Men's Basketball plays at Arkansas on Monday

Monday, November 14

Fayetteville, AR

7:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

Arkansas

11/12/2016 | 6:00:00 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes Watch Listen Live Stats

By: By Tom Weber, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois (0-1) plays at Arkansas (1-0) on Monday at 7 p.m., marking the first of three games against Power Five conference opponents this season. The Salukis also play at Minnesota (Nov. 25) and Louisville (Dec. 7).

Series vs. Arkansas
Southern Illinois is 2-3 all-time versus Arkansas, including a 1-1 mark on the road. The Salukis won at Barnhill Arena in overtime in 1971, and lost 86-72, in 1985. They have never played in Bud Walton Arena.

The only time the teams have met in the last 30 years was on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2006, at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. The Razorbacks won, 61-53, in overtime. Jamaal Tatum led SIU with 17 points, Randal Falker added 14, and Bryan Mullins had nine assists for a team that would end the season in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Series vs. SEC
The Salukis are 9-21 all-time against current members of the SEC, including a 3-7 mark on the road. The road wins came at Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri.

Barry Hinson is 2-9 lifetime versus the SEC, including an 0-3 mark against Arkansas while coaching at Missouri State. Both of his SEC wins came against Texas A&M.

Senior leadership
The Salukis' senior class (Sean O'Brien, Leo Vincent, Mike Rodriguez, Tyler Smithpeters) has the most returning career points (1,875) and rebounds (699) of any school in the Missouri Valley Conference. In fact, 25 percent of the returning scoring in the MVC comes from SIU's four seniors.

Mike Rodriguez nearly doubles his career-high in scoring
PG Mike Rodriguez (5-10, 165, Sr.) had a career-high 29 points in the opener against Wright State on Friday, nearly doubling his previous best of 15 versus Air Force on Nov. 13, 2015. Interestingly, that game was also the team's season-opener. Rodriguez also led the team with six assists against the Raiders. His assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88) last year was the ninth-best single-season ratio in school history.

Road Warriors
The Salukis were 4-0 in non-conference road games last year, winning at Sam Houston State, North Texas, Murray State and Saint Louis. The Salukis have not lost a non-conference road game since falling at SEMO on Dec. 10, 2014. Hinson is 12-12 in non-conference road games at SIU.

Sean O'Brien voted Preseason Second-Team All-MVC
F Sean O'Brien (6-7, 215, Sr.) is SIU's top returning scorer (12.1 points), rebounder (6.0 rebounds) and shot blocker (29 blocks). He was also second on the team in assists (63). The savvy veteran first cracked the lineup early in his freshman campaign, and has started 90 of the last 91 games, including a current streak of 68-consecutive starts.

Leo Vincent delivers in first start
G Leo Vincent (6-1, 192, Sr.) was named to the MVC's All-Bench team last year. He played in all 32 games, never started, but was the team's fourth-leading scorer (8.1 points). Against Wright State, he made his first-career start and scored 19 points to go with a team-high six rebounds.

Saluki lineup features trio of junior college starters
Three Saluki starters (Mike Rodriguez, Leo Vincent and Thik Bol) came to SIU via the junior college route. The last time Southern started three juco players in a game was on Feb. 22, 2012 when Mamadou Seck, Jeff Early and T.J. Lindsay started at Drake.

Dawg Bites
• The 54 points allowed in the second half to Wright State were the most in the Hinson era, surpassing the 49 surrendered at Chicago State in 2013. The 32 personal fouls were also a high for the Hinson era.
•SIU was 7-2 in games decided by five points or less last year. The Salukis are 0-1 this season.
•SIU's roster has three foreign-born players — Rudy Stradnieks (Latvia), Thik Bol (Sudan), Leo Vincent (Liberia).