2C
2011 MVC TOURNAMENT
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THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
One last shot
Off Target
Salukis try to salvage down season at MVC tournament
LES WINKELER
There’s no happy ending in sight at SIU ’m a crazy optimist when it comes to athletic competition. Back in my younger days of playground baseball or basketball, I always wanted to be on the team that seemed to be undersized and overwhelmed. I always believed that a set of circumstances could play out that would allow me and my teammates to win. Upsets happen every day. Having said that, I don’t have a good feeling about Southern Illinois University at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this weekend. I was optimistic about the Salukis entering Missouri Valley Conference play. I really didn’t think this team would be playing on Thursday night. At the time, there seemed to be several reasons for optimism. First, the team had made some improvements in key areas. Shot selection was atrocious the previous two seasons. The Salukis actually seemed to understand time and situation this year. Second, the team seemed to have recovered its spine. They actually showed a bit of resiliency at times. Third, Mamadou Seck and Jack Crowder had become important contributors. Seck, or course, was the most pleasant surprise. He showed early on that he was good enough to carry the team at times. Crowder, a non-factor last year, gave the team an element of toughness that had been sorely lacking. In addition, early in the year he was deadly from 3-point range. Finally, Carlton Fay did what good seniors always do, he elevated his game. All those factors led me to believe that this team was capable of finishing in fifth, maybe sixth place, avoiding the Thursday night stigma. Unfortunately, the bus went off the cliff and team chaos appeared. To be brutally honest, the last two months have been ugly. The inconsistency in both caliber and intensity of play has been staggering at times. It was rare for this team to be consistent through a half, much less an entire game. Coach Chris Lowery and his staff were never able to groom anyone to assume a leadership position on the floor. There wasn’t anyone on the team willing, or capable, of taking charge at a critical juncture of the game. In most cases the point guard is that player. However, the point position remained unsettled the entire season. Second, players simply didn’t, or weren’t developed, as I anticipated. Gene Teague’s demise has been a disappointment. After showing flashes of brilliance last year, he’s virtually disappeared. John Freeman appeared to be making strides at the end of last season. While Freeman became a steady contributor, he didn’t become a game changer. I certainly didn’t anticipate Justin Bocot’s drop-off in production. Bocot was streaky early in the year, and then battled injuries through the conference season. He is playing well again, but it has been too little, too late. To say the fans are angry is an understatement. Players and coaches were booed during games this season, something that hasn’t happened for decades. Fans are calling, vocally, for a coaching change. I don’t know what will happen on the coaching front, but even an optimist like me can foresee no immediate happy ending to this situation.
BY TODD HEFFERMAN THE SOUTHERN
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LES WINKELER is the sports editor for The Southern Illinoisan. Contact him at les.winkeler@thesouthern.com, or call 618-351-5088.
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
SIU’s Carlton Fay shows his disappointment as he pumps his fist in the air after getting called for a foul against Wisconsin-Green Bay earlier this season.
Fay hopes Valley tournament is not his final hoops hurrah BY TODD HEFFERMAN THE SOUTHERN
CARBONDALE — Carlton Fay had no bones about doing what he had to do to earn his degree at Southern Illinois University. He just hopes he doesn’t have to use it after his fouryear basketball career comes to a close this year. “Hopefully, I’ll just get to play basketball the rest of my life. That’s what I’m hoping on,” Fay said. “If not, I’m a history major, and, hopefully, I can get into some teaching and the things I learned here I can use as a coach.” Fay has played pretty well for the Salukis (12-18) as the team’s only fourth-year senior. The 22-year-old right-hander hit double figures in seven straight games earlier this season, the first time he’s done that in his entire career. Fay enters tonight’s opening game of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference tournament against Illinois State (12-18) as SIU’s leading scorer (13.3 points per game) and free-throw shooter (104-of-122, 85.2 percent). He’ll likely have to settle for another, less distinguishable honor, of being the first four-year player at SIU to never play in the NCAA tournament since 2001. The Salukis made the NIT when he was a freshman, but will have to become the first squad in the history of the tournament to win four games in four days to reach the Big Dance this year. Built more like a prize fighter than a basketball forward, Fay could have set a Valley record for charges taken if statisticians kept numbers like
