Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Preview | Salukis Open Gulf Coast Showcase Monday Against La Tech
11/24/2024 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
ESTERO, Fla. – Southern Illinois basketball opens the Gulf Coast Showcase Monday afternoon against La Tech at 2 p.m. CT at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida. The Salukis will also take on Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday at 11 a.m. CT before wrapping up the event Wednesday against Florida Tech at 2 p.m. CT.
HOW TO FOLLOW
QUICK HITS
• First-year head coach Scott Nagy leads the Salukis. Nagy brings 30 years of head coaching experience to Carbondale and has recorded 14 straight winning seasons while at the helm of both South Dakota State and Wright State. Nagy ranks No. 17 in wins (579) among active Division I head coaches.
• SIU welcomed 11 newcomers to the roster this season with three returners from last year's squad. Kennard Davis Jr., Jarrett Hensley, and Sheridan Sharp were the lone returners for SIU.
• The Salukis rank 265 out of 355 in Division I experience (1.27 years) according to Kenpom. Southern has also played the 52nd toughest schedule, including two road games against Power 5 opponents.
• Kennard Davis Jr. and Ali Dibba picked up Third Team Preseason All-MVC honors.
• SIU was picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll.
• Kennard Davis Jr. tied for fifth in program history with seven steals against Missouri S&T. The sophomore has 13 steals this season which is more than double the next Saluki in the category (6). He had 22 total steals during his freshman season.
• Freshman guard Drew Steffe has 11 assists and just one turnover in five games. He is third on the team in total assists playing 15.8 minutes per contest.
• Big man Rolyns Aligbe pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in a loss to Florida Friday night. The freshman is tied for the team lead with 5.6 rebounds per game.
• SIU is 2-0 in games when leading at the half and 2-1 in games with 15 or more assists.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE FIELD
• The Salukis and La Tech have met just six times previously with the series tied at three games apiece. SIU won the last meeting 50-36 on the road in Ruston in 2006.
• SIU is 1-2 overall against Eastern Kentucky with the last meeting coming in 1991 - a 65-61 road loss. In the year prior, Rich Herrin's Salukis defeated the Colonels 104-61 in Carbondale. The first-ever meeting with EKU came in 1944 when SIU fell 56-49 in the NAIA Tournament.
• The Gulf Coast Showcase finale with Florida Tech will mark the first-ever meeting with the Panthers.
LAST TIME OUT
The Salukis fell to No. 21 Florida on the road in Gainesville. The Salukis trailed 14-13 at the midway point of the first half before the Gators went on a 22-2 run and never looked back. Southern battled in the second half, nearly outscoring UF while SIU finished the game winning the battle on the glass, 49-43. Ali Dibba led the Salukis with 17 points while Jarrett Hensley added 14.
EXPERIENCE ON THE BENCH FOR THE SIU
One thing that Southern Illinois does not lack on the bench is experience within the coaching staff. SIU boasts over 100 years of total coaching experience between six coaches, as well as over 50 years of head coaching experience between Scott Nagy (30) and Steve Hawkins (28). Nagy (579) and Hawkins (453) have won a combined 1,032 games while at the help of their programs respectively.
NCAA NAGY, THE PLAYER
As a player at NCAA Division II Delta State, Scott Nagy was a part of two Regional Championships with the Statesmen in 1987 and 1988. A guard from 1985-1988, Nagy started 122 straight games and is Delta State's career assist leader (549) and the program leader for most assists in a season (234, 1986-87). The Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year in 1985, he was the Gulf South's Athlete of the Year in 1988, and a three-time member of the Gulf South All-Academic Team (1986, 1987, 1988).
RESPECT THE VALLEY
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- Jack DeLongchamps and John Vittas will have the TV call on FloCollege.
- The radio broadcast can be heard locally on 101.5 CIL-FM, on the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, the Saluki Mobile App, and the Varsity Network App with Luke Martin and Rodney Watson calling the action.
