Two teams heading in opposite directions will meet in the Arena on Tuesday night. The Salukis have have lost three straight and the St. Mary's Gaels stand undefeated at 7-0. Besides a clean record, the Gaels can also boast of a win over a ranked opponent (Oregon) and a spot in the latest national rankings (24).
The Gaels are led by Patrick Mills, a first year point guard. Through seven games, Mills is averaging 16 ppg, 4.4 apg, and 2.1 spg. Junior Forward Diamon Simpson is just shy of a double-double every night at 13.0 / 9.6. Also, nearly every person on the roster can hit from the outside. Eight players are averaging over 33% from beyond the arc.
For the Salukis... Matt Shaw and Randal Falker will have to show up on the same night. The Clark Kent and Superman routine is wearing thin. Also, if Josh Bone takes 19 shots and misses 15 in back-to-back games, I'll shave my head. I just don't think it's possible for this team to remain cold much longer. Career percentages and plain logic dictate a rebound to form for the Salukis sometime soon. Maybe it will be Tuesday night.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Salukis Stay Cold, Lose Third Straight
It was the same old story for the Salukis on Saturday night - not enough offense. Poor shooting did in the Salukis who fell to 3-3 with their third straight loss.
Charlotte is a good team, but the Salukis wouldn't have been able to beat even a lesser opponent, shooting only 32% from the field. Also frustrating for Saluki fans who watched the game online (don't forget to cancel your subscription) were the frequent outages and the home announcer constantly complaining about the Salukis' fouling, even though the 49ers shot 15 more free throws than the Dawgs.
Randal Falker was held in check by the 49ers. Falker failed to score a single point and fouled out of the game with 2 minutes remaining. I'm not sure if it's possible for SIU to win without any contribution from the big fella.
Matt Shaw answered the bell for SIU scoring 20 points while pulling down 6 boards. Josh Bone attempted to play a bigger role, but his 13 points came on an atrocious 4 of 19 shooting.
Leemire Goldwire got off for the niners, connecting for 24 points and leading Charlotte to 71 total points for the game. Giving up 70+ is not a Floorburn U trademark so the offense is not the only problem for the Dawgs right now.
The Salukis don't have much time to fix their shooting woes. The undefeated St. Mary Gaels come to the SIU Arena Tuesday and they will likely be ranked in the top 25. SIU needs to start building their NCAA Tournament resume and Tuesday's game will be a huge opportunity to get back on track.
Charlotte is a good team, but the Salukis wouldn't have been able to beat even a lesser opponent, shooting only 32% from the field. Also frustrating for Saluki fans who watched the game online (don't forget to cancel your subscription) were the frequent outages and the home announcer constantly complaining about the Salukis' fouling, even though the 49ers shot 15 more free throws than the Dawgs.
Randal Falker was held in check by the 49ers. Falker failed to score a single point and fouled out of the game with 2 minutes remaining. I'm not sure if it's possible for SIU to win without any contribution from the big fella.
Matt Shaw answered the bell for SIU scoring 20 points while pulling down 6 boards. Josh Bone attempted to play a bigger role, but his 13 points came on an atrocious 4 of 19 shooting.
Leemire Goldwire got off for the niners, connecting for 24 points and leading Charlotte to 71 total points for the game. Giving up 70+ is not a Floorburn U trademark so the offense is not the only problem for the Dawgs right now.
The Salukis don't have much time to fix their shooting woes. The undefeated St. Mary Gaels come to the SIU Arena Tuesday and they will likely be ranked in the top 25. SIU needs to start building their NCAA Tournament resume and Tuesday's game will be a huge opportunity to get back on track.
Friday, December 07, 2007
You Stay Positive Southern Illinois
What's with all the negativity?
It's true... USC and Indiana have shown the rest of the nation how to expose the weaknesses of this year's Salukis. To spin that positively, the Salukis now understand what they have to change in order to run with the big dogs this season. Heck, they might have even done the Salukis a favor.
It's true... the rest of the non-conference schedule is filled with tournament bound teams and is the toughest in school history. For a team that is adjusting to new roles, what more could you ask for than to be tested every night? Sounds like a string of opportunities to correct a few things and get stronger as a unit, which will equal more wins down the road.
It's true... these teams have seen the tape. They'll be doubling down on Falker, packing the lane, and trying to get the Dawgs into a transition game. What's new about that concept? It sounds like the same game plan that every team already had drawn up before the season. If a couple of pivotal shots had dropped last Saturday, this picture would seem a whole lot brighter.
