Redbird Men Play for Arch Madness Title against Wichita State Sunday

ST. LOUIS – After sharing the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with identical 17-1 league records, top-seeded Illinois State and second-seeded Wichita State will battle for the State Farm MVC Tournament championship Sunday at 1 p.m. at Scottrade Center. The Redbirds and No. 21 Shockers split their regular-season series, with the home team winning each game, setting up Sunday's rubber match to determine who receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

ILLINOIS STATE VS. No. 21 WICHITA STATE • SUN., MARCH 5 • 1 P.M.

THE SERIES:
Sunday's game marks the 83rd meeting between Illinois State and Wichita State. WSU leads the all-time series, 42-40. The Redbirds have won three of the past five games in the series, including this season's 76-62 victory at Redbird Arena (Jan. 14). At the MVC Tournament versus the Shockers, Illinois State is 6-4 overall and 3-3 in St. Louis.

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.
Wichita State: Gregg Marshall (Randolph Macon, 1985) is in his 10th season as the head coach at Wichita State and his 19th overall. Marshall has led WSU to four-straight MVC titles and five-straight NCAA Tournaments.

ILLINOIS STATE:
Earned a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with a program-best 17-1 MVC record ... Has won eight-straight ... 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 the MVC Larry Bird Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and All-MVC First Team selection, senior Paris Lee (13.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.9 spg).

WICHITA STATE:
Earned a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with a 17-1 record ... Claimed at least a share of the MVC regular-season title for the fourth-straight season and for the fifth time in the past six years ... Has won 13-straight ... Features the fifth-best field-goal percentage defense in the nation (38.1) ... Features All-MVC First Team selections in freshman guard Landry Shamet (MVC Freshman of the Year) and sophomore forward Markis McDuffie.

TOP SEED
Illinois State is the No. 1 seed in the 2017 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for the first time since 1998 and the sixth time in program history. The Redbirds, who shared the league regular-season title with Wichita State, earned the tournament seeding tiebreaker (overall RPI as of Sunday, Feb. 26). The teams finished with identical 17-1 MVC records and split the regular-season series, but ISU earned the higher seed using the league's secondary tiebreaker with an RPI figure of 34, compared to Wichita State's 40. When seeded No. 1, ISU has won three of five possible titles: 1983 - won tournament; 1984 - lost in semifinals; 1993 - lost in championship; 1997 - won tournament; 1998 - won tournament.

LET'S DANCE
After winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship for the first time since 1998, the Redbirds now have their sights set on winning an MVC Tournament title and making the NCAA Tournament also for the first time since 1998. By earning a spot in Sunday's title game, ISU has made it to the tournament final in five of the past 10 years, which is more than any other school during the past decade. Unfortunately for the Redbirds, ISU has gone 0-4 in its last four title games, including two overtime losses. ISU holds the second-longest NCAA drought amongst league members, behind Loyola.

IN THE TITLE GAME
By beating Southern Illinois, 63-50, in the MVC Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon, the Redbirds improved to 12-11 in Valley Tournament semifinal matchups. The Redbirds advanced to the tournament championship game for the 12th time in program history. ISU is 4-7 in MVC Tournament title games.

FACING THE SHOCKERS
Illinois State is 6-4 versus Southern Illinois in the Valley Tournament and 3-3 in St. Louis. The Redbirds and Shockers have never-before met in the MVC Tournament title game. ISU has won two of the past three meetings with Wichita State at the MVC Tournament – 2012 semifinal: W, 65-64; 2013 semifinal: L, 66-51; 2015 semifinal: W, 65-62. In both of Illinois State's most recent Arch Madness victories over Wichita State, the Shockers were the No. 1 seed. ISU and Northern Iowa are the only MVC programs with wins against Wichita State over the past four seasons (both teams have two regular-season and one tournament win).

HISTORIC SEASON
Illinois State's 2016-17 team (27-5, 17-1 MVC) continues to etch its name in the program record book:
-By beating Southern Illinois (March 4), Illinois State added on to 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).

TAKING ON THE TOP 25
With last year's 58-53 win over No. 21 Wichita State (Feb. 6, 2016), ISU beat a Top-25 team for the fourth time in as many seasons – a feat that had never been accomplished by the Redbirds. An Illinois State victory over No. 21 Wichita State Sunday would be historic for the following reasons:
-It would mark the first time that ISU has beaten a Top-25 team in six-consecutive seasons.
-It would mark the first time that an ISU head coach has beaten four Top-25 teams in his first five seasons.

RAINING THREES
By shooting 13-for-29 (44.8 percent) from beyond the arc in Illinois State's win over Southern Illinois (March 4), the Redbirds tied a program record for most makes in an MVC Tournament game. The Redbirds, who recorded 10 or more treys for the 10th time this season, were one short of a season-high 14 3-pointers.

FRESH LEGS
Illinois State's starters have averaged 23.0 minutes per game through ISU's first two Arch Madness contests compared to 26.4 minutes per game averaged throughout the entire season.

BLOCK PARTY
Illinois State set a program and MVC Tournament record by teaming up to record 14 blocks in ISU's win over Evansville (March 3), passing the previous program and tournament record of 11. For the first time in ISU history, three players (Phil Fayne, Deontae Hawkins, Daouda "David" Ndiaye) each blocked four shots to help the Redbirds surpass their previous single-game blocks record (11) achieved in their win over Drake (Jan. 21). Illinois State's 14 blocks also tied for ninth-most by a team nationally this season. ISU leads the MVC and ranks 40th nationally with 4.8 blocks per game.

MULLER JOINS 100-CLUB
With ISU's win over Southern Illinois (Feb. 22), fifth-year head coach Dan Muller clinched his 100th victory as Illinois State's head coach.
-Muller is the sixth coach (out of 19) in program history to win 100 or more games (103-63).
-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.
-As a second-year head coach, when Paris Lee and Tony Wills were freshmen in 2013-14, Muller was in charge of leading the least experienced team in the nation with 2.5 years of returning experience.             

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), with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament in three of those five years.

SCORING DEFENSE
Illinois State's scoring defense of 60.7 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), with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament in two of those five years.

LOCKING DOWN
Opponents have averaged 36.1 percent shooting and 57.7 points against Illinois State over the past 23 games. The Redbirds have gone 20-2 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 regular season MVC games, ISU ranked first in field-goal percentage defense (37.0 percent) and scoring defense (57.9 points per game).

MR. CONSISTENT
Having started all 32 games this season, senior forward Deontae Hawkins has reached double-digit scoring in a team-high 26 contests, including 15 of the past 18. He has led the Redbirds in scoring 10 times and in rebounding nine times. 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 10.0 points per game.

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.

CAREER STARTER
By starting in Saturday's win over Southern Illinois (March 4), senior guard Paris Lee recorded his 129th-career start to establish the program record. Lee passed head coach Dan Muller who finished his career with 128 starts. Muller started every game of his career, and Lee has started 129 of 132 games played.

TAKING THE ROCK
ISU leads the MVC and ranks 51st nationally with 7.3 steals per game. Senior guard Paris Lee ranks first in the MVC and 30th nationally with 1.9 steals per contest.

DEEP DISH
Senior guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and ranks 50th nationally in assists (5.1 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 (74). Lee is shooting 74-for-176 (42.0 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 245 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 (483), 25th in points (1,228), first in games started (129), and third in minutes played (3,900).

PHIL `ER UP
Sophomore forward Phil Fayne (MVC All-Newcomer Team), ranks second in league field goal percentage (58.9 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).

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 9.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game since returning.

RACKING UP THE HARDWARE
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.

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