Redbird Men Return to Road for TCU Matchup

FORT WORTH, Texas – Fresh off a home-opening victory over Summit League-favorite Fort Wayne, the Illinois State men's basketball team returns to the road to face Big 12 Conference foe TCU Monday at 5 p.m. CT at Schollmaier Arena. The Redbirds (1-1) are aiming to win two-straight, while the Horned Frogs (3-0) are trying to remain undefeated at home.

ILLINOIS STATE AT TCU • MONDAY, NOV. 21, 2016 • 5 P.M. CT

• THE SERIES:
  Monday's game marks the second meeting between Illinois State and TCU. Head coach Dan Muller and the Redbirds faced TCU for the first time in program history last season (Nov. 25, 2015) at the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico, with TCU winning, 71-60. Less than 24 hours before last season's loss to TCU, Illinois State faced No. 2-ranked Maryland, where despite trailing by just one point at halftime, the Redbirds fell, 77-66 (Nov. 24, 2015).

• THE COACHES:
  Illinois State: Dan Muller (Illinois State, 1998) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Illinois State (77-59). Muller is the first-ever ISU coach to beat four Top-25 teams in his first four years, leading ISU to the 2015 NIT.
  TCU: Jamie Dixon (TCU, 1987) is in his first season as the head coach at Fort Wayne (3-0). Dixon returned to his alma mater after 13 seasons as Pittsburgh's head coach where he guided the Panthers to 11 NCAA Tournaments.

• ILLINOIS STATE:
  Was picked to finish second (out of 10 teams) in the Missouri Valley Conference ... Was the only team to feature two players (out of five) on the Preseason All-MVC First Team (Paris Lee and MiKyle McIntosh) ... Returns four of five starters and seven of 11 letterwinners from last year's team, which tied for second place in the MVC with a 12-6 record, signifying ISU's highest league finish and most conference wins since the 2007-08 season.

• TCU:
  Was picked to finish 10th (out of 10 teams) in the Big 12 Conference ... Returns four of five starters and nine of 12 letterwinners from last year's 12-21 (2-16 Big 12) team which finished 10th in the league ... Features freshman Jaylen Fisher who was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Newcomer of the Week by the league office Nov. 14 after scoring 13 points with seven assists in his first-career start against St. Thomas (Nov. 11).

BASKETBALL ROYALTY
Illinois State men's basketball great Doug Collins was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame during an enshrinement ceremony Friday, Nov. 18, at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland in Kansas City, Missouri. A tape-delayed telecast of the ceremony will air Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. CT on ESPNU. In his three-year varsity career at ISU (1970-73), Collins averaged 29.1 points per game and totaled 2,240 career points while being named both an All-American and Academic All-American each season.

VERSUS THE BIG 12
Illinois State holds a 4-11 record against current members of the Big 12 Conference (1-0 vs. Baylor; 1-4 vs. Iowa State; 0-1 vs. Kansas; 0-2 vs. Kansas State; 0-3 vs. Oklahoma; 1-0 vs. Oklahoma State; 0-1 vs. TCU; 1-0 vs. West Virginia). The Redbirds' last victory over a current Big 12 member took place Jan. 3, 1987 in a 61-59 win over Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State was in the Big Eight Conference at that time.

REBOUNDING REDBIRDS
After two games, Illinois State features the Missouri Valley Conference's individual leader in both defensive rebounds (Deontae Hawkins, 8.5 pg) and offensive rebounds (MiKyle McIntosh, 3.0 pg). Hawkins also leads the league and ranks 29th nationally in overall rebounding (11.0 rpg).

CAREER NIGHT
Senior forward Deontae Hawkins netted a career-high 24 points in Illinois State's home-opening victory over Fort Wayne (Nov. 16). Hawkins surpassed his previous high of 18 points versus Youngstown State (Nov. 29, 2014). The Dayton, Ohio, native, made a career-best nine field goals (on 15 attempts), topping his previous mark of seven-made field goals against Southern Illinois Feb. 24, 2016.

BALANCED ATTACK
In Illinois State's wire-to-wire home-opening victory over Fort Wayne (Nov. 16), the Redbirds featured five players who reached double-figure scoring for the first time since achieving the same feat Jan. 12, 2016 at Southern Illinois. Deontae Hawkins, MiKyle McIntosh and Paris Lee were three of the five both times.

