Ready For Tonight

It's nearly three hours before tip-off, and I'm excited. So excited, it's nearly indescribable.

For the first time since 2002, SIU is in the Sweet 16 and will be looking for the biggest win in the history of the university tonight against the Kansas Jayhawks. This isn't just a game, this is the game. A victory tonight would without a doubt put SIU on the college basketball map for good. It would solidify SIU as the best basketball school in the state. It would be the stepping stone of bigger and better things to come.

And if they lose?

SIU's 29 victories this year is already a school record. The positive press that SIU has been getting because of the hoops squad can only help the university's public relations. And with top recruits in the pipeline for at least the next two-to-three years, SIU basketball is (and will be in good shape.)

Tonight's game against Kansas is not just another game, I cannot stress that enough. KU is one of the premier basketball schools in the entire country. They're the No. 1 seed in the West bracket and are the No. 2 team in the country. KU has all the talent in the world. They have the size, speed, strength and raw talent edge over SIU. Their squad is filled with potential NBA draft picks and McDonald's All-Americans coming off their bench. KU has everything to be a National Championship contender every year. With that said, I'm sure most "experts" are picking KU in a blow out.

Not if SIU has anything to say about it. Where SIU lacks in talent, size and raw skill--they make up with hustle, grit, determination, defense and smarts. SIU has the edge in experience lead by senior leaders, guards Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young. 6-foot-7 forward Randal Falker has gone toe-to-toe with guys bigger than him, including 7-foot NBA lottery pick Patrick O'Bryant who was selected by the Golden State Warriors. O'Bryant was on Bradley's squad last year that upset KU in the first round.

So what does that mean for tonight? Well, for starters it's the ultimate game of contrasts. KU is going to want to make this game a track meet, trying to make missed jump shots into easy transition points as often as possible. SIU is going to try to slow the game tempo. Forcing KU to defend deep into the shot clock when on the offensive end, and pressuring the Jayhawks at every chance with the much ballyhooed third ranked defense that allows only 56.1 points per game.

Offensively, the Egyptian Hunting Dawgs will rely heavily on Tatum to make key decisions and key shots. He has matured so much since I've been here at SIU. The wild-card in tonight's game is the health of Matt Shaw. Shaw, like KU's Brandon Rush (6-foot-5) and Julian Wright (6-foot-8), causes match-up problems by being a 6-foot-7 player that can play both down low in the post, but can also drain mid-to-long range jump shots. Shaw hasn't played since the first half of the Holy Cross game where at the end of the half he suffered a high ankle sprain. If Shaw can't go, SIU will most likely go with the hero of the HC game 6-foot-8 forward Tony Boyle.

The best thing about KU is that they're human. And if there's anything I've learned in my life as a sports fan, it's that on any given day any team can beat another. Take this take from ESPN.com:

• ...will lose when: The defense doesn't allow Kansas to notch a handful of easy baskets. At times this is a team whose perimeter shooting simply disappears, and if transition buckets are hard to come by, the offense can experience damaging dry spells.

As for my prediction, you know where my heart lies. The problem is that not only do I believe that SIU can win, I think they will win. It's not false hope. It's not wishing on a star. It's a belief based on statistics and SIU's play all year.

KEYS FOR SIU WIN:

1. Stay out of foul trouble. That's key for both Falker and Tatum. Falker especially if Shaw is unable to perform at a high level. SIU doesn't have much size depth behind No. 14, and the offense tends to struggle if either he or Tatum are out or ineffective.
2. Don't let KU get easy buckets. Easier said than done, but if KU can't get easy transition points and is having an iffy shooting night, they are definitely beatable.
3. Get On The D! Stay On The D! SIU must play nearly flawless on the defensive end to give themselves a shot to win. But they can't afford to foul!
4. Bench production. SIU must "steal" minutes from guys like Wesley Clemmons, Tyrone Green, Joshua Bone, maybe even Jamaal Foster and Boyle if he doesn't start.
5. And finally....just go out there and have fun. All of the pressure is on KU. The last two years they've lost to "mid-majors" Bucknell and Bradley---so it's not as if they are unbeatable. The Dawgs have a slight edge in the intangibles department with Tatum and Young playing like it will be their last game, because it very well might be.

Hope for some positive notes after the game. Let's Go Dawgs.

P.S. KU has lost to a No. 4 seed before in the Sweet 16. Note Arizona's victory in the 1997 tourney. I know, we're not 'Zona....but can Jamaal Tatum be Mike Bibby for just one night?

In closing, I can't help but to quote a former Cubs manager "Why Not Us? Why Not Now?"

GO SOUTHERN GO!

Monday Morning's Blog: Sweet 16 Edition!

First I'd like to welcome myself back to Carbondale after a week long vacation in the wonderful city of Chicago. The vacation recap post comes later, but right now I have some business to attend to....sweet business.

It's March Madness time and though my Final Four is still intact, my bracket success hinges on my Final Four making it there in one piece. Good news on the personal level, both of my favorite teams are still in the hunt, advancing to the Sweet 16 with victories this weekend. North Carolina beat some sixteen seed and then (thankfully) beat Michigan State to advance to the round of 16. Why thankfully? Because had MSU won, I would've never heard the end of it from my roommate who is a major MSU fan.

But this blog isn't about UNC today, it's about the Southern Illinois Salukis. I remember five years ago watching SIU advance to the Sweet 16 after beating Bobby Knight's Texas Tech team and Jim Harrick's Georgia Bulldogs. I remember thinking to myself that SIU was the place that I wanted to be when I went to college and wishing I was there to be able to celebrate that feat. Well that day has come again and this time I am a proud student at The Southern Illinois University.

