NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State's four senior men's basketball players – Paris Lee, Tony Wills, Deontae Hawkins and Javaka Thompson – along with ISU's three senior managers – Keith Blomberg, Joel Kussmann and Dan Ryan – will be honored during Senior Night, at approximately 5:45 p.m., before the Redbirds host Southern Illinois Wednesday at 6 p.m. In ISU's home finale, the Redbirds are aiming to wrap up their first-ever undefeated season at Redbird Arena.
ILLINOIS STATE VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22, 2017 • 6 P.M.
THE SERIES:
Wednesday's game marks the 151st meeting between Illinois State and Southern Illinois. The Salukis lead the all-time series, 78-72; however, the Redbirds have won seven of the past 10 matchups. Versus Southern Illinois, Illinois State is 48-22 in Normal, Illinois, and 17-12 at Redbird Arena. ISU has won nine-straight games against the Salukis at home.
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.
Southern Illinois: Barry Hinson (Oklahoma State, 1983) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Southern Illinois. Hinson, who also coached at Missouri State, is the MVC's winningest active coach with 282 overall victories.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 15-1 MVC record, which is ISU's best-ever league record through 16 MVC games ... Features the fifth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.7) ... Features reigning MVC Player of the Week Deontae Hawkins (17.5 ppg last week) ... Was picked to finish second in the MVC ... Returns four starters and seven of 11 letter winners from last year's team (18-14, 12-6 T2nd MVC).
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS:
Is fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with an 8-8 MVC record ... Was picked to finish fifth (out of 10 teams) in the league ... Returns three starters and eight letter winners from last year's team which finished 22-10 overall and tied for fourth place in the MVC with an 11-7 record ... Senior forward Sean O'Brien was named to the Preseason All-MVC Second Team and is now averaging 12.3 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game.
CHASING A TITLE
Illinois State enters the final week of the 2016-17 regular season – 15-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference – tied with Wichita State for first place in the MVC standings. The Redbirds are aiming to win at least a share of the MVC regular-season championship for the sixth time in program history and the first time since the 1997-98 season. Since 1997-98, Illinois State, Bradley and Loyola Chicago (joined the league in 2013-14) are the only current MVC teams to have not won a regular-season title during that stretch.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Illinois State's four senior players and three senior managers will celebrate Senior Night during Wednesday's game against Southern Illinois. A brief bio for each follows:
-Managers: Keith Blomberg (three seasons); Joel Kussmann (four seasons); Dan Ryan (three seasons).
-Javaka Thompson: Two-year letter winner. Walk-on who first practiced with the team and was added to the roster last season. Appeared in 18-career games, including 12 this season.
-Deontae Hawkins: Three-year letter winner. Played in 85 games with 77 starts. Currently leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds averaged per contest this season.
-Tony Wills: Four-year letter winner. Played in 125 games with 64 starts. Averaging a career-best 6.0 points plus 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals. Has scored in double-figures four times this season.
-Paris Lee: Four-year letter-winner. Played in 128 games with 125 starts. Is the NCAA's active career-steals leader, with an ISU program-record 242 steals. Also ranks sixth in ISU career-assists with 464.
PROTECTING THE NEST
The Redbirds are 14-0 at home this season, and with one regular-season home game remaining, Illinois State is aiming for its first-ever undefeated season at Redbird Arena. Dating back to last season, ISU has won 20-straight games to set an arena record and pass the previous mark of 17-straight games won at Redbird Arena between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. ISU's last home-court loss occurred Jan. 15, 2016 to Evansville (L, 66-55). The home-court winning streak ranks as the program's third-longest during the Division I era and is currently tied for fourth-longest in the nation. Illinois State's last undefeated home season was in 1977-78, in Horton Field House.
Longest ISU Home Winning Streaks in DI Era
1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79: 31 games
1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76: 22 games
2015-16, 2016-17: 20 games (and counting)
1982-83, 1983-84: 19 games
1996-97, 1997-98: 17 games
23 AND COUNTING
With a victory against Loyola Chicago (Feb. 19), Illinois State earned its 10th 23-plus win season in program history. The Redbirds also improved to 23-5 through their first 28 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season. ISU is now aiming for its ninth 24-plus win season in the history of Redbird basketball, and Illinois State is looking to improve to 24-5 through 29 games for the first time since 1997-98.
