Letsgous!

The word of the day here at the Daily Egyptian sports desk is letsgous.

One word.

Letsgous.

The SIU Salukis have their work cut out for them, needing to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to ensure its seventh consecutive NCAA tournament bid. However, it’s not uncharted waters for the Salukis.

SIU turned the trick in 2006 as the No. 2 seed in the Valley tournament, upending Evansville, Northern Iowa and Bradley.

The Salukis have six members of that squad in tow for this year’s run, including senior forwards Randal Falker and Matt Shaw and junior guard Bryan Mullins. ‘The Big 3’ will likely need to play near-flawless basketball if they want to win their second conference tourney.

If the 2008 version of SIU wants to win, it will have to play like 2006 team did. The Salukis limited opponents to an average of 49 points per game. That type of stifling defense, nicknamed ‘Floorburn U,’ will need to make its presence known this weekend.

When the Salukis have the ball, they will need to capitalize on each possession, limiting turnovers and taking smart shots. When SIU shoots when time is running down on the shot or game clock, it usually results in an ugly look that nets no points.

If games become a shootout, the Salukis will need to establish their inside-outside game. Ether Falker and Shaw must establish themselves on the block or Mullins, Wesley Clemmons and Joshua Bone must hit some early outside shots to extend the defense.

Either way, the SIU offense needs to be hitting on all cylinders.

A sense of urgency has returned to SIU basketball, and if it fails in St. Louis, the NIT will likely be waiting.

Thank goodness for 4-day weekends

My world has been turned upside down since this semester began. Mostly because of my work with the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper of SIU.

I'm starting to get a hang of balancing school and work, but I'll admit that it's tough because working at the DE is almost like having a full-time job. Maybe I'm too dedicated to the cause (because I'm always thinking about my next story) or maybe covering men's and women's swimming, track and field, tennis and golf might be considered quite a handful for a first job.

So when I realized we'd have a four-day weekend because C-Dale was "iced out" and that I wouldn't have a story in the newspaper 'til Tuesday, I just thought that I'd let loose for the first time this semester.

So basically I spent my Friday doing another fantasy baseball draft and getting Cubs bleacher tickets and my Friday night getting wasted. There was a lot of people I got to see this weekend that I hadn't seen in a while and that was cool.

I spent my Saturday afternoon watching SIU stomp Nevada during ESPNU's O'Reilly Auto Parts BracketBuster Saturday and that rocked watching SIU defeat a team with a projected second round pick who was averaging 20-something points per game and a 7-footer that is a projected first round pick in 2009.

Long story short, SIU guard Tyrone Green shut down Nevada's Marcelus Kemp and Randal Falker made UNR big-man JaVale McGee look like Patrick O'Bryant.

Unless there is a gigantic snowstorm that hits SIU overnight, it will be back to work for me and the rest of the student body in Carbondale.

Hey, life has to resume sometime.

SIU downs Drake, ends Bulldogs' bid for Valley perfection

Somewhere in Miami, the ’72 Dolphins are popping champagne. Oops, wrong sport. Let’s try that again.

Wednesday night’s game against Drake can be summed up in just four words: Not In Our House!

Drake guard Leonard Houston had a chance to tie the game with a last-second three, but the shot misfired, giving SIU the 65-62 upset victory over the No. 14 Bulldogs.

The victory kept Drake from celebrating a share of the MVC regular season title, for now. Allow me to paraphrase SIU broadcaster Mike Reis, who said it best in the post-game show: “If anyone’s going to clinch a title at the SIU Arena, it’s gonna be the guys in the white.” The victory also kept the Salukis undefeated at home, and improved their record to 60-1 at the SIU Arena against MVC foes in the past seven years.

Player of the Game: Senior forward Randal Falker, who led the Salukis with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

THREE UP:

• Fans at the SIU Arena. Despite crappy road conditions, frigid temperatures and a .500 team, Saluki fans came out and acted like they were out in full force, despite an estimated crowd of 5,700 people—and the sixth man acted like it was in front of a national televised audience, to boot. Kudos to the Dawg Pound, though I do take exception to chanting “Overrated!” with less than three seconds left—those fans obviously missed how the SIU-Butler game ended.
• Bench play. The key to SIU’s victory was its bench play. Joshua Bone, who has started a majority of the games for the Salukis this year, came off the bench to score 9 points. When Bone’s shot is falling, it forces defenses to stretch, which either gives Falker more operating room in the post—or Bone more room to shoot behind-the-arc.
• Falker dominates the offensive glass. There’s no way good ol’ #14 gets a double-double without his seven offensive rebounds. Teams that grab offensive boards win games, it’s as simple as that. Crashing the offensive glass allows teams to get second chance points, while also keeping the ball away from the opposition. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t score…and they can’t score if you have the ball!

