NORMAL, Ill. – Still undefeated in the Missouri Valley Conference (10-0) after winning 11-consecutive games, the Illinois State men's basketball team is aiming for its 18th-straight home court victory dating back to last season – which would set a Redbird Arena record for consecutive wins – when the Redbirds host Northern Iowa Wednesday at 8 p.m. The Panthers, who have won five-straight games, represent the final MVC team that ISU has not yet faced this season.
ILLINOIS STATE VS. NORTHERN IOWA • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1, 2017 • 8 P.M.
THE SERIES:
Wednesday's game marks the 73rd meeting between Illinois State and Northern Iowa. ISU leads the all-time series, 39-33, with Northern Iowa winning five of the past six meetings. Versus the Panthers, Illinois State is 22-10 at home and 15-10 at Redbird Arena. Head Coach Dan Muller holds a 3-7 record against Northern Iowa.
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.
Northern Iowa: Ben Jacobson (North Dakota, 1994) is in his 11th season as the head coach at UNI. Jacobson has guided Northern Iowa to four NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, 2015 and 2016) and four NCAA victories.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is in sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings (10-0) ... Features the fourth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.2) ... Has won 11-straight games overall, including 17-straight at Redbird Arena dating back to last season to match a Redbird Arena record ... 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).
NORTHERN IOWA:
Is tied for fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings (5-5) ... Started 0-5 in MVC play but has rebounded to win five-straight games ... Was picked to finish third (out of 10 teams) in the Missouri Valley Conference ... Roster includes two starters and five letterwinners from last year's team which finished 23-13 overall and 11-7 in the MVC (tied for fourth) ... Senior guard Jeremy Morgan is a two-time MVC Player of the Week selection this season.
NEWCOMER NOD
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne is the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week (announced Jan. 30). Fayne's MVC Newcomer of the Week accolade is the first of his career and the fourth weekly award bestowed upon the Redbird men's basketball team this season. Paris Lee (Dec. 5, Dec. 19) and MiKyle McIntosh (Jan. 16) were each previously named MVC Player of the Week. Fayne averaged a team-best 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game to lead ISU to two more MVC victories. Fayne shot an efficient 11-for-14 (78.6 percent) from the field while averaging 26.0 minutes per game.
18 AND COUNTING
With a victory at Evansville, Illinois State earned its 18th win of the season – on Jan. 29 – to match ISU's win total in three of the past four seasons. In the Redbirds' 36 seasons as members of the Missouri Valley Conference, ISU has recorded 18 or more total victories 19 times (including this season).
WINNING IS FOR THE `BIRDS
-Won 11-straight overall (longest winning streak since starting 2008-09 with a 14-game winning streak).
-Won program-best 10-straight MVC games (surpassed the previous program-best nine-game MVC winning streak in 1982-83).
-Won 17-straight at home dating back to last season (longest home-court winning streak since also winning a Redbird Arena-record 17-straight between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons). A win Wednesday versus Northern Iowa would secure ISU's longest Redbird Arena winning streak and the program's fourth-longest home-court winning streak during the DI era.
-Won six-straight on the road (longest road winning streak in a single season since winning six-straight in 1960-61). ISU has won six-straight road games in the same season for the first time during the DI era.
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.2 percent ranks fourth nationally and leads the MVC:
1. UCF, 35.1% | 2. Cincinnati, 36.8% | 3. Gonzaga, 36.9% | 4. Illinois State, 37.2%
-ISU's program record for field-goal percentage defense is 40.2 percent (1996-97).
-Since 1980, the MVC's best field-goal defense recorded was 38.3 percent by Bradley (1997-98).
-During that 37-year span, ISU has led the league in field-goal defense five times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988 and 2009), with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament in three of those five years.
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 1980, the MVC's best scoring defense was 54.6 points per game by Northern Iowa (2014-15).
-During that 37-year span, ISU has led the league in scoring defense five times (1983, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 2008), with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament in two of those five years.
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.
