Saluki Basketball Is Now Akin To Sexual Frustration

You've got to love the way Southern Illinois SID Tom Weber kicks off today's blog post about Saluki basketball.

"This year's Saluki basketball team reminds me a lot of a girl I used to know in high school. She was pretty and liked to flirt, but in the end, she always left me hanging."

Oh, Tom, we know the feeling all too well. 

Granted, I'm used to penning those kinds of ledes in regards to my beloved Chicago Cubs, who year after year build me up before breaking my heart and taking a bunch of my hard-earned money in the process.  For example, check out this blog after the 2008 disaster.

I've always compared being a Cubs fan to having a difficult relationship.

She's cute. She has moments where she makes your day and then there are days where it gets a little rough, but it's OK because you still love her.

She promises she'll take you places you've never been before, and you believe her.

In the end, she's just a tease.

We don't stop there. 

Here we compare Kevin Gregg to the girl we were forced to go on a blind date with. We felt like a jilted lover after the Bears decided to show up for a one-night stand against the Vikings on Monday Night Football.  Lindsey Willhite played us almost like every other girl named Lindsey/Lindsay that we've known.  Heck, even the Bulls had us trippin' over something we thought was special.

If anything, I have finally come to the conclusion that I either need better taste in women or better taste in sports teams. 

As for my alma mater, I feel as if what the SIU men's basketball team is doing to Saluki Nation has reached another level of ridiculous.

It once looked like this.

(via Chickipedia)

But now looks like this.

(image via)

Is that the correct portrayal of Saluki basketball?  I think so.

In fact, this might be the most apt analogy anyone has been able to come up with for Southern Illinois basketball this year.  I mean, it is not as if the cupboard is bare in Carbondale. 

The Salukis feature a former All-Big 10 performer in Tony Freeman, who is looking to make good in what will be his last season as a collegiate athlete.  Then there's a manchild in the middle with the 6-foot-9-inch Eugene Teague, who scored 11 points in 11 minutes even though he was saddled with foul trouble.  Kevin Dillard is the kind of combo guard that gives opponents nightmares when he has the ball, but his defense in recent games has been equally nightmarish at times. 

That triumvirate of talent, along with the likes of Justin Bocot, Anthony Booker, Carlton Fay and a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year at the helm should be in a lot better shape than 13-11 overall and 5-9 in conference action.

And despite this heap of talent, SIU just can't close ball games.

Lots of talent.  Limitless potential.  Failure to close the deal.

Or as Tom Weber so eloquently put it, "The talent is there — the confidence is not."

And suddenly, the Southern Illinois men's basketball team just made me have a flashback to every Valentine's Day fiasco I've ever had.

Pretty girls and lack of confidence included.

Teague, Brown-Surles Should Lead Salukis Down The Stretch

In a conference where senior leadership is the ultimate "X-factor" when it comes to winning championships, a pair of freshman could hold the fate of the Southern Illinois men's basketball team.

And even though the Salukis are playing to avoid a Thursday game in St. Louis, which would be nothing more than a moral victory to boost morale throughout Saluki Nation, we at TBDS are thinking outside the box.

We're entrusting Kendal Brown-Surles and Eugene Teague to lead Southern out of the cellar.

Prior to this year, we were convinced KBS could have a Bryan Mullins-esque impact on this team. 

With solid ball-handling skills, a steady hand for distribution and stout defense, we were sure the freshman point guard would be a lynch-pin for years to come, but right now, could be the kind of role player SIU head coach Chris Lowery could depend on.

The freshman from Evansville, Ind., committed only one turnover and had two steals in 22 minutes for the Salukis in the loss against Northern Iowa.  Meanwhile, sophomore Kevin Dillard was held scoreless for only the second time in his young career.  Dillard also committed five turnovers, compounding matters.

Let the record show that Brown-Surles was subbed out for Kevin Dillard at the 1:36 mark with the Salukis and Panthers deadlocked at 49-49.  Dillard had been struggling after getting smacked in the face on a foul call only a few minutes before that.  The final minute-and-a-half for KD wasn't pretty as turnover at the 1:19 mark and a missed 3-pointer with 26 seconds left capped Dillard's performance.

If Dillard was at all shaken up by the after-effects of getting smacked across the face, and you combine that with his general ineffectiveness, KBS should have been running the show.  Everyone knows we love Dillard, but you can't have a guy who is struggling down the stretch be the primary ball-handler in the guts of a game.

SIU should take advantage of what Brown-Surles brings to the table and run an offense that features a three-guard set with Brown-Surles running the show being flanked by Dillard and Freeman. 

And it is not as if Brown-Surles, who is Harrison High School's all-time leading scorer is a slouch on the offensive end.  Before you dismiss the accomplishment, note that the school has former NBAers Calbert Chaney, who was absolutely unstoppable from beyond the arc in NBA Jam and Walter McCarty, who was a pretty good player at the University of Kentucky.

No news on what kind of NBA Jam player he was.

Freshman center Eugene Teague went 6-for-9 from the field the last time Missouri State and Southern Illinois met, and I wouldn't mind if he even got more touches.  Mo. St. has no answer down low for the big fella and I think Teague could be in store for another monster performance.

UNI's Jordan Eglseder averages 11.61 shot attempts per game in contests he logs at least 20 minutes in.  If Southern can get at least 20 minutes out of Teague, he should be getting the same number of looks.  The more opportunities Gene gets on the block, the better the Salukis look on offense.

I'm looking for the man in the middle to stumble upon an 18-point, 10-rebound game one of these days.  And I think Wednesday would be a really good time to have one.

Teague is averaging 11.6 points and 8.4 rebounds over his last five games and has really taken strides since his 14-point, 8-rebound performance against Creighton where he filled in more than admirably for (the recently departed) Nick Evans, who was ejected from the game in the first half.

