The Illinois State men's basketball team has been one of the biggest sports for the university since its debut season in 1898. The Redbirds have amassed over 800 wins, appeared in 18 major post season tournaments, and won 4 Missouri Valley Tournaments. The Redbirds have also successfully sent over 50 players to play professionally worldwide. The Illinois State men's basketball team has a tradition of success that has been on display for the over 100 years that the team has competed, and will continue for years to come.
History
Illinois State Redbirds: General History
The Illinois State men’s basketball team first began playing in the year 1898, only playing two games and winning them both. The Redbirds continued playing until the 1909-10. The Redbirds won 61 games while only losing 21 during this time. Illinois State spent time in the 2nd division of the NCAA until 1971 when they became a division one team. The Redbirds played as an Independent team until 1981 winning 283 games while losing only 155. Illinois State appeared in the National Invitation Tournament, NIT, three times during this stretch. The Redbirds officially joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1981 with a record of 17-12. From 1981 until the previous season Illinois State has won 546 games and lost 393 while making 6 NCAA tournament appearances, 9 NIT appearances, and winning the Missouri Valley Conference 4 times. This brings the Redbirds to a record of 890-569 with a total of 18 post season tournament appearances and 4 conference championships. For a complete list of season by season stats and records, follow this link http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/illinois-state/1899.html. Then navigate through the website by either selecting the next season or using the next/previous season buttons.
Tournament Success
NCAA Tournament Appearances
| Year | Games | |
| 1983 | L 51-49 vs Ohio | |
| 1984 | W 49-48 vs Alabama | |
| L 75-61 vs Depaul | ||
| 1985 | W 58-55 vs USC | |
| L 75-69 vs Oklahoma | ||
| 1990 | L 76-70 vs Michigan | |
| 1997 | L 69-57 vs Iowa State | |
| 1998 | W 82-81 vs Tennessee | |
| L 82-49 vs Arizona |
NIT Appearances
| Year | Games | |
| 1977 | W 65–58 vs Creighton | |
| L 91–90 vs Houston | ||
| 1978 | L 73–71 vs Indiana State | |
| 1980 | W 80–63 vs West Texas State | |
| L 75–65 vs Illinois | ||
| 1987 | W 79–72 vs Akron | |
| W 79–77 vs Cleveland State | ||
| L 70–50 vs La Salle | ||
| 1988 | L 89–83 vs Cleveland State | |
| 1995 | W 93–87 vs Utah Sate | |
| L 83–80 vs Washington State | ||
| 1996 | W 73–49 vs Mount St. Mary's | |
| W 77–62 vs Wisconsin | ||
| L 83–72 vs Tulane | ||
| 2001 | L 90–79 vs Purdue | |
| 2008 | W 61–57 vs Utah State | |
| L 55–48 vs Dayton | ||
| 2009 | L 83–79 vs Kansas State | |
| 2010 | L 63–42 vs Dayton | |
| 2012 | W 96–93 vs Ole Miss | |
| L 92–88 vs Stanford |
Team Records
Here are a few notable ISU records, but this link takes you to a complete list http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ilsu/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/201213_Records.pdf.
| Career Scoring Leaders | |||
| Player | Points | ||
| Doug Collins | 2240 | ||
| Billy Lewis | 1962 | ||
| Fred Marberry | 1881 | ||
| Ron Jones | 1839 | ||
| Osiris Eldridge | 1838 | ||
| Career Assist Leaders | |||
| Player | Assists | ||
| Jamar Smiley | 740 | ||
| Michael McKenny | 467 | ||
| Mike Bonczyk | 482 | ||
| Derrick Mayes | 506 | ||
| Ron Jones | 597 | ||
| Career Rebounds Leaders | |||
| Player | Rebounds | ||
| Ron deVries | 1033 | ||
| Dave Schertz | 978 | ||
| Jackie Carmichael | 942 | ||
| Fred Marberry | 933 | ||
| Steve Arends | 885 | ||
Famous Players
The Illinois State Redbirds have sent a total of 53 players to play professional basketball worldwide. For a complete list, follow this link http://www.goredbirds.com/trads/ilsu-trads-inthepros-m-baskbl.html. Here is a few of the biggest players who have played in an Illinois State Jersey.
