Merry Christmas Saluki fans! After 10 games this season there is a big enough sample size to examine some statistics. Let’s start with the frequently discussed statistic of shooting percentage.
The Salukis have compiled some great wins at SIU Arena over the last 6+ seasons. All teams are more comfortable at home but the Salukis have used their "Arena Magic" to go 82-4 at home since 2001. This season has been no exception; the Salukis have shot the ball much better at home than on the road…
The Dawgs have shot 46% (98-213) at home, going 3-1.
On a neutral court the Salukis have shot 40.4% (57-141), finishing 2-1 in Anaheim.
Road games are where the Salukis have struggled so far shooting 32.7% (53-162), en route to a 0-3 record.
Another stat that I decided to take a look at was personal fouls. The Salukis play a rugged style of defense that lends itself to committing a foul or two.
Tony Boyle has averaged a foul every 7 minutes, an improvement over last year when he committed a foul every 5.33 minutes. In contrast, Matt Shaw has done an excellent job of staying out of foul trouble- only averaging a foul every 13.6 minutes.
Coming into this season I said that when Shaw and Falker combine for 30 points, the Salukis would have the key ingredient for success. So far the Dawgs are 3-1 when the senior duo hits the 30 point mark.
Congratulations to Randal Falker who is now the all-time blocked shot leader at SIU. Falker recorded his 165th career blocked shot on Saturday, passing Joe C. Meriweather for the top spot on the career blocked shot list.
Falker also scored his 1000th career point against Western Kentucky on Saturday. Falker joins teammate Matt Shaw in the 1000 point club, Shaw connected for his 1000th point against Charlotte earlier this month.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Santa was very good to my family and I hope he was good to yours as well. Check out the Gifts for Saluki Basketball over at Dawg Tracker.
It’s a crucial stretch for the Salukis who play two home games in 42 hours this weekend. The competition will be tough but a little Arena Magic could go a long way towards getting this season right back on track.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Salukis Hold Court Against Hilltoppers
Times have been pretty hard of late for the Salukis, but you would never know that by the way they played this afternoon. The Dawgs looked strong from buzzer to buzzer against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky with an 88-78 victory at the Arena.
Wesley Clemmons and Matt Shaw led the Salukis with 24 apiece, while Randal Falker added 20. Western Kentucky was paced by Courtney Lee who lived up to the hype and tossed in 30 for the boys from Bowling Green.
The early stages of today's contest featured alternating runs. The Salukis scored the first ten points of the game. Then the Hilltoppers countered with a 16-2 run. These middle heavyweights traded shots throughout the first half, but the Salukis headed into the break with a 40-36 advantage.
The second half began with a Salukis mini-run after a Wesley Clemmons three pointer, but the Hilltoppers knotted it up at 53-53 with 13:00 remaining. As the game entered its later stages, you could feel the confidence of the Salukis building and Bryan Mullins effectively sealed the deal with a clutch three pointer around the 3:00 mark. Tyrone Green extended the lead to 10 points with a pair of free throws after a steal and the party was on.
Statistically, the Salukis won the battle of the boards and shot 57% from 3-point range and from the field, while shooting 78% from the line.The offense nearly matched the combined total of its two previous games in half of the time. With three players over 20 points, the sports information department will be scrambling to find a precedent in recent program history.
Realistically, this is the first game all year that the Salukis consistently took shots in rhythm, which was a welcome sight. Shaw and Falker were effective in every aspect of the game, totaling 44 points and 16 rebounds. Also, Wesley Clemmons appears to have shaken off the lingering effects of his ankle injury. He was everywhere today.
Up next... the Butler Bulldogs on the 28th, followed by Missouri State on the 30th.
Wesley Clemmons and Matt Shaw led the Salukis with 24 apiece, while Randal Falker added 20. Western Kentucky was paced by Courtney Lee who lived up to the hype and tossed in 30 for the boys from Bowling Green.
The early stages of today's contest featured alternating runs. The Salukis scored the first ten points of the game. Then the Hilltoppers countered with a 16-2 run. These middle heavyweights traded shots throughout the first half, but the Salukis headed into the break with a 40-36 advantage.