The Chicago Sun-Times has it right when the headline in their photo section says "The Team That Nobody Wants To Play Is Still Playing." Really, that can be taken in so many different ways. Nobody wants to play SIU's type of grind it out type of game, as described in this ESPN article. And I'm sure that there is no player that wants to play against SIU's stifling man-to-man defense.

In addition, no one wants to play us....well in the state of Illinois at least. Former SIU coach Bruce Weber (now at the University of Illinois) is adamant about not facing the Salukis, going as far as throwing the game in the last five minutes against Virginia Tech, blowing a 10 point lead in less than 4 and 1/2 mintues. (Okay that's just my theory....but Weber's tried everything in his power to avoid SIU so that makes some sense in my head...but only in my head.) According to my sources up north, SIU has tried to schedule games against Chicagoland schools DePaul and Northwestern, but no deal has been made of yet.

And of course with that "mid-major" label sticking to them, BCS schools won't play SIU claiming that playing them doesn't help them (even though Arkansas made the NCAA tourney partially because of it's win against SIU in November on a neutral court in a tournament setting.....despite going 7-9 in conference play.)

But thanks to SIU's 61-51 win against Holy Cross and their 63-48 win against Virginia Tech (who they beat in the same tourney that they lost to Arkansas in) SIU is now in the Sweet 16 and will be playing Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks on Thursday night.

One of the good things about making it to the Sweet 16 is the press that the university will get. I don't care what anyone says, if a school has good athletics it's reputation will grow as an academic university because of its national exposure through the media, hopefully SIU's tourney run will get more kids interested in coming here. I still say SIU's biggest recruiting tool (besides the parties) is the weather during the winter months.

So what does the media have to say? CBSSportsline.com's Gregg Doyle goes out of his damn way to dis the Salukis run to the Sweet 16. Granted, I don't want the George Mason comparisons but to say SIU hasn't played anyone is absolutely ridiculous. They beat Holy Cross while one of thier most consistent offensive threats (forward Matt Shaw) was on the bench nursing a high ankle sprain while much maligned reserve forward Tony Boyle picked up the slack with 14 second half points. And who did HC dethrone to make it to the dance? Media darling Bucknell who was the defending two-time Patriot league champs. What about beating Virignia Tech? VT had a chance to win the ACC outright before stumbling in the last week, beat my boys in Carolina blue (twice!) and they beat Duke (at Duke!) and I don't care that Duke's down---winning on Coach K's court is difficult no matter what the personnel is.

I will say that Doyle makes a valid point when saying that GM had to go through college basketball's "Murderer's Row" to get to the Final Four by beating Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn....but a victory against Kansas would go a far way to validating SIU being in the Sweet 16.

As for the media up north? I spent my Spring Break spreading the good word about the Salukis to anyone who would give me an open ear. Friends, family members, people in the street, people at bars---anyone and everyone. However someone has been tooting our horn recently and that is Sun-Times resident instigator Jay Mariotti. In today's column, Mariotti stirs the pot of the whole Coach Lowery leaving for greener pastures storyline by mentioning him possibly going to Michigan to replace the recently ousted Tommy Amaker. Or maybe to Minnesota, where he'd have to rebuild a down-trodden Golden Gopher program. Or who knows what other schools will have openings at the end of the year. I think SIU will do everything in its power to keep its coach, who also happens to be an SIU alum, here in Carbondale.

Last week Mariotti put out a column that didn't piss me off (amazing!) by praising C-Lo and hyping the dream match-up of SIU/Illinois which would have happened had U of I not choked in the first round against Va Tech. And then there was this:

"If SIU whips up on the Illini, who have stooped to play the Salukis only twice (1982 in Champaign and 2001 in Las Vegas, both Illinois wins), I'll do everything I can to make sure the entire state adopts Southern."

Even though it didn't happen, I still think Mariotti should do what he said---but a Mariotti endorsement can be like a backhanded complement. I'm not sure that I want it.

Pep-rally tonight at the SIU Arena for the Egyptian Hunting Dawgs at 7 p.m. It should be a fun. It's good to be wearing Saluki Maroon today!

#11 Salukis Stunned By Creighton In Championship

It was a long trip from the Scottrade Center all the way back to Carbondale. During the quiet trip, I went through a million ways to write this post in my head. Just so many emotions and feelings going through me, so I figured the best way to do it was a little bit of everything. Here goes nothing:

1. DENIAL: Wait. What? Creighton beat us? Unranked, second place Creighton beat #11 ranked, MVC regular season champion SIU? SIU, the team that had the Valley's best player (Jamaal Tatum), best defensive player (Randal Falker), best coach (Chris Lowery) lost to f*cking Creighton? This can't be happening, what the hell happened? Are you sure that just happened?
   