Carlton Fay by the numbers 3-pointers 119 Career field goals 395 Career shots this season 2 Game-winning in double figures this season 21 Games
Fay
that regularly. In a help-friendly defense, Fay has helped as much as anyone, and will go down as one of the best scorers in school history. His career scoring number of 1,156 points ranks him 28th all-time, but what the numbers don’t show you is his versatility with the basketball. A career 32.9 percent 3-point shooter, Fay can deliver beyond the arc quicker than anyone on the team. At a stout 230 pounds, he’s also strong, and savvy enough, to score on the block with a short hook, the short corner jumper or an up-and-under move. SIU coach Chris Lowery saw the potential when he signed him prior to the 2007-08 season. “It was a very big get for us at the time, and where he is now, he’s very versatilite,” Lowery said. “He can do a lot of different things, and his ability to shoot the basketball just made him that much more of a priority for us.” todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 618-351-5087
NO. 9 ILLINOIS STATE VS. NO. 8 SIU Where: Scottrade Center (21,472), St. Louis When: 6:05 p.m. tonight Coaches: Tim Jankovich (83-49 at ILS, 186-120 overall); Chris Lowery (136-92 at SIU, 136-92 overall) Records: ILS is 12-18, 4-14 MVC; SIU is 12-18, 5-12 MVC Series: SIU leads 73-65, split 1-1 this season TV: MVC-TV (Dan McGlaughlin, Rich Zvosec), Mediacom in Carbondale (Ch. 22 or 85), Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City (outside St. Louis Blues viewing area), DirecTV Ch. 657, Dish Network Ch. 448, AT&T U-Verse Ch. 694 Radio: Saluki Radio Network (WVZA 105.1 FM, WRXX 95.3 FM, WRUL 97.3 FM, KYRX 97.3 FM, WEBQ 102.3 FM, WMOK 920 AM, WHCO 1230 AM, KSLG 1380 AM, Mike Reis, Greg Starrick), WXOS 101 FM in St. Louis area (Harry Schroeder, Kevin Paulus) Tickets: Available, $10-$32 single session, $110-$150 all-session Internet Audio/Video: www.siusalukis.com (Game Central, $4.95 audio) On thesouthern.com: z Check out our website for live scoring, a live blog and the halftime update z Check out the Dawg Blog (www.thesouthern.com/dawgblog) for pre-game and post-game analysis
outhern Illinois University was a jumping off point for Illinois State’s men’s basketball team earlier this season. The Redbirds, mired in an eight-game losing streak, the longest since dropping nine in a row in 2002-03, earned their first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season against the Salukis on Jan. 23 in Normal. Illinois State (12-18, 4-14 MVC) went on to post its first three-game winning streak since late November, topping Bradley and Drake in overtime a week later. Tonight, in the opening round of the State Farm MVC tournament in St. Louis, SIU (12-18, 5-13 MVC) tries to plant its pivot foot into the Redbirds beginning at 6:05 p.m. The Salukis have dropped nine of their last 11 and their last four Valley games, but turn their attention to their last “new” season of the season with high hopes and little to lose. “As a player, we have to take it like a new season,” SIU forward Mamadou Seck said. “What we did, nobody’s happy about it. The coaches, the players, fans, everybody. I think we have another chance to prove that, at least, we can do something. I just feel like it’s a chance for the team to prove that they’re better than what they’ve shown.” Many expect SIU to slide out of the bracket as quickly as they appear tonight. The Salukis have done just that the last three seasons, and enter tonight’s tournament opener all but assured of their second losing record in the last three years. Center Gene Teague is still dealing with what coach Chris Lowery calls “personal issues” and is not expected to even be with the team. Guard Jack Crowder is expected back after attending a family funeral earlier this week, but hasn’t practiced for almost a week. Picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll, SIU dropped five straight games between Jan. 23Feb. 5, four of them to the bottom half of the league, to nearly get there. The