GREATER PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Illinois State men's basketball team will face off against both Santa Clara and Tulsa at the 2026 Acrisure Series, the nation's premier Thanksgiving college basketball event, in the Coachella Valley in November.
Illinois State will play Santa Clara on Monday, November 23 with a 6 p.m. (CT) tip-off, while facing Tulsa at 3:30 p.m. (CT) a day later, on November 24.
Santa Clara finished 2025-26 with a 26-9 record advanced to the NCAA Tournament, while Tulsa went 30-8 last season, falling in the Championship game of the NIT Tournament in Indianapolis. Last season Santa Clara had a NET rating of 42, and a KenPom rating of 38 while Tulsa had a NET rating of 51, and a KenPom rating of 56.
College basketball fans will experience elite matchups, championship games, alumni gatherings, premium hospitality experiences, and one of the sport's premier Thanksgiving week traditions in the heart of Greater Palm Springs. The event features 26 games beginning on Saturday, November 21 and running through Thursday, November 26.
The Redbirds are one of two schools in NCAA Division I to return two players that have 1,000 career points at their school (along with Florida), and the program has bettered its win total in each of head coach Ryan Pedon's four seasons. Last season ISU was 23-13, falling in the NIT Semifinals to eventual champion Auburn.
ISU returns its two leading scorers from last season in 6-9 forward Chase Walker (13.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg), and 5-11 guard Johnny Kinziger (11.5 ppg, 119 assists), in addition to bringing back rising sophomore Mason Klabo (5.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg), senior guard Ty Blake (seven points and two rebounds in eight games), and rising redshirt freshmen Isaac Ericksen (6-8 guard/forward) and Nick Allen (6-11 forward).
Among the newcomers to the 2026-27 roster include forwards Noah Cleveland (NCAA Division III All-American in 2025-26) and Louie Semona (2025 All-NEC Second Team), and guards Deng Garang (10.8 ppg at LeMoyne in 2025-26), Demarion Burch (8.8 points per game last season), and Zaxton King (7.3 ppg and 61 assists at Missouri State in 2025-26). Three freshmen – Matthew Szafoni (6-9 forward), Jordan Williams (6-6 guard), and Leyton Wolf (6-9 forward) are additional newcomers for the Illinois State squad this season.
