Redbirds sweep Valley honors         

[JAN. 23, 2007]  ST. LOUIS -- The Illinois State men's basketball team swept through Missouri Valley Conference competition last week, and as a result, the Redbirds' Levi Dyer and Anthony Slack hoarded the conference's weekly honors, with Dyer being named the State Farm MVC Player of the Week and Slack earning the State Farm MVC Newcomer of the Week award.

The hot-handed Dyer led the Redbirds to a pair of home victories, over Wichita State and Drake, while averaging 23.5 points per game. Dyer has now scored 20 or more points in four of his last five games and has set career highs three times during that span. Against Drake on Sunday, Dyer poured in a career-best 27 points. He finished the week shooting 16-for-24 (.667) from the field and 9-for-11 (.818) on 3s.

Slack came off the bench and scored 14 points in both victories. As a result, Slack averaged 14 points for the week, while logging 19.5 minutes per game. He also grabbed nine rebounds, added three blocked shots and shot 9-for-12 (.750) from the field.

Dyer and Slack, along with the rest of their teammates, return to action on Wednesday, when the Redbirds travel to Bradley for the first of two regular-season matchups in the Interstate-74 rivalry. Tipoff at Carver Arena is set for 7:35 p.m.

[News release provided by Todd Kober, assistant athletics director, media relations, Illinois State University]