Who Are These Salukis?

(St. Louis, MO) – They’ve played four games and we still don’t know very much about the Southern Illinois Salukis. At 2–2 Barry Hinson’s team knows they can score, but are they a good basketball team?

After Friday’s victory over Southern Illinois Edwardsville the Egyptian Dawgs are averaging an outstanding 83 points per game, but they are allowing over 80 per game at the other end.

They pounded Division 2 Missouri Southern and SIUE, but got drilled by Arkansas and dropped a narrow decision against Wright State. As a team learning what life is like after the graduation of the outstanding Anthony Beane Junior, the Salukis are a team with several promising parts that are learning their roles.

What the Salukis lack in size they are attempting to make up for with speed, versatility and outside shooting.

Some of the early returns are encouraging. Hinson’s archers are shooting .433 from beyond the three point line and 26 threes in four games is an adequate number.

In Southern’s win over their sister institution SIUE, the Salukis converted on eight of 13 opportunities from deep, including perfect two for two nights from Armon Fletcher (Edwardsville High) and Austin Weiher, and a three for five night from guard Leo Vincent. Fletcher and Vincent have had dynamic beginnings to their shooting seasons.

Fourth year starter Sean O’Brien was nothing short of spectacular in Edwardsville. He scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out a career high nine assists. He played what Hinson called the greatest individual performance by a player he had ever coached.

 

 

6’8 transfer Thik Bol is growing into a legitimate MVC post player. The Sudan native is averaging eight points and eight rebounds per game and has blocked eight shots during the opening week of the season.

Many Saluki fans have been waiting for the emergence of Fletcher who came to Carbondale with great fanfare and in his redshirt sophomore year is averaging 12 points and three rebounds per game while knocking down threes at a 60% rate. Hinson says the sky is the limit for the Illinois native.

 

 

SIU continues play in the Golden Gopher Invitational. The Salukis host Mount St. Mary’s on Monday and play Minnesota in Minneapolis on Friday.

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