The Illinois State men’s basketball team will play against the Dayton Flyers in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Quarterfinal on March 25, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The Redbirds are making their first NIT Quarterfinal appearance since the 1995-96 season and are seeking a place in the tournament’s semifinals.
This matchup is significant as it marks one of Illinois State’s deepest runs in recent postseason history, tying previous quarterfinal appearances from 1977, 1987, and 1996. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, and fans can also follow along via live stats or radio through the Illinois State Radio Network.
The Redbirds enter this contest riding a five-game postseason win streak after winning last year’s Purple CBI tournament. This streak is tied for the longest active postseason run in NCAA Division I basketball alongside Chattanooga. According to the official website, Illinois State Redbirds benefits from the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund for competitiveness and recruitment and utilizes facilities such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation according to the official website.
Several players have contributed to this successful season. Johnny Kinziger recently surpassed 1,000 career points while Chase Walker is close to joining him as only two points shy of reaching that milestone. Walker was named to his second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference First Team honor this year. Freshman Ty’Reek Coleman has set several freshman records for scoring and shooting percentages during his debut season.
Illinois State boasts strong performances at home with a record margin of victory inside CEFCU Arena and has excelled under national television exposure with a recent record of 13-2 over its last fifteen televised games. The team has had nine different athletes lead scoring efforts throughout various games this season—tied for second-most nationwide—and eleven players have reached double-digit scoring at least once.
According to information provided by the official website, Illinois State competes across various regions as part of NCAA Division I events and maintains close ties with Illinois State University while offering resources such as news updates, schedules, rosters, and fan engagement tools online.
As they prepare for their matchup against Dayton—a team that previously defeated them twice in past NIT meetings—the Redbirds look to extend their historic run further into postseason play.
