Redbird Men Play TCU in Third Place Game at Cancun Challenge

CANCUN, Mexico – Illinois State meets Big 12 Conference foe TCU in the third place game of the Riviera Division Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT. The Redbirds (2-3) and TCU (2-2) are both aiming to bounce back following narrow losses Tuesday evening. 

ILLINOIS STATE VS. TCU • WEDNESDAY, NOV. 25, 2015 • 5 p.m. CT

• THE GAME:
  Illinois State faces Big 12 Conference foe TCU in the Riviera Division of the Cancun Challenge Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT. The Redbirds and Horned Frogs are playing for third place after both falling Tuesday night.

• THE SERIES:
  Wednesday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Illinois State and TCU. The Redbirds are 4-10 versus current members of the Big 12 Conference, and head coach Dan Muller is facing the Big 12 for the first time. ISU's last game against a Big 12 opponent was an 83-79 overtime loss to Kansas State (March 18. 2009) in the NIT. TCU is 11-24 all-time against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference.

• THE COACHES:
  Illinois State: Dan Muller (Illinois State, 1998) is in his fourth season as the head coach at Illinois State (59-45). Muller is the first coach in ISU history to beat three Top-25 teams in his first three seasons.
  TCU: Trent Johnson (Boise State, 1986) is in his fifth season as the head coach at TCU (40-60). Johnson's resume consists of eight postseason bids, including five NCAA tournaments and three conference championships.

• ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE:
  Picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference ... return three of five starters and six of 13 letterwinners from last year's team, which went 22-13 overall, advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) ... tied for third place in the 2014-15 MVC standings (11-7) ... feature eight newcomers ... in the midst of playing the top-two nationally-ranked teams (No. 2 Maryland Nov. 24, No. 1 Kentucky, Nov. 30).

• ABOUT TCU:
  Picked to finish tied for eighth (out of 10 teams) in the Big 12 Conference ... return three of five starters and eight of 15 letterwinners from last year's team, which went 18-15 overall and 4-14 (ninth) in the Big 12 Conference ... top scorer (12.8 ppg), rebounder (7.0 rpg) and shot blocker (2.3 bpg) is sophomore transfer Vladimir Brodziansky ... fell to Rhode Island, 66-60, Tuesday night at the Cancun Challenge.

• UP NEXT: Friday, Nov. 27 vs. Quincy at 2 p.m. CT on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
  
  WHERE TO WATCH (In the Bloomington-Normal Area):
  XFINITY/COMCAST CHANNEL 531 & 963(HD)
  DIRECTV CHANNEL 221
  DISH NETWORK CHANNEL 158 & 158(HD)
  MEDIACOM CHANNEL 171 & 662(HD)

• CANCUN CHALLENGE
  Wednesday's game against TCU is Illinois State's final of four in the 2015 Cancun Challenge. ISU already faced South Dakota State (Nov. 19 - L, 83-67), Houston Baptist (Nov. 21 - W, 72-56) and No. 2 Maryland (Nov. 24 - L, 77-66), with the first two games taking place on ISU's campus. The Redbirds traveled to Cancun, Mexico, Saturday, leaving behind a couple inches of snow and a temperature in the 20s. Illinois State is playing in the Cancun Challenge for the second time. In 2011, the Redbirds finished 3-1, with their lone loss coming to in-state foe Illinois in the championship game, 63-59. Following Tuesday's loss, ISU is now 4-3 all-time in the Cancun Challenge.

  AGAINST THE BIG 12
  Illinois State holds a 4-10 record versus current members of the Big 12 Conference, and head coach Dan Muller has not yet faced a Big 12 opponent. ISU's last Big 12 game was when the Redbirds played Kansas State in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) March 18, 2009, losing in overtime, 83-79.

  TAKING ON THE TOP 25
  With last season's 65-62 win over No. 8 Wichita State (March 7, 2015) in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals, ISU beat a Top-25 team for the fourth time in as many seasons – a feat that had never been accomplished by the Redbirds – after also topping No. 25 Dayton at home (Dec. 7, 2013), winning at No. 16 Creighton (Feb. 9, 2013), and edging No. 15 Wichita State at the MVC Tournament (Mar. 3, 2012). Versus Top-25 opponents, ISU is 11-59 overall, including Tuesday night loss. No. 2 Maryland was ISU's first Top-25 opponent of the year, although the Terrapins were likely not the last. According to the Week 3 (Nov. 23) rankings, three of ISU's opponents are ranked: No. 2 Maryland, No. 1 Kentucky and No. 20 Wichita State. ISU's season-opening opponent, San Diego State, received votes in the first two polls, and future MVC foe Northern Iowa is currently receiving votes.

  TOP-2
  ISU has only faced a Top-2 team five times in program history, including Tuesday night's matchup with No. 2 Maryland. ISU last faced No. 2 Kansas (Nov. 30, 2000), falling by a score of 80-61. The Redbirds have never beaten a team ranked higher than No. 4 (winning against No. 4 UNLV Feb. 3, 1977 and against No. 4 Indiana State Jan. 21, 1978). ISU has also never faced the No. 2 team and the No. 1 team within a one-week span.

  INSTANT OFFENSE
  Senior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell has emerged as Illinois State's top scorer in 2015-16, reaching double figures in all five of ISU's games this year, and dating back to last season, seven-straight and 12 of the last 13. Akoon-Purcell has also scored 20 or more points twice this season and five times throughout his career since transferring to Illinois State for his junior year.

  BLOCK PARTY
  Through the first five games, Illinois State ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference with 4.2 blocks per game. ISU's 6.6 steals per game ranks No. 3 in the MVC.

  LEE-DING IN STEALING
  After five games, junior point guard Paris Lee leads the Missouri Valley Conference with 2.6 steals averaged per contest. Lee's 142 career steals is currently tied for eighth place with Jamar Smiley (ISU's point guard when head coach Dan Muller palyed). In 2014-15, Lee led the MVC and ranked No. 9 nationally in steals (2.4 per game), establishing ISU's single-season steals record (82).

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