March 8, 2008
ISU' MVC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL NOTABLES:
ILLINOIS STATE INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Boo Richardson scored a team-high 14 points, marking just the fourth time this season he has led the Redbirds in scoring.
• Brandon Sampay and Osiris Eldridge each corralled a team-high seven rebounds. Sampay has now led the Redbirds in rebounding four times this season.
• Sampay played 19 minutes at Southern Illinois in the regular-season finale (March 1), and played 18 minutes Friday, the most action he has seen in back-to-back games since playing 24 and 27 minutes, respectively, against Indiana State (Jan. 27) and at Northern Iowa (Jan. 30) in the absence of the injured Anthony Slack.Sampay (10 points) scored in double-figures for the fourth time this season.
• Eldridge's 13 points gave him double-figures in scoring for the 26th time this season, including 24 in the last 27 contests.
• Levi Dyer hit a three-pointer with 12:56 remaining in the first half, clinching the fourth-consecutive game he has converted a three-point field goal. Prior to the four-game stretch, Dyer had gone seven Missouri Valley Conference games without a three.
• Despite Dom Johnson returning to the Redbird lineup, Emmanuel Holloway made his sixth-consecutive start. Johnson started the first 25 games of the season before being sidelined after undergoing a tonsillectomy Feb. 21.
• Richardson scored in double figures against Missouri State for the second time this season. He chipped in 10 points against the Bears Feb. 2 at Hammons Student Center.
• Alex Rubin hit a three-pointer with 5:44 remaining to give ISU a 53-51 lead it would not relinquish. Rubin has played an average of 6.8 minutes per game over the past six contests.
• Mike Vandello played four minutes, his most action since playing 11 minutes against host Northern Iowa Jan. 30.
ILLINOIS STATE TEAM NOTES:
• Illinois State improves to 17-7 in MVC quarterfinal contests.
• The Redbirds advanced to the MVC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2002. ISU has a 7-9 all-time record in the semifinals.
• Illinois State recorded its first win in the Valley Tournament since 2004.
• ISU now has a 17-15 all-time Valley Tournament record in St. Louis.
• The Redbirds enter Saturday's semifinals with a 33rd-ranked RPI, according to CollegeRPI.com.
• Illinois State's eight made three-point field goals tied for the Redbirds' fifth-highest total in a Valley Tournament game. Notably, the Redbirds' 23 attempted threes ties the most attempts by ISU in the Valley Tournament.
• Illinois State's 78.6 free throw percentage (11-of-14) was its most efficient effort since hitting 82.4 percent (14-of-17) of its attempts from the charity stripe against Bradley at Redbird Arena (Feb. 9).
• The Redbirds held Missouri State to just a 35 percent (21-of-60) effort from the field, the fourth-lowest for an ISU Valley tournament opponent.
• Illinois State put four players (Boo Richardson, Osiris Eldridge, Emmanuel Holloway, Brandon Sampay) in double figures for the ninth time this season, and the second time in the past three games.
• The Redbirds committed a season-low tying nine turnovers in the game, marking the fourth time this season ISU has avoided a double-digit turnover effort.
• ISU's bench edged Missouri State's reserves, 18-17, the first time the Redbirds have outscored their bench counterparts since the Feb. 9 home win over rival Bradley.
No. 2 Illinois State Redbirds (23-8) vs. No. 6 Northern Iowa (18-13)
STORYLINES
► Illinois State is making its first appearance in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference semifinals since 2002. The Redbirds have a 7-9 all-time record in the semifinal round of the Valley Tournament.
► Illinois State's win over Missouri State in the quarterfinals Friday marked ISU's first Valley Tournament win since 2004.
► The Redbirds are 3-2 all-time against Northern Iowa in the MVC Tournament. ISU won the only previous semifinal game against UNI, 69-65, March 2, 1997 at the Kiel Center.
► Sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge is expected to make his 30th start of the season Saturday after undergoing a minor procedure to repair a chipped front tooth Friday night at Saint Louis University Dental Hospital. Eldridge suffered the injury early in the second half against Missouri State.
► Illinois State and Northern Iowa split this season's home-and-away series. The Redbirds edged visiting Northern Iowa Jan. 8 (51-46), and fell in Cedar Falls, 69-61, on Jan. 30. Senior forward Anthony Slack missed the game at the McCleod Center while recovering from a bruised shoulder he suffered one week earlier at Bradley.
