MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
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MVC TOURNAMENT MEMORIES CHRIS LOWERY, SIU COACH, PLAYED AT SIU 1990-94
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PUBLISHER Bob Williams, bob.williams@thesouthern.com EDITOR Gary Metro, gary.metro@thesouthern.com SUBSCRIBER SERVICES 618-351-5000 from Carbondale, Murphysboro, De Soto; 618-997-3356, option 2, from Williamson County; or 800-2280429, option 2; 6 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 7-11 a.m. Saturday/Sunday. Subscribe for a year and save on delivery price: 52 weeks for $178. ADVERTISING AND SALES Mark Dynis 618-351-5815 mark.dynis@thesouthern.com. or 800-228-0429, option 6, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
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Bracket.......................14 Bradley........................11 Cover Story..................8 Creighton....................11 Drake...........................11 Evansville....................11 Illinois State ..............10 Indiana State..............11 Missouri State............11 Northern Iowa............10 Redshirt Feature..........7 SIU Game-by-Game ...4 Southern Illinois..........9 Tournament Histor......6 Wichita State.............10 Winkeler Column.......15
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Gene Teague pulls down a rebound in front of two Missouri State defenders.
‘I played in the very first one, which was at the St. Louis arena out there (Kiel Auditorium), and it was very special at the time, because it was the first time it was on a neutral site. Then, having the opportunity to play in it, and winning a conference championship in back-to-back years, those were, obviously, and then, to have the opportunity to win it as a head coach, those things stick out the most to me.’
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MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
20 years of Madness
Watching the Game Will Never Be the Same
MVC tourney has had some truly great moments BY TODD HEFFERMAN THE SOUTHERN
Southern Illinois University has been a big part of Arch Madness’ success, despite early exits in the last two years. The Salukis, who will take the No. 9 seed into the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference tournament this week for the first time in school history, won four of their five tournament titles since the event moved to St. Louis in 1991. SIU has been a part of five of the nine top-selling title games in Arch Madness’ history. Its 2007 championship game with Creighton still holds the record for highest attendance (22,612). That year was the king of the turnstiles, as the Valley tournament drew a record 85,074 fans. Last year’s mark of 54,399 was the fifth best in the tournament’s history, and the seventh straight season the event drew more than 50,000. SIU has earned three Most Outstanding Player awards and 24 alltournament nods since 1986. Rick Shipley, who is fifth all-time in rebounds at SIU, still holds the record for the most boards in a single game. Shipley grabbed 16 rebounds against Indiana State in an 80-61 victory March 2, 1991. Randal Falker tied his mark with 16 boards against Bradley in 2006. The Gateway City has hosted a slew of other great Valley moments since taking over the tournament in 1991.
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THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Anthony Booker reacts to SIU’s 67-66 win over San Francisco.
SIU completed the only three-peat in the event’s history in 1995. Bradley’s Deon Jackson hit a 3-pointer with no time remaining in a 64-62 win over Missouri State in the 1996 semifinals. Jackson’s shot was nominated for an ESPY for the college basketball play of the year. Illinois State won the regular season and conference tournament for the second straight time in 1998, the first time in MVC history that had been done. When UNI won the tournament in 2004, it gave the Valley
the distinction of having all 10 current members represent the league at the NCAA tournament at least once. This week’s event will be the 16th straight year at Scottrade Center, formerly known as Savvis Center. It previously was at Kiel Auditorium (1991) and Saint Louis Arena (1992-94). Arch Madness is the second-longest neutral site collegiate tournament in the nation.
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The Southern Illinoisan Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Page 3
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
Dawgs end the season 15-14 overall, 6-12 in the Missouri Valley Conference SIU 91, UT-Martin 63 Kevin Dillard scored 14 points and guided a precision attack that picked apart the Skyhawks from outside in the first half and pounded them on the inside in the second. The Salukis, who won their 10th straight season opener, had five players score in double figures, led by Carlton Fay’s 18.
SIU 84, Indianapolis 69 The Salukis blistered the nets from 3-point range once more, this time making 11-of-19 3s. Five players scored in double figures, and point guard Kevin Dillard led the way
with his first career double-double, scoring 16 points and adding 10 assists.
SIU 74, Illinois-Chicago 64
Saint Louis 71, SIU 61
Saint Louis made four 3-pointers in the first Trailing, 42-40, with 2:30 of the second half 12 minutes remaining in the game, the Salukis went and then clamped down UNLV 78, SIU 69 on defense to secure a on an exhilarating 19-0 victory over Southern UNLV shot 77 percent run. Illinois in Chaifetz from the field in the During the five-minute Arena. second half and withstood span, SIU knocked down Southern watched Saint a late Southern Illinois four 3-pointers, forced Louis erase a 31-30 rally to claim a win in the six missed shots, caused halftime lead in the first game of the Mountain four turnovers, and opening moments of the West-Missouri Valley brought a crowd of 5,028 second half behind 3s from Conference Challenge to its feet with its Femi John, Christian series for the two teams. inspirational play. Salecich and a pair by The fact the Salukis were Even SIU coach Chris in the game at the end was Lowery pumped his fist in Kwamain Mitchell. Mitchell finished with 22 remarkable, considering jubilation after Dillard their top two scorers capped the run with a steal points. combined to go 0-for-10 and a driving lay up that from 3-point range in the became a three-point play SIU 86, SEMO 65 game, and the entire team when Flames’ guard Chris Southern Illinois was 1-of-13 from outside Buchanan was whistled for finally broke through with the arc in the second half. a foul. its first road win, routing
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Southeast Missouri State. Tony Freeman scored 15 of his career-high 26 points during a first-half blitzkrieg that featured seven steals, four dunks and numerous breakaways for SIU.
