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Robert Crow is in his second year covering SIU. Here is his take on today’s game, and why SIU can still be a factor in the Valley race.

Did anyone think the loss of Jamaal Tatum would so dramatically affect the Salukis?

Everyone knew losing Tatum would be a big hit — after all, he was the MVC Player of the Year last year, for good reason. Still, heading into the year, SIU coach Chris Lowery truly believed this year’s team was deeper and more explosive, offensively. Without Tatum and fellow guard Tony Young, though, SIU has struggled to find perimeter scoring. They don’t have anyone who can consistently take pressure off of Randal Falker and Matt Shaw inside; they don’t have anyone who can consistently break a zone defense with outside shots; and, perhaps biggest of all, they don’t have anyone who can take over a game, or take over the offense with the shot clock winding down. On their own, Tatum and Young would have won 3-4 games that SIU has lost this season.

At 3-3 in the MVC, SIU is not out of the Valley race. Are the Salukis capable of a strong closing run to finish near the top?

I still think they are. The biggest test for them will be this Wednesday, when they go to Missouri State. SIU has been awful on the road this year — even after winning this past week at Evansville, the Salukis are just 1-6 in true road games. But that UE game could be the sort of spark this team needs to go on a roll. It’s going to be difficult to win the league — they would probably have to go 11-1 down the stretch to do that — but if Falker plays the way he has for the last week, and if Joshua Bone starts making shots, this is still one of the best 2-3 teams in the Valley.

Coaches seem to appreciate Bryan Mullins more than fans. Why is he so important to SIU?

After SIU won last year at Wichita, Mark Turgeon looked at the box score and stated, simply, that Bryan Mullins had dominated the game. His stat line that afternoon? Two points, two rebounds, six assists, three steals. Mullins’ biggest contribution is on the defensive end. He dictates the tempo SIU wants to play at with his pressure on opposing point guards, and can singlehandedly change the flow of the game. This year, he’s become more of a scoring threat, and is who SIU looks for at the end of the shot clock. He’s a superb ballhandler, makes smart decisions, doesn’t commit many turnovers, knows the Salukis’ system inside and out, and is becoing a more dangerous shooter. He’s also a coaches’ son, and has the stereotypical basketball mind and leadership skills that come with that. Add in the fact that he’s left-handed, and he becomes slightly more difficult to guard. Falker is undoubtedly SIU’s best player, but Mullins is the Salukis’ most valuable player. When he goes to the bench, SIU becomes a dramatically worse team.