Redbirds Close Regular Season at Home Against Aces

NORMAL, Ill. -  The Illinois State Redbirds will host the Evansville Aces on Sunday afternoon in the final regular season game of the 2022-23 season, as the Redbirds will honor four student-athletes: Alex Kotov, Harouna Sissoko, Seneca Knight, and Colton Sandage after the game.

QUICK HITTERS

• There are 48 current NCAA student-athletes who have had at least 20 assists, 20 blocks, and 20 steals in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. Two of them - Illinois State's Kendall Lewis, Missouri State's Donovan Clay, and Bradley's Malevy Leons - are the only ones in the MVC to have done it in each the last two seasons.
• Illinois State's Kendall Lewis and Drake's Garrett Sturtz each have seven double-doubles this season, which is tied for the second-most in the MVC, behind only UNI's Tytan Anderson's 11.
• The Redbirds are fifth in NCAA Division I in free throw percentage, making 79.3 percent of their free tries during the season.
• Darius Burford has made 48.8 percent of his field goal tries during the season, which is the eighth-highest in the country among players that are 6-2 or shorter. 
• Illinois State senior forward Kendall Lewis is one of eight players in NCAA Division I with at least 22 blocks, 40 assists, 42 steals and 315 points this season.
• Since he started wearing a protective mask due to an orbital bone fracture, Darius Burford has been averaging 17 points per game while dishing out over three assists, making 53.1 percent of his field goal tries, and 42.3 percent from long range. 
• Redbird guard Malachi Poindexter has made 52-of-55 free throws this season and is one of just six players in the country to have made 92.5 percent of their free throws with at least 40 makes.
• Illinois State seventh leading scorer (Liam McChesney) averages 6.7 points per game, which is the third-highest seventh-leading scorer in the MVC this season.
• Illinois State guard Seneca Knight's 1,310 career collegiate points, which is the 212nd-highest active career total in NCAA Division I.
• ISU guard Darius Burford is just 31 points away from 1,000 collegiate points, while Kendall Lewis is 40 away from the milestone.
• There are 10 NCAA Division I student-athletes who have made 92.5 percent of their free throws in conference play (a minimum of 40 makes. Malachi Poindexter, at 42-of-45 in MVC play, has the fifth-highest percentage among the qualifiers. 
• Sunday's game will be the eighth game this season for Illinois State against schools with Purple among their school colors. Those eight games are the most in a season in school history heading into the MVC Tournament on Thursday.
 

SCOUTING THE ACES

The Evansville Aces come into the regular season finale looking to snap its four-game losing skid after falling at home to UIC on Wednesday evening.

In the loss, Yacine Toumi scored a team-high 20 points with eight rebounds, while Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored 18, Gage Bobe a dozen, and Marvin Coleman 11. Chris Moncrief dished out a team-best three assists in the six-point loss.

This season the team has been led by Strawbridge who averages 14.5 points per game, while Coleman (11.0) and Toumi (10.7) all also average in double-digits. Toumi's 172 rebounds lead the Aces, just ahead of Coleman's 162. 

Coleman also leads the team with 84 assists and 38 steals., as Preston Phillips has blocked a team-best 14 shots. 

BIG MAKES FROM THE SMALL

During the 2022-23 season, Illinois State guard Darius Burford has made 48.8 percent of his shots during the season, which is the eighth-highest percentage in the country among players 6-2 or shorter, based on the NCAA minimum for the stat, which is five made baskets per game, and having played in 75 percent of his team's games.

PUTTING THE FREE IN FREE THROWS

This season, having made 403 of 508 free throws, Illinois State ranks fifth in NCAA Division I in the category. There have been just 21 schools in NCAA Division I history to finish a season with a free throw percentage at .800 or better. The school record for season free throw percentage is .775 from the 2001-02 season and the MVC record is .797 set by Missouri State in 2021-22.

MASKED MAN

On January 28, Illinois State guard Darius Burford fractured his orbital bone while breaking his nose. After missing the team's game the next day, he returned to basketball while wearing a protective mask. In the seven games he has played while wearing a mask, he is averaging 17.0 points and dishing out over three assists per game. His shooting percentage in that time window is 53.1, as he is also converting on 42.3 percent of his long-range tries.

STRONG OVERALL NUMBERS

Later in the notes we talk about how last season ISU forward Kendall Lewis had one of just four total seasons in program history with 30+ blocks, steals, and assists. Lewis is back to his same tricks this season, as he is one of 166 players in the country with at least 20 assists, steals and blocks. Additionally, he is one of just EIGHT players in NCAA Division I with at least 22 blocks, 42 steals, and 40 assists, while scoring at least 310 points.

NEAR PERFECTION

This season Illinois State guard Malachi Poindexter has made 52-of-55 tries from the charity stripe. That gives him a percentage of .945, which is the third-highest in the country for student-athletes with at least 50 made free throws.

BIG CAREER NUMBERS

Illinois State's Seneca Knight has scored 1,310 career points over his collegiate career, which ranks as the 212nd-highest active career scoring total in NCAA Division I.
 

CLIMBING NEAR MILESTONES

Earlier this season Illinois State fifth-year guard Seneca Knight scored the 1,000th point of his collegiate career. Two other Redbirds - Kendall Lewis and Darius Burford - are climbing towards the milestone during their college careers - each of which have included time at other schools - Lewis at Appalachian State and Burford at Elon.