SIU 82, Alabama State 63 A deadly insideoutside attack helped Southern Illinois run away with a win over Alabama State at SIU Arena. The Salukis shot 61 percent from the field — the first time SIU has topped the 60 percent mark in its last 80 games.
SIU 70, San Diego 68 In a stunning turn of events, Southern Illinois scored the final 13 points of the game to beat San Diego in the Holiday Hoops Classic. Trailing, 68-57, with less than four minutes remaining, Justin Bocot started the rally with a 3-pointer from the right wing. Dillard followed with another, and then Bocot’s fourth triple of the game sliced the deficit to 68-66 with 1:04 remaining. Bocot proceeded to pick Patrick McCollum’s pocket and was fouled on the ensuing fast break. He made both free throws to tie the game, 68-68, with
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE Justin Bocot brought the thunder, as Southern Illinois turned a two-point halftime deficit into a 70-52 rout of Indiana State in the Missouri Valley SIU 67, Conference opener for San Francisco 66 both schools. The Salukis outscored Southern Illinois worked the Sycamores, 44-24, in some last-minute magic the second half, and It was and rallied to win in the Bocot who provided the final seconds. initial spark. Dillard was the hero, scoring the winning basket on a driving layup with SIU 86, Bradley 81 12.5 seconds remaining. The play came after a The Salukis made a Saluki timeout, in which frantic, stunning Lowery decided to isolate comeback in the final his leading scorer on the minutes of a game. The right wing and let him go Braves looked at the one-on-one. scoreboard in shock after Southern Illinois turned a seven-point deficit into a SIU 70, victory during the final 90 Indiana State 52 seconds. Southern Illinois trailed, Tony Freeman rained 79-72, before Dillard down the 3-ball, while 28 seconds on the clock, and the 75 or so Saluki fans in the gym roared with delight.
drained a 3-pointer in the right corner with 1:28 remaining to start the comeback.
Illinois State 68, SIU 61 The Redbirds (11-3, 2-1) trailed by five at halftime, but Lloyd Phillips scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to rally his team. The senior guard had been mired in a season-long shooting slump. He came into the game converting 26 percent from 3-point range, but made but 4-of6 on the night.
Northern Iowa 61, SIU 49 Jordan Eglseder had 17 points and 14 rebounds to help Northern Iowa to a
victory over Southern Illinois. Adam Koch and Johnny Moran each added 11 points for the Panthers.
Drake 70, SIU 65 Drake scored eight unanswered points in the last 60 seconds to rally for a win over Southern Illinois. With a 52-45 lead and less than eight minutes to go, SIU committed turnovers on four straight possessions that opened the door for Drake’s comeback.
Creighton 71, SIU 69 In a hotly contested and sometimes emotional matchup, Creighton came out on top when Antoine Young rattled home an
eight-foot baseline jumper with 1.4 seconds left to lift his club to victory.
