The last two times Creighton has gone on the road, disastrous, demoralizing blowouts have been the result. And for their 2009-10 road finale, they travel into one of the most inhospitable environs in the Valley: Carbondale, Illinois. True, Southern Illinois is averaging just 4,774 fans a game, but you can bet they’ll be close to capacity for the Jays. True, Southern Illinois has four home losses, or more in one season than they had for four seasons combined earlier this decade…but you can bet they’ll do everything they can to make sure their fifth home loss doesn’t come to the Jays. And true, Southern Illinois is 6-10 in the league and 15-12 overall, but that doesn’t matter with Creighton coming to town.
A Saluki loss and they’ll likely be stuck in the Thursday Play-In in St. Louis next week. There exists a very real possibility Creighton could join them.
It makes me sad to see what has happened to SIU and Creighton. For years, this was as heated a rivalry as you could find in this part of the country. The list of great Saluki Villains is long, and encompasses both players and coaches, as Otter compiled in January. I’m certain our friends in Carbondale have a similar list of Bluejay Villains. And despite the team’s collective fortunes turning south this season, the first matchup was as heated as ever. As a matter of fact, Nick Evans of SIU got so heated he threw a punch at Chad Millard and got ejected. Clearly, these teams still dislike each other.
Its Senior Night in Carbondale tonight, although the lone senior is transfer Tony Freeman…a guy who hasn’t been at SIU long enough for most opposing fans to form an opinion one way or another on him. Its a stark contrast to March 1, 2003, when 17th ranked, 25-3 Creighton visited 20-5 Southern Illinois on Senior Night. Both teams entered the night 14-2 in the league, and the winner would claim the regular season crown.
In front of a boisterous SIU Arena crowd, seniors Kent Williams and Jermaine Dearman led the Salukis to a 70-62 win. Williams scored 24 points on 8-12 shooting, including 4-6 from long range, in 37 minutes. Dearman scored 18 points on identical 8-12 shooting, and pulled down 7 boards for good measure. It was a one-of-a-kind atmosphere in Carbondale that Saturday night, one that saw the debut of the I H8 CR8N shirts and a crazed Joe Dabbert get a technical foul for getting a little too intense.
While Tuesday night may not the finale for any players of the caliber of Williams or Dearman, it is the finale for another worthy adversary: SIU Arena. An extensive renovation will begin immediately after the season, gutting the venerable building and leaving it barely recognizable from its former state. There’s no arena anywhere in more need of an extensive facelift, but its demise nonetheless leaves me slightly torn. Its been a tough place to play in, one of the two or three arenas in the league where a good team became almost impossible to beat at home because of the intimidation their home court offered. But I’ll be glad to see it go.
As for tonight, a Creighton win would all but assure them of either the 4/5 seed next week, but can they find the energy and the intensity to put up a fight on the road? Do the freshmen Ethan Wragge and Josh Jones get another start? Does Andrew Bock see action for the third straight game? What does The Wizard have in store for an encore?
Lots of questions. And with this team’s maddening inconsistency, we’ll have to watch to get the answers. Usually with a 14-14 team going into the final week, you know what the team’s weaknesses are and have a pretty good idea why they’re .500. With this group, its hard to know. Its something different every loss. I think SIU pulls this one out, but who the heck knows anymore?
One Big Paragraph with Lots O’Dots™: Southern Illinois is 15-12 on the season, including a 6-10 mark in the league … The Salukis boast three men averaging in double-figures, a trio led by sophomore guard Kevin Dillard (13.0 points per game), who also leads the MVC with 143 assists and tops SIU with 32 steals … Junior forward Carlton Fay averages 11.7 points per game, and is coming off a 38-point game on Saturday against Western Michigan — the most points by a Saluki since Troy Hudson scored 39 points at Indiana State nearly 14 years ago to the day (February 21, 1996) … Freshman center Gene Teague has improved his play significantly since the team’s first meeting, as he is now shooting 62.6 percent from the field while averaging 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game … Badboy Nick Evans, who threw the punch at The Wizard and got ejected in Omaha, won’t have a chance for Round Two. He quit the team earlier this month … SIU averages 70.7 points per game while allowing 66.8 per contest. The Salukis shoot 46.1% from the floor, 37.3% from three-point range and 70.3% at the line.
