Redbirds Travel West to Face Rival Braves

PEORIA, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds will look to extend their current three-game win streak on Saturday night, as the 'Birds will face off against I-74 rival Bradley in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside Carver Arena.

QUICK HITTERS

• Illinois State freshman Johnny Kinziger and senior Myles Foster were named the MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week, respectively, on Monday February 19.
• Johnny Kinziger is one of just ten players in NCAA Division I this season to have a season field goal percentage at or above .490, a three-point field goal percentage at or above .410, and a free throw percentage at or above .845, all while scoring at least 225 points. Of those nine, he is the only freshman, and one of two freshman in the MVC since 1992-93 to put up those same numbers. 
• This season Illinois State has nine different members of the basketball team that have led or tied for the team lead in scoring in a game. That total is the second-most by a Redbird squad since 1983-84, with only the 2010-11 squad - who had 10 - has more. 
• With his 31 points against Indiana State, ISU freshman Johnny Kinziger recorded the second-most points in a single-game by a freshman in program history, second only to Tony Cadle's 41 points against Illinois Wesleyan on Feb. 20, 1957. He is also one of just 10 freshmen in the NCAA with a game of 31 points or more this season.
• Illinois State senior Myles Foster has scored the Redbirds' first points 11 times this season, while Malachi Poindexter has scored the team's first points six times and Kendall Lewis five times.
• Johnny Kinziger is one of seven players in the country to have scored 31 or more points while taking a dozen or few shot attempts in the game. 
• Twice this season Illinois State has had two different players (Myles Foster and Kendall Lewis) record double-doubles in the same game. Before this season, the last time a Redbird squad had two double-doubles happen multiple times was during the 2017-18 season when Phil Fayne and Milik Yarbrough did it three times.
• After leading the Redbirds his 12 points against Murray State in just 12 minutes, Redbird freshman Chase Walker led an ISU team in scoring using the second-fewest minutes played since 1988-89.
• ISU trailed by 15 points against Murray State on January 30 before coming back to win, which is tied for the 13th-largest single-game comeback in program history.
• Illinois State leads the MVC in offensive rebounding, pulling down an average of 10.21 offensive boards per contest.
• In the first meeting this 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 BRADLEY

Bradley comes into the rivalry game with a 19-9 overall record; however, has fallen in three of the five games since the last meeting with the Redbirds.

In the team's most recent game - an 86-62 win at Missouri State - senior guard Duke Deen erupted for a school-record nine three-point baskets on a dozen attempts, scoring 35 points while Malvy Leons scored 17 and Connor Hickman 10. Leons and Darius Hannah each pulled down a team-best 33 rebounds, while Hickman dished out a team-best five assists.

For the season, Hickman leads a group of four players averaging double-figure points at 14.6 points per game, with Deen just behind at 14.5 and Leons at 14.1. Hannah averages 11.6 with Christian Davis chasing behind at 7.7 points per game. 

Leons' 192 rebounds pace the team on the boards, while Hannah has 181 and Christian Davis 136. Deen has a team-best 115 assists, while Hickman is second on the squad with 76. 

A LOT OF LEADERS

This season, Illinois State has had nine different student-athletes (Malachi Poindexter, Dalton Banks, Luke Kasubke, Darius Burford, Kendall Lewis, Johnny Kinziger, Myles Foster, Jordan Davis, and Chase Walker) lead or share the team lead in at least one game this season. Since 1983-84, there has been just one other team for ISU to have more leading scorers, as the 2010-11 squad had 10 different leading scorers.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

On February 19, Illinois State freshman Johnny Kinziger and senior Myles Foster were named the MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week, respectively. Kinziger averaged 24.5 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game in a pair of wins, while Foster averaged 19.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.

BIG POINTS

With his 31-point game against Indiana State, Illinois State freshman Johnny Kinziger scored the second-most points in a game by a freshman in program history. Below are the times in which an Illinois State freshman has scored 30 or more points in a single game.

Along with having one of the best single-game scoring performances in school history, Kinziger has the sixth-highest single-game scoring total by a freshman in the NCAA this season.

EFFICIENT WITH THE ATTEMPTS

Against Indiana State, Johnny Kinziger scored his 31 points on just 12 total shots. He is one of seven players in NCAA Division I this season to have scored at least 31 points with 12 shots or fewer, and is the only Redbird since 2010-11 to accomplish the feat.

FIRST SCORES

The Redbirds this season have five players who have scored the first point of the game for ISU, with Myles Foster leading the team by scoring the first points 11 times, with Malachi Poindexter and Kendall Lewis just behind each scoring first six and five times, respectively.

DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE

In a sport where student-athletes look for efficiency, the performance that Chase Walker put together on January 30 at Murray State stands near the top in program history. Walker led the team in scoring against the Racers, while playing just 12 minutes. That minute total represents the second-fewest minutes needed to lead ISU in scoring since 1988-89, with only ISU Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame member Tarise Bryson needing fewer minutes (11) to lead his team in scoring in a contest.

FRESHMAN FREE THROWS

Against Evansville on January 27, Redbird freshman Chase Walker made 8-of-8 free throws against the Purple Aces. He became just the fifth freshman in program history to have a perfect free throw percentage with at least eight makes.

BIG DOUBLE-DOUBLES

Illinois State senior Myles Foster has recorded seven double-doubles this season for the Redbirds, which is tied for the 30th-most in a season in program history. Jeff Wilkins and Ron deVries each recorded 21 double-doubles in a season for the top mark in program history.