Illinois State Meets Indiana State Wednesday in Terre Haute

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Illinois State men's basketball team will try to extend a two-game Missouri Valley Conference winning streak, as the Redbirds face Indiana State Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT at the Hulman Center.

Illinois State (10-6, 2-2 MVC) is aiming to win its second-consecutive road contest, while the Sycamores (8-8, 4-0 MVC) are striving to remain undefeated in conference play. The Redbirds are facing Indiana State during the regular season for the second – and final – time in a 14-day span after falling to the Sycamores, 63-61, in both team's MVC-opener Dec. 31 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.

Illinois State and Indiana State feature this week's MVC Newcomer and Player of the Week, respectively: Redbird freshman forward MiKyle McIntosh and Sycamore junior guard Devonte Brown.

THE SERIES:
Illinois State travels to Indiana State Wednesday evening for the 113th meeting in the all-time series dating back to 1914, which the Redbirds lead, 60-52. Illinois State is 20-35 in games played against the Sycamores in Terre Haute, Indiana, with a 17-23 mark at the Hulman Center. Head coach Dan Muller is 2-3 versus Indiana State after the Redbirds fell to the Sycamores earlier this season in the MVC-opener (Dec. 31).

WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
The Redbirds are aiming to win three-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference games, including two-straight on the road. Illinois State has not won back-to-back MVC road contests since topping Drake (Feb. 6, 2013) and No. 16 Creighton (Feb. 9, 2013). Indiana State is striving to win five-straight MVC games for the second-consecutive season after starting 2013-14 with a 5-0 league record before dropping its sixth game to Wichita State. Illinois State will also try to win at Indiana State's Hulman Center for the first time since a Feb. 14, 2007 victory. The Sycamores have earned seven-straight wins over the Redbirds in Terre Haute, Indiana.

ILLINOIS STATE AT A GLANCE:
Improved to 10-6 overall, 2-2 in the MVC and 3-2 on the road after earning a 69-55 win at Missouri State (Jan. 11) ... leads the MVC in rebounding margin, blocks, steals and offensive rebounds per game ... freshman forward MiKyle McIntosh is the MVC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 10.5 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game in his last two contests ... three players have recorded double-doubles this season ... finished as the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam runner-up (Nov. 21-24) ... selected to finish fifth in the MVC.

INDIANA STATE AT A GLANCE:
Improved to 8-8 overall and 4-0 in the MVC after winning, 59-56, at Southern Illinois (Jan. 10) ... junior guard Devonte Brown is the MVC Player of the Week after averaging 19.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds in his last two games ... picked to finish sixth in the MVC this year after earning second last year and advancing to the championship game of the 2014 MVC Tournament ... returned two of last year's five starters.

EARLIER THIS SEASON VS. INDIANA STATE
Tony Wills scored 11 of his 16 points late in the second half, as Illinois State attempted to erase an Indiana State double-digit lead, but a last-second pass attempt was stolen as the Redbirds (8-5, 0-1 MVC at the time) fell to the Sycamores (5-8, 1-0 MVC at the time) by a score of 63-61 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena (Dec. 31).

AWAY ON BUSINESS
With a 69-55 win at Missouri State Sunday night, Illinois State improved to 3-2 on the road this season. The Redbirds – who also posted quality wins at UAB (Dec. 7) and at DePaul (Dec. 14) – have earned the rebounding advantage in all five of their road contest for a +3.4 road-rebounding margin. ISU also holds a +0.8 scoring margin in away games, and senior guard Daishon Knight has particularly thrived, averaging 19.4 points per road game, compared to his overall average of 14.6 points per contest. ISU has already matched its overall and Missouri Valley Conference road-wins totals from last season.

ROAD WARRIOR
Daishon Knight of Illinois State is one of the most productive players on the road this year, averaging nearly 20 points per game in road contests while shooting better than 50 percent from three-point range. Here's a list of the top 3 players in the nation (PPG, 3FG >.500, min. 4 games)

BENCH BATTLES
Illinois State's bench has held the scoring advantage in 12 out of 16 games this season, with one tie. When the Redbirds outscore their opponent's bench, they are 10-2 this season. ISU is also 10-5 when the bench reaches double figures. Bench production has proven key in both of Illinois State's Missouri Valley Conference victories, with the Redbird bench outscoring Drake (Jan. 7) and Missouri State (Jan. 11) by a combined 68-32 margin over the last two games.

