Salukis get lesson in effort, execution
By Jason Maholy
Northern Iowa thoroughly trounced Southern Illinois Wednesday night on the Salukis' home court, delivering to Carbondale a 61-49 defeat that was nowhere near as close as 12 points, and exposing the immaturity of a team that many fans expected to be further along in its development.
The Panthers, who have established themselves as the dominant team in the Missouri Valley and a team capable of playing well into March, dismantled a Southern squad that scored its fewest points since throwing up 48 against Nevada in Reno last December. UNI scored the game's first nine points and SIU didn't hit its first field goal until Carlton Fay scored a rare point in the paint 4:01 into the action. The Panthers took a double-digit lad for good when guard Johnny Moran hit the last of three free throw attempts 24 seconds later after being fouled by John Freeman.
The Salukis shot 34.6 percent from the field, and that was after a "hot-shooting" second half in which they hit a frigid 10-of-27 (37 percent). Their first half statistics: 8-for-25 from the field (32 percent), 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, and an inexcusable 2-for-10 from the free-throw line. Starting guard Justin Bocot and usual starting point guard Kevin Dillard, held out of the starting lineup for violating a team rule, each missed both ends of a trip to the charity stripe during the dismal first half that churned out all of 20 points. Southern also committed more fouls (7) than it recorded assists (6) in the opening stanza.
By the end of the first 20 minutes if misery UNI was up 36-20 and it looked like the Panthers could win by 30. Fortunately for Southern the visitors knew there was no way the Salukis would come back from the 25-point lead they attained when Lucas O'Rear slammed home a dunk to make it 57-32 with 6:56 left, and they eased off the overmatched and seemingly disinterested Dawgs. UNI didn't hit another field goal and managed just four points the rest of the way.
The effort some fans who saw the game are calling the worst performance they've ever seen, and most others saying it's close, exposed the Salukis as a team still struggling to mature as a unit in which the players trust each other unequivocally at both ends of the floor, and can translate that trust into the precision execution that helped build the program into one of the nation's premier smaller-conference teams last decade.
On offense they attempt too many quick 3-pointers instead of working for good positioning, finding the open man or the guy with an advantage, and taking high percentage shots. Too many guys want to be the hero and take borderline wild shots over defenders or falling away from the basket, instead of using the team's collective speed and athleticism to create open lanes, mismatches and clear looks at the basket. There is nothing wrong with having that hero mentality -- it is great to have guys who want the ball in their hands and believe they can make something happen -- but they must learn how to channel that passion and use it at appropriate times, not every other trip down the floor.
The defense actually seems further along at this point. Northern Iowa didn't dominate Southern offensive, they were just very efficient, didn't make mistakes and hit 17-of-25 free throws to Southern's 9-for-17. Had the Salukis shot anything even decently they would have been right in the game. Another five or six shots made -- certainly 23-for-52 is not unreasonable (or unexpected) -- and four or dare I say five free throws and it's a different ballgame. But back to the point, and it's that the defense still has work to do as well. If they can play with the intensity, focus and determination for 40 minutes like they did in spurts against San Diego, San Francisco, Bradley and even in a loss the Illinois State, they can be dominant.
That failure to maximize their talents is what makes it so obvious these guys are just not ready to be one of the elite teams in the Valley. They are very talented but very young, and don't yet have the wisdom to accurately assess their own strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly. The coaching staff has to take some of the blame here -- coaches are supposed to utilize the talent they have in the best possible and put players in position to succeed -- but the players must be held accountable as well because the effort they give is on them. The biggest difference between this team and those teams -- experience and veteran leadership. Kent Williams, Jermaine Dearman, Rolan Roberts, Darren Brooks, Tony Young, Jamaal Tatum, those guys were hardened by court war and knew what they wanted to do and how to do it. Saluki fans know the results.
