TERRY'S CHOCOLATE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL IMAGINATION BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
State Farm Fieldhouse/Kissimmee, FL
Series: First Meeting
Furman (4-3) vs. Illinois State (5-2), 3 p.m. EST
Furman takes on Illinois State in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs in the championship game of the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational Imagination Bracket. The Paladins reached the title game matchup by getting a thrilling 73-72 win over Richmond. The Illinois State Redbirds ground out a win over Charlotte, 79-69, to set the championship matchup, which will be the second of four games on the final day of "Feast Week" basketball.
Charlotte (3-4) will take on Richmond (5-1) in the Imagination Bracket consolation clash, which will tip-off at 12:30 on Black Friday. That will be followed by the clash between Furman and Illinois State at 3:00 p.m. EST in the tilt of the same bracket, and at 7 p.m., the consolation game of the Magic Bracket between Georgetown (5-2) and Miami (5-2) will be followed by the championship game of the same bracket between No. 9 BYU (5-1) and Dayton (6-1) at 9:30 p.m.
Furman and Illinois State will act as a great appetizer for the night cap title tilt between the Cougars and Flyers to cap off what has been a great week of basketball in the Magic Kingdom. Furman was able to reach the title game due to a fast start, incorporating a 1-3-1 defensive strategy, and it was Furman's man-to-man defense that saved the Paladins on Richmond's final two possessions, as it forced the Spiders into a pair of tough shots off baseline out-of-bounds to secure the win.
The neat thing about the Furman-Illinois State clash is that it is a game that features a pair of programs that have valued retention and continuity in a chaotic era in college athletics, dominated by transactional relationships due to NIL and the transfer portal. The Redbirds welcomed back four of five starters coming off a 22-win season a year ago, while the Paladins have eight of their top 11 back off a team that won 25 games a year ago.
About the Paladins:
Head coach Bob Richey (185-84/9th yr)has said in his early-season postgame press conferences after some Furman struggles that their would come a time when it started to click for his team, and recent results would seem to indicate a loud clicking noise has been audibly and if possible, visibly seen, especially in each of Furman's past couple of games.
The Paladins are led by true freshman point guard Alex Wilkins (17.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG), who has scored in double figures in all six games for the Paladins this season. He has three 20+point performances already in his first seven collegiate basketball games, which includes a career-high matching 26 points in Furman's win over the Spiders yesterday.
The 26 points, which Wilkins accomplished both against Richmond yesterday and earlier this season against Columbia International, is the most scored by a Paladin freshman in a decade (last was Devin Sibley with 29 pts vs ETSU on Feb. 14, 2015).
Wilkins has a different gear, and he has given the Paladins a different gear offensively when in rhythm. Wilkins has made 13 three-pointers this season, however, he is shooting just 31.7% (13-of-41) from long-range for the season.
Wilkins is supplemented in the backcourt by a solid and capable supporting cast, highlighted by Asa Thomas (12.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG), who joined forces with Wilkins to power Furman's offense in the win over Richmond, as the former Clemson Tiger added 20 points to the Furman cause.
The 6-7 wing guard from Lake Forest, Ill., is probably a player the Redbirds coaching staff is already aware of, considering the fact that he was one of the top players as a prep in his senior season back in 2023-24. He was a player that Furman recruited heavily out of high school, but Thomas ultimately chose Clemson.
Thomas is the lone player brought in from the transfer portal during the off-season by the Paladins. The all-out approach to bring in such a shooting talent has paid huge dividends early on this season, as Thomas has connected on a team-best 19 three-pointers and has strung together three-straight double-figure scoring performances--all of which have resulted in Furman wins. In two of those games, Thomas has gone for 20 or more, including yesterday's performance against Richmond.
The redshirt sophomore wing also posted a 22-point effort in Furman's win over Ohio Christian last week and has finished in double figures in five out of seven games this season for Furman. Thomas' recent production boom has coincided with him being added to the Paladin starting five two games ago. On a team that has surprisingly struggled shooting the three-ball early this season, Thomas has been the backbone of Furman's shooting efforts from beyond the arc, as he has been the most prolific (19 three-pointers) and most accurate three-point shooter (35.8%/19-of-53) this season.
Furman's other player from the state of Illinois also happens to be its ultimate "glue guy" in Ben Vander Wal (6.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG), who will be suiting up for his 107th career game for the Paladins in Black Friday's championship tilt against the Redbirds. The Elmhurst, Ill., product will be making his 54th start in the title tilt and is also the only active player on the roster that remains off that 2022-23 SoCon championship winning Furman team that defeated Virginia, 68-67, in that memorable upset in the Magic Kingdom four years ago. He ranks second in the SoCon in active career points (574 pts), first in rebounds (460) and fourth in assists (115).
