ISU PG Lloyd Phillips reinstated, will miss game at Drake

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Junior guard Lloyd Phillips has been reinstated to the Illinois State basketball team, Redbird coach Tim Jankovich said Saturday.

However, Phillips did not make the trip for Sunday?s 6:05 p.m. game at Drake. Phillips practiced with the Redbirds on Saturday afternoon before the team flew to Des Moines, Iowa.

?We are hopeful Lloyd can put his issues behind him and be able to move forward,? said Jankovich.

Phillips, who is ISU?s third-leading scorer with an 11.6 average and leads the team with 85 assists, was given an indefinite leave of absence on Tuesday to deal with undisclosed personal problems. He missed the Redbirds? 70-68 victory at Evansville on Wednesday.

Jankovich said Phillips had ?a lot of conversations with his teammates? in the past couple days along with the coaching staff. Saturday was Phillips? first practice with the team in a week. Phillips had started 22 of the first 24 games.

ISU?s next game is Wednesday night against Wichita State at Redbird Arena

 

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Shipley, ISU men try to stay on winning road path at Drake


Landon Shipley was supposed to be the new starting point guard. Instead, Shipley credited his Illinois State teammates with giving him an assist Wednesday at Evansville. | MVC scores, stats | Gameday glance

?Everyone on the team before the game told me they believed in me and all that and gave me a lot of confidence,? said Shipley. ?I was glad to get the opportunity and took advantage of it.?

Shipley, a 6-foot junior, will get another start Sunday when ISU meets Drake at 6:05 p.m. in a Missouri Valley Conference game at the Knapp Center. The Redbirds (20-5, 9-5) are going for their third straight road victory.

When Lloyd Phillips was granted an indefinite leave of absence to deal with personal problems on Tuesday (see accompanying story), ISU coach Tim Jankovich turned to Shipley. A transfer who started two games for Austin Peay as a sophomore in the 2006-07 season, Shipley played 15 minutes with three points, one assist and one turnover in the Redbirds? 70-68 victory.

Shipley would have played more except he got into foul trouble.

?It was a big thrill,? he said. ?A lot of people were wondering what was going to happen with all the drama and me getting a start. I?m glad we got it done.?

Senior guard Emmanuel Holloway knew what Shipley was going through. Last season, Holloway was thrust into the starting lineup in February when Dom Johnson went down with tonsillitis.

Jankovich?s system doesn?t make one player handle the ball the majority of the time, so Shipley shared ballhandling duties with other players such as Holloway and Osiris Eldridge.

Shipley?s teammates were pleased with his performance.

?I grade off effort, so I would give him an ?A,? ? said Holloway. ?He realized he didn?t have to go out there and score a whole bunch of points. He just had to make sure he was solid and played within the system.?

Playing next to Holloway had to ease Shipley?s burden. Holloway, who is one of the most unsung players in the Valley, responded with 12 points and six assists.

?How many times has he done that since he?s been here? How many times has he risen for the good of the team?? said Jankovich. ?It?s because of what he?s made of. He?s all about the right things. He?s such a good leader and competitive. He?s very passionate.?

Phillips wasn?t the only player ISU was missing.

The Redbirds also played without reserve guard Sead Odzic, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. Senior Brandon Holtz made a key contribution off the bench with eight points.

Drake isn?t feeling too sorry for ISU. The Bulldogs (15-11, 6-8) have their own problems, dropping seven of their last nine games which started with a 65-61 loss at Redbird Arena on Jan. 14.

Sunday?s game has an entirely different feel than last year?s meeting at the Knapp Center. A year ago both teams came in with 6-0 league marks, the first time that happened in the Valley?s 101-year history. Drake rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit for the first of three victories over ISU.

 

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Illinois State visits Sunday night


Expect a little drama Sunday night at the Knapp Center.

The Illinois State men?s basketball team is visiting, and the Redbirds have a knack for playing tight games.

Their last five have been decided by four points or less.


On Wednesday, Illinois State squandered a 26-point lead at Evansville, then won 70-68 on Osiris Eldridge?s bank shot from the lane with 1 second remaining.

?I saw a path to the basket was clear,? Eldridge told reporters afterward. ?That?s when I took off.?

Eldridge missed potential winning shots during a 75-73 overtime loss to Indiana State and a 60-57 win at Southern Illinois.

Drake experienced several tense moments during a 65-61 defeat by the Redbirds on Jan. 14.

The Bulldogs have since lost seven of nine games.

A win in Sundayt?s rematch would keep coach Mark Phelps and his players in contention for a possible No. 4 seed in the league tournament March 5-8 in St. Louis.

Late fades were costly for Drake against Evansville, Creighton and Indiana State.