Feb. 12, 2008
Illinois State-Missouri State Game Notes in PDF Format 
STORYLINES
► Illinois State and Missouri State will be playing for the second time in just 11 days. The Redbirds edged the host Bears, 64-63, on Feb. 2 at the Hammons Student Center in Springfield, Mo.
► The Redbirds will be seeking their first regular season sweep over Missouri State since the 2000-01 season, when ISU recorded a 64-60 win over the Bears in Springfield, Mo., and outlasted MSU at Redbird Arena, 72-61.
► Illinois State is 12-1 inside the confines of Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena this season, including Saturday's 72-68 win over rival Bradley. The Redbirds are averaging 71.2 points per game at home, while holding their opponents to just 57.1 points per contest.
► The Redbirds enter Wednesday night's game with 17 overall wins. A victory over Missouri State would give ISU 18 wins for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The Redbirds' nine wins in Valley play are also the most since the 2001-02 Redbirds finished the season with a 12-6 MVC mark.
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.
► Hinson captured his 200th career win over visiting UNI at Hammons Student Center Saturday.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Missouri State enters Wednesday's game tied for seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 5-8 league mark. The Bears are coming off Saturday's 71-54 win over visiting Northern Iowa, breaking a four-game losing streak. The Bears lead the Valley in blocked shots, averaging 3.72 blocks per game. MSU's 13.44 assists per game rank fifth in the conference; the Bears rank fifth overall in field goal percentage, converting at a .441 clip from the field, and are sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.353). Missouri State also ranks fifth in scoring offense, averaging 66.0 points per contest.
Dale Lamberth is the Valley's sixth-leading scorer, averaging 13.9 points per game. Right behind is Deven Mitchell, who is averaging 13.8 points per game, ranking seventh overall in the league. Mitchell also averages 6.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the Valley. He is also one of the MVC's most efficient shooters, compiling a league fifth-best .531 field goal percentage. Justin Fuehrmeyer is leading the Bears in assists, compiling 3.80 assists per game, which ranks eighth overall in the conference. Center Drew Richards made his return to the MSU lineup at Bradley on Feb. 8, and started against Northern Iowa Saturday. He had 13 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes.
NEXT UP: REDBIRDS TRAVEL TO INDIANA STATE SATURDAY
Illinois State will begin a mini two-game road swing Saturday, when the Redbirds travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to take on host Indiana State. The Redbirds edged the visiting Sycamores, 65-62, on Jan. 27 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Indiana State has dropped five-straight games in Valley play, including Saturday's 65-60 loss at Wichita State. The game will be broadcast live on WYZZ (Fox 43). Indiana State is 9-1 at home this season, with its only loss coming against nationally-ranked Drake (Feb. 2).
BRACKETBUSTERS GAME TO BE TELEVISED FEB. 24 ON ESPNU
One week after the ESPN family of networks announced matchups for the sixth annual O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters series, network assignments and game times for the 14 televised contests were announced Monday afternoon. Illinois State will take on visiting Wright State Sunday, Feb. 24, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
ISU-SIU SEASON FINALE COMPLETES WILDCARD WEEKEND
After Illinois State's men's basketball team (17-7, 9-4 MVC) put a stranglehold on sole possession of second-place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 72-68 win over rival Bradley, the conference office announced Monday that the Redbirds will be showcased one more time on the MVC Television Network, when ISU visits in-state rival Southern Illinois Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. The game will clear live on FSN Midwest and Comcast SportsNet Chicago as part of the league's "Wildcard Weekend."
ISU OFFERS REDUCED TICKET SPECIALS FOR BASKETBALL
From now through Feb. 13, for just $15, fans can purchase an upper-level seat to the remaining three men's basketball regular-season home contests, against Missouri State (Feb. 1), Wright State in the ESPN O'Reilly BracketBusters game (Feb. 24) and Creighton (Feb. 27).
REVISITING FEBRUARY 2 IN SPRINGFIELD
In the first match-up between the Redbirds and Bears this season (Feb. 2), there were a combined 24 ties and lead changes. Missouri State took a 34-33 lead halftime lead behind Deven Mitchell's five first-half field goals. But ISU opened the second half on a 6-0 run, and held the lead until the 9:59 mark when Mitchell's jumper gave MSU the 49-47 advantage. The Bears opened up a four-point lead with 9:27 remaining, but allowed the Redbirds to take the lead three times in the final eight minutes. Dom Johnson was fouled on a drive to the basket with 25 seconds remaining, and made both free throws to give ISU a 64-63 lead. ISU called timeout after the second free throw to set up its defense. On MSU's ensuing possession, Chris Cooks missed a driving jumper, and Anthony Slack corralled the rebound and heaved the ball down the floor to a streaking Boo Richardson, who ran out the clock.
