 Bird began his ISU career year with a flourish, scoring over 30 points in his first games, later scoring 47 points with 19 rebounds against Butler.The Sycamores had joined the MVC but were not eligible for the conference title, and they dominated a schedule of mostly independents.Bird averaged 32.8 points and 13.3 rebounds a game, leading the team to a 25-2 regular season record.