McLean County Times

The Illinois State men's basketball team is set to begin the 2025 calendar year with a game against Murray State Racers in Murray, Kentucky. The match will take place on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. inside the CFSB Center.

Illinois State has shown significant improvement over the past decade, jumping 329 position rankings from last season and currently ranking 10th in the country for three-point field goal percentage. The Redbirds have also achieved a +9 assist-to-turnover margin, their largest against an NCAA Division I opponent since January 2022.

Jack Daugherty, a freshman from Illinois State, was named MVC Freshman of the Week following his performance against Cornell. He is only the second player from ISU to receive this honor after Johnny Kinziger won it twice last season.

Sophomore Chase Walker was named MVC Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 27 points against Saint Louis. This marks his first career MVC honor and makes him the first Redbird to earn this title since February when Johnny Kinziger received it.

Illinois State's strong performance extends beyond individual accolades. The team ranks among the top-50 in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and free throw percentage nationwide. They have also out-rebounded Northern Illinois by 20 points on December 18, marking one of their highest rebounding margins since November 2014.

Murray State enters this game with a record of 7-6 after participating in the Hawai'ian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. In their recent victory over Loyola Chicago, KyeRon Lindsay and Terence Harcum each scored 16 points for Murray State.

"ISU out-rebounded Northern Illinois by 20 ion December 18," noted Illinois State officials about their recent performances.

The Redbirds are recognized for having multiple players leading in scoring throughout their opening games this season and have been competitive against teams favored in preseason conference polls like Ohio and UAB.