2005-06 Basketball Preview

[NewsCopy]

CARBONDALE — Christian Cornelius said he’s ready to contribute now. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound freshman will get his chance. SIU head coach Chris Lowery confirmed Wednesday that Cornelius, who spent last season at a prep school, has decided against a redshirt season in 2005-06. When a player redshirts, he does not compete in games and receives a so-called fifth year of eligibility in return. SIU doesn’t apply the NCAA for the additional season until after the present season, sports information said. The coaching staff had proposed the idea of a redshirt season to Cornelius, the freshman said. Cornelius averaged about 10 points per game at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire in 2004-05. “It was a very tough decision for me,” Cornelius said. “I really respect coach Lowery. But for me I looked at last year as being my redshirt year. I want to support this program as much as possible. I’m here because I felt this was the best program for me. “At the same rate I thought not redshirting was the best possible route for me,” Cornelius added. “I’m just going to see what happens.” Cornelius recorded two points, one assist and one rebound in 12 minutes during SIU’s two exhibition games. The Salukis host Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. Friday at SIU Arena in the regular season opener. The addition of Cornelius gives SIU what appears to be a five-man rotation in the frontcourt. The four big men who saw significant minutes in the preseason were Tony Boyle, Randal Falker, Jamaal Foster and Matt Shaw. All four are underclassmen. The rest of the story by paul klee the southern

[50Cent]

I hadn't heard dat 50.
Have you heard this one:
Yea...Yea...
I'm from the hood where the drop-outs is bangin for the feelin
For houses wit Tvs hangin from the ceilin
We gamble on ball courts
Keep the paint peelin
You either play ball or rap if you aint dealin
I'm stuck in the past
|||| changed since the 80s (What)
I know ladies, that got babies wit babies
Out here its basketball and speedbags
And guns that'll stiffin you up like freeze tag.


Don't go there 50 or you will get another hole in dat |||||.
Dawgs gonna bit ya.
Dis ain't da waterboy.
No Adma Sandler gonna save ya.

Why associate the water boy with UL.....clearly made up fiction. A 6-11 Center with a nice shooting touch is the least of your worries, there are also 4 four other people on the court, including one in particular who wears #23 and dunks on people, thunderously too I might add. And dont post anymore Lloyd Banks rhymes.

[MiamiCajun32]

Don't forget some nice in-season tournament titles in the 80's: Won the Great Alaska Shoot-out (beating #1 Georgetown, Washinton State & Marquette), the Sugar Bowl Tourney (Michigan State & Kansas), & the UKIT - Univ. of Kentucky Invitational Tourney (Cincinnati & UK). So you can see we have had some big wins in our past. We also beat Oklahoma in Norman when they were nationally ranked in the 90's, and then beat 'em in the NCAAs the next year. Had a nice near-miss against the Houston Phi Slama Jamma team featuring Olajuwan and Drexler - one point loss, with Olajuwan coming out to the key to partially block a last second shot that would have won the game for us.

I was 8 years old and my family had just moved to Lafayette when the Great Alaska Shoot-out championship happened and I became caught up in college basketball for the first time in my life. That made me a cajun fan and although my family moved from lafayette just a few years later, I have been a big fan since and follow cajun basketball even more closely than my alma matter, university of florida.

I remember going to Blackham games back in early 80s and it was quite an experience, and Southland conference was extremely competitive with cajuns, La Tech (with Karl Malone) and Lamar (with Billy Tubbs as coach) all ranked on and off. Plus Mcneese had Joe Dumars. There was a real pride an d excitement in Blackham and it was one of the toughest home courts to play in in the country.

I only wish we could bring that back and then eventually duplicate it in Cajun Dome. Maybe it will happen. I went to that first game in the Cajun Dome against Georgia and it was like Blackham. But since then most of the games I have attended had a sterile environment compared to the Blackham experience.

[Zeebart21]

Why associate the water boy with UL.....clearly made up fiction. A 6-11 Center with a nice shooting touch is the least of your worries, there are also 4 four other people on the court, including one in particular who wears #23 and dunks on people, thunderously too I might add. And dont post anymore Lloyd Banks rhymes.

please....no more lloyd banks....

Thanks, fitty..

Z.

[AirBill]

One of my fondest memories was the run to the NIT Final Four with Drexal and Alonzo Allen, Dion Brown and others. I can still vividly remember, as time was running out when were about to beat Santa Clara to go to New York for the Final Four, the band playing "New York, New York" as the players did a Rockettes-style kick on the bench.

[Zeebart21]

Didnt Santa Clara have a big 7'0 center? Played pro ball, was killed in a plane crash some years later...??

Z.

[CajunSailor]

http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtop...r=asc&start=30

we better get used to it and laugh because we might see it a few times all year. I don't care no big deal I just think it is funny

I agree totally. I think our fans would do the same thing. It's all good. I just hope Southhall is a better young man than he has shown in the past. I wish him the best as well as our Cajuns.

[Savil98]

Here's to a good game fellas.

Go you Dawgs!

[MiamiCajun32]

I think we are not getting much respect here by the so called experts.

We shall see...

[CutOff_Cajun]

That's not too much credit. We're very solid this year and we actually have depth. SIU lost their two best starters from last year, plus we had the advantage of beating them. Granted you can argue that we lost our two best starters, but I think Greene and Mitchell were sort of on the same level. I think we can definitely do in there pull this off by 10+. We just need to get the inside game going and if Southall is really back, then we have nothing to worry about.

[NewsCopy]

The SIU men's basketball team will attempt to extend a seven-game home-opener winning streak when it welcomes the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns to the SIU Arena Saturday evening. The Cajuns and Salukis last clashed during the 2004-05 season in the aptly titled Cajundome. SIU left the Jan. 5 game with a 63-61 loss and will be aiming to avenge the defeat. UL, returning three starters and picked to win the Sun Belt Conference, have the weapons to repel a Saluki attack. The Salukis' strengths ˜ stifling defensive pressure and pure athleticism ˜ will be put to the test against a team with starters averaging 6-foot-7 and 218 pounds. "We got quick guys," SIU head coach Chris Lowery said. "But they're guys are big, but they're athletes too. It doesn't matter, we just have to play hard." But while there is a disparity between brute force and agility, the Salukis and Cajuns are quite similar in one respect. Both teams return the brunt of their core starters, while having lost two key players in the ever-changing world of college basketball. The Salukis lost the tandem of Darren Brooks and Stetson Hairston after the 2004-05 season. ULL, meanwhile, lost Orien Greene ˜ who was recently drafted by the Boston Celtics ˜ and Tiras Wade. Wade accounted for 18 points in the teams' last meeting. The rest of the story Gabe House Daily Egyptian

[J-Town Cajun]

I think we are not getting much respect here by the so called experts.

We shall see...

I believe in college hoops that home court is worth about 7 points. So if the game was at the Cajun Dome it would be about a push.

I would take the Cajuns.