BLOWOUT!

SIU got halfway to 20 wins tonight with 68-49 drubbing of Illinois State. Everyone played well tonight and for the second straight game Randal Falker was nothing short of dominant. The 6-7 big man (who plays much bigger) set a career high with 17 rebounds to go along with 10 points, 3 assists, and 4 blocked shots. Nice.

It wasn't just Falker getting the job done. ALL FIVE starters played A+ ball tonight. This is the first time all year that all five starters have played "A" basketball, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Shaw and Tatum continue the 1-2 scoring punch with 16 each. Bryan Mullins played his usual stout defense, absolutely shutting down ISU point guard Boo Richardson. Tony Young hit some big shots and pumped his fist as he nailed the dagger three ball in the second half.

This ISU team is not bad at all, but they saw first hand what the Salukis can do when they get hot. With the win the Salukis improve to 10-2 and 1-0 in the conference.

Looks like this squad is coming together and the best may be yet to come. Want a better measuring stick? Look no farther than #16 Wichita State. SIU did a great job of focusing in on the task at hand preparing for ISU, now they'll usher in the New Year with their toughest challenge so far.

Head Coach Chris Lowery is looking forward to Monday’s game as well. In the post game interview (95.1 FM) Lowery said "This is the type of game you want to play. When the other team is perceived to be better than you, it fires you up and you always like to see how you stack up against the best competition."

Well Coach, we'll second that motion. It's going to be a great game Monday, so if you’re around Carbondale, pull out your Maroon shirt and get down to the Arena for this one. No matter where you are you can get full coverage here at Salukihoops. Check back Sunday for a full preview, and late Monday night we'll be back again with greydawg's "view from row two."

Game #1 --- SIU v. Illinois State

The time for putting rivalries aside is over. The time for "rooting" for other teams in the Missouri Valley is over. The conference season gets under way tomorrow night, when the Salukis travel about 200 miles north on Route 51, to take on the Illinois State Redbirds in the first of 18 Missouri Valley conference match-ups.

The Salukis have fared well against the Redbirds over the last few seasons, having won each of the last 9 consecutive meetings. While I expect the outcome to be similar this time around, we are looking at a much improved ISU squad, compared to the woeful line-ups of the recent past. The boys from Normal, Illinois posted an 8-3 non-conference mark, highlighted by a 13 point victory on the road against St. John's. They also played a resurgent Florida State outfit close for most of the game before running out of gas down the stretch.

Who should we watch out for? Well... junior college transfer Boo Richardson handles the point and leads the team in scoring (12 points and 6 assists ). He sets the pace for the Redbirds and as he goes... they go. In their 7 victories he has averaged over 15 ppg, while only 5 ppg in their 4 losses. Also, another new face filling up the net this season is Dominitrix (Dom) Johnson. His season average of 12 ppg is inflated by a 32 point night against the Seminoles, but that doesn't make him any less of a threat. He can hurt a team from beyond the arc and he shoots 92% from the line. As for their low post players... Anthony Slack and Greg Dilligard, are both double digit scorers and solid rebounders, but they aren't flashy or overpowering in any way, shape, or form... plus Dilligard is gimpy, coming off of a severe ankle sprain during practice this week.

Bottom line... the Salukis can't take this team too lightly. Last season, the Redbirds didn't have a single player averaging more than 10 ppg and through 12 games, this year's squad has four players above that mark. They are also undefeated on their home floor this season at 6-0. However, after taking all factors into consideration and after providing a thorough and even-handed evaluation of this year's incarnation of ISU basketball, I think the Salukis will work through some early jitters and handle this team to the tune of 65-52. Make book on it.

Get On The Bus

For this game and for the remainder of the season, we at "Saluki Hoops" welcome any and all comments you might have concerning SIU basketball. We encourage you to voice your own opinion, provided that you don't slam anybody else. Since this is a forum not only for our analysis and commentary, but for your own as well, let's get some chatter going... the "hazardous road" that ends with Arch Madness is about to begin. Who's along for the ride?

SIU tops Saint Mary's 66-61

Road wins are big and SIU just added another quality road victory to their Tournament resume. Saint Mary's is a team that often makes the NCAA Tournament and you'll remember SIU beat them in the first round just two years ago. Todays 66-61 victory adds a road win over a team that will most likely be a top 100 RPI team when the dust settles in March.

