Co-Sign: Chris Lowery Is In A No-Win Situation

If the SIU job is Texas Roadhouse, DePaul can't be Gibson's, can it?

That is today's discussion upon reading Stile T. Smith's piece in the Daily Egyptian titled "Lowery in a no-win situation." 

For full disclosure, Smith is a friend, a former understudy of mine and a one-time TBDS poster.  But that is not why I am about to defend him.

I'm defending him because he makes valid points, which often doesn't happen when Cardinals fans are given a forum to speak their mind.

Lowery in a no-win situation
Sports with Stile

When he wins games, the rumors that he’s going to leave for a big-name school start and fans call him a traitor.

To prove this, take a time machine or your buddy's DeLorean, dial up March 2007, get to 88 MPH and let the good times roll.  Lowery has been one of the hottest coaching commodities since building on what Bruce Weber and Matt Painter did en route to posting a 78-26 record, winning two regular season Missouri Valley Conference titles, a MVC Tournament championship and a Sweet 16 berth.

When he doesn’t win, fans say he’s a terrible coach and the university should fire him.

See this thread at SalukiTalk.

No matter how his team performs, Chris Lowery can’t win.

Unless, of course, the team wins.  Then technically, he wins.  And unless that's John Calipari on that bench, I don't see any wins getting vacated or banners being pulled down any time soon.

Now, any job is performance-based, whether it be as an accountant or a grocery store bagger, if the job is not performed correctly someone else will fill it.

Kurt Warner agrees with this statement.  Had Johnny not come into the store that day looking for a job to pay for that nasty drug habit a new car when he turned 16, who knows if Warner would have ever been forced out into the NFL job market.

But one season with a sub-.500 record and another where the team is 12-7 so far should not bring calls for Lowery’s job.

I know a lot of people consider the 2008 NIT team a failure because of the high standards built with this program.  Whatever.  Shit happens.  Matt Shaw's field goal and 3-point percentages went down -- Lowery's fault, right?  Randal Falker was being triple teamed -- Lowery's fault right?  SIU didn't capitalize on its Sweet 16 year in its following season because of Shaw's struggles and the fact that Tony Young and Jamaal Tatum were ineligible to compete due to graduation, thus ushering in the Josh Bone, Wes Clemmons, Tyrone Green era.

The 13-18 year was an absolute abortion.  Those happen with every program.  Except Duke.  Not sure how Duke does it, but if the Coach K tree of Quin Snyder and Tommy Amaker are any indication, it probably deserves some looking into.

In a way, Lowery has it more difficult than coaches at schools such as Duke and Michigan State that win every year, or Nebraska and Ole Miss, who are never expected to win.

At least Ole Miss has hot, blonde SEC tail .

Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and Tom Izzo at Michigan State do not have to deal with the constant rumors that they are bolting for greener pastures, mostly because there are not too many greener pastures.

That's because the campuses in East Lansing and Durham have a little more appeal than the one in Carbondale.  And actually have greener pastures than Carbondale, which a friend once described as "what Detroit would look like if it were a college town."

Doc Sadler at Nebraska and Andy Kennedy at Ole Miss do not have to worry about an entire fan base calling for their heads when they have one or two seasons when they do not make it to the NCAA Tournament, mostly because they have not been to the NCAA Tournament in years.

Girls of the SEC and Nebraska football are the best things to happen to each of those programs, respectively.

Lowery has to deal with both sides of the spectrum.

As hard as it is for some to admit, SIU is not Arizona or Michigan, two schools who were rumored to be interested in Lowery in years past. If those schools come calling and offer Lowery a big enough contract, he is not being a Benedict Arnold if he accepts.

Nor is it Oklahoma State or DePaul.  Believe it or not, the four previously mentioned schools are not the only universities that have come a-callin' for Southern's head coach.  A source recently confided in me that a SEC school had called for Lowery's services before being turned down immediately.  A second source added that one team sent representative's to Lowery's house unannounced.

Lowery once told us in an interview that we would be surprised how many schools, big and small, have contacted his agent in regard to getting him to leave his alma mater.  As of right now, Lowery has no interest in leaving Southern.

Labeling Lowery a traitor for possibly being interested in improving on the situation he is in is wrong.


If I am the head chef at Texas Roadhouse and a five-star restaurant offers me a position as its head chef, you can believe I am going to take it.

I think the Texas Roadhouse line might have been a little out of step.  But the point at face value remains. 

Pretend for just a minute that you are at a job in your home town (we'll call it Carbondale for this argument's sake) and you're very happy with it.  If a competitor contacts you and offers you double your salary, plus cost of living expenses to move you and your family to New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago or any major market, you can't tell me you would not at least consider the proposition.

Comedian Chris Rock once said, "A man is only as faithful as his options."

It is a saying that can be applied here.

Lowery has a young team that seems to be turning the corner. He has a 12-7 team that is losing one player this year and has a potentially great player in Diamond Taylor arriving next season.

I know a lot of people are saying "big whoop, two game winning streak."  The reason SIU has won back-to-back games is because of execution.  Southern isn't doing anything different other than guarding the piss out of people again.  As a wise man once told me, "Good things happen in basketball when you play defense."

If Nick Evans secures a rebound and SIU executes at the end of the Drake game, it's a win.  If Tony Freeman or Carlton Fay connects on a clean 3-point opportunity and the Salukis execute, it's a win.  Rather than a 12-7 overall record and a 4-5 record in MVC play, you're looking at a 14-5 mark overall and 6-3 conference record that puts you in the Valley's top three rather than being in seventh eighth place looking down at Indiana State and Evansville, while looking up at a clusterfuck of mediocrity.

As for Taylor, he can become what Tony Freeman is.  And rather than have him for just one season, Southern would have him for four years.  On top of that, SIU will have Taylor at ages 21, 22, 23 and 24.  Experience kills in the Valley, everyone knows that.

And if the Salukis do rebound next season and return to the NCAA Tournament, do not be surprised when you hear Lowery’s name mentioned in some high-profile coaching searches.

If Lowery wanted a legit job at a power conference school, he would be wise to ride it out at SIU.  In 2012, Kevin Dillard, Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Justin Bocot will be seniors.  Kendall Brown-Surles and Eugene Teague will be juniors, Diamond Taylor will be a sophomore.

If that team doesn't make a dent in the NCAA Tournament, then we can resume the fear of one of the big boys taking "our" coach.

That's assuming he wants to leave SIU.

Lowery in a no-win situation [Daily Egyptian]

Ten Reasons Chris Lowery Should Not Take The DePaul Job

It has been nearly a week since we connected the dots on the DePaul coaching search and linked it to Southern Illinois coaches Chris Lowery and Lance Irvin.

Since Sunday, there has been lots of speculation on Lowery's future.

News flash: He isn't going anywhere.  At least, not until the season is over.

And here are 10 reasons Lowery will be back at Southern Illinois for next season and beyond.

1.  DePaul Sucks

The Blue Demons were blown out today by St. John's 67-47.  That would have been cool if Ron Artest was there and being coached Mike Jarvis.

Those days are long gone for the Red Storm.

Some say the decline of DePaul's hoops program began when then-AD Bill Bradshaw axed Joey Meyer.  I say the Blue Demons began to bottom out is when they offered a scholarship to Imari Sawyer and did not offer a schollie to Dwyane Wade.

Wade single-handedly took Marquette, put it back on the map and carried the team to the Final Four.  Sawyer dropped out after his sophomore year and is likely bagging groceries at Jewel in between playing pick up games at a local YMCA.

In either case, DePaul basketball is bad news.  Lowery has been a part of winning programs since high school, and it is not as if the Blue Demons have the talent to make a turnaround to become a .500 team over night.

2.  The All-State Arena (also sucks)


At SIU, Lowery's teams enjoy a unique homecourt advantage with the SIU Arena.  At least, prior to the last two years.  Still, whatever is left of the aura of the old barn is better than whatever DePaul has.

The Rosemont Horizon All-State Arena is one of the worst facilities to watch a basketball game at.  It's drab, dark and has the kind of atmosphere you would find at a house party hosted by guys who have never been laid.

It's a haul for fans in the city and kids on campus to get to.  Look, I know people that come from more than 50 miles to see Saluki games at the SIU Arena.  Those kinds of people really don't exist in Chicago, where you can watch an equally maddening basketball with the Bulls.  At least they have Derrick Rose.

3.  'I want Southern to be remembered as my program'


Early in the week, we talked to a source that happens to be close friends and former teammate of Lowery's.  The source, who preferred to remain anonymous told us that Lowery recently relayed to him that he wants to have a special legacy at SIU.

