# 1998–99 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team

The 1998–99 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represented Illinois State University during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Redbirds, led by sixth year head coach Kevin Stallings, played their home games at Redbird Arena and competed as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
They finished the season 16–15, 7–11 in conference play to finish in seventh place. They were the number seven seed for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. They were victorious over Drake University in their opening round game but defeated by Creighton University in their quarterfinal game.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 15, 1998* | | Oakland | L 71–72 | 0–1 | 19 – Williams | 7 – Williams | 3 – Watkins, Williams | Redbird Arena (6,561) Normal, IL |
| November 18, 1998* 7:05 pm | | Wisconsin–Green Bay | W 60–49 | 1–1 | 23 – Bryson | 8 – Murdock | 5 – Williams | Redbird Arena (8,119) Normal, IL |
| November 20, 1998* 7:05 pm | | Akron | W 84–69 | 2–1 | 17 – Bryson | 9 – Riley | 4 – Bryson | Redbird Arena (6,699) Normal, IL |
| November 27, 1998* 2:00 pm | | vs. Missouri–Kansas City Hawai'i Pacific Shootout [Quarterfinal] | W 50–48 | 3–1 | 13 – Bryson | 10 – Murdock | 3 – Williams | Neal S. Blaisdell Arena (1,650) Honolulu, HA |
| November 28, 1998* 2:00 pm | | vs. Southern Mississippi Hawai'i Pacific Shootout [Semifinal] | W 86–75 | 4–1 | 28 – Bryson | 7 – Bryson | 3 – Cartmill | Neal S. Blaisdell Arena (1,625) Honolulu, HA |
| November 29, 1998* 5:30 pm | | vs. Iona Hawai'i Pacific Shootout [Final] | W 83–75 | 5–1 | 18 – Bryson | 7 – Watkins, Murdock | 4 – Williams | Neal S. Blaisdell Arena (1,650) Honolulu, HA |
| December 2, 1998* | | Alcorn State | W 86–73 | 6–1 | 25 – Watkins | 8 – Bryson | 8 – Cartmill | Redbird Arena (6,239) Normal, IL |
| December 5, 1998* 7:05 pm | | Wisconsin | L 54–71 | 6–2 | 28 – Bryson | 6 – Riley | 3 – Riley, Williams | Redbird Arena (9,533) Normal, IL |
| December 9, 1998* | | at No. 9 Purdue | L 55–69 | 6–3 | 12 – Murdock | 5 – Cartmill, Murdock | 3 – Bryson | Mackey Arena (14,123) West Lafayette, IN |
| December 12, 1998 5:05 pm | | Wichita State | W 68–61 | 7–3 (1–0) | 16 – Cartmill | 7 – Bryson | 4 – Cartmill, Williams | Redbird Arena (6,247) Normal, IL |
| December 19, 1998 | | at Drake | W 74–66 | 8–3 (2–0) | 20 – Bryson | 9 – Murdock | 4 – Cartmill, Murdock | The Knapp Center (5,628) Des Monies, IA |
| December 23, 1998* | | Illinois–Chicago | W 79–67 | 9–3 | 18 – Bryson | 8 – Watkins, Murdock | 6 – Cartmill, Williams | Redbird Arena (6,261) Normal, IL |
| December 29, 1998* | | Eastern Illinois | W 76–65 | 10–3 | 18 – Bryson | 11 – Watkins | 6 – Cartmill, Riley, Bryson | Redbird Arena (8,237) Normal, IL |
| January 2, 1999 1:05 pm, ESPN2 | | at Wichita State | L 67–72 | 10–4 (2–1) | 27 – Murdock | 9 – Murdock | 6 – Bryson | Henry Levitt Arena (7,436) Wichita, KS |
| January 5, 1999 | | at Southwest Missouri State | L 68–71 | 10–5 (2–2) | 25 – Bryson | 12 – Murdock | 2 – Cartmill, Riley, Bryson | John Q. Hammons Student Center (6,865) Springfield, MO |
| January 9, 1999 | | Northern Iowa | L 59–69 | 10–6 (2–3) | 14 – Murdock, Bryson | 5 – Pierson, Murdock | 3 – Bryson | Redbird Arena (6,847) Normal, IL |
| January 13, 1999 | | Drake | W 75–57 | 11–6 (3–3) | 23 – Riley | 9 – Murdock | 6 – Cartmill | Redbird Arena (6,297) Normal, IL |
| January 16, 1999 | | at Evansville | W 81–80 | 12–6 (4–3) | 24 – Murdock | 8 – Murdock | 5 – Bryson | Roberts Municipal Stadium (10,208) Evansville, IN |
| January 20, 1999 WMBD | | Bradley | L 68–69 | 12–7 (4–4) | 20 – Murdock, Riley | 8 – Riley | 5 – Cartmill | Redbird Arena (9,137) Normal, IL |
| January 23, 1999 7:05 pm | | at Creighton | L 84–95 | 12–8 (4–5) | 24 – Bryson | 7 – Murdock | 9 – Bryson | Omaha Civic Auditorium (7,411) Omaha, NE |
| January 27, 1999 | | Indiana State | L 67–77 | 12–9 (4–6) | 16 – Bryson | 4 – Watkins, Murdock, Brown | 3 – Watkins, Riley, Williams | Redbird Arena (7,790) Normal, IL |
| January 30, 1999 | | at Southern Illinois | L 49–60 | 12–10 (4–7) | 17 – Riley | 8 – Watkins | 4 – Williams | SIU Arena (4,280) Carbondale, IL |
| February 3, 1999 | | Southwest Missouri State | W 62–54 | 13–10 (5–7) | 19 – Bryson | 7 – Cartmill, Riley | 5 – Williams | Redbird Arena (7,310) Normal, IL |
| February 7, 1999 | | Southern Illinois | L 63–69 | 13–11 (5–8) | 17 – Watkins | 8 – Riley | 3 – Bryson | Redbird Arena (8,283) Normal, IL |
| February 10, 1999 WEEK | | at Bradley | L 70–74 $^{OT}$ | 13–12 (5–9) | 22 – Bryson | 5 – Pierson, Riley | 4 – Williams | Carver Arena (11,030) Peoria, IL |
| February 14, 1999 12:35 pm, ESPN | | Creighton | W 79–77 | 14–12 (6–9) | 18 – Riley | 8 – Watkins, Riley | 7 – Williams | Redbird Arena (8,075) Normal, IL |
| February 17, 1999 | | at Northern Iowa | L 66–78 | 14–13 (6–10) | 22 – Riley | 9 – Riley | 6 – Williams | UNI Dome (1,719) Cedar Falls, IA |
| February 20, 1999 | | Evansville | W 79–68 | 15–13 (7–10) | 18 – Williams | 8 – Watkins, Williams | 4 – Riley | Redbird Arena (8,723) Normal, IL |
| February 22, 1999 | | at Indiana State | L 64–65 | 15–14 (7–11) | 25 – Williams | 8 – Cartmill | 6 – Bryson | Hulman Center (6,653) Terre Haute, IN |
| Diet Pepsi Missouri Valley Conference {MVC} tournament |||||||||
| February 26, 1999* 8:35 pm | (7) | vs. (10) Drake Opening Round | W 51–47 | 16–14 | 17 – Watkins | 10 – Riley | 4 – Bryson | Kiel Center (6,894) St. Louis, MO |
| February 27, 1999* 6:05 pm | (7) | vs. (2) Creighton Quarterfinal | L 63–68 | 16–15 | 16 – Crowley, Williams | 9 – Watkins | 7 – Williams | Kiel Center (11,129) St. Louis, MO |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Standard Time. |||||||||