The 1986–87 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represented

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

during the

1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1986 and ended with the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Final Four in New Orleans on March 30, 1987. Season headlines * All 1987 NCAA Division I men's b ...

. The Redbirds, led by ninth year head coach

Bob Donewald Bob Donewald, Sr. (born May 29, 1942) is a retired American college basketball coach. He was the first coach to lead Illinois State University to the NCAA post-season national tournament, and he did so for three consecutive seasons. His 1983 t ...

, played their home games at

Horton Field House Horton may refer to: Places Antarctica * Horton Glacier, Adelaide Island, Antarctica * Horton Ledge, Queen Elizabeth Land, Antarctica Australia * Horton, Queensland, a town and locality in the Bundaberg Region * Horton River (Australia), i ...

and were a member of the

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...

. The Redbirds finished the season 19–13, 7–7 in conference play to finish in fourth place. They were the number three seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament as

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,200 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in fiv ...

was on probation and therefore banned from postseason competition. They were victorious in a quarterfinal game versus

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified ...

and lost in a semifinal game versus

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

. The Redbirds received an at-large bid to the

1987 National Invitation Tournament The 1987 National Invitation Tournament was the 1987 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. The tournament began on Wednesday, March 11, and ended when the Southern Miss Golden Eagles defeated the La Salle Explorers in the ...

. They defeated the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...

in the first round,

Cleveland State University Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in oper ...

in the second round, and lost to the

La Salle University La Salle University () is a private university, private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Bapt ...

in the quarterfinal round.

Roster

Schedule

, - !colspan=9 style=, Exhibition Season , - !colspan=9 style=, Regular Season , - !colspan=9 style=, Missouri Valley Conference tournament , - !colspan=9 style=, National Invitation tournament

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1986-87 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball seasons Illinois State Illinois State