NASHVILLE – Riding a two-game win streak, the Illinois State Redbirds travel to Nashville, Tennessee, for the first of two meetings against the Belmont Bruins on Saturday afternoon, a game that was adjusted because of the upcoming winter storm throughout the mid-south region.
QUICK HITTERS
• ISU ranks in the top-100 in the NCAA in 11 different statistical categories, including 27th in scoring defense, 45th in scoring margin and 53rd in field goal percentage
• Chase Walker was named the MVC Player of the Week for the second time this season on January 19, the 11th time in school history that a student-athlete has earned two or more Player of the Week honors in the same season
• Illinois State junior Johnny Kinziger became ISU’s 47th member of the 1,000-point club on January 14 at Indiana State
• In ISU’s loss to UIC, the Redbirds and Flames were tied for 15:33 of game-play time, the highest single-game total since 2008-09. The game also has KenPom’s 14th-ranked “Game Tension” score
• Johnny Kinziger has climbed into 46th in school history in career scoring, and his 1,018 points as a Redbird are four behind 45th
• Ty’Reek Coleman’s effective field goal percentage of .607 is the fifth-best by a Redbird in the KenPom era (2004-present)
• ISU has out-scored its MVC opponents by 57 points in the second half, the largest margin of any school in the conference, and the Redbirds are the only school in the conference to have a positive scoring margin in both the first and second halves in MVC play
• Redbird freshman Mason Klabo was named the MVC Freshman of the Week on December 8, the second ISU player this season to earn the honor as Ty’Reek Coleman in the season’s opening week
• The Redbirds have 11 players that have scored in double-digits, the most in the MVC
• Ty’Reek Coleman is one of seven freshmen in the country since 1980-81 to average double digit points with shooting splits of at least .520/.465/.680
• This season is the second time in program history that the Redbirds have had 11 wins before the new year
• Illinois State’s 52-point win over Coastal Carolina on November 23 is the 20th-largest margin of victory in the NCAA this season by a NCAA Division I school against a NCAA Division I school
• For the seventh time in program history, the Redbirds have played in all four time zones within the contiguous United States, having played in the Eastern (at Ohio Univ.), in the Central (home vs Cornell), Mountain (vs Utah State in Salt Lake City), and Pacific (vs USC in Los Angeles)
• This season the Redbirds have had 11 runs of 10 or more points, including a season-high 21 on November 20 against Rockford
• ISU’s Kinziger has the ninth-highest field goal percentage in the country who have played at least 32 minutes per game, and are under 6-0
REDBIRDS IN THE TOP-100
Illinois State ranks in the top-100 in 11 statistical categories this season, including: scoring defense (27th), scoring margin (45th), field goal percentage (53rd), and defensive rebounds per game (57th).
WALKER EARNS SECOND PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second time this season, Illinois State junior center Chase Walker has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week after splitting the weekends’ games, highlighted by a 26-point win over I-74 rival Bradley on Saturday (Jan. 17) afternoon. Walker was previously named MVC Player of the Week on January 5. During the week he averaged an ISU-best 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, as he scored 20+ points in each of the contests. He recorded his first double-double of the season on Saturday against Bradley with 20 points and a career-high-tying 11 rebounds. Against the Braves he made 8-of-12 shots from the field. The Player of the Week award was his fourth of his career, which is tied for the fourth-most in a career by a Redbird student-athlete, behind only Osiris Eldridge, Rico Hill, and Jackie Carmichael
LOTS OF TIE TIME
In Illinois State’s loss to UIC on January 10, the Redbirds and Flames were tied for 15:39 of game-play time, the highest total for ISU since 2008-09 (when time differential was readily recorded). The next highest tie time was from the 2017-18 season when ISU and Loyola were knotted for 10:33. As a result, the KenPom statistic “Game Tension” had the game with the 14th-highest total in the NCAA this season. Game tension is “A measure of how close the win probability is to 50% throughout the game (using a win probability algorithm that assumes the teams are of equal strength).”
