Johnny Kinziger, Illinois State Shock No. 23 Indiana State

Indiana State vs Illinois State

Indiana State vs Illinois State | Image: The Draftmatic/YouTube

Rookie Johnny Kinziger scored a career-best 31 points and Illinois State upset the No. 23 Sycamores 80-67 in Terre Haute, Ind., ending Indiana State’s 45-year wait as a ranked team on Tuesday night.

Myles Foster contributed 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Redbirds (12-14, 6-9 Missouri Valley Conference), shooting at a 51.8 percent accuracy from the field and dominating for almost 38 minutes.

Kendall Lewis secured a game-high 13 rebounds as Illinois State achieved their most remarkable victory in coach Ryan Pedon‘s two years in charge.

Julian Larry recorded 20 points for Indiana State (22-4, 13-2), breaking their nine-game winning streak. Isaiah Swope added 18 points, while Ryan Conwell contributed 10 before fouling out.

Indiana State entered the top 25 on Monday owing to their powerful offense, which boasted the second-highest field-goal percentage in Division I at 50.8 percent. However, they struggled to find their rhythm against Illinois State, converting only 36.4 percent of their field goal attempts and 8 out of 38 3-point shots.

Despite their uncommon shooting struggles, Indiana State fought back from a 35-29 halftime deficit to claim a 49-48 lead with 9:33 left in the game on a basket by Swope assisted by Robbie Avila. Nonetheless, the Redbirds countered with 3-pointers from Kinziger and Luke Kasubke to secure a definitive lead.

Up 56-55 after a 3-pointer by Swope at the 6:19 mark, Illinois State went on a nine-point spree, capped by two successful free throws from Lewis at 3:49, extending their lead to 65-55.

The Redbirds began the game strongly on the road, establishing a 16-6 advantage just over six minutes into the match with Foster converting a layup, prompting a timeout from Indiana State’s coach Josh Schertz. Their lead widened to 22-8 when Kinziger intercepted the ball from Avila and scored a layup.

Towards the end of the first half, Indiana State exhibited signs of a comeback, narrowing the gap to 32-27 with Swope’s 3-pointer at the 1:22 mark before heading into halftime trailing by six points. 

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    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

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    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

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    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

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    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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