STATE FARM MVC TOURNAMENT FAST FACTS
► The No. 2 seed in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament has captured the tournament title 13 times in the event's history, more than any other seed. The top seed has only 10 titles in the league's 31-year tournament history.
► Illinois State has four State Farm MVC Tournament titles since 1982, the third-most among current Valley members. Creighton (10) and Southern Illinois (5), who have a combined eight apperances in the championship game the past six seasons, both lead ISU in team tournament titles.
BRACKET RACKET
Here are some facts regarding Illinois State and the State Farm MVC Tournament:
Of the schools currently holding membership in the league, Illinois State holds the third-best winning percentage in conference tournament play (.585, 31-22), trailing only Creighton (.686) ... Illinois State won conference tournament tiles in 1983, 1990, 1997 and 1998 ... the Redbirds are 17-15 (.531) in tournament games played in St. Louis and 14-10 (.583) in tournament games played at the Scottrade Center ... Illinois State's all-time record in the city of St. Louis is 34-26 (.567) ... the `Birds are 3-4 in play-in games, 17-6 in quarterfinal contests, 7-9 in the semifinals and 4-3 in the championship.
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS
Illinois State, under the leadership of first-year head coach Tim Jankovich, has won five-straight games to advance to the State Farm MVC semifinals -- ISU's most successful season since the 1997-98 NCAA Tournament campaign. The Redbirds garnered the No. 2 seed in the tournament, finishing just two games behind regular-season champion and No. 20/21 Drake, and two games ahead of SIU. Illinois State returns nine letterwinners, including four starters, from a 2006-07 team that went 15-16 overall (6-12 MVC) and tied for seventh in the league standings. Sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge shares the Valley's lead in scoring average, contributing 16.2 points per game, including a league-leading 17.1 points per conference contest. Anthony Slack is the only other Redbird averaging double-figures in scoring, chipping in 10.0 points to go along with 7.0 rebounds per game. Boo Richardson has a team-leading 116 assists.
RPI TIDBITS
Illinois State, the 33rd-ranked Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) team according to CollegeRPI.com, enters the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals with four wins against the current top-50 RPI teams, and has seven total wins versus the top-100. The Redbirds' 80th-ranked schedule included eight games against teams in the top-50, and 12 tilts versus the top-100 RPI teams. ISU also has five wins against teams that were in the 2007 NCAA Tournament field.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Sixth-seeded Northern Iowa enters the State Farm MVC semifinals with an 18-13 record, including a 9-9 Valley slate -- the Panthers upset No. 3 Southern Illinois in Saturday's fourth quarterfinal contest, 54-49. UNI is paced by second-team All-Valley honoree Eric Coleman, who is the only player in the nation to leads his team in scoring (12.3), rebounding (8.6), assists (2.0), blocks (1.3), steals (0.6) and field goal percentage (.549). Jared Josten, who made the transition from shooting guard to point guard this season, is averaging 9.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and Adam Koch has aided in the Panthers' effort on the glass, grabbing 5.8 caroms per game to go along with 8.6 points per contest.
LAST GAME RECAP
Senior guard Boo Richardson led a foursome of Redbirds in double figures, and second-seeded Illinois State overcame a slow start to outlast No. 7 Missouri State, 63-58, in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament inside Scottrade Center Friday evening. The win propelled ISU into the semifinal round for the first time since 2002. Richardson was joined in double figures by Osiris Eldridge (13 points), Emmanuel Holloway (11) and Brandon Sampay (10).
REDBIRDS AND PANTHERS IN NORMAL ...
Sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge scored a game-high 13 points, including two free throws in the final seconds, to lead Illinois State (12-3, 4-0 MVC) past Northern Iowa (10-5, 2-2 MVC), 51-46, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Despite making just one field goal in the final 13 minutes of the game and struggling from the free throw line early, the Redbirds made three key free throws in the final 11 seconds to hold off the Panthers, who nearly erased a 20-point deficit. Illinois State improved to 4-0 in Valley play for the first time since 1997 and held its opponent to under 50 points for the third-straight game, its first such streak since the 1981-82 season.
AND IN CEDAR FALLS ...
Senior guard Dom Johnson matched his then-season-high with 17 points and Dinma Odiakosa added 14 points, but Illinois State's men's basketball team (15-6, 7-3 MVC) dropped its third-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference road decision to host Northern Iowa (13-8, 5-5 MVC) at the McLeod Center (Jan. 30). Johnson's 17 points led a threesome in double figures for the Redbirds, as Odiakosa and Brandon Sampay (10 points), making his first career start, joined him. UNI was led by Jordan Eglseder, who chipped in 15 points. Eric Coleman contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. ISU's Osiris Eldridge scored just six points on 3-of-10 shooting.
