When March arrives, every college basketball fan starts thinking about the NCAA Tournament.
At Illinois State, the conversation feels a little different.
For nearly three decades, Redbirds fans have been waiting for the moment when their team hears its name called on Selection Sunday again. The last time Illinois State played in the NCAA Tournament was 1998. Since then, seasons have come and gone, and the drought has quietly grown into one of the longest in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Now the Redbirds have another shot.
Illinois State heads to Arch Madness with a 20-11 record and the No. 3 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. That puts the team in a strong position entering the biggest weekend of its season.
But anyone who has followed the Valley knows that nothing comes easy in St. Louis.
Ryan Pedon building something in Normal
Head coach Ryan Pedon is now in his fourth season leading Illinois State, and the program finally feels like it has real momentum again.
When Pedon arrived, the Redbirds were trying to find their footing. The early years were about rebuilding the roster and creating a foundation that could compete in the Valley.
That work is starting to show results.
Illinois State won the CBI last season and followed it up with another 20-win campaign this year. The Redbirds finished third in the MVC standings and spent most of the season battling near the top half of the conference.
More importantly, the team has developed an identity. Illinois State plays tough defense, shares the ball, and has enough experience to stay composed in tight games.
Those qualities tend to matter a lot in March.
A season with plenty of ups and downs
Like most Missouri Valley teams, Illinois State had its share of tough nights during conference play.
The Redbirds hovered around .500 in league games for long stretches, trading wins and losses in a conference where nearly every matchup feels like a coin flip.
But there were also moments that showed what this group can be when everything clicks.
Illinois State picked up big wins against teams like Belmont, Bradley, Murray State and Northern Iowa while also finding ways to close out tight games late in the season. Those kinds of performances helped push the Redbirds to the 20-win mark and into the upper tier of the MVC standings.
It hasn’t always been pretty.
But it has been competitive.
A balanced group leading the way
This Illinois State team doesn’t rely on one superstar to carry the offense.
Forward Chase Walker has been the team’s most consistent scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game while providing a physical presence around the basket. Guard Johnny Kinziger has been the primary playmaker, helping organize the offense and delivering key shots in clutch moments.
Around them, the Redbirds have several players capable of stepping up on any given night.
That depth has helped Illinois State stay competitive throughout the long MVC season and gives Pedon multiple options when games tighten up late.
In tournament basketball, that kind of balance can be a big advantage.
Everything now comes down to St. Louis
For Missouri Valley teams, the path to the NCAA Tournament is usually simple.
Win Arch Madness.
The MVC Tournament at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis has become one of the most beloved traditions in mid-major basketball. It’s loud, unpredictable, and often produces dramatic finishes.
Illinois State will begin its run in the quarterfinals against Northern Iowa on Friday at 8:30 pm local time.
From there, it would likely take three wins in three days to claim the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
That’s a difficult challenge.
But it’s also the opportunity Illinois State has been waiting for.
A chance to finally change the story
The NCAA Tournament drought has followed Illinois State for years now. Every March it gets mentioned again. Every March there’s another chance to end it.
This team knows that history.
But inside the locker room, the focus is much simpler.
Play well for 40 minutes. Then do it again the next day. Repeat that on Sunday.
If the Redbirds can put together a strong weekend in St. Louis, the long wait could finally come to an end. And for a fan base that has been waiting since the late 1990s, that moment would mean everything.