Saturday, October 29
Tuscaloosa, AL
2 PM
Southern Illinois University
at
Alabama
Saluki Basketball Set for Charity Exhibition at Alabama Saturday
10/28/2022 | 9:10:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois Men's Basketball will take the floor for the first time in 2022-23 when it tips off against Alabama in a charity exhibition game on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside Foster Auditorium.
Limited to students only, the teams will play a full 40-minute regulation game. Proceeds from the contest will benefit the Community Service Programs of West Alabama's Alberta Head Start Program. Fans can follow the action through Alabama radio by clicking HERE or by following live stats HERE.
The exhibition game serves as a tune-up for the Salukis before the team's regular-season opener against Little Rock on Nov. 7 at Banterra Center. The discounted tickets are available in section 113 of Banterra Center and can be purchased by visiting SIUSalukis.com/PackThePound.
Picked third in the MVC Preseason Poll, head coach Bryan Mullins return three starters and two double-digit scorers from a year ago to go along with four returning letterwinners. In addition, the Salukis added key pieces with six newcomers, including three division I transfers.
Leading the returners for SIU is senior forward Marcus Domask who led the Salukis in scoring (15.1), rebounding (5.2) and assists (3.9) a year ago -- only the third player in school history to do so, joining Darren Brooks and Desmar Jackson. A Preseason First Team All-MVC selection, Domask scored 20+ points eight times and converted .352 from 3-point and .824 from the free throw line.
Guard Lance Jones was second on the team and eighth in the MVC in scoring (14.8) – recording 20 or more points in eight games -- after starting 29 games for the Salukis last season. Named Preseason Second Team All-MVC in 2022-23 and to the MVC All-Defensive Team a year ago, Jones led the Missouri Valley Conference with 1.93 steals per game.
Also returning for SIU is forward J.D. Muila who started 24 games averaging 3.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. Back for Southern are Dalton Banks (4.6 points per game), Trent Brown (2.2 points per game), Chris Cross and Troy D'Amico. Guard Foster Wonders and center Scottie Ebube will look to make an impact after redshirting a year ago.
Four transfers will look to make immediate impacts for the Salukis this season as Clarence Rupert, Xavier Johnson, Jawaun Newton and AJ Ferguson join the team. Rupert, a Saint Peter's transfer with three years of eligibility remaining is coming off an Elite-8 run with the Peacocks. The 6-foot-8 forward appeared in 30 games, averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13 minutes per game.
Johnson, a George Mason transfer, averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds his junior season after playing in 28 games including 23 starts. His team-high 4.6 assists per game ranked eighth in the A-10. Ferguson comes to Carbondale after a season at East Central University in Oklahoma where he averaged 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Newton, who Saluki fans will be familiar with comes to SIU after four years at Evansville. Over his career with the Purple Aces, he averaged eight points, 3.6 rebounds and one assist in 103 games including 65 starts. True freshmen forward Cade Hornecker and guard JR Jacobs also join the Salukis this season.
Alabama finished the 2021-22 season with a 19-14 overall record including a 9-9 mark in SEC play. UA advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed, falling to Notre Dame in the first round. SIU is 0-2 against the Crimson Tide with the last meeting coming during the 2004 season.
Men's Basketball season tickets for the 2022-23 season are on sale now, with prices beginning as low as $125. For more information, fans can call the SIU Ticket Office at 877-SALUKIS.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Basketball, on Instagram at @SIU_Basketball and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Limited to students only, the teams will play a full 40-minute regulation game. Proceeds from the contest will benefit the Community Service Programs of West Alabama's Alberta Head Start Program. Fans can follow the action through Alabama radio by clicking HERE or by following live stats HERE.
The exhibition game serves as a tune-up for the Salukis before the team's regular-season opener against Little Rock on Nov. 7 at Banterra Center. The discounted tickets are available in section 113 of Banterra Center and can be purchased by visiting SIUSalukis.com/PackThePound.
Picked third in the MVC Preseason Poll, head coach Bryan Mullins return three starters and two double-digit scorers from a year ago to go along with four returning letterwinners. In addition, the Salukis added key pieces with six newcomers, including three division I transfers.
Leading the returners for SIU is senior forward Marcus Domask who led the Salukis in scoring (15.1), rebounding (5.2) and assists (3.9) a year ago -- only the third player in school history to do so, joining Darren Brooks and Desmar Jackson. A Preseason First Team All-MVC selection, Domask scored 20+ points eight times and converted .352 from 3-point and .824 from the free throw line.
Guard Lance Jones was second on the team and eighth in the MVC in scoring (14.8) – recording 20 or more points in eight games -- after starting 29 games for the Salukis last season. Named Preseason Second Team All-MVC in 2022-23 and to the MVC All-Defensive Team a year ago, Jones led the Missouri Valley Conference with 1.93 steals per game.
Also returning for SIU is forward J.D. Muila who started 24 games averaging 3.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. Back for Southern are Dalton Banks (4.6 points per game), Trent Brown (2.2 points per game), Chris Cross and Troy D'Amico. Guard Foster Wonders and center Scottie Ebube will look to make an impact after redshirting a year ago.
Four transfers will look to make immediate impacts for the Salukis this season as Clarence Rupert, Xavier Johnson, Jawaun Newton and AJ Ferguson join the team. Rupert, a Saint Peter's transfer with three years of eligibility remaining is coming off an Elite-8 run with the Peacocks. The 6-foot-8 forward appeared in 30 games, averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13 minutes per game.
Johnson, a George Mason transfer, averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds his junior season after playing in 28 games including 23 starts. His team-high 4.6 assists per game ranked eighth in the A-10. Ferguson comes to Carbondale after a season at East Central University in Oklahoma where he averaged 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Newton, who Saluki fans will be familiar with comes to SIU after four years at Evansville. Over his career with the Purple Aces, he averaged eight points, 3.6 rebounds and one assist in 103 games including 65 starts. True freshmen forward Cade Hornecker and guard JR Jacobs also join the Salukis this season.
Alabama finished the 2021-22 season with a 19-14 overall record including a 9-9 mark in SEC play. UA advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed, falling to Notre Dame in the first round. SIU is 0-2 against the Crimson Tide with the last meeting coming during the 2004 season.
Men's Basketball season tickets for the 2022-23 season are on sale now, with prices beginning as low as $125. For more information, fans can call the SIU Ticket Office at 877-SALUKIS.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Basketball, on Instagram at @SIU_Basketball and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
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