SIU 81, Illinois State 80
Southern prevailed in overtime. SIU 65, Evansville 57 SIU forward Anthony Booker hit the go-ahead Fay got hot at the right layup with 1:02 remaining time, making a trio of in overtime to put his team 3-point shots during a pivotal three-minute span up by one. The bucket was set up by a nifty dribble of the second half to help Southern Illinois pull away penetration and dish from Dillard. for a win at Evansville. Fay finished with a team-high 15 points. SIU 68,
Western Kentucky 63 Bradley 57, SIU 55
The game was close until Carlton Fay’s 3-pointer Southern Illinois with 1:22 remaining gave missed two potential SIU a 65-60 lead and game-winning 3-point enough breathing room to shots in the final seven seconds, and Bradley held coast to victory. Gene Teague finished on for a win. It marked the with 10 points and nine third straight home loss rebounds. Teague played a for Southern, a streak that last happened 13 years career-high 29 minutes. ago. SEE SEASON / PAGE 12
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MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE MVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY Past Tournament Champions 1977 — SIU 1978 — Creighton 1979 — Indiana State 1980 — Bradley 1981 — Creighton 1982 — Tulsa 1983 — Illinois State 1984 — Tulsa 1985 — Wichita State 1986 — Tulsa 1987 — Wichita State 1988 — Bradley 1989 — Creighton 1990 — Illinois State 1991 — Creighton 1992 — Missouri State 1993 — SIU 1994 — SIU 1995 — SIU 1996 — Tulsa 1997 — Illinois State 1998 — Illinois State 1999 — Creighton 2000 — Creighton 2001 — Indiana State 2002 — Creighton 2003 — Creighton 2004 — Northern Iowa 2005 — Creighton 2006 — SIU 2007 — Creighton 2008 — Drake 2009 — Northern Iowa
Most Outstanding Players 1986 — Brian Rahilly, Tulsa 1988 — Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1989 — Chad Gallagher, Creighton 1990 — Rickey Jackson, Illinois State 1991 — Bob Harstad, Creighton 1992 — Jackie Crawford, Missouri State 1993 — Ashraf Amaya, SIU 1994 — Cam Johnson, Northern Iowa 1995 — Chris Carr, SIU 1996 — Shea Seals, Tulsa 1997 — Rico Hill, Illinois State 1998 — Dan Muller, Illinois State
Tournament Titles, By Seed No. 1: 12 (last: Northern Iowa, 2009) No. 2: 13 (last: Creighton, 2007) No. 3: 6 (last: Creighton, 2005) No. 4 : 1 (Creighton, 2000) No. 5: 1 (Indiana State, 2001)
1999 — Rodney Buford, Creighton 2000 — Ryan Sears, Creighton 2001 — Michael Menser, Indiana State 2002 — Kyle Korver, Creighton 2003 — Kyle Korver, Creighton 2004 — Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa 2005 — Johnny Mathies, Creighton 2006 — Randal Falker, SIU 2007 — Nate Funk, Creighton 2008 — Adam Emmenecker, Drake 2009 — Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State
Tournament Titles, By Team Creighton — 10 SIU — 5 Illinois State — 4 Tulsa — 4 Bradley — 2 Indiana State — 2 Northern Iowa — 2 Wichita State — 2 Drake — 1 Missouri State — 1
MVC TOURNAMENT MEMORIES MARCUS BELCHER, SIU ASSISTANT COACH, PLAYED AT SIU FROM 2000-02
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THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Southern Illinois’ Justin Bocot (back) fouls Saint Louis’ Kwamain Mitchell.
Page 6 Tuesday, March 2, 2010 The Southern Illinoisan
‘We’d have the annual game with Saint Louis, then going back there, you’d have that homecourt feel. It’s like a new season when you get to the conference tournament. The energy that’s there, the number of fans, and I’m from Missouri, so a lot of my family have been able to make it to those games.’
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
Myers, Taylor still unknowns to Saluki public to score near the rim as an injured biker takes in physical therapy: Go every Those who haven’t seen day. “You got to bring it every redshirt freshmen Jordan Myers and Diamond Taylor day,” Myers, 19, said. “That’s the difference practice will see different between high school and styles from Southern college basketball. In Illinois University’s 2010 college basketball, there’s holdovers. no breaks. I mean, you Myers, a 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward, has no have to come every day and bring your ‘A’ game, or fear behind the 3-point you’re going to get shown line but has spent most of up. Most of us were the his redshirt year working best players on the court, on finishing underneath. so we didn’t have to work When he’s not snapping off 21-foot jumpers, you’ll as we, maybe, should have but coming here really see Myers banging down opened my eyes to how low with the likes of hard you got to work to be Carlton Fay, Anthony a good basketball player.” Booker and Gene Teague. Myers was a pretty good He has taken the same player before he got to approach to learning how
BY TODD HEFFERMAN THE SOUTHERN
Carbondale. One of three Indiana natives on the team, he was selected to play in the North/South Indiana Classic after averaging 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds a game for Forest Park High School. As a junior, he shot 60 percent from the floor, 83 percent from the freethrow line and 32 percent from behind the arc. “With him, he’s a great shooter. We know he can stretch the defense,” SIU coach Chris Lowery said. “We know he’s going to make shots for us.” As for Taylor, a 6-4, 175pound freshman transfer from Wisconsin, you add the quickness element to describe his game. He
averaged 17 points, five rebounds and four assists per game at Bolingbrook High School as a senior, leading the Raiders to a 229 season. He signed with the Badgers but was kicked off the team after being arrested for burglarly and possession of stolen property with a teammate in September 2008. Both of his parents, Kimrossi and Adrienne Taylor, are SIU alums, which helped draw him to Carbondale. He will have four years of eligibility beginning this winter, and, as kind of a taller Wesley Clemmons, could help SIU in a variety of ways. “We’ve been working together a lot. I think he’s
PAUL NEWTON / THE SOUTHERN
Diamond Taylor (from left), Caleb Long and Jordan Myers laugh while watching the Salukis’ win over Evansville on Feb. 13.
going to have a big impact right off the bat,” Myers said. “He’s got a good jump shot, and he’s pretty strong for his size, good handles. He doesn’t do anything super, like blow you out of the water, but he doesn’t do anything wrong, either. He’s a good
all-around player, and I think he can come in and make a huge difference right away.” SIU could return 13 of this year’s 14 players this winter. todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com 618-351-5087
The Southern Illinoisan Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Page 7
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
Postseason puzzle
Salukis have the pieces, but can they put them together and make a tourney run?