THREE DOWN:

• Referees. Yeah, they were bad. I’ve come to the realization that the MVC will never get quality refs unless it combines with the Big 10, making a super-duper conference like the Big East. All jokes aside, it’s hard enough to get quality ref’s because of A) the pay [or lack thereof] B) the job itself [really, who wants a job where you spend two hours getting your life threatened and sexuality second guessed by a bunch of college kids?] or C) the travel schedule [think about it, these guys probably have to go by bus or on their own across the Midwest—and that doesn’t sound like fun in the winter months]. Still, there was no reason to call SIU broadcaster Mike Reis for a blocking foul when Drake forward Jonathan Cox went diving onto the broadcast table (Kudos! to Salukitalk for that nugget).
• “Overrated” chant. I’ve got two problems with that chant. Problem #1: It came waaay too early. I wish fans would realize that “it ain’t over, ‘til it’s over!” Problem #2: Drake’s good, really good. Realize the fact that the Bulldogs are a quality team deserving of that #14 ranking, but they ran into a team that plays like a pre-season top-25 team at home—and the game happened to be in Carbondale, Ill. tonight.
• Points off turnovers. Even though SIU won where it really matters—in the final score—but it’s hard to ignore Drake’s 20 points off TO’s, especially when SIU only scored 12. SIU had too many turnovers, and that could have easily cost them the game. But understand, the Salukis are operating with only one true point guard. I’m still waiting for Dion Coopwood to be freed by Coach Lowery. He’s not a star, but damn it, he’s a true point guard and if he can give me five quality minutes of feeding the post, then I’d be happier than with Bone—a pure shooting guard—playing out of position, running the point.

EXTRA POINTS:

• While Matt Shaw’s free-throw gave the Salukis the three-point lead it would end up holding on to, one could argue SIU doesn’t win the game without Tyrone Green’s surprising three-pointer. “Greenie” isn’t much of a shooter, but he’s in there to play defense and to provide energy. What he gives you on the offensive end is pure bonus.
• With SIU’s win and Creighton’s loss to Evansville, the Dawgs are back in a tie for third-place with four conference games remaining. One of those games is against second-place Illinois State.
• The Salukis will look to pick up their second road win of the year Saturday as they hit the road against Wichita State. SIU beat the Shockers 63-52 Jan. 19 in a game that should have been a laugher.

‘Til then, goodnight from Carbondale!

An Open Letter to Saluki Nation

Next in the "Open Letter" series, a message to Saluki Nation.

Dear Saluki Nation:

A simple request from one of your own for tonight's basketball game: Be there. Be loud. Be Proud.

The Salukis host MVC leader Drake tonight at the SIU Arena in a pivotal match-up. While it might look like the Salukis have nothing to play for, that assumption would be wrong. Beating Drake, the No. 14 team in the country, would keep Drake from clinching a part of the MVC regular season title on our home court and keep our undefeated record against conference opponents in tact.

I believe that home court advantage is one of the key aspects in college basketball and being supportive of your team can really pick up the spirits of a team struggling to stay afloat and be competitive with a record hovering around .500.

So Saluki fans, I know the weather is tough--but get out there and support your Salukis! You might get a chance to play a role in something special.

Sincerely,

LuDo

Snowed In!

For the first time since 1984, weather has closed down Southern Illinois University. Yes, that means we've got a Snow Day in Carbondale! I'm pretty sure we never had a snow day while I was a student in the Chicago Public Schools system, so I'll enjoy it thoroughly.

And by "enjoy it thoroughly", I mean I will trap myself in my apartment and stay out of the snow and cold. But that's not all that bad, it gives me time to catch up on my blog, acquire new music, clean my room (NOT!) and start writing a skeleton of my Thursday article which will preview the women's swimming MVC Championships which are going to be held Feb. 14-16 at the SIU Rec Center.

Well, at least that means I'll be busy on Valentine's Day. Ahhh, good ol' V-Day! It deserves a post of its own and will likely get it because there is nothing I like more than a good ol' fashioned blog bitching about Valentine's Day. Don't worry, I'll have something up my sleeve.

While it's freezing up here, I'm imagining warmer temps out in Arizona where the Cubs will be kicking off Spring Training in just a few days. Manager Lou Piniella is in his second year with the Cubs and will try to take another crack at ending the longest championship drought in Major League Baseball.

Hmmm, it seems as if a Cubs preview deserves a post of its own. I know I've been promising one for a while, but it will get done.

As for the SIU men's basketball team, yuck! They just can't win on the road and that just means it's a mental thing. 9-2 at the friendly confines of the SIU Arena, but only 1-9 on the road. Even if SIU is 4-5 on the road, they would be 16-8 and looking like a much better team.

12-12 is a looong fall from a team that was only a few buckets away from knocking off the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16 round a year ago. I knew the Dawgs would miss Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young, but without one of the most dynamic backcourt duos in SIU history, the Salukis look lost--especially on the road.

That takes us to a little bit of a preview of Wednesday's game (weather permitting, of course) against the No. 14 Drake Bulldogs. Drake, who was picked to finish 9th in the MVC according to the pre-season poll, is the class of the MVC this year and has shocked the college hoops world by winning 21 straight games.

That means it is up to SIU to A) stop the streak and B) not allow Drake to clinch anything at the SIU Areana.

Me thinks that topic deserves a post of its own too. Guess what, it will!