SIU hasn't had a post presence like this since Randal Falker left, and before him, since Roland Roberts roamed the paint wearing maroon and white.  Southern needs to take advantage of a position where it holds a clear edge.  They need to do it early and they need to do it often.

And to think, coming into this year, SIU fans thought the strength would be in backcourt depth.  Here were are in the heart of the season and two of our biggest contributors down the stretch could be a freshman back-up point guard and a trimmed down freshman center.

My, how some things change.

Evans' Departure Fitting By Southern Standards

[Ed. Note: As promised in our tagline, The Big Dead Sidebar presents a different side of the story. Here is a different look at Nick Evans' departure from the Southern Illinois men's basketball team]

If you look at Nick Evans leaving Southern Illinois University Carbondale's men's basketball team on an individual level, it makes sense considering the state of the SIU system.

Put it out of your mind that nine SIU players have severed ties with the program since Chris Lowery took over at his alma mater in 2004.  Get there yet?  Good.  It's almost scary to think that Evans' departure falls in line with the collegiate careers of many college students, including those at SIUC.

While it looks like freshman fall enrollment could increase by 26.9 percent, retaining these students has been an issue.

Even though Evans was listed as a sophomore, he redshirted his first year, making this season his third on the Carbondale campus.  By all accounts, Evans was an above average student, but by minimalist standards he should be on pace to reach senior status if he completes all the necessary course work by the time May rolls around.  No matter how it happens, I hope Nick didn't waste his time at SIU and hopefully will complete his degree in whatever field he is expected to pursue.

Evans, like many Southern Illinois students, will not get a chance to pursue that as a Saluki.

For one reason or another, the rate of retainment at SIU drops each and every year. After a nice group of freshmen come in, the number of sophomores, juniors and seniors dwindles as time goes along.  With that being said, Evans might as well be considered as just another statistic.

If anything, Evans' time at SIU is representative of the time any normal student would spend on a college campus.  In fact, I'll share the story of a friend of mine whose college career paralleled that of the former Saluki center.

Like Evans, my buddy enjoyed his time at Southern by living the good life.  The kind of life portrayed in full-length motion pictures about what college life is.  I'm talking about socializing with pretty girls, parties and just enough school work to get by.  However, with more responsibility came less of the stuff that good stuff and more of that responsibility stuff your parents warned you about before you left for the college campus of your choice shortly after graduating high school.

Like Evans, he found himself taking on a bigger role as a college student and needed to be more focused.  And even though he will never be confused with a 6-foot-11-inch ginger, my buddy dropped out of school before he could complete his degree at Southern.

Unlike the blogosphere, where I (claim to) have the answer to what ails my favorite sports teams, I have no idea how to fix the enrollment issues at my alma mater.  Nor do I have a clue how to fix the lack of class balance for my beloved Salukis.

On the educational side, newly appointed chancellor Rita Cheng can handle that, while Chris Lowery has the unenviable task of doing that on the men's basketball side of things.

UPDATE: Confirmed: Nick Evans Leaves SIU

Confirmation via WSIL-TV:

"News 3 Sports has confirmed that SIU men's basketball player Nick Evans has left the team. Sources tell sports reporter Kelly Burke that Evans left the team this week."

(link)

Our original blog:
As we began to wrote a Saluki blog post that had to do with the future of the Southern Illinois men's basketball team, we were dropped this nugget in our e-mail box. 

(Which you could reach via bigdeadsidebar@gmail.com)

Via what we assume is his Facebook account, Evans announced he was leaving the Saluki basketball team.

Evans, a 6-foot-11-inch redshirt sophomore, was averaging 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in about 15 minutes per game for the Salukis, who are 13-10 overall and 5-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play. 

He averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game through the team's first 10 games, but has only scored  19 points since the calendar turned to 2010.

Evans was suspended from Saturday's loss against UNI because of a violation of team rules, which sources tell TBDS the infraction was missing a study hours segment during the week.

We're working on confirmation from other sources, because kids can say the darndest things when they get their grubby little fingers on social media networks.

If Evans does leave SIU, he will become the eighth Saluki to ship out of Carbondale in the Chris Lowery era, joining Mike Dale, Brandon Wood, Joshua Bone, Jordan Armstrong, Torres Roundtree, Christian Cornelius and Ryan Hare.  (And if you want to count Jamaal Foster, who left, but still got his degree from SIU, that's nine.)

Derrick Rose & The Class Of 2010

When Derrick Rose became the first Chicago Bulls player to make the NBA All-Star team since Michael Jordan was the last to do so in 1998, it just might have changed the landscape of the 2010 free agency class.
Allow me to explain.

In spite of having one of the NBA's worst head coaches, Derrick Rose has single-handedly put Chicago Bulls basketball back on the map.

Between this killer crossover...



... and this thunderous dunk ...



... Rose brings the kind of star power Chicago has not had since Jordan last soared across the city skyline.

The biggest fear Bulls fans have about this free agency class is that none of the premier players will want to come to Chicago as the rejections from Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and others are still fresh in the minds of Bulls fans. 

(Apologies to those of you who were really trying hard to remove the Ron Mercer-Eddie Robinson era from your brains.)

It's a legit concern, but unlike that batch of free agents, this group already has established contributors on board.

If this excites any free agent in particular, it might be LeBron James.

After reading this tweet , ESPN's Bill Simmons and I must be drinking the same Kool Aid because we're both convinced James is coming to Chicago.  TBL is convinced we're smoking the funny stuff.  I'm not buying it. (However, I am buying Simmons as being the next Bulls GM, especially after this tweet.)

Personally, I'm convinced that everything, with the exception of Madison Square Garden, tied to the NYC hoops scene is overrated.

As a SIU alum and Saluki fan, I'll take Brooklyn-born center Eugene Teague and grad assistant Koby Altman, but you can keep Starbury, Telfair and the rest of the over-hyped and underwhelming point guards, take 'em to The Rucker and have a nifty street ball tournament.