"I want Southern to be remembered as my program," the source says Lowery told him.

Those are pretty powerful words from the SIU alum.

4.  The MVC is more winnable than the Big East

The Big East has seven teams with RPIs in the top 25.  DePaul isn't one of them.  I'm not sure if DePaul has ever been one of them.

The Missouri Valley Conference is a much more winnable conference as far as I'm concerned.  And if Lowery's primary thing is winning at his alma mater, he might as well stay put.  Southern is a few focused efforts away from being 5-2 instead of the 3-4 it currently sits at in conference play.

Still, with a 3-4 record 7 games into the 18 game conference slate, SIU could find itself with a record better than .500 in conference.

And when Arch Madness comes around, anything can happen.

5.  2011

Carlton Fay will be a senior in his fourth year in the program.  Kevin Dillard, Anthony Booker and Nick Evans will be juniors.  Kendal Brown-Surles and Eugene Teague, who are logging healthy minutes as true freshmen, will be well-seasoned sophomores.

This is a team, that if it stays together and develops as Saluki teams have done in the past, that will be a NCAA Tournament team.  DePaul will not have a NCAA Tourney team in the next three years.

Think about it.

6.  Family matters

Chris Lowery is a family man, and a good chunk of his family that isn't in southern Illinois is in Evansville, Ind., which is a hop, skip and a jump away from Carbondale.

Let's also use this to mention the cost of living and sending the kids to school in Chicago is a wee-bit higher than southern Illinois.  That should be taken into consideration and likely would be taken into consideration.

And while the DePaul campus is just around the corner from Children's Memorial Hospital, one of the nation's premier health facilities for children, did I mention that the arena is nowhere near said facility?

That's what I thought.

7.  Who would SIU turn to?

A lot of people used the churning of the rumor mill to send Lowery on his way up I-57.  OK, hypothetically speaking now, Lowery is gone and has taken the DePaul job and is chowing on some Demon Dogs.

(Oh wait.  Demon Dogs doesn't exist any more.  Yet, another reason to not take the DePaul job.)

If you're SIU, where do you go?

Rodney Watson?  Yes.  Watson knows SIU and the region like the back of his hand, and we know he wouldn't take a BCS job over a place he spent 22 years.  And the following sentence is no knock on Rodney, but if Saluki Nation's top priority is a change in the system, why would you want to hire a guy who oversaw the system through four different coaches.

Kent Williams?  Too young.  Too inexperienced.  Would have loved him as an assistant coach, there's a reason Coach Martin at Missouri State tabbed him as one of his assistants.  The Saluki coaching staff is young as it is, which is one of the knocks Saluki fans continue to hark on.

Paul Lusk?  He would be more of a Matt Painter guy, but he was passed over when Lowery took the job in the first place.  You can find a pretty decent read on Lusk here.

And as long as Mario Moccia is the AD at SIU, the first name that will probably be tossed out there is Quin Snyder, who coached at Missouri when Moccia was an assistant AD.

It's a split reaction on how people feel about Snyder.

In any case, SIU would be starting anew.  Not necessarily a place you want to go with the talent on this team.

8.  Diamond Taylor

Imagine having Tony Freeman for four years.  That is what it's going to be like when the 6-foot-4-inch guard from Chicago finally puts on the maroon and white come next season.  Taylor might be the most talented player to come to SIU in Lowery's tenure and will have four years of eligibility.

Coaching a talent like that is a rarity for Southern, and if Lowery could keep him on the straight-and-narrow, the Salukis will be winning more games than the Blue Demons.

9.  Saluki Way


The two seating sections at the north and south ends of the SIU Arena no longer look like they were taken from a local high school gymnasium.  That's just a small step in the right direction for Southern Illinois and the Saluki Way program.

By the time the project is done, SIU will have a renovated arena that Lowery could proudly boast about to Saluki recruits.

There is no Blue Demon Way in Lincoln Park.  And playing in Rosemont excites kids as much as throwing a ball off the wall.

10.  It's still 2010.

Leaving during the middle of the season to coach another team is unprecedented and to my knowledge, it will stay that way.  Sources have told TBDS that DePaul has yet to contact Lowery or his agent.  Though, if and when that contact comes, it will be through Lowery's agent, not through Lowery or Southern Illinois.

(This is why I'm a big fan of buy-out clauses.)

Then there's this quote, which I'll pull from Lindsey Willhite's piece because I can no longer find it on SIU's Web site.

Q: "It's something we have to ask as journalists, but your name came up with the DePaul thing. Is that something that's flattering any time your name comes up with something like that?"

A: "It's a distraction right now. I mean, obviously, it's flattering, but you don't know if it's true or not, and you have to be very careful when you deal with that, because it affects my people here, my players here, and it affects their parents. We have other stuff creeping into their minds that we don't need at this point.

"I'm the head coach here at Southern Illinois, and that's what it's about with these kids. That's why they came here. We would like to think (they came to) Southern Illinois for the university, but it's a package deal, and that's the way college sports are now. They go for the coach, and they go for the school. That's a big part of where athletics has taken off to. "It was different when I was in school. You came because of the school and the reputation of the school, and now, it's not that way, and it's unfortunate. You want your kids in a state of mind where they feel that you're going to coach them and not that you're going to leave them. When that stuff surfaces, it's a negative image of me, and I haven't even created it. So we have to re-state where I am, who I am, and what I mean to them on a daily basis."

There you have it folks.  Have at it in the comments section, if you must.

Is That A Lance In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Ahhhhh yessssssssssss! Let the rumor mill start up!

Via multiple reports, Jerry Wainwright will be canned today as DePaul's head basketball coach.

(Ed.Note: Has been canned.)

Speculation is that one or both of Chris Lowery and Lance Irvin, the SIU men's basketball brain trust, will be in line for that position come April.

Well, as I've said before, if they want Lance a lot, take him.

Good riddance.

But seriously, why would they even want him?

Irvin's biggest draw is that he's related to Mac Irvin, coach of the AAU powerhouse Fire.

But what exactly has Lance brought to the table in Carbondale?

Ryan Hare is his best recruit and didn't last two seasons at SIU. Kevin Dillard played for MeanStreets Express so the talk of Irvin opening up this Chicago pipeline is fiction.

And as for his national pull, we have Gene Teague to show thus far.

Of course, as a freshman, it's far too soon to judge Teague's long term value, but he's averaging under three points and three boards per contest.

Not exactly a diamond in the rough just yet. He's just rough, or rusty, whatever you prefer.

Honestly, if DePaul wants any Irvin, shouldn't it be his kinship Mac?

Might as well hire both of them and clean that Fire cupboard out right away.

But it's not like getting good recruits to go to DePaul is a problem anyway.

Mac Koshwal is the best player on the Blue Demons and he rated out as a four-star prospect according to most outlets. Recent former early NBA draftees include Wilson Chandler and Dar Tucker.

So I'm not really sure either is truly a good hire for DePaul because whoever takes that job has their work cut out for them for one key reason.

Allstate Arena is NOT a college stadium. If you've been to a Blue Demons game this decade you can see the half empty stadium without any college vibes or sense of identity.

The stadium is a good 20-30 minute train ride for DePaul students and they really don't support the team for good reason.

Playing in an overloaded conference, the Big East is far too advanced for DePaul, a school that had success as a member of Conference USA.

Without an identity on or off the court, DePaul will continue to struggle no matter how many Irvins they want to add.

And don't think Lowery wants to jump on this, either.

Lowery is interested in winning and that isn't any easier at DePaul than it is at SIU. Sure, SIU is headed for year three of a downward spiral but there is hope on the horizon.

New, state-of-the-art facilities are coming soon and the core of Saluki team are sophomores or younger.

I have a hard time not seeing Justin Bocot, Anthony Booker, Kevin Dillard and newcomer Diamond Taylor not making a Sweet 16 run or deeper when they reach senior status in two years.

As for DePaul? Have fun in the Big East! It's way more competitive in one of the league's best leagues and the Blue Demons' facilities aren't that of an upper-tier college program.

If Lowery is going to ever leave, it will be for a good/great Big Ten or Big 12 program with a chance of winning a national title. And due to SIU's recent slide, I don't see that opportunity popping up for Lowery for another two years.

We'll revisit the coaching rumors in 2012 friends.

If the world doesn't end, of course.

Jerry Wainwright Out At DePaul, Coaching Carousel Begins

It is never too early to get the coaching carousel spinning.  Especially if you are the DePaul Blue Demons.

