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2013-14 SALUKI BASKETBALL
siuSalukis.com
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NCAA Tournament in 1977, 93, 94, 95, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
S
After dominating the Missouri
Valley Conference by winning six-
straight championships from 2002
to 2007, SIU has not contended for
a league title since the 2008 season,
when it finished third.
In fact, the Salukis have recorded
three-straight
losing
seasons
and have landed in the MVC
Tournament’s Thursday night play-in
round four-straight years.
Hinson, who has won more
conference games in his career
(101) than any of the league’s 10
active coaches, hopes to reverse the
Thursday-night trend in short order.
To do so, he will need big
production from a dynamic pair of
returning guards (Desmar Jackson
and Anthony Beane), and the
emergence of complementary pieces
at point guard and forward. While
the Salukis have proven talent in
the backcourt, they have just one
forward with Division I playing
experience (Davante Drinkard).
Hinson brought in five junior
college transfers to provide an
immediate boost, but also landed
one of the state’s top freshmen (Sean
O’Brien).
The Salukis upgraded their
schedule this season with games
versus some of the region’s top
programs — Missouri, Saint Louis,
Murray State and Western Kentucky.
Salukis at a Glance
Starters Returning (2)
Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. PPG RPG MPG
Desmar Jackson
6-5 180 Sr. G 15.1 5.4 29.8
Anthony Beane
6-2 180 So. G
9.1 2.5 29.1
Other Returnees (3)
Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. PPG RPG MPG
Davante Drinkard
6-9 240 Sr. C
1.9 1.9 12.6
Jalen Pendleton
6-2 205 So. G
4.4 2.1 12.5
Colby Long*
5-11 180 Sr. G
0.7 0.3
4.4
Starters Lost (3)
Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. PPG RPG MPG
Jeff Early
6-1 185 Sr. G 13.0 7.2 30.4
Dantiel Daniels
6-5 230 So. F
7.7 3.2 22.7
Kendal Brown-Surles
5-9 170 Sr. G
5.7 1.8 30.0
Others Lost (4)
Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. PPG RPG MPG
T.J. Lindsay
6-3 175 Sr. G
3.7 1.7 19.5
Antonio Bryer
6-6 215 So. F
2.9 1.4 10.3
Josh Swan
6-2 181 Jr. G
4.5 2.3 17.4
Diamond Taylor
6-4 190 Jr. G
0.3 0.4
5.4
Newcomers (10)
Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos.
Mike Balogun
6-2 175 Jr. G
Ibby Djimde•
6-8 255 Jr. C
Marcus Fillyaw
6-1 180 So. G
Hunter Gibson
6-3 180 So. G
K.C Goodwin
5-11 160 Fr. G
Sean O’Brien
6-6 205 Fr. F
Bola Olaniyan
6-7 225 RFr. F
Tyler Smithpeters
6-3 170 Fr. G
Bronson Verhines
6-6 195 Sr. F
Dawson Verhines*
6-4 210 Jr. G
* Walk-On, • Transfer from Illinois, will be eligible in 2014-15
Backcourt
No team in the
MVC returns as much
scoring punch in its
backcourt as Southern.
Desmar Jackson
is
second in scoring (15.1
points) among returning
players and has totaled
1,271 points in three
seasons at Wyoming
and SIU. The fifth-year
senior also ranked 13th
in the MVC in rebound-
ing (5.4) and fourth in
steals (1.9) in 2013.
Anthony Beane
earned MVC All-Fresh-
man team honors last
year after starting 21
games and averaging
9.1 points. His father
is an assistant on SIU’s
staff.
Also returning in the
backcourt is sophomore
Jalen Pendleton
, who
averaged 4.4 points last
season, finishing strong
by averaging 8.0 points in the last
nine games and hitting the game-
winner against Wichita State.
Three junior college transfers
figure prominently in the mix at
guard. Sophomore
Marcus Fillyaw
is the early favorite to start at point
guard. He averaged six assists at
Cloud County Community College
last year. Juniors
Mike Balogun
and
Hunter Gibson
are a pair of
sharpshooters who could help
Southern improve upon its 32.0
percent shooting from 3-point range
last year.
True freshmen
K.C Goodwin
and
Tyler Smithpeters
are promising
young prospects. Goodwin is a pure
point guard from Memphis, who
averaged 19 points and four assists
last season at Melrose High School.
Smithpeters was the
Southern
Illinoisan
Co-Player of the Year and
helped lead Harrisburg High School
to the 2A state championship.
Walk-ons
Colby Long
and
Dawson
Verhines
supply ample depth.
Frontcourt
The Salukis have question marks
in the frontcourt, where senior
Davante Drinkard
is the only player
with Division I experience. He
averaged 1.9 points last season in a
reserve role.
True freshman
Sean O’Brien
could be one of the league’s top
newcomers. He averaged 21 points,
11.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists at
Mundelein High School last year and
recorded five triple-doubles. He is
likely to start at the hybrid 4-spot.
Junior college transfer
Bronson
Verhines
averaged 10 points and
nine rebounds at nearby Rend Lake
College and helped lead his team
to the NJCAA Division II national
championship. He, too, is in the mix
for a starting job.
Redshirt freshman
Bola Olaniyan
has the physical tools to develop
into a solid MVC big man, while
Illinois transfer
Ibby Djimde
will
sit out this season to fulfill
NCAA
requirements.
outhern Illinois won six
of its last nine games
in 2013, including a
stunning upset of nationally
rankedWichita State, to give
the program momentum
heading into Barry Hinson’s
second season at the helm.
The Salukis have added
10 newcomers, as Hinson
has almost completely
overhauled SIU’s roster
since taking over as head
coach in March, 2012.
SEASON OUTLOOK