This team may have more talent than any of those past teams, but it is not yet being realized. Just as they must be patient in controlling their instincts and playing with more deliberation and purpose, however, so must fans be patient while watching these guys develop. This season is not lost by any means. These Dawgs comprise a good team and have 14 more games to learn and grow, and if they can take what they should have learned thus far this season and use it to become smarter, more mature basketball players, they can win another 10 or 11 conference games. Making a run at Arch Madness seems a stretch at this point, but if they do manage to put it all together this season and are playing the way they will eventually be able to play, anything is possible.
At the very least it will be entertaining to read SalukiTalk.
Showing posts with label Southern Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southern Illinois. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Friday, November 20, 2009
Salukis head to Vegas for tilt with Rebels
UNLV will be SIU's first real test of season
By Jason Maholy
Southern Illinois will get its sternest test thus far this season when it hits the road to for the first time to take on UNLV Saturday night in Sin City.
The battle between the Salukis and Runnin’ Rebels is part of the inaugural Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge Series, which pits teams from each conference against each other for the next four years.
SIU (2-0) is off to a strong start averaging 87.5 points per game and has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 43 points. The Salukis scored 91 points – the most in coach Chris Lowery’s six years at the helm -- in their season-opener against Tennessee-Martin, then followed that with an 84-point outburst against Division II Indianapolis.
Facing a team with legitimate NCAA Tourney hopes in a hostile environment in the first road game of the season, however, will be a much more challenging endeavor. The Salukis hope this trip ends better than their last journey to the Silver State, when Nevada thumped them 62-48 last Dec. 14.
The Runnin’ Rebels (2-0) come into the game fresh off an 88-75 comeback victory over Nevada in which they scored 55 second-half points and overcame a 12-point deficit. Guard Oscar Bellfield led the Rebels with 22 points and freshman guard Justin Hawkins had 16.
UNLV comes into the contest with three players averaging double-figures in scoring including junior guard and leading scorer Tre’Von Willis (12.5) and Hawkins (12). The balanced UNLV squad has 10 players averaging at least six points a game. Forwards Chace Stanback, a starter, and Darris Santee, a senior reserve, share the team-lead in rebounding at 6.5 per game.
Unlike teams of Saluki past, this one can match the offensive firepower of a squad like Lon Kruger’s Rebels. Lowery is still preaching tenacious pressure defense as the key to success, but he has admittedly loosened the leash on his Dawgs because he recognizes their considerable offensive talents. With players including Kevin Dillard, Tony Freeman, Justin Bocot and Carlton Fay capable of pouring in 20 points on any given night, and capable scorers like Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Jack Crowder, Lowery has more weapons at his disposal than ever before. With such a glut of scoring options it should be a rare night this offense has trouble scoring points or that at least one guy doesn’t have the hot hand.
Dillard, Freeman and Bocot are capable of creating their own shots, so the cumbersome, ball-control motion offense employed in the past has given way to more freestyle game predicated on attacking the basket and breaking down defenses. Dillard is the team’s primary ball-handler and most dangerous scorer, and if opponents key on stopping him he will gladly get the ball to his teammates, as evidenced by his 10 assists against Indy.
While Lowery has been pleased with his team’s offense -- aside from the 87.5 point per game they’re shooting 52 percent from both the field and 3-point range, while sharing the ball almost to a fault at times -- he won’t settle for winning shootouts and has expressed his desire for this team to hold opponents in the “low 50s.” It remains to be seen whether that is possible given this team’s more up-tempo game, which means more possessions for the opposition, but there is no question they haven’t played the type of defense needed to beat teams like UNLV or win in the MVC. That’s understandable, as offense is typically further along than defense at this point in the season, and if they can tie up a few loose ends on ‘D’ they should be in position to win this game at the end.
One of the keys to the Salukis coming home happy will be Freeman, the team’s lone senior and a former starter at the University of Iowa. Freeman has kept a low profile in the first two games by simply executing the team’s game plan against two inferior opponents, but he is this team’s emotional leader and understands the intensity, focus and execution necessary to defeat a tough opponent on the road. Look for him to step up his game at both ends of the floor against UNLV, particularly if any of the youngsters falter early.