The Paladins round out the starting projected starting five with their version of the twin towers, in 6-11 senior Charles Johnston (11.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and 6-11 junior Cooper Bowser (11.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG). Johnston is averaging double-digit rebounds per game, which includes five double-doubles and six double-digit rebound performances in seven games so far this season for the Paladins. Bowser is among the most efficient players around the basket in the country, shooting a blistering 78% (32-of-41) from the field this season, with most of those being dunks.
The Paladins have struggled shooting the ball most notably from the free throw line this season, connecting at a woeful 59.8% clip this season (), and a 9-of-21 effort in yesterday's semifinal game against Richmond nearly came back to haunt them in the end. They must be better to stay in the game against the Redbirds.
Furman hasn't used its bench extensively over the past couple of games, but Tom House (3.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Eddrin Bronson (6.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG) and Collin O'Neal (1.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG) are the first employed off the bench by coach Richey.
About the Redbirds:
Considered among the favorites to claim the Missouri Valley regular-season conference title, head coach Ryan Pedon (53-54/4th yr) has built both culture and sustainability in this his fourth season at the helm in Normal, and this season he has both continuity and a good base of veteran leadership leading the way.
Part of that leadership, continuity and momentum moving forward was established last season by winning the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) postseason tournament, finishing off the season with a 22-14 mark. Part of that culture that Pedon has built has made four starters want to return for more, which is rare in this current NIL/transfer portal era.
The Redbirds won't have the length in the paint that the Paladins do, but they do have every bit the physicality to matchup, especially in 6-9, 280-lb junior center Chase Walker (11.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who is a preseason first-team all-league pick and is a problem to deal with underneath for opponents. Walker is the team's third-leading scorer, posting 18 points and five boards in the Redbirds' Thanksgiving Day win over Charlotte.
Walker has totaled three double-figure scoring efforts this season, including a season-high 19 points in an 82-80 win over Long Beach State earlier this season. Despite his brute physical strength and ability underneath, Walker has struggled with being extremely efficient early on this season, connecting at just a 36.5% (19-of-52) from the field through the first six games this season.
Walker, who has started all six games he's seen action in this season, will team with four guards, in a four-out, one-in approach by ISU and coach Pedon. While Walker might have struggled with efficiency underneath this season, the Redbirds have been extremely efficient among their four guards this season, with true freshman Ty'Reek Coleman (14.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG) acting as the Redbirds' version of Alex Wilkins so far early in his career.
His efficiency has been through the roof this season, as even games into his collegiate career, he is connecting at a blistering 58% clip (33-of-57) from the field and is connecting on a strong 43.5% (10-of-23) from three-point range this season. He's scored in double figures in six out of seven games for the Redbirds, including six-straight. His season-high of 24 points against Cornell also coincided with his first-career start.
Johnny Kinziger (12.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG), Boden Skunberg (9.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and Ty Pence (8.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG) round out a veteran backcourt slated to start on Friday against the Paladins. Skunberg, a 6-5 guard, had a breakout performance for the Redbirds in the Thanksgiving Day win over Charlotte, as he posted a double-double, with 22 points and 10 boards.
Skunberg's 22 points accounted for a season-high points total and is one of three double-figure scoring performances for the North Dakota transfer this season. The 6-5 wing transferred in from a good Bison program during the off-season and has started all seven games so far this season for the Redbirds.
Kinzinger is the second-leading scorer for the Redbirds and is one of three Illinois State players averaging in double figures. The 5-11 junior point guard is now in his third successive year as part of that "glue" that has held continuity and helped build culture for Pedon's team in Normal. He finished off his sophomore season by garnering second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors last season and has started all seven games for the Redbirds this season.
Kinzinger is among the team's best perimeter threats, connecting 37.5% from three-point range this season (12-of-35) and in yesterday's win against Charlotte, it marked the first time this season that he had failed to reach double figures this season. Kinzinger connected on at least one three-pointer in 34 out of 36 games for Illinois State last season.
Rounding out the starting five is 6-6 wing guard Ty Pence, and like Kinzinger, excels as a perimeter threat for the Redbirds. Pence is a "glue guy" type for the Redbirds and has found his way into double figures twice this season, posting 14 points in a season-opening loss at Ohio, while finishing with a season-high 16 points in a lopsided win over Coastal Carolina. He has connected on 46.2% (6-of-13) from three-point land and is shooting a solid 57.1% (24-of-42) from the field so far this season.
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