2. ANGER: Damn you Creighton, damn you all to hell! I hate you Dana Altman, you have a girls name. I hate you Nate Funk, you're ugly and you look like a caveman....and not a cool looking caveman like Johnny Damon (circa 2004) or Captain Caveman. Have fun in your future as a corner whore! I hate Omaha. I hate Nebraska. I hate Blue Jays. To the girls at CU, it's okay to go outside. That brightness in the sky, it's called the sun, it's okay to get a tan!
3. BARGAINING: I don't think there is a such thing bargaining with a Creighton fan, but here's what my "bargaining" would sound like: "Get the f*ck off my court! Get your f*cking fans off my damn court! Give me that damn f*cking trophy! Tatum's the real motherf*cking MVP! Give it to me now before I blow you the f*ck away!" What can I say? I know what I want!
4. DEPRESSION: I can't believe SIU lost. This sucks. My life sucks. Why do all of my teams have to lose? Why can't I ever be happy? Will I ever be happy again? We're screwed. There goes our #3 seed. There goes our #11 ranking. Why even show up? We sucked today. I don't think there's enough alcohol in Saluki Country to wash this loss away.
5. ACCEPTANCE: Alright, so SIU lost. The #1 seed hasn't won the MVC tourney since 1998 when Illinois State did it. I wonder whatever happened to Kevin Stallings and Rico Hill? But you know what, hey that's cool. We still had a badass year. We went 27-6 in the regular season. We went 17-4 against conference opponents. We achieved our highest ranking ever, and our highest RPI ranking ever too. We're out-recruiting Mizzou, Mizzou St. and SLU in their own back yard. We just out recruited DePaul, Purdue and U of I for stud prospect Justin Bocot. SIU fans can take solace that we're living in a basketball renaissance in "Little Egypt" and even though we lost today the Egyptian Dawgs are still barking!

Now that I got that out of my system, I can talk a little about the game.

As a child, St. Louis has always been a place of horrors for me. Most of that comes from being the die-hard Cubs fan I am, and seeing the Cubs go down to the Cardinals in old Busch Stadium so many times and in so many heartbreaking ways, I could barely stand it. I thought I got over that last year when SIU came out and won the MVC tourney at what was then known as the Savvis Center, proving to me that at least one of my favorite teams could win in the city of St. Louis after years of coming up short.

Well, that all ended today with Creighton's (22-10) 67-61 upset of #11 SIU in the MVC Tourney Championship game.

There are so many factors that makes this loss so painful. First, it was to our arch-rival and everyone knows I think of Creighton as the midwest version of Duke, so you know I was not happy at all. Second, a lot of my friends were watching. In an attempt to spread the good word of the Missouri Valley Conference up north I posted blogs, notes and bulletins online while calling family members up north to tell them that SIU was gonna be on CBS today to watch it. Unfortunately, those who saw it saw one of SIU's worse performances in recent memory.

I guess I have to give Creighton credit where it's due. As much as I hate him, Funk is a pretty damn good player and played very similarly to former SIU-killer (and former Blue Jay) Kyle Korver. Altman, the longest running coach in The Valley, is an exceptional coach and there's no doubt that he should be coaching at a major school *cough*DePaul*cough* but his loyalty to Omaha, Neb. is strong. Good to see a coach that actually backs what he says.

In the end, Creighton outplayed SIU. They out hustled us. They out rebounded us. They beat us in every phase of the game today. And that's what stings the most, looking at the game in retrospect.

Funk, CU's senior leader led the Jays with 19 points en route to tournament MVP honors. Center Anthony Tolliver dominated the inside with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

JT did his best Superman impersonation leading SIU with 21 points. Forward Matt Shaw chipped in with 11 points, a majority of which came in the first half. The scoring surprise for SIU was junior point guard Bryan Mullins who hit several big shots on his way to 10 points before fouling out.

Speaking of fouling out....maybe it was just me, but I thought the game was pretty poorly officiated. Granted, you can say that about most (if not all) Valley games but it was unacceptable on the national stage.

SIU had three players foul out: Mullins, Tony Young and Randal Falker. An ineffective Falker picked up all five of his fouls in the second half and really played poorly this tournament after winning conference tourney MVP last year.

There's just so much more to write, I don't know where to stop. But I guess I'll stop here. If you want more you can check out the game story from the SIU Athletics website. Or from the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network.

I have other fish to fry before I log off.

Moments after the best college basketball rivalry in the midwest was over, the best overall rivalry (arguably) in sports took center stage. Duke/Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was really hoping that UNC would avenge me as they did a few years ago when an SIU loss saddened me until UNC beat Duke to salvage my weekend.

#8 North Carlina (25-6, 11-5) did the job, and did it quite well. The 86-72 win over #14 Duke (who give s a damn about Duke's overrated @$?) gave UNC a share of the regular season ACC title and the #1 seed in next weekend's ACC tournament. It also marked the first SWEEP! of the Dookies in 11 years.

However, it wasn't all gravy in the Dean Dome. The already heated rivalry got turned up a notch when freshman Gerald Henderson took an apparent cheap shot at UNC star Tyler Hansbrough (who lead the Heels with 26 points and 17 rebounds) in the closing moments.

I'm lazy and pissed off so you can read about it here and here. Oh and you can read more about how great Creighton is (excuse me while I throw up) here.

That's it for now. There was more I wanted to get at. Unfortunately, there's more to my life than Saluki and Tar Heel basketball. Maybe I'll approach the topics floating in my head. Maybe I'll let them simmer, even though they've been simmering for a week.

Good-bye, for now.

Two Down, One To Go!

Today, SIU took another step toward winning it's second consecuitive MVC tourney title with it's 53-51 victory over Bradley at the ScottTrade Center in St. Louis.

I'd love to tell you a game story describing how I was there, unfortunately my roommate and I were unable to snag student tickets. Which leads to the following story.

After roaming the streets near the ScottTrade Center, my roommate Steven and I decided to go to the nearby Sheraton Hotel which is only blocks from the arena. Little did we know it was the hotel that was hosting Creighton, their fans and their alumni.

Creighton's our biggest rival. Heck, they're our arch-enemy. Needless to say, we were in an interesting predicament.

So it was me, my roommate and a few scattered maroon-clad Saluki fans cheering on their #11 team in Creighton's hotel among Creighton fans and a whole bunch of Bradley fans.

