Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Maryville
11/01/2026 | 9:01:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois men's basketball opens its 2026-27 season Monday night against Maryville at the Banterra Center.
OPENING TIP
Southern Illinois is in its 113th year of basketball. The Salukis play the Maryville Saints at 7 p.m. CT.
Game Details
Matchup: SIU vs. Maryville
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Banterra Center, Carbondale, Ill.
Live Stats | Watch | Listen | App | Tickets
LOOKING AT LAST SEASON
- The Salukis are led by third-year coach Scott Nagy, who brings 32 years of head coaching experience to Carbondale. He had 14 straight winning seasons at the helm of South Dakota State and Wright State. He became the 13th active coach and the 70th all-time to reach 600 wins with a 65-50 victory over Northern Iowa on Jan. 28, 2026.
- Southern did most of its work inside the arc, making fewer than five 3-pointers per game, which ranked in the bottom 10 nationally.
- Jalen Haynes was a bright spot as a true freshman, scoring in double figures in 10 games. He had a season-high 22 points in his first career start Jan. 17 against Belmont.
- The Salukis were one of the nation's best rebounding teams, ranking 46th nationally with 38.2 rebounds per game, which also led the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The Salukis ended the season 29th in KenPom's defensive ratings, the program's highest finish since 2008.
- SIU finished the season 122nd in the NET rankings and seventh in the MVC.
LAST TIME OUT
SIU went 1-1 in public exhibitions. Haynes scored 25 points in a 75-71 win over Lindenwood and 24 in an 82-75 loss to Tennessee Tech. Freshman Jeremiah Jackson added 12 points against Lindenwood, and newcomer Jaxson Fugate had 18 off the bench against Tennessee Tech.
FAMILY MATTERS
Caden Hawkins is the son of former SIU sharpshooter and coach Shane Hawkins. Caden, a Carterville High School graduate, joins SIU after helping John A. Logan College to a 24-10 record last season. He made 22 starts, averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 42% from 3-point range. Shane, a Pinckneyville High School graduate, is the Salukis' all-time leader in 3-point shooting.
NEW DAWGS ON THE BLOCK
The Salukis added seven new players to their 2026-27 roster. Jeremiah Jackson, Ty Laur, Pietro Ranieri and Luke Susko make up the freshman class. Jaxson Fugate (20.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game at Indiana Tech), Donovan Hill (16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds at Saint Leo) and Brock McClure (15.2 points and 9.1 rebounds at Snow College) arrive as transfers after putting up big numbers at their previous schools.
LOOKING AT MARYVILLE
The Saints went 3-25 in 2025-26.
First-year coach Kramer Soderburg comes to Maryville after five seasons at Division III Millikin.
Maryville added 11 new players after the coaching change. Eric Hackett is the leading returner, having played in all 28 of the team's games last season. He is the top returner in scoring, rebounds and assists.
TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Visit saluk.is/MBBTickets for more information, or call 618-453-2000 with ticket questions.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
