The Salukis are set to take the floor against the Cowboys of Oklahoma State tonight at 8:00 in a first round NIT matchup. This will be SIU's first NIT appearance since 2000, when the Dawgs defeated Colorado and fell to BYU in the 2nd round, and the 9th overall appearance in program history.
Oklahoma State (17-15 , 7-9) is led by freshman guard James Anderson who is averaging just over 13 ppg. The Cowboys have a balanced attack, with four players averaging in double figures, but they tend to live and die by the three.
On the defensive end, Marcus Dove was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The Cowboys have seen some of the best individuals and teams in the nation this season and only yielded 65.5 ppg. Three players average over 1.5 steals per game. They also managed to defeat Kansas when they visited Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
For the Salukis... the good news is that the Salukis are playing at home where they compiled a 12-3 record and knocked off two ranked opponents this season.
The bad news is that Bryan Mullins has been sidelined with a stress fracture and will not play in the postseason.
Josh Bone will likely get the start in his place. Expect Dion Coopwood to get some minutes, too. In order to win, Randal Falker and Matt Shaw will have to take control early and the Salukis will have to shoot well from the perimeter, which they have been able to at home this year.
Chris Lowery might want to consider using a lineup consisting of 3 big men to take some pressure off of Bone, Clemmons, and Green who will carry an increased burden with Mullins out.
A front line of Falker, Boyle, and Shaw would give SIU a chance to control the glass and limit Ok State's second chance opportunities. Carlton Fay should also be given 20+ minutes to provide an offensive spark off the bench.
The Salukis take the court for only their second time in the last 17 days so they should be well rested. Even with rest on their side it would take a sublime performance from the Salukis to defeat Oklahoma State without Bryan Mullins.
