Fewest Turnovers - Illinois State committed only three turnovers against Creighton on Jan. 13.
BRYANT KNOWS
Sophomore Bryant Allen arrived on campus as a member of the Redbird football team. After his 29-point outburst against Creighton, Allen is proving himself as a legitimate threat on the hardwood. Allen's 29 tallies were the most scored by a Redbird this season and the most since Dinma Odiakosa poured in 30 points against Missouri State on Feb. 17, 2010.
NEEDING A CONSISTENT CARMICHAEL
In the first 12 games of the season, Jackie Carmichael scored in double-figures nine times while Illinois State owned a 9-3 record. In the last six contests, Carmichael has had double-digit points only two times and the Redbirds are 2-4 during that span.
WITH MOORE ON THE LINE
During the non-conference portion of the schedule, Illinois State freshman Nic Moore averaged 8.1 points per contest, while shooting 39.1 percent from the floor. In league games, Moore has picked up his game and is posting 10.9 points per contest, while shooting 42.1 percent from the field.
TWENTY SOMETHING
After Bryant Allen's career-high 29 points against Creighton, ISU now has eight players on the roster who have scored at least 20 points in an NCAA Division I game. Jackie Carmichael has six 20-point efforts in his career, including two this season, while Anthony Cousin, John Wilkins, Tyler Brown, Nic Moore and Jon Ekey have each posted one 20-point game. Trey Blue had a 20-point effort while playing at Fordham.
GOOD TIME FOR A THREE
Entering the game against Evansville, Jackie Carmichael was 0-for-3 from three during his career. But, with 2.8 seconds remaining, Carmichael banked home his first-career triple from the left side at the buzzer to lift the Redbirds to a 75-73 win over the Purple Aces. The shot resulted in ESPN's Top Play of the Day.
HOME SWEET HOME
Illinois State enters its 24th season of basketball action on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Under head coach Tim Jankovich, the Redbirds are 62-16 (.795) when playing at home. ISU owns a 246-92 (.728) all-time record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU
Junior college transfer Tyler Brown has made at least one three-pointer in 15 of his last 16 games and is leading the team with 42 made threes and a 44.7 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Brown is second in the Valley with 2.4 made three-point field goals per contest. He has also posted double-digit scoring totals in five of the last six games.
LET'S GET FR-EKEY
Redbird sophomore Jon Ekey collected two double-digit scoring games during his first season at Illinois State, but this season he already has posted 10 double-figure games. He also added a string of three-straight double-digit rebound games, but has been slowed the last two contests with an ankle sprain.
THE STARTING SIX
Following the 68-36 win over Norfolk State, head coach Tim Jankovich announced in his postgame media conference that the team will start having a rotation for the starting five among six players. Those six players - Tyler Brown, Jackie Carmichael, Anthony Cousin, Jon Ekey, Nic Moore and John Wilkins - have accounted for all the starts this season and a combination of five will be selected each game.
DON'T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU
ISU has had six different players account for this season's starting lineup, yet none of them are from the state of Illinois. The 'Birds have started players from Kansas (Jackie Carmichael), Missouri (Jon Ekey), Alaska (Anthony Cousin), Indiana (Nic Moore), Kentucky (Tyler Brown) and France (John Wilkins).
MOORE TO COME
Freshman Nic Moore has dished out at least three assists in 14 games this season. He leads the team with 67 dimes and boasts a 1.76 assist-to-turnover ratio. Moore has dished out five or more assists in a game five different times this season, each a Redbird victory.
LETHAL WEAPON 3
Illinois State is averaging 8.6 made three-pointers per game this season, which is second-best in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Redbirds are also tied for No. 14 nationally in treys per game. In the Tim Jankovich-era, the Redbirds have made 1,053 threes, or 6.9 treys per game.
JUST THE HALF OF IT
The fate of Illinois State's basketball team can pretty much be decided by only 20 minutes of play. In the Tim Jankovich-era, the Redbirds boast a 69-10 (.873) mark when leading at the half. In addition, ISU owns a 84-7 mark (.923) under Jankovich when leading with five minutes remaining in regulation.
ARC MADNESS
Tyler Brown has been sinking treys this season at a mad clip. He's shooting 44.7 percent from beyond the arc, and as a result ranks No. 18 nationally in three-point field goal percentage, among players who are averaging at least 2.5 made threes per game. At this rate, Brown would have the highest three-point percentage by the Redbird since Levi Dyer shot 48.0 percent during the 2006-07 season.
THE GREAT WHITE NORTH
Illinois State got a jump on the 2011-12 season with a four-game tour to Canada in August. The Redbirds posted a 2-2 mark, while facing off against collegiate programs in Canada, as well as professional all-star teams. In addition to the four games, the Redbirds were also granted, per NCAA rules, 10 days of practice leading up to the trip.
THE NEXT BEST THING
Illinois State has a pair of players this season who were runner-up for Mr. Basketball in their respective home state. Junior Anthony Cousin was runner-up for Mr. Basketball in Alaska in 2008, while in 2011, Nic Moore was runner-up for Mr. Basketball in Indiana.
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 53-12 record (.815) in his five seasons. When ISU opponent's score less than 70 points, the Redbirds are 79-29 (.731) during that span.
382-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A TREY
Illinois State enters the Indiana State game with at least one made three in 382-straight games. The last time ISU didn't sink a trey was an 82-43 loss at Creighton, Dec. 12, 1999.
TWO GUARDS SIGN FOR 2012-13 SEASON
North Chicago High School point guard Aaron Simpson and Anthony Beane Jr., a product of Normal Community High School and the son of Illinois State assistant basketball coach Anthony Beane Sr., will continue their collegiate and basketball careers at Illinois State, after each signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) during the NCAA early signing period. Last season, Simpson averaged 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, while sinking 71 three-point field goals. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior also led North Chicago to a fourth-place finish at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 3A State Tournament. Beane, who was named the 2011 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, started the last two seasons at NCHS and averaged 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last year. He led the Ironmen to a fourth-place finish at the IHSA Class 4A State Tournament.
