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Tuesday, March 13, 2007
A quick look at the Southern Illinois starting five (includes bonus links)
When Holy Cross looks at film of Southern Illinois, they might feel a little like they are looking in a mirror.
The Salukis, the top-ranked team in the Mid-Major Top 25, are a defense-first kind of team with a pair of top-notch guards, a capable big man and a roster of quality role players. Just like Holy Cross, Southern Illinois is ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense. Matter of fact, the Salukis' 56.5 points against per game rank even higher (No. 3) that Holy Cross, which is No. 9 on that list (57.4 ppg).
Also like the Crusaders, Southern Illinois' roster features a pair of first team all-league picks, one of whom was the Missouri Valley's player of the year, the other earning honors as the MVC's top defender.
When you break down the Holy Cross roster, the first guy you talk about is Keith Simmons. His counterpart for the Salukis is 6-2 guard Jamaal Tatum, the MVC player of the year. Tatum, who served a three-game suspension at the beginning of the season related to an off-season DUI arrest, averages 15 points per game, tops on the team. Tatum, a 44.3 percent shooter) leads Southern Illinois in three-pointers with 64 (on 154 tries - 41.6 percent). A little under half of his shots (154 of 352 come from the arc).
Tatum's player of the year award came in close balloting, with two other players finishing within 5 points in the voting. Third in that vote was his own teammate, Randall Falker, a 6-7 junior who was named the defensive player of the year thanks in no small part to his MVC-leading 70 blocked shots. Falker's 2.1 blocks per game ranks No. 39 nationally. By comparison, HC center Tim Clifford ranks No. 52 with 1.9 per game (52 total blocks). Falker's game is more than just blocking shots, he averages 12.5 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. He has posted seven double-doubles this season and shoots 60.1 percent from the field, all his shots coming inside the arc.
The third double figures scorer for the Salukis is Matt Shaw, a 6-7 junior who averages 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. A 47-percent shooter, Shaw has step-out range, hitting 35.7 percent from the three-point arc. Stopping him might be the key to beating Southern Illinois. When Shaw scores 15 points, the Salukis are 9-0. Keeping him off the boards is also a key; SIU is 15-0 in games where Shaw grabbed six or more rebounds.
Both teams have outstanding point guards, but unlike HC's Torey Thomas, the Salukis' Bryan Mullins is not a big scorer. The 6-2 sophomore is more a dish-off kind of guy with an assists to turnover ratio of nearly 2 to 1 (120 a-62 to). Like Thomas, Mullins is a tough defender. Mullins led the MVC in steals while earning freshman of the year honors last season and a team-high 46 steals this season. Like Falker, Mullins was namded to the MVC's all-defensive team.
Also accorded that honor was SIU's fifth starter, 6-0 senior Tony Young. Young also plays a little offense, averaging 9.8 points per game while hitting 37.9 percent of his three-point tries. A fifth-year senior and a 1,000-point scorer, Young is the NCAA career leader in games played with 135. A win over Holy Cross would allow Young to tie Darren Brook's school record of 106 career wins. The Salukis are 105-30 in games Young has played.
One other thing the Salukis have in common with Holy Cross is strong academic performance. Though the Salukis 67 percent graduation rate lags HC's tournament best 86-percent, Tatum is an Academic All-America pick and Mullins and Shaw joined him on the MVC's All-Academic team.
We will look at the rest of the Salukis' rotation tomorrow.
DOG BITES: Missouri Valley coach of the year Chris Lowery, who is 34, is the youngest coach in the tournament again. He was also the baby of the bunch in 2005 and 2006 . . . SIU is one of 12 schools to qualify for the last six NCAA Tournaments . . . . the other 11 include the likes of Arizona, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pittsburgh,
Texas and Wisconsin.. . . Five of those six trips to the dance have come as an at-large team . . . Southern Illinois has never played a Patriot League team . . . The Salukis have beaten Colgate and Navy each once in games in the 1980s, before the Patriot League was formed . . . Only one team has scored 70 points against SIU (W. Kentucky, in a game SIU won 75-70 at WKU) . . . The Salukis have held 7 Division I opponents under 50 points
SIU roster | SIU stats | SIU schedule/results
BONUS LINKS:
Highest Grad Rate in Tourney: Holy Cross (Comcast SportsNet)
Cinderella? Give a shout to the Salukis (AP)
Bracket breakdown (AP)
Lowery refuses to speak 'I' word (AP)
A word or two about the games (Peoria Journal-Star)
Moonlight engagement for men (Telegram & Gazette)
A look at Southern Illinois vs. Holy Cross (Telegram & Gazette)
When Holy Cross looks at film of Southern Illinois, they might feel a little like they are looking in a mirror.
