Game Notes and Summary - SIU v. Wichita State

The Salukis put all five starters in double figures for the first time this season and defeated Wichita State, 74-62. This was an impressive victory in a must-win situation.

The big men set the tone early (Fay and Boyle scored 16 of the first 18 points) and the backcourt sealed the victory with clutch long-range shooting down the stretch. This looked like a completely different team than we've seen this season, especially on the offensive end of the court where the rotation was crisp, players were moving with purpose, shots were taken in rhythm early in the possession, the post players converted and the guards slashed to the basket.

Individually, Ryan Hare led the way with 18 points and 8 rebounds. He shot 4 of 6 from the field and was a perfect 10 of 10 from the line. Carlton Fay finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Dillard got into foul trouble, mostly due to some shaky officiating, but still piled up 14 points and handed out 5 assists. Bryan Mullins had 13 points, 7 assists, and 0 turnovers. Tony Boyle got to the rack tonight... and FINISHED around the bucket en route to 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting.

As a team, the Salukis outrebounded the Shockers 31-17, which is an accomplishment considering the game was on the road and the Shockers entered with a +9 rebounding margin on the season. Also, the Salukis got to the line more than the Shockers and converted a higher percentage, resulting in a +7 margin on the night from the stripe.

The shot of the night... with the Salukis up by just one at 56-55, the crowd roaring, the Shockers on a run, and the shot clock winding down, Mullins knocked down a '3' that sucked the wind out of the gym and sent the momentum swinging back in Southern's direction.

The finishing touches... Dillard sent 10,000 Kansans scrambling for the exits with a pair of triples that put the game out of reach at 70-61.

Closing thoughts... The starters logged a lot of minutes tonight and the roles on this team are established. The reserves played well, but it didn't show up in the stat sheet. This team is starting to develop chemistry and cohesion. We might have to cancel those Thursday night reservations for Arch Madness because it looks like this team might be poised to take a big step forward.

Up next... Sat. 7:05 v. Evansville (3-1)

Where do the Salukis go from here?

The Salukis have an uphill battle on their hands if they want to avoid playing a Thursday night game in the MVC tournament.

Over the last three seasons the #6 seed in the MVC has gone 8-10 once, and 9-9 twice. That means the Salukis will probably have to go 8-7 or 9-6 the rest of the way to stay out of the Valley cellar.

Joining the Salukis at the bottom of the league after 3 games are Missouri State (0-3), Wichita State (0-3), and Indiana State (1-2). Northern Iowa, Drake, and Evansville are all three a notch above at 2-1. The Salukis would have to rise above their current spot and knock off one of the latter three clubs in order to secure a top 6 spot.

Northern Iowa and Drake have already won games at SIU Arena, so they have an early edge on the Dawgs. The Salukis best chance at getting out of the bottom tier will be unseating an improved Evansville club, a task that's not going to be as easy as it was in years past.

In order for the Salukis to have any chance at a top 6 seed, they simply must win road games. They need at least 8 more wins and they have only 7 home games remaining, so picking up a road victory vs the Shockers is a necessity. Let's put it this way- if the Salukis don't win against Wichita State on Wednesday, then SIU fans will need to make Thursday night hotel reservations for Arch Madness.

3 open scholarships for next season

When Joshua Bone left the team earlier this season, the Salukis gained the flexibility of an additional scholarship for '09. Now the number of available scholarships is up to three, and the Salukis have a glaring need for another big man to complement Fay, Booker, and Evans next season.

Earlier this week Lowery said the Salukis are "without a doubt" looking to add a JUCO big man, and have a need to add two big men and a guard. While it's difficult to find a truly skilled "big man" in the JUCO ranks, it's very possible to get a forward who has more skill than size.

If Booker and Evans can combine for 40 minutes a game next season the Salukis will basically be looking for a forward to come in when Carlton Fay needs a rest, so a 6-foot-6 JUCO with some athletic ability would fit the bill. Adding at least one JUCO would also make sense in regard to class balance, as Carlton Fay is the only Sophomore on the team this season.

