Redbirds Return Home Against Bulldogs

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State men's basketball team will look to continue its strong play at home when the squad hosts the Drake Bulldogs on Wednesday night at Redbird Arena.

QUICK HITTERS

• The game is the annual "Suits and Sneakers" game for Coaches vs. Cancer. Coaches vs Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week is a nationwide event that unites basketball coaches, players, and communities representing the best D1, D2, D3 colleges and high schools across the country for a common cause – saving lives from cancer.
• Kendall Lewis is one of just eight players in the country this season to be shooting at least 51.5% from the field, 40.5% from long range, and 81.0% from the charity stripe, while scoring at least 190 points.
• Antonio Reeves has scored 20+ points 11 times this season, which is tied for the seventh-highest total in the country this season, and is 25th-most in a season in program history.
• Against Evansville on January 21, Illinois State made 70.2 percent of its shots from the field, which is the highest single-game total in a game featuring two NCAA Division I schools.
• Against Bradley, Illinois State rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit, which is the second-largest deficit overcome for a win in program history, and the eighth-largest in MVC history.
• Illinois State's 38-point win against Evansville on January 21 is ISU's largest MVC win since the program topped Indiana State by 43 points on January 16, 1997.
• With two steals and two blocks against Evansville on Friday, Kendall Lewis is one of 29 members of the 20-steal, 20-block club for the season.
• With just five turnovers against Evansville on Friday, it marked a tie for the fifth-fewest turnovers in a game in school history, and the lowest since the program had four against Drake on January 3, 2016.
• Antonio Reeves became the 58th member of the program's 900-point club against Missouri State on January 19, and in 53rd in program history in career scoring.
• Antonio Reeves has scored 406 points through his first 20 games, which is the 10th-highest total for a season through the opening 20 games of the season in program history.
• Illinois State head basketball coach Dan Muller is one of 44 head coaches in the country this season to be the head coach at their alma mater. His 166 coaching wins at Illinois State is the sixth-most among that group of coaches.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

Drake comes into the second of two meetings between the two schools having won four of its last five games, including an overtime win over rival UNI on January 22 in Cedar Falls.

In the win against the Panthers, five players reached double-figure scoring, led by Roman Penn's 18 points, while D.J. Wilkins and Garrett Sturtz each scored 16. Tremell Murphy and Tucker DeVries added 11 apiece in the winning effort. DeVries (11) and Sturtz (10) each pulled down double-digit rebounds for the double-double, while Sturtz also led the team with four assists, as Murphy led the team with three steals and four blocked shots.

This season the team is led by true freshman DeVries who averages 13.3 points per game, while Penn (11.0) and Sturtz (10.8) both average in double figures. Murphy and Wilkins have matching 9.8 point per game averages, with ShanQuan Hemphill averaging 9.4 points per contest. 

HIGH PERCENTAGE

Against Evansville on Friday, January 21, Illinois State converted on 70.2 percent of its field goal tries, which is the second-highest single-game percentage in school history, behind only the NCAA-record 84.3 percent a season ago against NCAA Division III Greenville. It is the best mark in program history against a NCAA Division I opponent, and the first time since February 27 of last season that a NCAA Division I school made at least 70 percent of its field goals against another Division I school. Since 2010-11, 67 Division I schools have made at least 70 percent of its field goals in a game, just 41 of those coming against Division I schools.

20-20 CLUB

With his two-block, two-steal game against Evansville, Illinois State forward Kendall Lewis became the country's 22nd member of the 20-20- club (which now has 28 members) -  players who have at least 20 blocked shots and 20 steals on the season, and is one of two players in the MVC (joined by Valparaiso's Sheldon Edwards) to be in that club. He is the first Redbird player since Phil Fayne during the 2018-19 season to be a part of the club, as Fayne had 40 blocked shots and 36 steals during that year. He is the 31st Redbird since 1992-93 to be a part of that grouping - one of which includes current Director of Player Personnel Tony Wills from the 2016-17 season.

BALANCED SHOOTING

This season Illinois State forward Kendall Lewis is one of just eight players in the country to be shooting at least .515 from the field, .405 from long range, and .810 from the free throw line, all while scoring at least 190 points this year. Of the seven players in front of him, two are in the MVC in Missouri State's Isiaih Mosley, and Bradley's Malevy Leons.

MANY 20'S

This season in 20 games, Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves has scored 20+ points 11 times. That total is tied for the seventh-most such games in the country this season, and is the 25th-most in a season in school history.

BIG MARGIN

With Illinois State's 38-point win against Evansville, it was ISU's largest win in a conference game since the school topped Indiana State by 43 on January 16, 1997. It is tied for the 46th-largest win margin in MVC history. The last time an MVC school won by at least 38 points was on February 16, 2008 when Missouri State topped Evansville 73-38 - also by 38 points.It is also the largest margin of victory in the entire Illinois State / Evansville series, topping the previous high mark of 31 in an Evansville win on February 11, 2004.

LOW TURNOVERS

When Illinois State gave away just five turnovers against Evansville on January 21, it marked a tie for the fifth-fewest turnovers in a game in school history, and the lowest total since the school committed four turnovers against Drake on January 3, 2016. It is also tied for 43rd in the NCAA this season for fewest turnovers in a game.

EXTRA TIME

This season across NCAA Division I basketball there have been 168 games that have needed at least one extra period. Illinois State has taken part in four of those games, tied the second-most in the country this season behind UT Arlington and alongside with High Point, UConn, Utah Valley, and Valparaiso. With its double-overtime game against Eastern Michigan, ISU has played in five overtime periods, which is tied for the third-most this season, along with FIU, High Point, NC State, and Valparaiso; and trailing only UT Arlington's seven and Eastern Michigan's six for most overtime periods played this season.

PAIRING UP FROM DISTANCE

In the history of the collegiate three-point basket (starting in the 1985-86 season), there have been 72 pair of Redbird student-athletes to team up to make a combined 100 three-point baskets in a single season. One of those pairs is ISU guards Josiah Strong (54) and Antonio Reeves (52) who have combined 106 three-point baskets, tied for the 60th-most by a pair in program history. The two-person school record is 162 from Champ Oguchi (90) and Osiris Eldridge (72) from the 2008-09 season.

This season there are 66 players in NCAA Division I to have made at least 50 three-point field goals, with ISU hosting two on their rosters, and the Redbirds are one of five schools - along with  Jacksonville State, Mercer, Rice, and Sam Houston State - to have two players with at least 50 made three-point baskets.