But this isn't limited to LeBron.

If you're Chris Bosh and you've been hidden in relative obscurity in Toronto, you would cross the border so quickly you would forget about the wonderful healthcare system Canada has to offer to play along side Rose.

Same goes for you Amare Stoudemire.  Just think of it as playing with a younger Steve Nash.

How about Joe Johnson, a 6-foot-8-inch shooting guard who can create off the dribble as well?  He could come to Chicago and become one half of an elite 1-2 backcourt punch for the next five years.

Dwayne Wade, anyone?  Much has been made of a potential homecoming and the All-Star, All-Chicago backcourt of D-Rose and D-Wade.  But very few have mentioned the kind of burden that would be lifted off Wade's shoulders knowing he doesn't have to be the primary ball handler all the time.

In two years, Rose has already established himself as a star and the kind of player established stars would want to play with.

I know that sometimes people dismiss All-Star status, but at the end of the day, for better or for worse, when we talk about Hall of Fame careers, one of the things we look back on is how many times a player made the All-Star team.

And having Derrick Rose on board puts the Bulls one step ahead of the curve in luring a sidekick for Chicago's current superhero. 

Salukis Jump Out Of Valley Race With Loss

Free throws turned out to be very costly for the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team on Thursday night.

The Salukis fell to Indiana State 68-65 as its late rally was thwarted by the team's own inability to hit something called "free throws."

Free throws, as defined by basketball scholars, are shots taken at a line 15 feet away from the basket.

Also known as foul shots, players can take said shots from the "free-throw line" in the following situations on the collegiate level:

• When a player is fouled in the act of shooting.
• When a team is fouled seven times (it enters an event coined "shooting the 1-and-1")
• When a team reaches 10 fouls and enters the "double bonus" round.

As a free throw shooter, you are delegated several rights.  You have the right to shoot as little as one attempt and many as three free throws in one trip.

Players taking "freebies" at the "charity stripe" also reserve the right to shoot without the annoyance of a defender.  With a clean look at the goal and defenders designated to each side of the lane, shooters are expected to be more accurate at the free-throw line than when shooting from the field or 3-point stripe.

Apparently, the alma mater in maroon and white didn't get the memo.

Head coach Chris Lowery was right to call the team's 52 percent shooting percentage (13 of 25) "atrocious" after last night's debacle. 

If SIU is able to bump that to 17 of 25, which would be a 68 percent clip, the Salukis would have won by four points and rather than talking about being tied for ninth place in the Missouri Valley Conference, we're talking about being in the clusterfuck of mediocrity that features Missouri State, Illinois State, Bradley and Drake.

To make matters worse, the team's best shooters Kevin Dillard (77 percent) and Tony Freeman (75 percent) combined to shoot 4-for-9 from the line last night.

Upon speaking with a coach I cover back in reality land, I remember a conversation we had when his team struggled to shoot free throws.  Said coach told me he sat the team down and issued a challenge after a night of woeful shooting.

Coach X challenged his players to make 100 free throws before practice was over.  Not shoot 100 free throws.  Make 100.  That is a major difference.  For Team X, their free-throw shooting has improved immensley since the mandate and so has their record.

For SIU, their 4-6 conference record puts them in a Thursday game at Arch Madness, which would be the absolute low-point for any Saluki unit since the end of the Rich Herrin Era.  To avoid playing Thursday, Southern will likely need to go 5-3 down the stretch in conference play and break even with a 9-9 record.

And while that would be an improvement over last year's 8-10 mark, it would be a disappointment for a team that came into the season claiming (and expecting) a "return to greatness."

For now, I think the Salukis should return to the charity stripe for more practice.

Will We Ever See The Baby Bulls Grow Up?

There is something that all Chicago sports fans need to realize and finally come to grips with.  The glory days of Jordan, Pippen and six world championships are over.

I'll give you a minute to digest the news for those who've been living in denial the last 12 years.

It has been one rebuilding affair after the next since the Bulls won their last world championship in 1998. The following season was short lived due to a lockout but Toni Kukoc did his best Michael Jordan impression, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists. The organization could not hold on to elite talent by trading future all-stars Elton Brand, Ron Artest, and Brad Miller and gave up on the twin towers of Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.

And I haven't forgotten about Marcus Fizer and Eddie Robinson, but I know everyone else has.

The crash heard around the world of Jay Williams set the team back but the following years brought a glimmer of hope. The Bulls found a point guard in Kirk Hinrich, drafted Ben Gordon and Luol Deng the following year and reached the playoffs three straight seasons.

Gordon eventually left, the Bulls drafted Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah and we're back to rebuilding.

But there is hope.  Again.

Derrick Rose.

Rose is not the prototypical baby bull; that's because he's mature beyond his years. Since starting this season slow with a leg injury.  Rose has come on strong averaging nearly 21 points per game in December and January. Joakim Noah is showing that he's not one-dimensional averaging a double-double on the year and the team is starting to finally wins some games that has kept Del Negro his job as of late.

And as far as the Baby Bulls finally growing up.  They've advanced from babies to toddlers. They'll need a bit more maturing before they're ready to challenge the NBA's best and since NBA years work similar to dog years.

That might only be a few more weeks away.

It's Avery Johnson Or Bust For Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are blessed with one of the most talented young point guards in all of basketball and a big city fanbase hungry for a championship.  And with its head coach (apparently) on his way out the door, there is only one man on the market that should be ushered in as the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Avery Johnson.

Let me rephrase that.  Avery Johnson ... and no one else.

Johnson was a fiery point guard during his days with the San Antonio Spurs, and after years of hearing experts and analysts say "you can't win a NBA title with Avery Johnson running the show" the diminutive one delivered the Larry O'Brien trophy with the help of Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

Johnson would go on to lead the Dallas Mavericks to three playoff appearances, including a runner-up finish in the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat.  Johnson took over for Don Nelson and what transpired under Mark Cuban's leadership really is something for a story teller with much more time on his hands than yours truly.

