Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball

Southern Illinois Salukis
University Southern Illinois University
Conference Missouri Valley
Location Carbondale, IL
Head coach Chris Lowery (4th year)
Arena SIU Arena
(Capacity: 9,328)
Nickname Salukis
Colors Maroon and White

             
Uniforms
Home
Away
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1977, 2002, 2007
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1977, 2002, 2005, 2007
NCAA Tournament appearances
1977, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Conference tournament champions
1977, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2006
Conference regular season champions
1977, 1990, 1992, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

The Southern Illinois Salukis basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis are currently coached by Chris Lowery who led the team to the NCAA tournament in 2004 thru 2007. Lowery was the youngest head coach in the NCAA tournament in 2004 thru 2007. In 2008 the Salukis finished the regular season at 17-14 and advanced to the NIT, where they defeated Oklahoma State University before falling to Arizona State University in the second round.

Contents

History

Prior to joining the NCAA, the Salukis competed in the NAIA men's basketball level. Appearing 5 times, with a combined tournament record of 8 wins and 5 loses. Most notable tournament appearances came in 1945 in which the Salukis finished 4th, and then the following year in the 1946 tournament, the Salukis won the whole thing. The Salukis would not place again in the following 3 tournament appearances in 1947, 1948, 1960.

In 1967, SIU, led by guard Walt Frazier who went on to be named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, won the National Invitation Tournament. At the time, the tournament was considered much more prestigious than it is today. The Salukis were members of the College Division, the equivalent of Division II, and were therefore ineligible to compete for the NCAA Tournament.

In 1977, future NBA player Mike Glenn led the Salukis to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen.

From 1993 to 1995, SIU advanced to three straight NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, the Salukis participated in the National Invitation Tournament for four consecutive years from 1989-1992.

Part of the SIU Saluki men's basketball team's 2003 season was chronicled in MTV's True Life: I Am A College Baller. [1]

The Saluki men's basketball team garnered national attention by advancing to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and 2007.

In 2006-2007 year, the Salukis reached their highest position in the AP Coaches Poll and the ESPN/USA Today Poll with a position of #11, before dropping to #14 after losing the MVC to Creighton prior to entering the NCAA tournament.

After achieving success at SIU, former coaches Bruce Weber and Matt Painter accepted head coaching positions at schools in the Big Ten. Weber took over at Illinois in 2003 and Painter - an alumnus of and former basketball player at Purdue University - accepted the Boilermakers' offer to become top assistant and designated successor to Gene Keady in 2004, becoming head coach in March 2006.

In 2009, the Salukis lost long time assistant coach to the head coach ranks. Coach Rodney Watson, following 21 seasons as the backup in Carbondale, accepted the head coaching position at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN. In his first season with the Screamin Eagles, Watson has led his team to a 23-0 record at the NCAA Div II powerhouse, who he took over despite a one year post-season ban as part of the transgressions of the former coaching staff.

Yearly records (Division 1)

Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Jack Hartman () (1968–1970)
1968–69 Jack Hartman 16-8
1969–70 Jack Hartman 13-10
Jack Hartman: 29–18
Paul Lambert () (1970–1975)
1970–71 Paul Lambert 13-10
1971–72 Paul Lambert 10-16
1972–73 Paul Lambert 11-15
1973–74 Paul Lambert 19-7
1974–75 Paul Lambert 18-9 NIT 1st Round
Paul Lambert (Missouri Valley Conference) (1975–1978)
1975–76 Paul Lambert 16-10 9-3 2nd
1976–77 Paul Lambert 22-7 8-4 T-1st NCAA 1st Round
1977–78 Paul Lambert 17-10 11-5 3rd
Paul Lambert: 126–84 28-12
Joe Gottfried (Missouri Valley Conference) (1978–1981)
1978–79 Joe Gottfried 15-13 8-8 T-3rd
1979–80 Joe Gottfried 9-17 5-11 8th
1980–81 Joe Gottfried 7-20 0-16 9th
Joe Gottfried: 31-50 13-35
Allen Van Winkle (Missouri Valley Conference) (1981–1985)
1981–82 Allen Van Winkle 11-16 7-9 7th
1982–83 Allen Van Winkle 9-19 5-13 8th
1983–84 Allen Van Winkle 15-13 7-9 T-5th
1984–85 Allen Van Winkle 14-14 6-10 T-6th
Allen Van Winkle: 49-62 25-41
Rich Herrin (Missouri Valley Conference) (1985–1998)
1985-86 Rich Herrin 8-20 4-12 T-8th
1986-87 Rich Herrin 12-17 5-9 6th
1987-88 Rich Herrin 12-16 6-8 T-4th
1988-89 Rich Herrin 20-14 6-8 T-5th NIT 1st Round
1989-90 Rich Herrin 26-8 10-4 1st NIT 1st Round
1990-91 Rich Herrin 18-14 9-7 T-4th NIT Quarterfinals
1991-92 Rich Herrin 22-8 14-4 T-1st NIT 1st Round
1992-93 Rich Herrin 23-10 12-6 2nd NCAA 1st Round
1993-94 Rich Herrin 23-7 14-4 T-2nd NCAA 1st Round
1994-95 Rich Herrin 23-9 13-5 T-2nd NCAA 1st Round
1995-96 Rich Herrin 11-18 4-14 T-10th
1996-97 Rich Herrin 13-17 6-12 9th
1997-98 Rich Herrin 14-16 8-10 8th
Rich Herrin: 225-174 111-103
Bruce Weber (Missouri Valley Conference) (1998–2003)
1998–99 Bruce Weber 15-12 10-8 T-5th
1999-2000 Bruce Weber 20-13 12-6 3rd NIT 2nd Round
2000–01 Bruce Weber 16-14 10-8 T-4th
2001–02 Bruce Weber 28-8 14-4 T-1st NCAA Sweet 16
2002–03 Bruce Weber 24-7 16-2 1st NCAA 1st Round
Bruce Weber: 103-54 62-28
Matt Painter (Missouri Valley Conference) (2003–2004)
2003-04 Matt Painter 25-5 17-1 1st NCAA 1st Round
Matt Painter: 25-5 17-1
Chris Lowery (Missouri Valley Conference) (2004–present)
2004-05 Chris Lowery 27-8 15-3 1st NCAA 2nd Round
2005-06 Chris Lowery 22-11 12-6 2nd NCAA 1st Round
2006-07 Chris Lowery 29-7 15-3 1st NCAA Sweet 16
2007-08 Chris Lowery 18-15 11-7 3rd NIT 2nd Round
2008-09 Chris Lowery 13-18 8-10 5th
2009-10 Chris Lowery 15-15 6-12 9th
2010-11 Chris Lowery 13-19 5-13 8th
Chris Lowery: 137-92 72-54
Total: 725-539

      National champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference tournament champion
      Conference regular season & conference tournament champion       Conference division champion

NCAA Tournament Results

Year Result
1977 Sweet Sixteen[2]
1993 First Round
1994 First Round
1995 First Round
2002 Sweet Sixteen
2003 First Round
2004 First Round
2005 Second Round
2006 First Round
2007 Sweet Sixteen
Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1977 First Round Arizona W, 81-77
Sweet Sixteen Wake Forest L, 86-81
1993 #14 First Round #3 Duke L, 105-70
1994 #11 First Round #6 Minnesota L, 74-60
1995 #10 First Round #7 Syracuse L, 96-92
2002 #11 First Round #6 Texas Tech W, 76-68
Second Round #3 Georgia W, 77-75
Sweet Sixteen #2 Connecticut L, 71-59
2003 #11 First Round #6 Missouri L, 72-71
2004 #9 First Round #8 Alabama L, 65-64
2005 #7 First Round #10 St. Mary's W, 65-56
Second Round #2 Oklahoma State L, 85-77
2006 #11 First Round #6 West Virginia L, 64-46
2007 #4 First Round #13 Holy Cross W, 61-51
Second Round #5 Virginia Tech W, 63-48
Sweet Sixteen #1 Kansas L, 61-58

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years → '79 '80 '81 '82 '83 '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11
Seeds → - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 11 10 - - - - - - 11 11 9 7 11 4 - - - -

NIT Results

Year Result
1967 NIT Champion

Notes

  1. ^ "Shadowbox Films:". 2007. http://www.shadowboxfilms.com/stills_baller_01.html. Retrieved 2007-05-31. 
  2. ^ Only one win was required to reach the Sweet Sixteen in 1977.
Teams
Championships & awards