5 Things to Know About Purdue Basketball's Next Opponent — Illinois State

The Boilermakers will try to get their first win on Monday night, but it won't be easy. Purdue hosts Illinois State, a team that finished 23-13 last season.

Illinois State Redbirds head coach Ryan Pedon calls out to his team. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After suffering an 83-80 loss in double overtime to Valparaiso on Friday, Purdue is still searching for its first win of the season. It's not going to be easy on Monday when Illinois State rolls into town.

Purdue sits at 0-2 after the opening week of the college basketball season. The Boilers have suffered losses to Gonzaga and Valpo. They desperately need to get into the win column to boost their confidence. Illinois State would love to add another loss to Purdue's record.

Illinois State will challenge Purdue in several ways on Monday night. This won't be an easy contest for Matt Painter and his team. What do we know about the Redbirds? A few things stand out ahead of Monday's clash.

ISU head coach Ryan Pedon talks with his players as they battle Bradley. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Familiarity with Purdue

Illinois State has two coaches on its staff who have a strong understanding of what Matt Painter likes to run on both ends of the floor. The obvious one is assistant coach Ethan Morton, who played for the Boilermakers from 2020-24 and was part of the program's first Final Four run in over 40 years.

Morton is just three seasons removed from playing under Painter and Co. and understands exactly how Purdue operates. That's a major scouting advantage for the Redbirds.

Additionally, head coach Ryan Pedon spent plenty of time in the Big Ten before becoming a head coach at Illinois State in 2022. He worked at Illinois from 2013 until 2015 as an assistant coach and was also an assistant at Ohio State from 2017 through 2022.

Plethora of experience

What makes Illinois State such a dangerous team is its experience. This is a roster with eight players who have at least three years of college basketball experience, and many of them are the team's top contributors.

It's a tough matchup for Purdue, because although the Boilermakers do have multiple third-year guys on the roster, many of them are still learning new roles. Most have been bench players throughout their careers and are still working through the process.

Having that experience will help Illinois State when it walks into an environment like Mackey Arena on Monday.

Scoring at a high level

Through its first two games, Illinois State has scored at a high level. It lost a 90-85 contest to St. Mary's in overtime in its opener, then defeatead Central State 100-55 last Thursday. Three players are averaging double-figures: Johnny Kinziger (23.0 ppg), Malik Messina-Moore (17.0 ppg) and Nick Allen (10.0 ppg).

Most impressively, though, is how the Redbirds have shot the ball through two games. They're hitting at a 55% clip from the field and shooting 50.9% from behind the three-point line. Illinois State was 13-of-27 from deep against St. Mary's and made 16-of-30 against Central State.

It's still early in the season, but six different players are shooting 44% or better from behind the three-point line.

All-MVC caliber players

Chase Walker and Kinziger have both earned All-MVC honors during their careers at Illinois State. Walker was a first-team selection following the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Kinziger was a second-team all-conference selection at the end of the 2024-25 season after averaged 14.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.

Illinois State has several quality players, but it's always nice to have go-to guys, especially in crucial moments. The Redbirds have two on the roster who can deliver down the stretch of games.

Progress every season

Under Pedon, Illinois State has increased its win total every season. When he first took the job, the Redbirds finished with an 11-21 record. They then won 15 games the following season and ended the 2024-25 campaign with a 22-14 record and a CBI championship.

Last season, Pedon's team went 23-13, finishing third in the MVC standings. The Redbirds earned a bid to the NIT and reached the semifinal round, falling to Auburn 88-66.

Illinois State has only improved and Pedon might be bringing his best team to West Lafayette.

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