Long story short, Johnson used Nelson's up-tempo, run-and-gun style of offense while implementing his signature style intense man-to-man defense.  It was a formula for success until Baron Davis' Golden State Warriors (coached by Nelson, of course) knocked off the Mavericks in the playoffs.  Did I mention the Warriors were the No. 8 seed?

Oops.

Still, Johnson remains the best coach on the market and when hired, will become one of the top 10 coaches in the NBA as soon as he signs the contract.  He will come with a price tag, and the Bulls would still be paying for Del Negro and Scott Skiles, but it will be a price worth paying.

Surely Jerry Reinsdorf should not mind paying three coaches for a short period of time.  I mean, he had no problem finding money to pay Scott Linebrink $4.5 million to post a 4.66 earned run average and 1.66 WHIP out of the pen, or to pay Mark Teahen (coming off a .271/.325/.408/.734 season with 12 homers and 50 RBIs) $3.75 million to play third base.

I won't go into detail, but at least I would be remiss if I did not mention that Alex Rios is signed up to make $58.7 million through 2014.

Jeff Van Gundy is a name that will get a lot of play because he was one of the league's best coaches, falling to Johnson's Spurs title team while coaching the only No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.  JVG is also one of the NBA's elite TV analysts.  And Byron Scott is an excellent candidate in his own right, having led Jason Kidd and the Nets to the NBA Finals, and getting All-Star years out of Chris Paul.  Certainly Scott could be a good mentor for young Derrick Rose.

But this is Reinsdorf we're talking about.  He passed on Johnson and Mike D'Antoni to hire Del Negro on the cheap.  He's got Ozzie Guillen at a bargain (approximately a third less than what Lou Piniella makes on average) because he loves baseball that much.

What I'm saying is when the team brings in Lawrence Frank or Doug Collins, be prepared to battle an increase in blood pressure.  Frank is not the answer, while Collins is as much of a long-term solution as Bernie Bickerstaff or Del Harris would be.

Besides, I'd miss Doug and Marv Albert (yes!) on TNT.

In the end, it looks like Del Negro is on the outs.  Not that any of us are surprised, for he probably should have never been hired in the first place.

But if Avery Johnson isn't walking through that door, and things aren't stable before the big 2010 free agent class hits the market things really won't change.

Because, let's face it, it's going to be hard enough to get the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade packaged deal.  It will be much harder if Vinny Del Negro or Lawrence Frank is your head coach.

Players Win Games, Organizations Lose 35-Point Leads

Fire Vinny Del Negro?  Pffft.  He should have never been hired in the first place.

Some of my friends consider me to be a Chicago elitist.  I don't care.  My home town is the third largest media market in the country and I wish the professional teams that played there treated their teams like they were in that kind of market.  The City of Wind is not the place where a head coach gets his feet wet, for we leave that for middle-market cities we use as a feeder system.

(E.g.: How the Chicago Cubs treat the Pittsburgh Pirates.)

The Bulls are 10-16 so far this season.  One of their 16 losses happens to be one of the two wins the New Jersey Nets have all year.  They've been blown out too many times to care to count, and might as well be blown up.  So if that doesn't stir the pot, this quote should.



(Via The Trib)

"Players win games. We got complacent. Everyone takes the blame. It's me, it's the players. You ... learn from it and get better."

Vinny probably should have stopped at "It's me."

However, he forgot to mention one figure who seemingly always goes without blame.

Jerry Reinsdorf.

Yep.  Here I am again ready to rip Reinsdorf with the same lines about him not caring about his basketball team and how much he puts into his baseball team. Blah. Blah. Blah. I'll spare you the details and ask you to search through our archives in your free time.

Instead, I'd like for you to consider this.

If the Chicago Bears blew a 35-point lead to the Detroit Lions at home, how would you, the Chicago sports fan, feel?

Don't worry ... I'll wait.

In the meantime, anyone know if Tom Ricketts has any more loot to throw around at another Chicago pro franchise?

All-Decade Team: Chicago Bulls

With the decade coming to an end, it has got me thinking about some of the best players Chicago has had this decade.  And since I've been on a tear of negativity (thanks Crazy Uncle Milton and the Bad News Chicago Bears), I figured I'd provide some highlights from this decade.

Today, the All-Decade Team looks at the Chicago Bulls players that didn't suck.

PG - Derrick Rose (2008-09) - 16.8 PPG 6.3 APG .788 FT% .475 FG% - The bad news is that the Bulls are on their third different franchise-changing point guard this decade.  The good news is that D-Rose is already better than Jay Williams and Kirk Hinrich.  He'll be on next decade's list unless the Bulls find a way to screw this up.

SG - Ben Gordon (2006-07) - 21.4 PPG 3.6 APG .455 FG% .864 FT% .413 3PT% - Gordon was the Bulls' most consistent scoring threat in his time in Chicago.  So, how do the Bulls reward him?  By not offering a competitive offer to keep him away from signing with rival Detroit.

SF - Luol Deng (2006-07) - 18.8 PPG 7.1 RPG 1.2 SPG .517 FG% .777 FT%  - He played 82 games. That might be the most important stat of that season.  I was very close to putting Jalen Rose's 2002-03 season where he averaged more than 20 points per game, but Luol was a much better all-around talent.

PF - Elton Brand (2000-01) - 20.1 PPG 10.1 RPG 1.6 BPG 70.8% FT 47.6 FG% - He once figured to be the Bulls' cornerstone before being the cornerstone of a trade that set the franchise back.  Bulls haven't had a 20-10 guy since.  They definitely took him for granted.

