ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands – Illinois State faces 2014 NCAA Tournament qualifier and preseason Big Sky Conference favorite Weber State Friday at 8 p.m. CT in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, held at the University of the Virgin Islands.
A Redbird victory would secure Illinois State's position in the championship bracket of the eight-team tournament and set up a semifinal matchup with the winner of Friday's LSU versus Old Dominion game. ISU is playing on the Virgin Islands for the first time in program history, and Friday's game will be streamed live on ParadiseJam.com.
The Redbirds (0-1) and the Wildcats (1-1) both faced Utah State in their respective 2014-15 season openers, with both teams surrendering double-digit leads to the Aggies. Illinois State was led by senior Daishon Knight's game-best 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, while junior transfer DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell recorded a double-double in his NCAA Division I debut, with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
THE SERIES:
Friday's game marks just the second meeting between Illinois State and Weber State. The only other ISU versus Weber State contest took place Nov. 16, 2001 at Redbird Arena, with the Redbirds winning, 74-70.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
--Â An Illinois State win versus Weber State would move the Redbirds into the championship side of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam bracket, with a Sunday, Nov. 23, 8 p.m. CT, matchup against the winner of Friday's LSU versus Old Dominion game.
-- An Illinois State loss versus Weber State would move the Redbirds into the consolation side of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam bracket, with a Saturday, Nov. 22, 4 p.m. CT, matchup against the loser of Friday's LSU versus Old Dominion game.
ILLINOIS STATE AT A GLANCE:
Fell in the season opener at home versus Utah State, 60-55, despite leading by as many as 12 points (Nov. 16) ... 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.
WEBER STATE AT A GLANCE:
Picked to win the Big Sky Conference ... enters the tournament with a 1-1 record after falling at Utah State, 72-61, despite leading by as many as 18 points (Nov. 14) before beating NAIA Presentation College, 74-49 at home (Nov. 17) ... posted a 19-12 overall record and a 14-6 mark in the Big Sky Conference last season ... qualified for the 2014 NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Sky Tournament ... Weber State has earned a postseason berth every season since 2008-09 ... returning two out of five starters, including leading-rebounder Joel Bolomboy.
PLAYING IN PARADISE
For the first time in program history, the Illinois State men's basketball team is playing on the U.S. Virgin Islands (nearly 2,000 miles away from Normal, Illinois, and forecasted to be about 50 degrees warmer), at the Paradise Jam, Nov. 21-24. The Redbirds are playing outside of the continental U.S. for the first time since participating in the 2011-12 Cancun (Mexico) Challenge, and ISU is aiming for its first tournament championship outside of the continental U.S. since winning the Hawaii Pacific Shootout during the 1998-99 season. The Redbirds are 69-40 (.633) in regular-season tournament contests, and head coach Dan Muller is 5-2 in regular-season tournament games.
COMPETITIVE FIELD
Five out of the eight participants in this year's U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam qualified for postseason play in 2013-14, including: Clemson (NIT semifinals, 23-13 overall), LSU (NIT second round, 20-14 overall), Old Dominion (CBI semifinals, 18-18 overall) and Weber State (NCAA Tournament second round, 19-12 overall). Illinois State also advanced to the CBI semifinals, while compiling an 18-16 overall record. ISU has never faced five out of the seven potential opponents, previously playing Clemson and Weber State each once before. ISU fell to Clemson, 67-56, Dec. 19, 1980, but defeated Weber State, 74-70, Nov. 16, 2001.
LIVE COVERAGE
Illinois State's U.S. Virgin Islands opener against Weber State Friday can be seen via a free, live stream on ParadiseJam.com. If the Redbirds win, they will play in the tournament semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 8 p.m. CT, televised live on CBS Sports Network. An opening-round loss would move ISU into a consolation-semifinal matchup on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m. CT, streamed live on ParadiseJam.com. All of the tournament's final games will take place on Monday, Nov. 24, with the 2014 Paradise Jam championship contest tipping off at 8 p.m. CT, live on CBS Sports Network. Monday's third-place game will also air on CBS Sports Network, while Monday's consolation bracket games will be streamed on ParadiseJam.com.
CLOSE TO HOME FOR JONES
Even though the Redbirds have traveled more than 2,000 miles away from Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, senior forward John Jones is playing as close as he ever will to his native country of Barbados, which is also located in the Caribbean, about 500 miles southeast of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although Jones had never visited the U.S. Virgin Islands before, he played in the nearby British Virgin Islands over the summer, representing Barbados in the 2014 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships. A native of St. Michael, Barbados, Jones averaged 4.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 19.8 minutes while helping Barbados earn sixth place at the five-day event.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DeVAUGN
By scoring 10 points with 15 rebounds in Illinois State's season-opener versus Utah State (Nov. 16), junior transfer DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell became the first newcomer since 2009 to record a double-double in his Redbird debut. The last ISU newcomer to achieve the feat was transfer Tony Lewis who scored 10 points with 11 rebounds against SIU Edwardsville Nov. 15, 2009. Akoon-Purcell also earned ISU's first overall double-double since Nov. 12, 2013.
LIGHTING THE KNIGHT
Illinois State's leading returning scorer stayed hot in the Redbirds' 2014-15 opener against Utah State (Nov. 16), as senior guard Daishon Knight scored a game-high 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting (63.6 percent). He also went a perfect 2-for-2 at the free throw line while recording two steals, one rebound and one assists on a highlight-reel alley-oop to DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell who threw down a two-handed dunk. Knight finished one field goal shy of his career record. He has now recorded a team-best 25 double-digit scoring performances.
LYNCH CRASHES THE GLASS
Sophomore center Reggie Lynch attacked the boards in Illinois State's season-opener versus Utah State (Nov. 16), collecting a career-high nine rebounds balanced between four offensive and five defensive boards. Lynch also scored eight points and blocked one shot. He now has 97 career blocks and is aiming to become just the eighth player in ISU history to record 100 or more blocks.
TUNE 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.
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