LOOKING TO REVERSE THE TREND
Missouri State was won five-of the last six games against Illinois State, including two-straight at Redbird Arena. ISU's last win over the Bears on its home court came on Dec. 30, 2004, when the Redbirds captured a 62-61 win. MSU's last two wins over Illinois State at Redbird Arena been by a combined 20 points, including last season's 75-66 win on Jan. 15, 2007.
BIGS PULL THROUGH AGAINST THE BRAVES
Illinois State's front line trio of Anthony Slack, Dinma Odiakosa and Brandon Sampay shot a combined 13-of-14 from the floor in Saturday night's win over Bradley. Slack scored 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting effort, Odiakosa was 5-of-6 for 13 points, and Sampay scored four points on 2-of-2 shooting. The trio outscored Bradley's Theron Wilson, Matt Salley, Rashad Austin and Sam Singh 21-9 in the second half. Slack, Odiakosa and Sampay also combined for 17 of ISU's 31 rebounds.
DINMA'S LINE
Sophomore forward Dinma Odiakosa, who has started all 24 games for the Redbirds this season, took another big step Saturday against Bradley. Along with his 13 points on an 83 percent field goal percentage, he pulled down nine rebounds, including four offensive caroms, and recorded season-highs in both assists (2) and blocks (3) in a career-high 30 minutes.
LOGGING SIGNIFICANT MINUTES
For the first time this season, all five of Illinois State's starters played 30 or more minutes in Saturday night's 72-68 win over rival Bradley. Anthony Slack played 33 minutes, Dinma Odiakosa saw 30 minutes of action, Osiris Eldridge played 32 minutes, Boo Richardson played a team-high 34 minutes and Dom Johnson saw 31 minutes.
SHOOTING THE LIGHTS OUT
Illinois State tallied a season-high 54.9 (28-of-51) percent shooting percentage against 15th-ranked Drake last Tuesday despite dropping a 73-70 decision to the unbeaten Bulldogs. On Saturday against Bradley, the Redbirds were 28-of-48 from the field (.583), setting a season-best shooting mark for the second-consecutive game. ISU has shot better than 50 percent in nine contests this season, and is 7-2 in those games.
TURNING UP THE HEAT DEFENSIVELY
Perhaps even more impressive than the Redbirds' recent offensive success is their consitency on the defensive end. Illinois State's .405 defensive field goal percentage this season ranks second overall in the Missouri Valley Conference, behind just Northern Iowa (.386). The Redbirds are 11-1 this season when holding their opponents to 42 percent or lower from the field. ISU has been particularly stifling when defending the three-point shot, compiling a league-best .333 defensive three-point field goal percentage.
FINDING HIS GROOVE
Senior guard Dom Johnson, after tallying just four double-digit scoring efforts in the first 15 games of the season, has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games, including three of the last four games. Johnson poured in a team - and season-high 23 points at Missouri State on Feb. 2.
WHATEVER IT TAKES
For just the second time in the past seven games, senior guard Dom Johnson didn't record a double-digit scoring output against Bradley Saturday. But Johnson countered with a season-best tying eight assists for the second-consecutive contest, and corralled a season-high seven rebounds in the process.
MILESTONES IN SIGHT FOR BOO, SLACK AND OSIRIS
Boo Richardson, Anthony Slack and Osiris Eldridge enter Wednesday's game within reach of significant single-season and career milestones in four individual categories. Richardson has 94 assists on the season, and is within six helpers of equaling 100; his 247 assists also puts him within three assists of clinching his 250 for his career. Slack's next field goal will be the 200th of his career. Finally, Eldridge has 198 career defensive rebounds, and is just two away from collecting his 200th defensive board at ISU.
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. Dating back to the 2002-03 season, ISU has a combined 15-28 record in the month of February. The Redbirds haven't won more than three games in the second month of the calendar year since the 2002-03 campaign. ISU already has two February wins this season.
FILLING THE TURNSTILES
There were a combined 18,385 fans (9,418 per game) in attendance for ISU's two home games against No. 15 Drake and Bradley last week. Saturday's full capacity crowd of 10,200 marked the first sellout at the facility since Feb. 5, 2005 against Bradley. ISU is averaging 6,461 fans per home game, the highest average for the Redbirds since the 2001-02 campaign, when an average of 6,463 fans came through the turnstiles per contest.
