GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman - Playing its third opponent from the state of Louisiana in as many games, the Illinois State Redbirds will face off against the LSU Tigers on Monday morning, in the opening game of the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.
QUICK HITTERS
• Illinois State last played in the Cayman Islands Classic during the 2018-19 season, and went 2-1 with a loss to Georgia in the opener and then wins over Akron and Boise State to close the tournament. Of the six halves of play for ISU, it was out-scored just once (the first half against Georgia).
• Two games into the 2022-23 season, Kendall Lewis' 48 total rebounds are the second-most of any player in NCAA Division I this season, while his rebound per game average of 12.0 ranks sixth.
• 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.
• Lewis' 48 rebounds also has him tied with the second-most rebounds in school history through four games of the season, 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.
• Lewis has three games this season with at least 13 rebounds, the highest total in the country, as just 14 players have two such games and 73 having done it once.
• 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.
• Illinois State is 10-4 all-time against schools from the SEC, and after the opening game of the Cayman Islands Classic will have faced 10 of the 14 schools currently in the conference.
• 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.
• The state of Louisiana has a dozen NCAA Division I schools, and the Redbirds are 20-10 all-time against schools from the state. The game against LSU will be Illinois State's third consecutive game against a school from the Pelican state, after splitting an in-season home-and-home over the last two games.
• Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon and LSU head coach Matt McMahon are two of an eye-popping 62 head coaches across NCAA Division I who are in their first season at leading their current school.
• 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.
• 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.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
LSU, under first year head coach Matt McMahon, are 3-0 on the season after a 91-62 win over New Orleans on Thursday.
In the win over the Privateers, Derek Fountain led the Tiger scorers with 15 points off the bench, while Cam Hayes scored 13 and Justice Hill 11. Fountain also pulled down eight rebounds, as Hill dished out a game-high five assists.
This season the Tigers are led by Illinois transfer Adam Miller who averages 17.0 points per game, with Hill and KJ Williams averaging 12.0 and 11.7, each. Williams' 7.3 rebound per game average is best on the team, while Hill paces the squad with 15 assists.
REDBIRD HISTORY AT CAYMAN ISLAND CLASSIC
This season is the second time that the Redbirds have competed in the Cyaman Island Classic, the last coming during the 2018-19 season, as Illinois State fell in the opener to Georgia 80-68 before rebounding back with wins over Akron and Boise State. The Redbirds have five straight halves in the tournament in which it has either out-scored or had the same point total as its opponent.
BIG BOARDING
With three games under his belt for the 2022-23 season, Illinois State forward Kendall Lewis has 48 rebounds, the second-most of any player in NCAA Division I through the first 12 days of the season. His 12.0 rebound per game average has him sixth in the country (as of games played on November 18).
HEAVY ON THE BOARDS THROUGH FOUR GAMES
With 48 rebounds through the first four 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).
MILESTONE WATCH
With 980 points between San Jose State, BYU, and Illinois State, the Redbirds' 5th year senior Seneca Knight stands just 20 points away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau for his career.
BIG GAME BOARDS
This season there have been 89 NCAA Division I basketball players to have a game of at least 13 rebounds, with 73 of those players doing it just once. Fourteen players have two games of at least 13 rebounds, while one player - Kendall Lewis - has done it three times.
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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 had 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, before the stretch was snapped with a seven rebound game in the team's fourth game of the season.
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ILLINOIS STATE VS. THE SEC
Illinois State is an impressive 10-4 all-time against the 14 current schools within the conference. The most recent SEC opponent faced came on November 19 at te Cayman Islands Classic, and the most recent Redbird win against the conference was on December 16, 2017, the second of two SEC wins by ISU that season (the team also beat South Carolina at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach.
ILLINOIS STATE VS THE PELICAN STATE
There are 12 NCAA Division I schools whose homes are in the state of Louisiana, the Redbirds have a strong 20-10 record, with this being the first meeting against LSU. The game is the third consecutive for the Redbirds against a team from the state, as ISU played a home-and-home series with Northwestern State in its previous two games.
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. 18)
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.
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
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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
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
