Illinois State-Missouri State Game Notes in PDF Format 
Feb. 1, 2008
STORYLINES
► After starting the 2007-08 Missouri Valley Conference slate with back-to-back road wins, ISU has suffered three-consecutive league losses on the road after dropping a 69-61 decision at UNI Wednesday.
► Senior forward Anthony Slack, who is recovering from a right shoulder contusion he suffered at Bradley on Jan. 23, is day-to-day after receiving the results of last Thursday's X-Ray, which showed no structural damage. Slack missed his second-straight game at UNI Wednesday.
► Saturday's game marks the last time Illinois State will face Missouri State at Hammons Student Center. MSU will unveil the brand-new John Q. Hammons (JQH) Arena in time for the Bears' 2008-09 season. The 11,000-seat arena will be located immediately east of Hammons Student Center.
► Missouri State is the only Valley team that Illinois State has not played to date this season. The Redbirds and Bears will face off again at Redbird Arena in just 11 days (Feb. 13).
► Illinois State has lost five-consecutive games against Missouri State, and has not defeated the Bears in Springfield, Mo., since Jan. 11, 2001.
ABOUT MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
► Missouri State University is located in Springfield, Mo., and has an enrollment of 20,962. The Bears are members of NCAA Division I and the Missouri Valley Conference.
► The Bears finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 22-11 record overall and a 12-6 record in The Valley. MSU garnered the No. 3 seed in the State Farm MVC Tournament, and lost to second-seeded Southern Illinois in the semifinals. The Bears hosted San Diego State in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), dropping a 74-70 decision.
► Head coach Barry Hinson (Oklahoma State `93) is in his ninth season at the helm of the Missouri State program, where he has compiled an average of more than 18 wins per season. Hinson was also the head basketball coach at Oral Roberts from 1997-99. He is assisted by Ben Miller, Steve Woodberry and Kyan Brown.
► Heading into this season, Missouri State had strung together back-to-back 22-win seasons.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Missouri State enters Saturday's game in eighth place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 4-6 league mark. The Bears have lost back-to-back games, and are coming off Tuesday's overtime (70-62) road loss against rival Wichita State at Charles Koch Arena. The Bears lead the Valley in blocked shots, averaging 3.73 blocks per game. MSU's 13.36 assists per game rank fifth in the conference; the Bears rank fifth overall in field goal percentage, converting at a .440 clip from the field, and are sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.348). Missouri State also ranks fifth in scoring offense, averaging 65.7 points per contest.
Deven Mitchell is the Valley's third leading scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game. Dale Lamberth has contributed 13.3 points per game, the seventh-best mark in the MVC this season. Mitchell also averages 6.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 10th overall in the league. Lamberth's 4.8 rebounds per outing ranks 19th in the Valley. Mitchell is also one of the MVC's most efficient shooters, compiling a .527 field goal percentage. Justin Fuehrmeyer is leading the Bears in assists, compiling 3.64 assists per game, ranking eighth overall in the Valley. Spencer and Shane Laurie are averaging 3.50 and 2.00 assists per game, respectively.
NEXT UP: REDBIRDS HOST UNBEATEN DRAKE TUESDAY
Illinois State will begin a three-game homestand Tuesday, when the Redbirds take on No. 16/17 Drake beginning at 7:05 p.m. The Bulldogs have won 18-straight games, including a 10-0 start in Missouri Valley Conference play. Drake overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to outlast ISU at a sold-out Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 19. The Bulldogs, who cracked the top-25 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches polls two weeks ago, are 6-1 on the road this season. Host Saint Mary's handed Drake its lone loss of the season on Nov. 10, in the Bulldogs' second game of the season.
INJURY UPDATE: Slack Listed as Day-to-Day
Illinois State senior forward Anthony Slack, who injured his right shoulder with just over six minutes remaining in the first half of the 76-75 loss at Bradley (Jan. 23), is listed as day-to-day with a shoulder contusion after X-rays showed no structural damage. Slack suffered the injury with 6:14 remaining in the opening stanza, when his right shoulder collided with the north basket stanchion at Carver Arena. He is the Valley's current leader in field goal percentage (.700) and ranks second in the conference in blocked shots (32). He has started 19 games this season. Slack missed his second-consecutive game at Northern Iowa Wednesday.
A NEW FEBRUARY?
Illinois State had a combined 11 wins in the months of December and January. But it is a new month, and in recent history, February hasn't been friendly to the Redbirds. ISU has a combined 13-27 record in the month of February the past five seasons. The Redbirds haven't won more than three games in the second month of the calendar year since the 2002-03 campaign.