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Over the two games during the week – a 73-56 win over Drake and a 73-47 win over Evansville – Walker averaged 19.5 points per game on the week, the second-highest total in the MVC, as he helped the Redbirds remain undefeated in MVC play. His field goal percentage was the fifth-best in the MVC during the time frame (65.2%). Against Evansville he scored a season-high 22 points, his sixth consecutive game scoring in double-digits, as he has scored 15+ in each of the last four games – all in MVC play. He is third in the MVC in scoring during conference games and is one of two players in the MVC to rank inside of the top 15 in conference play in points, rebounds, and assists.
EFFECTIVE MAKES
This season ISU’s Ty’Reek Coleman has the program’s fifth-highest effective field goal percentages in the KenPom era (2004 to present) in program history. Effective field goal percentage is computed from (FGM + 0.5*3PM)/FGA. This differs from conventional field goal percentage by taking into account the extra value of a made 3-pointer. Ty Pence (sixth), and Boden Skunberg (ninth) are also inside of the top-10.
REACHING A MILESTONE
Johnny Kinziger ranks 46th in school history as he eclipsed the career 1,000-point plateau on January 14 on the road at Indiana State.
SETTING UP FOR THE BIG FINISH
This season in MVC play, the Redbirds have out-scored their opponents by 57 points in the second half, the highest margin in the conference. The Redbirds have also out-scored their opponents by 33 in the first half, the third-best mark in the conference. The Birds are the only school in the conference with positive first and second half scoring margins.
11 WINS BEFORE THE NEW YEAR
In recording their win over Drake on December 29, the Redbirds reached the 11-win plateau before New Year’s Day for the first time since 2008-09, and just the second time in program history.
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
With Illinois State’s win at the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational, the Redbirds secured their 17th in-season tournament win in program history, the first since 2010-11, and the first outside of Normal since 2008-09.
| Season | Tournament (record) | Location |
| 1959-60 | Ottawa Tournament (3-0) | Ottawa, Kan. |
| 1965-66 | Mid-West Invitational (3-0) | Emporia, Kan. |
| 1968-69 | Hatter Invitational (2-0) | Deland, Fla. |
| 1971-72 | Dominican Holiday Tournament (2-0) | Racine, Wis. |
| 1975-76 | Bradley Invitational (2-0) | Peoria, Ill. |
| 1976-77 | Connecticut Classic (2-0) | Hartford, Conn. |
| 1977-78 | Charlotte Invitational (2-0) | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 1978-79 | Illinois State Holiday Festival (2-0) | Normal, Ill. |
| 1979-80 | Illinois State Holiday Festival (2-0) | Normal, Ill. |
| 1984-85 | American Savings Classic (2-0) | Stockton, Calif. |
| 1984-85 | Fleet Classic (2-0) | Providence, R.I. |
| 1998-99 | Hawai’i Pacific Shootout (3-0) | Honolulu, Hawai’i |
| 2008-09 | SMU Tip-Off Classic (3-0) | Dallas, Texas |
| 2008-09 | World Vision Invitational (3-0) | Normal, Ill. |
| 2009-10 | Basketball Travelers Classic (3-0) | Normal, Ill. |
| 2010-11 | Global Sports Roundball Classic (3-0) | Normal, Ill. |
| 2025-26 | Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational (2-0) | Kissimmee, Fla. |
AROUND THE COUNTRY
This year, when the Redbirds competed inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City (mountain time zone), ISU had played in each of the four time zones in the contiguous United States, opening at Ohio (eastern time zone), and also playing in Los Angeles against USC (western time zone), with home games being played in the central time zone. This season was the first time since 2017-18 that ISU had played in all four time zones in the same season. In 1994-95 ISU played in five different time zones, with games in Hilo, Hawai’i; in Santa Clara, California; Logan Utah; Normal, Illinois; and Terre Haute, Indiana. The team also played in all four time zones in 1966-67, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1989-90
BIG SEASON FOR THE ROOK
Illinois State freshman Ty’Reek Coleman is one of just 11 freshmen in the NCAA since 2010-11 to average at least 10.0 points per game with shooting splits of at least .520 / .450 / .680.
