Redbirds Look For Third Straight Win on Saturday

NORMAL - Three days after setting a pair of NCAA Division I records and handfuls of school, conference, and arena records in a 177-108 win over Greenville, the Redbirds take on the Racers of Murray State University in a recently-scheduled contest.

QUICK HITTERS

• The game features two of the three highest scoring offenses this season in NCAA Division I, each primarily driven by a crazy scoring game against Greenville (who in three games has an opponent scoring average of 162.7), as Murray State scored 173 and Illinois State 177. The two schools are also each in the top five in the NCAA for assists per game and field goal percentage.
• In Illinois State's win over Greenville, the Redbirds set new NCAA Division I records in field goal percentage (84.3%) and total assists (57). The program also scored the fourth-most points, had the fourth-highest single-half scoring output, and the sixth-highest combined score total in NCAA Division I history.
• There are 32 schools across NCAA Division I with "State" in their name without being the actual state that they reside in. Over the next three games, Illinois State will face off against three such schools: Murray State, Ball State, and Chicago State.
• With his 30 points against Greenville, Illinois State freshman Emon Washington became just the fifth freshman in program history to reach the 30-point plateau, and is the first since Bubbles Hawkins accomplished the feat on February 16, 1973.
• Illinois State junior Josiah Strong was named the season's first MVC Newcomer of the Week, announced by the MVC office on Monday, November 30.
• In its program history, Illinois State has faced off against each of the 12 schools that currently represent the Ohio Valley Conference, including a 116-meeting series with Eastern Illinois. Of the games featuring OVC schools, Illinois State is 104-56, including a 10-4 mark under head coach Dan Muller after sweeping a pair of OVC opponents (Belmont and Morehead State) a year ago.
• The Redbirds have no seniors on this season's team, the seventh time in program history an ISU squad had no seniors. Of the six previous occurrences, four times the team made a postseason (NCAA or NIT) the following season. ISU is one of 10 NCAA Division I schools with no seniors on their roster this year.
• Along with having no seniors and just four juniors, the team's average athletic year is 1.80 (freshman = 1, seniors  = 4), which is tied for the least experienced team in program history.
• Illinois State has four players from outside of the United States, the most foreign players on a Redbird team in program history. The previous most was from the 1996-97, 2012-13, and 2013-14 seasons that had three players each from outside of the USA.
• There are 11 current NCAA Division I head coaches that either played or coached at Illinois State, including two other head coaches in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Illinois State is 11-8 all-time on December 5.

SCOUTING THE RACERS

Murray State comes into the game as another team that has put up eye-popping numbers in a game against Greenville this season, topping the Panthers 173-95 in its season opener before falling on Wednesday evening by a 78-61 score at Middle Tennessee.

Against Middle Tennessee, Tevin Brown and Chico Carter, Jr. each scored 13 points while Demond Robinson scored 10. Brown and Devin Gilmore each pulled down a team-best seven rebounds, while Brown also gave out a team-best three assists.

This season the Racers currently have nine players averaging in double-figure scoring - based largely on their season-opening win. Jackson Sivills averages 15.0 points per game while KJ Williams (14.5), Carter, Jr. (13.5), Dionte Bostick (13.0), Gilmore (13.0), Thomas Rodriguez (12.0), Brown (11.5), Ja'Queze Kirby (10.0), and Robinson (10.0) all average in double-figures. Gilmore has pulled down a team-best 16 rebounds, just ahead of teammate Brown who has 15 rebounds and a team-high-tying 12 assists, along with Justice Hill.

Brown also leads the team with three steals as four others (Sivills, Williams, Carter, Jr., and Bostick) each have two on the season, with Gilmore blocking a team-high three shots.

BIG NUMBERS

With Illinois State's bit 177-108 win over Greenville, the Redbirds edged their way into a number of NCAA Division I all-time top-10 stat totals, including new NCAA records in assists (57) and field goal percentage (84.3%), and top-ten standings in total points (177), combined points for both teams (285), and scoring in a half (94).

YOUNG SCORER

In the team's big win over Greenville, Illinois State freshman Emon Washington made 12-of-13 shots from the field for a team-high 30 points. The field goal percentage set a new single-game school record, while becoming just the fifth freshman in school history to reach the 30-point plateau. The last freshman to score 30 points in a game was Bubbles Hawkins against Jacksonville on February 16, 1973.

BIG MILESTONES

In Illinois State's win over Greenville, the program also set numerous school, conference, and arena records. Among the school records set include: Points in a game, points in the first half, points in the second half, scoring margin, field goals made, field goal percentage, and assists. The MVC records set include: Points in a game, combined points, field goals made, field goal percentage in a game, and assists, while the  Redbird Arena records that were erased include points (previous mark was 105), points in first half, points in second half, scoring margin, field goals made, field goal percentage, rebound margin, assists, and the second-most field goals attempted and rebounds.


TALL TEAM

With the team having four players standing 6-9 or taller, this Illinois State squad has the seventh-biggest average height of any team in program history with an average height of 6-5.80, this years' team trails the tallest two teams (1976-77 and 1987-88) by just over 1/4 of an inch per player.

BABY BIRDS

This season's Illinois State men's basketball team has no seniors and just four juniors, with the remaining 11 student-athletes being of sophomore or freshman age. The average athletic year for the Redbirds this season is 1.80 (freshman =1, senior =4), which is tied for the youngest squad in program history.