60 THE BAROMETER?
For the fifth-consecutive game, Illinois State held an opponent under 60 points, allowing just 53 points against seventh-seeded Missouri State Friday. The Redbirds have held their opponent to less than 60 points 16 times this season, and are 16-0 in those contests. Notably, 10 of ISU's wins have come when holding the opposition to less than 50 points.
THREE REDBIRDS GARNER ALL-MVC PLAUDITS
One year after being tabbed the league's Freshman of the Year, sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge chalked up another honor Tuesday, as he was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference First-Team by the league coaches, media and sports information directors. Eldridge, who led the second-seeded Redbirds to their best finish in the Valley standings since the 1997-98 season, received 61 Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year votes, 26 tallies behind Drake's Adam Emmenecker, who earned the league's top individual honor. In addition to Eldridge earning first-team plaudits, senior forward Anthony Slack was named to the honorable mention and all-defensive teams. Senior classmate and former junior college teammate Boo Richardson was also named to the all-defensive squad.
HOLLOWAY NAMED TO VALLEY'S ALL-BENCH TEAM
One day after three of his teammates garnered All-Missouri Valley Conference recognition, junior guard Emmanuel Holloway secured another individual honor for the Illinois State men's basketball team, as he was named to the league's "All-Bench Team," as announced by the conference office Wednesday. The team was voted on by the league's newspaper beat writers. Holloway has appeared in all 30 games this season, recording eight starts, including his sixth-consecutive Friday against Missouri State in the quarterfinals.
VANDELLO NAMED AN HONORABLE MENTION SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
Just five months after being tabbed Illinois State's male scholar-athlete of the year, junior forward Mike Vandello was named to the Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention scholar-athlete team, as announced by the league office Thursday. Vandello earned the honor for the second-consecutive season. Vandello, a native of Bettendorf, Iowa, has a 4.0 cumulative grade-point-average in biological sciences. He has been named to the AFNI Athletics Honor Roll in each of the past three semesters. This season, Vandello has appeared in 11 games, including four minutes of action against Missouri State in the MVC quarterfinals Friday.
AN IMPRESSIVE TURNAROUND
Illinois State's 23 wins are eight more than it tallied in the entire 2006-07 season (15), and the Redbirds' 13 wins in Valley play eclipses their league victory total from last season by seven (6). The plus-eight improvement is the 26th-best turnaround in the nation this season, and the best by a Missouri Valley Conference team. ISU equaled both its 15th win of the season, and its seventh Valley victory Jan. 27 against Indiana State. Illinois State's final three games in the non-conference slate, and the first six games in Valley play, was also an impressive stretch, when the Redbirds rolled off nine-consecutive wins, their longest winning streak since the 1982-83 season.
FINISHING STRONG
A strong element that can sway the NCAA men's basketball committee to make a possible "bubble" team an at-large candidate has historically been its performance down the stretch of the season. Illinois State may be playing its best basketball of the season as it enters the State Farm MVC Tournament this week. The Redbirds have won nine of their last 12 games, and won six games in the month of February for the first time since the 2000-01 season. ISU is 2-0 in the month of March, topping host SIU in the regular-season finale, and outlasting Missouri State in the MVC quarterfinals Friday.
JANKOVICH IN ELITE COMPANY
Illinois State secured its 23rd win of the season Friday against seventh-seeded Missouri State, defeating the Bears for the third time this season. Tim Jankovich's 23 wins this season mark the most single-season wins for a first-year coach in program history. Gene Smithson (1975-76) and Bob Donewald (1978-79) each won 20 games in their respective first seasons at the helm of the Redbirds.
20-WIN CAMPAIGNS AT ISU
Illinois State picked up its 20th win of the season against Wright State (54-46) in the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters game Feb. 21. The Redbirds' last 20-win campaign came in the 2000-01 season, when ISU went 21-9 (12-6 MVC) and advanced to the NIT. Dating back to the 1979-80 season, the Redbirds have tallied 20 or more wins nine times, and reached the postseason in each season. Those campaigns have included five trips to the NCAA Tournament, and four NIT appearances.
BRING OUT THE BROOMS
For the first time since the 2000-01 campaign, Illinois State tallied regular-season sweeps over five Missouri Valley Conference opponents this season, recording two wins over Creighton, Wichita State, Southern Illinois, Evansville and Missouri State. The 2000-01 Redbirds, who advanced to the postseason NIT, swept MSU, SIU, Evansville, WSU and Northern Iowa.