The Salukis, the top-ranked team in the Mid-Major Top 25, are a defense-first kind of team with a pair of top-notch guards, a capable big man and a roster of quality role players. Just like Holy Cross, Southern Illinois is ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense. Matter of fact, the Salukis' 56.5 points against per game rank even higher (No. 3) that Holy Cross, which is No. 9 on that list (57.4 ppg).
Also like the Crusaders, Southern Illinois' roster features a pair of first team all-league picks, one of whom was the Missouri Valley's player of the year, the other earning honors as the MVC's top defender.
When you break down the Holy Cross roster, the first guy you talk about is Keith Simmons. His counterpart for the Salukis is 6-2 guard Jamaal Tatum, the MVC player of the year. Tatum, who served a three-game suspension at the beginning of the season related to an off-season DUI arrest, averages 15 points per game, tops on the team. Tatum, a 44.3 percent shooter) leads Southern Illinois in three-pointers with 64 (on 154 tries - 41.6 percent). A little under half of his shots (154 of 352 come from the arc).
Tatum's player of the year award came in close balloting, with two other players finishing within 5 points in the voting. Third in that vote was his own teammate, Randall Falker, a 6-7 junior who was named the defensive player of the year thanks in no small part to his MVC-leading 70 blocked shots. Falker's 2.1 blocks per game ranks No. 39 nationally. By comparison, HC center Tim Clifford ranks No. 52 with 1.9 per game (52 total blocks). Falker's game is more than just blocking shots, he averages 12.5 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. He has posted seven double-doubles this season and shoots 60.1 percent from the field, all his shots coming inside the arc.
The third double figures scorer for the Salukis is Matt Shaw, a 6-7 junior who averages 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. A 47-percent shooter, Shaw has step-out range, hitting 35.7 percent from the three-point arc. Stopping him might be the key to beating Southern Illinois. When Shaw scores 15 points, the Salukis are 9-0. Keeping him off the boards is also a key; SIU is 15-0 in games where Shaw grabbed six or more rebounds.
Both teams have outstanding point guards, but unlike HC's Torey Thomas, the Salukis' Bryan Mullins is not a big scorer. The 6-2 sophomore is more a dish-off kind of guy with an assists to turnover ratio of nearly 2 to 1 (120 a-62 to). Like Thomas, Mullins is a tough defender. Mullins led the MVC in steals while earning freshman of the year honors last season and a team-high 46 steals this season. Like Falker, Mullins was namded to the MVC's all-defensive team.
Also accorded that honor was SIU's fifth starter, 6-0 senior Tony Young. Young also plays a little offense, averaging 9.8 points per game while hitting 37.9 percent of his three-point tries. A fifth-year senior and a 1,000-point scorer, Young is the NCAA career leader in games played with 135. A win over Holy Cross would allow Young to tie Darren Brook's school record of 106 career wins. The Salukis are 105-30 in games Young has played.
One other thing the Salukis have in common with Holy Cross is strong academic performance. Though the Salukis 67 percent graduation rate lags HC's tournament best 86-percent, Tatum is an Academic All-America pick and Mullins and Shaw joined him on the MVC's All-Academic team.
We will look at the rest of the Salukis' rotation tomorrow.
DOG BITES: Missouri Valley coach of the year Chris Lowery, who is 34, is the youngest coach in the tournament again. He was also the baby of the bunch in 2005 and 2006 . . . SIU is one of 12 schools to qualify for the last six NCAA Tournaments . . . . the other 11 include the likes of Arizona, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pittsburgh,
Texas and Wisconsin.. . . Five of those six trips to the dance have come as an at-large team . . . Southern Illinois has never played a Patriot League team . . . The Salukis have beaten Colgate and Navy each once in games in the 1980s, before the Patriot League was formed . . . Only one team has scored 70 points against SIU (W. Kentucky, in a game SIU won 75-70 at WKU) . . . The Salukis have held 7 Division I opponents under 50 points
SIU roster | SIU stats | SIU schedule/results
BONUS LINKS:
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