One thing that I like about this years version of the Salukis is you have four guys who can step up and score 20+ points to lead us to victory. Tatum can do it any day, Matt Shaw did it against Minnesota, Tony Young's shooting got us the win at Western Kentucky, and today... well... None other than Randal Falker led SIU with 23 points, 11 boards, and 5 blocked shots. A huge performance from the 6-7 junior who plays much bigger.

JT followed up the big man with 17 points of his own going 6 of 10 from the floor. Not to be overlooked in this game is the play of Wesley Clemmons who is making a bid to either get into our starting lineup or win 6th man of the year in the valley. Clemmons scored 11 points while only shooting the ball 4 times; and tallied 5 rebounds in his ultra-efficient 25 minutes of play.

Rounding out the performances- Shaw and Young were quiet. Can we get Tony Young tested for mono or something? If anyone has a theory on what's wrong with Tony this year please post it in the comments section below. Boyle and Foster played short minutes due to Falker's big game and he and Shaw both stayed out of foul trouble. Tyrone Green hit 2 of 2 shots in 15 minutes of play, but I am still trying to figure out if this kid is a DI player or not. Conference play will tell the story.

Speaking of Conference play.... It's finally here! SIU heads up to Illinois state Friday at 6:05 pm . If you're in Carbondale you can listen to the game on Magic 95.1 FM. No matter where you are you can check salukihoops.com for a brand of coverage that you wont find anywhere else.

FROM OVER THE CURVE OF THE EARTH

Southern stared down the St. Mary's Gaels 66-61 Saturday in Moraga, CA.
St. Marys remained close throughout , trailing just 32-26 at half. Then they seized a 42-41 lead with 10 min. remaining. The Dawgs, however, proved worthy of their pedigree, and racked up the win with stellar play in the waning minutes. Randal Falker exploded for 23 points plus 11 boards and was backed by Jamaal Tatum's 17 and 4. Wesley Clemmons got 25 min. of court time and made Coach Lowery beam with pride. Clemmons burned for 11 points , including 3 threes. He also picked up 5 rebounds. Tony Young and Bryan Mullins scurried about, collecting 3 steals apiece.

Two sohomores did sterling work for the Gaels, who dropped to 6 and 8 on the year. Wayne Hunter had 17 and Diamon Simpson, 13. Steady 6-5 senior Brett Collins connected for 10. St. Mary's was not able to establish the race pace offense they prefer, and the game ran according to form for Southern. The Dawgs were averaging 62 points to 58 for their opponens. Computer wizard Jeff Sagarin had SIU by 6. SIU split the difference to prevail by 5.

All this was gleaned by Greydawg who was glumly limited to terse computerized reports like "SIU 55 St. Mary's 51 - 3:28 2nd." Somewhere over the curve of the Earth great things were being done? Yes(!) and apparently by Randal Falker, in particular. Until the schedule makers send the Dawgs trotting off to Hawaii, this might be the most remote locale in which they toil. As for now they are doubtlessly somewhere high over Colorado listening to their music or enjoying a winning Dawg's " Victory Snooze". Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season to them, and to you, Saluki hoops fans, everywhere. Southern faces Illinois State on Friday the 29th. I am going out to get some spumoni ice cream. See ya later.........

PLAYIN' FAST AND LOOSE

The Salukis rolled over rambunctious, but outgunned Central Michigan 74-61 at the Arena Wednesday. The win boosted the Dawgs to 8-2 and elevated their eyebrow- raising home record to 70-3 since 2001. SIU was relaxed and energetic from the outset. 7100 fans out came to howl and Dawgs exhibited a free-wheeling style that gave them every opportunity. CMU responded with physical play, and outrebounded SIU 27-23.The Chippewas even made a number of impressive shots amidst extremely tight pressure. Southern's passing was crisp and decisive. Their ball rotation seemed to constantly beat the zone's recovery, resulting in good looks which have been so hard to find of late.

