NORMAL, Ill. - After a two-game road trip in which the Redbirds went 2-0, Illinois State returns home to face off in a second consecutive game against the Northwestern Demons, a team that ISU defeated 69-67 five days earlier.
QUICK HITTERS
• Two games into the 2022-23 season, Kendall Lewis' 41 total rebounds are the most of any player in NCAA Division I this season, while his rebound per game average of 13.7 ranks fifth.
• By starting the season with back-to-back road victories, Ryan Pedon is the first Redbird head coach since 1975 (Gene Smithson) to win the first two true road games of their ISU career.
• The two head coaches in the game - Ryan Pedon of Illinois State and Corey Gipson of Northwestern State - are two of 62 head coaches across NCAA Division I this season that are in their first season with their current schools.
• Lewis' 41 rebounds also has him with the second-most rebounds in school history through three games, second only to Ron DeVries from the 1973-74 season - a season in which he set the Illinois State single-season rebounding mark with 373.
• After Illinois State's season-opening loss, Illinois State's 20 head coaches have a 13-7 combined record in their first game on the sidelines for ISU. Of the coaches that won the 13 games, none have led Illinois State to an NCAA Tournament berth. On the other side of the ledger, each of Illinois State's last five head coaches to lose their ISU opener have taken the Redbirds to a NCAA tournament appearance in their career.
• With three consecutive games of double-digit rebounds to start the season, Lewis is tied for the third-longest double-digit rebounding streak to open a season in program history.
• This season Illinois State has eight games scheduled against schools with purple as one of their school colors - those eight games are a new single-season school record.
• Illinois State forward Joe Petrakis is one of four returning players in NCAA Division I basketball to have made at least 50 three-point baskets last season while standing at least 6-10.
• Lewis has three games this season with at least 13 rebounds, the highest total in the country, as just five players have two such games and 59 having done it once.
• This season's Redbird squad has an average height of 6-feet, 6-inches, which is the fifth-tallest Redbird team since 1962-63, and just a fraction (.08 of an inch) from the tallest team to suit up for ISU.
• Last season senior forward Kendall Lewis had 38 steals, 32 blocked shots and 33 assists, becoming one of just 30 players in the MVC since 1993-94, and one of just four players in ISU basketball history to have a season of at least 30 in each of those three categories.
• Colton Sandage is one of 11 basketball players in Redbird basketball since 1962-63 to call the twin cities of Bloomington and Normal home. He is the first since his brother - Brandon Holtz - to come into the program on scholarship.
SCOUTING THE DEMONS
Northwestern comes into the second game of the home-and-home series with an even 2-2 record after topping 15th-ranked TCU on Monday in Fort Worth.
For the Demons, Ja'Monta Black scored a game-high 25 points while Demarcus Sharp added 19 points with seven assists. Isaac Haney pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds while adding seven points. Black converted on 7-of-13 shots from beyond the arc, while Haney also led the team with three steals.
This season the Demons have four players averaging in double-figure scoring, led by Black's 13.0 scoring average while Isaac Haney (12.3), Dayne Prim (10.3), and Sharp (10.0) are all in double-figures. Haney and Jalen Hampton each have 18 rebounds on the year to lead the Demons, while Sharp has given out 17 assists this season.
BIG BOARDING
With three games under his belt for the 2022-23 season, Illinois State forward Kendall Lewis has 41 rebounds, the most of any player in NCAA Division I through the first eight days of the season. His 13.7rebound per game average has him fifth in the country (as of games played on November 14).
HEAVY ON THE BOARDS THROUGH THREE GAMES
With 41 rebounds through the first three games of the season, Illinois State forward Kendall Lewis has started himself on a trajectory alongside some of the top rebounders in program history. His 41 rebounds are the second-most by a Redbird through the first three games of the season, trailing the school-record season from Ron deVries who pulled down 42 over the first three games.
PURPLE REIGN
This season Illinois State has eight games scheduled against schools with purple as one of their school colors (or violet, if you're a Roy G Biv kind of person). Those eight games represent the most such games in a season in program history, topping the previous high-water mark of seven set set four different times, most recently in 2014-15 when the 'Birds faced Weber State, and three games each against UNI and Evansville. There are 23 schools in NCAA Division I with purple/violet as one of their school colors including: Albany, Alcorn State, Central Arkansas, Clemson, East Carolina, Furman, High Point, Holy Cross, James Madison, Kansas State, Lipscomb, LSU, Niagara, Northwestern, Northwestern State, Portland, Stephen F. Austin, Tennessee Tech, TCU, Washington, Weber State, Western Carolina, and Western Illinois. (credit for the idea behind this note goes to men's basketball graduate assistant Jack Betz).
BIG GAME BOARDS
This season there have been 65 NCAA Division I basketball players to have a game of at least 13 rebounds, with 59 of those players doing it just once. Five players have two games of at least 13 rebounds, while one player - Kendall Lewis - has done it three times.