On to Charlotte... this Saturday at 6:05 CST the Salukis will take the court against a battle tested 49ers line-up, coming off of a big win over Davidson. Here are some keys to the game:
Make the offense come from somebody other than Leemire Goldwire. He's a 5'11" gunner that is averaging 20.4 ppg and taking over 1/4 of the team's shots. Obviously, he's the guy that the Dawgs will have to shut down.
Matt Shaw and Randal Falker have to total 30 points. This really is a standard for every game. Falker is doing his part thus far and Shaw will be seeing more time at the "4" where he is more accustomed to playing. Over the course of the last two seasons, the team is undefeated when Shaw scores 15 and pulls down 6 rebounds.
This team has to believe in itself. I've been seeing a lot of horrendous body-language lately. Time to shake it off. Even with the last two lackluster performances, the defense is still only allowing 57.0 ppg and these guys are still enrolled in classes at Floorburn U. Get to a few 50/50 balls, make a couple of hustle plays, and the swagger will come right back.
It's true... USC and Indiana have shown the rest of the nation how to expose the weaknesses of this year's Salukis. To spin that positively, the Salukis now understand what they have to change in order to run with the big dogs this season. Heck, they might have even done the Salukis a favor.
It's true... the rest of the non-conference schedule is filled with tournament bound teams and is the toughest in school history. For a team that is adjusting to new roles, what more could you ask for than to be tested every night? Sounds like a string of opportunities to correct a few things and get stronger as a unit, which will equal more wins down the road.
It's true... these teams have seen the tape. They'll be doubling down on Falker, packing the lane, and trying to get the Dawgs into a transition game. What's new about that concept? It sounds like the same game plan that every team already had drawn up before the season. If a couple of pivotal shots had dropped last Saturday, this picture would seem a whole lot brighter.
On to Charlotte... this Saturday at 6:05 CST the Salukis will take the court against a battle tested 49ers line-up, coming off of a big win over Davidson. Here are some keys to the game:
Make the offense come from somebody other than Leemire Goldwire. He's a 5'11" gunner that is averaging 20.4 ppg and taking over 1/4 of the team's shots. Obviously, he's the guy that the Dawgs will have to shut down.
Matt Shaw and Randal Falker have to total 30 points. This really is a standard for every game. Falker is doing his part thus far and Shaw will be seeing more time at the "4" where he is more accustomed to playing. Over the course of the last two seasons, the team is undefeated when Shaw scores 15 and pulls down 6 rebounds.
This team has to believe in itself. I've been seeing a lot of horrendous body-language lately. Time to shake it off. Even with the last two lackluster performances, the defense is still only allowing 57.0 ppg and these guys are still enrolled in classes at Floorburn U. Get to a few 50/50 balls, make a couple of hustle plays, and the swagger will come right back.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Salukis Regroup, Prepare for Charlotte
Coming off of consecutive losses the Salukis continue their grueling non-conference schedule with a trip to Charlotte this week. The 49ers are riding high after a win against Wake Forest and will host Davidson on Wednesday night. Looks like the Niners aren't afraid of a little competition either.
There's not much left to say about the last two losses. Southern didn't hit open shots against Indiana and that's a big reason why they lost... sometimes it's just that simple. The good news is this team has some very talented offensive players and guys like Matt Shaw and Josh Bone will bounce right back.
USC and Indiana are top flight teams so dropping a couple of game to these teams in November won't matter much when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee makes their picks in March. What is important is how this team responds to adversity and in that regard we will find out a lot about this team on Saturday.
Over at the TheSouthern.com Robert Crow notes the Salukis aren't doing the 'Small Things'.
On the Daily Egyptian's website Sean McGahan writes 'Floorburn U' needs a makeover.
You can sound off on your thoughts about the Charlotte game at SalukiTalk in the Official Charlotte Pregame Thread.
Saturday's game isn't televised locally but for $4.95 you can watch it online. Just remember to cancel your subscription after the game.
Finally, check out the new "Second Nature" commercial featuring Bryan Mullins
There's not much left to say about the last two losses. Southern didn't hit open shots against Indiana and that's a big reason why they lost... sometimes it's just that simple. The good news is this team has some very talented offensive players and guys like Matt Shaw and Josh Bone will bounce right back.
USC and Indiana are top flight teams so dropping a couple of game to these teams in November won't matter much when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee makes their picks in March. What is important is how this team responds to adversity and in that regard we will find out a lot about this team on Saturday.
Over at the TheSouthern.com Robert Crow notes the Salukis aren't doing the 'Small Things'.
On the Daily Egyptian's website Sean McGahan writes 'Floorburn U' needs a makeover.
You can sound off on your thoughts about the Charlotte game at SalukiTalk in the Official Charlotte Pregame Thread.
