McLean County Times

The Illinois State men's basketball team is set to face Southern Illinois on Tuesday night in Carbondale, aiming to extend their two-game winning streak. The game will take place at the Banterra Center with a tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Illinois State has shown significant improvement this season, jumping 326 positions in national rankings and currently holding the 10th spot for three-point field goal percentage. Chase Walker leads the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) with a 60% field goal success rate, while Johnny Kinziger and Walker both average over 15 points per game.

Southern Illinois enters the match on a four-game losing streak, with their latest defeat being an 83-79 loss to Valparaiso. Kennard Davis Jr. led his team with 21 points in that game.

"Chase Walker has made 60 percent of his field goal tries this season," noted Illinois State's statistics, highlighting his performance as one of the best in recent school history. The Redbirds have maintained an effective field goal percentage of .581, ranking third nationally.

This season, Illinois State ranks highly in several categories: they are among the top schools for three-point shooting and have managed to keep turnovers low across many games. "This season Illinois State has had six games with five or fewer turnovers," emphasizing their disciplined play style.

Additionally, Johnny Kinziger was named to the Bracketeer.org All-American watch list and Doug Collins was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last October.

As both teams prepare for Tuesday's encounter, Illinois State looks to capitalize on its momentum against Southern Illinois' current form challenges.