CHICAGO — There might not be another Missouri Valley Conference basketball team ready to put January in the rearview mirror more than Illinois State.
The Redbirds underwent a COVID-19 outbreak early in the month that postponed two games. That forced a stretch of seven games in 17 days with little time to practice. Then came a devastating knee injury to their best inside player, Sy Chatman, that knocked him out for the rest of the season.
When the final seconds ticked off on January, ISU lost six of eight games.
Heading to Gentile Arena for a 7 p.