Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Men's Basketball hosts Oakland on Tuesday night
11/23/2015 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois hosts Oakland on Tuesday night in a non-conference matchup at SIU Arena. The Golden Grizzlies were picked to finish second in the Horizon League and are coming off a five-point loss to Colorado State on Sunday. Fans are encouraged to bring three canned goods to donate to a local food pantry and will receive a $5 off coupon to a future game. Fans can also bring a new toy to donate to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.
On Monday, the Missouri Valley Conference announced that juco transfer PG Mike Rodriguez (5-10, 160, Jr.) has been named MVC Newcomer of the Week. He averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 assists in wins over Kent State and Sam Houston State last week. Rodriguez leads the team with 16 assists and only three turnovers. He is also the team's second-leading scorer (12.0 ppg). Rodriguez averaged 22.5 points and 6.1 assists last season at Marshalltown Community College and was an All-Region pick.
| Oakland (1-1) at Southern Illinois (4-0) | |
| Date | Tuesday, Nov. 24., 2015 |
| Time | 7 p.m. CT |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill., SIU Arena (8,339) |
| Game Notes | Southern Illinois  |
| Tickets | Buy On-Line |
| Radio | Saluki Sports Network |
| Watch | ESPN3 |
| Live Audio | CBS All-Access |
| Live Stats | Stat Broadcast |
| Social Media | @SIU_Basketball |
Coach Hinson Transcript
What are your thoughts on Oakland?
"I am getting ready to tell our players at practice that they are the best offensive team we have seen to date, and maybe one of the best offensive teams we will see all year. Very rarely do you see a basketball team that has five guys that average double figures. Never in all of my years of coaching have I seen a team at this time of the year that has only missed four free-throws. They are shooting 90% from the free-throw line and they love to shoot the three. I have coached against Greg (Kampe) in the past when I was at Oral Roberts. They push the ball and shoot it quick. I know personally that their point guard (Kay) Felder is really good because we recruited him. This will be a very entertaining game for our fans, if we decide to come out and play. We have to take that approach. Very rarely are you an underdog at your own place, but we will certainly be underdogs tomorrow night. This team was picked second in the Horizon League and we just have to come and play."
How much of an impact have the two Iowa State transfers made for Oakland?
"The big kid (Percy Gibson) is their key factor right now. He certainly draws a lot of attention. When five guys are averaging double figures, you have to guard everybody and that makes it difficult. It's an easy scout because you can say that each guy can score. The process is that when they do miss, you find a way to get the rebound."
How do you feel the team has progressed defensively from game to game?
"Most coaches will tell you that you are never as good as you think you should be defensively. I think for the most part, you can see our guys have gotten a little bit better. We were shellshocked a little bit when we went to Sam Houston. We were a little nervous. Five of those guys had never player on the road before, and the other guys had been beaten 10 times in a row on the road before. It was a little bit of a difference. For the most part when you look at all of the games, I thought that our defense was pretty good. Our defensive numbers right now are better than they were last year, and hopefully they will continue to get better."
What has to get better on your man-to-man defense?
"In man-to-man defense, you have to be able to guard the basketball. The problem with that in this day and age is the way that officials are calling games. We have a conundrum. Can you guard man-to-man without fouling? I said this on my radio show today, I think that you are going to see every team in the country head towards zone defense. Let's get one thing straight, just because we are playing zone doesn't mean they are going to shoot 3-pointers uncontested. We can play a zone against their 3-point shooting, we just have to get there faster and make a conscientious effort against those guys."
How much does Kay Felder remind you of Mike Rodriguez?
"I think that they are both looking each other in the mirror. I think that they are very similar and it is a big challenge at this time for Michael because he never faced a guard like this at the junior college level, nor has he faced a guard like this at the Division I level. This will be one of the best point guards we will play all year long. This kid is a pro in the future and we better come ready to guard him. It will not only be a big challenge for Mike, but also for Leo (Vincent) and Anthony (Beane)."
What challenges does Percy Gibson present?
"Well any big guy that can score is giving us issues. Our interior defense has got to get a lot better. We are trying to guard in there with a guy that is really struggling with his health. Bola (Olaniyan) has to get better, but he has been in foul trouble. The two freshmen too. It's going to be time to grow up."
Are you encouraged by the way you are winning games?
"We are probably going to be out-rebounded a lot this year because of our size, but at the same time teams also have to guard us. They have to ask what they can do to stop us. We obviously have some deficiencies and a lot of that has to do with us deciding to play a smaller lineup with quicker and more agile guards. We may give up some rebounds, but they have to guard us offensively. I think the thing that is trending with us is how we share the basketball. Our turnovers haven't been turnovers where you throw it out of bounds. A majority of our turnovers have been on charges. I really can't get too upset with them because they are attacking the rim."
What has impressed you most about Anthony's season so far?
"The one thing that has impressed me is that he has a target on his back and he has handled it very well. I think you have to give credit to the other guys, too. Even though teams have tried to shut down Anthony, you have an opportunity where the other guys can pick up the slack. Anthony is not forcing a lot of bad shots. Last year we needed and had to have him score. He may have taken some ill-advised shots last year because we didn't have anybody that could shoot the basketball. I think this year the game has flowed to him. He is still growing a little bit and getting better. I am certainly happy with his progress."