BY TODD HEFFERMAN
made at least 31 3s this season, which, with center Gene Teague in the middle, could present the rest of the league f there’s anything encouraging about with some hard decisions at the defensive end. being the No. 9 seed at this week’s “I’ve always felt like we have the State Farm Missouri Valley right parts,” Fay said. “We just have to Conference tournament, Southern get them all to play together.” Illinois University can say it has the That, and SIU must find a way to makings of a contender. The fact they haven’t been able to fit improve defensively. Last together on consecutive days has been week, the Salukis toyed with a match-up zone. They are the biggest factor of the Salukis’ 15-13 allowing an average of 67.4 start. SIU won six straight games points per game, the most of between Dec. 9 and Jan. 1. Starting any team under Lowery and Thursday against Drake, SIU hopes it can re-conjure that magic at Scottrade the highest since the 2002-03 squad that allowed 68.2. So far Center. this season, 17 players have “It’s frustrating, obviously, that we’re losing, but to see how hard we’re scored more than 20 points playing, and to see the things go right, against SIU. ETC: The No. 9 seed is 10-14 and then in the next second, or a since the tournament moved minute, things go wrong. We lose our to St. Louis and 11-15 overall. intensity,” SIU coach Chris Lowery ... Indiana State came the said. “We lose our focus, and that closest to ever winning two results in a meltdown. That’s what’s been frustrating with this team, to this games as the ninth seed last year. The Sycamores beat point.” eighth-seeded Drake 62-55 Although he’s come on as of late, junior forward Carlton Fay took part of and then lost to top-seeded Northern Iowa the next day, the blame for SIU’s up-and-coming season going stagnant. Fay, the Salukis’ 73-69. ... SIU is 31-25 in the tournament with five oldest returning starter and the only championships. The Salukis three-year player in the program, haven’t won it all since 2006. carried SIU on his back some nights. He scored 23 points in a win over todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com Illinois-Chicago and put up a career618-351-5087 high 38 points in the Salukis’ 89-72 BracketBuster win over Western Michigan. In other games, he simply disappeared offensively, scoring three points in a loss at Saint Louis and three in a road loss at Indiana State. Lowery said the team missed Fay on a number of occasions this season when he was in a good position to score. If that changes this week, SIU could become the first team to win at least two games at the tournament as a No. 9 seed. Point guard Kevin Dillard was last year’s league freshman of the year and led the Valley in assists per game entering the final day of the regular season. Backcourt mate Tony Freeman, a transfer from Iowa who may play his last collegiate game Thursday, has hit a team-best 75 3-pointers this year. Freeman is one of four Salukis who has THE SOUTHERN
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Page 8 Tuesday, March 2, 2010 The Southern Illinoisan
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTOS
Senior Tony Freeman (clockwise from bottom left), junior Carlton Fay, sophomore Kevin Dillard and junior Justin Bocot will have to find a way to lead the Salukis from the play-in game to the MVC championship.
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
MVC TOURNAMENT MEMORIES KENT WILLIAMS, MISSOURI STATE ASSISTANT COACH, PLAYED AT SIU FROM 1999-2003
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTOS
Anthony Booker (clockwise from bottom left), Gene Teague and John Freeman will have to step up for SIU to be successful.
KEYS TO VICTORY Here are some key components for SIU to start a winning streak in St. Louis. Anthony Booker — The sophomore forward has been great at both ends of the floor when he doesn’t take himself out with early fouls. His 21 blocks lead the team, as do his 91 personal fouls. Kevin Dillard — The sophomore point guard led the Valley in assists entering Saturday’s games, and when he plays well, so does SIU. The Salukis are 13-7 when he hits double figures. John Freeman — The 6-5 tweener doesn’t wow you when he’s on the floor, but he defends well, shoots well (51.9 percent from the field and 88.9 at the stripe) and can handle the basketball. If he can do all three, SIU’s bench becomes much better. Gene Teague — The freshman center has been the center of attention for opposing defense. At 6-foot-9, 290 pounds, Teague can score some of the easiest buckets SIU can get. He’s shooting better than 63 percent from the field in his last 15 games.
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‘My favorite memories for the Valley tournament don’t equal to some of my other memories since we never won it while I was in school. I would say my favorite memory would have been my freshman year during the starting lineups of our semifinal game versus Southwest Missouri State. They turned the lights out, which they didn’t do the first-round game, and the place was pretty full. Just playing at a neutral site with such a great atmosphere with both sides going back and forth is what I remember most about that game. Also, I had been coming to the Valley tournament with my dad for years, so to be a part of it as a player for the first time was memorable.’
