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 Pizza Payaa in Uptown Normal.
Fans are invited to watch Monday's show live at Pizza Payaa located at 107 E Beaufort Suite C in Uptown 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.
Head women's basketball coach Kristen Gillespie's segment of the show, hosted by Greg Halbleib, starts at 6 p.m. and Gillespie, whose team is 18-11 this season and 12-6 in the MVC, will be joined by redshirt sophomore guard Zanyra Adams. Illinois State women's basketball heads into the show following sweep of two games on the week, topping Southern Illinois 78-60 on Thursday in the final home game of the 2025-26 season, before dominating the Valparaiso Beacons on Saturday by an 83-42 score.
Adams, in her first season with the Redbirds, has played in 15 games with one start. She has scored 32 points during the season, with 11 rebounds, five assists, and five steals. She scored a career-high 11 points against Chicago State on November 12 and had four rebounds on December 7 at home against Eastern Illinois. ISU has two games remaining in the 2025-26 season, with road games at Drake on March 5, and at Bradley on Sunday, March 8.
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. The Redbirds come into the show after closing the 2025-26 regular season with a 20-11 overall record, and a 12-8 mark in MVC play, securing the third seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament. ISU closed its regular season with a pair of wins, topping Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls by a 71-69 score, coming back on Sunday with an 81-74 win over Belmont.
Pedon will be joined this week by junior guard Ty Blake. In three seasons with ISU, he has played in 12 games, scoring 13 points. The Normal native, and UHigh graduate scored a career-high four points against Northern Illinois last season, and this season made his first collegiate three-point shot against Rockford on November 20. He also has two rebounds this season, and has made 3-of-8 shots from the field in his seven appearances this season. The Redbirds – the third seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament – will play their first game of the tournament at 8:30 a.m. on Friday evening.
Upcoming Coaches Show Schedule
March 2 at Pizza Payaa (107 E. Beaufort Suite C, Normal)
March 9 at Jesse's Grille (inside the Marriott, 201 Broadway, Normal)
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
