Coach Tim Jankovich juiced up the Missouri Valley Conference's biggest underachiever in recent seasons. Illinois State has the facilities, tradition, location and support to be one of MVC's better programs.

Jankovich took inherited talent and gave it direction and purpose. The Redbirds finished second in the MVC and won a game in the NIT. It was the program's first postseason appearance since 2001. The Redbirds were a good NCAA at-large candidate before upsets squeezed them out.

Jankovich turned the Redbirds from an athletic and inconsistent team into a defensive force. They held opponents to fewer than 60 points in their final eight victories. Four of those opponents didn't reach 50. The Redbirds were at their best when they used their depth and quickness to shut down the opposition.

Point guard Boo Richardson went from turnover prone to steady leader. Sophomore Osiris Eldridge continued his development into a Valley star. Forward Anthony Slack became one of the Valley's best big men.

Jankovich's first season did leave some work to be done. The Redbirds lost three games to MVC champion Drake, including a 79-49 loss in the tournament title game. Illinois State's offense became a critical problem in a second-round NIT loss to Dayton, 55-48 at home.

The Redbirds lose five seniors, including Richardson, Slack, Dom Johnson and Levi Dyer. All played big roles in this season.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.