The Bluejays return four starters from a team which finished 18-16 last season and participated in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. One of the starters returning is 2010 Preseason Valley Player of the Year Kenny Lawson Jr.
LET'S GO STREAKING
Illinois State's Valley season has been one of streaks this year. The Redbirds stumbled out of the gate with an eight-game losing skid, before winning three-straight games. However, the tide has turned again and ISU is in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
AUSTIN POWER
Senior Austin Hill has really stepped up his game as of late, including a career-best 23-point effort in his last outing against Missouri State. Hill has posted double-digit scoring efforts in five of his last eight games. He is averaging 11.5 points per game over his last eight contests and has shot a combined 35-for-72 (.486) from the field during that span.
ROAD WARRIOR
Jackie Carmichael has been a force as of late on the road for Illinois State's opponents. The ISU sophomore is averaging 12.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over the last five road contests.
TWENTY SOMETHING
With Austin Hill's 23-point effort against Missouri State, ISU now has six players on their roster who have scored at least 20 points in an NCAA Division I game, including five this season. Jackie Carmichael has four 20-point efforts in his career and three this season, while Anthony Cousin, Justin Clark and Jon Ekey have each posted one 20-point game this season. Trey Blue had a 20-point effort with Fordham.
THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS
For the Illinois State, the good news is that the Redbirds rank fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference for all games in scoring defense. ISU is only allowing 63.6 points per game this season. However, the bad news is that the Redbirds are last in the Valley in scoring offense for the season with 61.4 points per contest.
E-KEY BLOCK
For architects, the key block is the keystone, or center block, of a stone arch. For the Illinois State defense, Jon Ekey's shot-blocking ability has been front and center. Ekey has 46 blocked shots this season, which ranks tied for No. 6 in a single season in Redbird history. He is also only one rejection away from claiming the school's freshman record for blocked shots and dethroning teammate Jackie Carmichael, who set the standard last season also with 46 blocks.
TRUE BLUE
Sophomore Trey Blue appears to be showing his offensive colors again. Blue has fired in double-digit scoring efforts in four of the last seven games. During the span, Blue is averaging 7.7 points per game, which is nearly double than what he was averaging prior to the recent offensive output (4.5 ppg.).
GETTING READY FOR ST. LEWIS
Illinois State senior Tony Lewis appears to be gearing up his game for the stretch run and tournament time. Lewis fired in a season-best 16 points at Wichita State and followed up with a team-high 11 points against Indiana State, his first back-to-back double-digit scoring games of the season. Over the last five games, Lewis is averaging 9.0 points per contest, while shooting 58.6 percent (17-for-29) from the field.
THREE'S COMPANY, AND USUALLY A WIN
Good things have happened to Illinois State this season when three Redbirds score in double-figures. Unfortunately, it hasn't happed as much as Illinois State would like. When three or more players score double-digits, the Redbirds are 8-3 this season, as opposed to 10-11 when two Redbirds reach double-digits.
THE ABILITY TO SCORE IS THERE
During the campaign, Illinois State has had 13 different players see court time and 10 of them have led the team in scoring for at least one game this season. In fact, ISU had a streak this season of seven-straight games with seven different leading scorers.
SCORING SLUMP
The Redbirds have had problems scoring pretty much all season, but that is especially the case over the last four games. Illinois State is averaging 53.2 points per game during the last three contests, with its highest scoring output of 59 points. The Redbirds have scored less than 60 points 15 times this season.
OUR ALASKAN COUSIN
Sophomore Anthony Cousin, who is in his first season at Illinois State, has really elevated his game in Valley play. Cousin is averaging 9.0 points per game during league contests, which is second on the team. He also leads the Redbirds with 33 assists during conference play and playing time during league games with a total of 377 minutes.
ARC MADNESS
The most obvious explanation for Illinois State's uncharacteristic record this season can be found with the team's shooting percentage. On the season, ISU is shooting 29.7 percent from three-point range, which would rank as the lowest single-season effort in school history, undercutting the 30.4 percentage during the 1990-91 campaign.