The second half began with a Salukis mini-run after a Wesley Clemmons three pointer, but the Hilltoppers knotted it up at 53-53 with 13:00 remaining. As the game entered its later stages, you could feel the confidence of the Salukis building and Bryan Mullins effectively sealed the deal with a clutch three pointer around the 3:00 mark. Tyrone Green extended the lead to 10 points with a pair of free throws after a steal and the party was on.
Statistically, the Salukis won the battle of the boards and shot 57% from 3-point range and from the field, while shooting 78% from the line.The offense nearly matched the combined total of its two previous games in half of the time. With three players over 20 points, the sports information department will be scrambling to find a precedent in recent program history.
Realistically, this is the first game all year that the Salukis consistently took shots in rhythm, which was a welcome sight. Shaw and Falker were effective in every aspect of the game, totaling 44 points and 16 rebounds. Also, Wesley Clemmons appears to have shaken off the lingering effects of his ankle injury. He was everywhere today.
Up next... the Butler Bulldogs on the 28th, followed by Missouri State on the 30th.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Salukis limp back to Carbondale after 0-2 road trip
It started off so well... Randal Falker got the ball in the post, drew the defense, then kicked it out to Josh Bone who nailed an open 3.
That play was exactly what the Salukis needed to do to get rolling. Getting Falker touches, hitting the open man, knocking down jump shots... Everything was in place...
8 minutes passed before the Salukis scored again.
Early foul trouble plagued the Salukis and by the time Bryan Mullins hit a jumper to end the SIU drought, Western Michigan had surged to a 12 point advantage.
SIU had a chance to trim the lead to 8 on the final possession of the first half but three point attempts by Matt Shaw and Mullins were both off the mark and the Dawgs went into the locker room down 11.
After his opening trifecta, Bone didn't hit another shot all night (going 1 for 8), but he wasn't the only Saluki to struggle. Southern didn't put a single player in double figures and ended up with 41 total points, their lowest output in the Webber/Painter/Lowery era.
So where do the Salukis stand after their most recent loss?
Even if they win their last two non-conference games they will be 6-5 heading into Valley play. That's not at-large bid material.
Yes, it is early in the season to be talking about the NCAA Tourney but after 9 games the season is more than 25% complete. A quick look at the numbers shows SIU can still get to 20 regular season wins but it might take a 13-5 or 14-4 effort in the Valley to get there. That sort of success in the MVC would take a consistent performance that this team hasn't been able to achieve yet.
While the Dawgs are indeed heading home, the next two teams coming to SIU Arena are no chumps. Western Kentucky (RPI 96) just pushed Tennessee to it's limit and the Butler Bulldogs (RPI 14) are the 16th ranked team in the country.
The Salukis Strength of Schedule remains strong at 25, but in order to be considered a good team you must beat good teams. Southern's RPI has fallen to 106 and they will need more than just a signature win at home vs. St. Mary's (RPI 4).
Away from home the Dawgs are just 2-4 and that neutral site win against Mississippi State (RPI 157) doesn't have the luster many thought it would.
The Valley is much better than people thought and that will provide the Salukis with plenty more opportunities to get some big road wins. Creighton, Drake, Bradley, Missouri St, and Illinois St are all top 100 RPI teams and Northern Iowa (RPI 114) could still get there. Of course those who view the glass half empty could point out that there will be plenty of potential stumbling blocks for the Salukis during conference play.
Now that final exams are over, the Salukis will be able to focus entirely on basketball for the next three weeks, but their play in practice must carry over to game day. This 0-2 road trip has left the Dawgs with little margin for error. The Salukis will have to use some of their "Arena Magic" if they want to get this season back on track.
That play was exactly what the Salukis needed to do to get rolling. Getting Falker touches, hitting the open man, knocking down jump shots... Everything was in place...
8 minutes passed before the Salukis scored again.
