Jan. 5, 2012
QUICK HITS ABOUT #REDBIRDHOOPS
- This game features two of the six teams currently tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with matching 2-1 league records.
- Sophomore Jon Ekey has collected 38 rebounds over the last three games with three-straight double-digit rebounding efforts. As a result, Ekey is averaging 12.7 rebounds per contest during that span.
- Sophomore Bryant Allen has posted career-best scoring efforts in back-to-back games. The former football player, is averaging 12.5 points per contest over his last two games, while shooting a combined 6-for-8 (.750) on threes.
- The Redbirds are coming off of their first Valley road win of the season. Last year, ISU didn't get its first league road win until January 26.
- Prior to last season, Illinois State had Evansville's number under head coach Tim Jankovich. The Redbirds had won seven-straight against the Aces, until UE swept the regular-season series last year.
- When the Redbirds score 60 or more points they are 10-1 this season. Scoring less than 60 points, ISU is 0-3.
- Carmichael also owns 697 career points and needs three more for 700 career points.
- Jankovich owns a 46-38 record (.548) against members of the Missouri Valley Conference during his time with the Redbirds, including a 41-34 (.547) mark in the regular season.
- Illinois State is in its 42nd season as a NCAA Division I program, and during that time, the Redbirds have only had eight losing seasons.
- Jankovich is the first coach in league history to lead his team to back-to-back Valley (@MVCSports) Tournament title games in his first two seasons.
- The Redbirds have made 17 postseason appearances, including NIT berths in three of the last four seasons.
ABOUT THE EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES
- Evansville is located in Evansville, Ill., and has an enrollment of 2,822. The Purple Aces are members of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Purple Aces were projected to finish seventh in the Valley, according to the league's preseason poll.
- The Purple Aces return three starters from a team which finished 16-16 last season and advanced to the CBI Tournament, before falling at Boise State in the second round.
Last Meeting
Jan. 15, 2011
NORMAL, Ill.
D-FENCE, D-FENCE
Illinois State has held eight opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting, including four of the last five, and three teams to under 30 percent.
REWRITING RBA RECORDS
Illinois State has only played seven home games this season, but the Redbirds have already rewrote several records in the 24-year-old facility. Some of the new standards include:
- Defensive Field Goal Percentage - Illinois State opened the season against SIU Edwardsville and held the Cougars to 25.5 percent shooting, but on Dec. 18 the Redbirds topped that mark by limiting Norfolk State to a 21.7 shooting clip.
- Field Goals Allowed - In addition to holding Norfolk State to an arena low field goal percentage, the Redbirds also limited the Spartans to a Redbird Arena record 10 made field goals.
- ISU Field Goal Percentage - The Redbirds shot a school record 63.9 percent (27-for-42) from the field in the facility in the win over Bethune-Cookman.
- Margin of Victory - Illinois State defeated Chicago State, 85-41, and the 44-point win was the most-lopsided Redbird win in arena history.
- Made Three-Point Field Goals - Against Chicago State, Illinois State tied the arena record with 14 made three-point field goals.
- Three-Point Field Goal Attempts - The Redbirds attempted 38 threes against Chicago State, tying the arena record.
- Individual Free Throw Makes - Jackie Carmichael sank 14 free throws against Norfolk State.
- Individual Free Throw Percentage - Carmichael set the record with a 14-for-14 effort versus Norfolk St.
LET'S GET FR-EKEY
Redbird sophomore Jon Ekey has been getting after it on the glass during the last three games. Ekey has grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds against both Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois, and then followed that up with a 12-rebound game at Missouri State. As a result, Ekey has elevated his season rebound average to 5.9 boards per contest, while averaging 12.7 boards per games over the three outings.
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).
ALLENTOWN
Sophomore Bryant Allen came off the bench against Southern Illinois Sunday and fired in 12 points thanks to a 3-for-3 effort on threes, and then followed that up with a career-best 14 points Wednesday at Missouri State, thanks to a 3-for-5 performance on treys. Allen entered those two games shooting 0-for-6 on the season and having scored seven total points in his one season at Minnesota.
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 61-15 (.803) when playing at home. ISU owns a 245-91 (.729) all-time record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
MOORE TO COME
Freshman Nic Moore has dished out at least three assists in 11 games this season. He leads the team with 55 dimes and boasts a 1.83 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 8.8 made three-pointers per game this season, which is second-best in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. The Redbirds are also No. 26 nationally in treys per game. In the Tim Jankovich-era, the Redbirds have made 1,021 threes, or 6.9 treys per game.
WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU
Junior college transfer Tyler Brown has made at least one three-pointer in 11 of his last 12 games and is leading the team with 34 made threes and a 46.6 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Brown is leading the Valley with 2.6 made three-point field goals per contest, and ranks No. 45 nationally. He is also recently had his career-best scoring effort with 23 points against UALR on Dec. 20.
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.
NO POINTS ALLOWED
It's early, but Illinois State has already held opponents to single-game point totals of 36, 38, 41, 51 and 55. As a result, Redbird foes are only averaging 59.4 points scored, which is the top scoring defense in the Missouri Valley Conference and No. 14 nationally. If this pace were to continue, it would rank third-best in school history.
COUSIN CIRCLES
Heading into the Illinois game, junior Anthony Cousin had totaled nine assists and 14 turnovers on the season for a 0.64 assist-to-turnover ratio. However, after an eight assist effort against the Fighting Illini without a single turnover, Cousin has come full circle and has 33 assists over the last 10 games with only 10 turnovers, for a 3.30 assist-to-turnover ratio during that span.
DOUBLE TRIPLE
For the seventh time on the season, and the seventh time in nine games, Illinois State dropped in at least 10 three-point field goals after making 10 treys at Missouri State. The feat continues to shatter the number of double-digit three-point games the Redbirds had last season, which was two.
ARC MADNESS
Tyler Brown has been sinking treys this season at a mad clip. He's shooting 46.6 percent from beyond the arc, while sinking 34-for-72 on threes. As a result, Brown ranks No. 12 nationally in three-point field goal percentage, among players who are averaging at least 2.5 made threes per game.
TWENTY SOMETHING
ISU has six 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 and Jon Ekey have each posted one 20-point game. Trey Blue had a 20-point effort while playing at Fordham.
DRAINING THE THREE
ISU got off to a slow start converting 32.5 percent of its three-point tries in the first two games. But since then, it has been a different story. As a result, ISU is shooting 38.8 percent on the season from three, which if this pace continues would be the fourth-best team effort in school history.
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 SWAT TEAM
Last season, Illinois State's Jon Ekey and Jackie Carmichael became the first set of Missouri Valley Conference teammates to finish the regular-season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in blocked shots since the 1986-87 season. Ekey finished the year with 52 swats (1.7 bpg.), while Carmichael added 36 rejections (1.2 bpg.). The duo has combined for 28 blocked shots this season with Carmichael posting a team-best 19 rejections.
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 52-11 record (.825) in his five seasons. When ISU opponent's score less than 70 points, the Redbirds are 79-28 (.738) during that span.
378-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A TREY
Illinois State enters the Evansville game with at least one made three in 378-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.