BIG MARGINS
On November 23, ISU secured a 52-point, 94-42 win over Coastal Carolina. The 52-point margin of victory is tied for the 20th-largest in NCAA Division I this season against a NCAA Division I opponent. Only Gonzaga (72 vs Southern Utah), Georgia (65 vs Md. Eastern Shore), Iowa State (64 vs Alcorn State), UConn (63 vs UMass-Lowell), Louisville (59 vs South Carolina State), Kansas State (59 vs Mississippi Valley State), Saint Louis (59 vs Bethune-Cookman), Illinois (58 vs Jackson State), Duke (58 vs Niagara), Louisville (57 vs NJIT), Baylor (57 vs Alcorn State), Miami (56 vs Delaware State), Iowa (55 vs Bucknell), Duke (55 vs Army), Gonzaga (55 vs Texas Southern), High Point (55 vs Gardner-Webb), Arkansas (54 vs Jackson State), Oklahoma (53 vs Stetson), and Ohio State (53, Mount St. Mary’s) have a higher total against a Division I school.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Not only was Illinois State’s win over Coastal Carolina one of the top scoring margin totals in the NCAA this season, but by holding the Chanticleers to 42 points, it is tied for the 15th fewest points allowed against a Division I school in the country this season.
CLIMBING NCAA CAREER LISTS
Over his two-plus seasons as a Redbird, ISU junior Johnny Kinziger has a career free throw percentage of .854 which is the 34th-highest active career free throw percentage in NCAA Division I (minimum of 110 free throw makes). Boden Skunberg ranks 89th among active players in career points, while his 134 games played puts him 23rd on the list.
SMALL PERCENTAGE
This season Johnny Kinziger has made nearly half of his 194 field goal attempts, and he is one of nine players in the NCAA this season to be shooting .420 or better in 32 or more minutes played per game, all while being under 6-0 tall.
BIG HOME OPENER FOR THE ROOK
In his second game in a Redbird uniform, and the first at home, freshman Ty’Reek Coleman shined, scoring 24 points, which is the 21st-most by a freshman in program history, the second-highest in a home debut by a freshman, and he is one of just 19 freshmen in the NCAA Division I to have had a game scoring total of 24.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING
This season Illinois State has had 11 scoring runs of at least ten points, with the longest-such mark being the 21-0 first-half run against the Rockford Regents.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Using his strong second game, Illinois State freshman Ty’Reek Coleman was named the MVC Freshman of the Week, just the third Redbird to earn this honor, joining teammates Johnny Kinziger (Jan. 29, 2024 and Feb. 26, 2024) and Jack Daugherty (Dec. 23, 2025).
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Returning three of its top four scorers from last season, including two All-Missouri Valley Conference selections, the 2025-26 Illinois State men’s basketball team — and players on the team — have high expectations put on it from numerous preseason prognostications. Mid-Major Madness, Lindy’s Basketball Magazine, Blue Ribbon Basketball Magazine, and the MVC media poll have the Redbirds picked to win the MVC in 2025-26. Mid-Major Madness, Lindy’s Basketball Magazine, and Blue Ribbon all have returning forward Chase Walker named as the Preseason Player of the Year, while Johnny Kinziger was named to the Preseason First Team by Blue Ribbon Basketball Magazine and Lindy’s Basketball Magazine. The Field of 68 ranked Illinois State as the #3 Mid-Major Team in the country in their preseason poll, while also naming Walker the Mid-Major Preseason Player of the Year.
RETURNING SCORING
The Redbirds return players that combined to score 1,786 points from last season — 65.49 percent of the team’s scoring — which is the fifth-highest total in the NCAA returning, and the team’s returning scoring percentage is 10th-best heading into the 2025-26 season.
STAYING TRADITIONAL
Starting in the 2023-24 season, the NCAA started allowing student-athletes to wear non-traditional jersey numbers, outside of the typical 0-5 numbers. In the three seasons’ worth of rosters since the adjustment, there have been just 15 schools to not have a “new number” on its rosters. Joining Illinois State on that list include Alabama State, Army West Point, Bethune-Cookman, Binghamton, Central Michigan, Delaware, ETSU, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Mississippi Valley, UMES, Vermont, Western Illinois, and Wright State.
