Leanna Bordner Chief Operating Officer/SWA | Illinois State University Athletics Website
Leanna Bordner Chief Operating Officer/SWA | Illinois State University Athletics Website
The Illinois State men's basketball team is projected to finish fourth in the Preseason Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Poll. The announcement was made on Wednesday morning. Sophomore guard Johnny Kinziger has been named to the preseason First Team, while Malachi Poindexter earned a spot on the Second Team.
The Redbirds received 397 points in the poll, which includes votes from the conference's head coaches, athletics communications directors, and media members.
Kinziger made notable contributions last season, earning spots on both the MVC All-Freshman and All-Bench squads. He averaged 8.7 points per game and improved his performance towards the end of the season with an average of 16.4 points over his last eight games. Kinziger was one of only two freshmen nationwide last season to maintain a field goal percentage of at least .460, a three-point percentage of at least .390, and a free throw percentage of at least .850 while playing over 500 minutes.
Poindexter also showed strong performances last season with an average of 8.6 points per game. His scoring increased to over 13 points per game in the final ten games, including a career-high of 27 points against Evansville on February 18. His career free throw percentage stands at .893, ranking second in program history behind Vince Greene's .899.
The Redbirds will return three of their six leading scorers from last year: Kinziger, Poindexter, and point guard Dalton Banks. Each started the final nine games last season. Other returning players include Jordan Davis, Brandon Lieb, Chase Walker, and Ty Pence.
New additions to the team are All-Summit League honoree Boden Skunberg; former Northern Iowa guard Landon Wolf; Caden Boser from UMKC and Valdosta State; Ole Miss transfer Cameron Barnes; and All-State freshmen Jack Daugherty and Cade Norris.
Illinois State will begin its season with an exhibition match against Lewis on October 26 before starting regular-season play at home against UT Martin on November 4. Season tickets are available through www.goredbirds.com/tickets or by contacting the ISU Athletics Ticket Office.
For more information about Illinois State athletics, visit GoRedbirds.com or download the Illinois State Redbirds App.
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