ROAD WARRIORS
Illinois State went 7-5 on the road this season, including a 5-4 record in Valley road contests, its best record away from home since the 2000-01 campaign, when the Redbirds also went 7-5 on the road. Prior to this season, ISU had just eight combined road wins in the past three campaigns, including an 0-12 road record in the 2005-06 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
Illinois State was 15-1 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena this season, marking the most single-season wins for the Redbirds at the facility since its opening in 1989. ISU has completed a one-loss home campaign three times in the history of Redbird Arena (1993-94, 1997-98 and 2001-02), but went 11-1 in each of those seasons. The Redbirds' 16 regular season home games was the most since the 1998-99 team played 16 contests at Redbird Arena. ISU has completed three recorded undefeated home slates in its history (1970-71, 1974-75 and 1977-78), but all occured at Horton Field House.
WEATHERING THE STORM
Heading into the State Farm MVC Tournament, Illinois State has been forced to play nearly eight conference games without two of its senior starters. Forward Anthony Slack, the Valley's leader in field goal percentage (.701), suffered a bruised shoulder mid-way through the first half at Bradley Jan. 23, and was forced to miss the remainder of the game, and the ensuing two contests versus Indiana State (Jan. 27) and at Northern Iowa (Jan. 30). Guard Dom Johnson, the team leader in minutes per game (30.3), underwent a tonsillectomy Feb. 21, and did not play in the final four MVC contests, or in the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters game against Wright State Feb. 24. Despite those key losses, ISU had a combined 6-3 record in those games, and the Bradley loss was by just one point (76-75).
TRENDS IN CURRENT FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK
Illinois State has won five-consecutive games, its longest winning streak since rolling off nine-consecutive wins between Dec. 8, 2007 and Jan. 16, 2008. The Redbirds have held their last five opponents to an average of just 50.8 points per game, and out-rebounded those foes, 181-148. ISU's opponents have also shot just 37.5 percent from the field in the stretch. Anthony Slack has stepped up his rebounding in the stretch, averaging 10.6 caroms per game.
LEADING THE PACK
Illinois State enters the 2008 State Farm MVC Tournament leading the league in three individual categories. The Redbirds top the league in scoring defense (59.5), three-point field goal percentage defense (.320) and field goal percentage (.461). Notably, ISU also ranks second in scoring margin (+7.4), field goal percentage defense (.401), assists per game (14.97) and assist/turnover ratio (1.14).
HOW DO YOU WANT TO WIN?
Illinois State has proven that it can win in many ways through its 23 victories this season. The Redbirds have captured wins when scoring in the 40s (at Wichita State and at Evansville), 50s (twice against Southern Illinois and Wright State), 60s (Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Ball State, Indiana State, three times against Missouri State and versus Creighton), 70s (Missouri-St. Louis, Illinois-Chicago, Evansville, versus Wichita State and Bradley), 80s (UNC-Wilmington, Chicago State and at Creighton) and 90s (Southeast Missouri State).
REBOUNDING TRIO
Anthony Slack (7.0 rpg), Dinma Odiakosa (5.5) and Osiris Eldridge (5.6) are all averaging more than five rebounds per game through 31 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.
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 70.1 percent of his field goals this season, which leads the Missouri Valley Conference.
MOVIN' ON UP IN SCORING DEFENSE
Illinois State has held its last five opponents to an average of just 50.8 points per game, and three of its last six foes have scored less than 50 points. The shutdown efforts moved the Redbirds into 12th-place in the nation in scoring defense, at 59.5 points per game.
MORE RECORDS? O-MY!
First-team All-Missouri Valley Conference guard Osiris Eldridge is on pace to score at least 518 points this season, which would be the highest single-season output for an Illinois State player since Tarise Bryson scored 685 points (22.8 ppg) during the 2000-01 campaign.
OSIRIS HITS 500 AGAINST MSU
Osiris Eldridge needed just 10 points Friday to record his 500th point of the season, and after chipping in 13, he now has 503 points this season. Eldridge is one of six Redbirds to score more than 200 points this season, joining Anthony Slack (290), Dom Johnson (229), Boo Richardson (214), Levi Dyer (212) and Dinma Odiakosa (200). Notably, Emmanuel Holloway (170) and Brandon Sampay (110) have both eclipsed 100 points for the season.