The Last Time They Played: Antoine Young hit a lay-up with 1.3 seconds left to lead Creighton to a 71-69 win over Southern Illinois in January of this year in the first meeting, the first time since January of 1996 that Creighton and SIU played each other when both had losing records in MVC play.
The Series: Creighton owns a 46-36 all-time lead in the series against Southern Illinois, though the Salukis lead 22-15 in Carbondale. Creighton has won the last four meetings and five of six since an eight-game losing streak to Southern Illinois, completely reversing the trend from earlier in the decade. With a victory on Tuesday, Creighton would win five straight versus SIU for the first time since taking seven straight contests from 1996-98 over the Salukis.
Last year Creighton snapped a seven-year losing streak at SIU Arena, beating the Salukis 82-60. It was Creighton’s first win in Carbondale since the 2000-01 campaign. Creighton bolted to leads of 12-3 and 24-10 before claiming a 42-19 halftime lead. It was CU’s most points in the first half of a game at SIU since 1998 and CU’s largest halftime lead over SIU at any venue since a 42-16 lead in the 2003 MVC Tournament final. The 22-point win was Creighton’s largest ever in 37 trips to Carbondale and remains SIU’s worst home loss since 1983.
Anthony Tolliver Watch: Tolliver got a start with the Warriors usual Center, Ronny Turiaf, suffering from flu-like symptoms. Unfortunately, he had one of his worst games a pro, scoring just two points and grabbing only two rebounds in 19 minutes. Golden State won, however, 108-104.
Completely On-Topic Rant (For Once): Streaks are fun to talk about, but they’re ultimately pretty much a fluff statistic, fodder for radio talk show hosts. The average fan doesn’t know that Creighton has won 10+ MVC games for “X” number of years, and I doubt recruits care how many times you’ve won 20+ games in a row. League titles and NCAA Tournament berths are what most people care about. That’s why I don’t really understand the gnashing of teeth over the streaks that could end Tuesday night with a Jays loss. Help me out here. What am I not understanding? Is it just me? I’ll shut up if its just me.
- Creighton’s Valley-record streak of 13 straight seasons of 10 or more league wins. This year’s team is 8-8 with two games to play.
- Creighton has been 3-3 or better in its final six MVC games in each of its last 14 seasons. This year’s team is 1-3 with two games to play.
- Creighton has been 5-4 or better through each “half” of league play in 28 straight halves. This year’s team is 3-4 with two games to play.
- Creighton has not been under .500 in league play at any point after six or more league games since Jan. 17, 1998, when the team was 3-4.
The Totally Random Song I’d Play Right Now if I was Still a Radio DJ: I have this fantasy where Creighton wins their next five games and gets an NCAA bid. Its weird and has next to no chance of coming true.
Not as weird and with a 100% chance of coming true in the tiny YouTube window below this paragraph is Bizarro Billy Joel hovering, hair slicked back and cigarette in hand, over Early 80s Frohair Billy Joel, ostensibly giving love advice like a silent Chuck Woolery. Its “Sometimes a Fantasy”, from deep in the Piano Man’s catalog. You mock him, sure, but the dude has so many songs like this that are hidden beneath worse songs that became hits. It’s true, although you try to deny it. I can see you right now, denying. Its the popular thing to do. So go on. Deny it. But deep down, you know the opposite to be true.
The Pick: I cannot pick Creighton to win a road game after the way they played in their last two away from home. It’ll be closer than that, because SIU is not nearly as good as Missouri State or Northern Iowa, but only because of that. SIU closes down SIU Arena in style.
Southern Illinois 70, Creighton 62