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Saluki men to play Saint Mary's at John R. Wood Tradition

By Todd Hefferman, The Southern

Saturday, September 20, 2008 12:03 AM CDT

Southern Illinois University's men's basketball team and former coach Matt Painter will share the same court Dec. 20, but will not compete against one another.

The Salukis completed its non-conference schedule Friday with a game in the John R. Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis. About two and a half hours after former SIU coach Matt Painter leads his Purdue squad against Davidson, SIU will take on Saint Mary's (Calif.) in the shootout-style event at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Tickets are between $10-125 and can be purchased beginning Oct. 17 at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (317) 239-5151 or at www.consecofieldhouse.com. Tickets will also be on sale at the fieldhouse box office.

Purdue and Davidson, two NCAA tournament qualifiers from a year ago, square off at 2:30 p.m. SIU and Saint Mary's will be at 5 p.m.

"This is a prestigious tournament, and we are very pleased to be invited," Saluki men's basketball coach Chris Lowery said through a statement. "We're excited to bring Saluki basketball back to our fans in Indianapolis and the Hoosier state."

The Salukis and Gaels have played the last three years, with SIU taking each contest. The Salukis beat Saint Mary's 65-56 in the first round of the 2005 NCAA tournament, won in California in 2006, and beat the Gaels at SIU Arena last season.

Saint Mary's was 25-7 last year and could return its top three scorers from an NCAA tournament team. SIU could return two starters from last season's 18-15 squad that reached the second round of the NIT.

Purdue, the top seed in the preseason NIT, finished 25-9 last season and returns all five starters. Davidson went 29-7 and returns three starters, including shooting guard Stephen Curry.

Entering its ninth year this winter, the Wooden Tradition is an annual tribute to the legendary former coach who led UCLA to 10 NCAA titles in 12 seasons. Similar to the standards established by the Wooden Classic, its California-based sibling founded in 1994, the event hosts college basketball's premier programs. In addition to the doubleheader, this year's event activities include the Wooden Tradition Coaches Banquet on December 19 at the Westin Indianapolis, which benefits Special Olympics Indiana.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087