Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Jermaine Dearman Haunts Hoosier State
01/02/2002 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2002
By Seth Whitehead, Southern Illinois Media Services
Southern Illinois junior forward Jermaine Dearman probably didn't feel too comfortable in his own hometown over the holidays, and that suits him and the Saluki faithful just fine.
A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Dearman has been a thorn in the side of basketball fans of Indiana University and Indiana State, leading the Salukis to exciting wins over the two schools with large fan followings in his hometown.
Dearman hit not one, but two, last-second, game-winning shots against Indiana State last year. And he was a key factor in SIU's upset win over the 24th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in December.
Dearman's first heroic effort came at SIU Arena on New Year's Day, 2001. With one second left in the game, the 6-foot-8 forward let a rare 3-pointer fly from his fingers . He knocked down the shot to give Southern a 68-65 win over the Sycamores.
"I am not primarily a 3-point shooter because we have so many other guys who can shoot pretty well, but I kind of caught (Indiana State) off guard when I stepped out that time,'' said Dearman. "I only had one second to get it off, so it wasn't pretty, but it went in.''
The second buzzer beater was a more typical Dearman shot, as he banked home a 10-footer with 1.6 seconds left, lifting SIU to a 61-59 win at Terre Haute.
"It really felt good to hit that second one,'' said Dearman. "I just felt that if I got the ball in a last-second situation, that my chances were pretty high because of what happened in the first game.''
Dearman's second game winner was particularly impressive, considering it came in front of some hostile ISU fans, who remembered that Dearman hit the winning shot in the teams' first encounter.
"Their fans were soooo angry at me when I was warming up before the game,'' said Dearman. "It came to the point where they were cussing me out and yelling at me during the pre-game. They were jawing at me saying, 'You'll never hit a shot like that in your life again. It was a once in a lifetime chance,' and 'you shouldn't have left Indiana in the first place.' I knew that they would be upset, but I didn't know it would be like that."
Some Indiana State fans must have wondered how a former Indiana All-Star from Warren Central High School could do such a thing to his fellow Hoosiers.
"You could call that second shot a shove, or a slap in the face toward them. They had to eat their words. It felt really good to beat a team from my home state, especially with that Illinois-Indiana rivalry.''
As sweet as the wins over ISU were last year, Dearman took even more delight with the Salukis' victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on Dec. 1.
"I'm feeling so good right now, you don't even know,'' said Dearman after a 72-60 win over IU in front of a sellout, home crowd. "I used the crowd as motivation. This game was not an upset in my mind.''
The huge win helped alleviate the sting Dearman felt about losing to IU in Bloomington last year.
"Going to IU last year, I was excited,'' said Dearman. "When things didn't go our way in the first half, and we ended up being down by 30, I got really, really mad and frustrated, especially with having so many fans at the game. I had 30 people there watching me, family and friends."
Dearman had some extra incentive to play well against Indiana, since they didn't recruit him out of high school.
"I was always a fan of Indiana,'' said Dearman. "I know a couple of players, like Jared Jeffries, who I played AAU ball with. I was a little disappointed that Indiana didn't recruit me, but life goes on."
The Hoosiers probably regret not recruiting Dearman. He has developed into one of the top big men in the Missouri Vally Conference and has been a key factor in the Salukis' fast start this season.
"One of the reasons we were able to get him, was that he was inconsistent in the classroom and on the court,'' added Weber. "We gave him a chance, and he has made some big strides. He is to the point now where he is much more focused on and off the court."
Dearman is one of the team's leading scorers and rebounders for the second straight year.
"Coach said the biggest thing that I had to work on this year was just settling down and not rushing too much in the post when I get the ball,'' said Dearman. "I needed to just grow as a basketball player and get a little more comfortable out there and a little more fluid instead of being out of control."
"He is a talented kid,'' said Weber. "He has that natural basketball body. He is long and can really get up and down the court.''
There are plenty of basketball fans in Indiana who can vouch for Dearman's ability, as well.