TREYS NOT SO PLENTIFUL AGAINST THE PANTHERS
For the second time this season, Illinois State struggled to get things going from three-point range against Northern Iowa, the Valley's top ranked team in three-point field goal percentage defense. The Redbirds recorded season lows in three-point field goals made (3), attempted (13) and percentage (.231) in Wednesday's 69-61 loss at the McLeod Center. Notably, the Redbirds' previous season-lows in those three categories were set against the Panthers at Redbird Arena on Jan. 30. ISU is averaging 7.62 threes per game, and is the league's second-ranked three-point shooting team, at 38.6 percent.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Illinois State out-rebounded the Panthers 35-27 Wednesday, marking the first time the Redbirds have tallied more caroms than their opponents in three-consecutive game this season. ISU has out-rebounded its opponent just five times in conference play, and in only 10 overall games this season. UNI held a 38-30 rebounding advantage over the Redbirds on Jan. 8 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
SEARCHING FOR EIGHT
The Redbirds will be searching for their eighth Missouri Valley Conference win against Missouri State Saturday at Hammons Student Center. ISU has won eight MVC games just twice in the last six seasons, with the last time coming in the 2004-05 campaign, when the Redbirds went 8-10 in conference play.
OFFENSIVE ODIAKOSA
One game after scoring 15 points against Indiana State, Dinma Odiakosa contributed 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting at Northern Iowa Wednesday. Odiakosa has eight double-digit scoring efforts in his career. He is averaging 12.7 points per game over the last three Valley contests.
HOLLOWAY JOINS 100-POINT CLUB
Emmanuel Holloway, with his two made three-pointers against Indiana State, surpassed the 100-point plateau. Holloway became the seventh player to eclipse 100 points this season, joining Osiris Eldridge (318), Anthony Slack (189), Levi Dyer (178), Dom Johnson (178), Boo Richardson (140) and Dinma Odiakosa (142). Brandon Sampay has 70 points on the season, and is 30 points away from becoming the eighth player to eclipse 100 points this season.
BREAKING THE STREAK
Osiris Eldridge, who entered Wednesday's game against Northern Iowa as the Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer, scored just six points against the Panthers, breaking a streak of 16 consecutive-games in which he scored in double figures. Eldridge enters Saturday's game ranked second in the Valley in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. He trails just Drake's Josh Young (15.9 ppg) in the category.
DOM PACES REDBIRDS OFFENSIVELY VS. UNI
Senior guard Dom Johnson scored a game-high 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting at Northern Iowa Wednesday, marking the eighth time this season, and the fourth time in the past six games, that he has recorded a double-digit scoring output. Johnson has led the Redbirds in scoring twice this season. He was 4-of-5 from the field, including a 3-of-5 effort from beyond the three-point arc in the first half. Johnson passed Chad Altadonna (1991-95) on the career made three pointers list, and now ranks 16th all-time in the category.
SLACK ATTACK
Anthony Slack, the league leader in blocked shots, isn't cutting ISU's opponents any slack so far this season. Through 21 games, Slack has posted a team-best 32 blocked shots. He is averaging 1.6 blocks per game, which would rank as the 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 at Wichita State. Slack has missed the past two games due to a shoulder injury he suffered at Bradley on Jan. 23.
$5 Upper-Bowl Tickets Available for ISU-Drake Tuesday
Illinois State will play five of its final nine regular-season games at home, beginning with next Tuesday's (Feb. 5) marquee match-up against No. 16 Drake on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Fans will also have the opportunity to recognize ISU's most successful student athletes on AFNI Athletics Honor Roll Night, while also enjoying reduced ticket prices. Upper-bowl seats, in special sections, will be available for just $5.
THE INTERCHANGEABLE BACKCOURT
Senior guards Dom Johnson and Boo Richardson have combined to compile a 2.15 assist/turnover ratio (140 assists, 65 turnovers) this season. Johnson and Richardson are just the second duo in the Valley this season to both rank in the top-10 in the league for assist/turnover ratio. Richardson's 2.89 ratio leads the conference. Missouri State's Justin Fuehrmeyer (2.00) and Spencer Laurie (1.57) rank fifth and eighth in the MVC, respectively.
ELDRIDGE HITS 600
Osiris Eldridge's three-point field goal with 15:04 remaining against Indiana State gave the Redbird sophomore 600 career points. He now has 613 points scored in his career.
