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 Avanti's in Normal.
Tonight, Avanti's will have a 20% discount with an Illinois State student ID for the show, and the Redbird men's basketball team will make an appearance at the restaurant during the show.
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 matchups.
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 freshman guard Grace Nelson. A native of Altamont, Illinois, Nelson suffered an injury prior to the season and will miss the year as a medical redshirt. Last season at Altamont High School, she was a finalist for the Illinois Miss Basketball honor in 2024, as she averaged 30.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.9 steals, and 2.9 assists, helping her team to a 28-7 record and a third-place finish in the Class 1A State Tournament in 2024.
Illinois State women's basketball (14-9) comes into the show after falling twice during the Iowa road swing, dropping a 79-74 decision at Drake on Saturday, before falling 72-52 at Northern Iowa on Sunday. Against the Panthers, Nevaeh Thomas scored a team-high 13 points for ISU, while Addison Martin pulled down 10 rebounds. Against Drake Martin had a stellar performance with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Maya Wong scored 17 points and Thomas 14 with five rebounds. The Redbirds remain on the road for the coming weekend with a weekend series in Indiana, facing off against the Indiana State Sycamores on Thursday, February 13 and then at Evansville on Saturday, February 15.
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 sophomore guard Ty Pence. The Saint Joseph, native, has played in each of the team's 25 games this season and averages 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while dishing out 36 assists with 16 steals. He has scored in double-figures eight times during the year, including a season-high 17 points against North Dakota State in November, and he tied his career-high with eight rebounds on Wednesday at UIC.
The men's basketball team (15-10) split a pair of games during the week, winning at UIC 81-79, before falling 68-65 at Northern Iowa. Against UIC, Chase Walker scored a career-high 31 points with nine rebounds and four assists, while Jordan Davis added 17 points and Malachi Poindexter 12. Three days later at Northern Iowa Johnny Kinziger scored 16 points and Caden Boser 10 in the narrow loss in Cedar Falls.
Fans are invited to watch Monday's show live at Avanti's, located at 407 S Main Street, Normal. 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.
Occurring weekly (with a few exceptions because of game and travel schedules), the 2025 basketball coaches show schedule and location will be as follows:
Feb. 17 – Rob Dob's (801 N Hershey Rd., Bloomington)
Mar. 3 – Avanti's (407 S Main Street, Normal)
Mar. 10 – Rob Dob's (801 N Hershey Rd., Bloomington)
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
