Coming into this season, it would have been disappointing to see SIU in a non-televised BracketBuster game, but for them to lose in that game is much worse.
Josh Mayo, UIC's 5-11 point guard, dropped 25 points on the Salukis. This performance highlights the decline of SIU's defense since Bryan Mullins' injuy. With Mullins in the game does anyone think a Horizon League point guard puts up 25 points? Not to take anything away from Mayo's performance, but I doubt it.
The problem for SIU in this game wasn't the offense. Dillard, Fay, and Hare went for double figures. The problem was defense, specifically from the perimeter where UIC hit 11 threes. At one point it appeared that the Salukis slipped into a (gasp) zone defense. I've been quietly calling for the Salukis to move forward with the zone since they've been playing with a short bench, so I'm glad to see this compromise by the coaching staff even if it didn't really work. In future seasons it would be nice to see SIU have a zone defense ready if they want to give opponents a different look.
Elsewhere around the Valley it was a near perfect day for the MVC in the BracketBuster. The only other team to lose on Saturday was the UNI Panthers, who are now reeling after losing 3 straight games and 4 out of 5 overall. Illinois State also lost on Friday, leaving the Valley with a solid 7-3 mark in the BracketBuster this season.
