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 The Redbirds open with an exhibition game against Lewis on
Monday, Nov. 10, before tipping off the regular season at home on
Sunday, Nov. 16, versus Utah State on Doug Collins Court at Redbird
Arena. Illinois State will then travel to the Virgin Islands for
three games in the Paradise Jam during Friday through Monday (Nov.
21-24) before Thanksgiving.
Once again, I am very happy with our non-conference schedule,
third-year Illinois State head coach Dan Muller said. We are in a
great tournament and will play against some challenging and
high-quality teams at home and on the road. We have a lot of work to
do before November 10, but I could not be more excited about the
group of players we have going into this season. Now lets fill
Redbird Arena every home game! Go Birds!
ISU's home slate features a Tuesday, Dec. 2 matchup with 2013-14
NCAA Tournament qualifier VCU. The Redbirds will also travel to
in-state rival and BIG EAST foe DePaul on Sunday, Dec. 14 before
playing at 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) Champion-Murray
State on Saturday, Dec. 20.
Below is a detailed look at each non-conference opponent.
Monday, November 10 Lewis Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
EXHIBITION Time TBD
Posted a 21-6 overall record and a 13-5 mark in the (NCAA Division
II) Great Lakes Valley Conference last season ... returning four of
last year's five starters, including the Flyers' leading scorer and
rebounder in Ryan Jackson (17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds) and Julian
Lewis (14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds) ... former Illinois Wesleyan head
coach Scott Trost is in his ninth season as Lewis' head coach ...
Lewis last qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2011-12
... Illinois State holds a 16-4 advantage in regular-season games
versus Lewis, with the Redbirds last playing - and beating - the
Flyers, 85-66, Dec. 19, 2006.
Sunday, November 16 Utah State Doug Collins Court at Redbird
Arena 2:05 p.m. CT
SERIES: Tied, 3-3
A return game from ISU's 2012-13 BracketBusters road trip to Logan,
Utah, where the Redbirds lost ... went 18-14 overall and 7-11 in the
Mountain West Conference last season ... lost all five of last
season's starters ... Jalen Moore (5.6 points, 2.7 rebounds) leads
Utah State's three returners on a roster with 10 underclassmen,
three upperclassmen and no seniors ... head coach Stew Morrill is
beginning his 17th season at Utah State and 29th overall ... Utah
State fell in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) championship
game in 2011-12, and last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11
... not only is the overall series between Illinois State and Utah
State split at 3-3, but the Redbird Arena series is also tied, 1-1,
with the Aggies last visiting Normal, Ill., on March 19, 2008,
resulting in a 61-57 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) victory
for the Redbirds.
November 21-24 at Ezybonds Global Payments U.S. Virgin Islands
Paradise Jam St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands UVI Sports and
Fitness Center
APPEARANCES: First
Teams competing are Clemson, Gardner-Webb, LSU, Nevada, Old
Dominion, Seton Hall and Weber State ... the Redbirds are scheduled
to begin tournament-play against 2013-14 NCAA Tournament qualifier
Weber State on Friday, Nov. 21 ... Illinois State will then face
either Southeastern Conference (SEC) foe and National Invitation
Tournament (NIT) qualifier LSU or College Basketball Invitational
(CBI) qualifier Old Dominion in the next round ... ISU is playing on
the U.S. Virgin Islands for the first time in program-history ...
the Redbirds are 69-40 in regular-season tournament games.
Friday, November 21 Weber State (at Paradise Jam) UVI Sports
and Fitness Center 8 p.m. CT Time TBD
SERIES: Illinois State leads, 1-0
Posted a 19-12 overall record and a 14-6 mark in the Big Sky
Conference ... qualified for the 2013-14 NCAA Tournament after
winning the Big Sky Tournament ... Weber State has earned a
postseason berth every season since 2008-09 ... returning two out of
five starters, including leading-rebounder Joel Bolomboy (8.7
points, 11.0 rebounds) and Jeremy Senglin (10.9 points, 2.2
rebounds) ... entering his ninth season, Randy Rahe is Weber State's
head coach ... the Redbirds won their lone meeting with the
Wildcats, 74-70, at Redbird Arena on Nov. 16, 2001. Saturday,
November 22 or Sunday, November 23 LSU or Old Dominion (at Paradise
Jam) UVI Sports and Fitness Center Time TBD
A member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), LSU qualified for the
2013-14 National Invitation Tournament (NIT)
Old Dominion
qualified for last seasons College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
Monday, November 24 Opponent TBD (at Paradise Jam) UVI Sports
and Fitness Center Time TBD
Saturday, November 29 Youngstown State Doug Collins Court at
Redbird Arena Time TBD
SERIES: First Meeting
Went 15-17 overall and 6-10 in the Horizon League last season ...
returning three out of five starters, including leading rebounder
Bobby Hain (11.1 points, 7.7 rebounds) and Ryan Weber (12.2 points,
4.3 rebounds) ... head coach is Jerry Slocum, in his 10th season at
Youngstown State and his 40th overall ... Youngstown State last
qualified for the postseason with a 2012-13 CollegeInsider.com
Tournament (CIT) bid ... even though - in football - Illinois State
and Youngstown State both compete in the Missouri Valley Football
Conference, this is the first-ever meeting between the two
basketball programs.