Matt Shaw gave the delighted throng cause to bellow their throats raw by nailing 4 of 5 threes, slamming, finishing a drive with a finger roll, hitting 7 times from the line and making 25 pts. for the game. Coach Lowery told Mike Reese on the WUEZ post game that Jamaal Tatum played his best game of his career. JT was simply tornadic. He was a blur going by. If you squinted you could make out the number 3 and some braided hair sizzling along, persued in vain by frantic, hulking CMU troops. He tallied 18, including coming from way downcourt to send the crowd into delirium with a "dribble drive" slashing slam .

The Dawgs breezed downcourt in defiance of sporadic CMU efforts to press. The "swimming " and shoving down low could have moved parked cars off a lot, but the Dawgs seemed serenely undisturbed. By halftime the Salukis were up 33-18. Lowery pronounced that 20 minutes excellent. Things got shaky in the second half, although by no means a fiasco. Central Michigan somehow tacked up a commendable 43 points. Props to their leaders: Guard Giordan Watson is first rate. He had 18 and earned them all. Marka Spica added 13 off the bench, and O'Fallon's Chris Kellerman put up 11.

Lowery , with time ticking toward the Conference season, contined to look for points off the bench. Nobody rang up big numbers. Tony Boyle, who had been knocked cold in practice recently, and was still woozy, played tough. Keep an eye on Tyrone Green. He's explosive and can get quick release passes into the post. He needs to finish drives to contribute. Josh Bone, back from injury, was agressive and has promise.

The Dawgs are off to St. Mary's of California. Coach plans a little side trip to check out Alcatraz, too. After the Holidays it's Illinois State at Normal, then back home to collide with the #8 Wichita St. Shockers. That's tonight's VIEW FROM ROW TWO.

THE FUR WAS FLYING

In a pitched-battle, with bodies crashing and whistles shrieking , the Indiana Hoosiers outlasted the Salukis 57-47 Sunday night. SIU's Jamaal Tatum led all scorers with 17, and spent most of the evening driving to the rack like a guy skateboarding across an 8-lane expressway. Regretably, he was about the only Dawg who got across. Facing an Indiana defense which was efficient and relentless, SIU slumped noticeably in the last ten minutes. Passes vectored off to destinations unknown. Southern's offense collapsed. Meanwhile, Indiana drove the lane time and time again.

The repeated shrilling of the officials' whistles sounded like a riot on the docks. Hoosiers trod to the foul stripe for 31 free tosses, although for most of the game their efforts resembled men trying to throw a cow through a keyhole. Indiana's A.J. Ratliff put up 14 points, followed by Armon Bassett with 11. Coach Kelvin Sampson's halftime rant to his troops electrified them and they bounded out of the locker room and took charge. For his part, the Indiana sideline commander perfected the art of the 40 inch vertical bound from a sitting position and dashed up and down the sidelines working the refs to exhaustion. His counterpart, Chris Lowrey of SIU, was serious and squared away in a tailored suit.

The Dawgs maintained their characteristic unemotional demeanor despite the hystrionic atmosphere and the gesticulations of their pumped up opponents. If should be noted that Tony Boyle's chilling glare is matchless in televised sports. We dig it , Dawg. Losing stinks, but the Hoosiers earned the victory. ESPN's announcing crew was pretty impressed by the manic intensity. They pronounced the Dawgs "Cut, like middleweight boxers".. the game a "streetfight" and "a Toughman Contest". Southern's squad was cited as one of the most physically fit teams in the nation...each man capable of completing a triathlon, etc. etc. All this was commendable, and perhaps accurate, but have you ever seen a college basketball player who was just a big slug? I thought not.

It was noted that Indiana had played their best game of the year and even better than in a 3 point road loss at Duke. If SIU had not come unglued down the stretch the game was winnable. Certainly Coach Lowrey will take chalk in hand to continue teaching. There's plenty of snarl left in these Dawgs. Central Michigan will call at the Arena on Wednesday night.

Indiana here we come

Finals are over and all the exams are in the books. Now it’s back to the hardwood for the Men’s Basketball team.

Before we look forward lets look back for a second. Chris Lowery answered questions about the season up to this point at pinch penny this week. Here were some of his thoughts.

-If you can’t be 9-0 you’d like to be 8-1. C-Low feels like the team is starting to come together and fire on all cylinders.

