Carlton Fay came out shooting, scoring 17 points in only 11 minutes of action, but tallied just one rebound. This team will need Fay to hit the boards hard when they start playing against some talented big guys. Overall, the Dawgs won the battle of the boards 57-23, but it won't be so easy when teams like UMASS come to town. Nick Evans had some awkward moments but ended up with 11 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Anthony Booker played calm and collected, for the most part, shooting 4 for 9 with 9 points and 4 rebounds. However he did commit 4 fouls in 15 minutes, something he'll have to improve on if he's going to see big time action.
Kevin Dillard looked slick in his debut. After the game he indicated that he didn't feel nervous because of the hard work that he and his teammates have put into each practice. The talent level of this freshman is through the roof, but he'll have to limit his turnovers (he had 8 tonight) and be careful not to carry the ball. The refs let him get away with at least one carry, but called him on it when he did it a second time.
Christian Cornelius looked comfortable and went for 8 points and 9 rebounds in 23 minutes of action. After the game he said he feels healthy for the first time since his knee injury.
Clemmons had a rough game and didn't seem to get into a groove at any point in the night. Ryan Hare didn't play, and Lowery did not give a reason why, but did say that Hare will play on Thursday.
This year's team looks quite a bit different than those of years past, but the talent is undoubtedly there. We'll get another chance to evaluate that new talent on Thursday night when the Dawgs play their second exhibition game of the season.
Photo Credit- SIU Sports Information Dept