UNDEFEATED
By winning their first 10 MVC games of the season, the Redbirds recorded their best start to an MVC season, surpassing the program's previous best start of 9-0 before suffering a loss in game 10, which occurred in 1982-83. That year, ISU finished second in the regular-season standings (13-5) and won the MVC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Illinois State is one of just 10 teams in the nation that is still undefeated in conference play.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Illinois State's 10-0 start is its best all time in MVC play. Counting ISU this season, only 22 teams in league history have started an MVC season with 10-straight wins, with 12 of those occurring since World War II.
Best ISU Starts in MVC Play
2016-17 10-0
1982-83 9-0 13-5 (2nd) NCAA
1997-98* 6-0 16-2 (1st) NCAA
2007-08 6-0 13-5 (2nd) NIT
*coach Dan Muller was a senior on 1998 team
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.
FAST START
By beating Evansville (Jan. 29) to improve to 18-4 overall, the Redbirds achieved their best record through the first 22 games since also starting the 2008-09 season with an 18-4 record. After 23 games, Illinois State improved to 19-4 that season.
RANKING THE STREAKS
-ISU's 11-game winning streak is tied for fifth-longest in the nation.
-ISU's 10-game conference winning streak is the third-longest in the nation.
(behind 15-game league winning streaks by Gonzaga and Middle Tennessee)
-ISU's 17-game home winning streak is tied for the ninth-longest in the nation.
-ISU's six-game road winning streak is tied for fifth-longest in the nation.
Longest ISU Home Winning Streaks in DI Era
1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79: 31 games
1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76: 22 games
1982-83, 1983-84: 19 games
2015-16, 2016-17: 17 games (and counting)
1996-97, 1997-98: 17 games
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 34.3 percent and 57.8 points against Illinois State over the past 13 games, with ISU holding six of its past 13 foes to season-low averages at the time. In MVC games, ISU also ranks first in field-goal percentage defense (35.5 percent) and scoring defense (58.5 points per game).
ROAD WARRIORS
After dropping their first three road games by an average margin of 4.7 points, the Redbirds have won six-straight road contests by an average margin of 15.6 points. ISU's six-game road winning streak is the program's longest in a singles season since winning six-consecutive road games in 1960-61. The Redbirds also won six-consecutive road games stretched across the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Additionally, ISU has won its first five MVC road games for the first time in program history.
PROTECTING THE NEST
Dating back to last season, Illinois State has won 17-straight games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, matching 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 231 career steals and is the NCAA active-career leader. He also is tied for ninth 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 (436), 33rd in points (1,099), second in games started (119), and fourth in minutes played (3,604).
NATIONAL ATTENTION
By receiving two votes in the AP Top 25 Poll release Jan. 30 (Week 13), the Redbirds were recognized in a national poll for the third-consecutive week after earning one vote in last week's (Jan. 23, Week 12) AP Top 25 Poll. Before that, ISU garnered one vote in the USA Today Coaches Poll (Jan. 16, Week 11). Prior to this season, 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 34. ISU's best-ever season-ending RPI was 27 in 1997-98 (the Redbirds were 33 on Selection Sunday that season).
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 45th nationally with 4.9 blocks per game. The Redbirds recorded a program-record 11 blocks in their win over Drake (Jan. 21), as MiKyle McIntosh blocked a career-high five shots. Daouda "David" Ndiaye totalled a career-best six blocks in the win at Evansville (Jan. 29).
TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 52nd nationally with 7.5 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks second in the MVC and 21st nationally with 2.2 steals per contest.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 11-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 15-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 13-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
DEEP DISH
Senior point guard Paris Lee leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 42nd nationally in assists (5.3 assists per game). He has recorded at least three assists in every game this season.
HAWK'S ON A ROLL
Senior forward Deontae Hawkins has recorded double-digit scoring in nine-straight games and 18 of the past 19. Hawkins leads the Redbirds in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg) which ranks sixth and fourth in the MVC, respectively. He has also recorded a team-best four double-doubles. In Illinois State victories, Hawkins is averaging 15.9 points and has reached double-digit scoring in all but one win this season. Conversely, Hawkins is averaging 11.0 points per game in Redbird losses.
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