Coach: Chris Lowery (sixth season) Record: 15-14, 6-12 MVC Leading scorers: Kevin Dillard 13 ppg, Tony Freeman 12.2 ppg, Carlton Fay 11.9 ppg, Justin Bocot 9.2 ppg Leading rebounders: Gene Teague 4.6 rpg, Anthony Booker 4.2 rpg, Carlton Fay 3.5 rpg, Justin Bocot 3.5 rpg Last season: 13-18, 8-10 Tournament history: 31-25, five titles, last in 2006 Outlook: The Salukis haven’t won the tournament since 2006, and will have to be the first No. 9 seed to do it if they hope to return to the NCAA tournament. Want to feel good about their chances? Kevin Dillard and Tony Freeman make up one of the best backcourts in the league. Dillard is leading the league in assists, while Freeman, one of the best shooting guards in the league, also gives SIU a pretty good defender. Forward Carlton Fay has taken his scoring to another level, and Justin Bocot, when he doesn’t settle for jump shots, can be pretty tough off the dribble. Center Gene Teague is nearly averaging a double-double in the last month and could have a monster tournament. However, SIU is appearing in the play-in round for the first time since 1998 and will have a tough time getting past Friday. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 1 Kevin Dillard So. G 6-0 170 2 Kendal Brown-Surles Fr. G 5-10 165 4 Aaron Moise Fr. F 6-5 200 11 Tony Freeman Sr. G 6-1 195 15 Jack Crowder Jr. G 6-4 210 21 Gene Teague Fr. C 6-9 285 22 Anthony Booker So. F 6-8 230 23 Justin Bocot Jr. G 6-4 170 25 Diamond Taylor Fr. G 6-3 170 34 John Freeman Jr. G 6-5 195 40 Jordan Myers Fr. F 6-8 240 45 Carlton Fay Jr. F 6-8 230
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The Southern Illinoisan Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Page 9
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS
ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS
Coach: Ben Jacobson (fourth season) Record: 25-4, 15-3 MVC Leading scorers: Adam Koch 12.4 ppg, Jordan Eglseder 12.2, Kwadzo Ahelegbe 10.5 Leading rebounders: Jordan Eglseder 7.6 rpg, Adam Koch 4.8, Lucas O’Rear 4.5 Last season: 23-11, 14-4, first round of NCAA tournament Tournament history: 13-15, two titles, last in 2009 Outlook: With Jordan Eglseder back from a suspension, look for UNI to make another run at the title. Adam Koch is having a player of the year-type season. Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Ali Farokhmanesh and Johnny Moran give the Panthers the best starting five in the league. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 5 Ali Farokhmanesh Sr. G 6-0 190 10 Brian Haak Sr. G 6-1 175 11 Kwadzo Ahelegbe Jr. G 6-2 200 13 Johnny Moran Fr. G 6-1 190 20 Jake Koch So. F 6-9 255 22 Kerwin Dunham Jr. G 6-6 200 23 Marc Sonnen Fr. G 6-3 185 32 Lucas O’Rear Jr. F 6-6 255 33 Austin Pehl Fr. F 6-10 245 34 Adam Koch Sr. F 6-8 255 43 Adam Rodenberg Sr. C 6-6 245 53 Jordan Eglseder Sr. C 7-0 280
Coach: Gregg Marshall (third season) Record: 23-8, 12-6 MVC Leading scorers: Clevin Hannah 12.1 ppg, Toure’ Murry 12.1, J.T. Durley 11.3, Graham Hatch 9.5 Leading rebounders: Toure’ Murry 5 rpg, J.T. Durley 5, Gabe Blair 4.9, Garrett Stutz 4.2 Last season: 17-17, 8-10, second round of CBI Tournament history: 21-28, two titles, last in 1987 Outlook: The Shockers are second in the league in offensive rebounds per game and present teams with a lot of problems with their size, speed and agility. Clevin Hannah, Toure’ Murry and Graham Hatch all finish on the break well. WSU may go far in St. Louis. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 0 Aaron Ellis Jr. F 6-9 210 2 Kenny Manigault Fr. G 6-4 192 3 Clevin Hannah Sr. G 5-11 162 5 Demetric Williams Fr. G 6-2 170 11 Mason Felter Fr. F 6-8 210 14 Graham Hatch Jr. G/F 6-4 196 23 Toure’ Murry So. G 6-4 188 24 David Kyles So. G 6-4 181 31 J.T. Durley Jr. F 6-7 234 32 Gabe Blair Jr. F 6-8 235 33 Bryce Mayes Fr. G 6-2 169 41 Garrett Stutz So. C 7-0 250
