Redbirds Look to Extend Win Streak Against Valparaiso

NORMAL, Ill. - After snapping the longest active win streak in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Illinois State Redbirds now look to extend their own win streak - which is now the longest such streak in the conference - against MVC newcomer Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (14-11, 8-5 MVC) vs. Valparaiso Crusaders (12-14, 3-10 MVC)
When: Sunday, Feb. 11
Tip-Off: 3 p.m.
Location: Valparaiso, Indiana
Arena: Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000)
TV: ESPNU
   Mitch Holthus, play-by-play
   Malcolm Huckaby, analyst
Radio: Illinois State Radio Network
    Dick Luedke, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Valparaiso Statbroadcast

SETTING THE TABLE

•    Milik Yarbrough is one of 15 student-athletes in NCAA Division I to rank in the top-10 in his conference in points, rebounds, and assists.
•    During Illinois State head coach Dan Muller's tenure, the Redbirds have a 45-22 record over the last 12 games of the regular season, including a 5-2 mark this season. 
•    Dan Muller is 30-12 during the month of February during his career as head coach of the Redbirds.
•    Muller's career MVC-game win percentage is .627, which is the 18th-highest such percentage in conference history. 
•    Illinois State has played in four overtime games this season(with a 3-1 record in those games), It is the fourth-most overtime games in a season in program history.
•    Illinois State has had 10 different players reach double-figure scoring in a game, which is tied for the 15th-highest total in NCAA Division I this season. 
•    Against Southern Illinois, three Illinois State players (Elijah Clarance, William Tinsley, and Daouda N'Diaye) set new career-highs in points.
•    Illinois State has used 11 different lineups in its 25 games this season, which are the 10th-most different lineups in the country this season.
•    Illinois State ranks 11th in the KenPom ranking category "Luck" ratings.
•    Milik Yarbrough ranks third in the country in the KenPom statistical category Percentage of Possessions Used.
•    Yarbrough ranks sixth in KenPom's Assist Rate ranking in NCAA Division I.
•    Illinois State has a 118-76 record during Dan Muller's tenure, which represents both the most victories, and highest win percentage of all NCAA Division I schools during that same span in the state of Illinois.
•    Illinois State got a season-high 38 bench points against Southern Illinois.
•    Illinois State has led its opponents for one hour and 11 minutes more than it has trailed this season.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS

Valparaiso comes into its home game riding a two-game losing skid, as the team has also dropped seven of its last eight games, with the lone win during the span coming with a 69-63 win over Indiana State.

In the team's last game, a 63-59 loss at Evansville on Wednesday, Bakari Evelyn and Markus Golder each scored 15 points for Valpo, while John Kiser added eight points and a team-high six rebounds. 

Evelyn dished out four of the team's nine assists, while Jaume Sorolla picked up three steals and blocked four shots in 30 minutes of action.

For the season, Tevonn Walker leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game, while Evelyn is second on the team with a 12.2 point per game average.

Evelyn has dished out 77 assists to lead the team, as Max Joseph's 112 rebounds represent the high-water mark on the team. Sorolla leads the team with 21 blocked shots, while Walker (41), Joseph (40), and Evelyn (38) are neck-in-neck for the race for the team steals leader title.