SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with four regular-season games remaining, the Illinois State men's basketball team (21-5, 13-1 MVC) plays its second-to-last MVC road game of the year when the Redbirds face Missouri State (15-12, 6-8 MVC) Wednesday at 8 p.m. at JQH Arena. In the first meeting, Illinois State defeated the Bears at home in overtime, 74-71, Jan. 4, to mark ISU's slimmest winning margin so far this season.
ILLINOIS STATE AT MISSOURI STATE • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017 • 8 P.M. CT
THE SERIES:
Wednesday's game marks the 70th meeting between Illinois State and Missouri State. ISU leads the all-time series, 40-29, with the Redbirds winning five of the past seven meetings. Versus the Bears, ISU is 11-20 in Springfield, Missouri, and 3-5 at JQH Arena. Head Coach Dan Muller holds a 6-4 record against Missouri State and is 2-3 at MSU.
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.
Missouri State: Paul Lusk (Southern Illinois, 1995) is in his sixth season as the head coach at Missouri State Lusk helped then-junior Dequon Miller earn 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year laurels.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 13-1 MVC record, which matches ISU's best league record through 14 MVC games in program history ... Features the third-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.2) ... Featured MVC Player of the Week Paris Lee (20.0 ppg last week) ... Was picked to finish second in the MVC ... Returns four starters and seven of 11 letterwinners from last year's team (18-14, 12-6 T2nd MVC).
MISSOURI STATE:
Is tied for fifth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 6-8 MVC record ... Was picked to finish fourth in the MVC ... Returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team which finished 13-19 overall and tied for sixth place in the MVC with an 8-10 record ... Junior transfer Alize Johnson continues to lead the MVC with 10.4 rebounds per game, and he ranks 15th nationally in double-doubles (14) and 15th in rebounds per game.
THREE FOR LEE
For the third time this season, senior guard Paris Lee is the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Feb. 13. Lee averaged 20.0 points per game in wins over Drake (Feb. 7) and Bradley (Feb. 11). Lee – who previously won the honor Dec. 5 and Dec. 19 – has earned MVC Player of the Week recognition more than any other player in the league this season. Lee's three MVC Player of the Week honors also mark the most bestowed upon an Illinois State player in one season since Jackie Carmichael was named MVC Player of the Week three times during the 2012-13 campaign.
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.2 percent ranks third nationally and leads the MVC:
-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 61.7 points allowed per game ranks ninth 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.
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 35.0 percent shooting and 58.4 points against Illinois State over the past 17 games, with ISU holding six of its past 17 foes to season-low averages at the time. The Redbirds have gone 15-2 during that stretch. Conversely, during ISU's first seven games, the Redbirds earned a 4-3 record while allowing opponents to shoot 43.0 percent and average 69.1 points per game. In MVC games, ISU ranks first in field-goal percentage defense (36.0 percent) and scoring defense (58.9 points per game).
21 AND COUNTING
With a victory over Bradley (Feb. 11), Illinois State earned its 17th 21-plus win season in program history. The Redbirds also improved to 21-5 for the first time since going 21-5 through their first 26 games in 2008-09. ISU is now aiming for its 15th 22-plus win season in the history of Redbird basketball, and Illinois State is looking to improve to 22-5 through 27 games for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
RECORD WATCH
With four regular-season games remaining, Illinois State (21-5, 13-1 MVC) is approaching some potential milestones based on the following current program records:
-Best conference record in program history: 16-2 (1997-98).
-Most regular-season wins in program history: 24 (24-4: 1977-78).
-Most single-season wins in program history: 25 (25-3: 1967-68; 25-6: 1997-98; 25-10: 2007-08).
-Last time Illinois State went undefeated at home*: 1977-78 (14-0 at home).
*ISU went 11-0 at home during the 1983-84 regular season, but lost at home in the MVC Tournament semifinal to finish the season 12-1 at home (after going 1-1 in MVC Tournament home games).
-Illinois State is currently riding a Redbird Arena-best 19-game home winning streak (back to last season).
NDIAYE ON THE RISE
After missing the first nine games of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot, Daouda "David" Ndiaye has played some of his best basketball as a Redbird over the past few games. In Illinois State's past three contests, Ndiaye has averaged a team-best 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks plus 5.0 points. He most recently recorded a career-high nine rebounds and matched a career-best with nine points on 3-for-3 (100 percent) shooting from the field and a 3-for-4 (75.0 percent) effort at the free throw line in ISU's win over Bradley (Feb. 11). Ndiaye also blocked five shots versus the Braves to mark the third time this season that he has recorded five or more blocks.
FIRST-HALF DEFENSE
In Illinois State's I-74 Rivalry victory over Bradley (Feb. 11), the Redbirds jumped out to a 13-1 lead and held Bradley without a field goal, on 0-for-15 shooting, until the 8:23 mark. Bradley's 15 first-half points were the fewest allowed by Illinois State in a half this season, surpassing the previous low of 17 points, which was also recorded against Bradley (Jan. 18).
NEXT MAN UP
Junior forward MiKyle McIntosh – who ranks second on the team in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg) – has missed five-straight games after undergoing surgery Feb. 1 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, with an average recovery time of three weeks. McIntosh's teammates have since stepped up:
-at Evansville (Jan. 29): DJ Clayton started and went a career-best 7-for-8 at the free throw line.
-vs. Northern Iowa (Feb. 1): Keyshawn Evans started and scored six points in a career-high 31 minutes.
-at Wichita State (Feb. 4): Daouda "David" Ndiaye collected a then career-high eight rebounds.
-at Drake (Feb. 7): Keyshawn Evans started and netted a career-high 16 points.
-vs. Bradley (Feb. 11): Daouda "David" Ndiaye collected a career-high nine rebounds with nine points.
LUCKY SEVEN
Senior forward Deontae Hawkins is the only player who currently ranks amongst the top seven MVC players in scoring (seventh: 14.4 points per game) and rebounding (fourth: 6.9 rebounds per game).
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 14-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 18-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 14-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 58th nationally with 4.6 blocks per game. The Redbirds recorded a program-record 11 blocks in their win over Drake (Jan. 21).
TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the MVC and ranks 51st nationally with 7.5 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks first in the MVC and 23rd nationally with 2.1 steals per contest.
DEEP DISH
Senior guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and ranks 56th nationally in assists (5.0 assists per game). He has recorded at least two assists in every game this season.
LEE FOR THREE!
Senior guard Paris Lee ranks second in the MVC in both three-point field goals per game (2.3) and total three-point field goals made (59). Lee is shooting 59-for-143 (41.3 percent) from beyond the arc this season. His previous season-best was 26-for-71 (36.6 percent) from three-point range as a sophomore.
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 238 career steals and is the NCAA active-career leader. He also ranks ninth in MVC career-steals. Indiana State's Larry Bird (1976-79) and Nate Green (1996-2000) are ahead of Lee, tied for seventh on the MVC list, with 240 career steals.
LEAVING HIS MARK
Along with setting the career steals record, senior guard Paris Lee also ranks sixth in ISU career assists (449), 30th in points (1,161), second in games started (123), and fourth in minutes played (3,691).
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