Preview | Salukis Host Drake on the National Stage Saturday Night

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois will play on the national stage Saturday night as Drake comes to town for a battle for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference. Tipoff from Banterra Center is set for 7:05 p.m. on ESPN2.

Tickets start at just $10 and can be purchased online by clicking HERE. Fans can also call 877-SALUKIS or visit the SIU Ticket Office during normal business hours.

GAME PROMOTIONS

At all Saluki men's basketball games, kids are invited down to the court for pregame starting lineups. To participate, bring your child to the floor in front of Section 107 10 minutes before tipoff and look for Brown or Grey Dawg.

WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN

The game will be available nationally on ESPN2 and on ESPN Plus with Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Kevin Lehman (analyst) calling the action.
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.

QUICK HITS

SIU enters the game ranked 82 in the NET, while Drake ranks 78.
SIU is locked in a five-way tie for first place with Drake, Indiana State, Belmont, and Murray State.
Southern is shooting 39.6 percent from behind the arc -- ranking ninth nationally.
SIU is holding opponents to 26.4 percent from 3-point range -- fifth-best nationally.
The Salukis rank 30th nationally in effective field goal percentage at 55.6 percent.
In his last six games, Scottie Ebube has 62 points in 70 minutes, shot 27-of-36, 25 rebounds, and four blocks.
SIU is 27-0 under Bryan Mullins when scoring 75 points or more and 51-6 when scoring 70 or more.
With a 10-point win over Belmont, SIU now has nine double-digit wins this season out of the 12 overall. The most wins in one season by 10+ points SIU has had under head coach Bryan Mullins is 10 in 2019-20, with three of them being MVC wins.

XAVIER JOHNSON...

Was named to two Mid-Season Watch List this past week: Lute Olson (National Player of the Year) & Lue Henson (Mid-Major Player of the Year).
is second in the nation in scoring at 24.1 points per game.
is 15th nationally and leading the MVC with 6.2 assists per game.
is second nationally with 123 free throws made and sixth nationally in free throw attempts with 135.
is the only player in the nation averaging 20+ points, shooting better than 40 percent or better from the field, 40 percent or better from three, 85 percent or better from the free throw line, and averaging five or more assists per game.
has scored 16 or more in all 16 games this season -- the longest stretch of his career.

NUMBERS WATCH

Xavier Johnson is one of seven players in SIU history with five 30+ point games in a season. He has five of the 11 30+ point games in the MVC. His nine 20+ point games lead the MVC.
Graduate Trent Brown enters the game with 142 career 3-pointers -- ranking 14th in program history.
Clarence Rupert has two double-doubles this season -- matching the number of double-doubles SIU has produced in the last two seasons combined.

LAST TIME OUT

SIU won its sixth straight game on the road at Valpo.
Xavier Johnson battled foul trouble but led the Salukis with 22 points while Scottie Ebube had 14 points and five rebounds.
The Salukis won the battle in the paint, outscoring Valpo 36-26 at the basket. The Salukis were also able to turn 12 Valpo turnovers into 18 points, many of which came in transition where the Dawgs outscored the Beacons 15-5.

THE MATCHUP

Led by the MVC Preseason Player of the Year Tucker DeVries, Drake enters the matchup at 13-3 overall and 4-1 in the MVC.
DeVries is one of four Bulldogs to score in double-digits with a team-best 19.5 points per outing. Atin Wright (15.2), Kevin Overton (12.8) and Darnell Brodie (11.2) round out the scoring.

THE SERIES

Saturday's meeting with the Bulldogs will be the 104th between the two programs. Southern Illinois leads the all-time series 61-42, including a 35-13 record in Carbondale against DU. The Salukis are 2-1 at home in the last three meetings and 1-2 against the Bulldogs a year ago. SIU knocked off Drake at home before falling on the road and in the Arch Madness semifinals.

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.

Calendar

Upcoming Events