Preview | Salukis Host No. 23 Indiana State Saturday Night - Southern Illinois University Athletics

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois basketball is set for a home showdown with No. 23 Indiana State on Saturday night. Tipoff with the Sycamores is set for 6 p.m. from Banterra Center.

GAME PROMOTIONS

The first 500 fans will receive a Jeremy Chinn/Ryan Neal commemorative poster. Chin and Neal will sign autographs from 5-5:30 p.m. in the Charles Helleny Pavilion.
It's "Better Call Saul Night" with a guest video appearance from Saluki alum Bob Odenkirk. Fans can get $10 tickets by using code "SAUL" here.
It's Galentines Day! The first 500 women will receive a free drink voucher, courtesy of the City of Carbondale. More information can be found here.
Fans can bring a canned or non-perishable food item on gameday to the SIU Ticket Office to receive a discounted lower-bowl corner chairback seat for just $10. The food drive was organized by the SIU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and will benefit the SIU Food Pantry.
Brown Dawg's Kids Club members can enter a raffle to receive a signed copy of Odenkirk's book "Zilot and Other Important Rhymes".
Remember, 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 on ESPN Plus with Harry Schroeder (play-by-play) and Dan Muller (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

Southern Illinois is ranked 116 in the NET, while Indiana State comes in at 28.
It is the first time SIU will host a ranked team since 2018 when #25 Buffalo came to town.
The last time that SIU defeated a ranked team was in 2013 against No. 22 Wichita State (SIU 64, WSU 62).
SIU is 16-68 against ranked teams all time and have lost 17-straight against such opponents.
The Salukis fell to #22 James Madison earlier this season, 82-76 at the Cancun Challenge.
SIU is holding opponents to 29.3 percent from 3-point range -- 17th-best nationally.
The Salukis rank fourth in the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.24.
SIU's scoring defense ranks 58th in the nation -- holding opponents to 67 points per game.
SIU is shooting 76.1 percent from the free throw line which is second in the MVC and 30th nationally.
The Salukis rank 70th nationally in effective field goal percentage at 53.6 percent.

UNDER MULLINS...

SIU has beaten a Power 6 team in each of the last four seasons.
SIU is 29-2 under Mullins when scoring 75 points or more and 53-8 when scoring 70 or more.
Bryan Mullins is tied for the fourth-fastest coach in program history to reach 80 wins -- 142 games.
SIU has nine double-digit wins this season out of the 16 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: Lute Olson (National Player of the Year) & Lue Henson (Mid-Major Player of the Year).
is second in the nation in scoring at 23.4 points per game and has scored 16 or more in all 26 games.
is 19th nationally and leading the MVC with 6.0 assists per game.
is fourth nationally with 185 free throws made and eighth nationally in free throw attempts with 206.
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.
shot a program record 20 free throws against UIC, surpassing Charlie Vaughn's record of 18 attempted vs Belmont in 1960. Johnson also set a school record for free throw makes with 18 of the 20. Charlie Vaughn made 16 against Villa Madonna in 1960.

NUMBERS WATCH

Xavier Johnson is one of five players in SIU history with six or more 30+ point games in a season. He has six of the 19 30+ point games in the MVC. His 15 20+ point games lead the MVC.
Xavier Johnson has dished out 157 assists this season to pass Bryan Mullins who held the season record with 154 assists during the 2007-08 season.
Xavier Johnson now owns the single-season free throw made record with 185 so far this season. He passed Freddie McSwain (182).
Sharpshooter Trent Brown enters the game with 166 career 3-pointers -- 9th in program history. Brown ranks seventh in program history with 464 3-point attempts.
Brown is on pace to break the program record for games played -- currently with 135 games. Tony Young (139) holds the record.
Forward Clarence Rupert has three double-doubles this season -- exceeding the number of double-doubles SIU had last year in total.

THE SERIES

Saturday's game will mark the 145th meeting between the Salukis and Sycamores. Southern Illinois leads the all-time series 91-53, though Indiana State has won six of the last 10 meetings, including one earlier this year when ISU won handily in Terre Haute, 77-48. The Salukis are 33-36 on the road all-time against the Trees, 3-5 on a neutral court, and 53-12 at home.

THE MATCHUP

Indiana State enters the matchup at 22-4 after dropping its last game at home to Illinois State.
The team is 13-2 in the MVC and is led by third-year head coach Josh Schertz.
The most efficient team in the country, ISU leads the nation with a .599 effective field goal percent and has five players scoring in double-digits led by Isaiah Swope at 17.7 points per game.

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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Preview | Salukis Host No. 23 Indiana State Saturday Night

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Trent Brown

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