That's all for now, sorry for not keeping up, life is busy (to say the least). I'll leave you with some quality linkage:

• Fire Joe Morgan hops on my bandwagon, statistically proving why Ryan Theriot shouldn't be at the top of the batting order. Note: I really like Theriot, but the Cubs aren't going to win a World Series because of him, who knows if they can win one with him batting lead-off and playing 150 games at shortstop.
• I know we ridiculed Latrell Sprewell for rejecting a $21 million extension because he had mouths to feed, but now aren't we looking foolish? Sprewell's yacht is gone and his home might be next.
• Don't look now...seriously don't look. ESPN's got themselves another gimmick: "The Greatest Highlight." Don't you miss the days of Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick and "The Big Show"--friggin' SportsCenter you could watch all morning??? I know I do. This is gonna suck--and it's hosted by Chris Berman and he's a tool! (Not to be confused with Plies!)
• One of my favorite baseball blogs Bugs & Cranks has two pieces comparing the 2007 Patriots choke to not one--but two--different chokes!
• This high school girl is an absolute beast in the post. She's committed to Baylor's women's team--so look out for them in the future.

And finally the two "must see" links of the day:

• SIU head coach Chris Lowery makes an appearance at deadspin.com, and it's not a good thing.
• Sometimes I have no sex life, but this guy has absolutely none...wow, that's all I can say.

Quotable:

I never thought I'd pull a quality quote from a site dedicated to the profiles of hot chicks on facebook, but alas:

“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get the chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”

Here's the link, enjoy yourselves a pretty girl today.

SIU beats Indiana State, bad weather

Even though it looked like Indiana State would benefit from a short weather delay, taking a half-time lead, but SIU would respond with a dominating second half to win 80-69.

The Salukis picked up the tempo in the second half, scoring 47 points in the process.

The Salukis were led by senior forward Randal Falker's 20 points and 15 rebounds and junior guard Byran Mullins' 22 points and 5 assists.

THREE UP:

• Senior leadership. Seniors Randal Falker, Matt Shaw and Tyrone Green combined to score 42 of SIU's 80 points. Green did his damage coming off the bench attacking the basket and hitting five of six free-throw attempts.
• Not having to rely on the three. The most impressive stat from Tuesday night was SIU's 50% shooting from beyond the arc. The Salukis made 5-of-10 three-point opportunities, a vast improvement from the 6-for-24 they shot in the loss at Northern Iowa.
• Bench production. "Greenie" as Coach Lowery affectionately calls him scored 11 of SIU's 17 bench points, but the Salukis bench put forth a quality effort in Tuesday night's win.

THREE DOWN:

• Joshua Bone's production. Joshua Bone is slumping. Even though he played well in the first half of the Northern Iowa game, Bone struggled in the win over Indiana State. Bone scored 1 point (which came on a made free-throw) in 24 minutes. JB needs to be productive, because when he's on, his outside shot can stretch defenses to where Falker gets more down low opportunities.
• Free throw shooting. SIU needs to hit the freebies, end of story. An 11 point win is nice, but if SIU hits its free-throws, this game would have been a laugher.
• Weather delays. I might have been the only one who noticed ISU's mini-run that came after the weather delay concluded, but if you were paying attention, you would have noticed the Sycamores grab momentum from that point until half-time.

Notes:

• The combination of SIU's win over Indiana State and Illinois State's loss to Drake, the Salukis move into a two-way tie for third place and stands only one game back of second place.
• The Salukis and Sycamores have combined for a grand total of 2 MVC road wins, ouch!

SIU gets a chance to separate itself from Creighton in the standings if they can pull of the win Sunday in Omaha.

SIU Bracketbusted, Dumb Reporters & Super Bowl Hangover

Let's start off with something that doesn't involve the biggest upset ever.

SIU is back on BracketBusters. The Salukis will host the Nevada Wolfpack in this year's BracketBuster match-up. Last year, SIU was the top draw of the made-for-TV match-ups when the Salukis visited the Butler Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are back in the top spot again hosting SIU rival and MVC leader Drake.

The real story of SIU's match-up is the return game to Reno. Personally, I'm going to start saving now and hope the return game takes place during Thanksgiving Break or Winter Break. I wonder how many of my fellow reporters can I keep in my hotel room in the MGM Grand in nearby Las Vegas.

On BracketBuster weekend, SIU will need to find a way to stop two 7-footers, and senior guard Marcelus Kemp. It could be the last hurrah for the Salukis.

Quality Linkage:

This will be a new segment of this blog. I'll provide links of things I find "newsworthy." Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

• Baseball blog Bugs & Cranks provides a different perspective on Super Bowl XLII.
• Busted Coverage has got newspaper covers on lock.
• On 205th has a commercial that I don't remember either (I think I would remember this one)
• The Big Lead has three. awesome. angles. TBL is my favorite sportsblog for a reason!
• Someone can't find Illinois on a map. Thankfully, I can.
  

Floorburn U Flashback

It looks like SIU is reverting to its old ways and that’s a good thing.

The Salukis beat the Evansville Tuesday night by a score of 59-39. Evansville made only 15 shots from the field, shooting a woeful 35.7%. This comes only days after the Salukis held the Creighton BlueJays, the MVC’s highest scoring team, to 44 points Saturday night.

