As a public college absorbed by SIU, enrollment increased to 1,200 that year. The need to expand was evident, and the opportunity, in this case 2,600 acres of farmland came in 1960. In 1963, construction began on the Edwardsville campus. Classes began at SIUe's permanent home in 1965.
It is understandable, given the history between the two institutions and their upbringing as one-in-the same that meeting on the basketball floor is something unusual and special in a sense. For one, the Carbondale campus has been around for a much longer period of time. They started competing in Athletics during the 1913-1914 school year. On March 19, 1951, right around the same time the Edwardsville campus was coming to fruition, a student vote prompted them to change their nickname from the Maroons to the Salukis, the royal dog of ancient Egypt. Why? Because Salukis are fast and hunt. Also, because Southern Illinois is nicknamed "Little Egypt." That's putting education to good use.
In 1962, SIU got out of the now defunct Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Association to pursue NCAA Division I, where nine former members, (including SIUE, which competed in the conference from 1910-1937 as Shurtleff College) find themselves today.
Turns out, there is a bit more of a history here than meets the eye.
1914: SIU 34, Shurtleff 18
1915: SIU 44, Shurtleff 14
1916: SIU 47, Shurtleff 19
1922: SIU 37, Shurtleff 24
1922: SIU 33, Shurtleff 11
1924: SIU 24, Shurtleff 6
You get the idea.
SIU started the series with Shurtleff a perfect 8-0. In 1926, the Maroons went 0-5 in the IIC. Shurtleff beat them for the first the first time by a score of 26-25. Shurtleff came up empty the next five times but won again in 1929, this time 40-27. Basketball is starting to score a bit more like basketball at this time. Shurtleff won the next two as well, and the series record was 13-4 in favor of SIU.
SIU met Shurtleff for the final time in 1948, and the Marroons won 64-59, and took the historic series 21-8.
Under the name SIUe, the Cougars have met the Salukis four times during the regular season, and each time, much like it was in the very different days of Shurtleff College, big brother has won each meeting.
The last time this happened was in 1987, when Rich Herrin's 12-16 Salukis beat the Cougars 82-73 in Carbondale. The year prior, the only time SIUC came to the Vadalabene Center, the Salukis won 84-83 in overtime.
The Carbondale program has had its glory years. They have been to the NCAA tournament nine times, and made it every year from 2002 until 2007. That run included two trips to the Sweet 16. Chris Lowery took the team to the NIT in his first season as head coach in 2008. You can thank Bruce Weber for those.
Just as I had hopped on the Saluki bandwagon in 2002, i jumped off in 2007 when I enrolled as a student at SIUe. Saturday, I became one of the school's 90,000 plus living alumni.
The same year I came to college, the distinction between the two campuses became a bit more apparent. SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift announced the university would be leaving the Great Lakes Valley Conference, its NCAA Division II home since 1994 for the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA Division I.
For all those times SIU beat Shurtleff College, we will consider this one personal. I don't want to be little brother anymore. I am thankful for everything SIU has done to put SIUe in this position, but a time comes in every schools life when it kicks its big brother in the ass. Let's hope that happens tonight.
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The Saluki program is having one of its worst years in recent memory. They are 2-5, and their schedule includes a glaring blemish, losing at home to Division II Ohio-Domincan, a program just recently removed from the NAIA. They were blown out by Saint Louis early in the season at home, but given how good the Billikens have been, that loss doesn't look so bad after all.
SIUC is coming off a 62-49 win on the road at Northern Illinois, which is good for their psyche, although the Huskies, also a former member of the IIC are now off to an 0-10 start. Carbondale's other win came against Chicago State, an Independent team that has struggled to find a conference home in Division I. We can also note they rolled through their exhibition games against Illinois-Springfield and Missouri S&T. Take it for what it is worth.
SIUe has been struggling in its own right. The Cougars are 2-6, but really, neither of those wins mean much, and they mean absolutely zero in terms of RPI. SIUE beat Robert Morris-Springfield and Hannibal LaGrange at home, but probably should have two more wins if they were able to close out Lipscomb and Hampton in the Cancun Challenge.
Unlike SIUC, which played Saturday, the Cougars have had nine days off to prepare for this game. We will likely see in the first five minutes of the game if that means absolutely anything at all.
It is very interesting when you compare the numbers between these two teams. Vegas has Carbondale as 15 point favorites. It is safe to take the under, but that doesn't mean SIUe is going to win. The Salukis are built on defense. It is hard to believe with a 2-6 record they have successfully held their opponents under 65 points in every game they have played.
The Cougars average 62 points, and at times this season have been unable to score at all, or though it seems. SIUE lost 68-38 at Illinois State, and that was a game we thought we had a real chance to take. Carbondale, meanwhile averages 56 points per game and shoots just 36 percent. The Cougars aren't the best defensive team out there, but Carbondale's offense is pretty inept, outside of Mamadou Seck who is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds per game. Seck could present some problem to the Cougars, who are not the best rebounding team out there. They have yet to get someone over 10 boards in a game this year. SIUC as a team though, averages just two more rebounds than the Cougars. Carbondale definitely has some things to figure out. They have rolled out five different starting lineups in seven games.
Here's what sticks out to me in this game. The Cougars are a better shooting team than Carbondale. The Cougars have 96 assists so far this season, which to me watching them play doesn't seem like enough. Carbondale has just 59 assists in seven games. That's not going to get it done.
From what I am hearing, the Cougars starting five tonight looks like this:
(JR) Derian Shaffer 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds
(JR) Jerome Jones 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds
(JR) Mark Yelovich 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds
(SO) Michael Messer 7.3 points, 3 rebounds
(FR) Kris Davis 10.6 points, 2.1 rebounds
This leads us to the keys to the game
1. Carbondale will slow the pace of the game. Push them and force them to make mistakes.
2. Don't foul. The Salukis are 69 percent from the free throw line and have gotten there 39 more times than the Cougars. This also brings up the issue of getting to the foul line. Be aggressive, but not overly aggressive.
3. Fast start!!!!!!! - We talk about it every game. We will have a good idea of what is going to happen as a result of the first five minutes.
4. Rebounding! - (Obvious)
5. Stop Seck. (Also, obvious.)
This is the first meeting of four between the Cougars and Salukis to take place over the course of the next four years. They come to Edwardsville next year.
The game is broadcast live on ESPN3.com. Watch it there if you aren't going.
Catch the live chat from the Dirty D at about 6:30. I'll be there.
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