defense that was hovering around the 62 points-pergame line split its pants in early February, opening up for 69 or more five of eight games. A good rebounding team most of the season, SIU got out-boarded nine straight times to end the regular season. But, SIU can claim one of the two best starting frontcourts, and have witnessed the rise of guards Justin Bocot and Diamond Taylor. Carlton Fay, the team’s active scoring leader with 1,156 points, put up a seasonhigh 33 points against Illinois State Jan. 9 in a four-point Saluki victory. Seck, the Valley’s leading rebounder at eight per game, made the MVC AllNewcomer Team and leads SIU with six doubledoubles. “Now it’s just who’s playing the best right now, and, you know, if we come, we’re playing the best, we can get some wins and, maybe, shake a few things up,” said Fay, who hopes to avoid being the first four-year Saluki not to play in the NCAA tournament since 2001. “I think we’re going in there with a little bit more confidence knowing that we can play with the best teams in this league.” Bocot scored a seasonhigh 24 points off the bench in SIU’s 75-60 loss
Lowery
Seck
at Indiana State Saturday. Taylor, a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman, has made 6-of-10 from behind the arc in his last three games and is expected to start his eighth straight game
tonight. SIU handed second seed Wichita State one of its four Valley losses this season and managed to beat two-time defending champion Northern Iowa 57-55 on New Year’s Day at SIU Arena. Against the top half of the league standings, the Salukis are 2-8. Against the bottom half, they’re 3-5. “That’s the, kinda, ironic thing about us,” Lowery said. “We played much better against the top half of the division, and extremely poor against the lower half. There is absolutely no explanation for that, but, it is what it is, and that’s what we created it, and made our bed. We have to live in it. Going forward, this is a one-and-done deal, and that’s how we’re approaching it.” No team seeded lower than fifth has ever won the tournament, or even won more than two games. Bradley, a No. 7 seed in 1998, beat 10th-seeded Drake and then toppled second-seeded Creighton before falling to Missouri State in the semifinals. All in all, teams from the play-in round are a combined 1-28 all-time at the Valley tournament after the first round. SIU knows it needs Fay to play big to have a chance. The Salukis are 3-7 when the 6-8 senior forward doesn’t score at least 10 points, and Fay has produced nearly half of SIU’s points this season against Illinois State. In two games, he has scored 48 of SIU’s 118 points. Illinois State knows it needs a big performance from seniors like Austin Hill and Tony Lewis. Hill, the Redbirds’ leading scorer and a Southeastern Illinois College transfer, has averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 50.5 percent from the field in his last 12 games. Lewis, who tied for the game high with eight rebounds and 15 points against SIU Jan. 23, had led the Redbirds off the glass 18 times this season. “I hope he continues to play like a senior,” Redbirds coach Tim Jankovich said. “It’s different for the seniors, because they see that clock on the wall, and the urgency really sets in, and I have seen that in Tony. Tony is always a guy that plays with a lot of energy and passion. That would be a very critical asset for us.” Etc.: SIU is 4-3 against Illinois State at the tournament. … A loss will send SIU to 12-19, its worst mark since going 11-18 in 1995-96. It would be the most losses by the Salukis since they dropped 20 in coach Rich Herrin’s first season in 1985-86. Herrin’s club went 8-20. He went on to a Hall of Fame career. … Four teams in the last four seasons have won their conference tournament in a four or five-day span. Houston won last season’s Conference USA tournament, and Pittsburgh, Georgia and Coppin State won their league tournaments in 2008. todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com 618-351-5087
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THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
2011 MVC TOURNAMENT
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION Year By Year MVC Tournament Champions
Tournament Facts
Year 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
