Preview | Men's Basketball to open home slate with "Banterra Center 60th Birthday Bash" on Nov. 8

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois basketball will open its regular season home slate on Friday night with the Banterra Center 60^th Birthday Bash against Missouri S&T. Tipoff with the Miners is set for 7 p.m. CT.

The Banterra Center, originally known simply as SIU Arena, first opened its doors on December 1, 1964, when the Walt Frazier-led Salukis beat Oklahoma State, 78-55.

Saluki Athletics will tip off a season-long celebration of the arena's 60th birthday with the Nov. 8 game, billed as the "Banterra Center 60th Birthday Bash." Fans can purchase $6 seats using the promo code "BIRTHDAY" at SIUSalukis.com/Promo.

The opening-night game will feature music and never-before-seen photos from history-making concert performances at the Banterra Center during the past 60 years.

PROMOTIONS

It's the Banterra Center 60^th Birthday Bash. Relive some of the most memorable moments in the arena's history with exclusive photos from iconic concert performances and music on Friday and throughout the season. David Lee, a member of the 1964-65 Saluki Basketball team – the first team to play inside Banterra Center – will be recognized during the game.
- Get $6 seats using the promo code "BIRTHDAY" at SIUSalukis.com/Promo.
The Salukis will wear a throwback against Missouri S&T. Vintage SIU gear will be available at the Team Store on the concourse as well as at the University Bookstore.
The Dawg Pound will give away free pizza to its members an hour before tip behind section 105.

HOW TO FOLLOW

The ESPN Plus broadcast team includes Dominic Hoscher, Mike Trude, and Saluki Basketball Hall of Famer Jamaal Tatum.
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 (577) among active Division I head coaches.
The Salukis return three players from last year's squad in Kennard Davis Jr., Jarrett Hensley, and guard Sheridan Sharp. SIU added 11 new players to the roster before summer access.
Kennard Davis Jr. and Ali Dibba picked up Third Team Preseason All-MVC honors.

LAST TIME OUT
SIU is coming off a 90-80 loss to the College of Charleston on Monday at the Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase. Southern was led offensively by guard Elijah Elliott who put in 23 points to go with three steals. Ali Dibba (14) and Kennard Davis Jr. (12) also scored in double-digits for the Salukis. Transfer forward Davion Sykes scored eight and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in just under 20 minutes of action. Eight players made their Saluki debut against the Cougars, including two freshmen in Rolyns Aligbe and Drew Steffe. Antwaun Massey was strong in his debut after the big man went for eight points and four rebounds in 15 minutes. SIU outscored the Cougars 17-0 on the fast break in the game.

DAVIS BACK AFTER STRONG FRESHMAN SEASON
Saluki guard Kennard Davis Jr. returned to Southern after seeing action in 32 games last season, including 10 starts as a true freshman. He averaged 21.3 minutes a game and scored 4.2 points per game but made his mark on the defensive end where he was tasked with defending the top player much of his time on the court.

HENSLEY LOOKS TO MAKE IMPACT IN YEAR TWO
After missing nearly all of the nonconference season a year ago due to NCAA transfer rules, Jarrett Hensley made his Saluki debut at Wichita State when he scored eight points in 16 minutes. He finished the season playing in 23 games and averaging 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The forward had a trio of three block games and scored in double-digits in five games including a pair of 15-point outings against Murray State and Bradley.

NEW DAWGS ON THE BLOCK
Eleven new faces will wear the Saluki uniform for the first time this season. SIU added three double-digit scoring transfers in Elijah Elliott (16.6 ppg) from Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Ali Dibba (15.5 ppg) from Abilene Christian, and Davion Sykes (11.2 ppg) from Texas State. Also joining Southern in the transfer portal is a Missouri State duo of guards in Damien Mayo Jr. and Tyler Bey. Guard Drew Steffe comes to SIU from Texas Tech while big men Jorge Moreno (Lee College) and Antwaun Massey (New Mexico JC) also signed with the Salukis. SIU added three freshmen to the roster in big men Rolyns Aligbe and Jaheem Webber as well as Benton guard Isaac Billington.

EXPERIENCE ON THE BENCH FOR THE SALUKIS
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 (577) and Hawkins (453) have won a combined 1,030 games while at the help of their programs respectively.

LOOKING AT MISSOURI S&T
The last time SIU faced Missouri S&T came in the 2023-14 season when the Salukis defeated the Miners 94-72 behind a 24 point and 10 rebound performance from Desmar Jackson. All-time the Salukis are 6-0 against Missouri S&T. The Cougars come into Friday's game in Carbondale for its second-straight game against a Division I opponent after falling to Tulsa out of the American Conference on October 29, 75-70. The Miners are led by fifth-year head coach Bill Walker and are returning two of last season's primary starting five, with both Lovell Williams and Andrew Young set to get significant playing time again this season. Missouri S&T was picked to finish 10th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Poll.

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).

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
SIU head coach Scott Nagy has made five trips to the NCAA Tournament, a place his father was very familiar with. Dick Nagy spent 33 years in coaching, mostly as a top assistant. He worked for the legendary Lou Henson at Illinois for 17 years, helping the Illini reach the NCAA tourney 14 times and advance to the Final Four in 1989. He also was on the bench for Wright State's Horizon League foe UIC when it won the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1998.

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.

SEASON TICKETS AND MINI PLANS
Get season tickets starting at $125 or build your own Mini-Plan for as little as $36. Single-game tickets start at $10 with no added fees this season!

Six-Game Mini-Plans
$84: Pick any six games and get upper-bowl, chair-back seats (Sections 203, 204, 206, 207, 211, 212, 214, 215)
$54: Pick any six games and get upper-bowl, bleacher seats (All sections)

Four-Game Mini-Plans
$56: Pick any four games and get upper-bowl, chair-back seats (Sections 203, 204, 206, 207, 211, 212, 214, 215)
$36: Pick any four games and get upper-bowl, bleacher seats (All sections)

Season Tickets
$125-$275: Tickets for all 14 home dates start at just $125 for upper bleacher sections.

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.

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