Google Scouting Saint Mary's (minus the Google) and a Purdue/Davidson update

Coming into the first game of the John R. Wooden Tradition, Davidson guard Stephen Curry looked primed to break the tournament's scoring record if he matched his game average.

However, the Purdue Boilermakers asserted themselves as the physically dominant team as they outhustled the Wildcats en route to a 47-24 halftime lead.

Curry is an ice cold 3-for-17 from the floor and 1-for-8 from the 3-point line and still leads the team with 7 first-half points. If the Wildcats want to make a run in this game, they would be wise to move Curry off the point guard position and let him run wild off screens. But for that to work, Davidson is going to have to set more solid screens as they ahve looked lifeless on both ends of the court.

Purdue's E'Twaun Moore leads all scorers with 10 points as seven different Boilermakers tallied points in the first half in what has turned out to be a home game in the team fittingly wearing the white jerseys. Kyle Orton and Drew Brees must be proud.

Google Scouting Presents: Saint Mary's (without the Google)

The combination of a terrible internet connection and access to a Saint Mary's media guide has given me the opportunity to do Google scouting without opening an additional web browser. Here's what I've got for you today.

Location: Moraga, California. According to the SMC media guide, its campus is 13.5 miles away from Oakland (yuck!), 21 miles from San Francisco and 46 miles from Great America. So that's cool.

Mascot: Gaels. It is some sort of horse. I'm assuming it is fast. Who would want a slow horse to be a team mascot?

Conference: West Coast Conference. Better known as the WCC. Also known as the conference Gonzaga dominates. Hey, wasn't SIU supposed to be the next Gonzaga? Just wondering.

Record: 8-1 with wins over powerhouses such as Seattle Pacific and Vanguard. OK, let's give 'em some credit here. They have beaten Providence (81-75), Kent State (75-69) and Oregon (78-73).

Who to watch for: Patrick "Patty" Mills. The 6-foot guard was an Olympic star for the Australian national team. He is averaging 20 points per game and will be a handful for Saluki defenders to guard this evening. I'd also watch out for 6-foot-7 forward Diamon Simpson, who is averaging 12.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per contest and 6-foot-11 center Omar Samhan who averages 15.4 points and 9.6 boards per game.

Don't worry about... Daniel Kickert. The former Gael star graduated in 2006 finishing as the school's leading scorer with 1,863 points.

The 'X' Factor: It's a homecoming for senior guard Wesley Clemmons, who is an Indianapolis native.

Notable: SIU will be playing its third game on a neutral court this season.

Quotable: "I'm looking forward to Stephen Curry dropping 40 on Purdue tonight." - Me, prior to the Purdue-Davidson game.

Prediction: Someone's gotta pull an upset in this tourney, right? I think SIU wins a squeaker in the house that Danny Granger dominates, but no one cares or knows about. Southern Illinois 67 Saint Mary's College 64

Google Scouting Presents: Northern Illinois Huskies

Think former SIU football head coach Jerry Kill has courtside seats for tonight's Civil War match up between Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois' basketball teams. My guess is yes!

The Huskies host the return match of last season's 88-68 drubbing at the hands of the then-No. 23 Salukis in which Northern was held scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the game. Here are some notes on tonight's match up.

Yes, I am preparing for my 330+ mile trip home to Chicago for the holiday season. But it doesn't necessarily mean that my job as a sports writer is done just yet. I'll be keeping a close eye on the Salukis of Southern Illinois University in between Christmas shopping and sleeping in.

Tonight's game is a rematch of one of last year's BracketBuster matchups as the Salukis return the favor as they hit the road on what must be their longest road trip of the year to face the Nevada Wolfpack.

Need some help trying to figure out what's up with Nick Fazekas' alma mater. Don't click next blog, just read down the page and you'll learn everything you need to know.

Location: DeKalb, Illinois. It's a hop, skip, jump and snow plow ride away from my house on the North Side of Chicago. The 1 hour 23 minute trek will hopefully go smoothly.

Mascot: Huskies. Cool. I love games which mascots are similar but different. Cue up headlines for Dawg Fights. P.S. Keep Mike Vick away!

Conference: Mid-American Conference. Better known as The MAC, but not the be confused with the football stadium SIU calls home which is also known as "The Mac." P.S. McAndrew Stadium press box needs renovation ... just saying.