First, I must admit that all Creighton fans aren't as horrible as I thought they were. Sure, a lot of them are still angry, obscenity filled people...but the guys we were standing next too weren't bad people at all. They knew basketball. Also, I guess there's no sun in Omaha, Nebraska....the Creighton girls (though some were cute) were really pale. Makes me wonder if the sun can get through the cornfields.

Anyway, on to the game.

The game was back and forth. Bradley fans had a lot to shout about early with their three point shooting and their getting away with murder on the defensive end. SIU didn't help it's own cause with it's poor shooting and turnovers.

In the end, senior guard Jamaal Tatum stepped up hitting big shots again and again, eventually pulling SIU in the lead. Later a Randal Falker free throw made it 51-49, but that didn't last long when a Bradley player went down court and scored a tying basket.

This sets up the final scene. Tatum cut to the basket with under 5 seconds left and missed a potential game-winning lay-up.....but right there to clean it up was junior forward Matt Shaw, whose put-back put SIU ahead for good.

Daniel Ruffin's desperation half-court three was no good and the SIU victory was clinched.

Tomorrow, #11 SIU (#1 seed in the MVC tourney) plays arch-rival Creighton (#2 seed) who beat Missouri State in the other MVC semi-final game. I'm excited because really, that's how it should be. The two top teams in the tourney, the two biggest rivals in the conference and the two best programs in the nation's best non-BCS basketball conference.

My roommate and I will be back in "The Lou" bright and early tomorrow morning in another attempt to get tickets. Wish us luck, and then watch us tomorrow on CBS!

P.S. Shout out to "Bernie Federko's Steak and Sports Grille." That's where we stood and watched the game in Creighton territory. Good people, cute waitresses and the wings are pretty good! If you're stuck in the St. Louis area around Busch Stadium or the ScottTrade Center, that's the first place I suggest that you go and grab a bit to eat!

To The Victors Go The Spoils

UPDATE: Sometimes all you have to do is wish on a star, Chris Lowery wins Coach of the Year.

And the accolades keep rolling in for the #11 SIU Salukis men's basketball team.

• Senior guard Jamaal Tatum was voted Missouri Valley Conference player of the year in a close vote over runner-up Nate Funk (Creighton) and fellow teammate Randal Falker. Falker did take the individual award for Defensive Player of the Year.
  
• Falker also joined Tatum on the All-MVC first team. Saluki teammates Bryan Mullins and Tony Young join Falker on the All-Defensive team.
• As for the All-Centennial Team for the MVC, four Salukis made the squad. Ashraf Amaya, Darren Brooks, Mike Glenn and Kent Williams were named to the team. Brooks, a two-time MVC player of the year, was the only one I got the pleasure to see first-hand. I was here at SIU for DB's senior year.
• More on the Tatum front, he was named to the Academic All-American team. Good to see that education still matters in the NCAA. Tatum, Mullins and Matt Shaw were named to the MVC All-Academic team. Damn, this is one good all-around team.
• And finally, sixth man Wesley Clemmons was named to the MVC All-Bench team. Clemmons, may make the leap (like Tony Young did after his sophomore year) to the starting line-up in 2007-08 when two guard spots are opened up with the graduations of Tatum and Young.

I'm wondering when Coach Chris Lowery gets MVC Coach of the Year. Or how about National Coach of the Year?

Senior Night Celebration!

With the regular season Missouri Valley Conference title secured, many wondered what was there to play for Saturday night. Revenge? Sure, SIU's last loss did come at the hands of the Purple Aces of Evansville. Tune-up for the conference tourney? Yeah, that makes sense, you always want to go into March playing your best basketball. But more than that, SIU played for its senior leaders Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young who have helped bring championships and tournament appearances to SIU, and a smile to this young man's face.

A sell out crowd of 9,628 filled the SIU Arena one last time to give Tatum and Young a proper send-off. Prior to the game was the tribute ceremony that included senior transfer Kobby Acquah, and senior walk-on C.J. Smith. But the night began to Tatum and Young.

Tatum had another stellar offensive showing with 15 points on 50% shooting, dropping off 6 assists, and also went perfect at the free-throw line. Tatum's highlight of the night was his fast break slam dunk, his first "real" slam dunk that brought the Saluki faithful to their feet, capping a 14-2 SIU scoring run.

"I hope ya'll got that on camera," Tatum said after the game. "That's not a baby dunk. That's a senior dunk right there."

Young had a strong offensive showing as well, with 17 points and 5 assists to go along with 3 steals.

Not to be outdone by his senior teammates, junior forward Randal Falker dropped a career high 30 points on 13-of15 shooting from the floor, to go along with 7 rebounds, leading the #13 -ranked Salukis (25-5, 15-3) in both categories.

Evansville (14-16, 6-12) proved to be a worthy opponent on this night, shooting 52% from the field in this game, and could provide an interesting match-up early in the MVC Tourney next weekend in St. Louis. The Purple Aces shot nearly 70% from the field in the first half and had a 44-43 lead with 15:38 left in the game. That's of course before the Salukis went on that 14-2 run I mentioned earlier.

Evansville was lead by Matt Webster's 21 points on the inside, while sharp-shooting guards Kyle Anslinger and Jason Holsinger combined for 21 points and collectively shot 50% from the three-point line.

In the end, it wasn't enough for the Purple Aces as SIU won the game 76-69.

