TIPPING IT OFF: The Red Wolves will look to keep their four-game winning streak alive when they take on the winless Sycamores of Indiana State, Monday night in Terre Haute, Ind. at the Hulman Center. Tip off is set for 7  p.m.

SERIES VERSUS INDIANA STATE: The Red Wolves and the Sycamores renew a series that dates back to the 1947-48 season and hasn't been played since the 1948-49 season. Indiana State took both meetings during the 1940's over ASU.

THE PRINCIPALS: The Arkansas State Red Wolves are 4-1 and have won four straight since dropping its season opener at Ole Miss. The Red Wolves downed Lyon College (88-46) and Murray State (55-47) at the Convocation Center and beat UT Martin (76-67) and Ball State (54-53) on their home floors over the past week. Senior forward Shawn Morgan leads the Red Wolves with 10.2 ppg and 6.0 rpg. Junior guard Donald Boone ranks second on the squad with 8.6 ppg while leading the team with eight steals and ranking third with 12 assists.  Junior Eric McKinney is leading the team with 7.0 rpg and averaging 1.6 blocks per game while scoring 8.3 ppg. Senior point guard Ifeanyi Koggu leads the team with 15 assists while tossing in 5.8 ppg and pulling down 3.6 boards per game.  Indiana State is still hunting their first victory this season. The Sycamores have fallen to Northern Illinois (86-79), North Texas (80-69), Murray State (67-61) and DePaul (75-70). Four of Indiana State's five starters are averaging in double-figure scoring led by junior guard Rashad Reed who is averaging 14.3 ppg. Sophomore guard Aaron Carter is adding 14.0 ppg while senior forward Jay Tunnell is leading the team with 6.3 rpg and tossing in 10.5 ppg. 6-11 junior forward/center Josh Crawford has blocked 12 shots so far this season and is averaging 3.0 blocks per game.

HOT START: At 4-1 ASU is off to its best start since the 2004-05 season when they went 5-1 to start the season. ASU's four game winning streak is the longest it has enjoyed since the 2006-07  season. If ASU beats Indiana State, it will mark the first time the Red Wolves have won three straight road games since the 2003-04 season when ASU won four in a row.
 
MCKINNEY HAS CAREER NIGHT: Junior forward Eric McKinney had a career performance against Ball State by leading all players with 20 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots. The totals were the most of any player during a single game so far this season and the first double-double recorded by a Red Wolves player this year. McKinney is averaging 8.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg and is averaging 1.6 blocks per game.

AYERS BUSTS OUT: After spending three games as a spectator due to an injury, sophomore-transfer guard Brandon Ayers broke out in a big way against UT Martin, coming off the bench to score 12 points in 15 minutes of action, while pulling down two defensive boards. Ayers was 2-5 from three-point range and was 2-2 from the charity stripe.

BALL STATE GAME (11/29/08) ? Junior forward Eric McKinney doubled his career highs in points (20) and rebounds (16) while recording the first double-double of the season for the Arkansas State men's basketball team in their 54-53, grind out victory at Ball State Saturday afternoon. The Red Wolves improved to 4-1 on the season, which is the first time an ASU team has started that well since the 2004-05 season.
ASU trailed by as many as nine points in the second half before regaining the lead with 1:30 left in the game on a layup by junior JeJuan Brown.
Ball State's Anthony Newell cut the final lead to one point on a free-throw with 20 seconds remaining in the game. Newell missed his second shot and ASU's Shawn Morgan pulled down the defensive rebound. Morgan was then fouled but missed his first shot on a one-and-one.
Brandon Lampley missed a layup with one second remaining and after a defensive rebound by Morgan, ASU's victory was sealed.
Freshman Jarrod Jones, who was averaging a double-double for Ball State was held scoreless and limited to only five rebounds in the contest.
Junior JeJuan Brown added 11 points with six rebounds as the only other ASU player to score in double-figures.
The Red Wolves held the Cardinals without a field goal until the 14:21 mark of the first half and ASU led by as many as five points in the first period, before giving up the lead at the 5:52 mark in the half. ASU was down at the half by five, 32-27.
Senior point-guard Ifeayni Koggu scored five of the Red Wolves first seven points in the second half and finished the contact with seven points and three assists.
ASU outrebounded Ball State 46-30 and dominated play in the paint by scoring 30 points to the Cardinals 14.  
The Red Wolves shot 41 percent (22-54) from the field and connected on sixty percent of its shots from the charity stripe (9-15). Ball State entered the contest averaging 46 percent from the field but was held to 31 percent (16-52) shooting by the Red Wolves.

JOHN BRADY's 500th GAME: ASU's game against Murray State marked the 500th career coaching game for ASU head coach John Brady. Brady owns a career head coaching record of 284-217 (.566 win%).