C - Joakim Noah (2009-10) - Incomplete - I was very close to putting Eddy Curry's 2002-03 season (when he led the league in FG percentage) here, but I can't put a center that averaged four rebounds per game on an all-decade team.  Noah, manwhile, has turned the corner in his career and is averaging a double-double while becoming one of the team's leaders.

Ben Gordon Returns To Chicago & I Want Him To Fail

Ben Gordon chucking up shots on one end of the court and ball-handlers blowing past him on the other end.

It's a sight Bulls fans are all-too-familiar with.  But this time, Gordon will not be wearing the familiar red, white and black.  Instead, it will be in the uniform of the hated Detroit Pistons.

And that's even if he plays.  Gordon has been sidelined with  a nagging ankle injury, but I'm pretty sure he'll find a way to suit up against his former employer.

BG7 has been getting his with Detroit, averaging 19.8 points per game, but his 3-point field goals, 3-point field goal percentage, overall field goal percentage and free-throw percentage have all seen significant hits.  Meanwhile, the Pistons are 6-11.  The Bulls are 6-9, but have already cleared their biggest hurdle of the year with the Circus Trip in the team's rear-view mirror.

The Bulls have missed Gordon in some aspects of the game.  Ask any Bulls fan what they think the team needs and they'll answer with one of two things.  A post presence on the offensive end and a go to scorer on the perimeter.

Gordon fits the latter.

We're still young in the season, and if Gordon goes out and drops 30 on Chicago in a Detroit win, it won't be long until he becomes the Bulls version of Mark DeRosa.

Except you can't wish him well upon exiting the United Center.  Not only does he play within the Eastern Conference, he plays within the division, he plays in the Eastern Conference.  That means every game-winner he hits could also affect the Bulls' playoff positioning.

So, as much as I wanted the former No. 3 overall pick to succeed in Chicago is as much as I want to see him fail in Detroit.

Do you want Ben Gordon to fail with the Pistons?

• Yes, I'm a Bulls fan that despises Detroit
• No, I love Ben Gordon

Created on Dec 2, 2009

View Results

poll by twiigs.com

Brandon Wood Is Ballin' Hard At Valpo

Through four games, Brandon Wood is making quite the name for himself as a scorer.
Unfortunately, it is not with the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team.

Wood seems to be enjoying his new digs at Valparaiso University, a swift 2 hour, 45 minute drive away from his home in Kokomo, Ind.

The former Saluki guard is averaging 22.8 points per game and is shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line.  Wood was a Southern signee a few years ago and was expected to be a sharp-shooter on the Carbondale campus for years to come.  In his debut in maroon and white, he scored 15 points in a win against Northern Illinois.  However, Wood would not finish with the team as he suffered a stress fracture, was at odds with the Saluki coaching staff and the two sides went their separate ways.

And after a stint at Highland Community College, Wood is back on the Division I level scoring in bunches.  His coming out party was a 30-point effort against defending national champion North Carolina.  Sure, it came in an 88-77 loss, but it was still 30 points.

But before SIU fans get totally up in arms over Wood's scoring spree, consider this.  In the Crusaders' three losses, two of which came against North Carolina and Michigan State, Valpo has given up a total of 266 points, which averages out to a little more than 88 points per game.  In the team's lone win, against Indiana University (South Bend), Wood only scored 12 points.  Wood has scored 25, 30 and 24 in losses to Ball State, North Carolina and Michigan State, respectively.

So, while Wood has found his stroke in the Hoosier state, it seems to have come at the expense of defense and winning ball games.  Now, don't take this as a knock on B-Wood's defense, but, this is an analysis of the bigger picture.

Wood scores.  Wood scores a lot.  Team loses.  It would not be fair, or correct, to make the connection that when Wood scores a lot, the team loses.  But it would be a point of analysis that Wood is averaging 20 shots per night in the team's losses, while only putting up 10 shots in the team's lone win.  It would also be fair to say that Wood's scoring has kept Valpo in games in which it could have found itself blown out of had it not been for beeg scoring efforts from its biggest offensive threat.

In the three losses, Wood has thrown up 60 shots and has made 28 of them and is shooting at a 46 percent clip.

Look around for a quick second and note the most shot any SIU player took in the team's three games so far this season is Tony Freeman -- who took 12 shots in the team's loss to UNLV last Saturday.  Carlton Fay (11 shot attempts) and Kevin Dillard (10 attempts) are the only other Salukis to take reach the double figure mark in shots in a game.  And that has only happened once.

Wood was an elite scorer at the high school level because he was asked to take a lot of shots.  Remember kids, you can't score if you don't shoot.  And Wood made many shots and scored a lot of points as a prep star.  That's how he ended up with a Division I scholarship.  College hoops fans should know better than to just think there is nothing more to basketball than just chucking jumpers.

Would I have liked to see Wood work things out and put up gaudy numbers at the alma mater?  Sure.  There is no such thing as too much scoring in college or in basketball.  But there is a point in time where there aren't enough balls to go around.

In the end, both sides are better off without each other.  And as long as SIU continues to win, Wood will be nothing more than a former Saluki who has found success elsewhere, rather than a case of woulda, shoulda, coulda.

And for those of you wondering what happened to Joshua Bone, another Saluki sharp shooter that has vacated the Carbondale campus ... he has yet to see action with Bruce Pearl's Volunteers.  Not that you would necessarily miss a ballplayer that shot more 3-point field goals than two-point field goals and free-throws combined in his time at SIU.

NBA Shouldn't Retire No. 23

There is no doubt that Michael Jordan is The Greatest Basketball Player To Ever Lace 'Em Up.  So much so that I observe it by capitalizing it as if it were a proper title on a business card.

LeBron James said he will honor The Greatest by switching numbers next season as he drops the No. 23 to wear No. 6 with whichever team he so chooses to sign with in the offseason.  And King James wants every other 23 to follow suit.

Again.  There is not a doubt in my mind (or anyone else of my generation's mind) that Mike is The G.O.A.T., but it does not mean he should be honored in every NBA arena.