Early foul trouble plagued the Salukis and by the time Bryan Mullins hit a jumper to end the SIU drought, Western Michigan had surged to a 12 point advantage.
SIU had a chance to trim the lead to 8 on the final possession of the first half but three point attempts by Matt Shaw and Mullins were both off the mark and the Dawgs went into the locker room down 11.
After his opening trifecta, Bone didn't hit another shot all night (going 1 for 8), but he wasn't the only Saluki to struggle. Southern didn't put a single player in double figures and ended up with 41 total points, their lowest output in the Webber/Painter/Lowery era.
So where do the Salukis stand after their most recent loss?
Even if they win their last two non-conference games they will be 6-5 heading into Valley play. That's not at-large bid material.
Yes, it is early in the season to be talking about the NCAA Tourney but after 9 games the season is more than 25% complete. A quick look at the numbers shows SIU can still get to 20 regular season wins but it might take a 13-5 or 14-4 effort in the Valley to get there. That sort of success in the MVC would take a consistent performance that this team hasn't been able to achieve yet.
While the Dawgs are indeed heading home, the next two teams coming to SIU Arena are no chumps. Western Kentucky (RPI 96) just pushed Tennessee to it's limit and the Butler Bulldogs (RPI 14) are the 16th ranked team in the country.
The Salukis Strength of Schedule remains strong at 25, but in order to be considered a good team you must beat good teams. Southern's RPI has fallen to 106 and they will need more than just a signature win at home vs. St. Mary's (RPI 4).
Away from home the Dawgs are just 2-4 and that neutral site win against Mississippi State (RPI 157) doesn't have the luster many thought it would.
The Valley is much better than people thought and that will provide the Salukis with plenty more opportunities to get some big road wins. Creighton, Drake, Bradley, Missouri St, and Illinois St are all top 100 RPI teams and Northern Iowa (RPI 114) could still get there. Of course those who view the glass half empty could point out that there will be plenty of potential stumbling blocks for the Salukis during conference play.
Now that final exams are over, the Salukis will be able to focus entirely on basketball for the next three weeks, but their play in practice must carry over to game day. This 0-2 road trip has left the Dawgs with little margin for error. The Salukis will have to use some of their "Arena Magic" if they want to get this season back on track.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Bills Storm Past SIU
The St. Louis Billikens rode a late 13-0 run to stall the Salukis 56-51 at Scottrade Center Saturday night. In a game of streaks, the Bills were hottest down the stretch.
SLU jumped to an early 13-8 advantage, but Southern's offense ground into gear and the Dawgs went up 23-16. Undaunted, the Bills energized their half of the crowd by hitting the next eight points, including a shot from the corner for a 24-23 lead at the break.
SIU forged a 48-39 lead with less than five minutes left and looked ready to close out a hard earned road win. The Billiken faithful, however, were in for a treat. Led by Junior guard Kevin Lisch, who tallied 8 of his 20 points in the closing minutes, the Bills roared past the gasping Salukis to cruise off with the victory.
Lisch and backcourt partner Tommy Liddell combined for 36 points, while Matt Shaw(21) , and Randall Falker (12) paced SIU. Josh Bone started the game and was held to 5 points, (including a late, clutch three) and he will need to take a bigger role in the offense for the Salukis to be successful. The Dawgs received zero offensive help off the bench.
Closing out games continues to be a struggle for Southern, now 4-4 on the year. SLU (7-5) racked up their 6th home win in seven outings this season.
With coach Rick Majerus at the helm and a new arena under contruction on campus the SLU program appears to be heading toward a measure of prosperity. It does seem somewhat strange to see A-10 conference membership banners hanging from the rafters at the Scottrade Center.
Perhaps one day the Bills, will return to the Valley. In any event, Southern and SLU are natural rivals. SLU has the alltime edge, at 25-23, including winning 19 of 28 games in St. Louis. Southern holds is 14-6 at home.
SLU jumped to an early 13-8 advantage, but Southern's offense ground into gear and the Dawgs went up 23-16. Undaunted, the Bills energized their half of the crowd by hitting the next eight points, including a shot from the corner for a 24-23 lead at the break.
