Sure the Salukis reached the Sweet 16 of last season's NCAA Tournament, but Bruce Weber's team was rather anonymous this season. Even though the Salukis went 24-6 this season, they didn't have the same kind of buzz that conference rival Creighton had. But it was Southern Illinois was the team that won the Missouri Valley's regular season title.

After last season's tourney run, Southern Illinois was simply unable to get power conference teams to play them. As a result, the most impressive early-season victory came against Colorado State. After losing at Saint Louis on Dec. 28, the Salukis had a not-so-guady 5-3 record.

But in Missouri Valley play, the Salukis had few problems. After losing at Creighton in mid-January, Southern Illinois won 14 of 15 games before falling in the Valley title game. The Salukis were simply unbeatable at home this season. Late in the season, a home victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Bracket Buster event helped solidify the at-large tournament berth.

Southern Illinois is extremely balanced offensively. While guard Kent Williams (15.3 ppg) is the closest thing this team has to a star, Jermaine Dearman (14.5), Darren Brooks (12.9) and Stetson Hairston (10.8) are all effective scorers.





What We Like
After last season's tournament run, the Salukis shouldn't be star struck this season. For most of the Southern Illinois players, the NCAA Tournament isn't a new thing. While it's exciting, it should also be more comfortable. Weber and his team know how to get tickets for family members, they know how the open practice/press conference day is ran and they have a better idea what to expect. That comfort level can only help.

What We Don't Like:
Just how are the Salukis going to respond to power conference schools? Last season, Southern Illinois played both Indiana and Illinois in the non-league part of the season and the Salukis defeated the Hoosiers. While they lost to the Illini, the game gave Weber's team an idea of what it takes to hang with teams from the Big Ten. The closest thing to major conference games this season were contests with Conference USA schools Charlotte and Saint Louis -- two games the Salukis lost.

Article Curtesy of ESPN