1-Point Games In Tournament History: 17 2-Point Games In Tournament History: 20 3-Point Games In Tournament History: 22 Overtime Games In Tournament History: 13 Record of home teams: 63-13 Record of home teams in first round: 37-6 Record of home teams in semifinals: 17-4 Record of home teams in finals: 9-3 Most points in one game, team: 110, Tulsa vs. Indiana State 3/6/1984 Most points in one game, team, in a half: 66, Tulsa vs. Creighton 3/2/1982 (second half) Most field goals in one game, team: 46, Tulsa vs. Indiana State, 3/8/1983 Most field goal attempts in one game, team: 91, West Texas State vs. New Mexico State 3/8/1983 Most rebounds in one game, team: 55, New Mexico State vs. Drake 3/1/1978 Most assists in one game, team: 33, Tulsa vs. Indiana State 3/8/1983; Wichita State vs. Drake 3/5/1981 Most 3-pointers in one game, team: 15, Drake vs. Evansville 3/1/2007 Most points in one game, player: 41, Hersey Hawkins, Bradley, vs. Indiana State 3/5/1988 Most field goals in one game, player: 16, Herbert Johnson, Tulsa, vs. Indiana State 3/8/1983 Most rebounds in one game, player: 21, Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State, vs. Southern Illinois 3/5/1985 Most assists in one game, player: 20, Willie Scott, Bradley, vs. Indiana State 3/2/1982 Most 3-pointers in one game, player: 8, Kai Nurnburger, Southern Illinois, vs. Creighton 3/7/1989; Chad Adkins, Indiana State, vs. Missouri State 2/27/1999; Brandon Mells, Southern Illinois, vs. Evansville 3/4/2000; Jason Holsinger, Evansville, vs. Drake 3/1/2007
Champion Southern Illinois Creighton Indiana State Bradley Creighton Tulsa Illinois State Tulsa Wichita State Tulsa Wichita State Bradley Creighton Illinois State Creighton Missouri State Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Tulsa Illinois State Illinois State Creighton Creighton Indiana State Creighton Creighton Northern Iowa Creighton Southern Illinois Creighton Drake Northern Iowa Northern Iowa
Runner-Up W. Texas State Indiana State N. Mexico State W. Texas State Wichita State Illinois State Tulsa Creighton Tulsa Bradley Tulsa Illinois State Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Missouri State Tulsa Illinois State Northern Iowa Tulsa Bradley Missouri State Missouri State Evansville Missouri State Bradley Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Missouri State Missouri State Bradley Southern Illinois Illinois State Illinois State Wichita State
Score 82-69 54-52 69-59 62-59 70-64 90-77 84-64 70-68 (OT) 84-82 74-58 79-74 (OT) 83-59 79-77 81-78 68-52 71-68 70-59 77-74 77-62 60-46 75-72 84-74 70-61 57-45 69-63 84-76 80-56 79-74 (2OT) 75-57 59-46 67-61 79-49 60-57 (OT) 67-52
MVC Tournament Titles By Seed No. 1 — 13 (Last: Northern Iowa, 2010) No. 2 — 13 (Last: Creighton, 2007) No. 3 — 6 (Last: Creighton, 2006) No. 4 — 1 (Creighton, 2000) No. 5 — 1 (Indiana State, 2001)
MVC Titles By Team Creighton — 10 Southern Illinois — 5 Illinois State — 4 Tulsa — 4 Northern Iowa — 3 Bradley — 2 Indiana State — 2 Wichita State — 2 Drake — 1 Missouri State — 1
Records By Seed
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
SIU’s Mamadou Seck takes the ball to the basket against Indiana State’s Dwayne Latham earlier this season at SIU Arena.
No. 1 — 67-21 No. 2 — 61-21 No. 3 — 51-28 No. 4 — 28-33 No. 5 — 22-33 No. 6 — 4-34 No. 7 — 11-34 No. 8 — 5-32 No. 9 — 11-16 No. 10 — 6-14
MVC Tournament Most Oustanding 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, Southern Illinois 1994 — Cam Johnson, Northern Iowa 1995 — Chris Carr, Southern Illinois 1996 — Shea Seals, Tulsa 1997 — Rico Hill, Illinois State 1998 — Dan Muller, Illinois State 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, Southern Illinois 2007 — Nate Funk, Creighton 2008 — Adam Emmenecker, Drake 2009 — Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State 2010 — Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Northern Iowa
7C
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2011 MVC TOURNAMENT
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THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
TEAM CAPSULES Missouri State Bears
Wichita State Shockers
Coach: Cuonzo Martin (58-39 at MSU, 58-39 overall, third season) Record: 23-7, 15-3 MVC (first place) Leading scorers: Kyle Weems 16.3 ppg., Will Creekmore 12 ppg., Jermaine Mallett 11.3 ppg. Leading rebounders: Kyle Weems 7 rpg., Will Creekmore 6.5 rpg., Jermaine Mallett 5.6 rpg. Last season: 24-12, 8-10 MVC; won CollegeInsider.com tournament Tournament history: 24-19, champions in 1992 Outlook: The Bears won their first regular-season MVC title with a home win over No. 2 seed Wichita State, and enter St. Louis as the favorites. Missouri State has all the parts — a closer in Weems, good size in the 6-9 Creekmore and two centers off the bench, and great defensive toughness. Now MSU just has to put it together for three games in three days. Look for the Bears to reach the title game and build off a potentially big following at the Scottrade Center.