The Salukis were paced by Matt Shaw’s double-double. Shaw scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in SIU’s victory and Randal Falker chipped in with a game-high 16 points.

THREE UP:

• Randal Falker’s free-throw shooting. Falker has been much maligned—and deservedly so—for his poor free throw shooting. However, Falker went 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. Hitting free-throws in tight ballgames could be important to SIU’s second half run. Yes, I understand this was a blowout, but you’ve got to be encouraged any time Falker converts on the freebies.

• Matt Shaw’s rebounding. Shaw has collected 28 rebounds in his last three games (9.3 rebounds per game.) He’s also chipped in 16.3 points per game. Shaw is also stepping up on the court vocally, which has to be good for team morale.

• SIU’s defense turns back the clock. The Salukis allowed 44 points Saturday and 39 points Tuesday night. SIU’s calling card this decade has been its stifling man-to-man defense. If SIU can keep up the pace and continue to play like Saluki Nation has come accustomed to seeing, the Dawgs may be back at the top of the MVC before you know it.

THREE DOWN:

• Three point shooting. The Salukis were only 3-for-15 (20%) from beyond the arc. The great thing about college basketball is that the three-point line is the great equalizer. The Salukis will need to shoot higher than 20% from three-point range if they want to get back in the race for the MVC crown.

• Joshua Bone’s 0 assists and 3 turnovers. When Bryan Mullins is out, Bone shifts to the point and SIU’s offense suffers. One of SIU’s glaring weaknesses is that its bench is without a true back-up point guard. Someone needs to step up, Mullins can’t play 40 minutes at such a high level every night.

• Bench production. I might be too harsh on our bench, but I think I may have a case here. I understand the bench’s job isn’t necessarily to score points. And I realize that SIU’s bench outscored Evansville’s bench. But the trio of Tyrone Green, Tony Boyle and Carlton Fay has to do better than 7 points on 3-of-10 shooting.

NOTES:

• As of this posting, the victory gives SIU (11-10 overall, 6-4 in conference play) sole possession of third place in the MVC.

• SIU held an opponent below 40 points for the first 2006. (Def. Louisiana Tech 50-36 on Nov. 29, 2006.)

• 8 of SIU’s 11 wins have been by double digits.

The Salukis will be in action Saturday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa to take on the University Northern Iowa Panthers.

Salukis turn back the clock in win over Creighton

Floorburn U made a guest appearance in the Salukis 48-44 over the Creighton Blue Jays.

This year’s version of SIU played like the teams that helped build the program to what it is today. The Salukis played like the team that ESPN thought they would see when they chose SIU to host College GameDay.

In front of a packed SIU Arena, junior guard Bryan Mullins that starred for the Salukis. As former backcourt mates Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young watched from the crowd, Mullins willed the Salukis to victory.

THREE UP:

• Mullins strong play. If everyone on the Salukis played like Mullins, SIU wouldn’t be 10-10 and 5-4 in conference play. Mullins scored 13 points to go along with 4 assists, but that was just the beginning. Mullins is the Salukis go-to-guy and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it. He makes clutch baskets, he makes smart decisions with the basketball, and he is SIU’s most fundamentally sound player.

• Matt Shaw shows up. Shaw came to play in his last home game against the Blue Jays, leading the all scorers with 16 points. Shaw’s lack of consistency has drawn plenty of criticism from Saluki Nation, and it has been well deserved. Shaw’s back-to-back threes brought the Salukis within two points and revived a quieting SIU Arena. The way Shaw played last night is the way everyone thought he’d play all year.

• SIU fans rock The Arena. Saluki Nation was in full force last night, decked out in maroon. They were loud and proud and very much into the game. The Dawg Pound was pretty good, however some members (more to come in ‘Three Down’).

THREE DOWN:

• Guards not named “Bryan Mullins”. Saluki guards not named Bryan Mullins struggled against the Jays. The combination of Joshua Bone, Wesley Clemmons and Tyrone Green combined to score 6 points on 3-for-13 shooting (23%).

• Officiating. It seems as if officiating complaints come after SIU games but the refs were bad at this game. I know that MVC refs have better things to do on a Saturday night, but there is no reason not to have the best refs for this game. Poor officiating left ESPN analysts Jay Bilas and Digger Phelps shaking their heads after several blown calls.

• Certain Dawg Pound members. To quote fellow sports reporter Matt Hartwig, “What is this, amateur night?” The one problem I have with these nationally televised games is that it brings out the fair-weather…dare I say…dumb Saluki fans. Dumb freshman that want to storm the court and throw things at security guards among other things. Rushing the court is reserved for unranked teams beating ranked opponents, not for teams that were ranked No. 11 as recently as last year. We’re been to the mountaintop, let’s act like it.

NOTES:

• SIU held Creighton to 44 points in the entire game. Kansas scored 44 points in the first half of its victory over Nebraska. The Salukis only scored 48, but 48 was good enough to win the ballgame.