NOTES:

• After the game, the fans were unable to storm the court so instead the players came into the crowd and took a picture with the Dawg Pound.
• After cutting down the nets of both baskets to the sound of Queen's "We Are The Champions," many (if not all) the Salukis stayed on court to do interviews with media people and to sign autographs for fans in another sign of appreciation.
• Both Tony Young and Jamaal Tatum sported t-shirts before the game sporting the phrase "Floorburn U."
• Speaking of t-shirts, the MVC championship t-shirts have quite a clear message "This is OUR conference." SIU has won the MVC regular season title in 2002, 03, 04, 05 and 07 to go along with their 2006 MVC Tourney championship.
• SIU's 76 points is the most they've scored in a game all season long.
• Though it will be overlooked by media giants, the MVC has had quite the year with 8 of its 10 teams finishing with at least a .500 record.
  

The SIU Saluki Blog

So yesterday, I mentioned I was this close to making Friday's blog a blog about the freshly crowned MVC regular season champion SIU Salukis. Instead, it was the usual Friday Off The Wall Blog, so now, about 5 hours from game time, I thought I'd do my commemorative SIU blog here.

• On Wednesday, SIU claimed sole-possession of the MVC crown with a 58-50 win against Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN. With the title already wrapped up, that sets up Senior Night tonight against Evansville. SIU is sporting a 10 game winning streak, with their last loss coming at the hands of the Purple Aces, 75-68. Tonight, SIU's senior leaders Tony Young and Jamaal Tatum will be looking for revenge. On a serious note however, Senior Night is a special night for everyone in attendance. For the seniors, it's their last game on a home court that they've dominated over the course of the last four years. For the fans, it's a final send off to the players that have brought NCAA tourney appearances in each of their four years here in Carbondale. There's such a bond between this community and their players, it's special.
• For me, every game at the SIU Arena is special. The team is great, the fans are into the game....overall, it's an amazing atmosphere. Of all the games that have happened this year the following games stand out in my mind the most.

1. SIU's 68-64 win over Virginia Tech was SIU's biggest win of the early season. It proved that SIU could play with the big boys of the ACC, on a neutral court in a tournament setting at that. Va. Tech would later be ranked and would go on to beat Duke on Coach K's court and North Carolina, twice.
2. SIU's biggest road win arguably came at a sold out Koch Arena against Wichita State. SIU's 54-46 win over the Shockers proved that SIU, who had struggled on the road early in the season, could win in a hostile environment. The Dawgs were lead by Tatum (18 points) and juniors Matt Shaw and an ill Randal Falker (13 points each).
3. In the best college basketball rivalry not on Tobacco Road, SIU swept the season series against arch-rival Creighton. In the first meeting at Creighton's Qwest Center, SIU won 58-57 on a left handed runner by sophomore guard Bryan Mullins with under two seconds to play. SIU won the second game in their first step to winning the conference outright with a 72-68 victory at the SIU Arena. That night, the Dawgs were sparked by shooting almost 86% from the floor and lead by Shaw's 25 points.
4. One could argue that SIU's biggest win to date was last weekend's 68-64 win at then #12 Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse on BracketBuster Saturday. In a battle the two highest ranking teams in the short history of the BracketBuster games, SIU was lead by Tatum's game-high 20 points, breaking Butler's 20-game home winning streak.
   

• The men's basketball team may be the talk of the town, but the ladies deserve some love too. For the first time since 1990, the Saluki women have earned at least a share of the MVC regular season title with their 63-60 victory over Evansville, in the first-ever Pink-Out night at the SIU Arena. This marks a quick turnaround for third-year coach Dana Eikenberg who, with help of developing players and transfers from her old school UMKC, who turned the SIU women from MVC bottom-feeders to champions in such a short time span. Congrats to the Saluki women, who close out MVC play with home games against Missouri State (March 1) and Wichita State (March 3)
• On a final note, former SIU head coach and current University of Illinois coach Bruce Weber had some kind words to say about his former program. He said he speaks often with current SIU coach, his former assistant at U of I, Chris Lowery and credited the hard working players, some of which he helped recruit. "Oh, yeah, those are my guys, whether it's the coaches or the players. The top four or five guys are still guys we recruited," Weber said. All I have to say is that they're not your guys anymore Bruce, esepcially when you abandoned them for the greener pastures of Champaign-Urbana in a community that didn't want you in the first place and that is itching for your ouster A.S.A.P. Of his recruits, only Tatum and Young remain. Former Saluki guard/forward Mike Dale left the team last year for unspecified reasons. And though B-Web helped recruit Falker and Shaw before Matt Painter (now coaching at Purdue) took over the program, Weber should have no problems scheduling a team that he helped put on the map. Unless he's afraid of the monster he helped create.

Hope everyone gets a chance to watch the game or be there. Go Dawgs!

This Blog Goes Everywhere, So Readers Bare With Me!

Finally, some free time to write a blog. This week has been up and down to tell the truth. Thankfully, it's almost over. Alright, so I'll start off with some stuff that I have links for so if you want to read the rest of the story you can head off into the web when you click the links and then I'll close with some personal stuff. Sound good? Well I don't care, it sounds good to me!

• Let's start with some of that #13 SIU Saluki hoop action! By virtue of Creighton's loss to Illinois State and SIU's 59-50 win at Indiana State, the Salukis have clinched the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title for the second time in three seasons under Coach Chris Lowery. Unfortunately, I was unable to watch the game but I did manage to listen to the last few minutes on the radio. That means no game story from me, sorry folks. Last night's win deserved a blog of it's own, I was unable to do so (see, that's why I don't do a blog solely dedicated to SIU sports.) Senior Night is Saturday, that is deserving of a preview blog and a post game blog as well. In more good news for the Salukis, press wise, is that the news is headed north to the Chi, game summary here from NBC 5 Chicago and the Chicago Tribune has an excellent article about senior guard Tony Young and the strides he and the basketball program have made.
• When he was hired, I joked that Lou Piniella may have officially signed on to be the Cubs manager, but little does he know that job also entails the side job of being my life coach. In today's Tribune, Piniella makes one of those "break you down to build you up" statements in this article when he says that "Curses are for people with no confidence." Sighs, I guess I have been hiding behind a curse. Maybe. Sweet Uncle Lou may ignore Billy Goats, black cats and Bartman....but he has no clue about the cursed love life of one Luis Medina and how if the Cubs somehow won the World Series that all of that love crap would immediately take a backseat. (*Chuckling* some girl is gonna read this and laugh at me for being a loser....I don't care.)

NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF:

As refreshing as poetry writing has been for me lately, I must say nothing clears the air like a good ol' fashioned sit down talk with an old friend. I hate when I'm wrong. I hate when other people prove that I'm wrong. I also hate when I'm proven wrong by a woman. No male ego trip here, I'm just saying....they know to make me feel stupid when they're right about something that I've completely screwed up.
Yesterday was like a reconciliation of sorts. Spending the afternoon/evening with Alicia was great. We cleared the air about several things. Chatted up about what's new, with me realizing that you can not see me for two months and things with me are so simplistic that nothing has really changed. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
She also gave me a nice lil' talking to about how good I have things and gave me a little insight about her that I didn't know before. The way I see it, the whole being single thing is a gift and a curse (I know I mentioned curses earlier, now bare with me.) I like being single. I like the idea of open possibilities. I like not having to answer "Where are you going?" or "Who are you going with?" or even "When will you be back?" or having someone needing to tag along. Being single is pretty cool, especially in a college town.
As for the cursed part, my first problem is that I have issues with hanging out with people in relationships. This little quirk about me dates back all the way to high school when my two best friends had girlfriends and then there was Lou (we'll put the 'O' in the name for nostalgia's sake.) That has stayed with me throughout college and to be honest, I think that's effecting some of my relationships and friendships in a negative way. Though it does explain why I'm damn bitter at couples in general and why sometimes I just don't feel like going out with certain people at certain times.
Now that I got that off my chest, this is where I say "Maybe she's right" because really, she does have a very valid point. I'm single and theoretically, I have the whole world in front of me. I can do what I want and not have to worry about my girlfriend or what she thinks. I, by myself can theoretically get done whatever I want to for my career and such, get settled and then eventually settle down....with nobody holding me back.
That sounds nice and pretty like a package wrapped in ribbon, tied in a bow. Unfortunately, that's not how I've been seeing it.
The way I've been seeing it, it's been holding me back. I kinda compare it to John Elway's Super Bowl championship. Short and simple, Elway's a badass QB who's got all these badass records, but never won a championship and he always used to say "It's okay I had a good career." But when he won that championship finally, he admitted he was full of shit and that the championship validated his career and cemented him as an all-time great.
What the hell does that have anything to do with me? Maybe it's the whole "pussy on a pedestal" thing. I guess you can say that girlfriend thing is the missing piece of the puzzle. For me, I'll argue that a girlfriend would be my validation.
(Someone's gonna come across this, read it, then think I'm a total loser and probably never date me because of it. Oh well.)
And it sounds bad, the idea of a girlfriend being validation, compared to a Super Bowl trophy...no girl wants to be looked at as a prize. But let's face it, that's the only thing that has been missing, compared to people my age. At least that's what society says.
What magnifies my insecurities are my friends who are in happy relationships, my friends who get constant attention from girls and some new developments in my friends lives. My first college roommate has moved on from his days at SIU to go to the National Guard and is getting married in June. He just turned 21, and he's married. He'll be the first of "The Chi-town Boys" to be getting married. I have a friend, she's been engaged for more than a year now and she'll be getting married when she's out of school, I'm sure of it. I have a friend that's now pregnant....having a kid. I feel as if everyone's growing up without me.
But she put it in the best way possible "It's like playing real life house."
Despite giving me hell, she always knows how to make me feel better. There's just something special about her, I have an idea of what it is but I'm not quite sure of it. Maybe I've got my head in the clouds, maybe I'm still living in first semester of last year....I don't know what I'm feeling, but I think it's good.
Maybe that would explain my first good night of sleep in over a month, that whole little talkin' to maybe (no pun intended) put some of our issues to sleep. You know I'm a big believer in that symbolic shit.
In my mind, I laughed when she mentioned something about how her ex wants to get out on the dating scene again but is seemingly comparing these girls to what he had in her. I laughed on the inside. If it was an outside laugh, it would have been one of those nervous laughs....those are never good.
Maybe that's my issue in getting over her. It's not like I'm putting every girl up to her standard, but it's that perceived idea of perfection that keeps holding me back, mentally. The sooner I find a new girl, the sooner I get over her.
Maybe she's Vanessa all over again. That would only prove to be more symbolic than anything I've mentioned in this blog....ever.
I'm not getting into that story. I'm too happy, I think I've got my best friend back. And that is more important than anything else!

#15 SIU Proves To Be Top Dawg In 68-64 Victory Over #12 Butler

Maybe now SIU's basketball program can get the notoriety it deserves. Because after a win like that, they've earned it. Yesterday's 68-64 victory against #12 Butler in historical Hinkle Fieldhouse just might have put SIU's hoops squad back on the national map.

After the game, everyone seemed to be singing the praises of the Salukis (23-5). The Chicago Sun-Times sent reporter Lacy J. Banks to cover the game in Indianapolis, IN, marking the first time the Times has seemingly acknowledged a team that isn't one of the Chicago schools, the University of Illinois or Notre Dame. In today's Indianapolis Star, reporter Bob Kravitz praises the play of both schools and the BracketBuster system. Heck, even ESPN sent Dave O'Brien, one of ESPN's best play-by-play guys along with former Utah head coach Rick Majerus to provide color commentary.

