McLean County Times

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State men's basketball team is set to begin its 2024-25 season with an exhibition game against Lewis University on Saturday afternoon. The match will take place at CEFCU Arena in Normal, Illinois, with a tip-off scheduled for 2 PM. This event marks the unofficial start of the season for the Redbirds as they face off against their NCAA Division II opponent.

The Lewis Flyers return two starters from last year's squad, which finished with an 18-13 overall record. Key players include Ryan Renfro and Devon Vanderheydt, who both made significant contributions in points and rebounds last season. Additionally, Paxton Warden and Rob Stroud are expected to be influential players on the court. Newcomer Jaylin Gibson, previously with Eastern Illinois University, will also be part of the Flyers' lineup.

For Illinois State, eight players from last season are returning, including guards Johnny Kinziger, Malachi Poindexter, and Dalton Banks. These three were crucial in ISU's previous campaign that ended with a 15-17 record. Other returning players include Jordan Davis and Ty Pence among others. New additions to the team are Boden Skunberg, Landon Wolf, and Caden Boser.

In preseason projections announced earlier this week, Illinois State has been picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Poll. Johnny Kinziger was named to the preseason First Team while Malachi Poindexter earned a spot on the Second Team.

This exhibition game offers both teams an opportunity to test their lineups before officially commencing their respective seasons.