Tuesday, November 21
Cancun, MX
5 PM CT / 6 PM ET
Southern Illinois University
vs
James Madison
Preview | Salukis Open Cancun Challenge with No. 22 James Madison
11/20/2023 | 12:36:00 | Men's Basketball
CANCUN, Mexico - Southern Illinois will faceoff with nationally ranked James Madison in the opening round of the Cancun Challenge on Tuesday night. Tipoff with the No. 22 Dukes is set for 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. The Salukis will take on either Fresno State or New Mexico State on Wednesday. Both games will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
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WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN
• The game will be available nationally on CBS Sports Network with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Chris Walker (analyst) calling the action.
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• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, the Saluki Mobile App, and the Varsity Network App with Luke Martin (play-by-play) and Rodney Watson (analyst) on the call.
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QUICK HITS
• The Salukis are off to a 3-0 start. The last time SIU started 3-0 came during the 2020-21 season.
• A win over No. 22 James Madison would be the first win over a Top-25 team for the Salukis since 2013 when SIU defeated No. 22 Wichita State. SIU is 16-67 against Top-25 teams in program history.
• SIU has been strong defensively allowing just 60 points per game, ranking second in the MVC.
• Southern Illinois has 51 assists through three games. The 17 assists per game ranks 57th nationally. Xavier Johnson has a team-high 17 assists in three starts.
• Southern's 1.65 assist-to-turnover ratio is third in the MVC and 42nd nationally.
• Graduate guard Trent Brown ranks 12th nationally with a 58.8 percent mark from behind the arc.
• Clarence Rupert's 3.33 offensive rebounds a game ranks 64th nationally and second in the MVC.
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LAST TIME OUT
• SIU improved to 3-0 after defeating Chicago State in Carbondale to open the Cancun Challenge.
• AJ Ferguson scored a career-high 20 points in the win on 7-11 shooting to go with six rebounds.
• Xavier Johnson scored 18 points (14 2H) and dished out seven assists while picking up four steals.
• Johnson shot 10-10 from the charity stripe in the game, extending his streak to 21 straight free throws to open the season.
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THE MATCHUP
• James Madison is off to a red-hot start after knocking off Top-25 Michigan State on the road to start the season as well as a road win over Kent State.
• JMU entered action in Cancun at 4-0 on the season. The Dukes were picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll while Terrance Edwards Jr. earned SBC Preseason First Team honors.
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THE SERIES
• Tuesday's games with JMU will mark the fourth ever between the two programs with SIU winning the previous three meetings. The last time the two teams met was in 1996 with SIU winning 74-67. Two of the three matchups have come on neutral courts.
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BALANCING THE OFFENSE
After being dominated by just two true scoring threats a year ago, six Salukis are averaging nine or more points through the first three games. Xavier Johnson leads the way with 19.7 points per outing. AJ Ferguson (13) and Trent Brown (11) join Johnson in double figures while Jovan Stulic (9.7), Scottie Ebube (9.3) and Clarence Rupert (9.0) have been effective for SIU.
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JOHNSON AN MVC PRESEASON PICK
Graduate Xavier Johnson was named to the preseason MVC Third Team. The guard returns for his second season in maroon & white after starting in 31 games a year ago and scoring seven points per outing. Johnson was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team following the 2022-23 and was second on the team and sixth in the MVC with 50 steals. To go along with his scoring output Johnson averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
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FOLLOW THE 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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WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN
• The game will be available nationally on CBS Sports Network with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Chris Walker (analyst) calling the action.
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• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, the Saluki Mobile App, and the Varsity Network App with Luke Martin (play-by-play) and Rodney Watson (analyst) on the call.
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QUICK HITS
• The Salukis are off to a 3-0 start. The last time SIU started 3-0 came during the 2020-21 season.
• A win over No. 22 James Madison would be the first win over a Top-25 team for the Salukis since 2013 when SIU defeated No. 22 Wichita State. SIU is 16-67 against Top-25 teams in program history.
• SIU has been strong defensively allowing just 60 points per game, ranking second in the MVC.
• Southern Illinois has 51 assists through three games. The 17 assists per game ranks 57th nationally. Xavier Johnson has a team-high 17 assists in three starts.
• Southern's 1.65 assist-to-turnover ratio is third in the MVC and 42nd nationally.
• Graduate guard Trent Brown ranks 12th nationally with a 58.8 percent mark from behind the arc.
• Clarence Rupert's 3.33 offensive rebounds a game ranks 64th nationally and second in the MVC.
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LAST TIME OUT
• SIU improved to 3-0 after defeating Chicago State in Carbondale to open the Cancun Challenge.
• AJ Ferguson scored a career-high 20 points in the win on 7-11 shooting to go with six rebounds.
• Xavier Johnson scored 18 points (14 2H) and dished out seven assists while picking up four steals.
• Johnson shot 10-10 from the charity stripe in the game, extending his streak to 21 straight free throws to open the season.
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THE MATCHUP
• James Madison is off to a red-hot start after knocking off Top-25 Michigan State on the road to start the season as well as a road win over Kent State.
• JMU entered action in Cancun at 4-0 on the season. The Dukes were picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll while Terrance Edwards Jr. earned SBC Preseason First Team honors.
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THE SERIES
• Tuesday's games with JMU will mark the fourth ever between the two programs with SIU winning the previous three meetings. The last time the two teams met was in 1996 with SIU winning 74-67. Two of the three matchups have come on neutral courts.
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BALANCING THE OFFENSE
After being dominated by just two true scoring threats a year ago, six Salukis are averaging nine or more points through the first three games. Xavier Johnson leads the way with 19.7 points per outing. AJ Ferguson (13) and Trent Brown (11) join Johnson in double figures while Jovan Stulic (9.7), Scottie Ebube (9.3) and Clarence Rupert (9.0) have been effective for SIU.
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JOHNSON AN MVC PRESEASON PICK
Graduate Xavier Johnson was named to the preseason MVC Third Team. The guard returns for his second season in maroon & white after starting in 31 games a year ago and scoring seven points per outing. Johnson was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team following the 2022-23 and was second on the team and sixth in the MVC with 50 steals. To go along with his scoring output Johnson averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
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FOLLOW THE 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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Players Mentioned
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