Southern Illinoise University Athletics
No Need to Panic After Saluki Loss to SMS
03/06/2005 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2005
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - This team will be okay. Don't worry.
One of the benefits of being the media services director is getting to see and hear what happens after a game in the Saluki locker room.
It's a fun place after a win. The air is thick with a sense of accomplishment. Yet the true measure of the character of players and coaches takes place after a gut-wrenching loss.
On Sunday, after the loss to SMS, this team showed why they will bounce back in the NCAA Tournament and post a first-round victory. You heard it here first.
There was no hand-wringing, no finger-pointing and no pouting in the Saluki locker room Sunday. There were looks of disbelief that they had surrendered a 23-point lead, but heads were held high.
This team believes in each other. When they lose, there's a palpable sense of surprise in the room. But like all great teams, they don't doubt one another or question the coaching staff. Teams of lesser character do that, and their seasons spiral out of control.
No, you don't win four-straight regular-season titles, the way SIU has, without faith in your teammates and coaches.
Losses happen. Look at Illinois.
Every team is fallible, and mid-majors have precious little room for error.
What is so remarkable about Southern Illinois is that they've beaten the odds time and again. No mid-major team in history has earned four-straight at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. In order for a mid-major to get an at-large, you simply can't lose at home, and you can't lose on the road to any team you are "supposed" to beat.
For a mid-major to get an at-large bid one time is remarkable. Twice is downright amazing. The odds against accomplishing this feat four times are astronomical. Yet Southern is on the verge of doing just that.
Head coach Chris Lowery set the tone with his post-game address to the team. He didn't rant and rave. Instead, he consoled them and reminded them of their 26-7 record and likely bid to the NCAA Tournament. He said they had some fine-tuning to do before the Big Dance.
And then he said something prophetic.
"Don't listen to what anybody out there says about you," he declared.
Good advice. Because when the doors opened and the media began firing questions, you'd have thought the team had just dropped Game 7 of the World Series. Words like "collapse," "panic" and "debacle" were used most often.
Jerry Palm, of CollegeRPI.com, wrote on his website that after viewing the second half of the SIU game, the Salukis "didn't look like a threat to anyone but themselves" in the NCAA Tournament. Oh, really? Name me a team that hasn't played a bad half this year.
A quick survey of internet chat rooms where Saluki fans gather showed similar alarm about the loss.
But if you had been in the lockerroom immediately after the game and seen the strength of this team's character, you wouldn't be worried.
Just proud. And looking forward to the March Madness yet to come.
(Editor's note: If you would like to comment on this column, please send remarks by e-mail to tomweber@siu.edu. We'll publish a sampling of reader comments.)
