Was it a failure?

The roar of the crowd is now a distant echo. The custodial staff has slicked up the Arena and only the hum of the exit signs drifts over the hardwood.

Meanwhile, national TV crews have long since flown to distant sites. In Southern Illinois hoops fans have turned to watching high school baseball or piloting bass boats around chilly lakes. Most fans, however, are back knocking out a 9 to 5 job, or hitting the books. Yes, here the season is over, but a question lingers.....

Was it a failure?

No, the 2008 Salukis 18-15 season was not a failure. In fact, it should not even be mentioned in the same sentence with the word. This year's Dawgs made us proud.

Certainly, we hoped for more. A berth in the NCAA and another sweet 16. Perhaps a conference title and three wins at ScottTrade.

The Salukis have accomplished so much in recent seasons as to create an unquenchable thirst for more distinctions among their legions of fans.

This time banners with colors other than maroon and white flew in victory.

Western Kentucky, Illinois State, and Drake and many more earned their success this season. That the Dawgs were fairly beaten down 15 times, by various opponents is the gift our foes have given us.

Defeat engenders the grim resolve to shoot another half hour after practice....to lift one more set in the steamy weight room, or to run more sprints when you think you're too tired.

This year's Salukis certainly lacked in certain ways, but their effort was never in doubt. Surely, they were discouraged at times, but they drew themselves up and ripped Oklahoma State when some teams would have given a half-hearted effort. They went down battling at Arizona State with two of their best men sidelined by injury. From seniors on down, they learned, and college is about learning.

Sometimes you learn you don't always win.

But these Salukis are winners. Coach Lowrey is a winner and a fine man, at that. He's also an exceptionally good teacher. With talented recruits on the way SIU's basketball future is bright.

Salukis fall in NIT second round

Losing Bryan Mullins was a difficult blow but an additional injury to Tony Boyle left the Salukis short handed on the road, a combination that was too much to overcome.

Give Arizona St credit, they have a really solid club that probably should have made the NCAA Tournament. Southern might not of been able to beat them on their home court even at full strength.

The Salukis finish the season with 18 wins, which isn't too bad for a "down year". They didn't have much depth at guard this year, and it showed. Next year Chris Lowery should have plenty of options to choose from returning a solid group of players in addition to adding some key recruits for 08-09.

Salukis rout Cowboys in NIT opener

After having played only two games in the last 17 days, the Salukis showed no signs of rust while routing a lethargic Oklahoma State squad 69-53 at the SIU Arena.

The Salukis looked loose and played with confidence. Matt Shaw and Randal Falker set the tone and combined for 36 points and 18 rebounds. Josh Bone hit some big 3's and along with Shaw, forced Oklahoma State to cover the perimeter, which left one-on-one matchups for Falker and Tony Boyle all night. Tyrone Green did an excellent job of running the point, handing out 8 assists, and not turning the ball over a single time.

The 5300 faithful fans that attended tonight's game seemed to feed off of the energy provided by the Salukis and vice-versa. When Christian Cornelius threw down a tip-dunk in the first half, the place was up for grabs. Hustle plays and contributions from role players received standing ovations. For 40 minutes, the Salukis seemed to come up with every loose ball and ended with a 39-21 advantage on the glass. The Saluki "D" had the Cowboys rattled from the opening tip and limited Oklahoma State to just 35% shooting, including 4 of 25 from beyond the arc.

This is not quite the storybook ending that was written back in November, but the Salukis played a great game tonight, the seniors got a final "W" at home and the March to the Garden continues on Thursday night at Arizona State.

Salukis to host Cowboys at SIU Arena

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.

NIT home game for the Dawgs

It's not the NCAA's but at least it's a home game. The Salukis will host Oklahoma St. on Tuesday at 8pm in the first round of the NIT. The game will be seen on ESPN2.

Ok State is a solid team coming off a 7 point loss to an outstanding Texas club in the Big 12 tournament.

Other teams in Southern's portion of the bracket are Arizona St, Florida, and Creighton. This might be the most difficult of the 4 regions leading to the NIT championship in New York.

The Salukis still have a lot to play for and a win against a Big 12 opponent would be huge. Unfortunately, the Salukis will be forced to play with out the services of PG Bryan Mullins. This is a huge blow to a team that already had issues at the guard position. Look for walk on senior Dion Coopwood to get some minutes at the PG spot. Southern can still win this game but they'll need huge performances from Shaw and Falker to make up for the absence of Mullins.