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'We couldn't play how we wanted'

By Todd Hefferman, The Southern

Sunday, June 29, 2008 3:42 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - Down to eight players in the last game of the season, Southern Illinois University's men's basketball team had to do the unthinkable in March.

The Salukis anchored two guards near the 3-point line, dropped three back, and orchestrated the first zone defense in head coach Chris Lowery's four-year tenure. Arizona State went on to beat SIU 65-51, ending the Salukis' 18-15 campaign in the second round of the NIT.

With six newcomers in the Class of 2008, five of them guards, SIU hopes to get back to the man-to-man pressure that helped it reach six straight NCAA tournaments between 2002-07.

"That was our biggest issue. We couldn't play how we wanted," Lowery said. "We didn't have enough people, and practices couldn't be competitive because we didn't have enough guards. Whenever we're good, we have six or seven guards that can practice everyday, and we were practicing with five.

"With our class, it should help our depth and how competitive we are on a daily basis."

Seven players return from last year's squad, led by starting guards Bryan Mullins, Josh Bone and Wesley Clemmons. Nick Evans, a 6-foot-11 center, redshirted last season and will have four years of eligibility beginning this winter. Only Mullins, the Missouri Valley Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and a second team all-conference pick, seems to have a lock on a starting spot barring injury.

Bone started 19 of 33 games, averaged 27.3 minutes and shot 34.5 percent from the field. Clemmons, one of only four seniors on the team this fall, averaged six points and 2.9 rebounds per game in 29 appearances. The Salukis lost their two 6-7 starting forwards, and have only four posts to compete for those spots.

"I don't think there's a guy in our program that shouldn't think about getting a starting spot," SIU associate head coach Rodney Watson said. "I mean, I've never seen starting spots so seemingly more available, and it's very exciting. I would think it's pretty exciting for those guys, who are thinking 'I could get some serious minutes.'"

In to fill the gaps are five big scorers, a 6-8 forward and Evans. All six have two things in common: versatility and successful prep careers.

The Big Six

Kevin Dillard, SIU's first Mr. Basketball of Illinois winner, is a point guard of the future that averaged more than 23 points per game at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. Ryan Hare, a 6-4, 200-pound shooting guard, averaged 18 points and seven rebounds while leading Chicago Marshall to the Class 3A state title earlier this year. A physical guard, he took several charges in the championship game and could help SIU's rebounding.

Justin Bocot, a lanky 6-3 lefty, averaged 20 points a game his senior year at Bloomington and adds some athleticism. Academically ineligible last season, Bocot was one of the most sought-after seniors in Illinois back in 2007, and can't wait to play his first game in a Salukis' uniform.

"We have a whole 'nother dimension of scoring. We have a whole 'nother dimension of guarding," new SIU grad assistant Tony Young said. "It's one thing to get good players, and it's another thing to get guys that love the game. If you got guys who love the game, that means you got guys who are going to listen and pay attention to what you're actually trying to tell 'em. We got guys who want to learn, and want to win."

McCluer North (Mo.) standouts Torres Roundtree and Anthony Booker both come off injuries this fall, but will be expected to make a similar impact as the other four. Roundtree stands 6-4, is physical, and can light it up from outside and in. Despite tearing the labrum in his shooting shoulder earlier this summer, he expects to be back at full strength by October for the first official day of winter practice. Another big scorer, Roundtree could give the Salukis a big guard that can shoot 3s, convert in transition, defend and get to the free-throw line.

Booker, the 44th-best player in the nation for the Class of 2008 by Rivals.com, could step in as a starter at 6-8, 220 pounds, despite a sore ankle that has limited his court time this summer. A proven scorer in transition, his range in the half-court extends past the 3-point line. In a group ranked among the top 50 recruiting classes by ESPN.com and CSTV.com, Booker could be the most talented of all of 'em.

"Torres might be more of a Chris Lowery-type player, a Darren Brooks player," McCluer North High School coach Randy Reed said. "He can do everything well, but he's athletic, too. Booker, a 6-8 forward, he's got such an upside. He can jump. He can run. He can shoot. He's one of those Pac-10 athletes, that are 6-8 and can run. He's a four-man with three-man skills."

Reed played at Kansas State for former SIU men's basketball coach Jack Hartman, and was excited to see how his three prospects perform during their freshman seasons. Former McCluer North guard Femi John signed with Saint Louis University, which plays SIU in Carbondale this season. All three were on the Stars' state championship team in 2007 and helped McCluer North reach the finals in March.

"The pressure we went through this year, just to get back to the (state) finals this year, was tremendous, and they responded tremendously," Reed said. "They understand hostile environments. We played at SEMO's arena, Carbondale. They love the big stages. They'll flourish on the big stage."

Dillard said he was ready for the big stage after winning Illinois' most prestigious award for a high school senior. The 5-11, 160-pound righty is not even a month into his college career, but knows what it takes to succeed at the next level.

"We all got a lot of chemistry early, so, we all know how to play with each other," Dillard said. "It's all about if you're willing to work hard. That's really how you succeed."

Fitting into the puzzle

Where exactly SIU's newcomers will succeed will look a little clearer after Labor Day.

With six new faces and a seventh primed for a real contribution this season, Lowery exercised his right to take the Salukis on a foreign tour right before Labor Day. NCAA regulations permit teams to play outside the country before the official season in October only once every four years. The trips carry only three stipulations: student-athletes can't miss any class time, the trip must be completed at least 30 days prior to the official start of practice, and it can only be taken every four years.

SIU is scheduled to leave for Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Aug. 29 and return on Labor Day (Sept. 1). The Salukis will play three games, likely against Canadian university teams, will get 10 days of practice before leaving, and may not have picked a better time for it.

Evans got a few games in earlier this summer when he played over in China with Reach USA, but the redshirt freshman has still only played about four years of organized basketball after being home-schooled. At nearly 7-foot tall, he's SIU's tallest player and could show a lot of improvement after practicing with the team all of last season.

Freeman, who is the only player not expected to go to Canada, would get 10 extra days to get used to SIU's system and his new teammates.

The six freshmen get an early look at what SIU practice really feels like and a sneak-peek at what the Salukis do on a typical road trip.

"Our system is going to take them a few weeks to get used to, and the Canada trip is going to be huge for our team," said Mullins, who expects to play in Windsor. "They'll be fine. A lot of these guys get after it. It's been really competitive this summer, and that's good to see."

The early workouts also give Lowery and his staff more time to retool a squad that lost its two starting posts.

The Salukis' three seniors, Mullins, Clemmons and Tony Boyle, are good bets to start. The three have combined for 133 starts over the last three years. Mullins has started every game he's played the last two seasons.

Past that, the questions begin. At 6-8, 230, Boyle might be SIU's only drop-down, low-post banger. Sophomore Carlton Fay scored a lot of his buckets from the outside and in transition, while 6-7 junior Christian Cornelius only played in 16 games. Booker can do a lot of things well, but will be in his first collegiate season.

At the guard spot, all four freshmen probably will see time. Dillard, the point guard of the future after Mullins graduates, can score in a lot of different ways and may make it tough for SIU's staff not to give him heavy minutes. Bocot, Roundtree and Hare also give SIU instant offense and more athleticism than it had last season.

Either way, the group called the best class in Saluki history won't be evaluated in three months or how many wins it helps SIU earn this winter. The team's seven new faces will likely be judged most when they leave the court for the last time.

"They're great on paper. It looks like they're going to be good, but you never know," Lowery said. "They gotta do it in a collegiate uniform. A Saluki uniform.

"You don't know what the greatest classes are until they're finished playing, and that's where these guys will be judged. At the end, not the beginning."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087