NORMAL - The goal was never to go undefeated heading into Missouri Valley Conference play, especially with Bobby Hill and Alex Rubin on the bench recovering from surgeries. | MVC scores, stats | Gameday glance

But now, with a chance to do so, Illinois State's basketball team must clear its last -and probably - toughest hurdle.

Maybe that might silence some critics.

Illinois-Chicago (7-2), with impressive road victories at Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech, comes into Redbird Arena for a 7:05 p.m. game Saturday against ISU (10-0).

"It would say a lot about the fact we lost a lot of people (from last season)," said Redbird senior guard Emmanuel Holloway of an 11-0 start. "Once we finish that phase we would look at it as an accomplishment, but then we push ourselves into conference.

"It's a good thing because you never want to lose, but it's not the end of the year."

Several media outlets have questioned the Redbirds' schedule strength and lack of a signature victory. ISU is the lone Valley team not to play an opponent from a BCS football conference before beginning league play.

The combined record of ISU's first 10 opponents is 30-62. Only Nicholls State (6-4) has a winning record.

"The beautiful thing about this country is everybody is entitled to opinion," said ISU coach Tim Jankovich. "I have no problem with that, even if it's a ridiculous opinion. That's pretty irrelevant."

UIC's veteran coach, Jimmy Collins, defends the Redbirds.

"Anyone who would bash a 10-0 record is just a basher," said Collins. "They have nothing better to talk about. They've beaten good teams."

Jankovich was asked whether a victory over UIC would quiet some of the doubters.

"I haven't heard any of them, so I don't care what anybody thinks except our team," he said. "That's all the radio talk shows or whatever. We never tune into that, so that never even enters into my brain."

What has consumed Jankovich's attention the last three days is high-scoring guard Josh Mayo and the Flames. UIC is riding a six-game winning streak, including at Vanderbilt (74-55) and Georgia Tech (66-60).

"Hopefully those wins do a lot for our confidence, but we have to make sure we understand we have to play that way every night," said Collins. "On the flip side, we can think we have arrived … hopefully the kids don't take those wins as we're going to the Final Four."

Mayo, a 5-foot-11 guard who was the preseason Horizon League Player of the Year, is averaging 20.6 points per game and shooting 51.6 percent from 3-point range (32 of 62).

The 6-2 Holloway, who is the Redbirds' best perimeter defender, probably will get a chance to cover Mayo.

"I go in there and make sure he doesn't have enough space to get a shot off," said Holloway. "I just get down lower on defense and slap my feet."

Jankovich sees Mayo as more than just a great scorer.

"Mayo has unbelievable range to begin with, but more than that he's got a lot of game off the dribble and more important he has great feel," said Jankovich. "That's what great guards have, feel, and an instinct for great shots and space to get guys off balance."

Boo Richardson drew the defensive assignment against Mayo in last season's game at Redbird Arena. Mayo scored only 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting as ISU rolled to a 73-47 victory. Collins said "maturity" is the biggest difference this season with the Flames.

But Richardson and Levi Dyer, who made 7 of 8 shots from 3-point range en route to 25 points against the Flames, aren't around for ISU anymore.

"You could count on Boo if you challenged him," said Jankovich. "He always responded."

ISU will take four days off after Saturday to spend the holidays with their families. The Redbirds return to practice Christmas Day in preparation for the Dec. 28 Valley opener at Missouri State.