BABY BIRD AND PROUD PAPA
Illinois State Assistant Basketball Coach, Walter Offutt, and his wife Nicole are the proud parents of a healthy baby boy. Â We wish Coach Offutt and his family the best. Â Current Men's Basketball Chief of Staff, Mike Mastroianni, will cover the assistant basketball coach role while Coach Offutt is on parental leave. Â
FEELING AT HOME ON THE ROAD
By winning his first two true road games of his career, Illinois State head men's basketball coach Ryan Pedon became the first Redbird head coach since Gene Smithson in 1975 to win the first two true road games of their ISU career.Â
CONSECUTIVE 10+ REBOUND GAMES TO OPEN SEASON
Because we don't tire of rebounding numbers, Kendall Lewis has reached double-figure rebounds in each of the team's first three games, becoming one of just seven players in school history to open the season with at least two straight double-figure games.
Â
REBOUNDING IN THE OPENER
With his 14 rebounds in the 2022-23 season opener against Western Illinois, Redbird forward Kendall Lewis tied for the third-most total rebounds in the opening game of the season in program history.Â
Â
PLAYING THE LONG GAME
After Illinois State's season-opening loss, Illinois State's 20 head coaches have a 13-7 combined record in their first game on the sidelines for ISU. Of the coaches that won the 13 games, none have led Illinois State to an NCAA Tournament berth. On the other side of the ledger, each of Illinois State's last five head coaches to lose their ISU opener have taken the Redbirds to a NCAA tournament appearance in their career.Â
Â
MILESTONE WATCH
With 977 points between San Jose State, BYU, and Illinois State, the Redbirds' 5th year senior Seneca Knight stands just 23 points away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau for his career.
FIRST-YEAR COACHES in NCAA DIVISION I
Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon is one of a surprisingly-large 62 head coaches that will be in their first season at their current schools. (as of games played on Nov. 15)
Â
NON-STATE STATE SCHOOLS
There are 358 NCAA Division I schools (including the transitional schools) playing basketball this season. Of those schools, 67 have "State" in its name. Of that 67, 31 are direct state schools (ie, Illinois State), while five others have the state in their name, but with a descriptor (Central Connecticut, East Tennessee, Southeast Missouri). The remainder of the schools - 31 total - have no direct state reference in its name (Boise State, Wichita State, etc.) but use State in the name. Of that group, Illinois State will face off against four such schools in the non-conference season: Murray, Northwestern, Chicago, and Ball.
BIG MAKES
Incoming Illinois State transfer Joe Petrakis made 58 three-point baskets last season. While a big number of itself, it is especially rare with how big Petrakis is. Last season he was one of just seven players in NCAA Division I to be 6-10 or taller and make 50 three-pointers in a season. Of those seven, just four are playing collegiate basketball in 2022-23.
RETURN TO HORTON
For many longtime Redbird fans, some of their fondest memories of Illinois State basketball come from games that were hosted inside historic Horton Field House. Since 1989, CEFCU Arena has served as host of Redbird basketball games but for one day only, ISU men's basketball will return to Horton Field House with Redbird legend Doug Collins in attendance on December 10 when the Redbirds host SIU-Edwardsville at 3 p.m.
   Horton Fieldhouse – which was the home of the Redbird basketball program from its opening on December 4, 1963, through the previously last played contest on December 2, 1988. The arena played host to numerous classic ISU victories, including: a 91-81 win over ninth-ranked Tulsa during the 1984 season; an 81-76 win over fourth-ranked Indiana State – featuring future NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird – during the 1977-78 season; and an 88-84 win over fourth-ranked UNLV in 1977.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Northwestern State roster has many faces that will be familiar to Redbird fans, as the head coach of the Demons is Corey Gipson, who took the job after working as the associate head coach under Illinois State alum and current Missouri State head coach Dana Ford. Additionally, the roster has three former Missouri State Bears: Demarcus Sharp, Isaac haney, and Ja'Monta Black, in addition to Dayne Prim, the younger brother of former Bear center Gaige Prim.
RARE 30-30-30
Last season Illinois State senior forward Kendall Lewis has 38 steals, 32 blocked shots, and 33 assists. Since 1993-94, only 30 players in the MVC have put up at least 30 points, 30 steals, and 30 assists in a single season, and he is one of just two players - along with Cameron Krutwig - to do it since 2017-18. He is the first Redbird since 2007-08 to be a part of the 30-30-30 club, and one of four players in school history to be a part of the group. Additionally, including Lewis, there are just 16 players in the country this season with at least 32 in all three categories.
        Â
TALL TEAM
With the team having six players standing 6-8 or taller, this Illinois State squad has the fifth-tallest average height of any team in program history with an average height of 6-6, this years' team trails the tallest two teams (1976-77 and 1987-88) by just over 1/10 of an inch per player. Below are the top-10 tallest and shortest Illinois State teams since 1962-63.
LOCAL FLAIR
When new Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon brought in Colton Sandage on scholarship, he became the first Bloomington/Normal resident to be brought in on scholarship since his brother, Brandon, in 2005-09. Lijah Donnelly, who initially came to ISU as a walk-on was given a scholarship during his second season. Since 1962-63, there have been just 11 Redbird men's basketball players from the pair of towns.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Doug Collins Court at CEFCU Arena has turned itself into one of the most difficult places to play in the Missouri Valley Conference. Over the last 10 seasons, the Redbirds have an 111-44 record at home, including a 16-1 mark during the 2016-17 season.Â
Â
REDBIRDS SIGN THREE TO NLI's
In his first signing class as head coach of the Illinois State Redbirds, ISU head men's basketball coach Ryan Pedon has announced that three future Redbirds: Johnny Kinziger, Ty Pence, and Chase Walker; have signed their National Letters of Intent to play for ISU starting in the 2023-24 season.
