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.