CATEGORY LEADERS: Senior forward Shawn Morgan leads the Red Wolves by scoring 10.2 points per game. Morgan is second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game and second with seven steals and five blocks, while connecting on 69-percent of his shots from the floor. Junior Eric McKinney leads ASU by pulling down 7.0 rebounds per game and has recorded eight blocks this season (1.6/game). McKinney is third on the team averaging 8.4 ppg. Junior Donald Boone ranks second on the team with 8.6 ppg and leads the team with 8 steals while ranking third on the team with 12 assists. Senior point guard Ifeanyi Koggu leads the Red Wolves with 15 assists, while averaging 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Daniel Bryant is second on the squad with 13 assists while averaging 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

TEAM BY COMMITTEE: ASU has been utilizing its deep bench, playing all available players all five games this season. ASU has had eight different players score in double-figures this season and have had only three players play more than 30 minutes (P.J. Keaton had 34 minutes against Ole Miss., Shawn Morgan played 35 against Murray State and UT Martin and Ifeanyi Koggu played 31 at Ball State). eight of ASU's 10 available players are averaging five points per game or more, with all of them averaging over 10.8 minutes per game.  

BLOCKING SHOTS: The Red Wolves have racked up 19 blocks so far this season through five games. Junior Eric McKinney leads the Red Wolves with eight blocked shots, which ranks him tied for seventh in the Sun Belt in the category. Senior forward Shawn Morgan has also netted five blocks which places him tied for tenth in the conference.

THE RED WOLVES AT HOME:  Over the 21 years that ASU has competed in the ASU Convocation Center, the Red Wolves have compiled a 206-78 record (.727). Arkansas State has gone undefeated twice during a single season at the Convocation Center; they were a perfect 14-0 in 1988-89 and went 13-0 in 1990-91.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: ASU has been tabbed to finish fourth in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference by the SBC Preseason Coaches' Poll announced by the league office at the SBC Basketball Tip-Off.
“I've never put a lot of stock in preseason polls; most of the polling is based on what you did the year before. It is a position better than where the team finished a year ago, but the reality of it is it isn't really where you start its how you finish,” said ASU head coach John Brady. “I anticipate our team playing its best basketball in February and the first of March.”
UALR was picked to finish in a tie with North Texas for the top spot in the West Division, each receiving 76 points. The Trojans received six first-place votes while the Mean Green got four first-place nods. Louisiana-Lafayette was picked third, followed by the Red Wolves, Louisiana-Monroe was tabbed sixth with Denver and New Orleans coming in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Middle Tennessee was picked atop the East Division with 11 first-place votes, followed by South Alabama, which netted the other two first place votes. Reigning league champion Western Kentucky was picked third with Florida Atlantic (fourth), Florida International (fifth) and Troy (sixth) rounding out the poll.
Desmond Yates from Middle Tennessee was voted the SBC Preseason Player of the Year and was joined by Carlos Monroe from FAU, Russell Hicks from FIU, Josh White from North Texas and Brandon Davis from South Alabama on the Preseason All-SBC first team.

ASU'S BROWN NAMED BLUE RIBBON SBC NEWCOMER OF YEAR: Arkansas State junior forward and Los Angeles Southwest College transfer JeJuan Brown has been tabbed the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon publications.
Along with forward Eric McKinney, Brown was announced as new ASU Head Coach John Brady's first signee at Arkansas State on April 25.  Brown transferred from Vanderbilt to LASC for his sophomore season, where he averaged 17 points and seven rebounds.  He  helped lead the Cougars to a 23-9 record and the South Coast Conference regular-season title and was named a first team all-conference selection in 2007-08.
“We are excited about the possibilities JeJuan brings to our team,” said Brady.  “We feel he will be an outstanding player for us.”
The Biloxi, Miss. native originally signed with Vanderbilt out of high school, playing in all 34 games as a true freshman on a team that advanced to the Sweet 16.  Brown averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game during his lone season with the Commodores, while scoring his SEC-high nine points  on 4-of-6 shooting with four rebounds and two assists at South Carolina.  He posted season highs of 10 points (twice) and eight rebounds and finished the 2006-07 campaign with a .511 (48-of-94) shooting percentage.
Brown finished his prep career as an all-state and all-district selection at Biloxi High School and was a Rivals.com national top 150 (No. 121) ranked player in the class of 2006.  He was ranked as the 26th-best small forward in the nation by Rivals.com as well.  He was named the Sun Herald Gulf Coast Player of the Year after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists as a senior.  He helped lead Biloxi to four District 8 titles from 2003-06 and graduated with honors as a Mississippi Scholar.

FINN SIDELINED 6-8 WEEKS: ASU head men's basketball coach John Brady has disclosed that the Red Wolves will be without the services of freshman Trey Finn for the beginning of the season and possibly longer due to a foot injury he sustained during a conditioning workout  this past week.
“It is unfortunate that Trey has had this injury occur. He was making real progress in his preparation for the beginning of practice and I was excited about the possibilities he would bring to the team,” said ASU head coach John Brady. “We have talked with the doctors, trainers, and of course his parents and will make a determination on his freshman year once he is completely healed. Whichever decision is made, Trey will have an excellent career at Arkansas State.”
Finn will be out 6-8 weeks and the Red Wolves are looking at the possibility of redshirting the freshman standout that joined the Red Wolves from Parkview High School in Little Rock.
At Parkview, Finn earned AHSAA Class 6A All-State honors in 2007-08. He also led Parkview to the state semifinals and was named to the All-Tournament team as a senior.

