NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Â The Illinois State men's basketball team, riding a two-game win streak, take to the road on Saturday afternoon when the team faces off against the Belmont Bruins inside the Curb Event Center in a 4 p.m. tip-off.
QUICK HITTERS
• The Redbirds are fourth in NCAA Division I in free throw percentage, making 80.0 percent of their free tries during the season.
• Illinois State 5th-year guard Seneca Knight was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week, announced by the MVC office on Monday afternoon, after averaging 21.5 points per game for the Redbirds, making 65 percent of his shots from the field and 4-of-5 from long range.
• Illinois State senior forward Kendall Lewis is one of eight players in NCAA Division I with at least 20 blocks, 32 assists, 36 steals and 235 points this season.
• Redbird guard Malachi Poindexter has made 40-of-42 free throws this season and is one of just three players in the country with just two misses with at least 40 makes, and trails only Walter Clayton of Iona for the most makes in the country with only two misses.
• Illinois State seventh leading scorer (Liam McChesney) averages 6.73 points per game, which is the highest seventh-leading scorer in the MVC this season.
• This season the Redbirds have seven different players who have led the team in scoring, including a seven-game span in which ISU had seven different leading scorers.
• There are 13 men's basketball players across NCAA Division I that have made at least 30 free throws in conference play with two misses or fewer, and two of those 13 are on the ISU squad as Malachi Poindexter is 30-of-32 and Kendall Lewis is 30-of-31.
• This season the Illinois State Redbirds have played in four overtime games, which is tied for the fourth-most by a program during the season, trailing only five overtime games from Texas Southern, UCF, and Idaho State.
• As Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon adjusts his starting lineups to find the proper mix, the Redbirds have seen 11 different starting lineup combinations in 24 games, which is tied for the seventh-most different starting lineups in the country this season.
• On January 25 when Illinois State faced off at Bradley, the Redbirds had a starting lineup group whose numbers added to 27, the second-lowest starting lineup jersey combination for ISU since 2010-11.
• The Redbirds have out-rebounded their last three opponents, and earlier this season had a stretch of seven consecutive games of not being out-rebounded, which was the third-longest streak since 1983-84.
• When Illinois State topped Missouri State by 10 in overtime on January 11, it marked the fourth-largest scoring margin in an overtime game in Redbird history.
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
Belmont comes into the second game of the season series with the Illinois State Redbirds looking to snap out of its current two-game losing skid with losses at home to Drake and at Missouri State.
In the team's loss to the Racers, the Bruins got 35 points from Ben Sheppard, as the senior made 12-of-21 shots from the field, and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds with an assist. Cade Tyson scored 18 points with five rebounds and a team-high two steals, with Drew Fribert added 11 points and three assists. Keishawn Davidson dished out a team-high six assists with a steal.
On the year Sheppard leads three Bruins in double-figure scoring average at 19.5 point per game, a total that leads the MVC. Tyson and Friberg average 13.2 and 12.0 points per game, respectively, while Ja'Kobi Gillespie averages 9.1 points per game.
Sheppard is the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 5.4 per game while his 76 assists and 33 steals are each the second-highest total on the team. Davidson has dished out 80 assists on the year, while Gillespie's 36 steals pace the team. Evan Brauns' 36 blocked shots and 1.6 blocked shot per game average are both second in the MVC.
PUTTING THE FREE IN FREE THROWS
This season, having made 337 of 421 free throws, Illinois State ranks fourth 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.
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 just eight players in NCAA Division I with at least 20 blocks, 36 steals, and 32 assists this season, while scoring at least 250 points.
NEAR PERFECTION
This season Illinois State guard Malachi Poindexter has made 40-of-42 tries from the charity stripe. That gives him a percentage of .952, which is the second-highest in the country for student-athletes with at least 40 free throw makes.
AWARD WINNING KNIGHT
Illinois State fifth-year guard Seneca Knight was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week, announced by the conference office on Monday, October 30. Knight averaged 21.5 points per game for Illinois State, as the Redbirds went 1-1 with an overtime loss on the road at rival Bradley on Wednesday before returning and topping MVC-leader Southern Illinois on Sunday. He made 13-of-20 shots for the week (65.0%), was 4-of-5 from long range, and 13-of-15 (86.7%) from the charity stripe, as he also averaged four rebounds on the week with two assists, two blocks, and two steals.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
This season Illinois State has seven different student-athletes averaging near seven points per game and the Redbirds' Liam McChesney leads all seventh scorers in the conference with a season scoring average of 6.73 points per game (of those who have played in at least half of their team's games).
CONFERENCE PLAY NEAR PERFECTION
Across all of NCAA Division I, there are 13 men's basketball players who have made at least 30 free throws in conference play with two misses or fewer. Of those 13, two are members of the Illinois State squad, as Malachi Poindexter is 30-of-32 in MVC play while Kendall Lewis is 30-of-31.
EXTRA TIME
This season across NCAA Division I basketball there have been 226 games that have needed at least one extra period. Illinois State has taken part in four of those games, tied the fourth-most in the country this season alongside Cal State Fullerton, Canisius, Manhattan, Rice, Stetson, Temple, Tennessee Tech, UTEP and trailing just Texas Southern, UCF, and Idaho State, who have five overtime games apiece this season. (as of games played on Feb. 1).
LOW JERSEY NUMBERSÂ
Against Bradley on January 25, with the starting lineup group of Luke Kasubke, Malachi Poindexter, Seneca Knight, Darius Burford and Liam McChesney, Illinois State's starting lineup had a combined jersey number total of 27 (0, 1, 3, 10, 13) which is the second-lowest starting lineup jersey combination since 2010-11.
FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACHES IN NCAA DIVISION I
Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon is one of a surprisingly-large 59 head coaches that will be in their first season at their current schools - the list does not include four head coaches this season: Steve Prohm at Murray State, Thad Matta at Butler, Ed Conroy at the Citadel, and Lorenzo Romar at Pepperdine who are in their first year in their second stints at their school (as of games played on January 28)
GRABBING THE REBOUNDS
Against Indiana State on January 4, the Redbirds saw their seven-game streak of not being out-rebounded snapped. That streak is the third longest by an Illinois State squad since the 1983-84 season.
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
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
Over a seven-game stretch ending with Chicago State on December 19, Illinois State saw seven different players lead the team in scoring, starting with the Cayman Islands Classic final game against Rhode Island where Kendall Lewis led the team in scoring. Seneca Knight led the team in scoring against Murray State while Liam McChesney recorded the team scoring leader against Belmont. Against Eastern Michigan Colton Sandage paced the 'Birds while Darius Burford led the team against SIUE, Malachi Poindexter against Ball State and Luke Kasubke against Chicago State.Â
ALLITERATIVE ADVANTAGE
There are 37 schools whose school name starts with the same letter as its mascot. Of those 37, the Redbirds face off against five different opponents, accounting for eight total games as three schools (Belmont, Bradley, and Southern Illinois) are in the MVC alongside the Redbirds (Chicago State Cougars and Eastern Michigan Eagles are the other two schools that ISU faces this season. (credit for the idea behind the note goes to ISU MBB assistant coach Andrew Dakich)
FINDING THE RIGHT MIX
Due to a number of factors, Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon has been forced to change up his lineup 11 different times, which is tied for the seventh-highest total in the country this season.
NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Behind a week in which he averaged 22 points and the Redbirds won a pair of games, Illinois State fifth-year guard Colton Sandage was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week. He averaged 22 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in a week in which the Redbirds went 2-0 – and 3-0 over a seven-day stretch with the team's win over Belmont on Sunday.Â
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
With his three-games at the Cayman Islands Classic, Illinois State fifth-year guard Seneca Knight was named to the All-Tournament Team at the event. He averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds - both leading the team - while also grabbing three steals and dishing out five assists over the 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 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 MARGIN IN THE BONUS PERIOD
In Illinois State's win over Missouri State - the second consecutive season that the two teams have gone into overtime in Normal - the Redbirds out-scored the Bears 15-5 in overtime. The 10-point overtime win margin is the fourth-highest in an overtime game in program history.
ILLINOIS STATE VS THE VOLUNTEER STATE
There are a dozen NCAA Division I schools located inside of the state of Tennessee, with the Redbirds holding a 14-9 overall record. Among the wins against the schools from the Volunteer state is ISU's 1998 win over Tennessee in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
BIG SERIES TOTALS
Illinois State has a long and storied basketball history and has faced off against eight different opponents over 100 times each.Â
SAME ARENA, NEW NAME
Illinois State University and CEFCU (pronounced SEFF-Q) 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.
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.
CONSECUTIVE 10+ REBOUND GAMES TO OPEN SEASON
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.
MILESTONE REACHED
On a three-pointer with 12:35 to play in the first half against Western Kentucky, Illinois State fifth-year guard Seneca Knight scored his 1,000th career point between his time at San Jose State, BYU, and now at Illinois State.
SETTING RECORDS IN THE CLASSROOM
The Illinois State men's basketball team closed its 2022 fall semester with a grade point average of 3.04, a new program record (not counting the COVID season).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.
MILESTONE REACHED
On a three-pointer with 12:35 to play in the first half against Western Kentucky, Illinois State fifth-year guard Seneca Knight scored his 1,000th career point between his time at San Jose State, BYU, and now at Illinois State.
SETTING RECORDS IN THE CLASSROOM
The Illinois State men's basketball team closed its 2022 fall semester with a grade point average of 3.04, a new program record (not counting the COVID season).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
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.
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.
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 returned to Horton Field House with Redbird legend Doug Collins in attendance on December 10 when the Redbirds topped SIU Edwardsville 77-71 in front of 3,420 loud ISU fans.
   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.
NEW TEAM (IMPACT) TEAM MEMBER
Illinois State men's basketball head coach Ryan Pedon has announced the signing of Benjamin Elementary School second grader Ty Andracke at a press conference held inside CEFCU Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
The Bloomington, Illinois, native signed his draft-day letter in the presence of his family and newest teammates. The group celebrated Ty's signing with a photo shoot and dinner.
Andracke was connected with Redbird men's basketball through Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit organization that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with collegiate athletic programs, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Children in the program are drafted to a team on a special signing day planned by their teammates.
As a member of the ISU men's basketball family, Ty will attend Redbird practices, games, team dinners, events and more.
Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,700 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 49 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team, and the student-athletes join the child's support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie, and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency, and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING
While it's not quite through the quad and into the gymnasium, it is to the free throw line, where Malachi Poindexter had made all 34 free throws he has attempted this season until a miss late in the first half at Bradley. That stands just behind the second-longest free throw streak in program history, behind Gene Jontry from the 1956-57 season (35) and the school record held by Vince Greene, who made 57 consecutive free throws between the end of the 2003-04 season and through the beginning of the 2004-05 season. His 34 consecutive makes also ties him for the 14th-longest consecutive free throw streak in MVC history.
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE'RE HERE
There are 57 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), 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)
A FEW FROM FAR AWAY
Illinois State has two international student-athletes from locations that don't have a large number of student-athletes competing in NCAA Division I. Alex Kotov is one of six Russians playing collegiate Division I basketball, while Harouna Sissoko is one of 22 student-athletes to hail from the West African country of Mali.
Â
Â