-Turns out that the MVC is pretty good. C-Low has been answering all kinds of questions about the other teams in the conference. During a recent interview with Sirius satellite radio C-Low had to tell the interviewer that while the other teams in the conference are good and all, he was there to talk about SIU. He’s ready to stop rooting for the other teams to do well (in non-conference play) and start banging some heads in the valley.

-Redshirt for Josh Bone? C-low said that Josh Bone (Broken Foot) has begun to practice with the team but is far away from getting into a game. Lowery reiterated that no one on the team is “given” playing time- in this program you have to earn it. It is possible that Bone will be given a Redshirt this season.

Without further ado- here is your preview for the Indiana Hoosiers

-No size advantage for Indiana. IU’s tallest player, 6-11 Ben Allen, will miss the game with mono. There next tallest player (DJ White) is 6-9.

-Speaking of DJ White, this kid does it all. DJ leads the team in Scoring, Rebounding, and Blocked Shots (14 ppg, 8 rpg, 2.6 blks). He is a mismatch for any team. Our suggestion? Put Matt Shaw on him.

-Indiana is a well rounded team with some similarities to SIU. They have three guys that average double figures. Besides the aforementioned White, IU features 6-4 Senior Roderick Wilmont who averages 11.8 ppg and should see a steady dose of Tony Young. 6-8 Junior Lance Stemler averages 10 points and 5 boards.

-One thing that sticks out about Indiana is that they do not have one single player averaging over 28 minutes per game. SIU had 3 players averaging over 30 mpg (Shaw, Mullins, and Tatum). That might tell you that they have some depth, but it could also tell you that head coach Kelvin Sampson doesn’t trust his starters.

SIU matches up with Indiana really well and you can expect the boys to roll into Bloomington and play their usual brand of lock down D. We are going to need some contributions from our bench to pull out a win on the road. Wesley Clemmons stepped up big against Western Kentucky and he’ll need to do it again in Hoosierville. This could be a classic “grind it out” win for SIU. The official Salukihoops prediction is SIU over IU 64-61.

Field Trip! Salukihoops is going on the road to Indiana for the game. Check back for a wrap after the game and we’ll have some continued coverage on Monday. Lets hope we bring home a winner!

C-Low at Pinch tonight

Coach Chris Lowery will be at Pinch Penny Pub in Carbondale tonight from 7pm-8pm to answer questions from fans. The show will be broadcast on Magic 95.1 so if you cant make it up there be sure to check it out.

No Saluki basketball until Sunday night due to this being finals week on campus. If you haven't heard SIU is playing a team from Indiana on Sunday night. The game will be broadcast on a little station known as ESPN and Salukihoops will be in Indiana for the action.

Check back tomorrow for a full preview of SIU v Indiana

Here are a couple other SIU basketball sites you might enjoy.

The Southerns "Dawg Blog"- http://www.thesouthern.com/dawgblog/

www.salukitalk.com is a great place to talk about SIU basketball

Also, if you want to ask a question or speak you mind about SIU hoops you get do so in the comments section below.

SIU wins a shootout 75-70

Welcome to the first live game blog at Saluki Hoops

SIU looks good early on offense. Early on Southern looks like the team that averages 80 points a game and not the other way around. Western KY is trapping on defense and they have forced the Salukis to take a few bad shots but we are also getting wide open looks generated from the double teams.

Brian Mullins got 2 quick fouls and had to go to the bench. Wesley Clemmons came in and immediately provided a spark. Clemmons got a quick steal and cashed in the layup at the other end. SIU cant do much wrong at this point, and if the bench guys continue to play at a high level this is going to be a blowout.

Tony Young appears to have awoken. He has 4 three pointers already in this game with 3 minutes to go in the first half. With Tony Young stepping up and scoring its going to be hard to beat SIU today.

WOW- Western Kentucky really put together a nice 10-0 run at the end of the first half to make this a game. This looks more like the sharp shooting team that we all heard about.

Early in the second half Tony Young knocks down another 3 ball to take back some of the momentum.

Courtney Lee is on fire now in the second half. He just about cut the lead to 2 points with a big three but it rattled out of the hoop. SIU dodged a bullet there.

