McLean County Times

The Illinois State men's basketball team is set to face off against the Evansville Aces on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in the Ford Center, located in Evansville, Indiana. The matchup comes as both teams are part of a seven-school tie for fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) standings.

Illinois State boasts a strong start this season with a 10-5 record, marking their best performance over the first 15 games since the 2016-17 season. The Redbirds have shown impressive statistics, ranking seventh nationally in three-point field goal percentage and being one of only two NCAA Division I schools to rank inside the top-20 in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and free throw percentage.

Notable performances from Illinois State include fifth-year forward Caden Boser approaching his 1,000th collegiate career point and freshman Jack Daugherty achieving the 11th-most three-point baskets by an ISU freshman. Meanwhile, sophomore Ty Pence has played significant minutes while maintaining high shooting percentages across multiple categories.

Evansville enters the game with a 5-10 overall record but has recently secured victories against Missouri State and Southern Illinois. Tayshawn Comer leads the Aces' recent efforts, earning MVC Player of the Week honors following his performance against Indiana State.

In addition to current achievements, Illinois State's recruiting class for the upcoming season was ranked 60th nationally by 247sports.com. This includes promising players such as Nick Allen and Isaac Ericksen.

KenPom statistics highlight Illinois State's offensive capabilities this season with an adjusted offensive total of 110.9—the highest recorded for ISU within KenPom ratings history dating back to 1996-97.

Illinois State continues to show potential on both ends of the court as they prepare for their mid-week contest against Evansville.