And even though throughout much of the game, O'Brien and Majerus praised it as a battle of the two best "mid-majors" this game was much more than that. It was the first time two-ranked opponents went up against one another on BracketBuster Saturday. Two top-15 schools, nonetheless.

As for the game, it was everything it was billed to be....and a little more. SIU imposed their stellar style of play, which starts with in-your face defense from the opening tip. Butler (24-5) played their type of game too. They mimicked SIU's slow pace and limited turnovers, something SIU prides itself on when it comes to the defensive end. However, the Bulldogs found it difficult to find open shots throughout the majority of the game.

As Butler struggled to find shots, senior guard Jamaal Tatum stepped up with a game-high 20 points. Tatum was Mr. Big Shot down the stretch scoring eight points in a two-and-a-half minute stretch after Butler made it a two-point game with 5:14 left.

"He's really taken advantage of and made unbelievable plays and shots that only special people can make," said SIU coach Chris Lowery of his star guard's clutch shots.

Butler's coach Todd Lickliter credited Tatum's offensive game in tiring of Butler star Adam Graves who was held to 5 points.

"(Graves) was guarding #3 -- that's a good assignment," he said.

Tatum wasn't the only Saluki applying defensive pressure to Graves, who reportedly suffered from flu-like symptoms before the game. Senior guard Tony Young and sophomore guard Bryan Mullins rotated with J.T.3 in covering Butler's star. Offensively, Young chipped in 11 points and Mullins contributed four points and three assists.

Another Saluki that stepped up was junior forward Matt Shaw, who chipped in 15 points and several big shots, including a three-point basket after Butler had pulled within two, it was 49-47 at the time, 52-47 after Shaw's three.

The much maligned Saluki bench, which has come on strong of late, scored 13 points behind the energetic play of junior-college transfer Tyrone Green, freshman Joshua Bone, and Indianapolis-native Wesley Clemmons. Bone was limited to only five minutes, while Clemmons and Green played 21 and 18 minutes respectively and their stingy defensive presence was felt throughout the game.

One player SIU failed to stop was 6-foot-7-inch forward Adam Campbell, who went 5-for-9 from three-point range, contributing 17 points off the bench helping Butler stay withing striking distance.

"They're a great defensive team, but I guess it's hard to cover all the options," said Campbell.

SIU won in all facets of the game. Their offense was grinding long possessions throughout the game as Butler, at times, struggled with SIU's swift ball movement. Their defense was relentless to say the least, and that helped wear down the Bulldogs offense. Down the stretch, SIU hit 12-of-14 free-throws (86%) to help shut down any Butler comeback attempt.

When Young stole the ball as time expired and ran down court, Saluki Nation was finally able to celebrate. Saturday's victory helped erase the memories last year's BracketBuster 51-54 loss to Louisiana Tech at the SIU Arena. The lasting images from that game were Tatum and Young, who were then juniors, missing three-point shots that would have tied the game as time expired. The seniors weren't going to let that happen again.

With the victory SIU notched it's first win against a ranked opponent on the road for the first time since 1975. They also snapped Butler's 22-game home winning streak. Butler (#12) was the highest ranked team the Salukis have beat since beating #11 Villanova in 1988.

The Salukis close out MVC regular season play this week with a game on the road against Indiana State on Wednesday and a game Saturday night against Evansville on Senior Night.

On Monday when the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press poll come out, SIU will be looking to move up to it's highest ranking ever.

SIU Retains First Place With 51-47 Win!

So a friend of mine that reads this blog casually suggested that I write more about Saluki basketball. He's interested in the #15 squad in the country, especially after seeing their game against Creighton on Saturday. So, I'll try to cater to my readers (all three or now maybe four of you) by writing a post about tonight's SIU game against Missouri State. Heck, maybe it'll help with my future career as a sports writer, who knows?

If my buddy liked what he saw on Saturday, he wouldn't have liked today's game much. SIU did beat MVC foe Missouri State on the road tonight by a 51-47 score, but it wasn't pretty.

This might have been considered a trap game for the Dawgs, coming off of the big win against arch-rival Creighton but before ESPN's Bracket Buster game at #12 Butler University on Saturday. In any case, the game still had to be played.

Missouri State brings a whole heck of a lot of problems match-up wise. They have a bunch of guys who can play a bunch of different positions, like big guards that can play inside or small big men that can play on the perimeter. Still, somehow SIU found a way to win.

Every time SIU plays Mo. St., I call the game "The Me and My Shadow" game. Both teams play similar styles, with equal talent. Heck, they even share the same school colors, maroon and white.

On to the game summary. This game epitomized "Winning Ugly," a phrase made famous by the 1983 Chicago White Sox. In my three years as an SIU student, they've perfected this concept. They've got it down to a tee.

Statistically, the game could have been won or lost in several categories. Mo. State shot 50% (9-for-18) from the field in the second half while limiting SIU to 28% shooting (7-for-25) from the field. However SIU shot 81.3% from the free throw line in the game (13-for-16) while Mo. St. struggled when they got to the line shooting at a sub-par 60% clip (15-for-25.) That's where the game was won. If Mo. St. hits their free throws at a 70% clip, which they usually do, they win the game, it's as simple as that.

The SIU defense was stingy again, holding Missouri State to 47 points, 28 points below their average. That's what SIU does, they stop you from scoring. This team isn't an offensive juggernaut by a long shot, and that 85% 2nd half shooting night might be an aberration, but the defense isn't.

