DES MOINES, Iowa – The Illinois State men's basketball team wraps up a stretch of four games in 10 days – in four different cities – when the Redbirds (19-5, 11-1 MVC) face Drake (7-17, 5-7) at the Knapp Center Tuesday at 7 p.m. ISU is aiming to bounce back after its 12-game winning streak was snapped Saturday at Wichita State. ISU and WSU are tied for first in the MVC.
ILLINOIS STATE AT DRAKE • TUESDAY, FEB. 7, 2017 • 7 P.M. CT
THE SERIES:
Tuesday's game marks the 86th meeting between Illinois State and Drake. ISU leads the all-time series, 56-29, with the Redbirds winning eight-straight games and nine of the past 10, which marks ISU's longest active winning streak against an MVC foe. Versus the Bulldogs, ISU is 18-19 in Des Moines, Iowa and 12-12 at the Knapp Center. ISU has won four-straight games at Drake. Head Coach Dan Muller is 8-1 versus DU and 4-0 in Des Moines, 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.
Drake: Jeff Rutter (Winona State, 1988) is in his first season as the head coach at Drake. On Dec. 6, 2016, Rutter assumed head coaching duties at Drake after three-and-a-half years as an assistant coach.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Is tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with an 11-1 MVC record, which matches ISU's best league record through 12 games in program history ... Features the sixth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.9) ... Has won a Redbird Arena-record 18-straight games at home ... 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).
DRAKE:
Is alone in seventh place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings (5-7) ... Was picked to finish 10th in the MVC ... Returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team (7-24, 2-16 10th MVC) ... Started the season with a 1-10 record but has gone 6-7 in its past 13 games ... Is led offensively by junior guard Reed Timmer – a preseason All-MVC Second Team selection – who ranks third in the MVC in scoring by averaging 16.0 points per game.
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.9 percent ranks sixth 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 62.6 points allowed per game ranks 14th 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.
FAST START
By winning their first 11 MVC games of the season before suffering a loss in game 12, 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.
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 35.6 percent shooting and 59.3 points against Illinois State over the past 15 games, with ISU holding six of its past 15 foes to season-low averages at the time. The Redbirds have gone 13-2 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 (37.0 percent) and scoring defense (60.2 points per game).
PHIL-ING UP THE STAT SHEET
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne has averaged a team-best 15.3 points per game plus 6.5 rebounds in Illinois State's past four games, and he led the Redbirds in scoring in three of those four contests. Fayne, who ranks fourth on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), was the MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 30.
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 three-straight games. He had surgery Feb. 1 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The average recovery time is three weeks. DJ Clayton started in place of McIntosh at Evansville (Jan. 29) and went a career-best 7-for-8 at the free throw line. Keyshawn Evans then filled the starting roll versus Northern Iowa (Feb. 1) and scored six points in a career-high 31 minutes. At Wichita State (Feb. 4), Daouda "David" Ndiaye played a season-high 21 minutes with a career-high eight rebounds.
19 AND COUNTING
With a victory over Northern Iowa (Feb. 1), Illinois State earned its 19th win of the season to mark the 16th time in 36 seasons that the Redbirds have recorded 19 or more victories. The Redbirds have already surpassed their win total from three of the past four seasons. Their 19-5 record is ISU's best through the first 24 games since also starting the 2008-09 season with a 19-5 record. The Redbirds are now aiming to improve to 20-5 for the first time since also starting the 2008-09 season with a 20-5 record. Additionally, Illinois State is trying to secure its 24th 20-plus win season in program history.
BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 62nd nationally with 4.6 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 64th nationally with 7.3 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks first in the MVC and 27th nationally with 2.1 steals per contest.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 12-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 16-1 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 48th nationally in assists (5.2 assists per game). He has recorded at least three assists in every game this season.
SEASON STREAKS
Prior to dropping their first MVC game of the season Feb. 4 at Wichita State, the Redbirds achieved some significant winning streaks:
-Won a program-best 11-straight MVC games (surpassed the previous program-best nine-game MVC winning streak achieved to begin the 1982-83 season).
-Won 12-straight overall (longest winning streak since starting 2008-09 with a 14-game winning streak).-Won six-straight on the road (longest road winning streak in a single season during ISU's Division I era and the longest road winning streak in a single season since also winning six-straight in 1960-61).
PROTECTING THE NEST
Dating back to last season, Illinois State has won 18-straight games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena 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 fourth-longest during the Division I era and is currently tied for sixth-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
1982-83, 1983-84: 19 games
2015-16, 2016-17: 18 games (and counting)
1996-97, 1997-98: 17 games
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 234 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 (444), 33rd in points (1,121), second in games started (121), and fourth in minutes played (3,663).
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. 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 33. ISU's best-ever season-ending RPI was 27 in 1997-98 (the Redbirds were 33 on Selection Sunday that season).
PLAYING THE FIELD
By beating Northern Iowa (Feb. 1), Illinois State secured its fifth win over a 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifier. Before that, ISU beat tournament qualifiers Saint Joseph's (Dec. 18), Hawai'i (Dec. 22), Tulsa (Dec. 25) and Wichita State (Jan. 14). The Redbirds are 5-2 against the 2016 NCAA Tournament field, with losses at Tulsa (Dec. 7) and Wichita State (Feb. 4). ISU can improve its mark when facing UNI once more.
COMING BACK
Illinois State came back from a nine-point deficit in its win over Drake (Jan. 21) to mark the Redbirds' largest deficit overcome in a victory this season. ISU has come back from seven-point deficits to win three times this season. Illinois State has held the halftime lead in 19 of its 24 games.
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