Can Illinois State Survive the Gauntlet?

(St. Louis, MO) – If Illinois State is going to win the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title, they must survive the gauntlet of the next eight days. The Redbirds (18-4, 10-0) have won 11 straight games, they lead the Valley by one game over three-time defending champion Wichita State (19-4, 9-1) by virtue of their January 14 victory over the Shockers.

But these next eight days…

Wednesday Night – Northern Iowa Comes Calling

Tonight (Wednesday) they host host the red-hot Northern Iowa Panthers. No MVC team since 1936 has revived a season like the Panthers. UNI (10-11, 5-5) dropped their first five league games and have now won five straight.

The emergence of Bennett Koch, who is averaging 17.4 points and almost seven rebounds per game during the streak, has ignited the entire team. Klint Carlson has awoken from a season-long slump and even Jeremy ‘Captain’ Morgan has found a new gear, now that he isn’t the only weapon in coach Ben Jacobson’s arsenal.

The Panthers have won five of the last six games between the teams. ISU’s successful senior class is a combined 3-7 against UNI. Wednesday night is a gut check for a team that is 11-0 at Redbird Arena.

Uncertainty Surrounding MiKyle McIntosh

Illinois State’s ‘big 4’ of Paris Lee, Deontae Hawkins, Tony Wills and MiKyle McIntosh have been on a mission and McIntosh is second on the team in scoring and in rebounding. The 6’7 junior injured a knee several games ago. He played through the pain in one game and sat out Sunday’s victory at Evansville. His availability Tuesday and beyond is still in question.

McIntosh had an MRI on Monday, but head coach Dan Muller hasn’t divulged the results and is cagey about whether the Canadian native will be available any time soon. He warmed up Sunday, but did not play.

Saturday Night in Wichita

If Muller’s troops survive a Tuesday tussle with Northern Iowa, they will carry their unblemished record to Wichita’s sold-out Koch Arena and 10,000 plus screaming Shocker fans, singing about how you don’t want to go to war with the Shockers. Illinois State and Northern Iowa are the only Valley teams to defeat WSU since 2014. Those two have combined to go 5-11 with the Shockers, but a measly 1-5 in Wichita.

While the Redbirds have seven quality players that are virtually interchangeable (when McIntosh is healthy), they are not nearly as deep as the Shockers. Phil Fayne has come on strong for the Redbirds and was named this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’, but after Fayne and DJ Clayton, the Redbird bench, while growing, is suspect.

WSU goes 10 or 11 deep, and frankly maybe too deep. Sometimes it looks like the Shocker players aren’t sure of their roles, and thus lose a little effectiveness, but head coach Gregg Marshall’s hockey line changes could wear down the shorter rotation employed by Illinois State.

The death trap known as Koch Arena, a potentially gimpy McIntosh and a revenge-minded Shocker team, makes this the most challenging game of the season. ISU could lose to Northern Iowa, and then win in Wichita and still be in first place, but a MVC team winning in central Kansas is kind of like finding a Donald Trump fan in the Democratic party. It could happen, but…

Short Turn Around

The schedule-makers were not kind to the Redbirds. No matter what happens Wednesday, or then Saturday night, they have a quick turn around and play Tuesday night at Drake. Three gams in eight days in three different cities, all with a key player limping along. This test for Muller’s team could make or break their season.

Drake has rebounded under interim head coach Jeff Rutter and the Bulldogs are 4-0 in the Knapp Center in league play.

Earlier in the season, the Shockers went through a gauntlet like this and dropped their game in Normal to the Redbirds. Now it is Illinois State’s turn.

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