• That brings me to my next stat. SIU (finally) picked up its first win when not scoring 63 points. Prior to Saturday’s game, SIU was 0-10 in games when they scored less than 63 points. The magic number stat is no more.

• Kaleb Korver, younger brother of NBA three-point specialist and Saluki killer Kyle Korver, was held scoreless in his first game against the Salukis. Korver didn’t do much in his 5 minutes of playing time, and I hope that trend continues for the next four years!

SIU’s win over Creighton put the Salukis in a three-way tie for third place. The Salukis will be in action again Tuesday night when they host the Evansville Purple Aces.

Are You Ready For ESPN's College GameDay?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Pass it on to anyone you know going to the game!!!!

This is the kind of game I've been waiting to see for four years. It's too bad that it came under these circumstances.

The six-time defending Missouri Valley Conference champion SIU Salukis will host the first ever ESPN College GameDay not to be hosted by a school in one of the "big six" conferences (Big 10, Pac 10, ACC, SEC, Big East, Big XII).

Unfortunately, SIU isn't playing like a team that has been to the Big Dance for the last six years. The Salukis enter tomorrow's game with a 9-10 record overall and a 4-4 conference record. They are currently in a three-way tie for fifth place.

Still, this is a prime opportunity to show that SIU is for real. The Salukis and the Creighton Blue Jays have been the class of the MVC since I can remember, so this just might be ESPN's way of acknowledging a rivalry that can only be described as the midwest's version of Duke-North Carolina.

With that said, I hope everyone was able to get their tickets because if they don't, they are S.O.L. and will be stuck watching the game on ESPN2.

If you are fortunate enough to go to the game tomorrow, you have several duties.

Duty #1 is to wear your maroon. It's a MAROON OUT, people...rep it!

I, for one, will be wearing my new "I H8 CR8N" shirt from Pinch Penny Pub, it was only five bucks. Even my mom in Chicago will be repping her "BEAT CREIGHTON" shirt I got her last year.

(Yes, I've got my family on the SIU bandwagon!)

Duty #2 is to be there in the morning for the GameDay morning show. (Wearing your maroon, of course!)

Seriously, it's free to the public and the show is from 10-11 a.m. and will air on the original ESPN. If you go, represent SIU to the best of your ability. We're a very knowledgeable basketball school, let's act like it!

Let's show the college basketball world that there is life outside of the ACC!

Duty #3 is to be loud and proud!

The Dawg Pound is arguably the best student cheering section in the section. They're smart. They're witty. They're right on top of the court. And the way the SIU Arena is set up, you can hear EVERYTHING! If you're an opposing player, you're going to hear any insult thrown your way.

To be fair, the Salukis have to play their part. They have to give the fans something to get excited about.

Duty #4 is simple: OOOOOOOH!!! PIG! SOUIE! RAZOR-BACKS!!!

After the college hoops season ended last year, Creighton head coach Dana Altman accepted the Arkansas job after Stan Heath was canned. After coming to his senses, Altman returned to Omaha, Neb. and re-joined the Blue Jays.

Saluki Nation, let's not let him forget what he did. Attached in this "note" is the press conference from when scumbag Bobby Petrino took over as Arkansas head coach.

Let's practice this and when Creighton is introduced tomorrow, let's hit 'em with a lil' bit of "Oh Pig Souie!"




GO DAWGS!

P.S. Let's try to sing real lyrics to our school fight song. The song doesn't go "Go Southern Go! That's all the words we know!"

http://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/fightsongslyrics/illinoissouthernfightsonglyrics.html


P.P.S. Not only will Carbondale be hosting ESPN Gameday, they will also host the most beautiful sideline reporter (and one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen) Ms. Erin Andrews.

I'd love to meet her and maybe, JUST MAYBE, get a picture with her!

It'd be my profile pic for a looooong time!

Not Shocked at all, SIU beats Wichita State

SIU is now playing like it realizes that a seventh straight NCAA appearance isn’t guaranteed to anyone.

The Salukis victory over the Shockers of Wichita State University put the Dawgs at .500 overall (9-9) and moved them to 4-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

SIU was led by senior forward Randal Falker, who scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the first half. And even though he only scored two points in the second half, Falker impacted the game by getting two of WSU’s big men to foul out, shortening the Shockers bench.


THREE UP:

• Falker’s play. Falker did the things that senior leaders are supposed to do. He led the Salukis with 15 points, got the Shockers in foul trouble and got his teammates involved by passing out of low-post double teams.

• The SIU Bench. Tyrone Green, Tony Boyle and Carlton Fay played effectively as a unit, and that is going to be a key for the Salukis down the stretch. They combined to outscore the Shockers bench 18-14.

• Joshua Bone. Bone went 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from the three-point line. His outside shooting ability is one of those things that can carry SIU when he’s on.


THREE DOWN:

• Matt Shaw’s 0-fer beyond the arc. SIU head coach Chris Lowery mentioned in the post game show that Shaw has recently struggled behind the arc, but still wants him to shoot because he’s “earned” it. That irked me a bit, seeing that Dusty Baker used to say that his vets “earned” starting spots despite struggling and being on the downside of their careers. But Shaw isn’t a Baker guy, he’s a SIU guy…and if it’s one thing I know about Matt Shaw is that he WILL break out of his slump and contribute to SIU’s success.

