Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Five Games, Four Stops, One Goal for Saluki Men’s Basketball
11/11/2025 | 7:33:00 | Men's Basketball
RENO, Nev. — The Salukis hit the road Monday afternoon for the first leg of a stretch that will test the team's talent, resilience and chemistry.
Over 17 days from Nov. 10 to Nov. 26, Southern Illinois will spend 12 on the road. The first stop is Reno, where SIU faces Nevada at 9 p.m. CST Wednesday at Lawlor Events Center.
"The character that's built on road trips comes through us being connected," said redshirt senior guard Isaiah Stafford. "Everywhere you play is hostile. It's about building trust with your teammates."
After Nevada, SIU continues its nonconference slate with tough tests:
- Nov. 18, 7 p.m. — at North Dakota State in Fargo (Summit League Network)
- Nov. 23, 2 p.m. — vs. Delaware at the Jacksonville Classic in Florida (streamed live)
- Nov. 24, 12:30 p.m. — vs. UAB at the Jacksonville Classic in Florida (streamed live)
- Nov. 26, 7 p.m. — at Memphis (ESPN+)
All games will air on the Saluki Radio Network.
Learning the Ropes
After a 101-78 win over UMKC, head coach Scott Nagy announced that freshmen Luke Walsh and Daniel Pauliukonis will redshirt this season. Road experience remains a vital part of the learning curve.
"I'm looking forward to learning from the road trips. It's a hard environment to play in," Walsh said.
The Salukis will lean on upperclassmen such as Stafford and Davion Sykes to set the tone.
"We have a lot of new guys, a lot of freshmen that haven't experienced it," said Sykes, a 6-foot-6 senior guard. "We just want to show them the ropes. It's a business trip, but being on the road in someone else's house is really exciting."
Staying Energized
Playing away from the friendly confines of Banterra Center is a different ballgame. No Grey Dawg, no Brown Dawg, and few maroon shirts — plus a crowd that doesn't show SIU the love it gets in Carbondale — can make things tough.
"The other team's student section fuels the fire," said sophomore forward Rolyns Aligbe. "You have to create your own energy."
That's exactly what the Salukis aim to do in Reno, Fargo, Jacksonville and Memphis as the 2025-26 SIU men's basketball team works to establish its identity and bring home wins to Carbondale. The next home game is at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, against Arkansas-Little Rock. Tickets for that game are available at saluk.is/43XgPSU.
