Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Tennessee Tech
10/24/2026 | 6:31:00 | Men's Basketball
OPENING TIP
Southern Illinois is in its 113th year of basketball. The Salukis play Tennessee Tech at 3 p.m. CT in their final exhibition before the regular season.
Game Details
Matchup: SIU vs. Tennessee Tech
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Banterra Center, Carbondale, Ill.
Live Stats | Listen | App | Tickets
LOOKING AT LAST SEASON
- The Salukis are led by third-year coach Scott Nagy, who brings 32 years of head coaching experience to Carbondale. He had 14 straight winning seasons at the helm of South Dakota State and Wright State. He became the 13th active coach and the 70th all-time to reach 600 wins with a 65-50 victory over Northern Iowa on Jan. 28, 2026.
- Southern did most of its work inside the arc, making fewer than five 3-pointers per game, which ranked in the bottom 10 nationally.
- Jalen Haynes was a bright spot as a true freshman, scoring in double figures in 10 games. He had a season-high 22 points in his first career start Jan. 17 against Belmont.
- The Salukis were one of the nation's best rebounding teams, ranking 46th nationally with 38.2 rebounds per game, which also led the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The Salukis ended the season 29th in KenPom's defensive ratings, the program's highest finish since 2008.
- SIU finished the season 122nd in the NET rankings and seventh in the MVC.
LAST TIME OUT
SIU defeated Lindenwood 75-71 in an exhibition Tuesday. Haynes led the Salukis with 25 points, and true freshman Jeremiah Jackson had 12.
FAMILY MATTERS
Caden Hawkins is the son of former SIU sharpshooter and coach Shane Hawkins. Caden, a Carterville High School graduate, joins SIU after helping John A. Logan College to a 24-10 record last season. He made 22 starts, averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 42% from 3-point range. Shane, a Pinckneyville High School graduate, is the Salukis' all-time leader in 3-point shooting.
NEW DAWGS ON THE BLOCK
The Salukis added seven new players to their 2026-27 roster. Jeremiah Jackson, Ty Laur, Pietro Ranieri and Luke Susko make up the freshman class. Jaxson Fugate (20.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game at Indiana Tech), Donovan Hill (16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds at Saint Leo) and Brock McClure (15.2 points and 9.1 rebounds at Snow College) arrive as transfers after putting up big numbers at their previous schools.
LOOKING AT TENNESSEE TECH
The Golden Eagles finished 12-18 in 2025-26 and did not qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Under first-year coach Tobin Anderson, Tech has 12 new players on its roster.
Anderson is best known for his 2022-23 season at Fairleigh Dickinson, where his 16th-seeded team beat No. 1 seed Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history.
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the Southern Conference preseason poll. They joined the league July 1, 2026.
TICKETS
Season tickets are on sale now. Single-game tickets will be available soon. Visit saluk.is/MBBTickets for more information, or call 618-453-2000 with ticket questions.
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.