FYI
-Southern is 1-2 all-time against UNLV. The Rebels won the last meeting 91-68 on Dec. 23, 1983.
-The Salukis are 13-4 all-time against Mountain West teams, with the last game a 57-53 victory over Wyoming on Dec. 3, 2005.
-SIU’s bench has scored 71 of the team’s 175 points (40.5 percent). Carlton Fay is the leading scorer off the bench with 29 points (14.5 per game).
-The 2008-09 Dawgs scored as many as 80 points just once, hitting that number against Massachusetts last Nov. 12 in the second game of the season.
By Jason Maholy
Southern Illinois will get its sternest test thus far this season when it hits the road to for the first time to take on UNLV Saturday night in Sin City.
The battle between the Salukis and Runnin’ Rebels is part of the inaugural Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge Series, which pits teams from each conference against each other for the next four years.
SIU (2-0) is off to a strong start averaging 87.5 points per game and has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 43 points. The Salukis scored 91 points – the most in coach Chris Lowery’s six years at the helm -- in their season-opener against Tennessee-Martin, then followed that with an 84-point outburst against Division II Indianapolis.
Facing a team with legitimate NCAA Tourney hopes in a hostile environment in the first road game of the season, however, will be a much more challenging endeavor. The Salukis hope this trip ends better than their last journey to the Silver State, when Nevada thumped them 62-48 last Dec. 14.
The Runnin’ Rebels (2-0) come into the game fresh off an 88-75 comeback victory over Nevada in which they scored 55 second-half points and overcame a 12-point deficit. Guard Oscar Bellfield led the Rebels with 22 points and freshman guard Justin Hawkins had 16.
UNLV comes into the contest with three players averaging double-figures in scoring including junior guard and leading scorer Tre’Von Willis (12.5) and Hawkins (12). The balanced UNLV squad has 10 players averaging at least six points a game. Forwards Chace Stanback, a starter, and Darris Santee, a senior reserve, share the team-lead in rebounding at 6.5 per game.
Unlike teams of Saluki past, this one can match the offensive firepower of a squad like Lon Kruger’s Rebels. Lowery is still preaching tenacious pressure defense as the key to success, but he has admittedly loosened the leash on his Dawgs because he recognizes their considerable offensive talents. With players including Kevin Dillard, Tony Freeman, Justin Bocot and Carlton Fay capable of pouring in 20 points on any given night, and capable scorers like Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Jack Crowder, Lowery has more weapons at his disposal than ever before. With such a glut of scoring options it should be a rare night this offense has trouble scoring points or that at least one guy doesn’t have the hot hand.
Dillard, Freeman and Bocot are capable of creating their own shots, so the cumbersome, ball-control motion offense employed in the past has given way to more freestyle game predicated on attacking the basket and breaking down defenses. Dillard is the team’s primary ball-handler and most dangerous scorer, and if opponents key on stopping him he will gladly get the ball to his teammates, as evidenced by his 10 assists against Indy.
While Lowery has been pleased with his team’s offense -- aside from the 87.5 point per game they’re shooting 52 percent from both the field and 3-point range, while sharing the ball almost to a fault at times -- he won’t settle for winning shootouts and has expressed his desire for this team to hold opponents in the “low 50s.” It remains to be seen whether that is possible given this team’s more up-tempo game, which means more possessions for the opposition, but there is no question they haven’t played the type of defense needed to beat teams like UNLV or win in the MVC. That’s understandable, as offense is typically further along than defense at this point in the season, and if they can tie up a few loose ends on ‘D’ they should be in position to win this game at the end.
One of the keys to the Salukis coming home happy will be Freeman, the team’s lone senior and a former starter at the University of Iowa. Freeman has kept a low profile in the first two games by simply executing the team’s game plan against two inferior opponents, but he is this team’s emotional leader and understands the intensity, focus and execution necessary to defeat a tough opponent on the road. Look for him to step up his game at both ends of the floor against UNLV, particularly if any of the youngsters falter early.
