through Dec. 7), Eldridge leads the league with 16.4 points per game, while Oguchi is second in the Valley with 16.1 points per contest.
IN-SEASON MEDIA CONFERENCES
ISU 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 ISU 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.
COURTING THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
Illinois State junior Osiris Eldridge could become the 39th member of the Redbirds' 1,000-point club today against Morehead State. Eldridge enters the game with 980 career points and needs only 20 tallies to join the club. He has scored 20-plus points 11 times in his career. Eldridge would be the first addition to the 1,000-point club since 2005, when Gregg Alexander, Vince Greene and Trey Guidry became members.
DOWNING THE OVC
As of late, the Redbirds have been "naughty by nature" when facing members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Illinois State has won 19-straight games against members of the OVC, while head coach Tim Jankovich is 1-0 against the OVC while at ISU. Against the current members of the Ohio Valley Conference, the Redbirds own an 87-53 all-time record (.621).
HAVEN'T SEEN THIS SINCE THE 8¢ STAMP
The Redbirds and Morehead State haven't met on the hardwood since Feb. 5, 1974. At the time of the previous meeting, a first-class postage stamp was eight cents. Richard Nixon was the President of the United States, until he announced his resignation later that year on Aug. 9. Also in 1974, The Sting received the Academy Award for Best Picture, Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" was the record of the year and North Carolina State defeated Marquette, 76-64, to win the national championship.
PHILLIN' IT UP IN THE SECOND HALF
Junior Lloyd Phillips scored all 16 of his points in the second half against Bowling Green. Coming up big in the game's final 20 minutes is nothing new for the Redbird transfer. In fact, he is tied for the team lead with Osiris Eldridge in second-half points with 7.5 per game. Phillips is shooting 52.8 percent (19-for-36) in the second half, including 47.1 percent on threes (8-of-17).
EIGHT ISN'T ENOUGH
Even though Illinois State defeated Bowling Green, 78-65, to open the season 8-0, the Redbirds will need to win five-straight games to set the school record for the most victories to start a season. The last time ISU won its first eight games of the season was in 1977-78, when the Redbirds won their first 12 games to open the campaign.
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 78 assists, while only turning the ball over 40 times. He owns a 1.95 career assist-to-turnover ratio and currently leads the conference and ranks No. 8 nationally with a 4.1 assist-to-turnover ratio this season.
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 was three more victories than the previous best for a season. ISU owns a 204-78 all-time record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, and boasts a 72.3-percent winning percentage.
HOME SWEET HOME, PART II
With a victory today, the Redbirds would start the season with a 5-0 record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. It would mark the fourth-straight season in which ISU has began the year with a 5-0 mark at home.
JUST IMAGINE ...
If the three-point line was not moved back a foot. Through eight games, the Redbirds are averaging 10.4 made three-pointers per game, which is nearly four more threes per contest than last season. Also, ISU is shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc this season, after shooting 37.2 percent last year. In eight games this season, the Redbirds have already made double-digit three-pointers in five games, equalling the output of the entire season last year.
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.
NON-CON SUCCESS
Since his arrival at Illinois State, head coach Tim Jankovich and the Redbirds are 18-4 (.818) in non-conference games.
ON GUARD
After eight games, Illinois State's two leading rebounders aren't post players. Instead, they are members of the Redbird backcourt. Senior Champ Oguchi leads the team with 57 boards this season, while junior Osiris Eldridge is second on the team with 51 caroms. In ISU's NCAA Division I-era (1970-present), the Redbirds have never had two guards lead the team in rebounding.
274 GAMES WITH A TREY
After sinking seven three-pointers in the victory over Bowling Green, ISU enters today's game against Morehead State with at least one made three in 274-straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton Dec. 12, 1999.
START ME UP
Illinois State's starters are accounting for 80.6 percent of the offensive output so far this season. In the first eight games, the Redbird starters have had 31 double-digit scoring efforts out of a possible 40. ISU's starting five each posted double-digit points in the wins against Wright State, Houston Baptist and SMU.
BOARDING CALL
Even though the Redbirds have started a four-guard offense in all eight 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 +8.3 rebounding advantage.
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.
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 76.7 percent winning percentage (33-10) at Illinois State, which ranks fourth on the all-time coaching ledger in ISU's 111-year history.
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 and leads the Redbirds with 14 steals on the season. He now has 93 in his ISU career, which ranks tied for No. 21 with Kyle Cartmill in the Redbird record books.
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.
CREATING THE SECOND CHANCE
Junior Dinma Odiakosa is all about giving his teammates a second chance, and as a result, is leading the team with 21 offensive rebounds. Through eight games, the Redbirds already have three players with double-digit offensive rebounds. Trailing Odiakosa are Osiris Eldridge (16) and Champ Oguchi (14).
SHOOTING SUCCESS
With a field-goal percentage of 48.6 through the first eight games, Illinois State is having success shooting the ball. Through the Dec. 7, 2008 NCAA statistical report, the Redbirds rank No. 37 nationally out of 330 teams. The shooting percentage is the best by the Redbirds since the 1986-87 team shot 50.3 percent.