• Chris Lowery’s Technical Foul. Not that it was a bad thing, but if C-Lo would have burst out later and got a second ‘T’ he would have been gone. I’m not sure how the Salukis would manage without their head coach.

• Whoever fouled PJ Couisnard in the closing seconds. Fouling a three-point shooter is a bad idea, no matter where it happens in the game. It’s unacceptable…unless you’re fouling Shaq or Ben Wallace, of course.


NOTES:

• Bryan Mullins is becoming the undisputed leader of this team. Mullins posted 11 points, five assists, and two steals. He’s also becoming Mr. Last Second Shot for SIU. That doesn’t surprise me…knowing that Mullins has beaten a few teams with last second shots…including my personal favorite against Creighton, in Omaha, Neb.

• SIU is giving up 62.1 points per game in Valley games, a far cry from what they did last year. SIU is going to need to step up its ‘D’ down the stretch.

• With their 63 point effort this afternoon, the Salukis moved to 9-0 in games in which they score 63 or more points. Again, it looks like 63 is SIU’s magic number.


The Salukis are in action again on Wednesday when they travel to Springfield, Mo. to face the Missouri State Bears in the last game the Dawgs will play in the Hammond Center. Thank God!!!!

SIU picks up first road win at the expense of Evansville

Now, that is how a pre-season top-25 team is supposed to play on the road.

The Southern Illinois University Salukis picked up their first road win of the season with its 80-67 victory over Evansville University's Purple Aces thanks in large part to its hot shooting which ignited a 15-0 run to start the game.

THREE UP:

· After only scoring 4 points on 1-for-3 shooting in SIU’s loss to Indiana State, Randal Falker showed why he was a pre-season Wooden Award candidate by stuffing the stat sheet with 16 points, nine rebounds and a team-high five assists.

· The Salukis as a whole made significant strides since their Saturday night loss to the Sycamores. SIU shot 53% from the three-point line and 59% overall.

· The Salukis sported a balanced scoring attack with eight different players scoring including Bryan Mullins and Wesley Clemmons, who chipped in with 14 points each and Matt Shaw, who added 8 points.

THREE DOWN:

· After a strong first half, Shaw was held scoreless in the second half, going 0-for-7 field.

· In the 2006-07 season, the Salukis were one of the top defensive teams in all of college basketball, limiting their opponents to about 56 points per game. Tuesday night, the Salukis gave up 67 points to the Purple Aces, and are giving up almost 64 points per game in Valley play.

· I can’t come up with a number three, so that’s a good thing!

It looks like the Salukis might have to find a way to win some shootouts if they want to finish in the top three in the MVC this year. Falker, Shaw and Mullins will have to lead this team down the stretch and get some help from Clemmons, Joshua Bone and the SIU bench.

NOTES:

· SIU moved to 8-0 in games in which they score 63 or more points.

· SIU put up its third 80+ point effort of the season, its first since the 88-78 victory over Western Kentucky

· In its three MVC wins, SIU is averaging 78.6 points per game. In its losses, SIU is only averaging 53.3 points per game. It looks like if SIU isn’t blowing teams out, they aren’t winning the close games.

The Salukis are in action again Saturday afternoon when they host the Shockers of Wichita State University.

SIU Basketball: It's not over, but...

…it might be getting to that point.

The Indiana State University Sycamores 64-62 double overtime victory against the Southern Illinois University Salukis is a microcosm of the Salukis 2007-08 season. Tonight's loss puts SIU at 7-9 overall and 2-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play while putting the Salukis' six year NCAA tournament appearance streak firmly in jeopardy.

THREE UPS

• Bryan Mullins led the Salukis in scoring with 18 points, including a three-pointer that gave the Salukis a brief 62-61 lead.
• Matt Shaw added 16 points and 14 rebounds and looks to be coming out of his early season funk with solid play in recent games.
• Tyrone Green chipped in off the bench with 14 points and nine rebounds, seven of which were offensive boards.

THREE DOWNS

• The pre-season MVC player of the year Randal Falker struggled tonight, scoring only 4 points on 1-of-3 shooting.
• One game after Carlton Fay put up 11 points in 18 minutes in a victory over Bradley, Fay struggled in the loss against Indiana State, scoring 0 points in 11 minutes.
• SIU probably would have won had it shot better than 20.8% from three-point range. SIU only hit five three point shots (24 attempts)

SIU BY THE NUMBERS

• Tonight's loss keeps SIU winless in "true" road games (0-6), winless in games in which they score less than 63 points (0-9) and winless in games decided by less than 10 points (0-4)
• SIU averages 75.57 points per game in wins, but only 51 points per game in losses
• In wins, SIU beats their opponent by an average of 14.57 points
• In losses, SIU is beaten by an average of 10.78 points

Needless to say, SIU has its work cut out for them and will need to go on a lengthy winning streak to get themselves back in the hunt.