Saturday's game isn't televised locally but for $4.95 you can watch it online. Just remember to cancel your subscription after the game.
Finally, check out the new "Second Nature" commercial featuring Bryan Mullins
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Hoosiers Squash Dawgs
The woeful 64-51 drubbing dished out by the Indiana Hoosiers over the SIU Salukis at Carbondale Saturday night was even more gruesome than the 13 point margin of victory might indicate. It wasn't that close. Indiana's multi-talented squad shrugged off the fanatic Saluki defense and defied the roaring capacity crowd to win with assurance.
Southern matched Indiana point for point for the first 15 minutes, but could not make enough of a run to get any daylight. Meanwhile IU's sensational freshman guard Eric Gordon was able to float beyond the reach of the thrashing and gnashing Saluki defenders to net perfect jump shots.
Big time talent D.J. White (6-9, 251) and his coterie of "Bruiser Hoosiers" were on their way to recording a 35-24 game's edge over the Dawgs on the glass. Indiana shot well under pressure throughout the contest, while SIU was glacially cold, going an abysmal 1-14 (.071) from outside the arc. ( Matt Shaw's trey in the closing minutes saved the Dawgs from the aggravation of not making one all evening.)
Down 34-25 with six seconds left in the half, Southern's Bryan Mullins flailed past a crowd of defenders and banked one in from a radical angle. Although he added a free throw, the Salukis went scowling off the court down six. Improvement was not forthcoming the the final 20 minutes.
Indiana continued to shun set offensive plays and thrived on driving and shooting outside. They ganged up on SIU's Randal Falker in the low post and dared the Dawgs to score.
Word of the USC debacle had obviously reached Bloomington.
The sounds of buses at Butler, St. Mary's, Western Kentucky, and elsewhere revving their motors.....destination Carbondale, are being heard in the distance. Coaches with the same game plan clamped on their clipboards are climbing on board. Attention: Chris Lowery.
Indiana had four men in double figures, including Gordon (22), Armon Bassett (12), Jamarcus Ellis (11) and White, (10). White had 12 boards and Ellis 10 . Randal Falker had 12 points for SIU, while Shaw and Mullins added 9. Falker snared 7 rebounds.
Southern goes on the road to tangle with Charlotte next Saturday, Dec. 8
While better days are certainly ahead for the hoopster Dawgs, here's a tip of the cap to Coach Jerry Kill's football squad. Their 34-27 win Saturday afternoon over UMass brings Delaware calling at the Mac next weekend. An SIU win then would vault the Salukis into the division title game at Chattanooga.
THAT'S TONIGHT'S VIEW FROM ROW TWO
Southern matched Indiana point for point for the first 15 minutes, but could not make enough of a run to get any daylight. Meanwhile IU's sensational freshman guard Eric Gordon was able to float beyond the reach of the thrashing and gnashing Saluki defenders to net perfect jump shots.
Big time talent D.J. White (6-9, 251) and his coterie of "Bruiser Hoosiers" were on their way to recording a 35-24 game's edge over the Dawgs on the glass. Indiana shot well under pressure throughout the contest, while SIU was glacially cold, going an abysmal 1-14 (.071) from outside the arc. ( Matt Shaw's trey in the closing minutes saved the Dawgs from the aggravation of not making one all evening.)
Down 34-25 with six seconds left in the half, Southern's Bryan Mullins flailed past a crowd of defenders and banked one in from a radical angle. Although he added a free throw, the Salukis went scowling off the court down six. Improvement was not forthcoming the the final 20 minutes.
Indiana continued to shun set offensive plays and thrived on driving and shooting outside. They ganged up on SIU's Randal Falker in the low post and dared the Dawgs to score.
Word of the USC debacle had obviously reached Bloomington.
The sounds of buses at Butler, St. Mary's, Western Kentucky, and elsewhere revving their motors.....destination Carbondale, are being heard in the distance. Coaches with the same game plan clamped on their clipboards are climbing on board. Attention: Chris Lowery.
Indiana had four men in double figures, including Gordon (22), Armon Bassett (12), Jamarcus Ellis (11) and White, (10). White had 12 boards and Ellis 10 . Randal Falker had 12 points for SIU, while Shaw and Mullins added 9. Falker snared 7 rebounds.
Southern goes on the road to tangle with Charlotte next Saturday, Dec. 8
While better days are certainly ahead for the hoopster Dawgs, here's a tip of the cap to Coach Jerry Kill's football squad. Their 34-27 win Saturday afternoon over UMass brings Delaware calling at the Mac next weekend. An SIU win then would vault the Salukis into the division title game at Chattanooga.
THAT'S TONIGHT'S VIEW FROM ROW TWO
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