FYI
-Southern is 1-2 all-time against UNLV. The Rebels won the last meeting 91-68 on Dec. 23, 1983.
-The Salukis are 13-4 all-time against Mountain West teams, with the last game a 57-53 victory over Wyoming on Dec. 3, 2005.
-SIU’s bench has scored 71 of the team’s 175 points (40.5 percent). Carlton Fay is the leading scorer off the bench with 29 points (14.5 per game).
-The 2008-09 Dawgs scored as many as 80 points just once, hitting that number against Massachusetts last Nov. 12 in the second game of the season.
Salukis outpace Greyhounds for second win
Dillard's double-double leads the way
By Jason Maholy
Southern Illinois came out shooting again Tuesday and scorched the nets at SIU Arena as they defeated Indianapolis 84-69.
The Salukis (2-0) scored the game’s opening basket and never trailed, and outpaced the Division II Greyhounds by shooting 55 percent from the field and going 11-for-19 (58 percent) from 3-point range. The Dawgs are shooting 52 percent this season from both the field and the arc.
Sophomore guard Kevin Dillard led five Salukis who scored in double figures with 16 points and a game-high 10 assists for his first career double-double. Carlton Fay, Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Tony Freeman chipped in with 11 points apiece. Junior guard Justin Bocot had eight points and was the only SIU starter who didn’t tally in double figures. Evans led all players with seven rebounds.
Darius Adams led Indianapolis with 21 points, while Ryan Sims had 15 points, six assists and five boards.
The Salukis, a team known for lockdown defense, are averaging 87.5 points through two games. They are also allowing an average of 66, far higher than coach Chris Lowery’s stated goal of the “low 50s,” and giving up 69 to a D2 team is unbecoming of a program that has played a smash-mouth brand of ‘D’-first basketball the better part of this decade. The Greyhounds shot 48 percent from the field and 53 percent from 3-point range, which enabled them stay within striking distance going into halftime.
The Salukis appeared to come to out of the break with a renewed focus and reeled off the first 10 points of the second stanza to take a 15-point lead. Indy responded, however, with a nine-point run of its own to get within six. Sloppy play by the Dawgs, including several turnovers and fouls during a five-minute span, allowed the Greyhounds to inch back into the contest, and the lead was down to five (54-49) with just more than 12 minutes left. Eleven of the Salukis’ 16 turnovers came in the second half.
But that was the closest Indy would get, as every time they seemed to get a little life back the Salukis would respond with a big shot of their own. SIU hit 5-of-7 treys in the second half.
Those shots at crucial moments are what Southern lacked last year, when they would routinely go four or five minutes, sometimes more, without a field goal. With a plethora of weapons including Dillard, Fay, Freeman, Booker, Bocot and reserve guard Jack Crowder (six points), such lulls will likely be few and far between this season. The biggest issue thus far appears to be the defense, although the high number of points allowed has certainly been aided by Southern’s newfound up-tempo offense, which contributes to more scoring opportunities for the opposition.
The Salukis will have to mend some holes in its ‘D’, though, as the competition gets a little stiffer starting Saturday at UNLV. Southern won’t have the advantages in size and athleticism they enjoyed against Tennessee-Martin and Indianapolis, and will have to play a much tighter, efficient game to limit both the Rebels’ possessions and good looks at the basket.
By Jason Maholy
Southern Illinois came out shooting again Tuesday and scorched the nets at SIU Arena as they defeated Indianapolis 84-69.
The Salukis (2-0) scored the game’s opening basket and never trailed, and outpaced the Division II Greyhounds by shooting 55 percent from the field and going 11-for-19 (58 percent) from 3-point range. The Dawgs are shooting 52 percent this season from both the field and the arc.
