Illinois State – Deep Enough for a Deep Run?

(St. Louis, MO) – Illinois State was tabbed as the preseason second place team in the Missouri Valley Conference. They had four returning starters, two highly touted newcomers, size and athleticism. Head Coach Dan Muller’s teams have won 18 games three times and 22 once and last year they tied for second place in the Valley standings.

Is this the year the Redbirds get over the hump?

The answer could lie in their depth, or lack thereof. Their starting five has as much, if not more experience than any team in the Valley. Three starting seniors, a two-year letter winning junior and a transfer with plenty of experience, means nothing should take them by surprise.

Muller’s backcourt of seniors Paris Lee and Tony Wills have been through the wars. They have played in the College Basketball Invitational and the National Invitation Tournament. They have combined to start 151 games heading into Friday’s date with Hawaii. Lee is among the national leaders in career steals and is closing in on 1,000 career points. If college basketball is about guard play, the Redbirds are in good hands.

Forwards Deontae Hawkins (a reclassified senior) and junior MiKyle McIntosh came to Normal the same year as Lee and Wills, and the four players have vowed to have an historic season in their last campaign together.

Both stand at 6’7 or better, are athletic, can rebound and shoot the three. They are match up nightmares for anyone in the Valley. Both have started more than 50 games in their two-plus seasons at ISU. Hawkins (15.2 ppg) and McIntosh (13.4 ppg) both average better than six rebounds per game, and at times can take over games.

The two newcomers Phil Fayne (starting forward) and DJ Clayton (reserve guard) have fit the ISU mold. The 6’9 Fayne is scoring double figures and grabbing over six rebounds per game. His length helps the Redbird defense, which shifts from man-to-man, to a difficult to manage zone. Clayton, a 6’6 guard gives Muller’s team a lift off the bench averaging 7.4 points, over four rebounds and over two assists per contest.

Those six players are as formidable as there is in the league. But what about the rest of the rotation? There have been times this season, when Muller has told reporters he has players he just doesn’t trust yet.

So the question remains are the Redbirds deep enough to make a deep run?

None of the other players on Muller’s bench play more than 15 minutes per game. Two players Javaka Thompson and Matt Hein average less than two minutes per game and three of Muller’s reserves (adding Andre Washington) have COMBINED to score 13 points. Only sophomore Keyshawn Evans has played in all nine Redbird games.

Evans has shown the ability to score from long distance with 11 three-pointers, but the five players not in the top rotation have a COMBINED nine free throw attempts to their resume! Only Washington (6’8) is taller than 6’4. Evans has been dealing with a slight concussion and will probably play on Friday.

The wildcard in all of this is sophomore Daouda ‘David’ Ndiaye. The 7′ Senegal native is battling his way back from a foot injury and according to Jim Benson of The Pantagraph, could be available during ISU’s trip to Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic. Ndiaye is a bit of an unknown. He played 12 games as a freshman before sustaining a stress fracture in his foot. Against Tennessee State (last season) he recorded six rebounds and five blocked shots, so the potential is there for Ndiaye to be a difference maker.

Three games in Hawaii will test the Redbird depth, particularly because the first two games will be played on back-to-back days (the same day in Central Standard Time!). The third game will be played on Christmas day.

Valley play begins before the turn of the year, and the 18 game marathon will test this thin, but veteran crew.

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