Besides the team defense, shutting down Mo. St. star guard Blake Ahern, limiting him to just 7 points on just 2-of-8 shooting was definitely key to slowing down the Bears offensive attack. In this game, Ahern air-balled an early three point attempt and missed a wide-open three-point opportunity in the corner in the closing minutes that would have given the Bears the lead.

SIU was lead by senior guard Jamaal Tatum, though he wasn't the team's high scorer. Junior forward/center Randal Falker led the team with 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds giving him another double-double. However, it was Tatum's late game heroics that brought the win home to Carbondale. A NBA-range three pointer and two clutch free throws down the stretch pulled SIU to a lead in the closing minutes of the game. Reserve guard Wesley Clemmons iced the game with two free-throws, making the game 51-47.

Tyler Chaney led the Bears with 13 points, while Dale Lamberth provided 11 points and a spark off the bench.

The win moves SIU to 22-5 overall and 13-3 in MVC play, and keeps the Dawgs in sole possession of first place, a full game ahead of Creighton University who beat a slumping Northern Iowa team by 11-points.

SIU's next game is the highly anticipated Bracket Buster game against #12 Butler University, who won their game tonight by a 79-62 score. It will undoubtedly be the first Bracket Buster game that features two top-15 schools. That game can be seen on ESPN2, tip-off around 3:00 p.m.

SIU Is Better Than Duke....Yeah, I Said It!

And the funny thing about that headline is that it's true. SIU basketball is better than Duke basketball at this point. SIU (#15 in ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, #16 in the Associated Press Poll) is better than Duke (unranked in both polls) and that's the end of the story.

Actually, that's just the beginning.

SIU (21-5, 12-3 in MVC) has a better record than Duke (18-7, 5-6 in ACC) and there is no one prouder than I am. Not only am I an avid SIU student and supporter of the basketball team, I am a major Duke detractor. I know, hating something is so wrong but when they epitomize everything evil and everything wrong in college basketball, they deserve it. And it's not like they're the worst program (see any team run by Jim Harrick) but it's Duke. It's like seeing the Yankees lose. Better yet, it's like seeing the Cardinals lose.

I think that Duke is in danger of missing the NCAA tourney. ESPN analysts disagree with me. But think about this. In 2001, UNC (a team with as much talent and tradition as Duke) went about .500 in conference play with 18-20 wins and went to the NIT. That team had more talent than this Duke team currently has....and proved it by winning the 2004 National Championship under Roy Willaims. The core of that team of course was Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants. Duke doesn't have that "go-to guy" that Carolina does or that the '01 team had.

So what does this all mean? Who knows? I don't expect the fall of Duke to be prolonged, though I'd absolutely love it if that was to be the case. But Duke will continue to get the benefit of the doubt from a majority of ESPN and media giants of that sort. They'll continue to get All-American athlete's just because it's the tradition of Duke. While SIU continues it's grass-root type climb towards the top of the basketball world, starting with the recruiting dominance of the basketball rich St. Louis-area and Illinois for starters.

I never thought I'd see the day that SIU would be ranked higher than Duke, let alone Duke be unranked. What's next? A top-tier recruit coming to SIU? That'd be nice, but SIU's doing a great job of being a "system team." A team without stars, dedicated to a system that puts team ahead of self.

So I'm just going to enjoy this now while I still can. Thinking about how it can get so much worse for Duke with trips to Clemson, Boston College and North Carolina to close out the year.

SIU/Creighton Preview

It's February so you know all the cliche's and the one-liners are out in full force this time of year. One you'll probably hear the most is "You never forget your first love." Boo! I hate you Valentine's Day. I also hate Creighton (as suggested by the t-shirt I just bought at Pinch the other day.)

Seriously though, I'll never forget my first Creighton game. The SIU/Creighton game to me is like a right of passage for every SIU fan and you really never forget your first. And really how could I forget? It was my first time sitting in the Dawg Pound with the most outrageous student section in the Missouri Valley Conference. And I was by myself, so I'll be honest I was a bit worried because the people I usually went to SIU games with weren't with me. One of my friends was out of town, at work while my roommate had gone home to the Chicagoland area for some girl....something I still give him shit for. C'mon how do you miss the biggest game in town for some girl....I'll never do it! Maybe that explains my situation...but this isn't about that, this is about SIU/Creighton. SIU won that game, and it was a great feeling. A feeling I hope to feel again tonight.

SIU/Creighton is an intense rivalry in the mold of Duke/Carolina without Dick Vitale yelling hysterically. It's pure basketball with genuine dislike between students, players and fans alike of both universities. Creighton plays the role of Duke. The private school that always get the love from the media and are usually picked to win the conference in the pre-season and coach Dana Altman is like Duke's Coach K, the longest serving coach in the MVC. SIU is more like Carolina, the public university with a rich tradition of its own that always finds a way to keep winning. SIU coach Chris Lowery is like Roy Williams. Okay, that's a stretch, but C-Lo, like Coach Roy has come back to his alma mater and has lead his teams to consecutive NCAA berths.

Today's game is for more than just bragging rights, it's for conference supremacy. The winner of today's ballgame has a leg up in winning the MVC outright and the top seed in the MVC tourney in St. Louis. SIU won the first game in a one-point thriller when Bryan Mullins banked one in with 4.1 seconds left and Creighton guard Nate Funk's desperation three rimmed out as time expired.

My only concern as a Saluki fan is that Jamaal Tatum, SIU's leading scorer, may not play in the game because of a deep thigh bruise that limited him to 6 minutes and 3 points in Wednesday's 60-50 win against Bradley.

With that said, don't sleep on the Salukis. Unless you want to get bitten by a dawg!