Sean O'Brien: Reflecting on my travels with Saluki Basketball

As my senior year with Saluki Basketball is winding down, I wanted to share with you all the wonderful trips and places I have been able to experience throughout my four-year career here — everything from my favorite holiday tournaments, to my favorite arenas, to the experience of Arch Madness.

The Thanksgiving tournament that sticks out the most to me is the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida during my freshman year. We opened up the tournament against St. Bonaventure, which edged us out in a close battle. The next day we played Stetson in a game that we dominated from start to finish. Lastly, we lost to San Diego in a game that went down to the wire. Despite not playing as well as we had hoped, the trip itself and all we were able to experience off the court is something I will not soon forget. We flew down to Naples two days early and stayed at a top-notch resort. Tyler Smithpeters was my roommate for the trip and we shared a luxurious condo-like hotel room, with a gorgeous view looking right out into the Gulf. Other than playing in the tournament, my favorite memory of the trip was spending the day at the beach the first day we were there. Being able to get some free time on the beach with my teammates to relax and enjoy the ocean and warm weather was the closest thing I've felt to a vacation in my four years here. During the trip we also dined at several high-end restaurants and had the chance to practice at Florida Gulf Coast. That was a school I always wanted the chance to visit one day and they have a beautiful campus. Trips like these, being able to do what I love, while being in such a beautiful part of the country, I will be forever grateful.

In non-conference play, my favorite place we visited was Las Vegas when we played at UNLV earlier this season. We were lucky enough to stay right on the strip at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, which was an unbelievable experience. This was my first trip to Vegas, and I was blown away by all the 5-star casinos and all the entertainment options the city had to offer. The first night we were there we had an amazing dinner at the Paris Buffet, which is one of the most popular buffets in Vegas. The buffet had every type of food you could imagine, my favorite being the crab legs. After dinner we were granted a few hours of free time to roam the strip and experience the city. Despite being in Vegas for the first time, the best part to me was the game against UNLV. Getting the opportunity to play against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in the famous Thomas and Mack Center, where so many great players have played and where the USA team trains during the summer, was a humbling experience.

Staying on the topic of arenas, throughout my college career I've been lucky enough to play at so many different venues. From huge arenas, to small gyms, to modern arenas, to historic arenas like the Thomas and Mack Center. The one that sticks out to me the most was playing at the KFC Yum Center against Louisville this season. I couldn't believe my eyes when we first walked into the arena. I've been to a number of NBA arenas and the Yum Center blew them out of the water. The arena itself is six years old and holds a capacity of 22,090 in which they typically sell out every game. Having the opportunity to play such a prominent college basketball program in Louisville against the famous Rick Pitino is something I always dreamed of growing up. The atmosphere during the game was what made playing there so special. Louisville has some of the best fans in all of college basketball and they take their Cardinal basketball very seriously. It was the loudest arena I've played during my four-year career here, with the Roundhouse in Wichita being a close second.

During conference play we get the opportunity to travel to each Missouri Valley school to play them on the road. The Missouri Valley Conference is the second-oldest conference in college athletics and is currently in its 110th season of MVC basketball. The tradition-rich conference is home to gorgeous campuses and top-notch basketball facilities. Throughout my four-year career I've played each MVC on the road four times. Each school has a uniqueness to them and I enjoy visiting all nine of them. With that being said, there are a couple schools that stick out to me more than others and for different reasons.

When it comes to the finest arenas in the MVC, Missouri State in my opinion stands out the most. JQH arena also known as the "Q" opened in 2008 and seats 11,000 which is one of the largest arenas in the MVC. It's one of only three arenas in the conference that has dedicated suites throughout. The Ford Center (Evansville) and the McCloud Center (Northern Iowa) are the other two facilities that have suites, but I would say the suites at JQH arena are far more luxurious. The Q also has an electronic ribbon wrap that goes around the entire arena flashing stats and scores throughout the game, which is rare to have in a college facility. The Q has the feel of a mini NBA arena and is the best-designed facility in the conference. Playing at Missouri State is a humbling experience and is a game that I look forward to every year.

