Redbirds Take to the Road for Test Against North Dakota State

FARGO, N.D. -  The Illinois State men's basketball team takes to the road for the first time in the 2024-25 season when the squad travels to Fargo, North Dakota, to take on the North Dakota State Bison, in ISU's first-ever game inside the state of North Dakota.

QUICK HITTERS

• The game is a reunion of sorts for a member of both the Illinois State and North Dakota State basketball programs. Illinois State graduate student Boden Skunberg spent the previous four seasons as a member of the Bison basketball team, while NDSU senior Luke Kasubke was a member of the Redbirds over the previous two seasons.
• In the season-opener, Illinois State freshman Jack Daugherty made five three-pointers in the season-opener, which is the fourth-most in a game by a freshman in program history, and the second-most by a freshman on the opening day of NCAA basketball.
• The Thursday night game will be the first time that the Illinois State men's basketball program has played a game inside the state of North Dakota.
• On October 13, Redbird basketball legend Doug Collins was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the highest honor for anyone associated with the game of basketball. Collins had played and worked in basketball at almost every level including being an All-American at Illinois State, an NBA top overall draft pick, an Olympian in 1972, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, coaching the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards, and an NBA and Olympic broadcaster for ABC/ESPN, CBS, NBC, TNT, and TBS.
• Johnny Kinziger was recently named to the Bracketeer.org All-America Watch List.
• When Brandon Lieb joined the squad for the 2023-24 season, the incoming transfer became the tallest player in program history. At 7-0 without shoes, and 7-1 with, he is one of just seven players in program history who have been 7-0 (or taller). 
• The Illinois State men's basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll, with voters in the poll consisting of school's media, SIDs, and head coaches. Johnny Kinziger was named to the First Team, while Malachi Poindexter was picked on the second team.
• This season there are five different Redbirds from the state of Wisconsin, which is tied for the third-most Cheese-state basketballers for a Division I school this season. Only Milwaukee and Green Bay have more Wisconsin natives on their team.
• Illinois State is 9-9 all-time against schools currently in the Summit League, including a 1-0 record under head coach Ryan Pedon.
• The Redbirds are 1-0 all-time against schools from the state of North Dakota, with the only meeting coming between these two same teams a season ago.
• Dalton Banks' 291 career assists ended last season with the 93rd-most career assists among active players in the NCAA. Boden Skunberg's 1,142 career points ranked 152nd at the end of last season among active players.
• In the first meeting last season against Evansville, Redbird freshman forward Chase Walker made 8-of-8 free throws, which is tied for the third-best single-game free throw percentage by a freshman in program history.

SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE

NDSU comes into the second game of the season after picking up a lopsided 96-59 win over Jamestown. In the game, Jacari White scored a game-high 22 points, leading for Bison players in double-figure scoring, as Tajavis Miller scored 12, Noah Feddersen 11, Masen Miller 11, and Treyson Anderson 10.

Anderson pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, just missing the double-double, while Andy Stefonowicz gave out a game-high six assists, with Fedderson giving out five helpers in the opener.

BIG FRESHMAN MAKES

In the season-opener against UT Martin, Illinois State freshman Jack Daugherty opened his Redbird career with five made three-pointers, which is tied for the second-most by a freshman on the opening day of college basketball.

That total also marks the fourth-most in a game by a freshman in program history, behind only the eight from Osiris Eldridge during the 2006-07 season, six by Nic Moore from 2011-12, and six from Gregg Alexander in 2001-02. The makes are the 18th-most in a game by a freshman player in Missouri Valley Conference history.

BIG POINTS

With his 31-point game against Indiana State last season, Illinois State now-sophomore Johnny Kinziger scored the second-most points in a game by a freshman in program history. In the last five years, there have been only eight freshman student-athletes to score more points in a game against an AP Nationally-ranked opponent than Kinziger, with six of those eight currently on an NBA roster. 

HALL OF FAMER DOUG COLLINS

On October 13, Redbird basketball legend Doug Collins was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the highest honor for anyone associated with the game of basketball. Collins had played and worked in basketball at almost every level including being an All-American at Illinois State, an NBA top overall draft pick, an Olympian in 1972, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, coaching the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards, and an NBA and Olympic broadcaster for ABC/ESPN, CBS, NBC, TNT, and TBS. He was joined in the 2024 Hall of Fame class by 12 others including: Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Seimone Augustus, Bo Ryan, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Charles Smith, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin, Michele Timms, Jerry West, and Herb Simon.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

When Illinois State hosts the UT Martin Skyhawks on Monday for the season opener, it will mark the only time during the Redbirds' 2024-25 season where both teams will have mascots are fowl. This season ISU plays one bird (UT Martin Skyhawks), three large land animals (North Dakota State Bison, Belmont Bruins, Missouri State Bears), three from the feline family (Ohio Bobcats, Pacific Tigers, Northern Iowa Panthers), three canines (Northern Illinois Huskies, Southern Illinois Salukis, Drake Bulldogs), four people-based (McNeese Cowboys, Murray State Racers, Evansville Aces, Bradley Braves), and six more from who knows what category they fall into (Trinity Christian Trolls, Saint Louis Billikins, Cornell Big Red, UIC Flames, Indiana State Sycamores, Valparaiso Beacons), but no other aviary creatures.

ALL-AMERICA WATCH LIST

On Thursday, October 31, Illinois State sophomore guard Johnny Kinziger was named to the Bracketeer.org All-American watch list. Eligible conferences for the first-year award include: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Conference USA, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, MVC, NEC, OVC, Patriot League, SoCon, Southland, SWAC, Summit League, Sun Belt, WAC. The 2025 Bracketeer.Org Non-Power Conference Player of the Year will be announced in the final week of March, 2025. 

ONE OF A FEW SEVEN-FOOTERS

When Brandon Lieb joined the squad for the 2023-24 season, the incoming transfer became the tallest player in program history. At 7-0 without shoes, and 7-1 with, he is one of just seven players in program history who have been 7-0 (or taller). 

FIRST TIME IN THE STATE

On November 7, the Redbirds will play against North Dakota State in Fargo, North Dakota. The game will be the first-ever played in the state in program history. There are just nine other states where ISU has never played a men's basketball game, including Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Additionally, ISU has played in the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

PRESEASON POLL

The Illinois State men's basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll, with voters in the poll consisting of school's media, SIDs, and head coaches. Johnny Kinziger was named to the First Team, while Malachi Poindexter was picked on the second team.

CHEESE STATE OVERFLOW

This season there are five different Redbirds from the state of Wisconsin - Jack Daugherty, Dalton Banks, Jordan Davis, Johnny Kinziger, and Caden Boser, which is tied for the third-most Cheese-state basketballers for a Division I school this season. Only Milwaukee and Green Bay - who each have six student-athletes from Wisconsin - have more Wisconsin natives on their team. Below are the five schools with five or more student-athletes from the state.