Sophomore guard Kevin Dillard led five Salukis who scored in double figures with 16 points and a game-high 10 assists for his first career double-double. Carlton Fay, Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Tony Freeman chipped in with 11 points apiece. Junior guard Justin Bocot had eight points and was the only SIU starter who didn’t tally in double figures. Evans led all players with seven rebounds.
Darius Adams led Indianapolis with 21 points, while Ryan Sims had 15 points, six assists and five boards.
The Salukis, a team known for lockdown defense, are averaging 87.5 points through two games. They are also allowing an average of 66, far higher than coach Chris Lowery’s stated goal of the “low 50s,” and giving up 69 to a D2 team is unbecoming of a program that has played a smash-mouth brand of ‘D’-first basketball the better part of this decade. The Greyhounds shot 48 percent from the field and 53 percent from 3-point range, which enabled them stay within striking distance going into halftime.
The Salukis appeared to come to out of the break with a renewed focus and reeled off the first 10 points of the second stanza to take a 15-point lead. Indy responded, however, with a nine-point run of its own to get within six. Sloppy play by the Dawgs, including several turnovers and fouls during a five-minute span, allowed the Greyhounds to inch back into the contest, and the lead was down to five (54-49) with just more than 12 minutes left. Eleven of the Salukis’ 16 turnovers came in the second half.
But that was the closest Indy would get, as every time they seemed to get a little life back the Salukis would respond with a big shot of their own. SIU hit 5-of-7 treys in the second half.
Those shots at crucial moments are what Southern lacked last year, when they would routinely go four or five minutes, sometimes more, without a field goal. With a plethora of weapons including Dillard, Fay, Freeman, Booker, Bocot and reserve guard Jack Crowder (six points), such lulls will likely be few and far between this season. The biggest issue thus far appears to be the defense, although the high number of points allowed has certainly been aided by Southern’s newfound up-tempo offense, which contributes to more scoring opportunities for the opposition.
The Salukis will have to mend some holes in its ‘D’, though, as the competition gets a little stiffer starting Saturday at UNLV. Southern won’t have the advantages in size and athleticism they enjoyed against Tennessee-Martin and Indianapolis, and will have to play a much tighter, efficient game to limit both the Rebels’ possessions and good looks at the basket.
Hot-shooting Salukis bring down Skyhawks
Dawgs go 50 percent from field, hit 12 3-pointers
By Jason Maholy
Carlton Fay scored 18 points to lead five Salukis in double figures as Southern Illinois routed Tennessee-Martin 91-63 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Southern guards Kevin Dillard and Kendal Brown-Surles dropped in 14 and 12 points, respectively, while senior guard Tony Freeman and sophomore forward Anthony Booker chipped in 10 apiece. Booker also grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots, while Nick Evans had four points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Rueben Clay's 16 points led Tennessee-Martin, while Benzor Simmons had 14. No other Skyhawk scored more than eight points for a squad that shot 37.7 (20-53) percent from the field and 18.8 percent (3-16) from the arc, and committed 23 turnovers.
The Salukis played far from perfect basketball but rolled over UT-Martin, out of the Ohio Valley Conference, with blistering shooting from the field. The Salukis shot 50 percent from the field and were 12-25 (48 percent) from 3-point range. They outrebounded the Skyhawks by just three, committed 28 fouls, turned the ball over 17 times and shot a lukewarm 70 percent (21-30) from the charity stripe, but simply overmatched a team with four first-year starters and no players that averaged more than 5.7 points per game last season.
UT-Martin scored the game's first two points but never led again. SIU went on a 19-4 run over the next 7:23 and led 43-25 at halftime. The Salukis' biggest lead was 33 points, when Brown-Surles' second 3-pointer put them up 82-49 with 6:02 left. They scored 90 or more points for the first time since beating Evansville 93-67 in March 2004 in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The win was the Salukis' 100th at SIU Arena, against 12 losses, since the start of the 2001-02 season. Southern Illinois has won 11 straight season openers.
