Redbirds Take to Road for First Time in 2018-19

NORMAL, Ill. - After an eight-point season-opening win at home, the Illinois State Redbirds take to the road for the first time in 2018-19, as the squad makes a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, to take on the Belmont Bruins, the preseason favorite of the Ohio Valley Conference.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (1-0) vs. Belmont Bruins (0-0)
When: Saturday, Nov. 10
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Arena: Curb Events Center (5,085)
TV: ESPN3
   Kevin Ingram, play-by-play
   Greg Sage, analyst
   Paris Lawson, sideline
Radio: Illinois State Radio Network / TuneIn Radio
    Greg Halbleib, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Belmont 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.
•    With the team's win over Florida Gulf Coast, ISU head coach Dan Muller moved into 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.
•    The game is a homecoming of sorts for Illinois State head coach Dan Muller, as he spent 12 seasons in Nashville as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt.
•    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.
•    The Illinois State trio of Milik Yarbrough, Keyshawn Evans, and Phil Fayne were one of just four schools in NCAA Division I basketball with three student-athletes that average at least 15 points per game.
•    Illinois State is one of three schools in the country to have two assistant coaches who had won National Titles as student-athletes, joining Duke and Washington.
•    ISU's 123-80 record over the last six years is the best record in the state of Illinois during that span.

SCOUTING THE BRUINS

Belmont, the preseason favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference, opens its season on Saturday against Illinois State.

Last season the Bruins went 24-9, falling in the championship game of the OVC Tournament to Murray State. The team went 14-2 at home during the season.

Back for the 2018-19 OVC preseason favorite is 6-8 guard/forward Dylan Windler, who led the team by averaging 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds last season, as his 31 blocks and 34 steals were and were tied for the best on the squad.

Also returning for Belmont is Kevin McClain, a 6-3 senior guard, that averaged 12.6 points last season, and Nick Hopkins, a 6-0 sophomore guard that averaged 7.4 points during his initial season in Nashville. 

Belmont is led by legendary head coach Rick Byrd, who is in his 33rd year at Belmont, and 38th year as a head coach. He is 686-340 at Belmont, and 778-395 over his career. 

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.

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

SHOOTING STRONG

Of the players that have missed at least one three-point basket, ISU newcomer Josh Jefferson's 5-for-6 outing in the season-opener is the second-best such field goal percentage with a miss. There are 11 players who have at least three attempts and no misses, while Jefferson is in a five-way tie for 13th in the country. Additionally, his five three-point makes ranks 16th in the country. 

BACK IN THE MUSIC CITY

The game against Belmont is a homecoming of sorts for ISU head coach Dan Muller, as the Redbird leader spent 12 seasons as an assistant with Vanderbilt under former Illinois State head coach Kevin Stallings, including the last six as the Commodores recruiting coordinator.