# 1979–80 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team

The 1979–80 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represented Illinois State University during the 1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Redbirds, led by second year head coach Bob Donewald, played their home games at Horton Field House and competed as an independent (not a member of a conference). They finished the season 20–9.
The Redbirds received an invitation to the 1980 National Invitation Tournament. They defeated West Texas State University in the first round and were beaten by the University of Illinois in the second round.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition Season |||||||||
| November 19, 1979 | Guadalajara | W 86–52 | | 18 – Yarbrough | 8 – A.Jones | – | Horton Field House (2,711) Normal, IL |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 30, 1979 10:00 pm | at Southern California | L 61–63 | 0–1 | 15 – Yarbrough | 11 – Galvin | – | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (5,331) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 3, 1979 7:30 pm | Western Kentucky | W 66–55 | 1–1 | 20 – R.Jones | 9 – Yarbrough | – | Horton Field House (4,669) Normal, IL |
| December 7, 1979 8:00 pm | vs. Hofstra Carrier Classic [Semifinal] | W 71–66 | 2–1 | 20 – Yarbrough | 9 – Yarbrough | – | Manley Field House (6,627) Syracuse, NY |
| December 8, 1979 8:00 pm | at No. 11 Syracuse Carrier Classic [Final] | L 70–72 $^{OT}$ | 2–2 | 18 – R.Jones | 11 – Yarbrough | – | Manley Field House (8,256) Syracuse, NY |
| December 10, 1979 7:30 pm | Indiana State | W 66–58 | 3–2 | 20 – R.Jones | 10 – Galvin, Lamb | – | Horton Field House (6,407) Normal, IL |
| December 14, 1979 9:05 pm | vs. Eastern Illinois Illini Classic [Semifinal] | W 64–59 | 4–2 | 15 – R.Jones | 8 – Yarbrough | – | Assembly Hall (14,363) Champaign, IL |
| December 15, 1979 | at Illinois Illini Classic [Final] | L 40–47 | 4–3 | 18 – R.Jones | 8 – A.Jones | 5 – Nussbaumer | Assembly Hall (16,257) Champaign, IL |
| December 18, 1979 7:30 pm | Mississippi Valley State | W 64–56 | 5–3 | 23 – Yarbrough | 8 – Yarbrough, A.Jones | – | Horton Field House (2,879) Normal, IL |
| December 21, 1979 | U. S. International Illinois State Holiday Festival [Semifinal] | W 76–63 | 6–3 | 20 – R.Jones | 5 – A.Jones | – | Horton Field House (2,013) Normal, IL |
| December 22, 1979 | Lamar Illinois State Holiday Festival [Final] | W 96–64 | 7–3 | 31 – R.Jones | 8 – Lamb | – | Horton Field House (3,117) Normal, IL |
| December 29, 1979 2:30 pm | Charleston | W 83–61 | 8–3 | 19 – Yarbrough | 10 – Yarbrough | – | Horton Field House (1,800) Normal, IL |
| January 3, 1980 WEEK | at Bradley | L 57–62 | 8–4 | 16 – R.Jones | 12 – Yarbrough | – | Robertson Memorial Field House (7,300) Peoria, IL |
| January 8, 1980 7:30 pm | Westmont | W 52–44 | 9–4 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (1,767) Normal, IL |
| January 12, 1980 2:30 pm | Detroit | W 64–62 | 10–4 | 15 – Yarbrough | 11 – Malaine | – | Horton Field House (5,108) Normal, IL |
| January 17, 1980 7:30 pm | Loyola–Chicago | W 72–64 | 11–4 | 23 – R.Jones | – | – | Horton Field House (7,053) Normal, IL |
| January 19, 1980 2:30 pm | Centenary | W 72–51 | 12–4 | 20 – R.Jones | 7 – R.Jones | – | Horton Field House (5,213) Normal, IL |
| January 21, 1980 7:30 pm | McNeese State | W 55–53 | 13–4 | 12 – R.Jones | – | – | Horton Field House (4,322) Normal, IL |
| January 25, 1980 7:00 pm | at Howard | W 72–61 | 14–4 | 16 – R.Jones | 10 – R.Jones | – | Burr Gymnasium (2,700) Washington, DC |
| January 28, 1980 7:30 pm | Northeast Louisiana | W 68–65 | 15–4 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (4,388) Normal, IL |
| January 31, 1980 8:00 pm | at Pan American | L 58–62 | 15–5 | 16 – R.Jones | 11 – Yarbrough | – | PAU Fieldhouse (5,400) Edinburg, TX |
| February 2, 1980 7:30 pm | at Centenary | W 74–59 | 16–5 | 28 – R.Jones | 6 – A.Jones | – | Gold Dome (1,879) Shreveport, LA |
| February 9, 1980 7:30 pm | at East Carolina | L 67–70 $^{OT}$ | 16–6 | 19 – Galvin | 16 – Galvin | – | Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (4,200) Greenville, NC |
| February 11, 1980 7:30 pm | Northern Illinois | L 62–65 $^{OT}$ | 16–7 | 13 – R.Jones | 12 – Yarbrough | – | Horton Field House (5,388) Normal, IL |
| February 16, 1980 3:00 pm | at Wisconsin–Milwaukee | W 87–73 | 17–7 | 22 – R.Jones | – | – | Klotsche Center (425) Milwaukee, WI |
| February 18, 1980 7:30 pm | Northern Iowa | W 77–56 | 18–7 | 22 – R.Jones | 8 – Lamb | – | Horton Field House (3,657) Normal, IL |
| February 23, 1980 2:30 pm | Oral Roberts | W 66–65 | 19–7 | 18 – Yarbrough | 14 – Yarbrough | – | Horton Field House (7,213) Normal, IL |
| March 1, 1980 7:30 pm, ESPN | at No. 1 DePaul | L 81–97 | 19–8 | 31 – Yarbrough | 15 – Yarbrough | – | Alumni Hall (5,308) Chicago, IL |
| National Invitation {NIT} Tournament |||||||||
| March 5, 1980 7:30 pm | West Texas State First Round | W 80–63 | 20–8 | 22 – R.Jones | 13 – Yarbrough | 5 – R.Jones, Malaine | Horton Field House (4,285) Normal, IL |
| March 10, 1980 7:05 pm | at Illinois Second Round | L 65–75 | 20–9 | 23 – Yarbrough | 11 – Yarbrough | 10 – Nussbaumer | Assembly Hall (16,193) Champaign, IL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Standard Time. |||||||||