NIP AND TUCK
Illinois State has played in nine games this season decided by four points or less, including the two-point defeat at Northern Iowa. The Redbirds are 5-4 this season in games decided by four points or less.
FREEDOM OF CHOICES
So far this season, Illinois State has had 10 different players post a double-digit scoring game. The Redbirds have had 60 double-figure performances to date on the campaign achieved by: Jackie Carmichael (13), Austin Hill (12), Anthony Cousin (7), John Wilkins (7), Blake Mishler (6), Trey Blue (6), Tony Lewis (6), Justin Clark (2), Jon Ekey (1) and Alex Rubin (1).
THAT 70's SHOW
ISU's success during the Tim Jankovich-era has been pretty much based on 70 points. When the Redbirds score 70 or more points, Illinois State owns a 46-10 record (.821) in his four seasons. When ISU opponent's score less than 70 points, the Redbirds are 71-23 (.755) during that span.
359-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A TREY
Illinois State enters the game at Creighton with at least one made three in 359-straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton, Dec. 12, 1999.
TOEING THE LINE
Of sophomore Jackie Carmichael's career-high 24 points he scored at Bradley, 12 were scored at the free throw line. Carmichael attempted 20 free throws against the Braves, marking the second-most by a Redbird in school history. His 20 tosses from the charity stripe were only short to Ron deVries' 21 free throw attempts against Southern Illinois on March 4, 1972. Over the last six games, Carmichael has been to the free throw line a total of 40 times, while converting 26 of the attempts (.650).
FINDING THE RIGHT COMBO
Illinois State has had more players earn a spot in the starting lineup than the team did all of last season. The Redbirds have had 10 different players start for 10 different starting five combinations. ISU unveiled a new starting five last game with Anthony Cousin, Alex Rubin, Jon Ekey, Jackie Carmichael and Tony Lewis.
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State's Jon Ekey (46) and Jackie Carmichael (34) are the top two shot blockers in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. With the two top shot blockers in the conference, it is no surprise that the Redbirds rank second in the conference with 4.3 blocks per game. At this pace, the Redbirds would have the third-best blocks per game average in school history.
THESE 'BIRDS ARE YOUNG
As the most inexperienced team in the Valley entering the season, the Illinois State roster had combined to play a total of 3,257 minutes for the Redbirds. Opening the season, the Redbirds had combined to play 10 Division I seasons, which ranked ISU No. 23, as one of the most inexperienced teams in the nation.
CARMICHAEL FOR THE BLOCK
Sophomore Jackie Carmichael ended his first season with the Redbirds as the most-prolific freshman shot blocker in Illinois State history. Carmichael swatted away 46 shots during the 2009-10 season, crushing the old mark of 36 set by Mike VandeGarde during his freshman campaign in 1990-91. With 80 career blocks, Carmichael is seventh in career blocked shots at ISU and needs nine more to surpass Bill Braksick (88) for sixth place.
A GO-GO GOPHER
Both the Illinois State men's basketball and football programs were benefactors by the transfer of Bryant Allen from Minnesota. Allen, who is an ISU football scholarship student-athlete, will be eligible immediately for the Redbirds on the gridiron, but won't be able to play until the completion of the 2011 fall semester due to NCAA residency rules. With the Gophers, Allen, a six-foot, 170-pound guard, played in nine games during the 2009-10 season, all as a reserve. He scored seven points over 22 minutes played.
THREE GUARDS INK WITH ISU FOR 2011-12
Illinois State head basketball coach Tim Jankovich solidified the Redbird backcourt for years to come as guards Johnny Hill (Glenbard East), Nic Moore (Warsaw, Ind.) and Nick Zeisloft (Lyons Township) each signed National Letters of Intent (NLIs) to continue their education and basketball careers at Illinois State, during the early signing period on Nov. 10.
