Recap of SIUC, My Break

Hey, its Tuesday! I am recapping a game that happnend last Friday. My bad, been keeping busy over break. Anyhoo, here is view from the pep band, the first - and only appearance of this article.

So where do I begin about the SIU and Bradley game? Should I mention how Bradley went on a 25-7 run to end the first half? Or about how Kevin Dillard, the Salukis leading scorer, had a whopping zero points in the game? It was a case of almost every bad thing that could happen happening to the Salukis.

First some of the positive aspects. Tony Boyle carried the Salukis all he could in the second half, scoring a total of fifteen points in the losing effort. The senior did what he could after the Salukis fell behind by sixteen. Ryan Hare was also impressive, putting up 11 points and not fouling out in the game. With his shutdown defensive potential, a sign that he could score as well bodes well for Hare and all Saluki fans.

The bad? Well first of all, has anyone seen Kevin Dillard? He seems to have missed the team bus, and didn't show up at all to the game. Kidding of course, but it was discouraging to see a big 0 on the box score after the game. We all know Kevin Dillard is better than what he showed on Friday, and his improving passing abilities bode well for the future of this team.

It seems that playing with eight men finally hit the Salukis. The team seemed sluggish compared to the quicker Bradley squad. The defense came apart, and the Braves had no problem driving around their defenders. Which led either to easy baskets or fouls on Southern, which the whistle-happy refs were more than happy to do. The early foul trouble seemed to doom any future comeback. At least no Salukis fouled out.

So where do we all go from here? The Salukis lose Tony Boyle, Chrisian Cornelius, and Brian Mullins and leave with a young team full of potential. Hopefully a year of experience will help the Salukis, along with having a full squad. Tony Freeman will also be eligible to play next year, and the former Iowa Hawkeye starter looks to be a strong candidate for team senior leadership next year. Hopefully his 13.8 ppg carries over from Iowa.

As for me, I turn in my pep band passes. I still love band, but I cannot find the time to do it next year. So next year, I will either introduce my "Live from the Dawg Pound" or dare I say it "Live from Press Row"