NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds kicked off their 2018-19 season on Tuesday morning with the first official practice of the season. The two-hour workout on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena is the first stage of a preseason that culminates with the regular season opener on Nov. 6 when the team hosts Florida Gulf Coast.
The Redbirds come into the 2018-19 season with high expectations, returning four starters and nearly 90 percent of its scoring from an injury-plagued season the year before, a season that saw ISU finish as the MVC Tournament runner-up.
The Redbirds saw eight different student-athletes start a game during the 2017-18 season, and of those, six return for this season. Of the players that started at least seven games includes MVC Newcomer of the Year Milik Yarbrough, who led ISU and finished fifth in the MVC in scoring (16.6 ppg), led the conference in assists (152), and finished second on the team and fifth in the MVC in rebounds per game. He was one of just a handful of players across the country to rank inside of the top-five in all three statistical categories in their conferences.
Also returning is senior forward Phil Fayne, who averaged 15.6 points per game last season while leading the team with 216 rebounds and 35 steals. Leading the returning guards is Keyshawn Evans, who averaged 15.2 points last season, while finishing second on the team and sixth in the conference with 107 assists. Evans also made three three-point field goals per game, second-most in the league, while converting on 42 percent of his tries.
William Tinsley, a 6-6 guard, also returns after averaging 6.0 points, and was the only player on the squad to have played in all 33 of the team's games during the year. He also pulled down 178 rebounds – third-best in the conference – and led the team with 35 blocked shots – seventh-best in the conference.
Also returning for ISU is 6-8 sophomore forward Taylor Bruninga (4.9 ppg), 6-3 junior guard Matt Hein (4.0 ppg), and 6-5 sophomore guard Isaac Gassman (3.8 ppg).
New to the squad for 2018-19 includes a pair of guards in Zach Copeland and Josh Jefferson. Two seasons ago, Copeland was named the City College of San Francisco Player of the Year averaging 18.7 points per game, including making 47.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (103-of-216). Jefferson, who played at Lake Land College, averaged 22.8 points in 2017-18, and made 44.8 percent (77-of-172) of his shots from beyond the arc. Matt Chastain, a 6-6 wing, becomes eligible after his transfer from Loyola Chicago, and new to the frontcourt is 6-9, 240-pound freshman Rey Idowu, who averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds for Holy Trinity High School.
Season tickets are on sale now at GoRedbirds.com/tickets, or by calling the Redbird ticket office at 309-438-8000.
Single-game tickets for both men's and women's basketball are set to go on sale to Weisbecker Scholarship Fund donors starting on Monday, Oct. 15, and to the public on Thursday, Oct. 18.
Single-game lower-bowl tickets will start at $15 and will raise to $30 for select games, while upper-bowl adult tickets will range from $10-$18. Youth upper-bowl tickets will also be affordably priced, ranging from $6-$12 based on the game.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos, and more.