SIU is stuck on 42 points. There is 11 minutes to go and Southern is not going to be able to rely on their defense forever.

Wesley Clemmons makes a nice athletic drive for bucket to put SIU up 44-38 with 10 minutes to go.

SIU looks helpless against the WKY press. Mullins made one nice pass for an easy basket but other than that the WKY pressure has been very effective.

Now this game is getting ugly and both teams are already in the bonus with 8:43 remaining. SIU really needs to hit free throws in order to win.

Courtney Lee has gone cold from the floor, but he is a pure scorer and I dont expect him to stop shooting. The kid has some serious talent. There he goes- a MONSTER dunk.

SIU big men are WIDE OPEN down low. Falker and Shaw are going to have a chance to win this thing for SIU if we can get the ball. SIU has a one point lead but WKY can put up points in a hurry.

Western Ky has tied this game at 53-53 this going to be a heck of a finish.

Its weird seeing SIU with a size advantage. We HAVE TO get the ball down low.

Both teams are now in double bonus with WKY taking their first lead of the game after trailing by 15 in the first half.

There we go! It looks like Lowery has instructed the guys to go get the ball down low, and Falker takes the lead back for SIU.

Tony Young hits a big three to put SIU up by 4. However, he probably should have passed with Shaw and Falker wide open.

Now its a free throw contest- Tony Young hits two free throws to push the lead to 6.

SIU hit 12 free throws in a row down the stretch. Thats a good way to hold a lead. WKY just would not go away at the end of this game and they put up a heck of a fight. SIU just outscored them. What a great win for SIU.

Western Kentucky deserves a lot of credit; they have a nice program and a nice gym. This is mid-major basketball at its best.

What a fun game to watch. Was this really SIU playing? 75 points? Wow. Tony Young is the Saluki Hoops player of the game with a 22 point effort. Good to have you back Tony.

Western Kentucky is for real

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are another them “off the beaten path” of NCAA cities but this is a top 10 mid-major program and WKY is not to be taken lightly.

Western Kentucky rolls into this game with SIU with a 7-1 record- their only loss coming to defending national champion Florida.

The Hilltoppers are in the same boat as SIU when it comes to scheduling- none of the big boys want to play. So the Hilltoppers went on the road to Georgia and hung a 70-67 loss on the Bulldogs.

One other thing about WKY- They LOVE to shoot the 3 ball. These guys can hit the three, and are very good on the free throw line as well. A dangerous combination.

Head Coach Darren Horn after WKY’s win against rival Eastern Kentucky-”You have a chance to play pretty well when you make 15 threes, but what I’m most proud of and pleased with is that we did it by following our game plan and staying in an attacking mentality, which is tough to do”

SIU has the second best defense in the nation allowing opponents only 49.1 points per game. On the other end of the spectrum, Western Kentucky is averaging 81.8 points per game at home this year. Something’s got to give. Southern should actually have a slight size advantage over WKY something that we're not used to having.

It should be a little higher scoring game than usual for Southern. This game could easily go right down to the wire. Hopefully I'm wrong but SIU might not have the firepower to win this one. Official Saluki Hoops prediction SIU 68 - WKY 72.

Saluki hoops will be live blogging during the game (Sat 7pm, MediaCom channel 22). Check back right after the game for the wrap up and your Saluki Hoops player of the game.

The Hazardous Road

The road to March takes many curious bends and twists. The Valley Highway, in particular, is a hazardous route, indeed. This nebulous cow-path, quite apart from the brightly lit highways in the Big East, et. al., leads past obscure and ominous places like Springfield, MO... an odious locale, home to a particulary angry species of Bears who sharpen their claws and feast on Badgers for amusement.

The map shows other dubious destinations... Peoria, Cedar Falls, Omaha, Wichita, Carbondale.......places no sane coach would lead a bus-load of callow, self-important youngsters without intense indoctrination in how to ignore leather-lunged partisans, crazed student cheering sections, ear-searing profane tirades, erratic officiating, dim shooting backgrounds, toxic truckstop tacos, cramped locker rooms, drizzling showers and damp, cold concrete floors . Sometimes IPODS even get misplaced (!) which could be the most unsettling fate of all.

