NORMAL, Ill. – Alone atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings, the Illinois State men's basketball team hits the midway point of the 2016-17 MVC season Wednesday when the Redbirds host Indiana State at 7 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena for Coaches vs. Cancer Night. After winning at Indiana State Jan. 7, the Redbirds are aiming for a regular-season sweep.
ILLINOIS STATE VS. INDIANA STATE • WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25, 2017 • 7 P.M.
THE SERIES:
Wednesday's game marks the 118th meeting between Illinois State and Indiana State. The Redbirds lead the all-time series, 62-55, with Illinois State winning this season's meeting in Terre Haute, Indiana, 77-58, to snap a nine-game losing streak at the Hulman Center. The Redbirds are aiming for their first regular-season sweep of the Sycamores since 2005. Versus Indiana State, Illinois State is 38-15 in Normal, Illinois, and 21-7 at Redbird Arena.
THE COACHES:
Illinois State: Dan Muller (Illinois State, 1998) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Illinois State. Muller is the first-ever Illinois State coach to beat four Top-25 teams in his first four years. He led ISU to the 2015 NIT.
Indiana State: Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990) is in his seventh season as the head coach at Indiana State. Lansing led Indiana State to the postseason in each of his first four seasons at the helm, including the 2011 NCAAs.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is in sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings (8-0) ... Features the third-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (36.9) ... Has won nine-straight games and 12 of the past 13 ... Is undefeated at home this season and has won 16-straight at home dating back to last year ... Was picked to finish second (out of 10 teams) in the MVC ... Returns four starters and seven of 11 letterwinners from last year's team (18-14, 12-6 T2nd MVC).
INDIANA STATE:
Is tied for ninth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings (1-7) ... Was picked to finish sixth (out of 10 teams) in the MVC ... Returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team which finished 15-17 overall and tied for sixth place in the MVC with an 8-10 record ... Junior guard Brenton Scott was a Preseason All-MVC First Team selection after being named to the 2016 All-MVC Second Team, and he is averaging 17.1 points per game.
WINNING IS FOR THE `BIRDS
-Won nine-straight overall (longest winning streak since starting 2008-09 with a 14-game winning streak).
-Won eight-straight MVC games (longest streak since a program-best nine-game MVC streak in 1982-83).
-Won 16-straight at home dating back to last season (longest home-court winning streak since winning a Redbird Arena-best 17-straight between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons).
-Won five-straight on the road (longest road winning streak since winning five-straight in 1997-98).
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 36.9 percent ranks third nationally and leads the MVC:
1. UCF, 34.5% | 2. Cincinnati, 36.8% | 3. Illinois State, 36.9% | 4. South Carolina, 37.4%
-ISU's program record for field-goal percentage defense is 40.2 percent (1996-97).
-Since 1988, the MVC's best field-goal defense recorded was 38.3 percent by Evansville (1997-98).
-During that 29-year span, ISU has led the league in field-goal defense twice (1988 and 2009).
SCORING DEFENSE
Illinois State's scoring defense of 62.0 points allowed per game ranks 12th nationally and leads the MVC:
-ISU's program record for scoring defense is 59.1 points per game (2005-06).
-Since 1988, the MVC's best scoring defense was 54.6 points per game by Northern Iowa (2014-15).
-During that 29-year span, ISU has led the league in scoring defense three times (1988, 1989 and 2008).
DANCE DEFENSE
The past seven MVC teams to lead the league in field-goal percentage defense advanced to the NCAA Tournament, combining for 10 NCAA Tournament wins. Illinois State's 2009 team was the last league team to lead the MVC in that statistic and not make the NCAA Tournament.
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 33.2 percent and 57.0 points against Illinois State over the past 11 games, with ISU holding six of its past 11 foes to season-low averages at the time. In MVC games, ISU also ranks first in field-goal percentage defense (34.3 percent) and scoring defense (57.5 points per game).
TOP OF THE STANDINGS
Illinois State's 76-62 victory over Wichita State (Jan. 14) lifted the Redbirds into sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings for the first time since the 1997-98 season (when head coach Dan Muller was a senior), which is also the last time ISU won the MVC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Both teams entered the game with 5-0 MVC records. The victory knocked WSU out of first place in the conference standings for the first time since the end of the 2013 season. The Shockers had been either alone in first place or tied for first since 2013-14.
UNDEFEATED
After winning their first eight MVC games of the season, the Redbirds have achieved their second-best start to an MVC season since joining the MVC in 1981-82. ISU's best start to a conference season occurred in 1982-83 when the Redbirds began MVC play with a 9-0 record before suffering a loss in game 10. Illinois State's 8-0 league start matches UNC Wilmington for teams who started with eight-straight league wins in 2016-17. Only 18 NCAA teams are still unbeaten in their respective leagues (through Jan. 22).
