NORMAL, Ill. – The No. 1-seeded Illinois State men's basketball team tips off National Invitation Tournament (NIT) play by hosting No. 8-seeded UC Irvine Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. The NCAA announced Sunday that the Redbirds were among the "first four out" of the NCAA Tournament field; therefore, ISU was awarded a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. ISU is set to play in its 14th NIT and 21st overall postseason tournament.
ILLINOIS STATE VS. UC IRVINE • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017 • 8:30 P.M.
THE SERIES:
Wednesday's game marks the second meeting between Illinois State and UC Irvine. ISU leads the all-time series, 1-0, with the Redbirds winning the only other meeting with the Anteaters, 58-52, Nov. 25, 2001 at the University Hoops Classic in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The Redbirds are 8-5 versus current members of the Big West Conference.
THE COACHES:
Illinois State: Dan Muller (Illinois State, 1998) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Illinois State. Muller is the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. He is the fourth Redbird head coach to win the prestigious honor.
UC Irvine: Russell Turner (Hampden-Sydney, 1992) is in his seventh season as the head coach at UC Irvine. Turner is the 2017 Big West Conference Coach of the Year. His teams have won three of the past four league titles.
ILLINOIS STATE:
Earned a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with a program-best 17-1 MVC record ... Fell to then No. 21 Wichita State in the MVC Tournament title game ... Set a program record for regular-season wins (25) and overall victories (27) ... Features the fourth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (37.7) ... Features Paris Lee, the MVC Player and Defensive Player of the Year and an All-MVC First Team and All-Tournament selection.
UC IRVINE:
Earned the Big West Conference regular-season title with a 12-4 record ... Fell to second-seeded UC Davis in the Big West Tournament title game ... Has advanced to five-straight postseason tournaments (2013 CIT, 2014 NIT, 2015 NCAA, 2016 CIT and 2017 NIT) ... Features Big West Conference Player of the Year Luke Nelson who leads UC Davis in scoring (16.9 ppg) with six 20-plus point games this season and is UCI's all-time leader with 253 made 3-pointers.
TOP SEED
For the first time in program history, the Illinois State men's basketball team is a No. 1 seed in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The NCAA announced Sunday that the Redbirds were among the "first four out" of the NCAA Tournament field; therefore, ISU was awarded one of four No. 1 seeds in the 32-team NIT bracket, marking the first time the Missouri Valley Conference has had a No. 1 seed since Creighton earned one in 2009. The MVC has seven all-time NIT titles, including five by current members.
LEFT OUT
Illinois State had 26 Division I wins and a Selection Sunday RPI of 33. Only one other team in NCAA history has had 26 Division I wins, an RPI under 40 and also failed to make the NCAA Tournament (Toledo had 26 Division I wins and an RPI of 38 in 2014). Since 1990-91, 1,030 of 1,071 eligible teams with an RPI of 40 or better have made the NCAA Tournament. Illinois State, at 33, was the only Top 40 RPI team excluded this season. In the past 18 years, only 28 eligible teams, including eight from the MVC, have not made the NCAA Tournament with an RPI of 40 or better. In 2006, Missouri State was omitted with an RPI of 21.
A RETURN TO POSTSEASON
Illinois State, which became an NCAA Division I program prior to the 1970-71 season, is enjoying postseason play for the 21st time. The Redbirds have qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1997, 1998), the NIT 14 times (1977, 1978, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017) and the CBI once (2014). ISU is 10-13 all-time in the NIT, with an 8-5 mark in NIT first-round matchups. Head coach Dan Muller is 1-1 in the NIT and 3-2 in the postseason.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
The Redbirds most recently played in the NIT in 2015, with the Redbirds earning a 69-56 first-round victory on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena March 18 versus Green Bay (led by now-Bradley coach Brian Wardle) before falling in the second round, 50-49, at Old Dominion March 23. Four current Redbirds played in ISU's 2015 NIT run: Paris Lee (10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.0 spg), Deontae Hawkins (3.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg), MiKyle McIntosh (2.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Tony Wills (0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg). See NIT stats on Pg. 34.
HISTORIC SEASON
Illinois State's 2016-17 team (27-6, 17-1 MVC) continues to etch its name in the program record book:
-By beating Southern Illinois (March 4), Illinois State added on to the program record for:
-Most single-season wins - Previously 25 (25-3: 1967-68; 25-6: 1997-98; 25-10: 2007-08).
-By beating Northern Iowa (Feb. 25), Illinois State set the program record for:
-Most regular-season wins - Previously 24 (24-4: 1977-78; 24-5: 2016-17).
-Most conference wins - Previously 16 (16-2: 1997-98; 16-1: 2016-17).