DOUBLE-DIGIT VALLEY WINS: IT'S BEEN A WHILE
Illinois State enters Wednesday's game with a 9-4 record in Missouri Valley Conference play, and is just one league win away from equaling its 10th victory. The last time ISU had at least 10 MVC wins was in the 2000-01 season, when the Redbirds went 12-6 in Valley play.
AT HOME, ISU IS A QUARTERHORSE
Through 13 home games, Illinois State has had its way with opponents during the 2007-08 season. The Redbirds are posting an average margin of victory of more than 14 points (14.1), while averaging 71.2 points per game. At home, ISU is shooting 49.7 percent and is holding opponents to 38.6 percent shooting.
HOME SWEET HOME
With a 12-1 start this season on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, Illinois State is adding to its winning record in its home facility. Since the building opened in 1989, the Redbirds own a 195-77 (.717) record at home, while boasting a 22-5 (.815) mark over the last two-plus seasons.
DISHIN' WITH BOO AND DOM
Senior backcourt tandem Boo Richardson (94 assists) and Dom Johnson (79) are both on pace to average at least 3.0 assists per game for the second-consecutive season. Prior to the 2006-07 campaign, the last time two Redbirds averaged three or more assists in the same season was during the 1994-95 campaign, when David Cason (6.8 apg) and Jamar Smiley (3.2 apg) both accomplished the feat.
REBOUNDING TRIO
Anthony Slack (6.2 rpg), Osiris Eldridge (5.5) and Dinma Odiakosa (5.3) are all averaging more than five rebounds per game through 24 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.
MVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR? O-MY!
While he was not even picked to the preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference team, as end of the Valley season approaches, it is becoming evident that sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge deserves a good, hard look as a MVC Player of the Year candidate. Eldridge ranks second in the Valley in scoring with 15.6 points per game, and is the league's 13th-leading rebounder, at 5.5 rebounds per contest. He is also shooting 48.4 percent from the field, the eighth-best mark in the MVC this season. Eldridge's 1.38 steals per game ranks 11th overall. In conference play, his 2.31 made three-point field goals per game is tied for seventh in the league. Eldridge has 21 double-digit scoring efforts this season, including 19 in the last 20 games.
PERCENT AND PROBABILITY
So far this season, when Anthony Slack attempts a field goal there is a high probability it is going in. In fact it is so high, that if he stays on this pace it would be the highest single-season field goal percentage in Illinois State history. Slack is making 71.1 percent of his field goals this season, which leads the Missouri Valley Conference.
THE INTERCHANGEABLE BACKCOURT
Senior guards Dom Johnson and Boo Richardson have combined to compile a 2.09 assist/turnover ratio (173 assists, 80 turnovers) this season. Richardson's 2.61 ratio leads the conference, and Johnson ranks seventh overall in the Valley with a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio.
WIN-LOSS ANALYSIS
In Illinois State's 17 wins, the Redbirds have averaged 69.5 points, 8.3 made three-point field goals, 17.3 assists and 7.6 steals per game. Conversely, in ISU's seven losses, the `Birds have averaged 65.4 points, 6.1 made three-pointers, 12.3 assists and 5.0 steals per game.
SECOND HALF LEADS DISAPPEAR IN SETBACKS
In each of Illinois State's four losses in Missouri Valley Conference play, the Redbirds held a second-half lead, including double-digit advantages in both setbacks to nationally-ranked Drake. In those four games, ISU has been out-scored in the second half by the opposition, 168-139, an average of 7.3 points.
DIVERSITY IN SCORING
While just one ISU player, Osiris Eldridge, averages double-digits this season, a balanced scoring attack has helped the Redbirds to their 17 wins. Eldridge (375), Dom Johnson (221) and Anthony Slack (219) have all eclipsed 200 points for the season, and Levi Dyer (180), Dinma Odiakosa (166), Boo Richardson (157) and Emmanuel Holloway (118) have all passed 100 points.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO WIN?
Illinois State has proven that it can win in many ways through its 17 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, Indiana State and Missouri State), 70s (Missouri-St. Louis, Illinois-Chicago, Evansville, vs. Wichita State and Bradley), 80s (UNC-Wilmington, Chicago State and Creighton) and 90s (Southeast Missouri State).