MiKYLE STYLE
Junior forward MiKyle McIntosh – a Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference selection – picked up where he left off last season by leading Illinois State in scoring during the Redbirds' season-opener at Murray State (Nov. 11). McIntosh netted 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting and collected eight rebounds.

HAWK SKIES FOR BOARDS
In Illinois State's season opener at Murray State (Nov. 11), senior forward Deontae Hawkins matched a career best with 15 rebounds. Hawkins recorded 15 boards for the third time in his career. And, with 14 points, Hawkins earned his third-career double-double.

IT'S A STEAL
Senior guard Paris Lee enters the 2016-17 season ranked No. 2 among active NCAA players for career steals. He needs 11 to crack into the MVC all-time Top 10 for steals.
NCAA Active Leaders, Career Steals
1. Jalan West, Northwestern State 219 (out until at least late February with a knee injury)
2. Paris Lee, Illinois State 186
3. Monte Morris, Iowa State 176

RECORDS IN REACH
As the Missouri Valley Conference's active career leader in steals and assists, senior guard Paris Lee will undoubtedly leave his mark in the Illinois State record book. Lee ranks second in career steals (186) behind Ron Jones (222 from 1976-80). Lee also ranks 11th in career assists (329). Additionally, Lee began the 2016-17 season with 813 points, just 187 away from becoming the 42nd member of the 1,000-point club. Lee scored 355 points last season and has never scored fewer than 227.

EARLY TESTS
ISU's first two games of the 2016-17 season were against teams picked to finish high in their respective conferences. The Redbirds opened at Murray State, chosen first (out of six teams) in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division and second overall before playing Summit League-favorite Fort Wayne.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Illinois State is picked to finish second in the league, according to the 2016-17 MVC Preseason Poll, as compiled from votes by MVC sports information directors, media and coaches. Illinois State's predicted second-place finish marks ISU's highest pick since also being tabbed second in the 2012-13 preseason poll. The Redbirds have now been selected to finish second or higher six times in program history (1993-94: first; 1996-97: first; 1997-98: first; 2001-02: first; 2012-13: second; 2016-17: second). ISU received 356 total points and four first-place votes. Wichita State is the favorite to win the MVC men's basketball title.

TWO AT THE TOP
Senior guard Paris Lee and junior forward MiKyle McIntosh are both 2016-17 MVC Preseason First Team selections. The Redbirds landed two on the five-player preseason roster for the first time since Rico Hill and current head coach Dan Muller represented ISU as preseason first-team selections in 1997-98. Hill and Muller led Illinois State to the NCAA Tournament that year after winning MVC regular-season and tournament titles. The 2016-17 Redbirds were the only team to earn two first-team honors.

RETURNING REDBIRDS
Senior guards Paris Lee and Tony Wills are two of four starters and seven letterwinners returning for the 2016-17 Redbirds. Illinois State's top returning scorer is Lee, who averaged 11.1 points per game to rank 20th in the league and account for 16.5 percent of the team's total scoring in 2015-16. He begins the 2016-17 season ranked fifth in league scoring (813 points). Additionally, Lee is the league's top returner in assists after averaging 3.7 per contest in 2015-16 to account for 29.1 percent of ISU's total assists. Returning senior forward Deontae Hawkins led the Redbirds and ranked ninth in the MVC by averaging 5.8 rebounds per game to account for 18 percent of Illinois State's total rebounds last season. He also averaged 10.3 points per contest. Along with Lee and Hawkins, ISU's other two returning starters include Wills (5.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and junior forward MiKyle McIntosh (10.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg).

PERCENTAGE BACK
The 2016-17 Redbirds return 57.2 percent of their scoring (a 6.6 percent increase from last year) and 50 percent of their rebounding. ISU also returns: 67.4 percent of assists, 64.9 percent of steals, 60 percent of blocks and 54.6 percent of minutes. Joining Illinois State's seven returning letterwinners are eight newcomers, including three true freshmen, one redshirt freshman, two junior college transfers and two Division I transfers who will be eligible to play in 2017-18.

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