According to a report from ESPN's Andy Katz, DePaul has called for an 11 a.m. news conference with men's basketball coach Jerry Wainwright and Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto


Wainwright, who took over my mother's alma mater in 2005 after Dave Leitao left for Virginia after suckering overseeing DePaul's move from Conference USA to the Big East, is as good as gone.

Chicago sports figure David Kaplan chimes in via his Twitter account and announces that assistant Tracy Webster will take over the head coaching duties on an interim basis.

This is where we begin to connect the dots.  Pay close attention, you might get lost along the way.

Let's start here and reference something we wrote back in April.

Sources told WSCR afternoon host Dan Bernstein DePaul had been trying to push Wainwright and his entire staff out the door in an effort to help lure SIU head coach Chris Lowery away from his alma mater. And when Wainwright declined to resign and accept the partial buy-out, heads started to roll.

It was not the first time Lowery has been linked to a power conference gig, nor was it the first time Lowery was linked to the DePaul gig.  In a piece with the Daily Herald, Lindsey Willhite nutted up and asked a damn good question.

(Willhite): OK, I have to ask this only because I see this on the DePaul message boards: They seem to think (Jerry) Wainwright's on his way out and they think somebody like you could come in and save them. You're not going anywhere to save people, are you?

(Note: Lowery's in the second year of a seven-year extension that pays him $750K per year).


(Lowery): The biggest thing for me is, I want to win. That's No. 1. The only way I would leave Southern is if I thought I could go and win somewhere. I make great money. So I don't have to take a job where I feel is going to be detrimental to my career. I don't think I'm going to go anywhere that's detrimental to winning. And that's the thing: I've always been a part of winning, from high school to college to assistant (coach). Every step of the way, I've had some success. At this point, I don't need to go anywhere just for money.

Pay close attention to the language Lowery uses.  He doesn't sound like a man ready to leave.  However, DePaul could be an attractive spot.  It would put Lowery in Chicago, where he has been successful recruiting at times, having brought in players such as Bryan Mullins, Kevin Dillard, Ryan Hare and Tony Freeman.  Lowery also could take advantage of some of the great health benefits Chicago has to offer, including one of the best children's hospitals right in Lincoln Park.

Then again, DePaul has some not-so-good qualities.  It has no true home stadium.  They got rid of its home court advantage years ago to make a little bit more money playing in the Rosemont Horizon Allstate Arena.  The Blue Demons also compete in a stacked Big East conference that features seven schools with RPI rankings of 22 or better.

Not necessarily the kind of place where Lowery could win big and win fast.

And while I know there are many people (just read SalukiTalk and you'll find 'em) that would not mind seeing Lowery take a trip up I-57 and stay there, I just don't think it's happening unless the Blue Demons give him an unbeatable offer he could not pass up.  Still, the DePaul job could shuffle the Saluki coaching staff.

Still with us?  Hope so.

Let's reference another blog we wrote back in late March.

Lance Irvin, who is in his second year as a Saluki assistant and first year with the Associate Head Coach mantra, had his name thrown into the DePaul ring late last year.  Sources confirmed a Chicago Sun-Times noting the Blue Demons' interest in adding Irvin.

So, here we are a year later and I would not be surprised if the Blue Demons come calling again.

Note this passage from the Sun-Times link (now broken):

"[T]his job as an assistant coach at DePaul all comes down to one thing: the Class of 2011. If the head coach at DePaul isn't connected, then the assistant coach has to be ultra-connected to both the Chicago Public League and the AAU scene in the city and suburbs ... With that in mind, it's obvious the new assistant coach absolutely has to have some tie to the Mac Irvin Fire AAU program."



(snip)



The first name is obvious. Southern Illinois assistant coach Lance Irvin is already rumored to be a target. There is no assistant coach more tied into the Mac Irvin Fire AAU team than Lance Irvin, who comes straight from the family tree.

Irvin has already had one go-around with DePaul when he was on Joey Meyer's staff.  I know a lot of people are down on Irvin, especially Saluki fans who expected high-profile recruits from the Mac Irvin fire to come rolling in by the busload.  However, nationally, people love Lance Irvin.  He's a great interview and an intriguing basketball mind.  Granted, I've got insight because I've actually had the opportunity to sit down and have lengthy conversations with the coach, so consider me privileged.

When I last checked in with my DePaul-connected peeps, I was told the Blue Demons would prefer a coach with with strong Chicago ties, just as the Sun-Times story suggested.

Irvin's coaching stock skyrocketed over the summer after attending a black coaches conference.  And in our one-on-one interview back in December, Coach Irvin said his ultimate goal would to be a head coach. 

At this stage, I'll assume there is some buyout involved and DePaul will still be on the hook for some of Wainwright's paycheck.  To me, that means the Blue Demons will be looking for a relatively cheap hire rather than a bank-breaking candidate.

So, what better place for a first job than back in Irvin's home town?

It's January, and we're being completely speculative at this stage of the game.  However, we base this speculation off of written reports from last season, sources we have gathered and connecting some dots along the way.  No coach leaves mid-season to take another job in college basketball.  It just doesn't happen.

And while I'm not 100 percent sure what the future holds for any of the coaches I have named in this blog, I do know an interesting situation when I see one.  Be sure to keep an eye on this one as it develops.  This could be a doozy.

Discuss amongst yourselves, we stayed up way past our bed time to deliver this post.  Time for some shut-eye.

Don't Worry, Chris Lowery's Job Is Safe

It seems like after every loss, yours truly gets a message, an e-mail or is directed to something asking to axe Southern Illinois men's basketball head coach Chris Lowery.

Usually, I roll my eyes.  And maybe I shouldn't.  I'm the guy who wants to launch Lovie Smith and the rest of his remaining staff into the stratosphere as soon as possible.  That analogy got me thinking that might be the reason SIU shouldn't fire Lowery.  Other than the fact that he has four years remaining on a deal worth $750,000 per season.

After each loss by my beloved Bears, you didn't need the most savvy NFL expert to tell you whatever Chicago's football team was running wasn't working.  I know 8-year-old children who have questioned Ron Turner's playcalling.

Nothing is more damning to an offensive coordinator than having to hear a youngster ask, "Why do they keep doing that?" after the 3,756th failed attempt at a bubble screen.

But it is when the Bears win, and the common fan (as well as the seasoned expert) can find holes in the game plan.  And I spend my afternoon celebrating a meaningless victory against the Lions, who couldn't stop a bubble screen if Jay Cutler handed the ball off to a defender in the Maui blue uniforms, then there is a problem.

Now that I think about it, maybe a more apt analogy would be how I feel about Vinny Del Negro.  No.  I just think he's bad.  Well, I just wasted a few precious moments of your time.  The Bulls should fire Vinny Del Negro.  He had never been a coach at any level.  To my knowledge, he has never even managed a Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball team.  That could possibly explain why he doesn't know when to put in his best players.  I hate when I forget to update my rosters daily.

I digress.

In either case, I don't get that feeling when I watch SIU lose games.  Even in last night's debacle, the Saluki defense performed quite well in regard to points allowed (61) and field goal percentage (26 percent in the second half, 38 for the entire game) but its offense was brutal.

Saluki guards staggered throughout the motion offense and looked lost at times, especially in the opening minutes with sophomore guard Kevin Dillard sidelined for an infraction of team rules.  The sharp cuts fans saw during the team's recent six-game winning streak turned into sloppy attempts at getting open.  That turned into turnovers, which turned into Northern Iowa points.

Like Lowery said in the post game, "You don't win six games in a row if you don't have a good team."

SIU still has a good team.  Senior guard Tony Freeman, busted nose and all, is still on board looking to make his senior season a memorable one.  Junior forward Carlton Fay is still posted on the block or on the perimeter, it's not as if he's going anywhere anytime soon.  And the core of young guards that people have fallen in love with, guys like Justin Bocot, Kendal Brown-Surles and John Freeman are still sporting the maroon and white.

Heck, even Anthony Booker has broke free from his early-season slumber to be a very productive sixth man for SIU.

Last night's loss was more of a lack of execution rather than game planning, in my humble opinion.  When SIU had fast break opportunities, they were quick to turn it over.  Ball movement was non-existent throughout the match-up and defensive rotations were slow to get around to the shooters.

Some would call it an off night.

Personally, I'm not sure what to call it.

After winning six straight games and starting the season 9-2, including back-to-back wins to start the conference season, SIU has lost two straight to the two teams I thought would be at the top of the Valley standings all year long.

The alma mater currently sits at 9-4 (2-2 MVC) through 13 games.  A year ago today, SIU improved its record to 6-9 (1-3 MVC) with a 74-62 win at Wichita State.  Freshman Ryan Hare led the way with 18 points.

