Sunday, January 27, 2019, 3:00 p.m.
Gentile Arena, Chicago, Illinois
On paper, the 2018-19 SIU Salukis were thought to be even better than last year’s team, which went 20-13, finished 2nd in the MVC, and came within an overtime loss of reaching the Arch Madness final. All of last year’s starters were returning, plus 6’8” rim protector Thik Bol, and some newcomers were added to provide depth. SIU’s injuries last season reduced their available scholarship players to only six for several games, yet they pushed Loyola hard to the week of the season.
But despite being healthier, deeper, and more experienced, SIU hasn’t put forward the same kind of consistency and grit they showed last year. There have been a couple of impressive wins (double digits over Tulsa, and a squeaker at home over Saint Louis), some good performances in losses to favored teams (Kentucky, twice against ranked Buffalo), and some real head-scratching losses (losing by 28 at home to Murray State, losing by 22 to a not-so-good UMass team, and home losses to Winthrop and a Bradley team that was 0-5 in conference at the time). A suspension to leading scorer Armon Fletcher (he’s missed nine games) and an ankle sprain to Bol have also complicated matters.
The under-performing and inconsistent Salukis come to Chicago on Sunday to face the under-performing and inconsistent Ramblers in a matchup that could put higher definition on the MVC conference picture. Loyola’s 35-point loss at Missouri State on Wednesday was their worst offensive performance in more than two decades.
Coach Barry Hinson will likely start 6’10” senior center Kavion Pippen, and four guards: 6’2” junior Aaron Cook, 6’2” junior newcomer Eric McGill, 6’5” senior Sean Lloyd, and 6’5” senior Armon Fletcher. Cook, Lloyd and Fletcher have been playing together for three years, and they added Pippen two years ago. Fletcher leads the team in scoring with 13.5 per game, and the other starters each average between 10.5 and 11.4 points per game.
Guards Marcus Bartley (a 6’5” sophomore), and Darius Beene (a 6’3” freshman, and younger brother of SIU’s third all-time scorer) come off the bench. Six-five sophomore forward Brendon Gooch, 6’9” senior forward Rudy Stradnieks, and 6’8” senior forward/center Thik Bol also play significant minutes off the bench. Bartley has played a lot of minutes during Fletcher’s suspension and has averaged 5.9 points per game. Bol averages 4.4 points and almost 1.5 blocks in only 14 minutes or so per game.
The Salukis have extremely balanced scoring. They’re they only team in the conference with five players averaging double-digit points. They lead the league in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to only 41.6% shooting from the field. The combination of Pippen (33 blocks) and Bol (25 blocks) makes them the top shot-blocking team in the league. On offense, SIU currently leads the MVC in three-point shooting percentage at .375, topping Indiana State and Drake. After a slow start and a hot streak, the Ramblers have gone cold on threes again, ranking 4th in the league.
Loyola’s best defensive player and a key offensive threat, Lucas Williamson, was kept out of the Missouri State game after re-injuring his hand against Indiana State, and the tough news seemed to cast a pall over team’s energy and confidence in the debacle at Missouri State. Will the Ramblers be able to shake it off and find a player to step up? SIU’s four experienced guards can cause havoc—the core of Cook, Fletcher, and Lloyd have been playing together for three years, and their height an athleticism can create mismatches.
Loyola game notes: https://loyolaramblers.com/documents/20 ... df?id=8308SIU game notes: https://siusalukis.com/documents/2019/1 ... df?id=8992TV/streaming video: ESPN U
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3455873/ ... olachicagoLive stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=234964Vegas odds: Loyola by 7
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