Record: 4-6. Two of Northern's wins have come on its home court. SIU is winless away from the SIU Arena. Uh oh time?

Who to watch for: Darion "Jake" Anderson. The sophomore is averaging 19.7 points per game for NIU. For SIU, I'm interested to see how Nick Evans looks in person. He logged a few minutes in the loss against Nevada.

Don't worry about... Michael Turner, Ryan Diem, Garrett Wolfe. Don't worry about 'em because they're all former football greats. And while SIU is a physical squad, this game will pit the minds of Ricardo Patton and Chris Lowery against one another. Not Jerry Kill and Dale Lennon.

The 'X' Factor: Will the third time be the charm for C-Lo as he once again goes for his 100th win as the Salukis' head coach.

Notable: It's a homecoming, bitches. A hearty welcome back to the north for Bryan Mullins (Downers Grove), Ryan Hare (Chicago), Kevin Dillard (Homewood-Flossmoor), Tony Freeman (Maywood), Tony Young (Schaumburg) and Lance Irvin (Chicago).

Quotable: "What do you mean you're going to DeKalb on Wednesday?" -My mother as she wonders why I like my job so much.

Prediction: Homecomings are supposed to be sweet. I don't see SIU losing three-in-a-row, not against an in-state rival. SIU picks up its first road win since Feb. 26 and gives C-Lo his 100th win in the process. Southern Illinois 66 Northern Illinois 55

Google Scouting Presents: The Saint Louis Billikens

Somewhere under the Arch is a man still oohing and aahing over the collegiate career of Larry Hughes who starred at SLU a long time ago.

Shut out from the world, he believes that Hughes is an All-NBA talent who averages 20 points 5 steals and 5 assists per game and is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, especially now that he and Allen Iverson have finally clicked in Philly.

Little does that man know that Hughes has moved on, a few times at that. He currently starts for the Chicago Bulls and is a hit-or-miss talent. When he's good, it looks like he can't miss a shot. When he's bad, he misses every shot.

That man, who admires Larry Hughes, loves him some Saint Louis University basketball and is in search for the next great Billiken b-ball star.

Today's Google Scouting effort doesn't find you the next Larry Hughes (sorry) but it will bring you up to date with what's going on with the SIU Salukis' opponent in tonight's matchup.

Mascot: Billiken. What's a Billiken? Oh yeah, that guy. I'd call 'em the Fighting Michael Jackson's if this picture is any indication.

Conference: The Atlantic 10. It's strange that SLU is in the A-10 when the closest body of water is the Mississippi River.

Record: 2-3

Who to watch for: Guard Kevin Lisch is described as a sharp-shooter. He had a big game (20 points 4 assists) against SIU at the Scottrade Center in SLU's 56-51 win. That place is a house of horrors for Saluki fans everywhere. Thankfully, the game is at the SIU Arena.

Gimme an 'O': So far the Billiken offense has been just that, offensive. SLU averages 57.8 points per game, led by Lisch's 14.5 points per game.

Gettin' on the 'D': SLU is either defensive minded or it has faced off against some offensively anemic teams as it has allowed 58.4 points per game. If the Bills can keep the 'D' on that level, SIU -- which has allowed at least 70 points in its last four games -- will be in trouble.

The 'X' Factor: It's a regional rivalry for the schools, which are separated by a 2 hour drive. SIU features St. Louis prep stars Anthony Booker and Torres Roundtree as it continues its dominance of recruiting the St. Louis area (see: Jamaal Tatum). SLU has been able to snatch Vienna's Brett Thompson and Pinckneyville's Kyle Cassity from the backyard of Saluki Nation.

The Verdict: Apparently, this is a test for SLU, which is either taking a crash course on basketball or an opportunity for head coach Rick Majerus to go around and taste some local flavor.

If SIU wants to win, it will need to recommit to the defensive end. It's inability to get stops has hampered its ability to pick up wins late in games. The youngsters need to step up, too. I expect to see some standout performances out of freshmen guards Ryan Hare and Torres Roundtree.

Word on the street is that they might crack the starting lineup tonight against SLU. We'll see how it shakes up.

Prediction: Payback's a bitch: SIU 72 SLU 59. Prediction courtesty of the Saluki Orphan, who literally grabbed two numbers out of the air.