Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
SIUE
Men's Basketball travels to SIUE on Friday night
11/17/2016 | 2:06:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois (1-2) plays at SIUE (2-1) on Friday night at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest. The Salukis lead the all-time series versus SIUE, 7-1, including a 3-0 mark at the Vadalabene Center. The Cougars' lone win in the series came last season at SIU Arena. In that game, SIUE snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 76-74 upset. Burak Elsik was the leading scorer with 23 points.
SIU-SIUE ties
SIUE assistant coach Kent Williams is a 2010 inductee to the Saluki Hall of Fame and one of the school's all-time greatest basketball players. He scored 2,012 points from 1999 to 2003 and led SIU's teams to a combined 88-42 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 in 2002.
Hinson versus the OVC
This game will mark the 14th time Hinson has faced an Ohio Valley Conference team since becoming head coach at SIU in 2012. He has an 8-5 record in those games, including a 3-1 mark against SIUE.
Statistical leaders
It's still early, but the Salukis have three players among the league leaders in a handful of statistical categories. Mike Rodriguez is 9th in scoring (14.7) and 5th in assists (4.7), Armon Fletcher is 7th in steals (2.3) and Thik Bol is 2nd in rebounding (10.3) and blocked shots (2.0).
Dawg Bites
•Sean O'Brien had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Missouri Southern State, marking the 7th double-double of his career.
•Thik Bol's 17 rebounds vs. MSSU were the most in the Hinson era.
•The Salukis are in the middle of a five-game stretch in 10 days to start the season.
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 92 of the last 93 games, including a current streak of 70-consecutive starts.
Mike Rodriguez leads team in scoring, assists
PG Mike Rodriguez (5-10, 165, Sr.) has accounted for 35 percent of SIU's baskets this year, as the team's leader in scoring (14.7) and assists (14). He has a 2.00 assist-TO ratio. His ratio last year (1.88) was the ninth-best single-season mark in school history. Rodriguez scored a career-high 29 points in the opener against Wright State, nearly doubling his previous best of 15 versus Air Force on Nov. 13, 2015. Interestingly, that game was also the team's season-opener.
Armon Fletcher with the hot hand
Armon Fletcher (6-4, 190, So.) is the team's top 3-point shooter so far, converting 7-of-13 (.538). He is the only Saluki player to score double figures in all three games this season.
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. Prior to the loss at Arkansas on Nov. 14, the Salukis had not lost a non-conference road game since falling at SEMO on Dec. 10, 2014. Hinson is 12-13 in non-conference road games at SIU.
Senior leadership
The Salukis' senior class (Sean O'Brien, Leo Vincent, Mike Rodriguez, Tyler Smithpeters) has the most returning career points and rebounds 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.
