WATCH: Red Winter. Is Here.
NORMAL, Ill. – In the first of several quality non-conference home games, the Illinois State men's basketball team hosts Utah State on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Redbirds' 2014-15 season opener, a return game from ISU's 2012-13 BracketBusters road trip.
The Aggies (1-0) are entering their second season in the Mountain West Conference, compiling a 7-11 conference mark last season in their debut. Similar to last year's ISU squad, Utah State is one of the least experienced teams in the nation with only four returning players from 2013-14 on the roster. The rest of the team is made up of two returning redshirts from the 2011-12 season and a mixture of 11 junior transfers and freshmen. The Aggies won their season opener over Weber State, 72-61, Friday night.
Not only is the overall series between Illinois State and Utah State split at 3-3, but the Redbird Arena series is also tied, 1-1, with the Aggies last visiting Normal, Illinois, on March 19, 2008, resulting in a 61-57 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) victory for the Redbirds.
THE SERIES:
Utah State visits Illinois State in a return game from ISU's 2012-13 BracketBusters road trip to Logan, Utah, where the Redbirds lost, 80-71, Feb. 23, 2013. Not only is the overall series between Illinois State and Utah State split at 3-3, but the Redbird Arena series is also tied, 1-1, with the Aggies last visiting Normal, Illinois, on March 19, 2008, resulting in a 61-57 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) victory for the Redbirds. ISU also opened the season against Utah State at Redbird Arena Nov. 23, 2002, with the Aggies prevailing, 69-53.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
The Redbirds are striving to open the season on a positive note. Since the 1981-82 season (ISU's first campaign in the Missouri Valley Conference), the Redbirds have won 20 of their 33 season openers, and ISU has won eight of its last 11 season openers. The Redbirds are 9-6 in season openers at Redbird Arena.
ILLINOIS STATE AT A GLANCE:
Won the team's lone exhibition game of the season, with a 76-67 victory over Lewis (Nov. 10) ... went 18-16 and 9-9 to finish tied for fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference last season despite featuring the most inexperienced team in the nation ... selected to finish fifth in the MVC this year ... returning six letterwinners, including four of last year's five starters ... leading scorer (Daishon Knight, 13.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and leading rebounder and shot blocker (Reggie Lynch, 8.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 bpg) both return ... eight newcomers are on the roster, including seven who are eligible to play immediately, in 2014-15 ... Redbird alum Dan Muller is in his third season as ISU's head coach.
UTAH STATE AT A GLANCE:
Outscored Weber State 43-to-14 in the second half to surmount an 18-point halftime deficit in the Aggies' season-opening win over Weber State Friday night ... Won both of the team's exhibition games ... went 18-14 overall and 7-11 in the Mountain West Conference last season ... lost all five of last season's starters ... Jalen Moore (5.6 points, 2.7 rebounds) leads Utah State's four returners on a roster with 11 underclassmen and six upperclassmen ... head coach Stew Morrill is beginning his 17th season at Utah State and 29th overall ... Utah State fell in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) championship game in 2011-12, and last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11.
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
Throughout ISU's program history, the Redbirds have played well in their season openers. Since the 1981-82 season, Illinois State's first campaign in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Redbirds have won 20 of their 33 season openers. In the 117-year history of the program, Illinois State has compiled a 77-39 all-time record in season-opening games. In the NCAA Division I-era (1970-present), the Redbirds are 27-17 in season-openers, and ISU has won eight of its last 11 season openers.
TUNED UP
Following four weeks of practice, Illinois State hosted Lewis in the Redbirds' lone exhibition game of the season Nov. 10. ISU won, 76-67, behind a team-high 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting by newcomer DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell. Returning sophomore center Reggie Lynch was also impressive, recording a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. If exhibition stats officially counted, Lynch would have recorded career highs in rebounds and blocks. Four Redbirds reached double-figures in the winning-effort, and ISU out-rebounded Lewis, 53-26. ISU has now won 10-straight exhibition contests.
FOUR FUTURE 'BIRDS
Four talented incoming freshmen will officially continue their collegiate and basketball careers at Illinois State, as 6-foot guard Keyshawn Evans, 6-foot-7 forward Roland Griffin, 6-foot-3 guard Matt Hein and 6-foot-11 center Daouda "David" Ndiaye each signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) during the NCAA early signing period (Nov. 13). Read more about each signee here.
RETURNING EXPERIENCE
Four starters and six letter-winners return for the 2014-15 Illinois State men's basketball team which boasts a substantial increase in experience compared to last year's squad. Whereas the 2013-14 Redbirds returned just 8.0 percent of their scoring and 9.4 percent of their rebounding, the 2014-15 team returns 67.6 percent of its scoring and 66.2 percent of its rebounding. The Redbirds, who did not have a single senior last year, feature three senior leaders in guard Bobby Hunter, forward John Jones and guard Daishon Knight. ISU has officially shed its 2013-14 title as the least experienced team in the nation.
GAINING HEIGHT
Not only are the 2014-15 Redbirds more experienced, but they're also taller. Whereas the average height in 2013-14 was 6-foot-3, the average height in 2014-15 has increased an entire inch to 6-foot-4. The Redbirds, who were often forced to play with a four-guard lineup last season, have added three forwards to their active roster. MiKyle McIntosh, Deontae Hawkins and Will Ransom join returning big-men John Jones and Reggie Lynch, while New Mexico transfer forward Nick Banyard will miss the upcoming season. Walk-on James Stawarz also adds size as a 6-foot-8 center.
REGGIE RELISHES ROLE
Now beginning his sophomore campaign, Reggie Lynch was the most efficient shot-blocker in the nation last year. He played 20.3 minutes per game but averaged 5.6 blocks per 40 minutes. Lynch's 96 total blocks last season not only led the league but also set the Missouri Valley Conference freshman single-season blocks record, previously established by Creighton's Benoit Benjamin in 1982-83. Lynch begins 2014-15 in search of the ISU career-blocks record of 200, held by Jackie Carmichael. He will also try to become just the eighth player in program history to record more than 100 career blocks.
NO LONGER NEWCOMERS
The 2014-15 Redbirds will strive to build upon last year's newcomer success, as Illinois State earned a league-best six Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week accolades, which ranked as the second-most in program history. Senior Daishon Knight – who led ISU with 13.2 points per game last year – earned a program-record four MVC Newcomer of the Week honors.
PICKED FIFTH
The Illinois State men's basketball team received 287 points and was projected to finish fifth – with one first place vote – in the 2014-15 Missouri Valley Conference standings according to the league's preseason poll (see complete poll on pg. 9), as compiled from votes by MVC sports information directors, media and coaches. This is the fourth time that Illinois State has been picked to finish fifth in the Valley preseason poll, with the other three fifth-place selections occurring in 1988-89, 1990-91 and 2007-08. Since the MVC Preseason Poll began in 1985-86, the Redbirds have surpassed their preseason ranking in the final MVC standings 12 times, and they have met their preseason prediction seven times, including two first-place forecasts and finishes in 1996-97 and 1997-98. ISU has ended the regular season at or above its preseason ranking in eight of its last 10 seasons.
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