Coach: Gregg Marshall (76-54 at WSU, 270-137 overall, 13th season) Record: 23-7, 14-4 MVC (second place) Leading scorers: J.T. Durley 11.3 ppg., David Kyles 10 ppg., Toure’ Murry 9.7 ppg. Leading rebounders: Gabe Blair 6.2 rpg., J.T. Durley 5.1 rpg., Toure’ Murry 5 rpg. Last season: 25-10, 12-6 MVC; lost in first round of NIT Tournament history: 23-29, champions in 1987 and 1985 Outlook: The Shockers played their best away from Koch Arena, going 8-1 in Valley play. WSU had the second-best scoring defense in the league, is about as long and athletic as you get at the mid-major level, and is the deepest team in the league. The Shockers play 10 guys more than 10 minutes per game. WSU has four great seniors and three tremendous juniors, and should challenge for the title. Look for a WSU-MSU rematch Sunday in the title game.
Indiana State Sycamores Coach: Greg Lansing (17-13 at INS, 17-13 overall, first season) Record: 17-13, 12-6 MVC (third place) Leading scorers: Dwayne Lathan 11.6 ppg., Carl Richard 10.3 ppg., Jake Kelly 9.3 ppg., Jake Odum 9.1 ppg. Leading rebounders: Carl Richard 6.8 rpg., Myles Walker 5.4 rpg., Dwayne Lathan 4.9 rpg. Last season: 17-15, 9-9 MVC; lost in first round of College Basketball Invitational Tournament history: 18-28, champions in 2001 and 1979 Outlook: Indiana State may be the sleeper of the tournament, along with Northern Iowa and Creighton, because of the expected return of guard Jake Kelly, who has missed 12 games this season. The Sycamores have won five of their last six, have great guard play with Lathan, Kelly and Odum, and led the Valley in field-goal percentage defense (41 percent).
Creighton Bluejays
Northern Iowa Panthers Coach: Ben Jacobson (108-55 at UNI, 108-55 overall, fifth season) Record: 19-12, 10-8 MVC (fourth place) Leading scorers: Kwadzo Ahelegbe 14 ppg., Anthony James 12.6 ppg., Adam Koch 9.8 ppg., Johnny Moran 9.6 ppg. Leading rebounders: Adam Koch 5.1 rpg., Johnny Moran 3.3 rpg., Anthony James 3.3 rpg. Last season: 30-5, 15-3 MVC; reached Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament Tournament history: 16-15, champions in 2010, 2009 and 2004 Outlook: It’s a little different speed for the two-time defending tournament champs, but if Ahelegbe and James can score as well as they have, and the Panthers can find a way to rebound with the best teams in the league, UNI may be back in the title game again as the third seed. UNI still plays great defense (60.6 points per game allowed this season), has a great closer in Ahelegbe, and a proven winner in coach Jacobson.
Evansville Purple Aces
Coach: Greg McDermott (18-13 at CU, 298-208 overall, 17th season) Record: 18-13, 10-8 MVC (fifth place) Leading scorers: Doug McDermott 14.3 ppg., Antoine Young 13.6 ppg., Gregory Echenique 13.2 ppg. Leading rebounders: Doug McDermott 7.6 rpg., Gregory Echenique 5.7 rpg., Kenny Lawson Jr. 5.5 rpg. Last season: 18-16, 10-8 MVC; reached third round of College Invitational Tournament Tournament history: 36-19, champions in 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1991, 1989, 1981 and 1978 Outlook: When you have the preseason player of the year coming off the bench, you know you’ve got some depth. Doug McDermott, the coach’s son, has been tremendously consistent for a true freshman, and gives the Bluejays a tough, smart and talented forward. Young has won games in the final seconds and led the league in assists. Creighton’s defense has been inconsistent at times, but the Bluejays should be able to score enough to challenge for the title.