BAROMETER
Illinois State's 8-0 start is its second-best all time in MVC play. This marks the fourth-straight season a league team has started off 8-0, and the previous three (all Wichita State) won the league. Only 21 teams in league history have started an MVC season with 10-straight wins (11 have occurred since World War II)
FAST START
By beating Drake (Jan. 21) to improve to 16-4 overall, the Redbirds achieved their best record through the first 20 games since starting the 2008-09 season with a 17-3 record. After 21 games that season, the Redbirds fell to 17-4 overall, and after 22 games, ISU improved to 18-4.
RANKING THE STREAKS
-ISU's nine-game winning streak is tied for seventh-longest in the nation.
-ISU's eight-game conference winning streak is the seventh-longest in the nation.
-ISU's 16-game home winning streak is the ninth-longest in the nation.
-ISU's five-game road winning streak is tied for fourth-longest in the nation.
PROTECTING THE NEST
Dating back to last season, Illinois State has won 16-straight games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, marking ISU's longest home-court winning streak since winning an arena-best 17-straight games between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. ISU's last home-court loss occurred Jan. 15, 2016 to Evansville (L, 66-55). Illinois State's last undefeated home season was in 1977-78, in Horton Field House.
STEALS LEE-DER
Senior guard Paris Lee broke Illinois State's career steals record at Bradley (Jan. 18). Lee passed Ron Jones who held the previous record of 222 since 1980. Lee now has 227 career steals and is the NCAA active-career leader. He also ranks 10th in MVC career-steals.
LEAVING HIS MARK
Along with setting the career steals record, senior guard Paris Lee also ranks sixth in ISU career assists (424), 36th in points (1,066), second in games started (117), and fourth in minutes played (3,541).
NATIONAL ATTENTION
By receiving one vote in the AP Top 25 Poll release Jan. 23 (Week 12), the Redbirds were recognized in a national poll for the second-consecutive week after earning one vote in the Jan. 16 USA Today Coaches Poll (Week 11). Before that, Illinois State had not been recognized in a national poll since garnering three votes in the Dec. 7, 2009 (Week Five) AP Top 25 Poll. The Redbirds also received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll Nov. 30, 2009 (Week Four). Illinois State has not been ranked nationally in the Top-25 since Nov. 18, 1997 when the Redbirds were ranked No. 24.
RPI REPORT
Following ISU's victory over Wichita State (Jan. 14), the Redbirds' NCAA RPI ranking elevated 16 spots from 43rd to 27th nationally. Illinois State's RPI has since dropped to 29. ISU's best-ever season-ending RPI was 27 in 1997-98 (the Redbirds were 33 on Selection Sunday that season).
SHUTTING DOWN
In all eight of Illinois State's MVC victories, the Redbirds have held their opponent's leading scorer below his respective scoring average entering the game, by an average of 5.4 points.
-Jaylon Brown, Evansville: Entered the game averaging 21.5 ppg / Scored 17 points (Dec. 29).
-Audre Jackson, Loyola Chicago: Entered the game averaging 15.9 ppg / Scored 5 points (Jan. 1).
-Alize Johnson, Missouri State: Entered the game averaging 14.2 ppg / Scored 7 points (Jan. 4).
-Brenton Scott, Indiana State: Entered the game averaging 19.1 ppg / Scored 12 points (Jan. 7).
-Armon Fletcher, Southern Illinois: Entered the game averaging 13.8 ppg / Scored 12 points (Jan. 11).
-Markis McDuffie, Wichita State: Entered the game averaging 12.6 ppg / Scored 11 points (Jan. 14).
-Darrell Brown, Bradley: Entered the game averaging 12.6 ppg / Scored 6 points (Jan. 18).
-Reed Timmer, Drake: Entered the game averaging 16.6 ppg / scored 13 points (Jan. 21).
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 10-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 13-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 12-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 55th nationally with 4.8 blocks per game. The Redbirds recorded a program-record 11 blocks in their win over Drake (Jan. 21). MiKyle McIntosh contributed a career-high five blocks versus the Bulldogs.
TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 52nd nationally with 7.7 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks second in the MVC and 20th nationally with 2.2 steals per contest.
DEEP DISH
Senior point guard Paris Lee leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 48th nationally in assists (5.3 assists per game). He has recorded at least three assists in every game this season.
TWO AT THE TOP
Illinois State is the only program in the Missouri Valley Conference to feature two players who rank in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding. Senior forward Deontae Hawkins ranks seventh in scoring (15.0 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (6.8 rpg), and junior forward MiKyle McIntosh ranks 10th in scoring (13.9 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (6.6 rpg).
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