NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Basketball Coaches Show, presented by The O'Brien Auto Team, featuring Illinois State head men's basketball coach Ryan Pedon and women's basketball head coach Kristen Gillespie will air tonight live from Rob Dob's in Bloomington.
Stop in to Rob Dob's tonight for the coaches show for their $12 Coaches Show specials for a classic burger, buffalo chicken sandwich, lasagna, or any of their pizza's for just $12 with a soft drink included.
Fans unable to attend the show can listen on WJBC 1230 AM, the Varsity Network, and on GoRedbirds.com., as Pedon and Gillespie recap their weekend games and preview their upcoming match-ups.
Head women's basketball coach Kristen Gillespie's segment of the show, hosted by Greg Halbleib, starts at 6 p.m. Gillespie will be joined by ISU senior guard Bella Finnegan. Finnegan, a native of Hometown, Illinois, comes to ISU after spending the previous three seasons at MVC foe Indiana State. In the team's exhibition win over Illinois Wesleyan on Sunday, Finnegan scored a game-high 20 points with four steals and three rebounds.
Illinois State women's basketball comes into the show after picking up an 89-46 exhibition win over Illinois Wesleyan on Sunday, as Finnegan led five Redbirds in double-figure scoring, with Trista Fayta (17), Addison Martin (14), Nevaeh Thomas (21), and Doneelah Washington (10) all reaching the double-figure plateau. The Birds open the 2025-26 regular season on Monday, November 3 in a home game against the Dayton Flyers inside of CEFCU Arena with a 6:30 p.m. tip-off.
Head men's basketball coach Ryan Pedon's portion of the show follows at 6:45 p.m., hosted by John Fitzgerald and Mike Matthews. Pedon will be joined this week by graduate student guard Boden Skunberg. Skunberg missed the entire 2024-25 season due to injury, and last played for the North Dakota State Bison in 2023-24, where he averaged 14.1 points per game with 168 rebounds and 66 assists.
The men's basketball team fell in its exhibition opener against 17th-ranked Illinois on October 19, as Jack Daugherty scored a team-high 16 points while Ty'reek Coleman and Brandon Lieb each added nine. The Redbirds return to action in the team's final exhibition game of the season on Wednesday, October 29, against the Northwestern Wildcats inside Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.
Fans are invited to watch Monday's show live at Rob Dob's, located at 801 N Hersey Road in Bloomington; however, for those unable to attend the show in person, it will be broadcast live on WJBC 1230 AM, the Varsity Network, and on the Illinois State Athletics Facebook page.