CHANGES AT THE CONVO:  During the offseason, the Clopton Clinic Strength and Conditioning room was unveiled at a ceremony in the Convocation Center.  The strength and conditioning room used by the Red Wolves features new weights, lighting, floor and wall coverings and entrance doors.  Also completed during the offseason was the resurfacing and repainting of the Convocation Center playing court.  The court now features the new Red Wolves logo and a large “stAte” logo at center court.

HEAD COACH JOHN BRADY:  With a Final Four appearance and 281 career victories already to his credit, John Brady was announced as Arkansas State's 15th head men's basketball coach by Director of Athletics Dr. Dean Lee at a press conference on March 18 held in ASU's Convocation Center.
Brady spent the last 10-plus seasons serving as LSU's head coach, leading the Tigers to six postseason berths, two SEC championships and three SEC Western Division titles. Twice named the SEC Coach of the Year,  Brady is a proven winner who brings a well-documented record of success and a long list of accomplishments with him to Arkansas State.
Brady's 16-year tenure as a head coach at both LSU and Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, has been decorated with achievements.  He has coached a combined 25 All-TAAC and SEC selections, 48 academic all-conference choices, posted 11 winning seasons and collected five division championships.  Brady piled up the third most wins in LSU history with 192 and left Samford after the 1996-97 season as the Bulldog's all-time leader in coaching victories (89) as well.
He quickly turned around an LSU's men's basketball program that had suffered four consecutive losing seasons prior to his arrival, leading the Tigers to a 28-6 record, an SEC championship and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in just his third season (1999-00) at the helm.  Under Brady's direction, the Tigers recorded six consecutive winning seasons from 2001-02 to 2006-07 while making three trips to the NCAA Tournament and two more to the NIT. The 2005-06 campaign saw LSU post a 27-9 record and advance to the Final Four for the first time in 20 years.
Not only did Brady coach the Tigers to 23 wins versus ranked opponents, he also led them to victories over two teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll (Arizona in 2002-03 and Duke in 2005-06).  Additionally, he orchestrated a 19-game home winning streak over SEC opponents, the third longest stretch in LSU history.
While at LSU, Brady coached two NBA Lottery picks and six current NBA players.  The Tigers signed nine Parade All-Americans and four McDonald All-Americans under Brady, who also coached three SEC Players of the Year, four players named SEC Freshman of the Year, one SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 17 All-SEC selections.
Prior to taking over the reigns at LSU, Brady served as Samford's head coach from 1991-92 through 1996-97.  It didn't take long for him to turn around a Samford program coming off six straight losing seasons, either, guiding the Bulldogs to a 17-10 record in his second season.  He led Samford to three straight winning seasons (1995-97) for the first time since 1982-84, all leading up to a 19-9 record and division title in 1997.  Samford won  the TAAC West Division each of Brady's final two seasons at the school for the first time in school history.
His four winning campaigns at Samford were the first for any coach at the school, and he led the Bulldogs to an 89-77 record after they went 27-83 the four seasons prior to his initial year.  He coached eight All-TAAC and 14 Academic All-TAAC players over six seasons.
The McComb, Miss., native earned his bachelor's degree in 1976 from Belhaven College, where he was three-year starter and scored over 1,000 points during his college playing career.  Brady was a two-time All-Southern States Conference selection and was later inducted into his alma mater's Hall of Fame.
He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant with the Mississippi State men's basketball program while earning his master's degree from 1976-77.  Brady took his first head coaching position in Louisiana at Crowley High School in 1977 and led the basketball squad to a 129-49 (.725) record in five seasons.  He was named the 1981 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3-A Coach of the Year.
Brady returned to the college coaching ranks in 1982 as an assistant coach at Mississippi State.  He spent the next eight years with the Bulldogs, the first four seasons under coach Bob Hoyt and the next four as a chief recruiter for coach Richard Williams.  Following his tenure in Starkville, Brady returned to Louisiana for the second time, this time to serve as an assistant coach at the University of New Orleans.  Brady helped lead UNO to the NCAA Tournament during his only season with the Privateers.

ASU'S DOLLAR NAMED TOP-10 MID-MAJOR ASSISTANTS IN NATION: Fox Sports recently polled head coaches, assistants and others who deal with assistants on a daily basis to get their take on who should be included among the nation's elite assistant basketball coaches and Arkansas State associate head coach Chad Dollar was included among the top-10 mid-major coaches receiving votes.
The article, written by FOXSports.com senior college basketball writer Jeff Goodman, stated Fox Sports wanted to “target the guys that instill a level of fear into their colleagues when they stroll into the gym”.
The article included a few brief notes on each coach and listed some of their “key recruits”.  Included among the key recruits listed for Dollar were Jarvis Hayes and Elton Nesbitt.  Hayes was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year at Western Carolina and Nesbitt the league's player of the year and an honorable mention All-America selection at Georgia Southern.