SIU is playing like a Jekyll and Hyde act with a 5-2 record at the SIU Arena and a 2-7 record away from Carbondale. SIU is 2-1 in games played on a neutral court.

To get back into NCAA tournament consideration, SIU will likely need to win out at home and find a way to finish with at least a .500 record on the road. If not, they will face the daunting task of having to win the MVC Tournament in St. Louis to punch a guaranteed ticket to the NCAA's.

The Salukis' next game will be on the road against the Purple Aces of Evansville University. Evansville sports a 0-5 record in MVC play and is 5-10 overall. If SIU can't beat the Aces on the road, they will take another significant step backwards.

An Open Letter To: Saluki Basketball

One of my favorite segments on the blog has been the “An Open Letter To…” series which began on June 4, 2007 when I wrote a letter to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo after he broke up with Carrie Underwood. I would later go on to write “open letters” to St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano.

Today’s open letter goes to a group near to my heart, the Southern Illinois Salukis men’s basketball team.

Dear Salukis,

I see that conference play is underway and that we currently sit at 1-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play and 6-8 overall and that is quite disappointing, and that is why I am writing this letter.

6-8 is unacceptable for a program that was preseason top 25. 1-2 in MVC play is unacceptable for the six-time defending MVC champions. And to be honest, I’m not sure where you have gone wrong.

You guys have Chris Lowery, the two-time MVC coach of the year leading the way. You have two seniors in the front court that should be leading the team in Matt Shaw and Randal Falker (who was the pre-season pick to win the MVC player of the year).

You have one of the most unselfish point guards in the country, Bryan Mullins who also is a lock down defender. You have Joshua Bone, a jump shot specialist who can light up the scoreboard in the blink of an eye.

And yet, we find ourselves here at 6-8 looking up at the MVC. But you know what guys, all is not lost. There are plenty of games to play.

If you can go 8-0 at home and 5-2 on the road in your remaining games, you can finish with 19 wins and would likely be crowned with another MVC regular season title. At this point, I’d just like to see some more points scored and for you guys to get on a bit of a hot street before Arch Madness in St. Louis.

In closing, this can be turned around. This is SIU…this is Floor Burn U. We don’t do NIT! We find ways to make the NCAA tournament. Remember two years ago when you guys won the MVC tourney with your backs against the wall and no one outside of Carbondale, Ill. had you guys in the tourney?

I do. I believed it could happen then, and I believe it can happen again.

Sincerely,

Luis C. Medina

(Speaking on behalf of Saluki Nation)

My Teams 2007 Review, 2008 Preview

CHICAGO CUBS: (2007: 85-77, NL Central Champions. Lost to ARZ 3-0 in NLDS)

My favorite moment of the 2007 Cubs season was Lou Piniella's dirt-kicking tirade on June 2. In an attempt to deflect attention from the "Slugout in the Dugout", Piniella picked a fight with third base umpire Mark Wegner after a close play at third base. After that, the Cubs had one of the best records in the NL and went on to win the NL Central for the first time since 2003.

My least favorite moment was when the Cubs were swept in Florida in the second to last series of the season. It looked like it was going to be another classic Cubs collapse at the hand of the lowly Florida Marlins, which would have only been fitting, seeing that it was the Marlins who did you know what to you know who in 2003. The Cubs would go on to win the NL Central in the first game of the next series against the Reds.

Storylines to follow in 2008:

· The 100 Year Anniversary and the questions and stories that will follow.

· Will the Cubs have a new owner in 2008? Sam Zell says it could happen before Opening Day.

· On the field, the story to follow will be right fielder Kosuke Fukudome's transition to big league ball.

CHICAGO BEARS: (2006-07: 13-3, NFC Champions. 2007-08: 7-9, missed playoffs)

My favorite moment was Devin Hester's return of the opening kick in Super Bowl XLI. Since then, it's been all downhill for the Bears who went from NFC Champs to chumps in the blink of an eye. Hester's ability gives Bears fans a glimmer of hope, no matter what the situation.

My least favorite moment was when the Bears gave up 34 points in the fourth quarter in a loss to the Detroit Lions. That was one of two losses to the Lions, who played like world beaters against the Bears.

Storylines to follow in 2008:

· How will the Bears improve their offense? The Bears have a tendency not to spend money in the off-season, which is a shame seeing that they need a quarterback, a running back and a big play wide receiver.

· Will Lance Briggs get that contract extension he craves? In a sense, he does deserve it because he's been one of the best players on the team. However, the Bears have a quality replacement in Jamar Williams and probably could put that $7.2 million into a need area.

· Will the coordinators return? Bob Babich is a Lovie Smith guy and he will likely return. Ron Turner could return only if he burns the John Shoop playbook he used for most of the season.

CHICAGO BULLS: (2006-07: 49-33; lost in Eastern Conf. semis. 2007: 11-17)

My favorite moment from the Bulls was when they swept the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. At that time, it looked like the Bulls were ready to take the next step in the post-Jordan era with rising stars Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng.

