SIU- Butler
 

It's going to be a nail biter!! Great physical game!!

Go Southern GO!!!


That ain't no damn Dawg Pound.

Very good game! The Salukis should make some noise in the tourney!

SIU plays very interesting defense. They dare people to get passed them, way up tight without backing off a bit (maybe because they think they have more team speed than Butler). It will be interesting to see them in the tourney against a team like Texas or UNC that loves to go one on one with huge speed and good dribblers at every position. Probably not the style of team they want to play against, or heck, maybe they back off and play more help other than killing the attack to the basket after a blow bye with a good stiff foul.

Butler was definitely aware of the hard fouls the few times they got beat to the rim.

Offensively not that great... it really does not matter, they work off the D. It would be a 30-29 game against a team like Texas ATM.

I know one of the announcers hit on it yesterday, but SIU is probably one of the most fit teams in the country. Look at those guys, they're ripped. Most teams don't play the kind of defense SIU does because they couldn't play a whole game at that tempo. It's pretty impressive.

Also, this year's team has more 'grit' than any of the teams in recent memory. Just my opinion.

We played really REALLY well yesterday, which is a good thing to see because we only showed up for 35 minutes at Indiana and about 37 minutes for Arkansas. Played a complete game. What is real interesting is that I think the game ball should be awarded to Chris Lowery, our coach. He had to deal with both Faukner and Tatem being in foul trouble for MOST of the 2nd half. What is hilarious and kind of pisses me off is that they really can't be the darlings of March Madness because they will end up about 10th in the nation when said and done. We should end up 25-5 in the regular season and while anything can happen in the NCAA, and probably will given the craziness that happens to get 'non-guaranteed' teams in the dance from small conferences via the conference championship, they will probably lose in the Valley finals to a team like Wichita State who will need to win the Valley to get into the tourney.

They will probably get a 4 seed, sweet sixteen should be a given, and possibly, just possibly a final four appearance...oh man, Carbondale would be rockin.....

All depends on the matchups dont you think Scavs? This is a man to man 3/4 court defensive team. You dont want to run into a team with a bunch of very quick, good ball handlers. I think if they play bigger teams they are in better shape than if they play athletic teams.

Example: A team like BYU that is going under the radar, but is very good, I think SIU could really mess up a team like this. I really dont think SIU would do well against Texas (barely a top 25 team), as bad as Texas is defensively, because they thrive off of having 4 guards and a post that plays like a guard. With a PG that can get past anybody in the nation. They all handle the ball well and attack the rim. I think SIU would do well against a number of Big East teams ... a rising giant like Georgetown; But have trouble with some of the SEC teams that go to the hole with numerous players able to take their defender off the dribble.
Another example: You want Stanford before Arizona, even though Stanford kicked AZ around, and AZ is still a questionable tourney team. Matchups very important. AZ has very good ball handlers that beat man to man. You definitley do not want UCLA, take on Florida before UCLA...

Doesn't matter. The teams that don't play defensive against us are the ones that get beat even worse. Motion offense is hard to guard. We would have problems with Texas's size, we are not that tall, but we make sure that when we foul, we foul hard....we don't give up many 'and 1' type opportunities because the person getting fouled usually hits the floor.

No doubt about that. But a team that can shoot fouls. Your defender on the star Butler PG was tremendous and really made the game yesterday. I cant see him doing that against a guy like Augustin on Texas. They guy would have to back off and get help or he would foul out and put an 80% shooter on the line. Texas Tech has a tremendous motion offense but I think SIU could handle them easy because TT is physically slow. I dont think you want to play fast penetrating guards. I would hope for that if SIU was my team in the tourney. I love their D... They can stay with anybody with that hustle and physical play. Very tough minded team and very mature.