Imagine the Knicks having a banner raising ceremony honoring Michael in Madison Square Garden.  While it sounds like a good idea for ticket sales and marketing in NYC, how could a Knicks fan cheer as the No. 23 is lofted toward the rafters knowing how Jordan torched and tortured your beloved team throughout the years.

How about the scene in Utah, where Jordan single-handedly kept one of the NBA's most dynamic duos in John Stockton and Karl Malone from winning a title -- twice?  Could you picture the look on Jerry Sloan's face as The Association honored the one player who denied him a championship ring.

Michael has done more for the game of basketball than any other player.  I would even dare to make the argument that he has done more for his sport than any other player has done for any other of the major professional sports.

There are some people out there, such as Lakers coach Phil Jackson, that suggest the NBA should follow in the footsteps of the NHL, which retired the No. 99 in honor of its own greatest player, Wayne Gretzky.  I would counter by asking if following anything the National Hockey League does is a good idea?

I mean, great you've retired the number of your league's greatest icon.  I still cannot get a regular season hockey game on a channel not named "Versus."  Yep, let's follow the ideas of the worst commissioner in sports.  I haven't heard a better idea by a basketball mind since Pat Kennedy gave a DePaul basketball scholarship to Imari Sawyer instead of Dwyane Wade.

Luckily, the NBA has the smartest commissioner in David Stern.  And by "smartest" I mean, "most likely to make the most money for his league."  Stern is widely known as the best commissioner because of the way he markets his league and his teams.  If Stern continues to follow that path, the NBA will not have a league-wide retirement of Jordan's No. 23.

Instead, he will allow players who have idolized His Airness since Day 1 by wearing his number in an effort to continue feeding off the M-Jeff teat.

In Stern's eye, the only way to better honor a player you love by wearing his jersey number is by purchasing his jersey, and the jersey of the players who idolize him, too.

This Alexis Rios For Ben Gordon Trade Already Haunting The Bulls

Pictured above is the last image Chicago Bulls fans saw of the Ben Gordon era in Chicago.  You can name a million (or $55 million) reasons why it ended.  And for some odd reason, I will always point to Jerry Reinsdorf and his love for baseball.


As much as Bulls fans heard about how much better the defense was going to be, the knowledgeable Chicago fan knew that was code for "our offense is going to struggle at times, so bear with us."  It was made clear that Gordon's shoddy defense and questionable shot selection were the two reasons he wouldn't be brought back to the Bulls.

For $3.7 million more over the same time span, Reinsdorf's Chicago White Sox will employ a center fielder who is making Ben Gordon money without Ben Gordon's production.

For what critics say about Gordon's shot selection, baseball fans can say about Rios' eye at the plate.  You can praise Rios' versatility and defensive prowess in the same breath you can chat up BG7's big shot making reputation.

At least you could always count on Gordon to shoot about 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc.  As for Rios, what's so inspiring about a .199/.229/.301/.530 line?  Don't worry, I'll be eagerly awaiting your answer in the comments section.

To this day, I can't believe the Bulls couldn't find money in the coffers for Gordon, the team's leading scorer.  Remember when Chicago paid hefty salaries for Eddie Robinson and Ron Mercer?  And for what?  Obscure references to Robinson's headbands and Mercer's career at Kentucky?

What I will say next will sound familiar to Cubs fans.

Mr. Reinsdorf, if you're not all in with both of your franchises, one has got to go.  It would be like if a parent bought one child designer clothes while shopping at Wal Mart for the other child.  Imagine telling your son or daughter, "Honey, your big brother/sister is getting the Gucci outfit. But maybe when 2010 rolls around, you can get one too."

For years, the Cubs were managed by a corporation that had different agendas.  Agenda No. 1 was its newspaper, which later became its fledgling newspaper.  Agenda No. 2 was making money off the newspaper and baseball team.  Agenda No. 3 was to make as much money as possible from the baseball team to make ends meet -- baseball team be damned.

So now I sit here with Reinsdorf on my mind.  Mr. "I'd Trade My Six NBA Titles For One World Series Title" and a team that clearly needs help.  Jerry, you got your World Series ring.  Can the basketball team go back to being great again?

I want you to look at the Bulls' two losses.

The game against Boston was a laugher.  The Celtics owned that game from the second quarter on.  It was a combination of Boston having really good talent on the court and the Bulls not having a defense to counter it.  And guess what?  Gordon was nowhere to be seen in Boston.  The days of placing poor defensive efforts on Gordon's shoulders are over.

Then there's that choke of a game against Miami.  You want to impress Dwyane Wade to come home and team with Derrick Rose in what would be among the most dynamic backcourt duos in the NBA?  Losing 95-87 isn't going to help at all.  Especially when Wade sees his future teammates slacking on the defensive end leaving a 3-point sniper like Quentin Richardson open from beyond the arc.  Heck, Chicago's "D" reminded Bulls fans of how the Heat won the NBA title a few years ago, hitting mid-range jump shots of D-Wade penetration.

So if you want someone to blame when the Bulls miss out on a playoff spot, head over to 35th & Shields when April comes around.  And while you're on the South Side, go pick up some Harold's Chicken.  It will help take your mind off the fact that you spent $15 just to boo the hell out of Alex Rios in a park full of fans eagerly awaiting the opportunity to cheer when the Cubs lose.

I digress.

And who was taking the big shots for the Bulls down the stretch?  Kirk Hinrich.  Luol Deng.  John Salmons.  Maybe if we were on campus and you asked me, "Ludameister, Hinrich/Deng is getting the ball down the stretch with your beloved Salukis/Tar Heels up by one in the last 10 seconds. How do you feel about this?"  I would probably respond with a brief prayer to the college basketball gods and hope for a miracle.