My least favorite moment from the Bulls was the NBA Draft. It would have been easy to pick one of the bad losses or the firing of Scott Skiles, but I was not a happy man on draft night. The Bulls could have (hypothetically) used a combination of youngsters and their first round pick to acquire a bonafide star like Kevin Garnett or Kobe Bryant. Instead, they drafted Joakim Noah—who is playing like Tyson Chandler, circa 2004.

Storylines to follow in 2008:

· Who is going to be coach in the future? Will Jim Boylan get the job full-time after his stint as the interim head coach? Will the Bulls bring in a high-profile guy like Larry Brown? Will Scottie Pippen get a chance to coach in the NBA?

· Will the Bulls acquire a low-post scorer or the type of go-to-guy they desperately need?

· Will the Bulls make the proper adjustments and make a run at a playoff spot again?

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SAUKIS FOOTBALL (2007: 12-2; lost in FCS semi-final)

My favorite moment from Saluki football was the 34-31 come from behind victory against in-state rival Northern Illinois University. It was the second straight year that SIU came from behind to beat a FBS (formerly Division 1-A) school (they beat Indiana University in 2006). Down 21, the SIU comeback began with an interception returned for a touchdown and two touchdown passes from Nick Hill.

That prompted a phone call to my friend at NIU who taunted me prior to the game. The message was simple: "Earlier you asked 'What's a Saluki?' Well, it just kicked your ass!"

My least favorite moments from the year were SIU's two losses. The loss to the then No. 1 ranked University of Northern Iowa was a tough loss, especially since SIU fell six-yards short from what could have been a game winning touchdown. The loss to Delaware in the FCS semi-final was more painful, having to be there.

Storylines to follow in 2008:

· Will QB Nick Hill be given another year of eligibility by the NCAA?

· How will new head coach Dale Lennon implement his system at SIU?

· How will SIU do in the new look Gateway Football Conference?

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL (2006-07: 29-7, MVC champs, Sweet 16; 2007-08: 6-6)

My favorite SIU hoops moment was Senior Night at the SIU Arena. SIU's 76-69 victory over Evansville served as a great sendoff for senior leaders Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young. Young scored 17 and Tatum added 15, including his first dunk in front of the Saluki faithful. Junior forward Randal Falker provided the oxymoron of the year, quietly pouring in 30 points.

I have three least favorite moments; two of them involve road trips that ended in SIU losses against Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. and Creighton University in the MVC tourney championship game in St. Louis. The other was the heartbreaking loss in the Sweet 16 against Kansas University. Coming up a distant fourth was SIU's loss to Indiana University on Super Saturday in Carbondale.

Storylines to follow in 2008:

· Can SIU shake off an early 6-6 start to come back and win another Missouri Valley title and make another NCAA tourney appearance?

· Will seniors Randal Falker and Matt Shaw lead SIU the way that SIU combos Tatum and Young and Darren Brooks and Stetson Hairston have in recent years?

· Will SIU find consistent guard play with Bryan Mullins, Joshua Bone & company.

'The Greatest Weekend in SIU History' (hopefully)

I have been looking forward to this weekend since before officials in the Southern Illinois University athletics department coined this weekend as 'Super Saturday.'

Back in late October/early November I was already coining this weekend as potentially 'The Greatest Weekend in the History of SIU.' Well, at least since I've been at SIU.

I know those are some big expectations to fill, but I have full confidence that the events this weekend has to offer will leave everyone who was here for them with a sense of satisfaction.

But before 'Super Saturday,' one must note what a Friday night in Carbondale can bring, seeing that the very popular cover band Mike & Joe kick-off this weekend's festivities by playing at the Copper Dragon.

When you wake over from your hangover, then you can officially start thinking about 'Super Saturday,' which begins around 2:20 p.m. when the No. 4 seed SIU Salukis play the UMass Minutemen in the second round of what used to be called the Div. 1-AA playoffs.

SIU will be looking for its first semi-finals appearance since 1983, the year that they won the Div. 1-AA National Championship.

SIU's football team usually takes a back seat to the basketball team, because in all reality, SIU is a basketball school. It wasn't until head coach Jerry Kill came to Carbondale and put the Saluki football program on the map.

And despite five straight years of playoff appearances for SIU, the fans still don't come out like they should. That's why I think it is important that Saluki Nation heads out to McAndrew Stadium and support their Salukis.

After the football game, you can head to The Strip and take in one of the finest traditions in Carbondale, the annual Lights Fantastic Parade. The parade will run between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

As for the main event, SIU men's basketball will host 15 Indiana University at the SIU Arena at 8:30 p.m. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the perennial national powers of the Hoosier state and the up-start Salukis of the much slept-on Missouri Valley Conference.

But the night doesn't end there.

After the ball game, fans should be encouraged to (again) enjoy the Carbondale night life. I for one will be enjoying the sounds of 17^th Floor at the Copper Dragon.

17^th Floor is one of the best cover bands that comes to Carbondale and is worthy of any cover charge that the bar will be throwing at you. They are a cover band that combines a "party like a rock star" atmosphere with hip-hop music.

Sounds like a fun weekend doesn't it? On paper, it looks like one of those weekends that I thought that every weekend in college would be like. But like the Cubs, once every four years you get something special like this to happen all at the same time.