Doug Collins 
Doug Collins was an Illinois State player from 1970-73. Collins set school records for most points, highest scoring average and field goals made despite only playing three years for the Redbirds. Collins represented the United States at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and was later selected as the first overall pick in the 1973 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers. After an 8 year playing career, Collins took up coaching and broadcasting. He spent a total 11 years coaching to date, spending three years with the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03), and Philadelphia 76ers (2010-13). Collins’ two stints as a sports broadcaster occurred in between his coaching jobs of the Pistons and Wizards along with the time between the Wizards and 76ers. Collins worked for both NBC and TNT, winning an Emmy for his work at TNT. Collins had a record of 442-407 as a coach. In 2009, a statue was erected outside of Redbird Arena depicting Collins and his coach at ISU, Will Robinson. The court at Redbird Arena is named Collins Court, after Doug Collins.
Steve Fisher 
Fisher attended and played for ISU from 1965-67. Fisher is known more for his work in the college coaching world then for playing at ISU. He coached the Michigan Wolverines from 1989-1997 leading them to 3 NCAA title games, winning one in 1989. Fisher also led Michigan to the NIT title in 1997. Fisher is currently the head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs, a position he has held since 1999. Fisher has earned a record of 441-237 at the college level.
Current Pros:
Osiris Eldridge- Played for the Redbirds from 2006-10. Eldridge has made the most 3-point shots, has the second most defensive rebounds, fifth most point, second most steals, and most game played in ISU history. Eldridge has spent time in Turkey, France, and the NBA developmental league. Eldridge is currently playing in Germany. 
John Wilkins- Wilkins played for the Redbirds from 2010-13 and recently signed to play professionally in Belgium. 
Emmanuel Holloway-Holloway played for ISU from 2007-09 and earned places in the ISU record book in 3-point shots made, 3-point shooting percentage, and average steals per game. Holloway has played in Germany and the Czech Republic. Holloway is currently playing in Finland. 
Chamberlain Oguchi- “Champ” only played for ISU during the 2007 season but averaged the sixth most minutes per game in ISU history while making the 20th most 3-point shots. Oguchi has played in France, the NBA developmental league, Mexico and Lebanon. Oguchi is currently playing in the Philippines. The Nigerian born player started for Nigeria during the 2012 London Olympics and averaged 12 points per game for his national team. 
Jackie Carmichael- Carmichael played for ISU from 2009-2013 and is currently competing to play for the Miami Heat. Carmichael has blocked the most shots and secured the most defensive rebounds in ISU history. He is also 8th in points scored and 3rd in total rebounds for the Redbirds. 
Redbird Arena
History
Redbird Arena is currently the home of the Illinois State Redbirds Basketball team and other team sports related to the college. Redbird Arena was built in 1989 at a cost of $17 million ($32 million in modern money). The arena, which seats 10,200 people, replaced the 5,000 seat Horton Fieldhouse which had been the home of the Redbirds since 1963. In 2006, a four sided HD capable video board was hung over center court. The court at Redbird arena was named after Redbird’s legend Doug Collins. Redbird Arena is located at the corner of Delaine Drive and West College Avenue in Normal, IL.
Architecture
Redbird Arena was built from 1985-1988 with an additional design period lasting from 1964-85. The roof of the stadium is the most notable portion of the building, made out of Teflon. The engineers behind the project were David Campbell and David Geiger. The two decided to make the building’s “membrane” out of PTFE-coated glass-fiber and made the building stand 24m tall. “Membrane” is an architectural technique that uses curves to help with the load bearing. For more information on the architecture, follow this link http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0000712.
Current Redbirds
Roster
| Bobby Hunter |
| John Jones |
| Kaza Keane |
| Daishon Knight |
| Paris Lee |
| Zack Lofton |
| Reggie Lynch |
| Mikyle McIntosh |
| Michael Middlebrooks |
| Jamall Samuel |
| Matt Stacho |
| Tony Willis |
| Nick Zeisloft |
Coaching Staff
| Director of Basketball Operations | Danny Doyle | |
| Associate Head Coach | Dana Ford | |
| Head Coach | Dan Muller | |
| Assistant Coach | Torrey Ward |
Want more information on the coaches and players? Follow this link http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ilsu-m-baskbl-mtt.html and then click the name of the person you want to learn about.
Upcoming Season
The 2013-14 schedule has yet to be released for the Redbirds. However, tickets can be purchased from the Braden Box Office located in the Bone Student Center upon the release of the schedule. Tickets can also be purchased from Stubhub http://www.stubhub.com/illinois-state-redbirds-basketball-schedule/ or at Redbird Arena before games. College Students attending the university also have the option of joining the Red Alert. The Red Alert is a student organization that participates in community service and social events. The $50 pass automatically gains access to all ISU athletic home games including Men's Basketball. Season tickets for the upcoming season have not gone on sale yet, but will vary between $90-$260 depending on their location.
