NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds host their second of two exhibitions - the first time since 2003-04 that ISU has hosted two exhibitions in the same season - as the Augustana Vikings come to town for a noon tip-off on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (0-0) vs. Augustana Vikings (0-0)
When: Saturday, Nov. 3
Tip-Off: noon
Location: Normal, Illinois
Arena: Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena (10,200)
Radio: WZND-FM
  Hector Carrion, Isaac Missel
Live Stats: Illinois State Statbroadcast
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Augustana comes into their second exhibition game of the season following a 71-51 victory over St. Ambrose on Sunday, Oct. 28. In that game, Joe Kellen scored 16 points off of the bench, while Nolan Ebel and Chrishawn Orange each scored 13 and Pierson Wofford 10. Carson Frakes pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while Micah Martin had six blocked shots in 20 minutes of action. Two players - Ebel and Jack Jelen each dished out three assists to lead the team.
The Vikings come into the 2018-19 season with strong expectations, as they were picked No. 3 in the D3Hoops.com National preseason poll, earning a first-place vote in the process. Ebel, a 6-1 guard from Denver, Colorado, was named a third team preseason All-American. Last season he averaged 16.4 points while dishing out 117 assists in 31 total games, and making 47 percent (55-of-117) of his three-point tries. Also back for Augustana that averaged double-figure scoring in 2017-18 is Orange, who averaged 15.6 points, and Brent Benning who put up 10.7 per game.
Martin had a team-high 52 blocked shots last year, as Benning picked up 26 steals.
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS
Illinois State is fresh off of an 80-58 victory over the Lewis Flyers, in which the Redbirds made 49.1 percent of their shots from the field. Phil Fayne had a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double, while adding three assists. Josh Jefferson, is his ISU debut, scored 15 points, while Zach Copeland - also playing in his first game in a Redbird uniform - scored 11 points with two steals. Freshman Rey Idowu scored eight points with eight rebounds, while Matt Hein had six assists to go with his six points.
The Redbirds return 88.6 percent of its scoring from last season, including three players - Fayne, Keyshawn Evans, and Milik Yarbrough - who each averaged over 15 points per game. Yarbrough led the team with a 16.6 point per game average, with Fayne (15.6) and Evans (15.2) falling in second and third on the team, while also marking the fifth and sixth spots in the MVC. Fayne led the team with 7.4 rebounds per game, while Yarbrough added 6.6 to go with his MVC-leading 4.8 assists per game average. William Tinsley returns after blocking a team-best 35 shots, and Fayne led the team with 35 steals in 29 games played.
