 "Photo: N/A")
The Salukis will rely on a new all-conference player to help lift them above conference expectations.
The SIU men’s basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in a poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors during the annual media day in St. Louis Tuesday.
Along with the No. 4 ranking, SIU also had its senior guard Tony Freeman selected as a part of the six-person preseason all-conference squad. Freeman did not play last season after transferring from Iowa.
Freeman said the honor is nice, but it does not mean anything to him.
“It’s nice to get these awards after you’ve won some games,” Freeman said. “I’m not really looking forward to these things. I just want to get some wins, as part of the team aspect."
Freeman was named Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2007-08 during his final season at Iowa. Because of NCAA transfer regulations, he sat out last season. He said sitting on the bench and watching for a whole season was hard.
Freeman said putting in the effort at practice but not being able to play would be rough on any player.
“But this year, it’s whatever coach asks me — offense, defense. This year I see myself as a playmaker that can score. But the primary focus right now is on winning,” he said.
Sophomore point guard Kevin Dillard was named an honorable mention to the all-conference team.
Freeman and his teammates will look to bounce back from a 13-18 season and topple the experienced teams ranked ahead of them.
Northern Iowa, last season’s regular season co-champions and State Farm MVC Tournament winners, was the near-unanimous pick to win the conference title. The Panthers, who received 38 of 39 possible first-place votes, return all five of their starters from last season, and nine of 10 players overall.
Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson said his squad is even better this season.
“We got a good returning group; I like what I saw during the offseason. They’re stronger, and they’re in better shape,” Jacobson said. “We learned a lot from playing Purdue last year, and hopefully our guys will carry over that lesson into this year.”
SIU head coach Chris Lowery said he was not concerned with any polls, and the preseason analysis means nothing.
“Obviously everybody likes their teams, usually, right now. Just because everything is new and highly competitive,” Lowery said. “I think we definitely have that, but that is obviously in judgment until you play a game and you actually watch people play and see how they respond.”
Past history supports Lowery’s beliefs.
Only once in the past four years has the preseason poll correctly picked the regular-season champion, as last year’s preseason No. 1 Creighton finished tied for first with Northern Iowa, which was ranked sixth in the preseason polls.
Lowery said his team is only concerned about its depth right now.
“The one thing we are focused in on is trying people in different spots, and it is good for us that we do have a lot of guys that we are seeing in practice,” Lowery said. “Right now, we’re looking for our guys to compete. That is our biggest concern.”
Ryan Voyles can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 256.
