Men's Basketball Opens 2026-27 in California Against the Saint Mary's Gaels

MORAGA, Calif. - The Illinois State Redbirds open the 2026-27 season on Monday evening, as the Redbirds make the trek to northern California, to take on the Saint Mary's Gaels in a 9 p.m. (CT) tip-off inside the University Credit Union Pavilion.

QUICK HITTERS

• The November 2 game is the earliest start to a season in program history, coming off a season a year ago in which the team played the latest game in program history
• Illinois State is 82-46 all-time in season-opening games
• The Redbirds split their two exhibition games during the preseason, topping Northwestern 70-64, before falling at Green Bay 79-71 
• Coming off a title at the 2025 season-ending Purple CBI and a semifinal appearance in the 2026 NIT, the Illinois State men's basketball team has won six of its last seven postseason tournament games. 
• ISU is one of two schools in the NCAA - along with Florida - to return two players who have scored 1,000 or more points at their respective schools
• Illinois State is 12-6 all-time against the 10 current members of the West Coast Conference
• Johnny Kinziger currently ranks 28th in school history in points after becoming the 47th player to eclipse the career 1,000-point plateau during the 2025-26 season. Classmate Chase Walker became the 48th member of the group, scoring his 1,000th career point against Dayton in the NIT Quarterfinal, and ranks 45th all-time in the school record book
• The Redbirds have recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 2008-09 and 2009-10, and Ryan Pedon became just the fifth coach in program history to accomplish the feat, as Pedon joins former ISU coaches Tim Jankovich, Kevin Stallings, Bob Donewald, and Gene Smithson
• Illinois State is 14-3 in its last 17 Nationally televised games
• The Redbirds have matched or bettered their win total every season during head coach Ryan Pedon's tenure, making him one of two head coaches in program history (along with Kevin Stallings) to accomplish that through their first four seasons as head coach
• ISU played in the NIT semifinals last season, and the semifinal appearance was the furthest the program has advanced in the postseason tournament, after advancing to the quarterfinals in 1977, 1987, and 1996
• Chase Walker was named to the All-MVC First Team in 2026, and he became just the fourth player in program history to earn two or more MVC First Team Honors in their career

THRIVING UNDER THE BRIGHT LIGHTS

In Illinois State's most recent 17 Nationally Televised Games (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, CBS, CBS Sports Network, FS1, and Peacock), the Redbirds are 14-3, including ISU's final three games of the 2025-26 season on ESPN 2 and ESPN. The current 14-3 streak directly ended a 10-game losing streak in those games, and the Redbirds were 12-18 in the 30 games prior to their current run.
 

1K RETURNING

Illinois State is one of two schools in the NCAA - along with Florida - to return two players who have scored 1,000 or more points while at their school. Johnny Kinziger (1,208) and Chase Walker (1,024) return for the Redbirds, as does the Florida duo of Alex Condon (1,181) and Thomas Haugh (1,111).

GETTING BETTER YEAR OVER YEAR

Illinois State has bettered its win total in each season during head coach Ryan Pedon's tenure (he's had win totals of 11, 15, 22, and 23), and he's one of only two coaches in program history (the other is Kevin Stallings) the do that at Illinois State. Of the 30 head coaches in NCAA Division I that are in their fifth year at the program, Pedon is one of three to have increased his win total every season, joining Travis Steele at Miami, and Rod Strickland at LIU.
 

BIG RETURNING

The Illinois State men's basketball team returns its top two scorers from last season, and are one of just 12 schools in the country to return each of their top two scorers.
 

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

During the 2025-26 season, the Redbirds out-scored opponents by 307 points at home, which is the highest total in school history, and the team's average margin of victory at home - 19.2 points per game - is also a CEFCU Arena record. (through the 1983-84 season)
 

REACHING A MILESTONE

Johnny Kinziger ranks 28th in school history as he eclipsed the career 1,000-point plateau on January 14, 2026 on the road at Indiana State. Classmate Chase Walker became the 48th player in school history — and second last season — to eclipse the 1,000-point mark as a Redbird, as he reached the mark in the first half against Dayton in the NIT.

2X FIRST TEAM ALL-MVC

Illinois State junior forward Chase Walker was named to the Missouri Valley Conference First Team; the second consecutive season he has earned this honor. He's one of just four players in program history to have been named First Team All-Conference twice in their careers with the Redbirds.

CLIMBING THE LONG-RANGE LIST

With his 62 made three-point baskets last season, and 180 for his career, Illinois State junior Johnny Kinziger has climbed into seventh place in the school record books for career made three-point baskets.

STEPPING OUT OF TRADITION

Starting in the 2023-24 season, the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to wear non-traditional jersey numbers — outside of the typical 0-5 numbers. In 2026-27, Illinois State stepped away from tradition for the first time, along with Alabama State, Binghamton, Delaware, East Tennessee State, Lehigh, Mississippi Valley, Vermont, and Wright State. Those nine schools are having their first non-traditional jersey for the first time in 2026-27. There remain just six schools in the country — Army West Point, Bethune-Cookman, Central Michigan, Holy Cross, UMES, and Western Illinois — to not have a "new number" on its rosters