The Salukis finished with only 13 wins that season in the school's first losing season since the end of the Rich Herrin Era.  With 16 games to go in the regular season, Southern would have to go 4-12 down the stretch to match that 13-win mark.  This team is too good to that.

But if for some reason this team losses 12 of its final 16 games, then you could start asking to push coach off the Pulliam Clock Tower.  On the flip side, if SIU goes 12-4 down the stretch, giving SIU a 21-win campaign going into the conference tournament, I'm sure my inbox will be filled with "I don't want a BCS school to scoop up our coach again" e-mails.

It's the ying and the yang that makes analyzing college hoops fun for yours truly.

Until then, relax.  Or don't.  Keep firing away those e-mails, calling in talk shows and lighting up message boards.  I doubt that a university so strapped for cash would be willing to pay for two coaches, especially when one will be making $750,000 to not coach the team.

In the end, there's plenty of basketball to be played, and hopefully, plenty more victories for the Egyptian Hunting Dawgs.

Is Chris Lowery Tweaking The System?

Predicated on rugged defense and timely scoring, The System has needed some adjusting after a 13-18 season.  With Chris Lowery at the helm, there has been a subtle tweak in The System.  And I think I found it.

What is The System?  Well, for starters, it's so important that it needs to be capitalized.

The System helped put the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team back on the college basketball map and led the squad to a run of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of Sweet Sixteen runs from 2002 to 2007.

The System is best described here by Paul Klee.  It's arguably the most well-written piece about Saluki basketball in the last decade or so.

I feel as if sometimes people forget that Lowery, while being a descendant from the Bruce Weber Coaching Tree (yes, that gets capitalization in my world), the sixth-year man from Evansville, Ind., is truly a Rich Herrin understudy, harking back to his days as a player.

Lowery was the Salukis floor general from 1990-94 where he led the Salukis to a pair of NIT berths and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.  He scored 1,225 points in his career while dishing 391 assists as a Saluki.  C-Lo paced one of the most potent offenses in school history.

If you catch Lowery at practice (and you ask nicely) he'll take you back down memory lane and talk about Herrin's coaching style and philosophies.  It's a conversation worth having with the Saluki head coach.  The Salukis ran, and ran, and ran some more.  Under Herrin, if you could not score then you would not see the floor.  It was a pretty simple philosophy under that regime of Saluki basketball.

You might miss it if you blink, but there is a change in how things are being done inside the SIU Arena.

Through seven games, the SIU men's basketball team sports a record of 5-2 and is averaging 78.1 points per game.  Nearly one year ago, the Salukis were 3-4 and had reached the 70-point mark once -- a 79-70 loss at Western Kentucky on the night before Thanksgiving.  As a point of comparison, SIU averaged 66 points per game through seven contests last season.

Maybe Lowery has taken my old "you can't win if you don't score" adage to heart, as the Salukis have averaged a whopping 83.4 points per game in the team's five victories.  Lost in the shuffle is the team's defensive effort, as Southern has limited opponents to an average of 64.8 points per game.  That is exactly where Lowery and his staff want that number to be.

However, in the team's two losses, SIU is averaging 65 points per game while its opponents are averaging 75 points per match-up.

Overall, the production is up on the Carbondale campus, which might strike some who didn't see this coming considering Southern was returning most of its core before losing Ryan Hare to disciplinary issues.

So, how is SIU doing it?  I might regret crunching these numbers down the line because it is still a small sample size, but I have to do it because the numbers are eye-popping.

Here are three keys to Saluki success.

1.  Tony Freeman is an improvement over Bryan Mullins.  (Gasp!)  Get the noose and your most sturdy tree ready, children.  This one's gonna be a barn burner.  B-Mull is a future Saluki Hall of Famer, but Tony Freeman is more valuable to the 2009-10 squad.

Freeman is averaging 13.2 points per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 48 percent from the 3-point line, all while averaging a shade under 25 minutes per game.  While Mullins handled business in the steals and assist departments, Freeman's presence on the floor has been equally as steadying for the young Salukis

Efficiency is what is separating Freeman from Mullins.  I ran some adjusted stats on Freeman's numbers, and if he averaged Mullins' minutes through seven games last year, T-Free would be averaging eight more points per game than Mullins did as a senior.  It's almost like comparing apples and oranges, but it is hard to ignore the quality minutes Freeman is providing.

2.  Nick Evans is an improvement over Tony Boyle.  Consider me to be one of the many members of the Nick Evans bandwagon.  If Evans played baseball, White Sox GM Kenny Williams would have traded his top two prospects for him twice already.  He's a grinder, a scrapper, a nose-to-the-hardwood kind of kid.

And he's doing more as a sophomore than Tony Boyle did as a senior.

At this time last year, Evans was sidelined with a busted wrist.  A healthy Evans is averaging 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.  Boyle averaged 8 points and 4.4 rebounds through seven games last year, but did so on an inconsistent basis.  He played fewer than 20 minutes in four of the first five games before busting out with a 33 minute game against Charlotte.

What gives Evans' start in 2010 the edge over TB is his efficiency shooting the basketball.  Boyle shot at a 45 percent clip through the first third of the season while Evans is currently shooting a whopping 64.6 percent from the field.  He has been consistent with his playing time, his shot attempts and efficiency, having not shot below 50 percent since opening the season against UT-Martin.

3.  Better shot selection.  SIU relied so heavily on the 3-ball throughout last season, by the end of the year, tired legs caught up to the team.  SIU is shooting fewer 3-point shots this time around, and it is showing in the stat sheet.  The Salukis are scoring more points and shooting at a higher clip.

Through seven games, the Dawgs are shooting 46.9 percent from the field.  If they can carry this pace throughout the season and end at 46.9, it will be the team's best shooting percentage since the 2002-03 season where the team shot 47 percent from the field and averaged 74.4 points per game.

SIU hasn't scored with that kind of success since.

Some of it is talent.  Some of it comes down to luck.  But really it comes down to the kind of players Lowery has brought into the system.  Lowery's recent recruiting classes have included an influx of team speed starting with Kevin Dillard, Justin Bocot and Kendal Brown-Surles.  Up front, there's also speed with Anthony Booker and Nick Evans.  These Dawgs seem more willing to push the tempo more than any other recent Lowery squad.

It's almost as if Floorburn U was shelved for RoadRunner U.

Sometimes, that leads to some turnovers -- especially when Dillard misfires on alley-oops.  But that comes with youtful exuberance and I look the other way when it happens.  I'm curious to see how the 5-2 Salukis play when they hit Missouri Valley Conference play.  There's no telling how it will go, but here's hoping whatever is spurring Southern's strong start continues in Las Vegas and beyond.

Lowery, Weber Need To Make Things Work

See what I did there?  Went with the throwback Bruce Weber pic of when he once upon a time coached the Saluki men's basketball team.

Bruce should remember what it was like being the low-man on the totem poll.  Which is why I'm surprised he refuses to schedule a home-and-home with SIU.

Weber cites travel costs for not playing Southern, or any of Illinois' in-state rivals on their home turf.  I cite that he is taking his playcalls from AD Ron Guenther.  Trust me, I know it is not much of a burden to drive down I-57 from Champagne-Urbana to Carbondale.  I used the Olympian Dr. pit stop all the time.  (Mobile-Dairy Queen FTW!)

And I am really sick of hearing coaches say it's a no-win situation for us in regard to playing a team such as SIU.  (By the way: If playing SIU is a no-win situation, why did Guenther schedule the Saluki football team to play the Illini.  In college football, a loss to a FCS team hurts more than it would in college basketball.  See: Appalachian State v. Michigan.  Just saying.)  When Southern was winning upward of 20 games a year, Valley titles and NCAA Tournament games, a win against the Salukis, whose RPI was always in the upper echelon of college basketball, would have been worth the drive to Carbondale.  Bruce knows that if he played a game in Carbondale, it would not only be good for his team -- to possibly get a quality win on the road without having to extend the budget too far -- but for his former school as well.  If the game was played on a Saturday night, SIU would get a huge revenue boom.  So would the businesses of the southern Illinois region.

Heck, this could be the game that helps saves southern Illinois' budget woes.  I kid, of course, but not when it comes to the game itself.

