Busting Brackets
Fansided

Illinois State Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Redbirds

By Tristan Freeman

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 4: Milik Yarbrough #52 of the Illinois State Redbirds looks to get pst Lucas Williamson #1 of the Loyola Ramblers during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Championship at the Scottrade Center on March 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 4: Milik Yarbrough #52 of the Illinois State Redbirds looks to get pst Lucas Williamson #1 of the Loyola Ramblers during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Championship at the Scottrade Center on March 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
HONOLULU, HI – DECEMBER 25: Phil Fayne #10 of the Illinois State Redbirds and Pat Birt #11 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane fight for position after a free throw attempt during the second half of the Diamond Head Classic third place game at Stan Sheriff Center on December 25, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Illinois won the game 68-56. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
HONOLULU, HI – DECEMBER 25: Phil Fayne #10 of the Illinois State Redbirds and Pat Birt #11 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane fight for position after a free throw attempt during the second half of the Diamond Head Classic third place game at Stan Sheriff Center on December 25, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Illinois won the game 68-56. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

Starters

SR Keyshawn Evans

It’s been an amazing progress for the 6’0 guard through his college career, going from barely playing as a freshman to averaging 15.2 ppg and 3.6 apg last season. He shot better from three-point range (42% on 7.2 attempts per game) than from inside the arc and was ranked fifth in the conference in assists. If the progression continues, who knows what Evans has in store in his final campaign.

JR Zach Copeland

A talented JUCO transfer, Copeland averaged 18.7 ppg on 48% shooting from deep in 2016-17 at the College of San Francisco. He wasn’t able to suit up for the team due to academic issues. The 6’4 guard is a volume scorer, which included 12 different games of 30+ points last season. There’s one starter position seemingly up for grabs and based on who’s returning, Copeland would be the ideal fit, as his shooting ability can spread the floor and allow the stars to operate.

SR William Tinsley

A former JUCO player himself, Tinsley started 20 games, averaging 6.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg. He primarily shoots three-pointers and won’t drop 20 points in a given night but at 6’6 he’s a solid wing defender who can help the team in other ways besides scoring.

SR Milik Yarbrough

After falling out of favor at Saint Louis, Yarbrough was reborn at Illinois State, averaging 16.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 4.8 apg. There were a few occasions where the 6’6 forward nearly racked up a triple-double last season. In fact, he was arguably the team’s point-forward, with the offense operating through him.

The only slight weakness Yarbrough may have is his three-point shooting (29%) but he was great at everything else. While Loyola-Chicago’s Clayton Custer is the returning Missouri Valley Player of the Year, the Redbirds star may be the best bet to grab the award this upcoming season.

*Editor’s note: On September 12, Yarbrough has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities. This would be a devastating blow to the Redbirds if he can’t play.

SR Phil Fayne

A key player on each of Illinois State’s last two seasons, Fayne took a big leap in his scoring once he became one of the focal points of the offense. The 6’9 forward averaged 15.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg, all from inside the arc. He cracked double figures in all but three games, while also accumulating nine double-doubles. I’d argue that Fayne is the best pure low-post scoring in the conference for this season and will benefit from having both Evans and Copeland shooting from the perimeter.