Coach: Tim Jankovich (third season) Record: 21-9, 11-7 MVC Leading scorers: Osiris Eldridge 15.9 ppg, Dinma Odiakosa 13.2, Lloyd Phillips 10.4 Leading rebounders: Dinma Odiakosa 8.8 rpg, Tony Lewis 5.4, Osiris Eldridge 4 Last season: 24-10, 11-7, first round of NIT Tournament history: 34-24, four titles, last in 1998 Outlook: Eldridge, the preseason player of the year, can take over a game. Forward Dinma Odiakosa leads the league in rebounding at 8.8 a game. Tony Lewis and Jackie Carmichael add depth up front, while Austin Hill and Alex Rubin do the same for the backcourt. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 0 Osiris Eldridge Sr. G 6-3 215 3 Alex Rubin Jr. G 6-1 190 4 Matt Coates Sr. G 5-9 170 10 Terry Johnson Fr. G 6-0 170 12 Lloyd Phillips Sr. G 5-10 170 13 Austin Hill Jr. G 6-1 210 21 Kellen Thornton So. F 6-7 230 32 Jackie Carmichael Fr. F 6-9 240 33 Justin Clark Fr. G 6-4 185 34 Tony Lewis Jr. F 6-7 240 42 Dinma Odiakosa Sr. F 6-8 255 50 Blake Mishler Jr. F 6-8 245
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Page 10 Tuesday, March 2, 2010 The Southern Illinoisan
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS
BRADLEY BRAVES
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES
Coach: Dana Altman (16th season) Record: 16-14, 10-8 MVC Leading scorers: Kenny Lawson Jr. 12.8 ppg, Justin Carter 9.5, Darryl Ashford 8.1 Leading rebounders: Kenny Lawson Jr. 6.6 rpg, Justin Carter 5.9, Darryl Ashford 3.3 Last season: 27-8, 14-4 MVC, second round of NIT Tournament history: 36-18, 10 titles, last in 2007 Outlook: Kenny Lawson Jr. leads CU in scoring and rebounding. The Bluejays’ best attributes are up front, with Justin Carter, Ethan Wragge and Lawson. Losing P’Allen Stinnett to suspension will hurt. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 0 Josh Jones Fr. G 6-2 190 1 Justin Carter Sr. F 6-4 200 3 Cavel Witter Sr. G 6-0 168 10 P’Allen Stinnett Jr. G 6-3 180 12 Andrew Bock Fr. G 6-1 174 13 Chad Millard Sr. F 6-8 225 15 Kaleb Korver Jr. G 6-5 190 20 Matt Dorwart Fr. F 6-8 185 21 Derek Sebastian Fr. G/F 6-5 200 23 Wayne Runnels Jr. F 6-6 215 24 Darryl Ashford Jr. G/F 6-4 191 25 Kenny Lawson Jr. Jr. C 6-9 250 30 Antoine Young So. G 6-0 165 32 Casey Harriman Jr. F 6-5 210 34 Ethan Wragge Fr. F 6-7 210
Coach: Jim Les (eighth season) Record: 15-14, 9-9 MVC Leading scorers: Andrew Warren 14.6 ppg, Taylor Brown 13.6, Sam Maniscalco 12.9, Chris Roberts 9.5 Leading rebounders: Taylor Brown 6.9 rpg Last season: 21-5, 10-8 MVC, finished second in inaugural collegeinsider.com tournament Tournament history: 27-28, two titles, last 1998 Outlook: BU has been at its best the last two seasons in March. Taylor Brown will be a matchup problem for anyone, and point guard Sam Maniscalco has upped his scoring in the last month. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 0 Ned Goertzen So. G 6-1 183 1 Eddren McCain So. G 5-11 175 2 Dodie Dunson Sr. G 6-3 205 3 Taylor Brown So. F 6-6 208 4 Jake Eastman Fr. G 6-4 208 5 Sam Maniscalco Jr. G 6-0 176 21 Will Egolf So. C/F 6-9 232 23 Chris Roberts Sr. G 6-4 205 24 Andrew Warren Jr. G 6-5 208 25 Ryan Phillips Sr. G 6-3 210 30 Charonn Woods Fr. G 5-10 170 32 Dyricus Simms-Edwards Fr. G 6-2 200 34 Milos Knezevic Fr. F 6-8 206 41 Anthony Thompson So. C 6-10 215 54 Sam Singh Sr. C 6-9 240
Coach Kevin McKenna (third season) Record: 17-13, 9-9 MVC Leading scorers: Harry Marshall 13.7 ppg, Dwayne Lathan 12, Rashad Reed 9.8 Leading rebounders: Carl Richard 5.3 rpg, Dwayne Lathan 4.6, Harry Marshall 3.9, Rashad Reed 3.8 Last season: 11-21, 7-11 Tournament history: 18-27, two titles, last in 2001 Outlook: Harry Marshall and Dwayne Lathan, the team’s leading scorers, were not supposed to be back until, maybe, this week, yet returned against Illinois State on Feb. 24. Marshall is an experienced point guard who is great at the free-throw line (84.7 percent). Lathan is one of the most athletic guards in the league and a great rebounder, averaging 4.6 per game. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 0 Brant Leitnaker Jr. C 6-10 235 1 Koang Doluony Fr. F 6-7 190 2 Lucas Eitel Fr. G 6-4 175 3 Rashad Reed Sr. G 6-1 200 5 Josh Crawford Sr. C 6-11 220 20 Dwayne Lathan So. G 6-3 190 21 Isiah Martin Jr. F/C 6-8 210 23 Harry Marshall Sr. G 6-0 190 24 Jordan Printy So. G 6-4 180 32 Aaron Carter Jr. G 6-4 195 34 Carl Richard So. G/F 6-5 200 44 Jake Kelly Jr. G 6-6 185
MISSOURI STATE BEARS
DRAKE BULLDOGS