The funny thing is that Lowery is not innocent in this at all.  (I know, me criticizing CL? Shocker, huh?)  I was never able to confirm this rumor with a SIU official, but it was passed across my desk back when I was on campus (and I know it crossed the airwaves of others as well) that North Carolina offered Southern a 3-for-1 that would have covered the Tatum-Young sophomore, junior and senior years, along with the Falker-Shaw senior season.  Lowery isn't big on 2-for-1s.  No one in the athletic department is, so I'm not surprised it was shot down (assuming it was ever offered, of course) by the Salukis.

But at what point do you accept a 2-for-1 for the good of the program?  I mean, the notoriety of playing an elite BCS school has got to be worth something to recruits.  Lowery said he prided himself on playing some of college basketball's best teams and that it was attractive to recruits.

Don't believe me.  Don't forget about where I came from?

(Chris) Lowery said playing against one of college basketball's elite programs on the nation's biggest stage won't faze the Salukis, no matter how exciting the experience may become.

Lowery said the players are embracing the opportunity because they expected to play quality opponents when they signed on with SIU.

"This is why we recruited them; we said we're going to play the best teams. That's why we attracted these kids because those are promises we can make," Lowery said.

I wonder if there is a point where Lowery and AD Mario Moccia come out with guns blazin' saying "We'll play anybody, anywhere, any time."

Southern significantly scaled back its non-conference schedule, even though it features two trips to Las Vegas.  Rumor has it that UCLA offered SIU a one-and-done game to travel to the West coast.  I would have accepted it in a heartbeat if I knew UCLA would fall to Cal State Fullerton (and assuming SIU doesn't have to make two trips out west already.)

So, to keep the budgets online and to keep the Chicago alumni base (which includes yours truly) happy, here are some games I believe the Salukis should try to find a way to schedule.

Yeah coach, we're going thattaway!

1. DePaul.  This could make for an interesting home-and-home series.  For SIU, it would provide the chance to say it knocked off a Big East team ... kind of like when the football team defeated a woeful Indiana team for its victory against a Big Ten opponents.  On the other hand, the Blue Demons would square off against a team closer to its talent level while also preparing for a "punch-you-in-the-mouth" kind of game.

2.  Northwestern.  Alright, so one Big Ten team in this state won't play you.  How about going up toward the Chicagoland area and play Northwestern.  For the Wildcats, playing SIU would in a way mimic a brutal, sluggish Big Ten game without actually having to play a conference game.  The Salukis would then have a chance to appeal to their Chicago audience while also getting a chance to play a Big Ten opponent with an unorthodox style.

3.  The Illinois Invitational starring Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Bradley, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago and Illinois-Chicago.  There is a part of me that thinks the alumni base for each of these universities in Chicago is big enough to get this tournament to be played at the United Center.  But for argument's sake, we'll play it at the Rosemont Horizon, which some of you know it as the AllState Arena, which is a stone's throw from O'Hare Airport.  (I mean it.  If you gave Ichiro or Vlad a baseball, they could probably hit the building from an O'Hare tarmac.) 

As for the tournament itself, you could pit SIU, UIC, NIU and EIU on one side Illinois State, Bradley, WIU, Loyola on the other side.  It would be difficult to get this one to go because I'm sure SIU, ISU and Bradley do not want to face each other three times (possibly four times if you count the MVC Tournament) in a year.  But putting Jim Les' Blago hair-led team on one side and the Fighting Osiris' on the other side of a bracket could mean a prime-time match-up of one of the state's most intense college basketball rivalries.

4.  Just play the Illini already.  If I was in power at SIU (and Lord willing, maybe someday I will be) this would be my pitch to the U of I.  We'll use the upcoming hoops season as a hypothetical situation.

• One game at Assembly Hall (2010)
  
• One game at the United Center in Chicago (2011)
• One game in Saint Louis (2012)

Who's the loser in this situation.  Illinois would get its home game on campus.  SIU gets the exposure it wants in Chicago.  The neutral court game in St. Louis could attract another set of alumni, along with some Illinoisans who see the The Lou as a much more affordable travel destination.

Notice I left off a game at SIU Arena.  Here's the catch.  I would pitch to Guenther (or whoever was involved) what baseball people would call a vesting option for a game in Carbondale.  meaning, if you hit X in attendance numbers of the first three games, the option to play at SIU is automatically picked up.  If the attendance numbers don't add up, the game doesn't happen.

Plain and simple no?

Comments in the section area, please.  We've been lacking there thus far.  But we appreciate you commenting on Facebook and Twitter.

Dawgs Drop 91 In Opener? Who Are These Guys?

For those of you who are unaware, the Saluki is a breed of Egyptian hunting dog.  Hah.  Tell that to the University of Tennessee-Martin men's basketball team. 

For 40 minutes, Southern Illinois University's men's basketball team played like attack dogs as it scored 90 points for the first time since the 2003-04 season as the Salukis beat the Skyhawks 91-63.

Matt Painter's Salukis (who went 17-1 vs. MVC foes in his lone year at the helm) hung 93 in a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game against Evansville.  The last time Southern had put at least 90 on the scoreboard in a regular season game was against Drake earlier that season as the Dawgs dominated Drake, 96-76.

I don't expect the Salukis to score 90 every night, neither does head coach Chris Lowery, however, Southern's offense should be much improved from last season.  In fact, it might be the most talented offensive unit Lowery has had since taking over at his alma mater following Painter.

SIU showed its depth as eight different players scratched the scoring column, and five players hit the double-figure scoring mark.  Southern's starting guards (Kevin Dillard, Tony Freeman and Justin Bocot) combined to score 33 points.  Dillard had 14, Freeman added 10 and Bocot finished with nine.  Off the bench, the guards were aided by 12 points off the bench by freshman Kendal Brown-Surles, and seven more each from Jack Crowder and swingman John Freeman.

Because of their abundance of guards, Southern should be significantly better.

Then there's junior Carlton Fay, who came off the bench to score 18 points in 15 minutes.  There's only one ball on the court, but there are eight guys who could score double figures on any given night.  That number climbs to 10 if Nick Evans and Eugene Teague go nutso on the offensive boards.

So, what sparked the balanced effort?  Well, that was a question posed last night to the coach.

"It comes from our patience. I thought we were much more patient and really tried to ball control and go inside more," Lowery said in his post game press conference. "I like my team because they don't understand why I'm so hard on them. But if we keep playing and practicing hard, then good things will happen for us."

So, maybe SIU's aggressive practices are translating to aggressive play on the court.  The Salukis shot 30 free throws last night, sinking 21 of them.  Lowery said he was happy with the team shooting at a 70 percent clip and set a team goal to shoot 30 free throws per game, and while UT-Martin shot upward of 30 free throws, the coach had an explantation on why they failed to be as successful as Southern's shooters.

"We fouled them too but we wore them down physically, so when they were getting to the line they were very tired," Lowery explained. He would then go into how wearing down an opponent could help spark some future Saluki offense. "It shows that we're slowly starting to get how i want to play defense back. Once we figure out some more things and continue to learn about positioning defensively, we'll turn those turnovers into points more."

Where have we heard this before?  Better yet, where have see seen this before?  SIU's defense has been so good at forcing turnovers over the years, but everyone always wonders why the team rarely attempts to capitalize on its opponents mistakes via the fast break.  Those days might be behind us as this year's Southern squad features enough ball handlers to push the break and enough big men willing to run.

As much as we've heard about style changes with this team, maybe it is the change in the kind of personnel that might prove to be the biggest difference in Saluki Basketball this season.

Though we're only one game in, I like what I have seen thus far.  I also like what I hear, too.  Especially from sophomore forward Anthony Booker after being asked how he felt after getting a win that counts his belt.

"Every game counts for me. Whether it's exhibition or regular season or not.  Even though they don't count for stats, they measure how well we do as a team," Booker said. "Every game counts, but it's also good to get that first "W" to show the SIU fans that we mean business and that we're getting back to defense."

I'm not sure that Southern Illinois can score 91 points per game this season, but I do know if its "D" can turn into "O" the Salukis will rack up a lot of "Ws" this season.

Chris Lowery Gettin' Interactive

Once upon a time, SIU men's basketball coach Chris Lowery was apprehensive about Twitter, to say the least.  In an interview before I went mainstream, Lowery said he was unsure about Twitter because he hadn't looked much into it.  He knew its pros and cons, but was unsure whether or not he would add the social networking tool.

Now, it seems as if you can't get the guy off the thing.

Lowery's latest trips into the Twitterverse ask Saluki fans several questions.

• Saluki fans- what is your most memorable moment at SIU Arena?8:52 AM Nov 9th from web 
• Saluki fans- who should start in the home opener?10:33 PM Nov 8th from web  
• Saluki fans- who has been your favorite player through the exhibition games?6:04 PM Nov 8th from web

Some have brought it to the attention of TBDS, asking whether or not a man making $750,000 a year should be asking his followers to do his job for him.  Those people, in my humble opinion, really must be looking for straws to pick in regard to Lowery's coaching ability.