15-1
Illinois State's 15-1 Missouri Valley Conference record is ISU's best league mark through 16 MVC games in program history. The Redbirds are now aiming to improve to 16-1 in the MVC for the first time ever. Since joining the MVC in 1981-82, Illinois State has earned 15 or more total conference victories just once, in 1997-98: 16-2 (1st). That season, the Redbirds also won the MVC Tournament and went 1-1 in the NCAAs.
100-CLUB
With ISU's next win, fifth-year head coach Dan Muller will clinch his 100th victory as Illinois State's head coach. Muller is aiming to become the sixth ISU head coach – out of 19 – to win 100 or more games. He enters Wednesday's contest with a 99-63 record.
HAWK LANDS MVC HONOR
For a program-best fifth time this season, and for the second-straight week, a Redbird is the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, as senior forward Deontae Hawkins earned league recognition Feb. 20. Hawkins averaged a team-best 17.5 points per game – on a team-high 15-for-23 (65.2 percent) shooting effort from the field – with 7.0 rebounds per contest to lead Illinois State in two more Missouri Valley Conference victories last week. Hawkins shot 3-for-7 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc. The honor was the first of the season for Hawkins and the second of his career (previously earned Feb. 8, 2016). The Dayton, Ohio, native is one of three Redbirds to have earned the honor this season: Paris Lee (Dec. 5, Dec. 19, Feb. 13); MiKyle McIntosh (Jan. 16). Illinois State's five MVC Player of the Week awards this season marks the most in program history, with ISU previously earning four in 2000-01 and 2012-13.
RECORD WATCH
With two regular-season games remaining, Illinois State (23-5, 15-1 MVC) is approaching some potential milestones.
-With ONE more victory, ISU will match:
---Most regular-season wins in program history: 24 (24-4: 1977-78).
---Best conference record in program history: 16-2 (1997-98).
---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 20-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
-With TWO more victories, ISU will match:
---Most single-season wins in program history: 25 (25-3: 1967-68; 25-6: 1997-98; 25-10: 2007-08).
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.7 percent ranks fifth nationally and second in 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 61.9 points allowed per game ranks 10th 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 35.8 percent shooting and 59.0 points against Illinois State over the past 19 games, with ISU holding six of its past 19 foes to season-low averages at the time. The Redbirds have gone 17-2 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 (36.7 percent) and scoring defense (59.4 points per game).
LUCKY SEVEN
Senior forward Deontae Hawkins is the only player who currently ranks amongst the top seven MVC players in both scoring (seventh: 14.6 points per game) and rebounding (fourth: 6.9 rebounds per game).
MR. CONSISTENT
Having started all 28 games this season, senior forward Deontae Hawkins has reached double-digit scoring in a team-high 25 contests, including four-straight and 14 of the past 15. He has led the Redbirds in scoring and rebounding nine times, and Hawkins has recorded a team-high five double-doubles which is the most by a Redbird since Jackie Carmichael recorded 15 double-doubles during the 2012-13 season. In Illinois State's 23 victories, Hawkins has averaged a team-best 15.7 points, whereas in ISU's five losses, Hawkins has ranked third on the team with 10.0 points per game.
RETURN OF THE MAC
Junior forward MiKyle McIntosh, who ranks second in Illinois State scoring and rebounding, underwent surgery Feb. 1 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and missed five-straight games, with ISU going 4-1 during the stretch. At Missouri State (Feb. 15), McIntosh returned to action and played 22 minutes with nine points, two rebounds and one assist. He also played against Loyola Chicago (Feb. 19), and scored 13 points with five rebounds in 23 minutes.
NEXT MAN UP
Junior forward MiKyle McIntosh underwent surgery Feb. 1 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and missed five-straight games. While McIntosh recovered, his teammates 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.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 14-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 20-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 14-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
PHIL `ER UP
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne (who earned MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 30), ranks second in the MVC in field goal percentage (60.2 percent) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (2.4 per game).
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 54th 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 58th nationally with 7.3 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 46th nationally in assists (5.2 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 (65). Lee is shooting 65-for-156 (41.7 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.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
