SPRINGFIELD, IL - The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team travels to Las Vegas for the D2 Vegas Showdown this weekend. The Prairie Stars take on Lake Superior State on Friday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. CST before playing Findlay on Saturday at 8 p.m. CST.

You can follow the Prairie Stars on the road this weekend at the D2 Vegas Showdown website listed above. Both games will be streamed through Stretch Internet for a fee. You can also keep up with the Showdown via Twitter at @D2vegasshowdown and at @UISHoops.

"The plan before the Illinois game was that no matter what happened, we're still 0-0 and we're going to try to learn from it and I think we did," said Coach Walker. "There were a lot of positives and some negatives, now, are we going to face a Big Ten team every night? No, but there's still things we can take from it and improve on."

UIS enters the weekend after an exhibition loss to division I Illinois last Sunday. The Prairie Stars hung with the Fighting Illini for much of the first half and trailed, 27-26, with 6:30 left in the period. Illinois broke the game open with runs in both halves to win the game, 104-69. Senior Davi Austin (Newark, N.J.) led the Prairie Stars with 14 points. Transfer-senior Jesse Tesmer finished with a double-double (10 pts, 10 rebs) in his first-ever game with UIS.

"As we load up to go to Vegas," said Walker, "I think are guys are confident but also know that we've got a long way to go."

News and Notes

A NEW ERA
This marks the first time that former UIS players Dylan Sparkman and Kentrell King are not on the UIS roster since the 2010-11 season. The two recently signed contracts to continue their basketball careers. Sparkman signed with Baloncesto Naron in Spain while King is now playing with an ABA semi-professional team, the Chicago Steam.

FROM SENIOR TO FRESHMAN
The UIS roster features four freshman including 6-10 center Zach Steinberg, 6-4 wingman Bahari Amaya, 5-11 guard Logan Gonce and 5-11 guard Chidiebere Ngwe.

SIZE MATTERS
Senior Colin Blaydes is the tallest returner for the Prairie Stars, who lost much of their size from last season. The Prairie Stars no longer have Dylan Sparkman (6-10) and Dusko Despot (6-6) and will rely on the newcomers to bolster the team's size and inside game this season. The average height of the roster last season was 6'2, this season that number is 6'3.

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Seniors Jamall Millison and JJ Cravatta return for their final seasons in Springfield. The duo combined to sink 123 three pointers last season. Millison led the GLVC in three-pointers made with 75. The Prairie Stars shot 35.2 percent from long range last season and converted nine or more threes in five games.

DIVISION I OPENER
The Prairie Stars opened the 2015-16 against a NCAA Division I opponent for the sixth straight season. UIS travels to Indiana State later in the season for an exhibition against the Sycamores.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Sunday's exhibition against Illinois was a road game for the Prairie Stars but they didn't have to leave Springfield. Last season the Prairie Stars were 4-1 at home against nonconference opponents.

THE BALL DOESN'T LIE
Last season, the Prairie Stars shot 47 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three-point range in their 11 wins. In the losses? UIS converted just 38 percent of its shots and 33 percent of its threes.

COMING UP NEXT
UIS returns to Springfield on November 18 to host Robert Morris Springfield. The Prairie Stars opened their 2014-15 home slate against Robert Morris Springfield and defeated the Eagles, 106-73.