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Coach: Cuonzo Martin (second season) Record: 19-11, 8-10 MVC Leading scorers: Kyle Weems 14 ppg, Adam Leonard 12.9, Jermaine Mallett 10.7 Leading rebounders: Kyle Weems 6 rpg, Jermaine Mallett 5.8, Will Creekmore 4.4 Last season: 11-20, 3-15 Tournament history: 23-18, one title (1992) Outlook: The Bears have the top-scoring offense in the league at 71.9 points per game. They have outside threats in forward Kyle Weems and guards Adam Leonard and Jermaine Mallett. Weems leads the Bears in rebounding with 173. Guard Adam Leonard is a big perimeter threat and is one of four guys to start every one of MSU’s games this season. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 00 Justin Fuehrmeyer Sr. G 6-1 175 1 Keith Pickens Fr. G/F 6-4 190 2 Nafis Ricks Jr. G 6-1 195 10 Adam Leonard Jr. G 6-1 195 15 Jermaine Mallett Jr. G/F 6-3 215 20 Michael Porter Fr. F 6-6 225 21 Caleb Patterson So. C 6-11 240 30 Ryan Jehle Jr. F 6-5 235 33 Jerome Jones Fr. F 6-5 205 34 Kyle Weems So. F 6-6 230 44 Will Creekmore Jr. F/C 6-9 260 50 Isaiah Rhine So. C 6-10 240
Coach: Mark Phelps (second season) Record: 13-18, 7-11 MVC Leading scorers: Josh Young 14.6 ppg, Ryan Wedel 11.1, Adam Templeton 10.1, Seth VanDeest 8.8 Leading rebounders: Adam Templeton 7.3 rpg, Seth VanDeest 4.2, Josh Young 4 Last season: 17-16, 7-11, first round of CIT Tournament history: 14-30, one title (2008) Outlook: DU has some great balance with Josh Young, the school’s all-time leading scorer, and freshman center Seth VanDeest. Young is shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from behind the arc. The Bulldogs have one of the best perimeter games in the league. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 1 Jordan Clarke So. F 6-8 245 2 Aaron Hawley Fr. F 6-8 191 3 Craig Stanley Sr. G 5-11 175 10 Ryan Wedel Jr. G 6-0 177 12 Frank Wiseler So. G 6-2 176 20 Josh Young Sr. G 6-1 174 21 Cory Parker Fr. F 6-7 226 22 Bill Eaddy Sr. F 6-7 209 25 David Smith Fr. G 6-3 199 32 Greg Whitaker Fr. F 6-6 231 34 Ben Simons Fr. F 6-8 185 40 Reece Unlenhopp Fr. F 6-8 230 44 Adam Templeton Sr. F 6-6 220 45 Seth VanDeest Fr. C 6-10 223
Coach: Marty Simmons (third season) Record: 9-20, 3-15 MVC Leading scorers: Colt Ryan 14.8 ppg, James Haarsma 11.2, Denver Holmes 10.6 Leading rebounders: James Haarsma 7.3 rpg, Clint Hopf 4.6, Colt Ryan 4.3 Last season: 17-14, 8-10, first round of CIT Tournament history: 4-15, no titles Outlook: UE shocked Northern Iowa last week, and beat Wichita State on Feb. 9, 65-62, potentially ending the Shockers' NCAA at-large chances. Colt Ryan has already broken Jason Holsinger's single-season scoring mark as a freshman. Junior forward Clint Hopf was lost to injury for the season. No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. 1 Trevor Gregory Sr. G 6-1 183 2 Kavon Lacey Jr. G 6-0 185 4 Lewis Jones Fr. G/F 6-3 200 5 Troy Taylor Fr. G 6-0 175 10 Monie Hudson Jr. G 6-0 184 11 Colt Ryan Fr. G 6-5 200 20 Andy Chinn Fr. G 5-11 160 22 Ned Cox Fr. G 6-1 170 23 Derek Johnson Fr. F 6-8 225 32 James Haarsma So. F 6-7 220 34 Denver Holmes So. G 6-4 180 41 Pieter van Tongeren Jr. F/C 6-11 229 52 Clint Hopf Jr. F 6-8 237
The Southern Illinoisan Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Page 11
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE SEASON: Salukis finish on a three-game conference losing streak, ending 6-12 in the Valley FROM PAGE 5
SIU 73, Missouri State 67
escape with a win over Southern Illinois and move one step closer to a Indiana State 68, Teague scored a career- Missouri Valley SIU 65 high 16 points and grabbed Conference title. Adam Koch, a senior Missed free throws and a eight rebounds as the Salukis (13-9, 5-7) forward, scored missed a opportunity — 11 straight points for the that’s what the Salukis will snapped a two-game Panthers (21-2, 12-1) remember most about the losing skid. With Southern clinging during the final three game in Terre Haute, Ind. minutes of the contest to SIU missed a dozen free to a 66-64 lead and less bail out his team. throw attempts, and with than a minute to play, it, a golden opportunity to Teague was surrounded on the block by three Bears jump back into the MVC Missouri State 77, players. Teague took one race. SIU 72 dribble, dipped his left shoulder and shed the trio The Salukis came out Wichita State 55, of defenders on his way to guns blazing to start the SIU 54 a lay-in. second half, using a 22-3 run to stake a 55-46 Dillard’s leaning, advantage. The Bears 10-foot jumper caromed Northern Iowa 55, stayed within striking off the rim as time SIU 52 distance before making a expired, allowing Wichita Northern Iowa rallied final push in the last two State to escape with a from seven points down to minutes. win.