CONFERENCE CHAMPS
Illinois State won a share of the 2016-17 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship for the first time since 1998 and the sixth time in program history. The Redbirds, who earned the No. 1 seed in the 2017 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, ultimately fell in the tournament championship game to then-No. 21 Wichita State (March 5). Illinois State and Wichita State finished with identical 17-1 MVC records and split the regular-season series. ISU has made it to the tournament final in five of the past 10 years – more than any other school during the past decade – with ISU going 0-5 in those title games.
RPI REPORT
By earning an RPI of 33 on March 12, the Redbirds matched their program-high for RPI on Selection Sunday. ISU also achieved an RPI of 33 on Selection Sunday in 1998 (automatic bid to NCAA Tournament) and in 2008 (at-large bid to NIT). Following ISU's victory over Wichita State (Jan. 14), the Redbirds' RPI ranking elevated 16 spots from 43 to a season-best 27. ISU's best-ever season-ending RPI was 27 in 1998.
MEASURING IMPROVEMENT
By earning a 27-6 (.818) record so far this season compared to an 18-14 (.563) record in 2015-16, the Redbirds are tied for 15th place on the NCAA Division I most-improved list.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Fifth-year head coach Dan Muller – who clinched his 100th victory as Illinois State's head coach against Southern Illinois (Feb. 22) – is the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year.
-Muller is the sixth coach (out of 19) in program history to win 100 or more games (103-64).
-Muller is the third coach (out of seven) to win 57 or more MVC games (57-33).
-Muller has led Illinois State to a better MVC record and higher conference finish each year as head coach:
2013: 8-10, 6th; 2014: 9-9, T4th; 2015: 11-7, T3rd; 2016: 12-6, T2nd; 2017: 17-1, Tst.
-When Paris Lee and Tony Wills were freshmen in 2013-14, Muller led the least experienced DI team.
FIELD-GOAL DEFENSE
Illinois State's field-goal percentage defense of 37.7 percent ranks fourth 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).
SCORING DEFENSE
Illinois State's scoring defense of 61.0 points allowed per game ranks sixth 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).
LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 36.2 percent shooting and 58.3 points against Illinois State over the past 24 games. The Redbirds have gone 20-3 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 ranked first in field-goal percentage defense (37.0 percent) and scoring defense (57.9 points per game).
PROTECTING THE NEST
The Redbirds finished 15-0 at home to secure their first-ever undefeated regular season at Redbird Arena. Dating back to last season, ISU has won 21-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 currently is the fifth longest in the nation. Prior to 2016-17, ISU's last undefeated home season was in 1977-78.   Â
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Redbirds are 17-0 this season when allowing their opponent to score fewer than 60 points and 25-1 when allowing fewer than 70 points. Offensively, ISU is 15-2 when scoring 70 or more points.
TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the MVC and ranks 58th nationally with 7.2 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks first in the MVC and 40th nationally with 1.9 steals per contest.
DEEP DISH
Senior guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and ranks 49th 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 (76). Lee is shooting 76-for-185 (41.1 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. Lee has recorded at least one 3-pointer in nine-straight games and 12 of the past 13. Additionally, he has reached double-digit scoring in five-straight games and 10 of the past 13 contests.
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 246 career steals and is the NCAA active-career leader. He also ranks sixth in MVC career-steals.
LEAVING HIS MARK
Along with setting the career steals record, senior guard Paris Lee also ranks fourth in ISU career assists (485), 25th in points (1,246), first in games started (130), and third in minutes played (3,935).
DOUBLE DIGIT DEONTAE
Having started all 33 games this season, senior forward Deontae Hawkins has reached double-digit scoring in a team-high 26 contests, including 15 of the past 19. Hawkins has also earned 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 26 victories, Hawkins has averaged a team-best 14.8 points, whereas in ISU's five losses, Hawkins has ranked third on the team with 9.2 points per game.
CAREER STARTER
By starting in the win over Southern Illinois (March 4), senior guard Paris Lee recorded his 129th-career start to become the program record holder. Lee passed head coach Dan Muller who finished his career with 128 starts. Muller started every game of his career, and Lee has started 130 of 133 games played.
PHIL `ER UP
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne (MVC All-Newcomer Team), ranks second in league field goal percentage (58.7 percent) and seventh in rebounding (6.4 per game). Fayne recorded his third double-double with a career-high 15 rebounds plus 11 points versus Southern Illinois (Feb. 22). He has collected 10 or more rebounds seven times and 10 or more points 12 times. Fayne has also thrown down a team-best 31 dunks.
RETURN OF THE MAC
Junior forward MiKyle McIntosh, who ranks third 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 and played 22 minutes with nine points and two rebounds. He has averaged 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game since returning.
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