I'll admit it.

I don't have a handle on this year's Southern Illinois University basketball team.

Yeah, there is no question this team has potential. I just have no idea what this group will, or can, do with that potential.

For one thing, there are few familiar faces. Only Carlton Fay, Kevin Dillard, Justin Bocot, Nick Evans and Anthony Booker return from last year. And, none of those five were a model of consistency.

Offensively, Dillard has the potential to be a special talent. There were times last year he played to all-conference standards. However, with Bryan Mullins sidelined for the last third of the season, Dillard was called upon to do too much.

Saluki fans can reasonably expect Dillard to be more consistent this year. But, will he transform that talent and ability into All-Valley levels game in and game out?

Fay has the same type of potential.

For the first month of last season, Fay was a monster. He hit from 3-point range. He hit mid-range jumpers and he was a force in the paint. Defensively, it seemed like he drew three or four charging fouls every game.

However, his offensive performance tailed off noticeably at the end of the season. Fay hit double figures in eight of SIU's first 10 games, but only broke double digits in five of the last 10 games.

Bocot's performance was similarly uneven. He played his way into the lineup midway through the season, knocking down 28 points in a game at Missouri State. However, he had just one more double-digit performance in the final seven games.

Which brings us to the Booker-Evans duo.

Frankly, there were times early last season that Booker looked lost on the floor. There were several times he launched ill-advised 3-point attempts early in the shot clock in must-score situations. Predictably, those shots would be followed by extended periods on the bench.

But, sometime after Christmas break, the light went on for Booker. He became more engaged. His comfort level and confidence improved markedly and his raw athleticism was jaw-dropping at times.

Over the last five games of the season, he was 17-of-30 from the floor. Booker finished the season with 110 points, just 32 fewer than Randal Falker had his first season and Falker had the benefit of a redshirt season.

For the Salukis to be successful, Booker will have to make Falker-esque strides this season.

Evans was a pleasant surprise early last year, earning serious minutes against the likes of Duke and UCLA. However, the big sophomore broke his wrist while crashing to the floor against UCLA. Although he missed just a couple games, Evans never recap-tured that confident play.

Add nine new faces to this mix, and it's just impossible to get a solid feel for the team.

Obviously, Tony Freeman, a senior transfer from Iowa, will add a much-needed infusion of maturity.

Conversely, just like last year, the Salukis will be leaning heavily on a lot of newcomers for a lot minutes in a lot of crucial situa-tions.

One of the goals of this team is to rebuild the hard-edged Floorburn U reputation. Newcomer Kendal Brown-Surles is a prime candidate to rebuild that reputation around. His defensive style is reminiscent of Tony Young.

If coach Chris Lowery is able to regain the Young-Jamaal Tatum-Tyrone Green defensive mentality, it will go a long way toward reaching this unit's potential. This team has the physical attributes to create defensive havoc.

As Saluki fans have seen in the past, constant defensive pressure can mask offensive inconsistency.

I'm anxious to see how it all comes together.

LES WINKELER is the sports editor for The Southern Illinoisan. Contact him at les.winkeler@thesouthern.com, or call 618-351-5088.