CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds will look to rebound from its season opening loss as the squad travels to Eastern Illinois for a game for the first time since the 1981-82 season.
QUICK HITTERS
• Pulling down 14 rebounds in the season opener, Kendall Lewis recorded the third-best season-opening rebound total in program history.
• In addition to his 14 rebounds, his 22 points had him become just the sixth player in program history to have a 20+-point double-double in the season opener.
• 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.
• Fifth year senior Seneca Knight is just 33 points away from reaching the career 1,000-point plateau.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• This season Illinois State basketball is returning to its roots and playing a game inside of historic Horton Field House. Since 1989 CEFCU Arena has served as host to Redbird basketball games, but for one day only, ISU men's basketball will return to Horton Fieldhouse on December 10 when the Redbirds host SIUE.
• Ryan Pedon is one of a surprisingly-large 62 head coaches that are in their first season at their current schools, joining 2022-23 opponents Ball State (Michael Lewis), Evansville (Dave Ragland), LSU (Matt McMahon), Murray State (Steve Prohm), and Northwestern State (Corey Gipson).
• 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.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Eastern Illinois comes into the meeting with the Redbirds after falling 87-57 to the University of Illinois in the season opener.
In the loss to the Illini, Kinyon Hodges scored 14 points while Yaakema Rose scored 10. Hodges, Kyle Carlesimo, and Rodolfo Rufino Bolis each dished out two assists with Hodges and Sincere Malone grabbing five rebounds each.
Last season the Panthers went 5-26 on the year, with Dan Luers leading the returnees after averaging 7.8 points per game. CJ Lane also returns after averaging 7.0 points with 68 assists.
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.
BIG DOUBLE-DOUBLES
In the season opener Kendall Lewis had a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double, just the sixth time in program history that a Redbird student-athlete had a 20+-point double-double to open the season. In all there have been 25 point-rebound double-double in a season opener in program history.
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.
MILESTONE WATCH
With 967 points between San Jose State, BYU, and Illinois State, the Redbirds' 5th year senior Seneca Knight stands just 33 points away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau for his career.
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.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Eastern Illinois head coach Marty Simmons and Illinois State guard Malcolm Miller share a strong background. Each were stellar high school players inside the state of Illinois, and both continue to rank inside of the state's top 45 in the state record books. Simmons' 2,986 career points has him as the sixth-highest scorer in state of Illinois history, while Miller ranks 44th with 2,397 career points. Also notables in the top-100 inside the all-time scoring list include former Redbirds Milik Yarbrough (20th), Rick Lamb (46th), Dana Ford (72nd), Brian Kern (79th), Bill Braksick (81st), and Roger Powell (99th).
FAMILIAR FACES
Illinois State fifth-year senior guard Colton Sandage played high school basketball at Bloomington High School, alongside Eastern Illinois guard Caleb Donaldson. Eastern Illinois freshman Kyle Thomas and Illinois State junior guard Darius Burford are from Bolingbrook; however, Thomas played at Benet Academy where Burford played for Bolingbrook High School. Marty Simmons spent a dozen seasons coaching at the University of Evansville. EIU assistant coach Justin Walker was previously the head basketball coach at Bloomington High School.
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)
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. 11)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
home court records (last 11 seasons)
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.
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.
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.