VETERANS SHOULDER MOST OF STATISTICAL LOAD
With four starters returning from 2006-07 and five of the team's top-six scorers, the opportunities for this season's newcomers to contribute was somewhat limited. While Emmanuel Holloway, Brandon Sampay, Dinma Odiakosa and Sead Odzic have been valuable additions to the Redbird rotation, it has been the veterans that have carried most of the statistical responsibilities. Levi Dyer, Boo Richardson, Osiris Eldridge, Anthony Slack and Dom Johnson have accounted for 70 percent (.699) of ISU's scoring, 57 percent (.570) of its rebounding and 72 percent (.722) of the Redbirds' assists.
PACING THE VALLEY
Illinois State entered this weekend's slate of Missouri Valley Conference games leading the league in field goal percentage (.462), three-point field goal percentage defense (.323) and assist/turnover ratio (1.18). The Redbirds also rank second in field goal percentage defense (.394), three-point field goal percentage (.396), defensive rebounds (23.90 rpg), blocked shots (3.57 bpg), assists (15.57 apg) and turnover margin (+2.48). Individually, Anthony Slack leads the Valley in field goal percentage (.700) and Boo Richardson's 2.89 assist/turnover ratio tops the league.
WHAT PRESEASON POLL?!?
When examining the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll through ten conference games, it becomes evident that very few voters had a grasp on what would unfold in the league this season. Two of the top four teams in the poll (Bradley and Missouri State) find themselves in the bottom-five of the league, and two of the current top-four teams (Drake and Illinois State) were picked ninth and fifth, respectively.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO WIN?
Illinois State has proven that it can win in many ways through its 15 victories this season. The Redbirds have captured wins when scoring in the 40s (at Wichita State), 50s (Southern Illinois) 60s (Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Ball State and Indiana State), 70s (Missouri-St. Louis, Illinois-Chicago, Evansville and vs. Wichita State), 80s (UNC-Wilmington, Chicago State and Creighton) and 90s (Southeast Missouri State).
REBOUNDING TRIO
Osiris Eldridge (5.9), Anthony Slack (5.8 rpg) and Dinma Odiakosa (5.1) are all averaging more than five rebounds per game through 21 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.
THESE GUYS CAN SHOOT IT
All five of Illinois State's starters are shooting at better than a 40-percent clip from the field through 21 games this season. Anthony Slack has a league-best 70.0 shooting percentage; Osiris Eldridge is shooting 47.1 percent; Dom Johnson is shooting at a 43.8 percent clip, Levi Dyer is shooting 40.8 percent from the field this season and Dinma Odiakosa is shooting 52.7 percent from the field.
POINT N' SHOOT
In its last win, Illinois State outshot Indiana State last Sunday, 52.1 percent to 46.0 percent. The Redbirds have out-shot their opposition in all 15 of their wins this season, and have tallied a better field goal percentage than their opposition in 12 of the past 13 games.
ILLINOIS STATE IS ...
• 11-2 when leading at halftime
• 14-1 when leading with 5:00 to play
• 0-5 when trailing with 5:00 to play
• 8-2 when the Redbirds out-rebound their opponent
• 12-5 when committing less than 15 turnovers
• 13-3 when shooting 40 percent or higher
• 8-0 when the opposition shoots less than 40 percent
• 15-2 when out-shooting its opponent
• 8-4 when attempting more field goals than its opponent
• 9-3 when attempting more three-pointers than its opponent
• 4-0 when scoring 80 or more points, 7-2 when scoring 70 or more and 11-4 when scoring 60 or more
• 10-0 when holding the opposition under 60 points
• 11-3 when scoring the first points of the game
ROAD NOTABLES
• The Redbirds are 4-4 on the road season.
• ISU is averaging 66.9 points per game on the road, compared to just 64.5 points per contest for its opponents (+2.4 scoring margin).
• The Redbirds are shooting 45 percent in away games.
• ISU is out-rebounding its foes by more than three caroms per game (34.8-31.4) on the road.
• ISU is averaging 12.3 turnovers per road game.
• The Redbirds are averaging 3.8 blocks per game on the road this season.
• 93.1 percent of ISU's total road attendance this season has come in the Redbirds' five MVC road games at Creighton, Wichita State, Drake and Bradley. The other combined 6.9 percent came on the road against Mid-American Conference foes Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green and Ball State.
• Emmanuel Holloway is shooting a team-best 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from three-point range on the road.
• Osiris Eldridge is averaging 8.0 rebounds per road game.
• Boo Richardson has snagged 13 steals on the road, an average of 1.6 steals per game.
• Three players (Eldridge, Richardson and Dom Johnson) are averaging 30 or more minutes per game on the road this season.
