ROSEMONT, Ill. – Riding a series-best two-game winning streak versus BIG EAST foe DePaul, the Illinois State men's basketball team (4-3) travels to Allstate Arena to face the Blue Demons (6-2) Sunday at 3 p.m. CT, televised nationally on FOX Sports 1.
In a return-game from the home-and-home series started last year, the Redbirds are playing in Rosemont, Illinois for the first time since 1995, when current head coach and former player Dan Muller was a freshman. ISU won last year's Dec. 22 meeting in Normal, Illinois, 69-64, with a team-best 16 points from Daishon Knight. Prior to last season's matchup, ISU had not faced the Blue Demons since a Dec. 4, 1996 victory over DePaul in St. Louis, at the Missouri Valley Conference/Conference USA Challenge.
Winners of four out of their last six games, the Redbirds will try to establish a road winning-streak after earning a 78-74 victory in their road-opener at UAB last Sunday (Dec. 7). DePaul will aim to bounce back after suffering an 81-68 loss at George Washington Thursday night (Dec. 11).
TELEVISION BROADCAST
Sunday's game will be televised live on FOX Sports 1. Below are channel listings where the game can be found:
- Comcast Xfinity (Bloomington-Normal): 551, 946
- DirecTV: 219
- DISH: 150
- Mediacom: 50
- AT&T U-Verse: 652, 1652
- Comcast Xfinity (Chicago Area): 237, 408
THE SERIES:
In a return-game from the home-and-home series started last year, Illinois State and DePaul are meeting for the 26th time in program history and the 13th time at DePaul. The Blue Demons lead the overall series which dates back to 1909, 21-4, and DePaul has a 12-0 record at home versus ISU; however, the Redbirds have won a series-best two-consecutive games after beating DePaul Dec. 4, 1996 in St. Louis and Dec. 22, 2013 in Normal, Illinois.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
Illinois State will try to extend its series-best two-game winning streak versus DePaul, and the Redbirds will aim to win their second-consecutive road contest after earning a 78-74 victory at UAB last Sunday, Dec. 7.
ILLINOIS STATE AT A GLANCE:
Improved to 4-3 with a win at UAB (Dec. 7) ... earned two out of four possible Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week accolades this season ... finished as the runner-up at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 21-24) ... went 18-16 and 9-9 to finish tied for fourth in the MVC last season despite featuring the most inexperienced team in the nation ... selected to finish fifth in the MVC this year.
DePAUL AT A GLANCE:
Fell to 6-2 after losing at George Washington Thursday night ... sophomore guard Billy Garrett Jr. was named to the 2014-15 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team after leading all league rookies last season with 12.4 points per game and 93 assists ... picked to finish 10th in the BIG EAST this year ... posted a 12-21 overall record and a 3-15 conference mark last season ... returning two out of last year's five starters.
RIVALRY IN ROSEMONT
Just 130 miles separate Illinois State from DePaul; however, 17 years elapsed before Illinois State and DePaul resumed their instate rivalry with a home-and-home series that began last season in Normal, Illinois, resulting in a 69-64 Redbird victory, Dec. 22, 2013.
- ISU holds a 4-21 record against DePaul, and the Redbirds are 0-12 in games played at DePaul.
- The Redbirds are in the midst of a series-best two-game winning streak versus the Blue Demons.
- Head coach Dan Muller faced DePaul twice as a player. In fact, as a junior, he and his teammates started ISU's current winning streak versus the Blue Demons with a 75-50 win Dec. 4, 1996 in St. Louis at the Missouri Valley Conference/Conference USA Challenge. Muller scored five points, with four rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Redbirds. He also faced the Blue Demons on the road as a freshman Jan. 3, 1995, with DePaul winning, 82-62.
- ISU and DePaul met for the first time March 5, 1909 in Normal, with Illinois State prevailing, 44-23.
- Illinois State played DePaul at least once per season during a 10-year stretch from 1978-1988.
- The Redbirds faced the Blue Demons in the 1984 NCAA Tournament, with the Redbirds falling 75-61 on March 17, 1984.
- The Redbirds have won four out of their last six meetings against BIG EAST opponents (at the time).
- ISU is facing its second BIG EAST opponent of the season after falling, 84-80, to Seton Hall in the championship game of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 24).
WINNING ON THE ROAD
This season, Illinois State is striving to improve its road record compared to last year's, and the Redbirds are off to a promising start. While ISU held a dominant 14-3 record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in 2013-14, the Redbirds went 3-11 in true road contests. In Illinois State's road-opener last Sunday (Dec. 7) at UAB, ISU never trailed en route to a 78-74 victory.
HIGH-PERCENTAGE
The Redbirds have shot 50 percent or better from the field in their last two games. Last season, ISU shot 50 percent or better just three times. The two-game streak marks the longest for Illinois State since late in the 2012-13 season. If the Redbirds shoot at least 50 percent versus DePaul, it will mark the longest streak since shooting 50 percent or better in six-consecutive games from Dec. 1 until Dec. 22, 2012.
REBOUNDING REDBIRDS
Through Illinois State's first seven games this season, the Redbirds have not been outrebounded. ISU has outrebounded six of its opponents, while matching Seton Hall (Nov. 24). The Redbirds rank No. 2 in the Missouri Valley Conference with a +6.6 rebounding margin. Comparatively, after seven games last season, ISU held a -4.4 rebounding margin.
GLASS STREAK
Illinois State has earned the rebounding advantage in three-straight games, and the Redbirds have not been outrebounded in seven-straight, matching a seven-game streak to start the 2011-12 season. If ISU outrebounds DePaul, it will match an eight-game streak without being outrebounded established at the beginning of the 2008-09 season. The Redbirds can also extend their outrebounding streak to four-straight games, a feat last accomplished in 2011-12.
McINTOSH MAKES MARK
Freshman forward MiKyle McIntosh enjoyed a breakout game while leading Illinois State to a 78-74 win at UAB (Dec. 7). McIntosh scored a career-high 18 points in 22 minutes on 7-for-10 (70 percent) shooting, including a 3-for-4 (75 percent) effort at the free throw line. The Pickering, Ontario, native netted 13-unanswered points during a critical second-half stretch from 14:09 until 9:12.
LYNCH'S BLOCK PARTY
Sophomore center Reggie Lynch has averaged 6.3 blocks per game through ISU's last three contests. The Edina, Minnesota, native is now leading the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks No. 7 nationally with 3.6 blocks per game. Lynch recorded a career-high seven blocked shots in the Redbirds' win over Youngstown State (Nov. 29), followed by six blocks versus VCU (Dec. 2) and at UAB (Dec. 7). He now ranks No. 6 on the ISU career-blocks list, with 121, behind Joe Galvin's 132 blocks.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DeVAUGHN
Junior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell has reached double-figures in all seven of his games as a Redbird, marking the longest double-digit scoring streak for an ISU player since Bobby Hunter recorded double-figures in eight-straight games from Jan. 2 until Jan. 25, 2014. As a newcomer, Akoon-Purcell leads ISU with 15.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
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