Guess what?  This isn't college anymore.  Hinrich is a more than serviceable sixth man, Salmons is nothing more than a role player and Deng is trying to rebuild what was once a lock to be an All-Star career.  Derrick Rose can't do it all by himself.  It's just not possible.

Gordon's bad shot selection is the same poor shot selection made by Salmons and Hinrich yesterday, but they get a pass for being grinders.  Somewhere, David Eckstein and Ryan Theriot nod in approval while spooning on a couch somewhere in the land of vertically challenged middle infielders.

And, no, I'm not overreacting.  For the next 78 games, the Bulls will be playing without a go-to-guy in the guts of the game unless something drastically happens before the trade deadline.

There is little doubt in my mind that Wade is the kind of player Chicago needs to grab in the offseason.  If not, Bulls fans will miss Ben Gordon a little bit more as each game passes.

Your Official Chicago Bulls Projection, Prediction Blog

So how does Derrick Rose follow up his sensational rookie season?  Find out after the jump.

By leading his team to a 44 win season.  That's what I am projecting out of the Bulls this season.  And at time, I don't know why.  I've gone back-and-forth so many times, I'm more confused than Anne Heche and John Kerry combined.

Rose averaged 16.8 and 6.3 assists points per game as a rookie, and he never really hit that infamous wall.  Here's hoping he avoids the wall better than the last Bulls phenom to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Rose could see his rebounds (3.9) and steals (0.8) go up with some of that offseason seasoning.

The only place Rose needs a lot of work in is his 3-point shooting, where he connected on 22.2 percent of his shots.

I know it's asking a lot, but if Rose can show the kind of improvements Deron Williams and Chris Paul showed from their first to second years, then Bulls fans are in for a treat.  While the rest of the Eastern Conference (and NBA for that matter) is in store for a nightmare.

If Da Bulls are going to be good this season, Tyrus Thomas can't suck.  And he can't sulk either.  He has griped about playing time, but he's playing for a contract beyond this season and should think about it each and every time he steps out onto the court.  Thomas is always good for a jaw-dropping, SportsCenter Top 10 play at least twice a game.  He can do it on the offensive end with thunderous slam dunks or on the defensive end with a gravity defying blocked shot.

So, to say that this is a "big" year for T-Squared is an understatement along the lines of saying that Michael Jordan performed at an above average level.  Unless Thomas puts it all together in a Bulls uniform, Chicago fans will always be reminded John Paxson passed on LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay.

Thomas might be the kind of player that has all the tools, but no tool box.

If Joakim Noah was as successful on the court as he was off it, then the Bulls should be just fine.

I'm not sure what I will remember more from the Joakim Noah Era.  His steal and slam against the Celtics would have been the play of the year had it not been for D-Rose's game-saving block, or Ben Gordon's crotch-grabbingly clutch shot.

So, how did Noah celebrate a breakout series?  With fun flotation devices.

Here's hoping a healthy Luol Deng returns to form in 2009.  If he spends more time on the court than in the doctor's office, he could easily regain the trust he lost in Bulls fans who dismissed him as he seemed to go out of his way to find a doctor to sign his sick note.

Luol, you got your money.  Now please play like it. 

Damn, we still got Vinny Del Negro as the head coach.

This might suck.

I'm not sure how the Bulls got to the playoffs in the first place last season.  Vinny Del Negro and I shared the same amount of coaching experience, yet, he got a coaching job last year and I was relegated to finishing up my college career.  Sure, he played in the NBA.  So did Eddie Robinson -- and you don't see him patrolling the sidelines of a six-time world champion.

VDN made so many crucial mistakes last season, his owner called him out midseason.  The same owner that passed on Doug Collins and Mike D'Antoni ... and barely even acknowledged Avery Johnson's presence on the open market.

Rest be assured that if the Bulls struggle mightily, especially out of the gate, Chicago might be looking for a new leader.  The best option for said position is a man who currently works at ESPN.  And while it looks as if he is enjoying his work on TV, everyone knows he is one Brooke Hundley away from looking for a new job.

(P.S. -- Is it me or does it look like VDN is getting brain from a ghost right in that photo?)

El Presidente is a Bulls fan.  Suck on that, America.

Team MVP: Derrick Rose.  If it's not, then it means the Bulls are destined for a lottery pick.

Coach of the Year: Whoever replaces Vinny Del Negro

This year is a success if...

• VDN is unceremoniously canned for an inappropriate relationship with a Matador dancer and replaced with Avery Johnson.
• Luol Deng's mommy doctor says it's OK for him to play with the rest of the boys.
• Joakim Noah handles the basketball as well as three bottles of cold beverage.
  

This year is a failure if...

• Michael Jordan discovers a time machine and morphs into the player he was from 1996-98 and joins the New York Knicks.
• D-Rose doesn't take the next step.
  
• Da Bulls do not make the playoffs.

As a final thought, here is how to properly cheer for the Bulls this season: Your favorite team is the Bulls.  Your second favorite team is whoever is playing the Heat.  The more Miami loses, the quicker Dwyane Wade comes home to Chicago.  It's as simple as that.

Alright, is it time for tip-off yet?  Oh, right.  The Bulls don't start until Thursday.  Great.

Your NBA Predictions, Projections And Thoughts Go Here (But Only After You Read Mine)

Get your Craig Sager on after the jump...

East Playoff Teams: Celtics, Cavs, Magic, Raptors, Sixers, Bulls, Pistons, Knicks

West Playoff Teams: Lakers, Nuggets, Jazz, Spurs, Blazers, Mavs, Hornets, Oklahoma City

 NBA Finals: Lakers > Cavs (6 games)

 

MVP: LeBron James, Cavs

Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans, Kings

Coach of the Year: Not Vinny Del Negro, Any NBA team not named "Chicago Bulls"

Shots in the dark:  The team most likely to end up with the most ping-pong balls is the Clippers.  But the team most likely to end up with the No. 1 overall pick is Golden State. ... But it doesn't mean they will be the worst team to watch. The Grizzlies and T-Wolves will duke it out for ugliest  loser. ... Rasheed Wallace is more likely to serve a suspension than Ron Artest.  The suspension will be an internal matter. ... Friends of Pat Riley will spend more on hair products as holiday gifts than the Knicks spend on free agents in the summer of 2010. ... Vinny Del Negro will be replaced midseason by John Calipari.  Everyone's ACT score goes through the roof. ... TBDS will go to a Grizzlies game in Memphis.  Car will be busted into at halftime.  Yours truly will be bombed with a Southern Belle.

