SIU at No. 2 Kentucky Preview

The Southern Illinois men's basketball program opens the 2018-19 season at No. 2 Kentucky on Friday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The Salukis (0-0) and Wildcats (0-1) are meeting for the first time. SIU is facing a team ranked in the top-two nationally for the seventh time in program history.

SIU at No. 2 Kentucky || Lextington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) || Friday, November 9 || 6 p.m. CT

Watch » SEC Network with Mike Morgan and Dane Bradshaw (Stream available with cable subscription that includes SEC Network)
Listen » Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis and Rick Shipley (Stream available through TuneIn)
Stats » UKAthletics.com

THE RUNDOWN

Southern Illinois returns all five starters from last year's 20-win team.
The Salukis finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2017-18, the program's highest finish since winning the league in 2007.
The Salukis are ranked No. 10 in the preseason mid-major top-25.
No. 2 Kentucky is the highest-ranked team Southern Illinois has ever played in a season-opener. The last time SIU played a ranked team in a season-opener was 2010 vs. No. 13 Illinois.
SIU is facing a team ranked in the top-two nationally for the seventh time. The Salukis are 1-5 in those games, with the win being Walt Frazier's SIU team defeating Wes Unseld's No. 2-ranked Louisville team 53-50 in 1967.
Southern Illinois was picked third in the preseason MVC poll. Seniors Armon Fletcher (First Team) and Kavion Pippen (Second Team) were named preseason All-MVC.
SIU returns 83 percent of its scoring, 69 percent of its rebounding, and 79 percent of is assists from last year's team.
Southern's top-four scorers from last year return in 2018-19: Armon Fletcher (14.1 ppg), Sean Lloyd (12.1 ppg), Kavion Pippen (12.1 ppg) and Aaron Cook (9.8 ppg).
The Salukis also return Thik Bol (76 blocks in 2016-17) and Eric McGill, who missed last season with injuries. McGill was second in the MVC in steals at the time of his injury last year.

GAME PREVIEW

Southern Illinois and Kentucky will meet for the first time in basketball.
SIU is 9-22 all-time against teams currently in the Southeastern Conference.
- Last game: Nov. 14, 2016 at Arkansas
- Last win: Nov. 23, 2007 vs. Mississippi State (Anaheim, Calif.)
- Last road win: Dec. 28, 1992 at Ole Miss
Kentucky is ranked No. 2 nationally, only the seventh time ever that SIU will face a team ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the national polls.
Southern Illinois has faced a No. 1-ranked team only once: in 1979 when Larry Bird and his Indiana State Sycamores team played SIU.
The last time SIU faced a team ranked as high as Kentucky: Feb. 11, 2014, at No. 2 Wichita State. Wichita State won by 11.
Southern Illinois is 14-62 all-time against ranked opponents.
SIU is trying to snap a 10-game losing streak against ranked opponents. SIU's last win against a ranked opponent was a 64-62 win over No. 22 Wichita State in 2013.
SIU's only win against a top-two ranked team was Jan. 11, 1967. Walt Frazier and his Salukis upset Wes Unseld and the Louisville Cardinals, 53-50. SIU went on to win the NIT Championship that year.
SIU had narrow 3-point defeats to No. 2 Illinois in 2001 (75-72) and No. 2 Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen in 2007 (61-58).

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Quotes » Head Coach Barry Hinson press conference transcript and video
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TOUGH SLATE

The 2018-19 Southern Illinois non-conference schedule is one of the toughest in school history.
After facing No. 2 Kentucky, SIU hosts Buffalo three days later. The Bulls are ranked No. 2 in the mid-major top-25 and beat Arizona by 21 in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
The Salukis play Buffalo twice, returning the game in December.
SIU has seven games scheduled against the mid-major top-25:
- 2 against No. 2 Buffalo
- 2 against No. 3 Loyola
- 2 against No. 14 Illinois State
- 1 against No. 18 Murray State
- In addition, Southern hosts Saint Louis, which is picked to win the Atlantic-10, a conference not included in the mid-major top-25.
If the Salukis beat UMass in the Las Vegas Invitational, the Salukis would likely face Nevada, which is ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Southern Illinois scheduled four guaranteed non-conference games against teams that played in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, which is tied for ninth-most in the nation. Kentucky, with five, scheduled the third-most NCAA Tournament teams. (SIU will play five if they face Nevada in Las Vegas).
Based on the final 2017-18 RPI, Southern Illinois scheduled three non-conference games against teams with top-30 RPIs, tying the 2001-02 team for most in school history. (Kentucky and Buffalo twice)
If SIU faces Nevada, Southern's four non-conference games against top-30 RPI teams would make this the toughest schedule in school history.
Also based on previous season final RPI, Buffalo is the seventh-best opponent to play a non-conference game at SIU Arena all-time. Buffalo finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 26 in the RPI.

DAWG BITES

SIU is one of 15 Division I programs with a coach-player family connection. Freshman guard Darius Beane is the son of assistant coach Anthony Beane, Sr.
The Salukis went 15-1 when holding an opponent under 70 points in 2017-18.
The Salukis have made at least one 3-point field goal in 115 consecutive games.
Abby Myers, SIU's graduate assistant, is the only female graduate assistant in Division I men's basketball. She joins four other women serving in operations for Division I men's basketball. Myers is a Du Quoin, Ill., native and grew up with season tickets to Saluki Basketball games.
SIU has improved its final MVC standing in each of the last three years: (4th in 2015-16, 3rd in 2016-17, and 2nd in 2017-18).
Three all-time great Salukis went into the SIU Hall of Fame in the Class of 2018. Jermaine Dearman, Bruce Weber, and Bryan Mullins all were inducted in October 2018.
Armon Fletcher enters the season just 52 points shy of becoming SIU's 46th 1,000-point scorer.

For a complete set of game notes in PDF format, click here.

Calendar

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Players Mentioned

Darius Beane

Thik Bol

Aaron Cook Jr.

Armon Fletcher

Eric McGill

Kavion Pippen

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