He's frowned upon when he looks like a big meanie.  He loosens up, and he still gets ridiculed.  We've played two exhibition games and people ask these stupid questions.

Now, I know some of them were made in jest.  Still, what does it hurt for the coach to ask his fans who they would like in the starting five on opening night?  It hurts nothing.  Except maybe your fingers if you type too quickly.

Oh, and for what it's worth, here would be my starting five after two preseason games.

1. Dillard
2. T. Freeman
3. Bocot
   
4. Fay
5. Evans
   

That's right, Nick Evans' play has put him in my projected starting five.  In 44 minutes of play, Evans has scored 19 points, 13 rebounds and is shooting 8 of 16 from the field.  Booker has struggled.  He's hit only two of his eight field goal attempts in and grabbed three rebounds in his 29 minutes of playing time.  I'm sure hurting his head in Saturday's win against Southern Indiana compounded matters, as well.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Evans in the starting line-up on Saturday night.  He certainly has earned it through the exhibition season.


And while I have the forum, I might as well answer Coach Lowery's other questions.


Favorite Player Through Preseason: Kendal Brown-Surles.


It's almost a shame that Brown-Surles didn't come in as hyped as the previous class of Saluki freshmen, because he is equally as talented.  Through two exhibition games, KBS seems to fit the mold of your prototypical Southern guard.  He values the ball on offense (4 assists, 1 turnover in 36 minutes) and pressures it on defense (8 steals).  He's not quick ... he's just flat-out fast.


Everyone knows that I hate making projections after exhibition games, especially when it comes to college kids.  (Some of you will remember the pre-TBDS days when I proclaimed Matt Shaw as MVC POY, Carlton Fay FOY and Randal Falker Sixth Man of the Year after a Saluki game -- albeit tongue in cheek.)  But there is no discounting the effort Brown-Surles puts on the floor.  You can see it in the way he plays.  And the fact of the matter is, effort always translates no matter who you play.


Favorite SIU Arena Moment:  Oh, so many to choose from.


And since there are several, I'll pick my top three-and-a-half.

1.  My 1st Creighton Game.  As a freshman, I attended every home game while school was in session, but my first Dawg Pound experience was the Creighton game.


I remember the weekend very well.  Valentine's Day was around the corner and my roommate had decided that trying to make a girl that was six hours away his girlfriend was more important than the Valley's most intense rivalry.  (Note: maybe that's why I'm still single -- no I don't regret my decisions.)  Anyway, I yelled, screamed and heckled as the Maroon & White defeated the evil Creighton Swallows Bluejays.  And in the end, I ate the chocolate covered strawberries my roommie had made for his potential lover, but had left behind.


Epic win?


2.  My Last Creighton Game (as a fan).  Who can ever forget the ESPN GameDay game?  That whole day was an experience.  Again, that was during the pre-TBDS days.  The 48-44 win for SIU yielded plenty of highlights.  Including the now-infamous picture with Erin Andrews, who complimented my sign, autographed it and then posed for a picture.

We won't ever speak of the day in which the last time I saw SIU and Creighton square off at the SIU Arena.  Worst.  Day.  Ever.  On more than one account.



3.  "The Media Pick-up Game."  It is a day that still stands as one of my favorite moments as a Saluki beat writer.  Southern had an extended film session, pushing back the start of practice.  Rather than leave and return for interviews, media members were allowed to pick up a ball and have a brief shoot around before the players and coaching staff took the floor.


We took advantage of the opportunity, of course.  So, it was Southern Illinoisan beat writer Todd Hefferman, a pair of TV guys whose names I always seem to forget.  Oh, and Phil Oskilanec -- now at ESPN Radio -- was there too.


We shot freely.  Then we attempted to do the Giant City Chicken game. (Lay up, free throw, 3 pointer in 30 seconds) and i was the only one to not make his three. (FAIL, I know).  But what I will claim is that in our game of 21, yours truly scored a few buckets, none more clutch than his drive to the lane while being fouled by Todd.  Of course, you don't call fouls in 21, but he got me across the arm pretty good.  He won't admit it, but I wouldn't expect him to.  He's followed Saluki basketball long enough to know it's not a foul unless there's blood or until the refs blow the whistle -- whichever comes first.



I hope answering these questions was helpful to Coach Lowery.  Maybe I'll forward him this blog post.  Or maybe someone can do it for me.

Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow: Salukis Dismiss Sophomore Guard

Two days after the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team tipped off its season with its annual Maroon Madness, the team finds itself without an integral member of the team.

Sophomore guard Ryan Hare was dismissed from the team according to a release via the school's Web site on Sunday night.  Hare averaged 7.5 points per game and started 26 of the team's 31 games as a freshman.  In September, Hare was suspended after being arrested and charged with felony battery and trespassing.

TBDS sources have informed the blog that the charges stemmed from a fight that might be related to a domestic issue.  Hare was given a second chance, but citing a violation of team rules (also known as breaking whatever rules Coach Lowery laid down after the suspension) Hare was dismissed and has left the SIU Carbondale campus.


On the court, the Chicago native drew favorable comparisons to former Saluki great Stetson Hairston.  Like Hairston, Hare was a left-handed shooting grinder who excelled on the defensive end of the court.  I would make the argument that Hare was the team's best on-the-ball defender after senior guard Bryan Mullins bit the dust with a stress fracture injury.

Hare was expected to log heavy minutes for the Salukis in the upcoming 2010 season.  But rumors of his dismissal started as whispers on Friday when Hare was not announced, nor was he in attendance at the team's Maroon Madness event.  The rumors were put to rest Sunday with the official announcement of the dismissal.

So, you won't see Ryan Hare in any of the upcoming Saluki previews that will be posted over the next two weeks.  It's a shame, too.  Soft-spoken and always polite with the media whether the mic was on or off, Hare looked poised to be another great Saluki guard in Southern's stable of backcourt ballers.

Hare is the second member of the much-heralded 2008 recruiting class that also landed guard Kevin Dillard and forward Anthony Booker.  Guard Torres Roundtree left the team after the team's Dec. 31 loss against Northern Iowa.  Hare is the sixth Saluki to leave Lowery's program after playing in the system, joining Roundtree, Christian Cornelius, Joshua Bone, Brandon Wood and Mike Dale.  Other Saluki commitments to never make the court include Josh Tabb, who was snagged by Bruce Pearl at Tennessee and Drew Barham, who got picked up by Memphis after backing out of his commitment in one of the strangest recruiting sagas (see: total bullshit on behalf of Memphis recruiting -- which really shouldn't shock anyone) in recent memory.

Hare's dismissal will likely set off a backlash in the southern Illinois.

At times, there is a divide among the Southern Illinois community.  Chicago and its surrounding suburbs make up a healthy chunk of the Carbondale campus.  And like yours truly, some of the northern kids become Southern transplants.  It's an awkward situation that sometimes sets off rivalries between former city slickers and life long members of a tight-knit rural community.  I have already received backlash as "you Chicago kids" are apparently no good despite the fact that I have a clean record.

It would not surprise me to hear and read those types of comments on blogs, in comment sections and on message boards.  When really, a small sample size shouldn't put everyone in a dark light.

In the end, a black eye for my alma mater is a black eye for everyone involved.

Silence Surrounds Saluki Hoops Verbals

It's October 1, do you know where your verbals are?

Surprisingly for the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team, they are not anywhere to be found at this point.  Signing day is a little more than a month away and there has yet to been a peep from anyone anywhere in regard to the Class of 2010.

Unless the Salukis suffer from a mid-season departure, which would be very surprising at this point, the team will only have one available scholarship as Iowa transfer Tony Freeman is the squad's only senior.

In regard to the Class of 2010, I get asked about four players in particular.  Your precious answers are after the jump.

JORDAN THRELOFF

Therloff is a 6-10 center from DeKalb, Ill., who would be an absolute catch for the Salukis.  Unlike many kids his age with his size, Threloff is somewhat of a polished product that could be productive out of the shoot.

For SIU to land a player of his caliber, head coach Chris Lowery will need to outduel fellow Missouri Valley Conference schools such as Drake and Illinois State, not to mention mid-major up-and-comer Western Kentucky. And at this point, Southern looks like it's on the back burner.

However, there are two major issues with Threloff.  And the problem is, it is the same issue that plagues a lot of Southern Illinois, as well as other mid-major recruits.

