Redbirds to Open Play in Virgin Islands Against Bearcats

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds open play at the 2019 Paradise Jam with a battle with the Cincinnati Bearcats starting at 4:45 pm CT.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (2-1) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1)
When: Friday, Nov. 22
Tip-Off: 4:45 p.m. (CT)
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Arena: Sports and Fitness Center
TV: FloHoops
    Danny Lee, play-by-play
    Kevin Lehman, analyst
Radio: WJBC (93.7 FM / AM1230) / TuneIn Radio
    Greg Halbleib, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst

QUICK HITTERS

• The game is the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams, as Illinois State won the most recent game, 62-52 during the 2007-08 season.
• While ISU head coach Dan Muller and UC head coach John Brannen have never met on the court as head coaches, Muller holds a 3-0 record in games between the pair as assistant coaches.
• Illinois State scored 51 points from its bench in a narrow loss to UCF, which is the highest reserve total in head coach Dan Muller's tenure with the squad.
• The Redbirds face off against six opponents picked in the top four of their conference pre-season polls, including Belmont (1st), Bowling Green (t-1)/Western Kentucky (1), Northern Kentucky (2), UTSA (2), UIC (3), and Cincinnati (3).
• Illinois State sophomore Dedric Boyd scored 22 points off of the bench against UCF on Nov. 17, which is the fifth-most points by an individual off the bench in Muller's tenure.
• Illinois State head coach Dan Muller is 6-14 all-time against teams currently in the American Athletic Conference. When facing off against teams as members of the AAC, Muller is 3-4 including a two-gme sweep of Tulsa during the 2017-18 season.
• According to the statistical website KenPom.com that predicts home court advantages based off of an algorythm, Redbird Arena is the fifth-toughest place to play in the country with a home court advantage of 4.4.
• Illinois State has won its last seven overtime games, the third-longest such streak in the country behind Marquette (10) and Harvard (8).
• Since Dan Muller has taken over as head coach, Illinois State has the best record within the state of Illinois (141-97).
• Under head coach Dan Muller, Illinois State is 47-27 all-time in games that are within five points at the end of regulation. ISU is 26-9 in such games over the last four seasons.
• Five times in the last six seasons Illinois State has bettered its preseason MVC poll prediction.
• Dan Muller is one of 38 head coaches in NCAA Division I to be coaching at their alma maters, and on that list, he ranks eighth with 140 victories.
• Illinois State is 3-1 all-time on November 17, including a 68-64 win over Northwestern in 2013.
• In each of Illinois State's three games this season, the Redbirds have scored exactly 24 points in the paint.
 

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS

Cincinnati comes into the Paradise Jam with a 2-1 overall record with a season-opening loss to Ohio State and lopsided wins over Drake and Alabama A&M.

In the most recent win, an 85-53 win over Alabama A&M, the Bearcats had four players reach double-figure scoring, led by Chris Vogt who scored 18 points with a game-high 10 rebounds. Tre Scott scored 16 points in the win, while Jaevin Cumberland scored 13.

For the year the Bearcats have four players averaging in double-figure scoring, led by preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Jarron Cumberland, who averages 12.0 points per game. Vogt averages 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Jaevin Cumberland averages 11. Tre Scott leads the team with 31 rebounds over three games, while Chris McNeal has a team-best eight steals.

PRESEASON STRONG

Of Illinois State's 12 non-conference opponents, seven were picked to finish inside of their top four of the conference preseason polls, including Belmont and Bowling Green/Western Kentucky who were each picked to win their conferences. Below is a list of where the ISU opponents were picked to finish this season.

BIG OFF OF THE BENCH

Against UCF, ISU guard Dedric Boyd scored 22 points off of the bench. In current head coach Dan Muller's tenure, only four other times has someone scored more than 22 points in a reserve role. 

TEAMING UP OFF OF THE BENCH

Behind three double-digit scorers off of the bench against UCF, Illinois State's 51 points from non-starters marks the highest such total in head coach Dan Muller's tenure at Illinois State. Below are the top-10 reserve scoring totals in the last eight seasons.

FRIENDLY FOES

While Illinois State head coach Dan Muller and Cincinnati head coach John Brannen have never met on the basketball court as head coaches, the pair have met three times while each was an assistant coach. In those three games, Muller has a perfect 3-0 record, including during the 2010-11, when Vanderbilt (where Muller was an assistant coach) topped Alabama (where Brannen was an assistant coach) 69-59. A year earlier the two teams met to a 81-77 Vanderbilt win. During the 2008-09 season Vanderbilt topped VCU 71-66, where Brannen was an assistant.
 

CALLING JACK BAUER

In each of the three games this season, Illinois State has scored exactly 24 points in the paint. With those three days, all that remains is six more to catch up with nine-year FOX television series starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer.