WSU Versus Southern Illinois Predictions and Pregame Discussions

[another shocker]

I really think if you guys come out and take charge early--knock us around with your D and do what you are capable of on O--SIU might fold as readily as your old family Monopoly board. We just haven't been challenged much this year. (And if they don't fold, I will be impressed and might even start to believe in this team.)

i don't expect veteran teams to fold. i just don't know how veteran siu is this year.

[Horn28Clem30]

That's what KenPom (projection, not a line) has FWIW.

I hope I can get on it as soon as that opens because I have to imagine people will be pounding the Shox

[stldog]

i don't expect veteran teams to fold. i just don't know how veteran siu is this year.

We are veteran in terms of their years in school among the starters (four juniors--though one is a JUCO--and a senior), but very, very green in terms of experience against quality teams, and especially against you guys. You have players with Final 4 experience on your roster, for god's sake. Our veteran players' biggest experience is a win in the first round of the MVC tourney a couple of years back.

I still hold that if you guys come out and punch us in the mouth right off the bat, we won't recover. Of course I hope I'm wrong.

[MSNSaluki]

i don't expect veteran teams to fold. i just don't know how veteran siu is this year.

SIU is not veteran at all even though 10 of the 14 players on the roster are juniors and seniors. I think we have 5-7 guys who had never played a minute of Division 1 basketball before this season.

Hinson thinks running off decent freshmen from last year (one tranferred to UAB, the other to Nevada) and replacing them with a JUCO stiff and another true freshman who has played 5 minutes this year is solid program building.

[stldog]

If you keep up that kind of discussion, you might be forced to become a regular here. I always enjoy reading about the opposition.

I hope Southern Illinois can continue to succeed (other than against us, of course). It was basically impossible for WSU to win in Carbondale for so long. Those mid-2000s teams were so tough and physical. I hated them but respected the heck out of them too. I am still mad that KU needed horrible officiating to get past Tatum, Faulker, and crew back in 2007. What I noticed is that Southern Illinois started to get more talented players (Kevin Dillard comes to mind), but those players weren't the tough, nasty, gritty players that made Southern Illinois so great. Barry appears to be turning it in the right direction, so I hope it continues. I like Barry. Good dude!

As for Saturday, I hope your prediction is correct. Beane is certainly a tough draw, but I hope WSU's depth can prevail.

Thanks for your kind words. I will bow out of the discussion now, since I don't want to be the troll from an opponent's board who takes over a thread.

I say "thanks," but that is also loaded with a "damn you"--while I like remembering a time when we were top dogs in the Valley, it is also painful to see how far we have fallen. And again, SIU is not "back" by any stretch of the imagination when you compare this team to our teams of the 00s.

If we blow you guys out by 20 points tomorrow, maybe. But that ain't going to happen.

I just hope it's a close game. I am curious to see how Mike Rodriguez will do against real competition.

[stldog]

SIU is not veteran at all even though 10 of the 14 players on the roster are juniors and seniors. I think we have 5-7 guys who had never played a minute of Division 1 basketball before this season.

Hinson thinks running off decent freshmen from last year (one tranferred to UAB, the other to Nevada) and replacing them with a JUCO stiff and another true freshman who has played 5 minutes this year is solid program building.

LOL, MSN! Come on! It's not THAT bad. I wouldn't call Rodriguez a "stiff"; indeed, if one poster here is to be believed, Marshall thought he had some skills.

And then there's this: with the exception of the game at the SIU Arena last year, SIU has played fairly respectably against WSU with a lot less talent than this year's squad has.

Well, OK, fine: anything less than a double-digit blowout will be pretty much a moral victory, but STILL! :P

[ShockTalk]

SIU is not veteran at all even though 10 of the 14 players on the roster are juniors and seniors. I think we have 5-7 guys who had never played a minute of Division 1 basketball before this season.

Hinson thinks running off decent freshmen from last year (one tranferred to UAB, the other to Nevada) and replacing them with a JUCO stiff and another true freshman who has played 5 minutes this year is solid program building.

From SIU fans' point of view, why would Hinson want to run off 2 up and coming freshmen like Caroline and Lavender? Or, what could he have done to not run them off if he wanted them to say?

[MSNSaluki]

LOL, MSN! Come on! It's not THAT bad. I wouldn't call Rodriguez a "stiff"; indeed, if one poster here is to be believed, Marshall thought he had some skills.

And then there's this: with the exception of the game at the SIU Arena last year, SIU has played fairly respectably against WSU with a lot less talent than this year's squad has.

Well, OK, fine: anything less than a double-digit blowout will be pretty much a moral victory, but STILL! :P

Postell and Lloyd are better than Caroline and Lavender?

[stldog]

Postell and Lloyd are better than Caroline and Lavender?

Oh, come the F on: really?

We should probably take this over to Salukination rather than cluttering up the WSU message board with our shyte. :)

[MSNSaluki]

From SIU fans' point of view, why would Hinson want to run off 2 up and coming freshmen like Caroline and Lavender? Or, what could he have done to not run them off if he wanted them to say?

Because he's a self-absorbed little blowhard who doesn't remember he was booking hotel reservations for Bill Self a mere four years ago and is lucky to have a Division 1 job.

[MSNSaluki]

Oh, come the F on: really?

We should probably take this over to Salukination rather than cluttering up the WSU message board with our shyte. :)

We'll get yelled at for being negative there. hahahahahaha

[Cdizzle]

Because he's a self-absorbed little blowhard who doesn't remember he was booking hotel reservations for Bill Self a mere four years ago and is lucky to have a Division 1 job.

Now, now. Don't hold any punches. We'd all like to know how you really feel.

[MSNSaluki]

Now, now. Don't hold any punches. We'd all like to know how you really feel.

Opposing fan bases LOVE Barry Hinson in the Valley because it increases the odds of them finishing higher in the final standings with him on a sideline. He's blown so many people in the MVC office a .500 season guarantees him no worse than a third-place finish in Coach of the Year voting.

Such a fraud. Half of what comes out of his mouth is a flat-out lie and 30% of what's remaining is BS, too.

[stldog]

From SIU fans' point of view, why would Hinson want to run off 2 up and coming freshmen like Caroline and Lavender? Or, what could he have done to not run them off if he wanted them to say?

He didn't WANT to "run them off." They just simply ran off.

I'm sad that Caroline left--kind of. And I'm sure a better coach could have made use of Lavender. We shall see in the next few years.

Bottom line, though: this team is better than last year's team, and likely better than the team that would have been this year's team if those two had stuck around.

But this isn't an SIU message board, so F it. :)

[SHOXJOCK]

Can you two wait just a few minute's till I get my popcorn ?