Dan Muller’s Illinois State Redbirds will play at San Diego State on Nov. 13 (Photo by B Corbin/WJBC)
By ISU Sports Information
ST. LOUIS – An early road test awaits the 2015-16 Illinois State men’s basketball team, as the Redbirds will travel to 2015 NCAA Tournament qualifier San Diego State Friday, Nov. 13, for a matchup in the renewed Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge, the league office announced Thursday.
The Aztecs made their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015, earning an eight-seed and knocking off St. John’s before falling to eventual Final Four team Duke in the Round of 32. San Diego State clinched a share of the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship after amassing a 14-4 league mark. The Aztecs finished the 2014-15 season with a 27-9 overall record and were nationally ranked for most of the year, rising to No. 13 in early December.
Illinois State (22-13) advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament in 2014-15 after falling short in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Redbirds upset No. 8 Wichita State during their MVC Tournament run. ISU’s MW/MVC Challenge game will feature two Redbird basketball alums leading their respective teams, with ISU head coach Dan Muller (`98) facing SDSU’s Steve Fisher (`67).
As a player, Fisher helped Illinois State to a fourth-place finish in the 1967 College Division National Tournament. Coincidentally, Fisher and ISU beat San Diego State in the Elite Eight that year. Fisher will be facing his alma mater for just the second time in his 24-year head coaching career, previously leading Michigan to a 76-70 victory over ISU in the NCAA Tournament, Mar. 16, 1990. The Redbirds lead the all-time series against the Aztecs, 2-1, with the programs last meeting in 1973. ISU is 0-1 at SDSU.
“I am excited about the beginning of a terrific challenge between our two conferences,” Muller said. “This will guarantee us another quality opponent each year, alternating home and away. We requested that we have an opportunity to play at San Diego State because of the admiration that I have for fellow Redbird, Coach Fisher. It will certainly be a tough way to start the 2015-16 season, but we can’t wait.”
The revived MW/MVC Challenge Series will feature head-to-head competition between 10 Mountain West and 10 Missouri Valley teams annually, with each conference hosting five games apiece each season. Annual matchups for teams in the Challenge Series will be based upon factors including the previous year’s achievements, records and RPI rankings, as well as projected rankings/strength of teams in the upcoming season, based on composite sources. Each season will be considered separately in terms of matchups, therefore, games from the previous year’s Challenge Series may not be returned.
“The reintroduction of this Challenge Series is a positive step for both leagues,” MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin said. “Tough non-conference scheduling has always been paramount in improving our league’s stature on the national scene. The series helps institutions in both leagues achieve that goal. It’s great for the fans of the Missouri Valley and the Mountain West as new rivalries are developed with nationally-recognized programs that have a strong commitment to men’s basketball.”
The Mountain West has ranked among the Top 10 in the NCAA’s final RPI report in nine of the last 10 years, while the Valley has been among the Top 10 eight times during that same span. The leagues have combined for nine Sweet 16 appearances over the last decade. The previous MW/MVC Challenge Series ran from the 2009-10 through the 2012-13 seasons, with Illinois State earning a 1-2 record (2009-10: at Utah, W 73-63; 2010-11: vs. UNLV, L 82-51; 2011-12: No opponent; 2012-13: vs. Wyoming, L 81-67).
Along with the MW/MVC Challenge Series, ISU’s 2015-16 non-conference schedule will also include the 2015 Cancun Challenge, consisting of two games in Normal, Illinois, and two games at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya near Cancun, Mexico, Nov. 24 and 25. The Redbirds join fellow host-schools Maryland, Rhode Island and TCU, with the bracket slated to be released at a later date.
