BGSU was tabbed to finish third in MAC East Division in the league's preseason poll. Senior Nate Miller was named to the conference's preseason team.
A BIG MAC ATTACK
Playing a member of the Mid-American Conference is nothing new for Illinois State, especially since the Redbirds have faced at least one MAC school in each of the last 11 seasons. With ISU facing MAC opponents in two of the next three games, tonight's game against Bowling Green will mark ISU's 257th contest against a current member of the MAC. The Redbirds have had their share of success against the MAC, boasting a 151-105 (.590) record against the league membership, including a 3-1 record last season.
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.
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.
TITLE TOWN
By claiming the SMU Tipoff Classic championship, the Redbirds won their first regular-season tournament title since the 1998 Hawaii-Pacific Shootout. Sunday, Illinois State claimed the 2008 World Vision Invitational championship to win its second regular-season tournament title in the same season. The last time the Redbirds equaled this feat 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.
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 203-78 all-time record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, and boasts a 72.2 percent winning 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 75 assists, while only turning the ball over 39 times. He owns a 1.92 career assist-to-turnover ratio and currently leads the conference with a 4.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.
RETURN OF THE 60-POINT LIMIT
After holding opponents to under 60 points 19 times last season, Illinois State has returned to its strict defensive ways. After allowing over 60 points per game in the first five games, the Redbirds have limited each of their last two foes to less than 60 points. In the last two seasons, ISU is 20-1 when holding its opponents to under 60 points per game.
NON-CON SUCCESS
Since his arrival to Illinois State, head coach Tim Jankovich and the Redbirds are 19-5 (.792) in non-conference games.
START ME UP
Illinois State's starters are accounting for 80.8 percent of the offensive output so far this season. In the first seven games, the Redbird starters have had 28 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 seven games, Illinois State is enjoying a 14.8-percent increase in free throw percentage from last season's team. ISU is shooting 78 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 0.5 percent.
JUST IMAGINE ...
If the three-point line was not moved back a foot. Through seven games, the Redbirds are averaging 10.9 made three-pointers per game, which is nearly four more threes per contest than last season. Also, ISU is shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc this season, after shooting 37.2 percent last year. In seven games this season, the Redbirds have already made double-digit three-pointers in five games. In all of last season, ISU had double-digit made threes in five games as well.
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 13 steals on the season. He now has 92 in his ISU career, which ranks No. 22 in the Redbird record books.
BOARDING CALL
Even though the Redbirds have started a four-guard offense in all seven 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.
273 GAMES WITH A TREY
After sinking 14 three-pointers in the victory over UC-Santa Barbara, ISU enters tonight's game against Bowling Green with at least one made three in 273-straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton Dec. 12, 1999.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Not only are the Redbirds outrebounding their opponents with four guards, but they are putting on a rebounding display that hasn't been seen at Illinois State in some time. Through seven games, the Redbirds own a +8.1 rebounding margin, which if the season ended today, would be the largest margin since the 1973-74 season, when ISU owned a +10.0 rebounding edge.
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.
ON GUARD
After seven 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 51 boards this season, while junior Osiris Eldridge is second on the team with 44 caroms. In ISU's NCAA Division I-era (1970-present), the Redbirds have never had two guards lead the team in rebounding.
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 20 offensive rebounds. Not only does Odiakosa lead the team in offensive boards, but he has more offensive rebounds than defensive boards (18). The last Redbird player to finish the season with more offensive rebounds than defensive was Kenneth Pierson during the 1998-99 season. Pierson finished the year with 28 offensive boards and 20 defensive rebounds.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?
For Winston-Salem State last 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.
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 39 tallies to join the club. He would be the first addition since 2005, when Gregg Alexander, Vince Greene and Trey Guidry became members.
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 76.2 percent winning percentage (32-10) at Illinois State, which ranks fourth on the all-time coaching ledger in ISU's 111-year history.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
After defeating UC-Santa Barbara, 87-59, Illinois State opened season with a perfect 7-0 record. The last time ISU won its first seven games of the season was in 1977-78, when the Redbirds won their first 12 games of the season.
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 17.4 points per game, while Phillips is third, averaging 11.0 per contest.
