SIU Men's Basketball Unveils 2025-26 Nonconference Schedule
09/15/2025 | 12:57:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Men's Basketball has announced its full nonconference schedule for the 2025-26 season, featuring a competitive slate of home games, road tests, and an appearance in the Jacksonville Classic.
The Salukis will tip off the season with a pair of exhibition games—hosting Austin Peay on October 17 at the Banterra Center before traveling to Lindenwood on October 29. The regular season begins November 3 with a home matchup against McKendree, followed by another home contest against UMKC on November 7.SIU hits the road for a challenging stretch, facing Nevada (Nov. 12), North Dakota State (Nov. 17), and participating in the Jacksonville Classic on November 23–24. Matchups for the Jacksonville Classic will be announced at a later date.
The Salukis will continue their road swing with a high-profile game at Memphis on November 26 before returning home to host Arkansas Little Rock on November 29. December features a mix of home and away contests, including a trip to High Point (Dec. 3), a home game against UT Martin (Dec. 10), and a visit to Richmond (Dec. 13).
"We've built a schedule that will challenge our guys early and prepare us for the grind of conference play," said head coach Scott Nagy. "The road games will test our toughness, and the home games give our fans a chance to see this team grow. We're excited to begin official practice and get this season started."
Looking ahead, SIU will host both High Point and Richmond during the 2026–27 season, continuing to build strong non-conference relationships with programs from the Big South and Atlantic 10 Conferences, respectively.
Tickets for all home games at the Banterra Center are available now at SIUSalukis.com/tickets or by calling the SIU Ticket Office at 618-453-2000.
The Dawgs
Six returning players are joined by eight new faces. Returning are:
- Rolyns Aligbe - 6'9", sophomore, forward
- Averaged 3.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 31 games, blocking 13 shots and recording 11 steals
- Damien Mayo Jr. - 6'3", senior, guard
- Averaged 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, playing 24 minutes per game
- Jorge Moreno - 6'11", senior, forward
- Averaged 3 points, 2.5 rebounds, playing 7.6 minutes over 27 games
- Drew Steffe - 6'5" sophomore, guard
- Averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per in 33 games as a true freshman and started the final 19 games of the season
- Davion Sykes - 6'6", senior, guard
- Averaged 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 assist per game, playing 17.3 minutes over 31 games
- Jaheem Webber - 6'10", freshman, center
- Redshirted last season
- Prince Aligbe – 6'7", senior, forward
- 2023-24: Averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 29 starts over 32 games for Seton Hall
- Caden Hawkins - 6'0", junior, guard
- Averaged 7.9 points and 4.1 assists, including shooting 42 percent from behind the arc in 22 starts for John A. Logan College
- Jalen Haynes - 6'4", freshman, guard
- Averaged 17.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game at Hebron High School
- Quel'Ron House - 6'0", sophomore, guard
- Averaged 8.4 points, 3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at Jacksonville State
- Daniel Pauliukonis – 6'9", freshman, forward
- Averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range at Benet Academy
- Max Pikaar – 7'0", sophomore, forward
- Scored 23 points, grabbed 26 rebounds, and blocked 11 shots in limited minutes with the Saint Louis University
- Isaiah Stafford – 6'2, senior, guard
- 2023-24: Average 16.9 points and 1.62 steals per game in 29 games, including 28 starts, for Valparaiso
- Luke Walsh – 6'2", freshman, guard
- Finished his career at St. John Vianney High School with program records in career points (2,614), field goals made (859), 3-pointers made (408), free throws made (488), and steals (250)
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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