FROM WORST TO FIRST
After outrebounding Missouri State, 39-29, Sunday night, Illinois State now leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks No. 34 nationally with a +6.2 rebounding margin. At the end of the 2013-14 season, the undersized Redbirds ranked last in the MVC, with a -2.6 rebounding margin. Illinois State has held the rebounding advantage in all four of its conference games this season, and ISU has only been outrebounded twice this year. ISU also leads the MVC with 13.6 offensive rebounds averaged per contest.

FIRST-HALF ATTACK
The Redbirds have held the halftime advantage in all but two games so far this season. The only times ISU trailed at intermission were during the Redbirds' losses to Seton Hall (Nov. 24) and at No. 16 Wichita State (Jan. 4). Illinois State is 10-4 when leading at halftime and 0-2 when trailing at the half. ISU has also earned a cumulative +9.2 scoring margin in the first half, compared to a -1.1 scoring margin in the second half.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Redbirds lead the Missouri Valley Conference in both blocks (4.4) and steals (7.8) per game, which ranks No. 82 and No. 58 in the nation, respectively. Sophomore center Reggie Lynch is averaging a league-best 3.1 blocks per game, which ranks No. 13 nationally, while sophomore guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and is No. 16 in the nation with 2.4 steals per contest.

BALANCING ACT
Along with ISU's impressive defensive statistics, the Redbirds rank No. 1 in the Missouri Valley Conference with a +6.2 rebounding margin, No. 4 in the MVC with a +8.9 scoring margin and No. 2 with a +1.31 turnover margin. Comparatively, last year's Redbirds had a -3.5 rebounding margin, a -0.6 scoring margin and a +0.8 turnover margin at the same point.

REBOUNDING DIVIDEND
The Redbirds lead the Missouri Valley Conference with 13.6 offensive rebounds per game. ISU has established a +4.3 offensive rebounding margin (217-149) while holding an advantage on the offensive glass in 12 games, with one tie. ISU has capitalized on its offensive boards, scoring 83 more second-chance points than its opponents (196-113). In all four of the Redbirds' MVC games, ISU has earned the advantage in both offensive rebounds and second-chance points.

CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
Illinois State has only been outrebounded twice this season (at Murray State, Dec. 20, and vs. Indiana State, Dec. 31). The Redbirds started the year by outrebounding their opponents in five-straight games, a feat Illinois State had not accomplished since outrebounding six-straight opponents in 2010-11. ISU has earned the rebounding edge in 13 out-of-16 games, with one tie. Sophomore center Reggie Lynch is No. 1 in the MVC with 2.9 offensive rebounds per contest.

SCHEDULE STRENGTH
Illinois State's non-conference strength of schedule is ranked No. 31 in the nation according to the Jan. 13 Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report. ISU's 31 NCSS ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference behind Wichita State (No. 10). Illinois State's RPI is No. 85, which is fifth-best in the league.

FILLING THE VOID
When junior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell - who was ISU's leading scorer at the time - was sidelined after breaking his hand at DePaul (Dec. 14), Akoon-Purcell's teammates were forced to compensate for his absence. After missing seven games, Akoon-Purcell returned to ISU's lineup at Missouri State (Jan. 11).

• Freshman forward MiKyle McIntosh made his first-collegiate start in the following game versus UT Martin (Dec. 17), and since then, he has started eight-straight, averaging 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.5 minutes during his last 10 contests after averaging 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes through his first six games.
• Sophomore guard Tony Wills has also stepped up, averaging 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 26.7 minutes during his last seven contests after averaging 3.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 18.6 minutes through his first nine games. Wills dished out a career-best six assists versus Drake (Jan. 7).

ANOTHER NEWCOMER NOD
After netting double-figures in both of Illinois State's Missouri Valley Conference victories last week, freshman forward MiKyle McIntosh is the MVC Newcomer of the Week, as announced by the league office Monday. McIntosh averaged 10.5 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game, while collecting one block and one assist in Illinois State's victories against Drake (Jan. 7) and at Missouri State (Jan. 11). Illinois State has now earned three MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades in 2014-15, with DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (Nov. 24) and Deontae Hawkins (Dec. 1) garnering the same honor earlier this season.

ELEVATING
With four more blocks in Illinois State's win at Missouri State (Jan. 11), sophomore center Reggie Lynch increased his career total to 139 blocks, which ranks No. 4 on ISU's career blocks list. Lynch is now in pursuit of LeRoy Watkins (1996-99), whose total of 143 blocks ranks No. 3. With 43 blocks this season, he is also in pursuit of ISU's sophomore record of 48, held by Joe Galvin (1976-80). Lynch's 96 blocks last season set Illinois State's freshman blocks mark.

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