2025–26 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team

2025–26 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball
Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational (Imagination Bracket) Champion
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record9–3 (1–0 MVC)
Head coach
Associate head coachJason Slay
Assistant coaches
Home arenaDoug Collins Court
at CEFCU Arena
2025–26 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Belmont 2 0   1.000 12 1   .923
Northern Iowa 1 0   1.000 9 2   .818
Murray State 1 0   1.000 9 3   .750
Illinois State 1 0   1.000 9 3   .750
Bradley 1 0   1.000 8 4   .667
Valparaiso 0 0   6 5   .545
Indiana State 0 1   .000 7 5   .583
Drake 0 1   .000 6 6   .500
Southern Illinois 0 1   .000 6 6   .500
Evansville 0 1   .000 4 8   .333
UIC 0 2   .000 4 7   .364
† 2026 MVC tournament winner
As of December 19, 2025

The 2025–26 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represents Illinois State University during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Redbirds play their home games at Doug Collins Court at CEFCU Arena in Normal, Illinois as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).

Previous season

The Redbirds finished the 2024–25 season 22–14, 10–10 in the Missouri Valley Conference play to finish in a tie for fifth place. As the fifth seed in the MVC tournament, they defeated twelfth seed Missouri State in the opening round but were beaten by fourth seed Belmont in the quarterfinal round.

Offseason

Departures

Name # Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Dalton Banks 3 G 6'2" 190 Graduate Eau Claire, WI Graduated (undrafted; signed with BC Margveti Tbilisi)
Malachi Poindexter 1 G 6'3" 190 Graduate Mineral, VA Graduated (undrafted)
Caden Boser 33 F 6'8" 225 Fifth Year Eau Claire, WI Graduated (undrafted)
Jordan Davis 5 G 6'4" 205 Fifth Year La Crosse, WI Graduated (undrafted)
Nick Feather 31 F 6'8" 280 Freshman Heyworth, IL
Cade Norris 2 G 6'4" 205 Freshman Hilliard, OH Transferred to Samford

2025 recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Nick Allen
C
Bourbonnais, IL Bradley-Bourbonnais Community HS 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Aug 26, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Ty'Reek Coleman
G
Aurora, IL Waubonsie Valley HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Aug 26, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Isaac Ericksen
F
Cary, NC Green Level HS 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Aug 26, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Mason Klabo
G
Fargo, ND Davies HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Sep 16, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2025 Illinois State Signees". Rivals.
  • "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals.

Incoming transfers

Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Prior school
Landon Moore G 6'3" 200 Senior Bloomington, IL Butler

Preseason

The Redbirds were picked to finish in first place in the conference's preseason poll.[1]

Roster

2025–26 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
F 0 Jack Daugherty 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Brookfield Central HS Brookfield, WI
G 1 Landon Moore 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Sr Bloomington HS
Western Reserve Academy
Saint Francis (Pennsylvania)
Butler
Bloomington, IL
G/F 2 Isaac Ericksen  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Fr Green Level HS Cary, NC
G 3 Mason Klabo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Davies HS Fargo, ND
G 4 Landon Wolf 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Sr Cedar Falls HS
Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
G 10 Ty'Reek Coleman 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Waubonsie Valley HS Aurora, IL
G 11 Johnny Kinziger 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jr De Pere HS De Pere, WI
F 12 Brandon Lieb 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 250 lb (113 kg) GS Deerfield HS
Illinois
Deerfield, IL
G 13 Ty Blake (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr University HS Normal, IL
G 14 Boden Skunberg 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) GS Jamestown HS
North Dakota State
Jamestown, ND
F 15 Nick Allen  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Bradley-Bourbonnais Community HS Bourbonnais, IL
G 22 Ty Pence 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr St. Joseph-Ogden HS St. Joseph, IL
F 23 Cameron Barnes 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS So Duncanville HS
Mississippi
Duncanville, TX
F 35 Chase Walker 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 280 lb (127 kg) Jr Saint Charles Prepartory School Columbus, OH
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on
  • (5Y) Fifth-year Senior
  • Injured
  • Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: October 18, 2025

