Jan. 18, 2009

Southern Illinois (7-10, 2-4) hosts Bradley (11-6, 5-1) at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Good seats still available. Call 1-877-SALUKIS (877-725-8547) or buy at the door.

SIU 4th in Nation in 3-Point Shooting
The Salukis have had no trouble adjusting to the new 3-point line. In fact, the team ranks 4th in the nation in 3-point percentage out of 343 teams, shooting at a 41.5 percent clip. California leads the nation at 48.3. Last year, SIU made 34.0 percent from behind the arc.

Kevin Dillard Leads MVC in Scoring and 3-Point Shooting
In conference games, G Kevin Dillard (6-0, 160, Fr.) is averaging 17.8 ppg, tops in the league. He is shooting 53.0 percent from 3-point range this season, which also leads the MVC. He is the team's leading scorer (12.7 ppg) and the highest-scoring freshman in the league this year. Dillard is also 4th in the Valley in assists (4.1 apg)

The Big Three
The Salukis have three players among the top 10 in 3-point shooting in the MVC:
1. Kevin Dillard 53.0
5. Bryan Mullins 44.4
10. Carlton Fay 40.4

Series Versus Bradley
The Braves lead the overall series, 39-35. The Salukis, however, have won 14 of the last 18, including seven-straight victories at SIU Arena. The last time the Braves won in Carbondale was Jan. 10, 2001. Earlier this season, Bradley beat SIU in Peoria, 79-63.

Saluki Schedule Toughest In MVC
Southern's strength of schedule is currently rated No. 34 in the nation -- the toughest schedule in the MVC. SIU has played Duke (2), Saint Mary's (30) and UCLA (41) in non-conference.

Mullins 23rd in Nation in Assists
Through games of Jan. 14, Mullins leads the MVC and ranks 23rd in the nation in assists with 5.9 apg. In the last three games, Mullins has 20 assists and three turnovers. Mullins tied the school single-game record for assists with 13 against UMass on Nov. 12. He also leads the MVC in assist-turnover ratio (3.3-1).

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format