Redbirds Travel to Chicago to Take on Ramblers

CHICAGO, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds travel to Chicago on Wednesday, to take on the Loyola Ramblers in ISU's final MVC game in Gentile Arena.

QUICK HITTERS

• In Illinois State's one-point overtime loss to Drake there were 23 lead changes, which is tied for the most in an ISU game since the 2003-04 season, and the 22 times the score was tied during that same span is the highest during that same time frame.
• According to the statistical analysis site KenPom, Illinois State has two of its games that rank in the top-10 for most exciting games.
• Dishing out 10 assists in a reserve role, Illinois State guard Mark Freeman is now one of 11 players to have dished out double-digit assists as a non-starter.
• Kendall Lewis is one of 14 student-athletes in the country to have at least 25 blocks and 24 steals this season.
• Josiah Strong (59) and Antonio Reeves (57) have combined to make 116 three-point field goals this year, which is tied for the 30th-highest two-person total in school history.
• Antonio Reeves' 12 20+ point games are tied for the eighth-most in the country this season and tied for 21st-most in program history.
• ISU has played in five overtime games this season, which is tied for the most in the country. That is also tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history.
• Antonio Reeves has scored 977 career points, and is 23 points away from becoming the 46th member of ISU's 1,000-point club.
• 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.
• Antonio Reeves' scoring average of 20.5 points per game is second-most in the MVC and 15th-highest in the country.
• Against Drake on January 26 ISU had Antonio Reeves score 25 points, Kendall Lewis pull down 11 rebounds, and Mark Freeman dish out 10 assists. The last time the Redbirds had three different players accumulate 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists was March 14, 2012.
• Illinois State's 20-point comeback at home against Bradley on Jan. 16 is the second-largest comeback in program history, eighth-largest in MVC history, and tied for the eighth-largest in the NCAA this season.
 

SCOUTING THE RAMBLERS

Loyola enters the game after dropping its last contest, a 77-68 Drake victory on Sunday afternoon.

In the game, Chris Knight scored a team-high 15 points while pulling down 10 rebounds for the double-double. Both Braden Norris and Marquise Kennedy scored 12 points, while Lucas Williamson scored 11. Norris dished out a game-high seven assists in the loss.

For the year, the Ramblers have six different players averaging at least 8.1 points per game, led by Williamson's 12.4 point per game average. Norris averages 10.1 with Ryan Schwieger (9.5), Aher Uguak (8.8), Knight (8.2), and Kennedy (8.1) all near the double-figure mark. 

Williamson pulls down an average of 4.9 rebounds per game among a balanced rebounding squad, while Norris has given out 83 assists. Knight leads the team with 15 blocked shots while Williamson leads a trio of Loyola players with 20+ steals with 24, while Norris has 21 and Kennedy 20. 

BACK-AND-FORTH HIGHS

Against Drake on January 26, the Bulldogs and Redbirds traded the lead 23 times in the 45 minutes of game play time, and had 22 tie scores. The 23 lead changes are tied for the most by an ISU team since 2003-04, and the 22 tie scores are the most during that same time frame.

EXCITING GAMES

The stat analysis website KenPom has a listing of the season's most exciting games based on categories including excitement, tension, and dominance, and have 100 games ranked this season. The Redbirds have two games inside of the top-10 in the metric, and three inside of the top-38. Illinois State's overtime win over Bucknell on November 20 is rated the top game in terms of excitement, while the team's recent overtime loss against Drake on January 26 is rated as the 9th-most exciting game in the country this season.

DIMES OFF THE BENCH

With his 10 assist effort coming off the bench against Drake, Mark Freeman is one of 11 players in NCAA Division I basketball this season to have double-digit assists in a non-starting role.

DEFENSIVE 20-20 CLUB

Illinois State forward Kendall Lewis is one of three members of the MVC's defensive 20-20 club, and is joined by Valparaiso's Sheldon Edwards and Drake's Tremell Murphy as the only players in the conference with at least 20 blocks and 20 steals. With 25 blocked shots and 25 steals, Lewis is one of just 14 student-athletes in the country - and the only one in the MVC - with 25 in each category. He is the first Redbird player since Phil Fayne during the 2018-19 season to be a part of the 20-20 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.

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 (59) and Antonio Reeves (57) who have combined 116 three-point baskets, tied for the 30th-most by a pair for a single season in program history. The two-person school record is 162 from Champ Oguchi (90) and Osiris Eldridge (72) from the 2008-09 season.

MANY 20'S

This season in 22 games, Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves has scored 20+ points 12 times. That total is tied for the eighth-most such games in the country this season, and is the 21st-most in a season in school history.

EXTRA TIME

This season across NCAA Division I basketball there have been 185 games that have needed at least one extra period. Illinois State has taken part in five of those games, tied the most in the country this season alongside UT Arlington. With its double-overtime game against Eastern Michigan, ISU has played in six overtime periods, which is tied for the second-most this season, along with Eastern Michigan; and trailing only UT Arlington's seven overtime periods. (as of games played on Jan. 31).

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.

MILESTONE WATCH

Now 22 games into the 2021-22 season, Antonio Reeves is rising through the Illinois State career record book. Reeves is 23 points away from becoming Illinois State's 46th member of the 1,000-point club.

COACHING THE ALMA MATER

There are currently 44 NCAA Division I head coaches that are leading their alma maters - up from 35 a season ago - including Illinois State's Dan Muller. Muller stands sixth of those coaches in total wins with 166 in his 10th season with the program. Of that group, Jim Boeheim leads the select fraternity with 993 victories - and there are an eye popping 12 new coaches leading their alma maters for the 2021-22 season. (as of games on Jan. 31, 2021)

BIG NUMBERS

With 22 games played into the 2021-22 season, Illinois State's Antonio Reeves ranks 18th in NCAA Division I in points per game, averaging 20.2 per contest. 

FREE OF FOULING

Twice this season - against Purdue Northwest on Nov. 27 and against Evansville on Jan. 21, the Illinois State Redbirds were whistled for seven and eight fouls, respectively, which are tied for the first- and third-lowest single-game foul totals in a game in program history.

FUN TEAM COMBINATION

Against Drake on Wednesday, January 26, the Redbirds got 25 points from Antonio Reeves, 11 rebounds from Kendall Lewis, and 10 assists from Mark Freeman. ISU has had just seven games since the 1980-81 season where the Redbirds had three different individuals accumulate 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The last time that mark has been hit by ISU was on March 14, 2012 when Tyler Brown scored 26 points, Jackie Carmichael pulled down 10 rebounds, and Nic Moore dished out 10 assists against Ole Miss.