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition Season
October 19, 2025*
2:00 pm, BTN+
at No. 17 Illinois L 65–92 
 16  Daugherty   4  Coleman   3  Tied  State Farm Center (15,180)
Champaign, Illinois
October 29, 2025*
7:00 pm, BTN+
at Northwestern L 65–100 
 13  Walker   5  Tied   4  Walker  Welsh-Ryan Arena 
Evanston, Illinois
Non-Conference Regular Season
November 6, 2025*
6:00 pm, ESPN+
at Ohio L 68–72  0–1
 15  Tied   7  Tied   3  Tied  Convocation Center (3,831)
Athens, Ohio
November 9, 2025*
1:00 pm, ESPN+
Cornell W 76–65  1–1
 24  Coleman   10  Lieb   2  Tied  CEFCU Arena (4,086)
Normal, Illinois
November 14, 2025*
6:30 pm, Peacock
vs. USC
Experian Hall of Fame Series – Los Angeles
L 67–87  1–2
 16  Coleman   9  Walker   2  Tied  Intuit Dome (7,554)
Inglewood, California
November 16, 2025*
6:00 pm, ESPN+
at Long Beach State W 82–80  2–2
 19  Tied   7  Walker   4  Pence  Walter Pyramid (1,480)
Long Beach, California
November 20, 2025*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Rockford W 93–48  3–2
 14  Daugherty   10  Lieb   3  Coleman  CEFCU Arena (3,127)
Normal, Illinois
November 23, 2025*
4:00 pm, ESPN+
Coastal Carolina W 94–42  4–2
 16  Tied   7  Skunberg   5  Klabo  CEFCU Arena (3,512)
Normal, Illinois
November 27, 2025*
12:30 pm, ESPN2
vs. Charlotte
Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational
(Imagination Bracket) semifinal
W 79–69  5–2
 22  Skunberg   10  Skunberg   4  Kinziger  State Farm Field House (533)
Kissimmee, Florida
November 28, 2025*
2:00 pm, ESPN2
vs. Furman
Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational
(Imagination Bracket) final
W 72–65  6–2
 20  Pence   10  Pence   4  Coleman  State Farm Field House (502)
Kissimmee, Florida
December 3, 2025*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky W 89–78  7–2
 21  Kinziger   8  Skunberg   5  Tied  CEFCU Arena (4,179)
Normal, Illinois
December 6, 2025*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Chicago State W 95–53  8–2
 16  Tied   11  Lieb   9  Walker  CEFCU Arena (3,881)
Normal, Illinois
December 13, 2025*
4:00 pm, YouTube
vs. Utah State
Salt Lake Slam
L 78–83  8–3
 21  Pence   4  Pence   5  Kinziger  Delta Center (2,539)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Conference Regular Season
December 18, 2025
8:00 pm, MVC TV/ESPN+
at Southern Illinois W 75–68  9–3
(1–0)
 22  Pence   8  Wolf   5  Walker  Banterra Center (3,923)
Carbondale, Illinois
December 21, 2025
4:00 pm, Marquee/ESPN+
Indiana State       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
December 29, 2025
8:00 pm, MVC TV/ESPN+
at Drake       The Knapp Center 
Des Moines, Iowa
January 1, 2026
2:00 pm, ESPN+
Evansville       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
January 7, 2026
7:00 pm, ESPN+
at Valparaiso       Athletics-Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, Indiana
January 10, 2025
TBA, TBD
UIC       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
January 14, 2026
6:00 pm, ESPN+
at Indiana State       Hulman Center 
Terre Haute, Indiana
January 17, 2026
TBA, TBD
Bradley
I–74 Rivalry
      CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
January 21, 2026
TBA, TBD
Northern Iowa       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
January 25, 2026
2:00 pm, ESPN+
at Belmont       Curb Event Center 
Nashville, Tennessee
January 28, 2026
8:00 pm, MVC TV/ESPN+
at Murray State       CFSB Center 
Murray, Kentucky
February 3, 2025
6:00 pm, MVC TV/ESPN+
Southern Illinois       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
February 6, 2026
TBA, TBD
Drake       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
February 9, 2026
TBA, ESPN+
at Evansville       Ford Center 
Evansville, Indiana
February 12, 2026
6:00 pm, MVC TV/ESPN+
Valparaiso       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
February 15, 2026
TBA, TBD
at UIC       Credit Union 1 Arena 
Chicago, Illinois
February 18, 2026
TBA, TBD
Murray State       CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
February 21, 2026
TBA, TBD
at Bradley
I–74 Rivalry
      Carver Arena 
Peoria, Illinois
February 25, 2026
TBA, TBD
at Northern Iowa       McLeod Center 
Cedar Falls, Iowa
March 1, 2026
TBA, TBD
Belmont
Senior Day
      CEFCU Arena 
Normal, Illinois
Conference Tournament
March 5–8, 2026*
TBA, CBS/
CBSSN/
MVC TV Network/ESPN+
vs. TBD
Arch Madness
      Enterprise Center 
St. Louis, Missouri
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time Zone.

Source[2]

References

  1. ^ "Illinois State Picked as MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Favorite". Missouri Valley Conference Sports. September 29, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  2. ^ "2025–26 Men's Basketball Schedule". goredbirds.com. Illinois State University Athletics. Retrieved October 18, 2025.