SIU 80, Evansville 64 Led by John Freeman and Kendal Brown-Surles, Southern Illinois received 36 points from its bench, and that helped dispose of Evansville. Freeman recorded a career-high 15 points to lead all scorers, and Brown-Surles added nine points, six assists and three steals for the Salukis.
Drake 79, SIU 72 Drake rallied from a one-point deficit with four minutes remaining to beat Southern Illinois. Josh Young and Ryan Wedel sparked the comeback by making 3-pointers on back-to-
back possessions to give the Bulldogs a 65-60 lead with 3:36 to go in the game. They secured the win by converting 12-of-14 free throws down the stretch.
SIU 89, Western Michigan 72 Fay, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, poured in 38 points to lead Southern Illinois to a BracketBusters win over Western Michigan. He did it with the 3 — making his first three 3-point shots of the game. He did it in the low post — powering his way through defenders for
seven more field goals. And he did it at the free throw line — converting 15-of-17 on the afternoon.
Creighton 83, SIU 78 Creighton rallied from eight points down in the final seven minutes to send the game to overtime, where it then pulled away to beat Southern Illinois.
Wichita State 76, SIU 55 Wichita State breezed to a win over Southern Illinois, shooting 58 percent from the floor. The Salukis were led by freshman point guard
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The Southern Illinoisan Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Page 13
MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Carlton Fay tries to hold onto the ball in the middle of a trio of Drake players.
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MVC TOURNAMENT GUIDE
Salukis have a shot at redemption after a disappointing season his year’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament truly gives OFF Southern TARGET Illinois LES University a WINKELER chance for redemption. Everyone connected with Saluki basketball will acknowledge the 2009-10 season was disappointing. Once SIU got through the relative easy nonconference portion of its schedule, the Salukis simply never got their act together.
T
The truly maddening thing about this team is that it was so close all year. Yeah, the Salukis finished in ninth place. Yeah, the Salukis are relegated to the Thursday night play-in game, but except for a 12-point loss at home against Northern Iowa and the regularseason finale at Wichita State, SIU had a chance to win every conference game. That 12-point loss to UNI was the only MVC game decided by more than seven points. SIU avoided the play-in game last year but going into the Valley tournament this year, you feel as if the Dawgs could actually pull
off a win or two. Last year, there was just a sense this team would be one and done. Conversely, this is not a prediction the Salukis will be playing on Saturday, or even Friday for that matter. If there is one thing this team has been this season it is unpredictable. Although I doubt anyone in the Valley is quaking at the thought of meeting the Salukis in St. Louis, it’s unlikely anyone considers the Dawgs a sure win. For the Dawgs to be successful in St. Louis, the team will have to continue to improve its decisionmaking. Since midJanuary, the Salukis have
Although I doubt anyone in the Valley is quaking at the thought of meeting the Salukis in St. Louis, it’s unlikely anyone considers the Dawgs a sure win. done a much better job of shot selection. There are still times when the team settles too easily for the first open 3-pointer. However, the improvement in this area has been undeniable. SIU’s bigs will have to avoid foul problems. Since the defection of Nick
Evans, the Salukis have been caught shorthanded in the post on a couple of occasions. Gene Teague tends to get in trouble attempting to block shots while Anthony Booker seems to pick up two fouls a game setting illegal picks. To have a chance to pick up a win or two, SIU will need solid offensive efforts from Tony Freeman, Kevin Dillard and Carlton Fay. All three are capable scorers, but all three have had a penchant to disappear for extended periods. Finally, Kendal BrownSurles and John Freeman will have to continue making key contributions. The team seems to have
gotten much more comfortable with BrownSurles at the point, and he has been making more regular scoring contributions. Freeman? He seems to contribute in different ways every game, whether it’s coming up with a key steal or hitting a jump shot. This is a team that is capable of creating some upsets. Unfortunately, the primary question is which Saluki team will show up in St. Louis. LES WINKELER is the sports editor for The Southern Illinoisan. Contact him at les.winkeler@thesouthern. com, or call 618-351-5088.
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