Illinois State’s Colton Sandage

First Recruit – Leading the Charge

(St. Louis, MO) – Illinois State’s Colton Sandage was first year head coach Ryan Pedon’s first recruit. It didn’t take much convincing the land the Bloomington, Illinois native to come home. He grew up wanting to be a Redbird. Now Pedon’s first recruit is leading the charge for an improving Illinois State team.

While two games remain before conference season (today’s Indy Classic clash with Ball State is one of them) the Redbirds (5-6) have won three straight and in no small part due to the emergence of Sandage. While the 6’2 guard was getting healthy and acclimated to his new team, the Redbirds lost six of their first eight games.

Particularly galling may have been a defeat at the hands of Sandage’s former Western Illinois team. Sandage is now healthy and carrying heavy minutes and the Redbirds are winning. Consecutive wins over Belmont, Eastern Michigan and Southern Illinois Edwardsville have sparked confidence in Pedon’s team and Sandage says team members are learning one another’s strengths and tendencies.

 

 

Illinois State’s Colton Sandage Coming Home

It took Sandage to four years to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for Illinois State, and he is making the most of the opportunity. After injuring his knee playing high school football at nearby Bloomington High School, Sandage missed his senior season of basketball and that limited his collegiate opportunities.

Sandage signed with Vincennes University (junior college) and played for the immensely successful Todd Franklin. After two seasons with the Trailblazers, he landed a scholarship with Western Illinois. While playing with the Leathernecks he accumulated over 600 points, including more than 100 three-pointers.

When coach Pedon was hired, he saw one final opportunity to come home.

 

 

Sandage credits Franklin with helping him understand the game and what is required to be successful as a basketball player and a person. He says Pedon’s recruitment and demonstration of a ‘family mentality’ as only added to his personal passion for the game.

 

 

Momentum at Illinois State

Pedon’s positivity and a veteran roster are building some momentum. There are no freshmen on the roster, but plenty of newcomers. Pedon and his staff had to sign a significant number of players, while holding on to some key members of last year’s team.

Returner Kendall Lewis leads the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.9) and is a defensive stopper. Seneca Knight and Darius Burford are transfers that are also averaging double figures during the team’s first eleven games.

Losing five straight games was a low point for the Redbirds. The fifth of those games was an overtime loss to Murray State in the team’s Missouri Valley opener. Pedon’s Birds bounced back to claim a conference contest against Belmont and non-conference wins over Eastern Michigan and SIUE.

Prior to the winning streak ILS had not scored more than 70 points in any game this season. During the streak they are averaging 83.6. Sandage is a big part of that transformation. While he played very little against Belmont and scored just five points, he exploded offensively in the next two contests.

Twenty-eight points during the Eastern Michigan win and 16 against the Cougars ignited the Redbird offense. Illinois State’s win over SIUE was at historic Horton Field House and Sandage says the team is building momentum and community support has been outstanding.

 

 

In a wide open Missouri Valley Conference the Redbirds (1-1 in league play) could be factor in the upper half of the conference race. Veteran leadership and players that have known success other places can go a long way towards league success.

To see our entire conversation with Illinois State’s Colton Sandage, head to YouTube. You may listen to it at Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts.

Illinois State’s Colton Sandage wants to be a coach some day and he is coaching his teammates and contributing on the floor.

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