[to top of second column] |
Tuesday, December 2 VCU Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
Time TBD
SERIES: VCU leads, 4-1
VCU plays on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in a return from a
home-and-home series started last year in Richmond, Va., where the
Redbirds fell in their 2013-14 season-opener to the Rams ... VCU
earned a bid to the 2013-14 NCAA Tournament, continuing the
program-trend of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament every year since
2010-11 ... amassed a 26-9 overall record and a 12-4 mark in the
Atlantic 10 Conference ... returning three of five starters,
including leading-scorer Treveon Graham (15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds)
... led by sixth-year head coach Shaka Smart who owns a 137-46
record ... VCU and ISU are 1-1 at Redbird Arena, with current head
coach and former player Dan Muller and the Redbirds earning their
lone victory over the Rams, 77-68, on Dec. 18, 1994.
Sunday, December 7 at UAB Bartow Arena Time TBD
SERIES: Tied, 1-1
Illinois State Associate Head Coach and Birmingham, Ala., native
Torrey Ward starred at UAB as a student-athlete from 1997-2000,
earning Conference USA Runner-up Defensive Player of the Year to
Kenyon Martin ... UAB went 18-13 overall and 7-9 in Conference USA
last season ... returning two of five starters from last year ...
leading-scorer Chad Frazier (17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds) is among the
returners ... head coach Jerod Haase is entering his third season
... UAB qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11 ... this will
mark UAB's first-ever trip to Normal, Ill., with the Redbirds last
facing the Blazers on Nov. 23, 2012, at the South Padre Island
(Texas) Invitational, resulting in a 77-65 ISU victory.
Sunday, December 14 at DePaul Allstate Arena Time TBD
SERIES: DePaul leads, 21-4
Illinois State travels to Rosemont, Ill., as a return for the
home-and-home series launched with a Redbird victory - 69-64 - on
Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena last season ... DePaul posted a
12-21 overall record and a 3-15 mark in the BIG EAST Conference ...
lost two out of five starters from last year, but return Billy
Garrett, Jr. (12.4 points, 2.4 rebounds) ... head coach Oliver
Purnell is starting his fifth season at DePaul and 27th overall ...
the last NCAA Tournament appearance occurred in 2003-04, followed by
a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) spot in 2006-07 ... ISU has
won a series-best two-straight games against the Blue Demons.
Wednesday, December 17 UT Martin Doug Collins Court at
Redbird Arena Time TBD
SERIES: Illinois State leads, 3-0
Posted an 8-23 overall record and a 3-13 mark in the Ohio Valley
Conference last season ... returning three out of last year's five
starters, including leading scorer and rebounder Myles Taylor (14.6
points, 6.3 rebounds) ... first-year head coach Heath Schroyer is in
his eighth overall season ... UT Martin advanced to the National
Invitation Tournament (NIT) ... all three of ISU's wins over the
Skyhawks have occurred in Normal, Ill., with the Redbirds last
beating UT Martin, 80-51, on Nov. 27, 2004.
Saturday, December 20 at Murray State CFSB Center Time TBD
SERIES: Murray State leads, 1-0
Won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) championship last season
while earning a 23-11 overall record and a 13-3 Ohio Valley
Conference mark ... returning four of five starters, including the
leading scorer and rebounder: Cameron Payne (16.8 points, 3.6
rebounds) and Jarvis Williams (14.9 points, 9.9 rebounds) ... head
coach Steve Prohm is entering his fourth season ... Murray State
last qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2011-12 during a 31-2
campaign ... the only other time ISU and MSU met was on Dec. 11,
1971, resulting in an 85-74 Murray State victory.
Monday, December 22 IPFW Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
Time TBD
SERIES: Illinois State leads, 1-0
Went 25-11 overall and 10-4 in the Summit League Conference while
advancing to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament
(CIT) ... returning three out of last year's five starters ...
leading rebounder Steve Forbes (12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds) is back
... head coach Jon Coffman is beginning his first-ever season as a
head coach ... IPFW is coming off of a school-record 25 wins during
2013-14 ... lost by three points to North Dakota State in the Summit
League Tournament Championship game ... ISU won the lone meeting
between the two programs, 65-36, on Dec. 6, 2005 at Redbird Arena.
Monday, December 29 Quincy Doug Collins Court at Redbird
Arena Time TBD
SERIES: Illinois State leads, 8-6
While Illinois State frequently faces Quincy in exhibition contests
(six times over the past seven seasons), the Redbirds have not
played Quincy during the regular season since Jan. 7, 1981,
resulting in a 70-59 ISU home-court victory ... Quincy posted a
10-18 overall record and a 5-13 mark in the (NCAA Division II) Great
Lakes Valley Conference ... returning four of last season's five
starters, including top-rebounder Evan McGaughey (11.3 points, 5.2
rebounds) ... head coach Marty Bell is entering his 12th season
after last leading Quincy to the NCAA DII Tournament in 2009-10 ...
Illinois State won a regular-season contest versus NCAA DII-foe
Sonoma State last season.
Information regarding 2014-15 Illinois State men's basketball season
tickets is available on GoRedbirds.com or by calling (309) 438-8000.
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