Another aspect I take into consideration when playing on the road is the atmosphere each facility and the fans bring to the game. Every away game in MVC play is an exciting atmosphere, which makes road wins hard to come by. The most exhilarating place to play in the Valley is Wichita State. Charles Koch Arena, also known as the "Roundhouse" seats 10,506 persons and is packed to full capacity almost every game. Shocker fans fill the seats wearing black and yellow, cheering from their feet throughout most of the game. The most memorable experience I have playing at the Roundhouse was during my freshman year when we took the No. 2-ranked Shockers down to the wire. With just four minutes left to play, Wichita was clinging to a four-point lead, when former Wichita star and now New York Knicks guard Ron Baker stole the ball and went coast to coast for a fast break layup, and the very next possession he comes down and drills a 3-pointer, expanding the Shockers lead to 10 all within one minute of play. As soon as Baker sunk that three the place went ballistic, my ears were ringing and I couldn't hear my teammates trying to communicate with me from just a few feet away, not to mention the floor was vibrating. Shocker fans without a doubt give their team the best home court advantage in the MVC.

My second favorite place to play in the Valley is Loyola, mainly for personal reasons. Growing up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, I was about a half-hour drive from Loyola University Chicago. Playing at Loyola has always been special to me because of the crazy amount of support I get from family and friends for that game. Each year I have around 20 to 25 family members and close friends in attendance to watch us take on the Ramblers. The best memory I have playing there was earlier this season, when we played a great game that went down to the wire, defeating the Ramblers 67-61 to take over third place in the conference at the time. I played one of the best all-around games of my career as a Saluki, and having my family and friends in attendance to witness it made it even more special. Another great thing about playing at Loyola is the amount of Saluki fans who show up for that game. SIU has a lot of alumni in the Chicagoland area and every year we play there it seems that our fans are just as loud if not louder than the Rambler fans.

After regular-season conference play concludes we have our annual conference tournament in St. Louis at the end of every season. The MVC tournament is known as Arch Madness and is one of most popular conference tournaments throughout college basketball. This is personally my favorite time of the year as a college basketball player. The tournament is hosted at the Scotttrade Center in downtown St. Louis. The winner of Arch Madness gets an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and gets to go dancing. What makes this event so special is that there is so much at stake, no matter what happened during regular season, each team still has a chance to make the big dance. Also playing at the Scotttrade Center is an amazing experience. It's a world-class facility and makes you feel as if you're a professional athlete for the weekend. Every game has a great atmosphere and energy to it, fans from each school travel to St. Louis for the weekend to be at the event, therefore there is always a good crowd, since many fans stay for every game of the day. Saluki fans specifically always have a good showing being so close to St. Louis and being such a loyal fan base, they do a great job of giving us the feeling of a home-court advantage. All 10 teams have their own hotel for the weekend throughout the city and where most of their fans stay at as well. Each year we get to stay at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, right across from Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village. It's such a neat experience to stay the weekend downtown in such a beautiful hotel, something I definitely don't take for granted and enjoy to the fullest each year.

One of my favorite memories of Arch Madness was during my freshman season when we upset Northern Iowa in the 3/6 game on Friday night, advancing us into the semifinals on Saturday. When we got off the bus and entered the hotel lobby, all the Saluki fans who attended the game were there congratulating us and celebrating. That moment was when I realized how passionate Salukis fans are and how much they love their basketball. To this day that is still one of my favorite memories as a Saluki basketball player.

Playing basketball at SIU has been the greatest four years of my life. It has given me the opportunity to travel all across the country and play in arenas I only dreamed of growing up. It has introduced me to so many great teammates and lifelong friends. I'm forever grateful for my time here and honored to be part of such a storied program. I want to thank all the Saluki fans for believing in us and giving us your unconditional support through all the ups and downs. Lastly, I want to give a special thanks to my parents Judy and Bill O'Brien, who have attended all but eight of my games in my 120-plus career games as Saluki. I'm so glad I've been able to share this journey with both of you and I wouldn't been in the position I am today without your support.

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