GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO AND LIVE STATS) | WESTWOOD ONE RADIO | NCAA BRACKET
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- It March Madness, and the Morehead State Men's Basketball team is looking for a little March gladness as the Eagles face off against Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday at CHI Health Arena in Omaha, Neb. Tip off time is 3:10 p.m. ET.
MSU has only ever met the Fighting Illini program one time, in 1993, a loss for the Eagles at Illinois. The 14th-seed in the East Region, MSU won the OVC Tournament championship. The third seed Illinois claimed the Big 10 Tournament title.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (
WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Tom Lewis. It is also available on Westwood One Radio with Kevin Kugler and Stephen Bardo. The game airs live on TruTV with Tom McCarthy, Deb Antonelli, Avery Johnson and AJ Ross on the call.
2023-24 RECORDS
MSU: 26-8 | ILL: 26-8
THE SERIES IN DEPTH
Record vs. ILL: 1-2
First Meeting: 12/10/93 ILL won 111-75 at ILL
Last Meeting: Same
Streak: ILL, 1 game
Record in Champaign, Ill.: 0-1
Record in Morehead, Ky.: 0-0
Neutral Record: 0-0
NOTABLE
• Morehead State is one of just 21 Division I teams to win 25+ games this season. The Eagles' OVC Tournament championship win over Little Rock gave this team the program record with 26 wins in a season.
• Head coach
Preston Spradlin has led MSU to four consecutive 20+ win seasons, a first in program history.
• Morehead State, the OVC's only remaining team in Kentucky, is easily the winningest Division I MBB program in the state in the past four seasons with 94 wins.
• MSU is making the program's 9th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, the program has appeared in 2009, 2011 and 2021, winning a game in the round of 64 in 2011 versus in-state foe Louisville.
• MSU has 318 three-pointers this season, a school single-season record. MSU is one of just 22 D1 teams to hit 300+ triples this year.
• With 512 assists this season, it marks the second time in the last three seasons the program has recorded 500+ assists in a season.
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Drew Thelwell became the winningest individual player in program history Feb. 10 vs. Eastern Illinois with 88 (now with 94). He broke Terrence Hill's record of 87 from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
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Riley Minix is the 2023-24 OVC Player of the Year, making it back-to-back league Player of the Year honors for the program after
Mark Freeman won it last year.
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Riley Minix ranks third in the nation in field goals made with 263.
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Riley Minix is shooting to become the first Eagle since OVC Player of the Year Ricky Minard in 2002-03 to average 20+ for a season. Minix enters the NCAA ranked 8th in the nation with 706 total points ad 23rd with 20.8 per game.
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Riley Minix has 19 double-doubles for the season. It's the most double-doubles in a year since Johni Broome's 22 in 2021-22. Minix posted 10 consecutive double-doubles from Feb. 3-March 7 - tying the program's modern era record held by Kenneth Faried for consecutive double-doubles.
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Riley Minix has scored 706 points this season, the third best season in program history. Only three players ever - Dan Swartz (828 in 1955-56), Brett Roberts (815 in 1991-92) and Granville Williams (705 in 1960-61) - had scored 700+ points in a season at MSU.
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Riley Minix has 2,754 career collegiate points to go along with 1,380 career rebounds. He is one of four current Eagles (along with
Kalil Thomas,
Jordan Lathon,
Mark Freeman [not active this year]) to have at least 1,000 career collegiate points.
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Drew Thelwell set the Morehead State single-season assist record this year, now with 207, eclipsing Nik Stojokovic's previous mark of 204 set in 2007-08.
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Kalil Thomas scored a career-high 23 points on seven three-pointers against UTM in the OVC Tournament semifinals and set the MSU single-season record for three-pointers, now with 103. He broke the previous mark of 95 by Maze Stallworth in 2009-10.
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Kalil Thomas is one only 21 Division I players to hit 100+ three-pointers this season. He ranks tied for 11th nationally with 103 triples.
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Jordan Lathon has 21 double-figure scoring games and 11 games with 20+. Despite missing four games, Lathon still ranked sixth in the OVC in scoring at 15.4 per game.
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Eddie Ricks III (39),
Dieonte Miles (36) and
Riley Minix (35) all had 35+ blocked shots this year, marking the first time in program history with three players with 35+ blocks in same season.