Yes, it's easy to cruise in to these seemingly innocuous places , get off the bus, and get slapped silly in short order. Barry Hinson and his colleagues are not dallying away their time tutoring unskilled walk-ons. Nobody is suiting up student managers in the MVC. Talent trickles down here with amazing regularity. Perennial top-25 programs are finding themselves shoved aside by lantern-jawed mugs with bowling ball shoulders wearing MVC jerseys. Publicity and praise accrued in the early going of a D-I campaign can evaporate unless a team can slug it's way in and out of these and other ambuscades with dignity and RPI intact. Beware the bumpy road through The Valley.

Balanced attack leads SIU to 65-56 victory

SIU can beat you with defense but they also have a lot of weapons on offense and it showed in the game today. The salukis put four starters in double figures (Falker, Shaw, Tatum, and Mullins). Falker led the way with 17 points down low, including 5-6 from the free throw line earning him salukihoops player of the game honors. Falker’s free throw shooting has greatly improved from last season when he shot 55% from the stripe.

Shaw continues to stroke 3’s hitting 3 of 4 and letting his defender know about it, prompting his second technical foul of his college career. Tatum was quiet early but busted some big shots when it mattered and Brian Mullins must read this blog because he did a great job taking the ball to the hoop today.

Falker got in foul trouble early and was sent to the bench prompting a Jamaal Foster sighting. Foster did a very adequate job in his 6 minutes of play. He defended SLU big man Ian Vouyoukas, hit two free throws, and registered an assist. Good for him.

Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch both scored 14 points but combined to go 3-9 from the free throw stripe hurting SLU’s chances of making a second half comeback.

SIU (6-1) endured one first half run from SLU (5-2) and bounced back to take a 6 point lead into the locker room. Early second half baskets by Falker and Mullins stretched the lead to 10 and SIU never looked back in route to a 65-56 victory.

Random Notes-

• Tony Young has not played well lately and it’s begun to cost him minutes. Young started the game but only played 15 minutes and registered 4 personal fouls.

• Even with the loss today SLU still leads SIU 24-23 in the all-time series that started in 1920.

• SIU has held 14 straight opponents under 65 points dating back to last season

• Opponents are averaging just 49 points per game against SIU this season

• With the win today SIU improves to 69-3 at home since 2001

Rivalry Game

SIU has had a number of different rivals over the years. In the present landscape of college basketball the Billikens of St. Louis University are our number one competition in the area.

What makes a rivalry in college hoops?

Geographic proximity is a factor but you would not call University of Illinois and Northwestern a huge rivalry, would you? Of course not, so it must go deeper then that. The two teams must be equal in status. Two years ago SIU hung a lopsided victory on St. Louis U and last year the Billikens returned the favor in STL.

Another factor is recruiting. Both of these schools are fighting for the same recruits. SIU and St. Louis U can give local players a chance to play big time DI ball and stay close to home. A win in this series gives Chris Lowery or Brad Soderberg bragging rights for the year when they speak with potential players. How important is the Illinois/Missouri battle ground? 9 of the 10 starters in Saturday’s game are from one of the two states. The only exception- 6-10 Center Ian Vouyoukas who hails from Athens, Greece.

Last but not least the fans play a major factor. Many SIU fans make the trip to St. Louis when SIU plays there and I’m sure many SLU fans will make the trip tomorrow. When your fan base spends time, money, and emotional energy cheering for you on the road you really want to reward them with a win.

The good folks in Las Vegas are calling SIU a nine point favorite. That seems a little optimistic for my taste. SIU has not been able to put big points on the board yet this year prompting the ESPN commentator at the Old Spice Classic to call SIU “A Sweet 16 team on defense and an NIT team on offense”.

The Billikens have a nice guard combo of Kevin Lisch (Belleville Althoff) and Tommie Liddell (East St. Louis). Those two have combined to average 32 points a game so far, albeit playing against teams with inferior defense. NBA prospect Ian Vouyoukas has averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds a game so far helping SLU to a 5-1 record. Falker and Shaw have gone up against big men of this caliber before and came out on top. I expect them to do the same tomorrow.

The official Salukihoops prediction- SIU over SLU 57-51. Check back after the game for a full recap and your Salukihoops player of the game.