Q. How are Saluki fans reacting to the current unpleasantness?
A. Not well, as you would imagine, but they understand the team is fairly young. It had very high expectations, though, with the recruiting class and Bryan Mullins leading the charge. The fans are optimistic, but struggle to see, like the rest of us, how the Salukis can miss so many layups every game.
Q. It is shocking to see SIU so low in the MVC defensive rankings. Is the problem inexperience or something else?
A. It’s shocking because this team is more athletic than last year’s, and taller at the guard spots, which typically run SIU’s defense. The Salukis have struggled getting in the right position, have been slow on rotations, and really struggle covering the weakside skip pass. The problem is inexperience, but it’s also a little bit of effort and toughness.
Q. Has Kevin Dillard played better than expected?
A. I don’t think so. Dillard was Mr. Basketball of Illinois in a class with a couple of McDonald’s All-Americans, and you can see why. He’s a money player, even as a freshman, and is as competitive as Mullins. He’s as frustrated as everyone else with the losing, but still appears confident the team can win the rest of its games. He’s very tough. He can drive by you and has a little flip shot in the lane, can shoot the three-pointer very well, is a good free-throw shooter, and wants the ball.
Q. Has SIU scheduled too tough the past two seasons?
A. Last season the Salukis were picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference unanimously and had a preseason ranking, I believe, for the first time ever, so the tough schedule didn’t really faze them, I don’t think. This year, unquestionably, and, in Chris Lowery’s defense, he did have one bad break, if you take it that way. At the final two rounds of the 2K Sports Classic, he thought he’d get stuck with Duke and probably Michigan, a game he probably thought his team would have a good shot to win. Then Michigan beat No. 4 UCLA, and the Salukis got stuck with the Bruins a day after losing to Duke by 20 or so. The Salukis lost a lot of confidence in the non-conference schedule, but still finished 5-6 knowing they had played one of, if not the, toughest non-conference schedule in the MVC. The home losses really have shot their confidence even more. A few easier games earlier might have helped the team a bit.