Redbirds Look to Continue Win Streak on Tuesday

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds will look to extend their current three-game win streak on Tuesday night when the team plays host to the Valparaiso Crusaders.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (14-9, 7-3 MVC) vs. Valparaiso Crusaders (12-11, 5-5 MVC)
When: Tuesday, Feb. 5
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Normal, Illinois
Arena: Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
TV: ESPN+
    Kurt Pegler, play-by-play
    Bob Morris, analyst
Radio: WJBC (AM 1230 / FM 93.7) / TuneIn Radio
    Dick Luedke, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Illinois State Live Stats 

SETTING THE TABLE

•    In two of the last three meetings between the two teams, the game has produced an ESPN Top-10 Highlight, including last season's dunk by Madison Williams that ended as the No. 3 highlight of the day.
•    Illinois State is 5-0 this season on Tuesdays. 
•    Illinois State is 12-0 this season when going into halftime with a lead.
•    The Illinois State pairs of Milik Yarbrough and Phil Fayne (points and rebounds) and Yarbrough and Zach Copeland (assists) rank among the top two pairs in the MVC for their respective stat categories.
•    On his current pace, Milik Yarbrough will just the third Illinois State student-athlete to lead the MVC in scoring.
•    Phil Fayne has 31 blocked shots and 22 steals this season. He is one of 14 student-athletes in the country to have reached the 20-steal and 20-block plateau in each of the last three seasons.
•    Illinois State's 136-89 record during Dan Muller's tenure is the top record in the state of Illinois during that span.
•    Dan Muller's 136 wins are the ninth-most among coaches who are currently at their alma maters. 
•    Over head coach Dan Muller's tenure, Illinois State is 50-26 over the final 12 regular season games of each season. 
•    Illinois State is 86-22 at Redbird Arena over the last seven years. 
•    Phil Fayne's career field goal percentage of .576 ranks as the 43rd-best career percentage among active players. 
•    Milik Yarbrough is one of six student-athletes to rank inside of the the top-five of his conference in points, rebounds, and assists.
•    Four current Redbirds have double-digit scoring averages over their careers against Valparaiso (Zach Copeland, 21.0; Phil Fayne, 19.0; Milik Yarbrough, 11.0; Keyshawn Evans, 10.5)
•    Illinois State's seven-game overtime win streak is the second-longest such win streak in the country. 
•    The Redbirds are 45-25 under head coach Dan Muller in games that are within five points at the end of regulation. 
•    Keyshawn Evans has moved into sole possession of sixth place in the school's career record book for made three-pointers. 

PAIRING UP

The top pair of players for Illinois State rank near the top in the MVC among other schools' top two in points, rebounds, and assists. In fact, Illinois State's top pair in each category rank in the top two in each of the three, including tied for the lead in assists. Milik Yarbrough and Phil Fayne combine to average 32.5 points per game, which is the second-highest top-two average in the conference, while the same pair average 13.6 rebounds per game – also second-best. Yarbrough and Zach Copeland combine to average 6.9 assists per game, tied for second in the league.

20-20 VISION

This season Phil Fayne has 33 blocked shots and 22 steals, and is one of 73 student-athletes to have at least 20 in both categories this season. Of that group, Fayne is one of just 14 student-athletes that have accomplished the 20-steal and 20-block plateau in each of the last three seasons. The others include: Nicholas Baer (Iowa), Malik Benlevi (Georgia State), AJ Brodeur (Penn), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Kevarrius Hayes (Florida), Cameron Jackson (Wofford), Nick Mayo (Eastern Kentucky), Zane Najdawi (Citadel), Ed Polite, Jr. (Radford), Nate Renfro (San Francisco), Tahjai Teague (Ball State), Matissa Thybulle (Washington), and Grant Williams (Tennessee).

CLOSING STRONG

In his six-plus seasons as head coach, Dan Muller's squads have closed the regular season strong. Over the last 12 games of the previous six seasons, the Redbirds have a combined 50-26 record, including an 11-1 mark in 2016-17. 

GOOD IN THE SHORT MONTH

In the shortest calendar month of the year, the Illinois State Redbirds have been outstanding under head coach Dan Muller's era, with a 33-15 record in the second month of the year.

STRAIGHT MULTIPLE THREE'S

Keyshawn Evans became the second Redbird student-athlete this season to put together of games with three or more three-pointers made. Evans' current streak of four consecutive-such games is tied for the sixth-longest streak. Teammate Josh Jefferson set a school record earlier this season by putting together seven of these games in a row. The three-point shot first came to NCAA Division I basketball for the 1985-86 season.