SIU men?s basketball coach Chris Lowery is trying to keep as much pressure as he can to himself this week at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
At the tail end of his first back-to-back losing seasons, Lowery, 39, and the Salukis enter St. Louis today with an uncertain future.
Thursday night, ninth-seeded SIU (8-22, 5-13 MVC) takes on No. 8 seed Indiana State (17-13, 8-10 MVC) to break a 1-1 series tie at the Scottrade Center in the tournament play-in round. A win will put the Salukis into a Friday afternoon contest against No. 14 Wichita State (26-4, 16-2 MVC), the top seed. A loss will cap the worst season in Saluki history at 8-23, extend the team?s losing streak to seven games, and put Lowery?s status as the head coach, once again, up in the air.
In the fifth year of a seven-year, $750,000-per-year contract extension signed after the 2006-07 season, Lowery has failed to get SIU into the postseason, any postseason, despite the most opportunities in the history of college basketball being available. SIU last played in a postseason game past the Valley tournament in 2008, when the Salukis beat Oklahoma State in the NIT and lost at Arizona State to finish 18-15. SIU hasn?t had a winning season since 2008, going 13-18 in 2008-09 and 15-15 the following season.
?I feel pressure every time we come out. I can?t allow them to see pressure because then they?ll respond to that,? Lowery said at Tuesday?s press conference, the team?s last before heading to St. Louis today for the tournament. ?Me handling it the right way with them will allow them to handle it the right way, and that?s kinda where we?ve been, especially with the new guys, because there?s no way if we bring eight new guys in here and I?m tense, they wouldn?t come back every game like they have, and they?ve really tried to focus on the things they need to focus on.?
The Sycamores won last year?s tournament as a three seed, and return four starters off that group. SIU is expected to start two newcomers, freshman forward Dantiel Daniels and junior college transfer Jeff Early, with seniors Mamadou Seck, Justin Bocot and junior guard Kendal Brown-Surles.
?Obviously, we have four seniors who were all part of a championship run last year, but we were the three seed last year and played really well,? Indiana State coach Greg Lansing said. ?I think that can be good. I think the talent level they have, the athletic ability they have and having (Mamadou) Seck, one of the best players in the league, it could go either way.?
At the tail end of his first back-to-back losing seasons, Lowery, 39, and the Salukis enter St. Louis today with an uncertain future.
Thursday night, ninth-seeded SIU (8-22, 5-13 MVC) takes on No. 8 seed Indiana State (17-13, 8-10 MVC) to break a 1-1 series tie at the Scottrade Center in the tournament play-in round. A win will put the Salukis into a Friday afternoon contest against No. 14 Wichita State (26-4, 16-2 MVC), the top seed. A loss will cap the worst season in Saluki history at 8-23, extend the team?s losing streak to seven games, and put Lowery?s status as the head coach, once again, up in the air.
In the fifth year of a seven-year, $750,000-per-year contract extension signed after the 2006-07 season, Lowery has failed to get SIU into the postseason, any postseason, despite the most opportunities in the history of college basketball being available. SIU last played in a postseason game past the Valley tournament in 2008, when the Salukis beat Oklahoma State in the NIT and lost at Arizona State to finish 18-15. SIU hasn?t had a winning season since 2008, going 13-18 in 2008-09 and 15-15 the following season.
?I feel pressure every time we come out. I can?t allow them to see pressure because then they?ll respond to that,? Lowery said at Tuesday?s press conference, the team?s last before heading to St. Louis today for the tournament. ?Me handling it the right way with them will allow them to handle it the right way, and that?s kinda where we?ve been, especially with the new guys, because there?s no way if we bring eight new guys in here and I?m tense, they wouldn?t come back every game like they have, and they?ve really tried to focus on the things they need to focus on.?
The Sycamores won last year?s tournament as a three seed, and return four starters off that group. SIU is expected to start two newcomers, freshman forward Dantiel Daniels and junior college transfer Jeff Early, with seniors Mamadou Seck, Justin Bocot and junior guard Kendal Brown-Surles.
?Obviously, we have four seniors who were all part of a championship run last year, but we were the three seed last year and played really well,? Indiana State coach Greg Lansing said. ?I think that can be good. I think the talent level they have, the athletic ability they have and having (Mamadou) Seck, one of the best players in the league, it could go either way.?
