Illinois State coach wary of playing at UD Arena

Flyers to host Illinois State in NIT

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By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 2:22 AM Tuesday, March 16, 2010

With 347 Division I teams vying for postseason play, Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich knows the competition for postseason bids is fairly keen, which is why he was thrilled that his team is playing in the NIT for the third straight year.

“We feel very honored,” he said. “Of course, everyone is chasing the NCAA, but the NIT is very difficult to get in as well with an at-large bid. There’s not that many to go around.

“If look at the company you’re in — North Carolina, Memphis, Illinois — a lot of teams are going to have tougher first-round games in the NIT than they would in the NCAA.”

Jankovich would list his team among those with taxing opening games with a visit to Dayton on Wednesday. The Flyers’ conquests at home include a 25-point win over Xavier and a 28-point victory against Charlotte.

“They not only win, but they go into beat-down mode,” Jankovich said.

The Redbirds (22-10) have some firepower themselves, though, with a pair of first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selections in senior guard Osiris Eldridge (15.7 points per game) and senior forward Dinma Odiakosa (12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds).

Eldridge is a three-time first-team all-league pick, but he struggled against Dayton in an NIT second-round game two years ago, going 2-for-9 from the field and finishing with 10 points in the Flyers’ 55-48 road victory.

“We did a great job on him a couple years ago, but he was only a sophomore then,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “As a senior, he’s separated himself as one of the best scoring guards in the country.”

Enthused for NIT?

The Flyers are making their third straight postseason appearance and eighth trip since 2000, but they may have to work at generating some enthusiasm for the NIT after having such high expectations as the preseason Atlantic 10 favorite.

Gregory, though, isn’t worried about his team taking a blase attitude toward the event.

“I think they’ve done a tremendous job their entire career (of giving great effort) — in particular this year,” he said. “We have not always played well. But other than maybe St. Joe’s, the energy level and the resiliency within games has always been there.

“You go through every single game, back to the Villanova game (where a comeback from an 18-point deficit fell just short). That has been a trademark of this senior class and this team, and I would expect that to continue.”

Johnson tails off

UD sophomore Chris Johnson, who was named the Atlantic 10’s most improved player, was held scoreless against Xavier in an A-10 quarterfinal game, fouling out after playing just 11 minutes.

He scored a combined 14 points in the two games before that.

“We’ve got to get C.J. off the slide. ... He kind of tapered off last year, too,” Gregory said. “That’s one of the things as a young player he’s got to get better at.”

Soph in plan

Sophomore forward Luke Fabrizius, the Flyers’ 3-point ace, didn’t see action against Xavier because of match-up issues — one of the rare times he hasn’t played while healthy.

“It was just the physicalness of that game around the basket,” Gregory said. “But he’d better be ready to play (in the NIT). There are going to be situations when we need him now.”

Ticket info

Season-ticket holders can reserve their seats by purchasing tickets today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for the general public will be on sale today an from 9 a.m. until game time Wednesday.

Tickets cost $20 for the lower arena, $15 for the 300 level and $10 for the 400 level. Parking passes are $5.