Fay, a junior forward who started all 31 games last season, was suspended for SIU's two exhibition games and didn't start the opener. The lack of game time during the preseason didn't hinder him, as he hit 6-of-7 field goals and was 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in 15 minutes. He also grabbed five rebounds and didn't commit a turnover.
Brown-Surles, a 5-10 freshman out of Harrison High School in Evansville, Ind., was 4-of-6 from long range and dished out five assists while committing just one turnover in 20 minutes. He scored all of his points in the second half.
Dillard, a sophomore who is being counted on to help carry the Salukis, was 4-for-7 from the field including 2-of-4 from long range, and hit all four if his free-throw attempts. The Homewood-Flossmoor High School product also handed out four assists, had two steals and didn't turn the ball over.
Junior college transfers Jack Crowder and John Freeman, both junior guards, each scored seven points off the bench for Southern. All 13 players on the Salukis' active roster got into the game.
Three players committed 12 of SIU's 17 turnovers. Junior guard Justin Bocot (9 points) led the squad with five while Evans, a 6-11 sophomore center, had four and Freeman three. Four Salukis committed four personal fouls apiece.
By Jason Maholy
Carlton Fay scored 18 points to lead five Salukis in double figures as Southern Illinois routed Tennessee-Martin 91-63 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Southern guards Kevin Dillard and Kendal Brown-Surles dropped in 14 and 12 points, respectively, while senior guard Tony Freeman and sophomore forward Anthony Booker chipped in 10 apiece. Booker also grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots, while Nick Evans had four points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Rueben Clay's 16 points led Tennessee-Martin, while Benzor Simmons had 14. No other Skyhawk scored more than eight points for a squad that shot 37.7 (20-53) percent from the field and 18.8 percent (3-16) from the arc, and committed 23 turnovers.
The Salukis played far from perfect basketball but rolled over UT-Martin, out of the Ohio Valley Conference, with blistering shooting from the field. The Salukis shot 50 percent from the field and were 12-25 (48 percent) from 3-point range. They outrebounded the Skyhawks by just three, committed 28 fouls, turned the ball over 17 times and shot a lukewarm 70 percent (21-30) from the charity stripe, but simply overmatched a team with four first-year starters and no players that averaged more than 5.7 points per game last season.
UT-Martin scored the game's first two points but never led again. SIU went on a 19-4 run over the next 7:23 and led 43-25 at halftime. The Salukis' biggest lead was 33 points, when Brown-Surles' second 3-pointer put them up 82-49 with 6:02 left. They scored 90 or more points for the first time since beating Evansville 93-67 in March 2004 in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The win was the Salukis' 100th at SIU Arena, against 12 losses, since the start of the 2001-02 season. Southern Illinois has won 11 straight season openers.
Fay, a junior forward who started all 31 games last season, was suspended for SIU's two exhibition games and didn't start the opener. The lack of game time during the preseason didn't hinder him, as he hit 6-of-7 field goals and was 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in 15 minutes. He also grabbed five rebounds and didn't commit a turnover.
Brown-Surles, a 5-10 freshman out of Harrison High School in Evansville, Ind., was 4-of-6 from long range and dished out five assists while committing just one turnover in 20 minutes. He scored all of his points in the second half.
Dillard, a sophomore who is being counted on to help carry the Salukis, was 4-for-7 from the field including 2-of-4 from long range, and hit all four if his free-throw attempts. The Homewood-Flossmoor High School product also handed out four assists, had two steals and didn't turn the ball over.
Junior college transfers Jack Crowder and John Freeman, both junior guards, each scored seven points off the bench for Southern. All 13 players on the Salukis' active roster got into the game.
Three players committed 12 of SIU's 17 turnovers. Junior guard Justin Bocot (9 points) led the squad with five while Evans, a 6-11 sophomore center, had four and Freeman three. Four Salukis committed four personal fouls apiece.
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