Hawkeyed.

Black Friday was a black day for the entire SIUE basketball program.

Unfortunately, the Cougars 111-50 loss, (not a type-o) was broadcast to a national audience, referring to it as SIU-E.

It was tied for the Cougars worst loss in program history, the other 61 point defeat a 109-48 loss to UMSL in 1967. That was the first basketball game SIUE ever played. Flash to 2010, SIUE's third in Division I, and they were on the wrong end of a 61 point blowout again.

It was so bad, I turned the TV off, and I don't usually do that.

Let's talk facts here.

........

There's not much to talk about.

SIUE and Iowa were tied at 4. Anthony Mitchell had all four points.

At this point it was, okay, we need somebody other than Mitchell to score. He is not where our offense should be coming from.

Then Iowa went on an 11-0 run.

We can fight through this.

Keep it respectable.

No. We couldn't.

By halftime, this was a runaway. The Cougars showed no desire to fight. It was already over. 53-20.

I predicted the Cougars would be able to compete against Iowa, and by all accounts they could have. Iowa is going to be one of, if not the worst team in the Big Ten. They had already lost to South Dakota State and Long Beach State. They were coming off a layover from the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. This was a trap game.

The Cougars, who played two days prior against UMKC really didn't care.

Cory Wickware and Cornelius Chatt, the JUCO transfers producing the majority of the Cougar offense this season were no where to be found. Nik Bundalo was getting destroyed inside.

Still, SIUE went out and played a basketball game, but they were stagnant. There was no motion in the offense. It was like they didn't even care.

Abel Tillman was probably the best player the Cougars had on the court, but he was coming off a 5 game suspension and really wasn't all there.

There was no fire. The Cougars gave up after Iowa made it 7-4.

That was it.

I am still upset about this, because it made no sense at all to me.

The fact is, this is a bad basketball team.

I wouldn't doubt it if SIUE was the 347th best Division I team in the country. There are probably a handful or dozen or so Division II teams who could compete better at this level than SIUE. There is nothing you can learn from a loss like this. The past guarantee games have at least left some impression. Illinois and Purdue last season? You know what? 27 points, those were not bad basketball games. Two years ago at Mizzou, 50 points doesn't seem so bad anymore, and that was a top-10 Mizzou team.

Iowa is not an NCAA tournament team, and it goes to show how far behind we are right now.

It's not because Mark Yelovich is injured, a TEAM would fight past this and make the most of it. SIUE has not been able to do that.

Tomorrow, Kenneth Faried and Morehead State come to the VC. Right now, we are lucky to stay within 30 points.

In other news, Marty Simmons led Evansville past Butler today. Fear the sweater vest.

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