- Fans can follow Live Stats at SIUSalukis.com.
QUICK HITS
• First-year head coach Scott Nagy leads the Salukis. Nagy brings 30 years of head coaching experience to Carbondale and has recorded 14 straight winning seasons while at the helm of both South Dakota State and Wright State. Nagy ranks No. 17 in wins (579) among active Division I head coaches.
• SIU welcomed 11 newcomers to the roster this season with three returners from last year's squad. Kennard Davis Jr., Jarrett Hensley, and Sheridan Sharp were the lone returners for SIU.
• The Salukis rank 265 out of 355 in Division I experience (1.27 years) according to Kenpom. Southern has also played the 52nd toughest schedule, including two road games against Power 5 opponents.
• Kennard Davis Jr. and Ali Dibba picked up Third Team Preseason All-MVC honors.
• SIU was picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll.
• Kennard Davis Jr. tied for fifth in program history with seven steals against Missouri S&T. The sophomore has 13 steals this season which is more than double the next Saluki in the category (6). He had 22 total steals during his freshman season.
• Freshman guard Drew Steffe has 11 assists and just one turnover in five games. He is third on the team in total assists playing 15.8 minutes per contest.
• Big man Rolyns Aligbe pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in a loss to Florida Friday night. The freshman is tied for the team lead with 5.6 rebounds per game.
• SIU is 2-0 in games when leading at the half and 2-1 in games with 15 or more assists.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE FIELD
• The Salukis and La Tech have met just six times previously with the series tied at three games apiece. SIU won the last meeting 50-36 on the road in Ruston in 2006.
• SIU is 1-2 overall against Eastern Kentucky with the last meeting coming in 1991 - a 65-61 road loss. In the year prior, Rich Herrin's Salukis defeated the Colonels 104-61 in Carbondale. The first-ever meeting with EKU came in 1944 when SIU fell 56-49 in the NAIA Tournament.
• The Gulf Coast Showcase finale with Florida Tech will mark the first-ever meeting with the Panthers.
LAST TIME OUT
The Salukis fell to No. 21 Florida on the road in Gainesville. The Salukis trailed 14-13 at the midway point of the first half before the Gators went on a 22-2 run and never looked back. Southern battled in the second half, nearly outscoring UF while SIU finished the game winning the battle on the glass, 49-43. Ali Dibba led the Salukis with 17 points while Jarrett Hensley added 14.
EXPERIENCE ON THE BENCH FOR THE SIU
One thing that Southern Illinois does not lack on the bench is experience within the coaching staff. SIU boasts over 100 years of total coaching experience between six coaches, as well as over 50 years of head coaching experience between Scott Nagy (30) and Steve Hawkins (28). Nagy (579) and Hawkins (453) have won a combined 1,032 games while at the help of their programs respectively.
NCAA NAGY, THE PLAYER
As a player at NCAA Division II Delta State, Scott Nagy was a part of two Regional Championships with the Statesmen in 1987 and 1988. A guard from 1985-1988, Nagy started 122 straight games and is Delta State's career assist leader (549) and the program leader for most assists in a season (234, 1986-87). The Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year in 1985, he was the Gulf South's Athlete of the Year in 1988, and a three-time member of the Gulf South All-Academic Team (1986, 1987, 1988).
RESPECT THE VALLEY
- Notably, MVC teams are 12-4 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012. The league has now combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past 11 NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994.
- From 2012 to 2019, MVC teams won 10-straight, first-round games in the NCAA Tournament, tying a league record that was set from 1941-55.
- MVC teams have 42 total wins in the NCAA Tournament since 1994 with 12 Sweet 16 trips and two Final Four appearances. Notably, 31 of 42 victories have been against Power conferences, and the league has a winning record in that span against Big 12 and SEC schools.
- During the last decade, the MVC has ranked in the Top 10 nine times for all conferences in average home attendance.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Players Mentioned
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