Preview | Salukis Face Regional Rival Murray State Wednesday Night at Banterra Center

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois basketball will play host to Murray State Wednesday night at Banterra Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. 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

Over 60 area schools represented during the game as Saluki Athletics and the SIU College of Agriculture celebrate Ag Night at Banterra Center.
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 Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Mike Trude (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 109 in the NET, while Murray State comes in at 144.
SIU is holding its opponents to 29.2 percent from 3-point range -- 13th-best nationally.
The Salukis rank fourth in the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.25.
SIU's scoring defense ranks 55th in the nation -- holding opponents to 67 points per game.
SIU is shooting 76.4 percent from the free throw line which is second in the MVC and 28th nationally.
The Salukis rank 69th nationally in effective field goal percentage at 53.5 percent.

UNDER MULLINS...

SIU has beaten a Power 6 team each of the last four seasons.
SIU is 29-2 under Bryan Mullins when scoring 75 points or more and 54-8 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 23.3 points per game and has scored 16 or more in all 26 games.
is 15th nationally and leading the MVC with 6.0 assists per game.
is 14th nationally in minutes per game with 36:26. He has played every minute of the last five games for SIU.
is fourth nationally with 191 free throws made and 10th nationally in free throw attempts with 212.

NUMBERS WATCH

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 16 20+ point games lead the MVC.
Johnson has 163 assists this season to pass Bryan Mullins who held the single-season record with 154 assists during the 2007-08 season.
Johnson now owns the single-season free throws made record with 191 so far this season. He passed Freddie McSwain (182).
Johnson has scored 630 points this season, ranking fifth in SIU history. Charlie "Chico" Vaughn scored 779 in 1960 to top the list.
Brown enters play with 167 career 3-pointers -- 9th in SIU history. Brown ranks seventh in program history with 479 3-point attempts.
Brown is on pace to break the program record for games played -- currently with 136 games. Tony Young (139) holds the record.
Rupert has three double-doubles this season -- exceeding the number of double-doubles SIU had last year in total.

THE SERIES

It will be the 42nd meeting of all time between Southern Illinois and Murray State. The Salukis lead the series 22-19 and have won four straight games against the Racers. SIU is 9-11 on the road, 12-5 at home, and 1-3 on neutral courts against Murray State.

THE MATCHUP

Murray State was picked to finish seventh in the MVC Preseason Poll and currently sits at 11-16 overall and 8-8 in The Valley.
MSU has four scorers over 10 points led by Quincy Anderson (12.5).
The Salukis rallied back from a 20-point deficit at Murray, finishing the game on a 25-3 run. Johnson's layup with 2.9 seconds won it.

LAST TIME OUT

SIU snapped a 17-game losing streak to ranked opponents after downing #23 Indiana State, 74-69. Three Salukis scored in double-figures led by Xavier Johnson's 21.
Kennard Davis Jr. tied his career high with 12 points against Indiana State -- all 12 came in the second half.
AJ Ferguson tied an MVC high with four steals against ISU.
SIU outscored the Sycamores 17-7 on the fast break and won the turnover battle 16-7, converting ISU's turnovers into 14 points.

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