Redbirds Look to Rebound in Valentines Evening Battle

NORMAL, Ill. - On a Valentine's Day evening, where romance is in the air, there will be no love lost between rivals at Carver Arena on Wednesday night, as Illinois State and Bradley meet for the second time this season in a 7 p.m. tip-off in Peoria, Illinois.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (14-12, 8-6 MVC) vs. Bradley Braves (17-10, 7-7 MVC)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 14
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Peoria, Illinois
Arena: Carver Arena (11,060)
TV: ESPN3
   Brad Wells, play-by-play
   David Kaplan, analyst
Radio: Illinois State Radio Network
    Dick Luedke, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Bradley Sidearm Live Stats

SETTING THE TABLE

•    Illinois State is in a three-way tie for the Learfield Battle for Illinois series. 
•    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 45-23 record over the last 12 games of the regular season, including a 5-3 mark this season.
•    Dan Muller is 30-13 during the month of February during his career as head coach of the Redbirds. 
•    Muller's career MVC-game win percentage is .625, which is tied for the19th-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, and the seventh-most overtime games in the country this season.
•    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.
•    Illinois State has used 12 different lineups in its 26 games this season, which are the ninth-most different lineups in the country this season.
•    Illinois State ranks 14th in the KenPom ranking category "Luck" ratings.
•    Milik Yarbrough ranks fourth in the country in the KenPom statistical category Percentage of Possessions Used.
•    Yarbrough ranks seventh in KenPom's Assist Rate ranking in NCAA Division I.
•    Illinois State has a 118-77 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 has led its opponents for nearly one hour more than it has trailed this season.
•    Illinois State is 19-11 all-time on Valentine's Day

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS

Bradley makes its way to the rivalry series game looking to snap out of a three-game losing skid with losses against Drake, UNI, and Southern Illinois.

In the last game, a 17-point loss to the Salukis, Jayden Hodgson scored a team-high 12 points, making 3-of-5 shots from long range, while Nate Kennell scored 11 off of the bench and Darrell Brown 11 from the starting lineup.

Donte Thomas pulled down 10 rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double, while Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye  dished out a team-high four assists.

On the season the Braves have two players: Brown (13.3) and Thomas (10.9) averaging in double-figures with two others, Kennell (9.3) and Elijah Childs (8.6) just off of the pace.

Thomas leads the team with a rebounding average of 7.0 boards per game, while Childs nabs 6.3 caroms per contest. Brown has dished out 120 assists, nearly twice that of his next teammate. Childs has blocked 37 shots to lead the team, while Thomas has a team-best 27 steals.