Where's the BCS schollie at?  Whether the kid has a dream school or feels that he could do much better than playing for a Goliath-slaying upstart, it seems as if all of these kids have dreams of playing for the big boys.  Sometimes, the big boys get their catch.  At that point, the player becomes one of two things.  A role player in two or three years, or in most cases, buried on the bench as a has-been or a never was.

(See: Josh Tabb.)

DePaul has offered, but despite them being in the Big East, I fail to recognize my mother's alma mater as a BCS School.  (Hope she doesn't read this or she might change the locks on me.)  Iowa was once in on Threloff, but the mass exodus that has taken place in recent years might (and should) scare him off.

Then there's playing time.  Better yet, the lack of it.  The opposition will use the fact that Threloff might be lost among the trees Southern already has planted in its frontcourt.  Carlton Fay will be entering his senior year and the ever-so-talented former four-star recruit Anthony Booker and Nick Evans will be a juniors when Threloff is a freshman.  The frontcourt finds itself a little more crowded when taking into consideration South Florida/prep school transfer Eugene Teague will be a sophomore, while Jordan Myers could join him or be held back as a redshirt freshman -- a tactic that has been popular throughout Southern's successful runs in the Valley.

PHILLIP JACKSON

Another talented big man that could help bring SIU some frontcourt depth.  But how much is depth worth when it comes with a headache.

At 6-foot-9 with ties to the Mac Irvin Fire, which is operated by the father of the Salukis' top assistant Lance Irvin, Jackson seems to be a shoe-in for a Southern scholarship.  Not so fast.  There are too many red flags in my eye that need to be answered before I go jumping for joy upon hearing a verbal from this kid.  He has been rumored to change AAU programs and high schools like an indecisive girlfriend changes her stance on your best friends.

Jackson is another one of those cats looking for the bigger offer and could get one based on potential alone.  But would likely fall into the pay-no-mind list once he steps on one of the big boys' campus.  And honestly, does SIU want any more distractions in light of the recent Ryan Hare saga?

MIKE MCCALL

McCall might be the most intriguing prospect for the Salukis.  He's a city boy who would seem to be the perfect fit in the Saluki backcourt.  But once again, he falls under the "I want a bigger fish" tree as he continues to search out a BCS offer.

And like Threloff and Jackson, McCall has to look at SIU's situation and weight the possibility of being lost in a crowded backcourt.  SIU will return Kevin Dillard, Justin Bocot, Kendal Brown-Surles, Jack Crowder and John Freeman -- and probably Hare.  The good news is that Southern is always a guard-oriented team, and Lowery has shown at times, a willingness to run a four-guard set.  As much as everyone wants to have a towering front court, there is no denying the Salukis' strength has been in their guard play.

DEANDRE MCCAMEY

This might be the wild card for SIU.  McCamey spent most of last season injured, so to not hear him offer up a verbal yet is the least surprising of the four names I get asked about the most.   We might not hear anything from him for a while -- or at least until the high school hoops season kicks off.

The last I've heard on the situation is that the Salukis are still "in" with McCamey.  The would be quite a grab for SIU -- and if he is a little apprehensive in regard to his injury it could play into the Salukis' hands.  Just throw a redshirt on him and watch him grow.

THE ALTERNATIVE

This is the part that might start a sh*tstorm, so prepare yourself.

There is a distinct possibility that SIU does not even use the scholarship in 2010.  (Cue the fearful screams.)  Lowery and his staff might hold onto the scholarship for the highly touted 2011 class.  Contrary to popular belief, this might be a good idea.

Questions Saluki fans need to ask are as follows:

• Where do you put a freshman guard in 2010? Do you start him in front of Dillard, Bocot, Brown-Surles, Crowder, Freeman or Hare?  All of those guys will be juniors or seniors in 2010. They can find themselves in the rotation, but could be a malcontent if they don't get the playing time they think they've earned as a freshman.
• Where do you put a freshman forward?  Booker is set to have an excellent sophomore year, as is Evans.  Teague needs minor work and could be a dominant force when he is a junior or senior.  You're not starting a freshman over Carlton Fay during his senior season.
  

Right now, I don't blame Chris Lowery if he let the scholarship run over to the 2011 season.  Other than Hare's misstep, SIU seemed to gel this offseason -- and with a favorable schedule ahead of itself -- should be in line to flip its 18-loss 2008-09 season into at least an 18-win year in 2010.

Such a year could help SIU reign in a recruiting coup in 2011.

Hare's Legal Trouble Comes At Bad Time For Optimistic Lowery

It was only a few weeks ago when things were looking bright for Saluki hoops.

Blessed with good timing, yours truly was able to sit down with Southern Illinois men's basketball head coach Chris Lowery a few weeks ago in Carrier Mills, Ill.  Lowery was there to speak to youngsters and encourage them to strive to be their best and be on their best behavior for the upcoming school year.

Afterward, I caught up with Lowery and chatted about everything from old times on the Saluki beat, our favorite Michael Jordan memories ... and eventually the future of Saluki basketball.

The SIU front man seemed to express plenty of optimism in regard to the 2009-10 team.  Sure, it lost senior leader Bryan Mullins.  But the team was also rid of distractions, controversy and other in-house issues that plagued the team during a disappointing 13-18 season. 

After a summer that saw improvements by players such as Kevin Dillard and Nick Evans on the court and in the weight room, you couldn't blame Lowery for feeling good about an upcoming season with a favorable schedule that will feature 17 home games on the docket.

And then guard Ryan Hare found himself in trouble with the law. 

I'm not sure of all the details, so I won't go as far as to talk about what I've heard.  But on paper, charges such as "aggravated battery" and "criminal trespassing on a residence after a fight" should not be taken likely.  Hare has been suspended indefinitely from the program, but what that means at this point is still debatable until further notice.

The good news, if there is such a thing, is that Lowery has already been in this predicament -- having to suspend guards Stetson Hairston and Mike Dale prior to the 2004-05 season for their legal issues.  They were later reinstated.  Jamaal Tatum had to serve his time as well thanks to a DUI charge.  I say this is good news because Lowery already knows how to handle off-the-court adversity, which will help greatly for a team that is still young despite being a year older.

Of the Lowery Era suspensions, Tatum has gone on to become a role model in the southern Illinois region with his basketball camps for kids and other community service deals.  Hairston has taken a positive step forward as well, as he now molds the minds and skill sets of young basketball players as a coach.  Mike Dale and I once had a class together.  I say once because I saw him on the first day of class and never saw him again.  He left the team that season and has never been heard from again.

The point is that Lowery is the kind of coach that prides himself on the development of his players on and off the court.  You should hear him gush over Mullins' success in the classroom, on the court, and now, overseas.  The same can be said about other pupils such as Matt Shaw and Randal Falker -- both of whom came back this summer to visit Lowery and the Saluki basketball family after successful stints in Spain and France, respectively.

So, what's next for Lowery's basketball family?  Probably a healthy dose of discipline.  I reckon the remaining Saluki ballers will be on their best behavior until the clouds clear on this situation.  If not, darker days will loom for my alma mater's basketball team.

Saluki Basketball Guard Ryan Hare Suspended Indefinitely

It is never fun when a team must deal with legal troubles on the outside. The Southern Illinois University men’s basketball team was known to be a young squad last year, and that was an excuse on the court.

Unfortunately, the youth took another turn over the weekend as sophomore guard Ryan Hare was arrested for aggravated battery and criminal trespassing.

Head Coach Chris Lowery announced today that Hare has been suspended indefinitely. Hare was a key performer last year, with 26 starts and appearances in every game during his freshman year.

Lowery's twitter update reads, "It is always tough when you have to discipline people in your family. The most important thing is that a lesson is learned from it."

Hare was a bigger guard, with the ability to get to the rim despite not being as quick as some people. He was also able to use his long arms on defense, and was one of the better Saluki defenders a year ago…something that is very important in Coach Lowery’s system.

Carbondale police said they responded to a fight at 9:20 am on Saturday. Hare was sent to Jackson County Jail. The victim, an acquaintance of Hare, was treated at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and released.

Indefinitely can mean a lot of things. Right now, Hare has bigger troubles than just basketball. I wish him, his family and the team the best as they get through this. The 20-year-old Hare is still maturing, and unfortunately, this is a step backwards in the process.

Jamaal Tatum, a former star guard under Lowery, was once charged with a DUI. Tatum was very remorseful and learned from the mistake. He became one of SIU's leaders on and off the court.

Now, a young Hare brings another legal issue to the team. Again, basketball is not the top priority right now. We still do not have all the details, but there are enough there for Lowery to suspend his key performer indefinitely.