   Johnny Kinziger, a 6-0 point guard, is a two-time All-State honoree at De Pere, Wisconsin. Last season he averaged 21 points, four points, and four assists per game, and is 150 points away from becoming his school's all-time leading scorer.
   Ty Pence is a 6-6 guard from St. Joseph's, Illinois, and is also a two-time All-State performer. The second highest nationally-rated recruit in program history, he is ranked 188th nationally after averaging 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game last season.Â
   The third and final signee is 6-9 forward Chase Walker, from Columbus, Ohio. Walker was named to the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I Special Mention list after averaging 17.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, earning him Central Catholic League Player of the Year accolades.
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE'RE HERE
There are 58 NCAA Division I head men's basketball coaches who played at the NCAA Division III level (the lowest of the NCAA's three divisions). Among those is Illinois State first-year head coach Ryan Pedon who played at the College of Wooster, the same school as first-year South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris. Additionally, Marquette head coach Shaka Smart (Kenyon) and Clemson head coach Brad Brownell (DePauw) played in the same conference (North Coast Athletic Conference) as the Wooster pair.
   The remaining coaches with a Division III background are Alabama's Nate Oats (Marantha Baptist), Arizona's Tommy Lloyd (Whitman), Boston U's Joe Jones (SUNY-Oswego), Bucknell's Nathan Davis (Randolph-Macon), Buffalo's Jim Whitesell (Luther), Campbell's Kevin McGeehan (Gettysburg), Charlotte's Ron Sanchez (SUNY-Oneonta), Columbia's Jim Engles (Dickinson), Dartmouth's David McLaughlin (Colby), Drexel's Zach Spiker (Ithaca), Eastern Washington's David Riley (Whitworth), Fairleigh Dickinson's Tobin Anderson (Wesleyan), George Washington's Chris Caputo (Westfield State), Hawai'i's Eran Ganot (Swarthmore), Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger (UW-Whitewater), Longwood's Griff Aldrich (Hampden-Sydney), Marist's John Dunne (Ithaca), McNeese's John Aiken (Southern Maine), Mississippi State's Chris Jans (Loras), Mount St. Mary's Dan Engelstad (St. Mary's), Murray State's Steve Prohm (Ferrum), New Orleans' Mark Slessinger (Aurora), Nicholls' Austin Claunch (Emory), Norfolk State's Robert Jones (New Paltz), North Florida's Matthew Driscoll (Greensboro), Northeastern's Bill Coen (Hamilton), Penn's Steve Donahue (Ursinus), Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry (Hanover), Purdue Fort Wayne's Jon Coffman (Washington & Lee), Rice's Scott Pera (PSU-Harrisburg), Sacred Heart's Anthony Latina (Brandeis), Saint Joseph's Billy Lange (Rowan), St. Thomas' John Tauer (St. Thomas), San Diego's Steve Lavin (Chapman), San Francisco's Chris Gerlufsen (Randolph-Macon), Santa Clara's Herb Sendek (Carnegie Mellon), South Dakota's Eric Peterson (UW-LaCrosse), Texas A&M Corpus Christi's Steve Lutz (Texas Lutheran), Texas-Arlington's Greg Young (Howard Payne), Towson's Pat Skerry (Tufts), Tulsa's Eric Konkol (UW-Eau Claire), UC Irvine's Russell Turner (Hampden-Sydney), UMass Lowell's Pat Duquette (Williams), UMBC's Jim Ferry (Keene State), USC's Andy Enfield (Johns Hopkins), Utah State's Ryan Odom (Hampden-Sydney), VCU's Mike Rhoades (Lebanon Valley), Vermont's John Becker (Catholic Univ.), Virginia Tech's Mike Young (Emory and Henry), Washington State's Kyle Smith (Hamilton), Western Illinois' Rob Jeter (UW-Platteville), William & Mary's Dane Fischer (Ithaca), and Wisconsin's Greg Gard (UW-Platteville).
SAME ARENA, NEW NAME
Illinois State University and CEFCU have come to terms on a naming rights and sponsorship agreement valued at approximately $3.1 million over 10 years. The agreement, which will support the funding for ongoing and ever-evolving costs associated with the student-athlete experience, was initiated by LEARFIELD's Redbird Sports Properties, the University's athletics multimedia rightsholder. The former Redbird Arena will be known as CEFCU Arena – Home of the Redbirds, with the University's Board of Trustees approving the arena name change at its October 14 meeting. The CEFCU Arena naming rights and sponsorship agreement will continue to support funding of the Redbird Student-Athlete experience. Particularly in these ever-evolving times, funding is vital to maintaining and expanding upon the current NCAA, Division I student-athlete experience.
Â
