Illinois State Hosts Ole Miss on Social Media Night

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds will look to shrug off a two-game losing skid on Saturday afternoon, as the squad plays host to the Ole Miss Rebels in "Social Media Night" at Redbird Arena.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (6-4) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2)
When: Saturday, Dec. 8
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Normal, Illinois
Arena: Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
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

•    ISU junior Josh Jefferson has made at least three three-point field goals in each of his last six games, which is tied for the longest-such streak since the 1992-93 season.
•    Illinois State head coach Dan Muller was recently named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team.
•    This ISU senior group has a chance to go down in school history for wins in a four-year period. The group is currently 70-40, and the four-year win record is 91-37 from the 1997-98 season - current head coach Dan Muller's senior season. 
•    Illinois State senior Milik Yarbrough ranks third in the MVC in scoring, first in rebounding, and fifth in assists — making him one of six student-athletes in the country to rank inside of his conference's top five in all three categories. 
•    The Redbirds are 80-21 at home during head coach Dan Muller's tenure with ISU, including a 4-1 mark this season. 
•    ISU senior Yarbrough has been named as one of 50 on the mid-season watch list for the Lou Henson Award — presented annually to the nation's top mid-major player.
•    Keyshawn Evans ranks ninth in school history in career three-pointers made, and seventh in career three-pointers attempted. 
•    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. 
•    Illinois State is 10-3 all-time against the 14 schools that currently comprise the SEC, including a 3-2 mark under current head coach Dan Muller. 
•    Milik Yarbrough's season averages of 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists have him as one of 11 student-athletes since 1992-93 to average those numbers. 
•    Illinois State's 128-84 record over the last seven years gives the Redbirds the top record in the state of Illinois during that span. 
•    Over the last five seasons Illinois State has out-performed its MVC preseason coaches poll prediction. 
•    Illinois State head coach Dan Muller ranks ninth in NCAA Division I in coaching wins among coaches at are currently at their alma maters. 

SCOUTING THE REBELS

Ole Miss enters the return game of the home-and-home series with a 5-2 overall record, including most recently an 83-60 win over Louisiana-Monroe. 

Against ULM, Breein Tyree scored 20 points, including making 4-of-9 from long range, while Blake Hinson scored 17 and Terence Davis 15 points. Davis pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while the Rebels out-rebounded ULM 41-to-24. Devontae Shuler dished out a game-high six assists for Ole Miss.

Three players average in double-figure scoring for the Rebels - who are 0-1 on the road this year with a loss at Butler - as Tyree leads the squad at 17.9 points per game. Davis averages 14.7 points, while Shuler puts up an even 10 points per contest. Hinson and Bruce Stevens are just off of the pace, averaging 9.1 and 9.0 points per game, each.

Four players: KJ Buffen (5.3), Davis (4.9), Devontae Shuler (4.6), and Stevens (4.4) average over four rebounds per contest, while Davis has dished out a team-best 26 assists.

MULTIPLE MANY THREES

Starting with the team's win against Akron on Nov. 20 in the Cayman Islands, ISU's Josh Jefferson has made at least three three-point baskets in each of his last six games. That is tied for the longest-such stretch for ISU since the 1992-93 season. He is tried with Trey Guidry, who also accomplished the feat in six consecutive games during the 2003-04 season. 

SILVER ANNIVERSARY TEAM

Illinois State head coach Dan Muller was recently named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team. The team includes 10 members named to the 1994 Indiana All-Star squad. Eight other all-state players are included to recognize the top of Indiana's High School class of 1994.

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

ALL-TIME SERIES WITH OLE MISS

Illinois State and Ole Miss have faced off four times in each program's history, and the Redbirds have a perfect 4-0 record against the Rebels. The teams opened the series with a 76-72 ISU win at Horton Fieldhouse during the 1978-79 season, and most recently won in overtime in Oxford last season.