Cleaning Out The Inbox: Five Things That Needed To Be Addressed

Our TBDS intern checks the mail.

You probably thought your computer was broken.

There was so much to blog about this weekend, and all yours truly could muster up is the following:

• SIU was good, but not good enough.
• Sam Bradford and Richard Seymour are screwed in their own respective ways. 

So, this is me, remembering that I have a blog, cleaning out my inbox.


C-Lo Loves Notre Dame

Let the speculation begin on where SIU head basketball coach Chris Lowery will be collecting his next pay check.  Of course, I say that in jest, en lieu of recent tweets by Lowery -- who apparently is a Notre Dame fan.

Before someone goes AWOL over Lowery's allegiances, take note that CL is an Evansville, Ind., native.  Have the Purple Aces even ever had a football team?  And if not for Antwaan Randle-El, you could have asked the same question about the Hoosiers' football squad.  As for Indiana State, well, they're the Detroit Lions of college football.

Lowery and I had a pretty good coach-reporter relationship when I covered the Saluki beat. I'm kind of glad I never busted out with the Charlie Weis fat jokes, I'd hate to lose a source over a misplaced joke at Weis' expense.

Debunking DeRosa


Not an inbox message, but something I felt the need to address.  After the Cubs' 4-2 loss against the Mets on Sunday, I flipped around Chicago radio stations as I tried to find some good post-game banter.  Eventually, I came across a caller who favorably compared Mark DeRosa to Ryne Sandberg.

Sandberg's career numbers vs. DeRosa's career numbers.  I can see where he's coming from ... it looks like the loony bin!


In fact, Another Cubs Blog (fitting title for a blog)a Jeff Baker/Mike Fontenot platoon would have outperformed DeRosa this year.  Despite my inner hatred for Fontenot, he was put in a position to fail by manager Lou Piniella from day one this season.  The only way Fontenot should have seen a left-handed pitcher should have been from the dugout.


You know who else has been better than DeRosa?  Milton Bradley.  It's easy for DeRosa's Chicago fan boys to note his 21 homers and 69 ribbies while ignoring his .260/.331/.445/.777 line overall and his .244/.313/.425/.738 line since joining the Cardinals.  "But he's so clutch" fans will cry out.  He's got one more go-ahead hit than Bradley does this season.  When he starts, his teams are 55-57.  When Bradley starts, the Cubs are 52-49.

Cubs fans need to find a new player to crush over before DeRosa breaks their hearts again when he signs in a city other than Chicago.

Speaking of Bradley...


Lots of "let's trade Milton Bradley" rants recently.  And while he might be a certified nutjob, I'm not sure how trading a right fielder with an .801 OPS makes your offense better.



Speaking of the certifiably insane, what's up D. Lee?


Tell me if this sounds familiar.  Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee is having an other-worldly season despite starring for a team mired in mediocrity being run by a manager who seems to be losing touch with the game.


It's 2005 all over again.  Lee is absolutely mashing the ball to the tune of 31 homers, 96 ribbies and a .954 OPS.  The Cubs need to win 21 of their next 25 games just to reach 90 wins -- which would mean the team would come seven wins short of last year's grand total.  But despite a disappoint season, MV-Lee doesn't see a need for big change.

"It could be totally different [in 2010]," the first baseman said. "There are so many variables in baseball. I don't think it's like other sports where you can kind of 'talk things up.' Guys have down years. You see it all the time. This year, it just happened we had a few guys be hurt or have bad years. But you fully expect those guys to be back and rebound."

Lee has a point.  Kind of.  For example, Carlos Marmol is 6-for-6 in save opportunities since taking over for the beleaguered Kevin Gregg, who has four blown save losses this season and six blown saves overall.  Avoiding the Kevin Gregg Experience has cost the Cubs at least four games in the standings.


If Bradley posts a .294/.400/.456/.856 line for a full season instead of a half, Geovany Soto returns to his Rookie of the Year form and Alfonso Soriano's legs are completely healthy for the first time since 2006, the Cubs might not suck next year.

Don't tell me that Micah Hoffpauir & Jake Fox are the answer

My mom likes Micah Hoffpauir because of his name and thinks he should start in left field in Soriano's absence.  I'd like to keep Micah Hoffpauir out of the starting line-up because of his .226 batting average.  Baseball talk among the family over Labor Day, you can' t beat it.


Jake Fox has put up Milton Bradley type numbers in 250 fewer plate appearances, but the red flags are there.  If you put too much stock into the extrapolation of his splits over a full season -- which would turn out to be a 24 homer, 96 RBI season for those of you too lazy to click on the link -- you might find yourself saying the same things about Jake Fox that you once did about Mike Fontenot.


The funny thing is, there is still more to talk about.  See later blogs for details.  And if you've got a tip, send a message to bigdeadsidebar@gmail.com.

TBDS Late Night: It's Friday. Get The F*** Out While It's Still Nice Outside

Often times, SIU men's basketball coach Chris Lowery and I see eye-to-eye. We both love Saluki hoops. We both are world travelers. We both love Harold's Chicken in Chicago. And now, we both love paycheck Friday.

Tonight, TBDS Late Night will be short-lived so you can get your butt outside. Yours truly has some packing to do, but might push that aside to take in what will surely be a beautiful night in Southern Illinois.

Instead of leaving you with a boatload of links, I'll leave you with one link for today's awesome playlist via my LCM's Daily Playlist blog and a classic summer jam.

Get outside. Make a friend. Have a few drinks. Dance a little bit. And go home and make some questionable decisions, dadgumit. Go get your "Becky On" ... It's Friday!

Tweet This: Lowery Inks Jack Crowder

He's not John Wall, but it doesn't matter because SIU head coach Chris Lowery just inked himself another body for the 2009-2010 season.

Via a Twitter post (dear God I love tweets), Lowery said Jack Crowder of Cowley Community College inked with the team this morning. A simple Google search lists Crowder as a 2008-09 NJCAA Region VI All-American.

The Wichita, Kansas native is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard with a penchant for scoring. OK, so the link is from October 2008, but still serves a point. This link says he averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Via recruiting Web site Rivals.com, Crowder was recruited by Ball State, Fresno State, Northwestern State, Tennessee State and Central Arkansas.

(Yes, the same Central Arkansas that produced Scottie Pippen.)

So, SIU is getting Scottie Pippen? I'm sold.

And check out this glowing endorsement from February.

Who: Jack Crowder III, 6-foot-4 sophomore forward at18th-ranked Cowley College (W. Southeast ‘07) What: 43 points, 9 rebounds, 7 threes, 2 steals and 14 of 15 from the charity stripe … Tigers win 93-91 in OT at Coffeyvile to force what seemed like (two weeks ago, at least) it was damn near impossible, a tie for first in the Jayhawk East with the Red Ravens. Why: Because that’s how he’s wired — play hard, never quit.

Sounds like a winner to me. Good grab, C-Lo.

And If You Didn't Know, Now You Know

Southern Illinois' worst kept secret in made official via Twitter.

"Marcus Belcher is official! Had a great time @ the SI Miners game last night."

And of course I'm glad to see Coach Lowery is a baseball fan.

CoachLowery SIU [Twitter]

Good Morning And Welcome To Twitter

Welcome to the Twittersphere, Chris Lowery.

Yeah, I made up the word Twittersphere. When it gets big, I want credit for it.

To be honest, I didn't think Coach Lowery would be jumping on board. I had mentioned it in a conversation we had a few weeks ago and he mentioned he wouldn't want to do it if someone else had to do it for him (see Kiffin, Lane).

What's next for Coach Lowery? A spot on The Big Dead Sidebar? Only if he wants it.
...

In more coaching stuff floating around the web, AOL's Fanhouse names Lowery as an up-and-comer in its Top-25 coaches poll. Former Saluki head coaches Matt Painter (14) and Bruce Weber (19) are in the "solid as a rock" catergory. "The System" still stands strong.

As a Carolina homer, I won't argue against Roy Williams at the top spot ... and as someone who respects what Tom Izzo has done in his coaching career, I have no beef with that either.

Never have been a fan of Bob Huggins (West Virginia) or Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) and am wondering where Dana Altman ranks on the list for averaging 23 wins the last 10 years or so.

...

In other Twitter news:

• Shaq wants Kobe to win title No. 4
  
• SIU coach Missy Tiber wants you to holler at a player if you see 'em in the streets (in much better terminology, obviously)
• Tony LaRussa is suing Twitter (via Leitch)

...

Think that's enough for you good folks this morning.