Drake was projected to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll, as compiled by league coaches, media and sports information directors. The Bulldogs' Josh Young was selected to the 2009 Preseason Missouri Valley All-Conference Team.
O, NO!
The Valley's Preseason Player of the Year and the conference's top scorer Osiris Eldridge has hit a slow patch over the last games. The Redbird senior is only averaging six points per game in his last two outings, while shooting 5-for-21 (.238) from the field and 2-for-9 (.222) on threes. He has also had eight turnovers during the two games with only three assists, while averaging 1.5 rebounds per game.
A LITTLE BACK RUB
With the team's leading scorer Osiris Eldridge finding his stroke, Alex Rubin has stepped in a covered for his teammate. Rubin is leading the team in scoring over the last two games with 13 points per game. He scored a career-best 13 points in each of the last two games, while shooting 8-for-10 (.800) from the field. He is also 7-for-8 (.875) on threes during that time and has collected five assists and seven steals.
IN-SEASON MEDIA CONFERENCES
ISU Athletics Media Relations will host eight in-season media conferences during the 2009-10 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. The remaining scheduled dates are: Jan. 21, Jan. 29, Feb. 8, Feb. 18 and March 2.
VALLEY TELECONFERENCES
Teleconferences with The Valley head coaches will be conducted each Tuesday throughout the season. The first teleconference is slated for Dec. 15, followed by every Tuesday from Jan. 5 to March 2. The conferences begin at 10 a.m. CT. To participate in the conference calls, call 913.981.4900. Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich will participate at 10:30 a.m.
DOUBLING DINMA
For the second-straight game and for the sixth time this season, senior Dinma Odiakosa has collected a double-double in points and rebounds. However, Odiakosa isn't the only double-double threat for the Redbirds this season, as three others (Tony Lewis, Kellen Thornton and Jackie Carmichael) have posted double-doubles this year.
YET ANOTHER 20
Prior to the Southern Illinois game, Osiris Eldridge was the only player on the Illinois State to score 20 or more points in a game during his career. However, with back-to-back 20-point efforts by Lloyd Phillips and Jackie Carmichael, the Redbirds have gone from one 20-point scorer to three. Phillips tossed in a career-high 21 points against the Salukis and Carmichael followed suit with 20 points at Evansville.
BOARDING SCHOOL
Illinois State has only had 17 players collect 600 or more rebounds in their career, but two of those players suit up for ISU this season. Both Dinma Odiakosa and Osiris Eldridge have grabbed 600 rebounds in their career. Odiakosa, who collected a career-best 14 against Northern Iowa, has 628 career caroms, while Eldridge has 609 career boards.
CARMICHAEL FOR THE BLOCK
After 17 games, Jackie Carmichael is eyeing the school record for the most blocked shots by a freshman. On the season, Carmichael has a team-leading 26 blocks and is on pace to beat the ISU mark. Mike VandeGarde collected 36 blocked shots during his freshman campaign in 1990-91.
ONE OF THREE
With his first basket against Northern Iowa, senior Osiris Eldridge eclipsed the 1,600-point career scoring plateau. As a result, he became only the third Redbird in school history to post 1,600 career points and 600 career rebounds. Eldridge currently owns 1,609 points and 608 boards and joins Billy Lewis (1,962 points, 869 rebounds) and Fred Marberry (1,881 points, 933 rebounds).
MOVING ON UP
Osiris Eldridge continues to pass the greatest scorers in ISU history. The Chicago native became only the seventh Redbird player in Illinois State history to score 1,600-points in his career. He currently ranks No. 7 with 1,611 career tallies and needs 126 points to surpass Tarise Bryson for sixth place.
HIGH FREQUENCY
Dinma Odiakosa has been on a different wavelength to start this season. The senior is shooting 64 percent from the field (80-for-125), which leads the Valley. Odiakosa isn't the only Redbird with a high-success rate. Jackie Carmichael ranks second in the Valley with a 58.0 percent shooting clip.
ROAD WARRIORS
In the inaugural Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series only one road team walked away with the win. ISU claimed a 73-63 win at Utah and became the only road team to win the newly-created challenge between the two conferences, as the Valley posted a 5-4 win in the series. Overall this season, Illinois State is 4-2 on the road.
