The second episode of the Saluki Hoops Web Show was recorded at the Saluki Hall of Fame at the SIU Student Center. Included in the video is footage of Randal Falker taking it to the hoop against Dion Coopwood in practice on Wednesday afternoon. Also discussed in the show is Jamaal Tatum's NBA draft chances and a spotlight on newcomer Carlton Fay.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Christian Cornelius Interview
This morning on the Sunday Sports Review (91.1 FM) I was able to catch up with SIU forward Christian Cornelius for an interview. Christian talks about his experience playing AAU basketball for the Illinois Wolves, recovering from his knee injury, and his role with the 2007-2008 SIU Salukis.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Oppertunity Knocks
Who wants to be a star? Thats the question for Josh Bone, Wesley Clemmons, and Bryan Mullins. All three players have an opportunity to step up and fill the offensive void left by the spectacular scoring duo of Tatum and Young.
While taking a look at the final Saluki statics from last year a few things stuck out.
1. Southern won 29 games. A very impressive season.
2. Jamaal Tatum took nearly 400 shots and Tony Young took almost 300.
3. Clemmons only took 82 shots despite being the first player off the bench most of the season.
4. Bryan Mullins took 184 shots and averaged 6.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2 rebounds a game.
The statistics for Bryan Mullins don't do his season justice. Any mention of Mullins sophomore year must include his buzzer beating jumper to beat Creighton on the road and his All-First team defense.
Now that we've mentioned his accolades lets face the fact that Mullins will have to shoulder a MUCH larger offensive load in his Junior year. He will have to score 10 points every game and some nights 10 won't be enough. Getting to rack for easy buckets will be his best bet as bigger defenders will be afraid to leave Falker and Shaw open down low.
Aside from attacking the basket Mullins will also need to pop the three point basket more often this year. He shot a very respectable 37% (28 of 76) from downtown his Sophomore year so there is reason to believe that he will be able to account for some of Tony Young's 3 point production (58 of 153, 38%).
Josh Bone's season got off to a slow start because of a foot injury in the preseason. His stats from last year are largely irrelevant because of his injury and because the Salukis did not depend on him for much scoring off the bench. What is relevant is Josh Bone has one of the sweetest jump shots I have seen from any SIU player. Bone's defense will determine his playing time but his dynamic offense can win games. Does Bone want to be a star? He'll get the chance.
Wesley Clemmons played 16 minutes as a sophomore last year and that number could easily increase to increase to 26-28 minutes in his junior season. Clemmons showed us flashes of brilliance last year. As an upperclassmen in Chris Lowery's system "flashes" of great play will no longer be acceptable. Clemmons must develop a steady hand if he wants to be a star for SIU next season.
Other candidates who will have a chance to fill the stat sheet include Christian Cornelius, Carlton Fay, Brandon Wood, and possibly Justin Bocot. Overall it would seem that it will be a group effort replacing the 700 shots that JT and TY took last year. Shaw and Falker will score more often. Falker really came on strong in the post at the towards the end of last season. Tony Boyle will hit more mid-range jump shots and could develop into a scoring threat off the bench.
So who wants to be a star for SIU? No individual player looks to seize the starring role for the 07-08 season... and that might not be a bad thing. The Dawgs will have a balanced offensive attack and once again rely on their defense to win games. Looking back at Southern's Sweet 16 run its safe to say that the defensive game plan has worked fairly well. Expect to see a more of the same in the upcoming season.
While taking a look at the final Saluki statics from last year a few things stuck out.
1. Southern won 29 games. A very impressive season.
2. Jamaal Tatum took nearly 400 shots and Tony Young took almost 300.
3. Clemmons only took 82 shots despite being the first player off the bench most of the season.
4. Bryan Mullins took 184 shots and averaged 6.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2 rebounds a game.
The statistics for Bryan Mullins don't do his season justice. Any mention of Mullins sophomore year must include his buzzer beating jumper to beat Creighton on the road and his All-First team defense.
Now that we've mentioned his accolades lets face the fact that Mullins will have to shoulder a MUCH larger offensive load in his Junior year. He will have to score 10 points every game and some nights 10 won't be enough. Getting to rack for easy buckets will be his best bet as bigger defenders will be afraid to leave Falker and Shaw open down low.
Aside from attacking the basket Mullins will also need to pop the three point basket more often this year. He shot a very respectable 37% (28 of 76) from downtown his Sophomore year so there is reason to believe that he will be able to account for some of Tony Young's 3 point production (58 of 153, 38%).
Josh Bone's season got off to a slow start because of a foot injury in the preseason. His stats from last year are largely irrelevant because of his injury and because the Salukis did not depend on him for much scoring off the bench. What is relevant is Josh Bone has one of the sweetest jump shots I have seen from any SIU player. Bone's defense will determine his playing time but his dynamic offense can win games. Does Bone want to be a star? He'll get the chance.
Wesley Clemmons played 16 minutes as a sophomore last year and that number could easily increase to increase to 26-28 minutes in his junior season. Clemmons showed us flashes of brilliance last year. As an upperclassmen in Chris Lowery's system "flashes" of great play will no longer be acceptable. Clemmons must develop a steady hand if he wants to be a star for SIU next season.