SIU forged a 48-39 lead with less than five minutes left and looked ready to close out a hard earned road win. The Billiken faithful, however, were in for a treat. Led by Junior guard Kevin Lisch, who tallied 8 of his 20 points in the closing minutes, the Bills roared past the gasping Salukis to cruise off with the victory.
Lisch and backcourt partner Tommy Liddell combined for 36 points, while Matt Shaw(21) , and Randall Falker (12) paced SIU. Josh Bone started the game and was held to 5 points, (including a late, clutch three) and he will need to take a bigger role in the offense for the Salukis to be successful. The Dawgs received zero offensive help off the bench.
Closing out games continues to be a struggle for Southern, now 4-4 on the year. SLU (7-5) racked up their 6th home win in seven outings this season.
With coach Rick Majerus at the helm and a new arena under contruction on campus the SLU program appears to be heading toward a measure of prosperity. It does seem somewhat strange to see A-10 conference membership banners hanging from the rafters at the Scottrade Center.
Perhaps one day the Bills, will return to the Valley. In any event, Southern and SLU are natural rivals. SLU has the alltime edge, at 25-23, including winning 19 of 28 games in St. Louis. Southern holds is 14-6 at home.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
SIU Beats St. Mary's on the Glass
Rebounding was the key for SIU in their 15 point victory over St. Mary's. Randal Falker pulled down 12 boards and Matt Shaw grabbed 9 of his own. Together Shaw, Falker, and Tony Boyle out rebounded the entire St. Mary's team.
Bryan Mullins put together an outstanding game, fighting foul trouble to score 24 points and handing out 5 assists.
Give credit to Tyrone Green, he was able to kick in 9 points off the bench, providing a nice boost to a previously struggling offense.
This win was a badly needed NCAA Tournament resume builder for the Salukis. When tournament time comes a win over St. Mary's could help Southern make a case for a top 6 seed.
If SIU can win 3 of their final 4 non-conference games they would head into Valley play at 7-4 with an outstanding RPI. With their strength of schedule 7-4 would have to be considered a successful start to the season.
The Saint Louis Billikens are up next and they have struggled to a 6-5 record in their first 11 games. Head Coach Rick Majerus has admitted it might have been a mistake to schedule so many games early in the season while simultaneously trying to teach his team a new style of play. SIU will be the favorite in this game despite their struggles in the ScottTrade Center.
After SLU the Salukis head to Western Michigan next Tuesday for a matchup with the Broncos who are currently trying to break a 3 game losing streak of their own. Then it's two very difficult home contests against Western Kentucky and #18 Butler. Running the table in these games could get SIU back into the Top 25.
Regardless of what happens over the next two weeks SIU will be battle tested when Missouri State comes to town to start conference play on Dec 30th.
Bryan Mullins put together an outstanding game, fighting foul trouble to score 24 points and handing out 5 assists.
Give credit to Tyrone Green, he was able to kick in 9 points off the bench, providing a nice boost to a previously struggling offense.
This win was a badly needed NCAA Tournament resume builder for the Salukis. When tournament time comes a win over St. Mary's could help Southern make a case for a top 6 seed.
If SIU can win 3 of their final 4 non-conference games they would head into Valley play at 7-4 with an outstanding RPI. With their strength of schedule 7-4 would have to be considered a successful start to the season.
The Saint Louis Billikens are up next and they have struggled to a 6-5 record in their first 11 games. Head Coach Rick Majerus has admitted it might have been a mistake to schedule so many games early in the season while simultaneously trying to teach his team a new style of play. SIU will be the favorite in this game despite their struggles in the ScottTrade Center.
After SLU the Salukis head to Western Michigan next Tuesday for a matchup with the Broncos who are currently trying to break a 3 game losing streak of their own. Then it's two very difficult home contests against Western Kentucky and #18 Butler. Running the table in these games could get SIU back into the Top 25.
Regardless of what happens over the next two weeks SIU will be battle tested when Missouri State comes to town to start conference play on Dec 30th.
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