Redbirds Return Home Against Cougars

NORMAL, Ill. - Coming off of a loss at Belmont on Saturday evening, the Illinois State Redbirds return to action on Tuesday evening, as the squad plays host to the Chicago State Cougars in the first game of the Cayman Islands Classic.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (1-1) vs. Chicago State (0-3)
When: Tuesday, Nov. 13
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Normal, Ill.
Arena: Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena (10,200)
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
   Kurt Pegler, play-by-play
   Bob Morris, analyst
Radio: Illinois State Radio Network / TuneIn Radio
    Dick Luedke, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Illinois State StatBroadcast

SETTING THE TABLE

•    Illinois State has six games this season being played on Tuesday, which is the second-highest such total in program history. Only the 1936-37 team's seven games on Tuesday is higher.
•    ISU head coach Dan Muller is in a tie for fourth place in the school's coaching history books in career wins with Kevin Stallings. He moved into a tie with his former coach during both his playing career, and while he was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt.
•    Chicago State head coach Lance Irvin was an assistant coach with Illinois State during the 2002-03 season.
•    ISU's 123-81 record over the last six years is the best record in the state of Illinois during that span.
•    Illinois State is 27-6 all-time against the nine teams currently in the Western Athletic Conference.
•    Of Illinois State's 10 known non-conference opponents, six were picked to finish inside of the top three in their conference's preseason polls. 
•    Dan Muller's 123 victories are the ninth most among active head coaches who are currently coaching at their alma maters.
•    Milik Yarbrough and Phil Fayne were each named to the MVC preseason first team, while Keyshawn Evans was named to the second team.
•    Last season, Yarbrough became the 16th student-athlete in program history to be named to the All-Missouri Valley First Team.
•    Last season Illinois State had five players that have scored at least 20 points in a game this season. There were just nine other programs in the country with more individual 20+ point scorers last season.
•    Yarbrough was one of just three student-athletes in NCAA Division I basketball to rank inside of his conference's top five in points, rebounds, and assists, and one of two that return for 2018-19.
•    Yarbrough was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week five times last season, which is tied for the fifth-most Newcomer of the Week Awards in a single season in Conference history.
•    Illinois State played in five overtime games last season (with a 4-1 record in those games). That is the third-largest total of overtime games in a season in program history.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS

Chicago State enters the Tuesday evening game with an 0-3 record after falling at Indiana, Notre Dame, and Central Michigan. In all the Cougars start the season with eight consecutive road games, before hosting East-West on Nov. 29 for the first home game of the season.

In the team's last game, a 101-60 loss at Central Michigan, the team was led by Christian Jacob, who scored 19 points with 13 rebounds, while Anthony Harris scored 15 points. Rob Shaw added nine to go with a blocked shot.

Harris averages a team-best 14.0 points per game, including making 3-of-8 shots from long range and 19-of-24 from the charity stripe. Christian Jacob, a 6-8 forward averages 11 points and 8.7 rebounds per game - including 10 rebounds on the offensive end. 

Shaw has dished out 11 of the team's 28 assists to pace the squad, while Patrick Szpir has half of the team's four blocked shots.

PAIR OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Illinois State is one of three schools in the country (along with Duke and Washington) to have multiple coaches on its staff to have won national titles as student-athletes. Both Brian Reese (North Carolina, 1993) and Chris Duhon (Duke, 2001) played in their respective seasons' National Championship games.

FAMILIAR FACE WITH CHICAGO STATE

When Chicago State comes to Redbird Arena on Tuesday evening, it will be a reunion of sorts, as current Cougar head coach Lance Irvin was an assistant coach with Illinois State during the 2002-03 season, under then-head coach Tom Richardson. 

GOING UP ON A TUESDAY

This season Illinois State has six games that are played on Tuesdays, the second-most Tuesday games in a season in program history. The record for Tuesday games in a season came during the 1936-37 season, where the team played in seven Tuesday games. Below are the top-five most Tuesday games in a season in school history
Tuesday games

 

COACHING UP THE RECORD BOOKS

Illinois State head coach Dan Muller has a 123-81 record in his seventh season with the program. That win total is tied for the fourth-highest career win total in program history.  With the next win, he will move into sole possession of fourth place, ahead of his former head coach from his time as a student-athlete and as an assistant coach.