Other candidates who will have a chance to fill the stat sheet include Christian Cornelius, Carlton Fay, Brandon Wood, and possibly Justin Bocot. Overall it would seem that it will be a group effort replacing the 700 shots that JT and TY took last year. Shaw and Falker will score more often. Falker really came on strong in the post at the towards the end of last season. Tony Boyle will hit more mid-range jump shots and could develop into a scoring threat off the bench.
So who wants to be a star for SIU? No individual player looks to seize the starring role for the 07-08 season... and that might not be a bad thing. The Dawgs will have a balanced offensive attack and once again rely on their defense to win games. Looking back at Southern's Sweet 16 run its safe to say that the defensive game plan has worked fairly well. Expect to see a more of the same in the upcoming season.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Saluki Hoops Web Show
Welcome to the first edition of the Saluki Hoops Web Show. The first show is about four minutes long and features basic information about the rotation for the 07-08 season. This is also a test run of the recording equipment and the website video. If the show gets some good feedback I'll aim to do it periodically in the offseason and every week when the games start.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Whats next for Jamaal Tatum?
Over the last four seasons SIU fans have had the opportunity to watch the evolution of Jamaal Tatum. JT was one of the best players in Saluki history- 4 NCAA Tourneys, MVC Player of the Year, and a Sweet 16. Not bad.
So the question is "Whats next for Jamaal Tatum?" There is no doubt that JT will be playing basketball for a paycheck next year the only debate is which league he will play in. Recent Salukis Rolen Roberts and Darren Brooks, and Kent Williams flirted with the NBA after leaving SIU. Roberts played in the NBA's summer league and Darren Brooks played 22 games in the "D" league before taking a full time gig overseas.
Lets look at Tatum's strengths and weaknesses in relation to the NBA Draft.
Strengths-
Defensive ability- JT can move his feet with the quickest of guards. His speed will be an asset.
Scoring ability- JT will not be asked to score much in the NBA but he has the range to hit the open NBA three if he needs to. His fadeway shot will come in handy when going up against taller guards.
Weaknesses-
Learning a new position- Jamaal played mostly shooting guard for SIU and learning to play PG while making the transition to pro ball will be no easy task. Tatum was the number one scorer for the Salukis the last two years, now he has to keep an NBA shooting guard happy (read: give him the ball all the time).
The size disadvantage- JT has a very thin frame and would be well served to add a few pounds this summer. Not only are NBA guards stronger but taller as well and Tatum will have an uphill battle to get NBA teams to take a chance on him over a player with a "NBA Body"
Outlook-
The next few months will be huge for Tatum as he plays in various summer leagues with NBA scouts keeping a close eye on his progress. The Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, or Milwaukee Bucks could be looking at taking a backup point guard late in the second round but unless he is able to dazzle scouts with his PG play this summer its unlikely he will be chosen. Why would a team want to use a draft pick on a player who they could sign as a free agent?
If JT does get passed over in the June Draft the Magic, Bucks, or another team could still come calling and sign him as a free agent. If the NBA does not not work out Jamaal can follow his Saluki brethren overseas. Expect to see JT do what he always does, outwork his opponents all summer long. Look for Jamaal to start the year with an NBA Developmental League team in Fall 2007 and if an NBA team has a need at point guard he could get a crack at a backup position at some point during the 07-08 season.
So the question is "Whats next for Jamaal Tatum?" There is no doubt that JT will be playing basketball for a paycheck next year the only debate is which league he will play in. Recent Salukis Rolen Roberts and Darren Brooks, and Kent Williams flirted with the NBA after leaving SIU. Roberts played in the NBA's summer league and Darren Brooks played 22 games in the "D" league before taking a full time gig overseas.
Lets look at Tatum's strengths and weaknesses in relation to the NBA Draft.
Strengths-
Defensive ability- JT can move his feet with the quickest of guards. His speed will be an asset.
Scoring ability- JT will not be asked to score much in the NBA but he has the range to hit the open NBA three if he needs to. His fadeway shot will come in handy when going up against taller guards.
Weaknesses-
Learning a new position- Jamaal played mostly shooting guard for SIU and learning to play PG while making the transition to pro ball will be no easy task. Tatum was the number one scorer for the Salukis the last two years, now he has to keep an NBA shooting guard happy (read: give him the ball all the time).
The size disadvantage- JT has a very thin frame and would be well served to add a few pounds this summer. Not only are NBA guards stronger but taller as well and Tatum will have an uphill battle to get NBA teams to take a chance on him over a player with a "NBA Body"
Outlook-
The next few months will be huge for Tatum as he plays in various summer leagues with NBA scouts keeping a close eye on his progress. The Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, or Milwaukee Bucks could be looking at taking a backup point guard late in the second round but unless he is able to dazzle scouts with his PG play this summer its unlikely he will be chosen. Why would a team want to use a draft pick on a player who they could sign as a free agent?
If JT does get passed over in the June Draft the Magic, Bucks, or another team could still come calling and sign him as a free agent. If the NBA does not not work out Jamaal can follow his Saluki brethren overseas. Expect to see JT do what he always does, outwork his opponents all summer long. Look for Jamaal to start the year with an NBA Developmental League team in Fall 2007 and if an NBA team has a need at point guard he could get a crack at a backup position at some point during the 07-08 season.
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