Freshman guard Johnny Kinziger’s confidence is growing with every swish.
“When the ball leaves my hand, it just feels better,” said Kinziger, who is averaging 17 points per game over the past seven contests. “It feels like it’s going to go in every time. That’s my mindset.”
Kinziger and his Illinois State men’s basketball teammates have heated up over the past month, increasing their collective field goal and 3-point percentage, while winning four of their past six games.
The seventh-seeded Redbirds (15-16) aim to carry that momentum into St. Louis for this weekend’s State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, starting with a first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Evansville (15-16) Thursday, March 7, at 6 p.m.
Fans can purchase tickets to cheer on the Birds at Enterprise Center, watch them on the MVC TV Network (Bally Sports, NBC Sports Chicago Plus, ESPN+), or listen on WJBC AM 1230 / FM 93.7 / The Varsity Network. A Redbird Rally is scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Budweiser Brew House inside Ballpark Village, next to Busch Stadium.
The Arch Madness champion will be crowned Sunday and will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As a kid growing up in De Pere, Wisconsin, Kinziger dreamt of making the “big dance.”
“I didn’t even realize it was a possibility for me to (play on a Division I college team) until later in my high school career, and so it would really be a dream come true if we can make (playing in the NCAA Tournament) happen,” Kinziger said.
After leading his high school team—the De Pere Redbirds—to an undefeated (30-0) record and state championship last season, Kinziger had to miss summer workouts at Illinois State with an abdominal injury.
“It was tough because I just wanted to play,” Kinziger said. “But it was kind of a blessing because I got to watch everything going on before jumping into the action. I think it helped me out in the end, being able to keep up with the pace of the game.”
A finance major, Kinziger has played in all 31 games of a freshman season with “ups and downs.” His contributions increased out of necessity when senior guard Darius Burford, the team’s leading scorer, was sidelined with a foot injury in early February. Second-year head coach Ryan Pedon called on Kinziger to make his first start February 7 against UIC at CEFCU Arena.
“I was a little jittery at first. I airballed my first shot—it was good to get that one out of the way,” Kinziger said. “But as the game went on, I felt better. I know that Coach (Pedon) trusts me a lot, so that’s always great to have in the back of your mind.”
Pedon said Kinziger has lifted the Redbirds in a lot of ways during his first year.
“He’s really given us a scoring punch. He’s given us an energy lift. And I think he’s helped to give us a real grittiness about us on both sides of the ball,” Pedon said. “Johnny has a bright future, and he’s done a lot of learning this season. But he’s done a lot of great things here in February and March.”
In his third-career start, Kinziger scored a career-high 31 points on 10 of 12 shooting (83%) to lead the Redbirds to an 80-67 upset win over then-No. 23 Indiana State in Terre Haute, Indiana, February 13. The victory was Illinois State’s first over a nationally ranked opponent in eight years, while Kinziger’s performance marked the second-most points scored by a freshman in school history.
Kinziger etched his name in the Redbird record book despite entering the game feeling sick. But once the Birds and Sycamores tipped off, Kinziger’s upset stomach seemed to dissipate.
“It was a great atmosphere, and that was where we wanted to be,” Kinziger said. “We knew we had an opportunity to turn the season around. Everyone played a great game. Our defense really showed up, and shots were falling for everyone. It was a big confidence boost for our team.”
The Redbirds went on to win four of five games, including a victory over Missouri State on a Kinziger buzzer-beater.
The 5-foot-11 guard said he and his teammates, who are good friends off the court, are now playing “more connected” on the court with improved ball movement.
“It’s nice to play through (senior forwards) Myles (Foster) and Kendall (Lewis) downhill—throwing it in the post; and if they get double-teamed, they can kick it out for shots,” Kinziger said. “(Senior guard) Malachi (Poindexter) is getting hot, and (senior guard) Dalton (Banks) is facilitating the ball. When you have all those pieces working at the same time, which they have been, shots come easier.”
Entering Arch Madness, Kinziger was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team and the MVC All-Bench Team. He said he and the Redbirds need to play with “grit” in St. Louis and be the tougher team—no matter who they’re facing.
“(At Arch Madness), every team is capable,” Kinziger said. “So, I’m just really excited for it. It’s going to be a grind, and I think we have the chance to do something special.”
