Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Men's Basketball Begins Season At Home
11/19/2004 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2004
By Scott Mees
www.SIUSalukis.com
If SIU's two preseason victories are any indication, then the 2004-05 Salukis will run the fast break frequently and put immense defensive pressure on the opposing team. The team's fresh crop of "bigs" - as Lowery calls them - should also contribute quality minutes off the bench inside the paint.
Redshirt freshmen Randal Falker (6-7, 225) and Jamaal Foster (6-10, 210) have already shown a number of positive signs - quickness, rebounding, athleticism - in their first pair of unofficial college basketball games. Falker put up 13 points and six rebounds in Sunday's exhibition win over
"If we're going to be good, those young big guys are going to have to come in and spell LaMar Owen and Josh Warren," Lowery said.
Last year's squad usually had at least nine players in a rotation throughout the game, and Lowery hopes to continue that trend by rotating various lineups.
"I look forward to throwing a bunch of different people out there to keep our defensive pressure up," Lowery said. "The way we play, I want to play nine or ten every game."
In the exhibition games, the Salukis committed fouls on what seemed like every other play, but Lowery indicated that his team will not back down from its aggressive style of play.
"Seven or eight guys can't guard how we guard for an extended amount of time," Lowery said. "We're not going to change how we play."
Lowery did not have a starting lineup set in stone, but it will likely comprise Darren Brooks, Jamaal Tatum, Owen, Falker and Warren. That will probably change once Stetson Hairston and sophomore guard Mike Dale return to action. Both players are currently suspended due to an off the court incident over the summer. Dale will be able to play on Tuesday against Tennessee State, but Hairston's return date is still up in the air.
Coach Lowery does not plan on overextending Brooks in the early going, especially considering the Salukis play five games in nine days beginning on Sunday.
"Obviously, I don't want to play him major minutes at this point in the season," Lowery said. "We have so many other players that can help pitch in and not make him have to give so much minute-wise."
The Salukis will not begin Missouri Valley Conference play until Dec. 23 when Illinois State visits SIU Arena. The MVC picked SIU to finish atop the conference this season, and the Salukis have been mentioned in several publications as being one of the top three mid-major schools in the nation.
SIU finished last season ranked at No. 23 - after its loss to Alabama in the NCAA Tournament - and currently sits at No. 31 in The Associated Press poll. The Sporting News picked SIU, in a majority, as the top mid-major program in the country. Gonzaga was not considered for that honor because they are now established as a consistent participant in the field of 64.
Brooks (166) and Hairston (147) are both within shouting distance of the school's career steals mark. Former Saluki standouts Marcus Timmons (211), Sterling Mahan (171) and Lowery (169) are the top three players in SIU history.
The team will face Tennessee State at SIU Arena on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with Vanderbilt on Friday night in Las Vegas.