STEPPING UP WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON
Senior Lloyd Phillips is averaging 10.8 points per game in Valley games, just like he did against non-conference teams this season. However, in league contests, Phillips is shooting 40 percent from three, as opposed to 28 percent in non-league games. He is also boasting a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio against Valley foes, while having a 1.7 ratio in the non-conference schedule.
THAT 70's SHOW
So far, Illinois State's success this season is pretty much based on 70 points. When the Redbirds score 70 or more points this season, Illinois State is 11-0. When ISU opponent's score less than 70 points, the Redbirds are 11-2.
OSIRIS, THE GOD OF THE THREES
In mythology, Osiris is an Egyptian god, typically called the god of the afterlife, underworld or dead. In Redbird lore, Osiris Eldridge is now the god of the three-point shot. With three treys against Central Michigan, Eldridge became the school-record holder and has 246 career three-point field goals, surpassing the old mark by Gregg Alexander of 224. Eldridge also stands in the No. 13 spot all-time in the Valley.
HE GIVETH, AND HE TAKETH AWAY
Senior Lloyd Phillips leads the Redbirds in both assists and steals this season. He has dished out 75 assists, or 4.4 per game, which ranks third in the Valley. He also leads the team, and the conference, in steals with 32, or 1.9 per game.
IT AIN'T OVER, 'TIL IT'S OVER
After trailing by five points at halftime against Southern Illinois, the Redbirds rallied for a 68-61 Valley win. The victory marked the third time this season when ISU won after trailing at half. The Redbirds are 3-4 this season when behind at the intermission. When leading at the half, ISU is 10-0.
GETTING THREE-BALLED
When Missouri State sank 10 three-pointers against the Redbirds, it marked the fourth time this season, where the Redbird opponent posted double-digit threes in a contest. Last season, in 34 games, the Redbirds had only three games where the opponent made double-figure treys.
317-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A TREY
Illinois State enters the Drake game with at least one made three in 317-straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton Dec. 12, 1999.
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
With a 24-10 overall record last year, ISU secured itself another winning season in men's basketball. In the 39 completed years of being an NCAA Division I program, the Redbirds have had 32 winning seasons.
A RETURN TO POSTSEASON
Illinois State, which became an NCAA Division I program prior to the 1970-71 season, enjoyed postseason play for the 16th time last season. The Redbirds have qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1997 and 1998) and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 10 times (1977, 1978, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2008 and 2009).
BACK-TO-BACK TRIPS
After making the NIT each of the last two years, Illinois State posted successive postseason berths for the first time in over a decade. The last time the Redbirds had back-to-back postseason bids was during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons, when ISU went to the NCAA Tournament each season.
THE LEADER OF THE PACK
Senior Osiris Eldridge is averaging 16.8 points per game this season, which is the highest scoring average in the Valley. If Eldridge can maintain this kind of output, he would become the first Redbird to lead the conference in scoring since Tarise Bryson in 2001. Bryson averaged 22.8 points per game en route to being named the MVC Player of the 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.
TWO SIGN FOR 2010 CLASS
Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich announced the signing of two incoming players during the early signing period. ISU added Kenyon Smith (guard, 6-0, 190) from Lincoln College and Jordan Threloff (center, 6-10, 240) from DeKalb High School. Smith originally signed with ISU out of Simeon High School, but was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA. If he receives his associate's degree this school year, Smith will have three years of eligibility remaining at ISU, while Threloff will enter as a true freshman.
STATUE OF ASPIRATIONS
In September 2009, the Redbird Athletics Department unveiled a statue which honors the nation's first African-American NCAA Division I head basketball coach, Will Robinson, and his most famous player, Doug Collins, a three-time All-American at Illinois State. The piece, which was installed at the north entrance of Redbird Arena, was sculpted by Lou Cella, a 1985 graduate of ISU. Robinson was named the Redbirds' head coach Feb. 27, 1970, and posted a 78-51 seasons in five seasons. He passed away at the age of 96, April 28, 2008.