Yeah, someone like her definitely fits the bill.

And that concludes another segment of: Predictions That Will Haunt The Ludameister.

Sources: The NBA Season Is Upon Us

Kobe & Phil are here to remind us the NBA tips off tonight.

Sources close to The Big Dead Sidebar tell us the NBA season begins tonight.  I was very hesitant to believe these sources until I received additional info that four (count 'em) four games kick off the 2009-10 season.

Huh?

And this is why I can't get excited about the National Basketball Association.  It's Opening Night and you have four games.  That's it.  Maybe I'm upset because I'm spoiled.  When the NFL kicks off, we get a full slate of Sunday games.  Same for the MLB, which sees every team in action on Opening Day.

I know The Association wants eyes fixated on TNT for its doubleheader featuring Boston vs. Cleveland and Lakers vs. Clippers ... but at what cost?  My beloved Bulls aren't slated to get underway until Thursday against San Antonio.  Sure, it gives me more time to prepare my Bulls preview blog, but if not for ESPN.com's front page, I would have assumed it was just another day between me and the beginning of the World Series.

And to be honest, the newsworthiness of the opening of another NBA season pales in comparison to the newsworthiness of the upcoming World Series ... or hell ... another week in the NFL.  But before you even argue that point, remember there are only four flippin' games on tonight.  Four.  Yes, the MLB and NFL each open with one single game, but there's glitz and glamour that surround that one game.  It's the only game in town for a reason.

Am I supposed to get pumped about the Lakers-Clippers game?  Even if Blake Griffin was 100 percent healthy.  That would be like opening the baseball season with a game between the Yankees and the Kansas City Royals.  Or an NFL opener starring the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.

The NBA has done a lot recently to stir my juices ... whether it be allowing the SuperSonics to vanish into thin air without much of a fight, or handing its TV deal to ESPN and its set of buffoonish broadcasters and analysts.

And really, all I want is a full slate of games.  Instead, I find myself ready to countdown the days until the playoff season that somehow always finds a way to feel longer than the regular season that preceded it.

Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Kevin Dillard

[Ed. Note: This is the first in a series previewing the 2009-10 SIU men's basketball team.  After finishing the 2008-09 season with a disappointing 13-18 record, Chris Lowery's Salukis are one year stronger and one year smarter as they will look to extract revenge on the Missouri Valley Conference teams that took advantage of a young squad.  Those teams will get their comeuppance soon enough.  And what better way to warn them than with a preview of each player that will tear their hearts out and step on their souls.]

Kevin Dillard became the first Saluki freshman to lead the team in scoring since Kent Williams.  So how does the former Illinois Mr. Basketball follow up a stellar first-year campaign?

By bulking up.

Dillard earned many accolades as a true freshman, including being named to the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Freshman and All-Newcomer teams and being named the conference's Freshman of the Year.  He averaged 12.2 points per game leading SIU and ranking first among all freshmen. Dillard also finished second in the Valley in 3-point percentage (45.2 percent) and third in assists (4.2 per game).

Still, it didn't mean that there wasn't room for KD to improve.

A microcosm of the talented guard's season can be found in the SIU men's basketball team's 73-72 overtime loss on Jan. 14 at Creighton.  This story, written by yours truly details the action.

Freshman guard Kevin Dillard led the Salukis with 21 points in 39 minutes of play and dished five assists, but a pair of freshman mistakes hurt the team in the game’s closing seconds.

After hitting a pair of free throws to give SIU (7-10, 2-4) a 63-60 lead with 10.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Dillard fouled guard Cavel Witter as he attempted a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds, giving the Bluejays a chance to tie the game.

Witter proceeded to hit all three free throws to tie the game. Senior guard Bryan Mullins had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his desperation 3-point heave near midcourt glanced off the rim to send the game into overtime.

It's a situation I replayed about a month ago with SIU head coach Chris Lowery who said now that Dillard has added some muscle, situations like that will likely never happen again.

KD has bulked up in the offseason, a process that began shortly after the team's season ended with an opening round loss to Bradley in the MVC Tournament.  And even though Dillard is stronger, his added strength has not altered the sugar-sweet jump shot that helped him to carry a hefty scoring load.

With Bryan Mullins completely out of the pictuer, Dillard becomes the team's main ball-handler.  He will be in charge of running the offense and getting his teammates involved -- all while trying to create his own shot.  It seems like a tall task for a sophomore floor general. 

The biggest area in which Dillard can improve as a sophomore is in the turnover department.  Dillard needs to handle his business in regard to his ball handling skills because 1.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio isn't going to cut it.  Not at SIU.  Not when your head coach is Chris Lowery, who knows a thing or two about running the point as a Saluki.  And especially not when you're following one of the best point guards, not just in school history, but in Missouri Valley Conference history.

Expect Dillard to bump his scoring a tad into the 13 or 14 ppg range, especially if he can improve on his stroke from the charity stripe, where he shot only 72 percent.  KD should also see his assist numbers rise, especially if his turnover rate dips.

Saluki fans are always craving a big man, but the truth of the matter is that guard play will carry you not only through the conference season, but through postseason play as well.  There will be 12 other ballers decked out in maroon and white joining him in the huddle this upcoming season.  But the team' will go only as far as Dillard (and the rest of the guards for that matter) will take them.

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.