Cornelius left team due to health reasons

Christian Cornelius clarified the circumstances of his departure today, in response to an email that I sent him yesterday. Here are the main points that Christian elaborated on.

-His reason for leaving is because of his health and a belief that it takes more than he can provide to consistently play at this level.

-He wishes that he could continue playing but that sometimes the pain in his knee would become unbearable when it came to playing in 2.5 to 3 hour practices that emphasize playing hard with great intensity.

-His departure is totally unrelated to Torres, and he has no idea why Torres left the team or what his reasoning was.

-He says he had nothing against the coaches or players and only wishes them the best of luck as they continue to get better and improve.

-Christian says he understands that when players leave a program it can never be viewed as a good thing, but he says he honestly believes that the defections can help the team by allowing other players to show more of their natural ability on the court.

In my observations Christian always played hard and kept a good attitude during his time at SIU. He was also able to earn a college degree during his time here which should be the main goal for all student-athletes. When a player feels that he's not able to compete at a certain level, it's usually best to move on, and I think this is case for Christian Cornelius and the Salukis.

Roundtree and Cornelius quit team via voicemail

Torres Roundree and Christian Cornelius both left voicemails for Lowery to let him know they were leaving the team.

Torres told Lowery that he felt that he didn't fit into the program. Lowery called him "a kid who's talented but isn't used to working hard and not used to following the discipline side of life on and off the court. We wanted to save his life, and help him become a better person. Unfortunately, he left before we got a chance to do that. "

The voicemail Cornelius left said he didn't feel he could play at this high of level, but Lowery said he felt that Christian could. He was playing the best basketball since he had been at SIU. Lowery is not sure if Cornelius is going to continue his career elsewhere.

I asked Lowery if he was disappointed that the players quit via voicemail, he responded saying, "They're young kids. I tried to help them and counsel them in the right ways and understand how you have to be in any program where discipline and academics are stressed. Am I disappointed? Yes. But I also understand that these are kids too."

Roundtree's high school teammate, Anthony Booker, was not made available for comment but when asked if he thought Booker would stay Lowery answered, "He's here. Booker's parents are very instrumental in his life, so obviously he's in a different situation."

Lowery admitted that the two additional open scholarships for next season increase the need to add a JUCO player. He said they "without a doubt" have to add a JUCO big, and went on to say they will need to add two bigs and a guard for next year.

He said they have never stopped recruiting and have been recruiting players as if they would have open scholarships for next year. "It's the dark side of any program, you don't want people to leave, but you still have to recruit at a high level."

According to Lowery, walk-on Brandon Allen will be out of action for the foreseeable future. Allen needs to have his knee scoped and his status remains up in air.

Lowery seems to think the departures help with the rotation and team chemistry. With the two additional departures the team is down to 9 active scholarship players, plus redshirt Tony Freeman. It's great that Freeman gets more practice time now, but if anyone else goes down with injury the team won't be able to have 5 on 5 practices... unless they give Tony Young a jersey.

According to Lowery the team's response to these players leaving is a private matter. Lowery told reporters that Bryan Mullins said the team does not need to address it, and if the players want to leave then that's up to them. However, the coach says there is an extreme level of disappointment, because the players had grown close to each other and when one of them jumps ship, doesn't give anybody a reason, and leaves in the middle of the night, that's something they don't understand.

Roundtree and Cornelius quit team

Two more players have left the Salukis after their home loss to UNI. Torres Roundtree left the team saying that he didn't fit in with the offense. While it is true that he wasn't producing big numbers offensively, it's difficult to believe that was his only reason for leaving.

Roundtree was suspended for the St. Mary's game for "violating team rules." However there was wide speculation that the reason for his suspension was because of a threat to quit the team. Now it appears that he's followed through on that and will no longer be a Saluki. The loss of Roundtree is unfortunate, but the presence of Dillard, Hare, and Bocot soften the blow of his departure.

Christian Cornelius didn't play vs UNI, but his departure is still unexpected. From my observations Cornelius always had a good attitude, and Lowery had previously expressed a desire for Christian to stay with the team. After working through a serious knee injury CC had played in all 12 of the Salukis previous games this season.