TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State University men's basketball returns to the friendly confines of Hulman Center Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 9-10, to take on Missouri Valley Conference foe Southern Illinois University. Both games tip at 1 p.m. and can be found on ESPN3 and WIBQ 97.9 FM.
Key Eyeing the Top 10
Senior Tyreke Key is nearing a spot in the Top 10 of the ISU all-time scoring list, now needing just 55 points to jump Carl Nicks (1976-80) and the legendary Duane Klueh (1946-49). The Celina, Tenn. native is averaging 13.7 points per game on the season, 13.8 in MVC play, and has 1,378 career points.
Happy Birthday Coach Klueh!
Indiana State's all-time leader in wins, Duane Klueh, turned 95 years old Wednesday, Jan. 6. Klueh holds the program record for career wins (183), was a four-time ICC Coach of the Year, and took the Sycamores to three NAIA National Tournaments. Klueh also boasts an impressive resume from his playing days having laced up for ISU during the John Wooden era, playing in two NAIB National Championships, being named the 1948 College Player of the year and an All-American, and going on to have a career in the NBA.
Where They Rank
Senior Tyreke Key is third in the Valley in free throw percentage (91.7%), while junior Cooper Neese sits just behind him in fourth with a 90% mark. As a team, the Sycamores lead the conference in free throw percentage at 77.4%.
Key comes in at No. 10 in the Valley's scoring rankings at 13.7 per game. Sophomore Jake LaRavia (12.8 ppg) and Neese (12.2 ppg) round out the top 15 at No. 14 and 15, respectively. Sophomore Tre Williams comes in at No. 9 on the rebounding list (5.9 per game).
Last Time Against the Salukis
Indiana State swept the season series against Southern Illinois in 2019-20, snapping an eight-game losing skid against the Salukis in the process.
The last time the two met in Terre Haute, Dec. 30, 2019, the trio of Tyreke Key, Tre Williams and Jake LaRavia led the way to a 68-56 victory. Key poured in 20 points while Williams added 14 and LaRavia narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. The more recent of the two matchups, Feb. 26, 2020 in Carbondale, saw the Sycamores come away with a 77-68 win behind 21 points from Jordan Barnes and 20 from Key. LaRavia notched 14 points and Christian Williams tacked on 11.
Back-to-Back Stats
With the 2020-21 format of back-to-back Valley games, some interesting stats:
- The Sycamores' defense averages allowing 11.0 fewer points in the second game of the series.
- Indiana State's defense is also holding opponents to 10.0% worse shooting from the floor in game two.
- The offense, meanwhile, is shooting 8.8% better from the floor overall and 11.4% better from beyond the three-point line.
Back-to-Back Opponents
The structure of Missouri Valley Conference play leans heavily on playing games in back-to-back games on back-to-back days. Playing the same opponent in back-to-back games in conference play is rare, but not unheard of. Indiana State played Evansville in the final game of the 2016-17 regular season, and then again in the first round of the MVC Tournament. The last time ISU played a Valley opponent back-to-back was Illinois State on Jan. 25 and 31 in 1976!
1,400 Club
Senior Tyreke Key looks to become the 13th player to reach the 1,400 point plateau in his career. The guard needs just 22 points to get there.
Next Up
Valley play continues with a trip to Bloomington/Normal to take on Illinois State Saturday, Jan. 16 and Sunday, Jan. 17. Both games are scheduled for 4 p.m.