Coach: Marty Simmons (50-70 at UE, 148-143 overall, 10th season) Record: 15-14, 9-9 MVC (sixth place) Leading scorers: Colt Ryan 15.8 ppg., Kenny Harris 8.4 rpg. Leading rebounders: Kenny Harris 6.3 rpg., Colt Ryan 3.3 rpg. Last season: 9-21, 3-15 MVC Tournament history: 4-16, no titles Outlook: The only team never to win the MVC tournament title will have to do something it hasn’t done all season to win this year’s crown: Put together three straight wins in three straight days. The Purple Aces won four straight earlier this season, but just ended a four-game skid with a 73-67 home win over Illinois State. Ryan has a tendency to go off, and can make it from almost anywhere on the court, but UE needs some more, offensively, to go with him to stay in St. Louis past tonight.
Drake Bulldogs
Southern Illinois Salukis
Coach: Mark Phelps (44-52 at DU, 44-52 overall, third season) Record: 13-17, 7-11 MVC (seventh place) Leading scorers: Rayvonte Rice 13.8 ppg., Ryan Wedel 10.9 ppg., Seth VanDeest 8.9 ppg. Leading rebounders: Rayvonte Rice 4.8 rpg., Jordan Clarke 4.7 rpg., Seth VanDeest 4.5 rpg. Last season: 14-19, 7-11 MVC Tournament history: 15-31, champions in 2008 Outlook: Drake hasn’t won four straight games all season, and now has to turn around to face a team that just beat the Bulldogs by 26 points in their opening game of the tournament (Bradley). Drake has pretty good leadership from Wedel, a terrific perimeter scorer, but still appears to be a year away from challenging for the league title. Watch the game simply to see Rice, if nothing else. The All-Freshman Team member leads the Bulldogs in scoring, rebounding, steals and is tied for the blocks lead with 22.
Illinois State Redbirds Coach: Tim Jankovich (83-49 at ILS, 136-106 overall, eighth season) Record: 12-18, 4-14 MVC (ninth place) Leading scorers: Austin Hill 10.5 ppg., Jackie Carmichael 9.9 ppg. Leading rebounders: Tony Lewis 6.5 rpg., Jackie Carmichael 5.4 rpg. Last season: 22-11, 11-7 MVC; lost in first round of NIT Tournament history: 35-25, champions in 1998, 1997, 1990 and 1983 Outlook: Like SIU, Illinois State has struggled of late, dropping seven of its last eight. The Redbirds have struggled to find a second consistent scorer to go with Hill, who has scored a combined 80 points in his last five games. Illinois State does match up well with SIU, however, which is why the Redbirds could find their way to Friday. Lewis has been a beast off the boards against SIU, and if the Redbirds shot it better (they have made a league-worst 42.4 percent on the season), they’d potentially be pretty dangerous with their athleticism.
Coach: Chris Lowery (136-92 at SIU, 136-92 overall, seventh season) Record: 12-18, 5-13 MVC (eighth place) Leading scorers: Carlton Fay 13.3 ppg., Mamadou Seck 10.7 ppg. Leading rebounders: Mamadou Seck 8 rpg., Carlton Fay 4 rpg. Last season: 15-15, 6-12 MVC Tournament history: 31-26, champions in 2006, 1995, 1994, 1993 and 1977 Outlook: SIU has played some of its best stretches of the season against Wichita State and Missouri State, but will have to find a way to put four games together in four days to avoid missing the postseason for the third straight season. Lowery is facing some heat with his second losing season in the last three years if he’s unable to lead the Salukis to the title. Seck and Fay will show up. SIU needs Justin Bocot, Kendal Brown-Surles or Diamond Taylor to play the best they have all season to have a chance.
Bradley Braves Coach: Jim Les (153-139 at BU, 153-139 overall, ninth season) Record: 11-19, 4-14 MVC (10th place) Leading scorers: Andrew Warren 19 ppg., Dodie Dunson 10.4 ppg., Dyricus Simms-Edwards 10.2 ppg. Leading rebounders: Jordan Prosser 5.5 rpg., Andrew Warren 5.5 rpg., Will Egolf 4.2 rpg. Last season: 16-15, 9-9 MVC Tournament history: 28-29, champions in 1988 and 1980 Outlook: If Bradley can re-ignite its spirits from its final home game of the season, Drake may be in for some trouble tonight in St. Louis. The Braves scored a season-high 90 points, led by a career-high 33 from Warren. Bradley has had great guard play this season with Warren and SimmsEdwards, but needs more of a threat from Prosser and Egolf down low to be a factor at the tournament. Seniors are always the last to give up, and Warren won’t let BU go down easily.
ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERN
UNI’s Lucas O’Rear is guarded by SIU’s Davante Drinkard earlier this season at SIU Arena in Carbondale.
Northern Iowa comes limping into St. Louis BY TODD HEFFERMAN THE SOUTHERN
and had a big role, but played well down there. For our basketball team, to have a senior that’s played well in St. Louis and helped us win a lot of games over the year, I think that really helps.” Creighton is the only Valley team the Panthers have never beaten at the tournament. They met only one time before this weekend, when the Bluejays beat UNI, 80-65, in 2002. Missouri State awaits the winner of tonight’s matchup between No. 8 Southern Illinois University (12-18) and No. 9 Illinois State (12-18) in Friday’s first game. The Bears swept both teams during the regular season. Wichita State will play either No. 7 Drake (13-17) or No. 10 Bradley (11-19) Friday at about 6:05 p.m. at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The Shockers won their four games against those two teams all by more than 10 points. Third-seeded Indiana State (17-13) hopes to avoid a season-sweep by sixthseeded Evansville (15-14) in the other quarterfinal Friday. The Purple Aces beat the Sycamores by five in Evansville and by three at Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Ind. No team seeded lower than fifth has ever won the MVC tournament, but Drake coach Mark Phelps tried to keep the faith for his Bulldogs. In fact, 17 teams across the nation have managed to win a tournament over four or five days, including four in the last four years. “Certainly 7-10 have their work cut out for them, more then 1-6, having to play an extra game, but if you come out and play with a lot of energy and effort, and start making shots, I don’t think there’s a team 1-10 that can’t get it done,” Phelps said. Etc.: The league will honor its millionth fan this weekend at the tournament with a prize package that will include lifetime tournament tickets for two, a hotel package for the 2012 tournament, and, possibly, a jersey presentation at one of the games. … UNI is going for its third straight tournament title. SIU (1993-95) is the only program to ever win three straight Valley tournament titles. … The worst seed to be at the tournament? No. 6. Sixth seeds are 4-34 alltime at the event (an 11.8 percent winning percentage), 2-20 since it moved to St. Louis in 1991.
No Adam Koch. No Lucas O’Rear. Same approach for Northern Iowa, which has captured the last two State Farm Missouri Valley Conference tournaments. “We’re approaching it the same way we have the last two years. They understand the obvious differences, going down the last two season as the No. 1 seed and going down this year as the four seed,” UNI coach Ben Jacobson said. “Other than that, we’re approaching it the same way. No. 1, be prepared. No. 2, the mindset that we’re going down there to play as hard as we can for as long as we can.” UNI (19-12, 10-8 MVC) played longer than any other Valley team last season, reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament and earning the nation’s admiration for an upset of top-seeded Kansas along the way. This season, without Valley player of the year Koch and O’Rear, the Panthers were picked third and finished fourth. O’Rear, a senior forward who helped UNI go 17-6 this season, fractured his ankle at the end of the Panthers’ 53-51 victory over Illinois State on Feb. 2. Without the 6foot-6 power forward, UNI has struggled to find an adequate frontline replacement and slipped in three straight games entering its opener against fifth-seeded Creighton (18-13, 10-8 MVC) on Friday night. UNI is 2-6 without O’Rear, but still has one of the best closers in the league in senior point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe. Ahelegbe, the tournament’s most outstanding player last year, climbed to within three points of tying Cam Johnson for ninth place in scoring at UNI. With a win against the Bluejays, Ahelegbe will tie Koch for the all-time games played record, and is probably one of the reasons many are looking at the Panthers as a possible stumbling block to the anticipated Missouri State-Wichita State rematch in the championship game. The Bears (23-7) and Shockers (23-7) earned the tournament’s top two seeds. Like the Panthers, they also have experienced point guards at the helm. “His experience, I think, is probably the key when it comes to this weekend,” Jacobson said. “To have a guy that’s not only played todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com in the tour a couple times 618-351-5087