Closing Time: The Transfer Portal

 

    Hear thee hear thee! The Transfer Portal is officially closed! After 30 days of wheeling and dealing, the Men’s and Women’s Basketball rosters have been completed. The portal period began on March 24^th and ended at the end of the day on April 22^nd for MBB, and the WBB portal opened on March 25^th and closed on April 23^rd.  The portal's closing and the roster's completion signal the beginning of the upcoming basketball season. Here is the list of players who did not play for the 2024/2025 Redbirds who are on the 2025/2026 roster (MBB and WBB):

Injured Returners- Brandon Lieb, Boden Skunberg, Grace Nelson

Freshmen- Nick Allen, Tyreek Coleman, Mason Klabo, Isaac Ericksen, Madison Austin, Jordan Fenske, Kaya Hurt, Jaeden Pratt

Transfers- Landon Moore, Bella Finnegan, Zanyra Adams

     Ryan Pedon and Kristen Gillespie have their rosters set and are primed for successful seasons. Both teams have a balance of experience and youth, bringing in 4 freshmen each and depending minimally on the portal for players. Because of the familiar faces, chemistry won’t be a concern for either squad even in the season's early months. Stability at leadership and with the roster makes it easier for fans to connect with the current teams and makes them more willing to invest time and money in improving the programs. Fans showed up when it counted regarding NIL donations and positive support of the players, contributing to the retention and attraction of stars to Normal, IL. Illinois State University is no small college. It’s a sturdy University with a Fall 2024 total enrollment of 21,546, including 19,107 undergraduates. 4,285 first-time students is an ISU record, and it was set in the fall of 2024.  Bradley University’s 2024/2025 undergraduate enrollment totaled 3,883 students and about 4,800 overall. Now that’s a small college; smaller than ICC. Bradley also doesn’t have a football team or a good mascot. Overall, you can pay less for a better experience at ISU. I digress. The point I’m making about size is that it matters! You do the math… Winning Birds Basketball + Big Enrollment and Alumni Network = Electric Factory Crowds at the Red Roof on College! 

    Thanks to the dedicated student leadership team, the student section is an asset that will serve as wind to the sails of the Men and Women representing ISU on the Hardwood. We saw this during the MBB home win over Bradley on CBSSN and during the WNIT for WBB. The students have been given multiple signs that the University and Basketball teams are serious about winning and are passionate about Illinois State University, the first public institution of higher learning in the Land of Lincoln. We have the best Arena in the Valley with a capacity of 10,200 and the best-looking court bar none. We have coaches committed to players on and off the court who care about academics! Red Alert is full of students who yearn for party-like atmospheres, full sections, and constant standing. This year will be historic if we do our part as fans and donors. Get your season tickets NOW, or you will regret it when seating is limited in November. We are on the precipice of history! RDB