CARBONDALE -- It seems as though the Salukis have always played with a chip on their shoulder. That is one physical impediment that has benefited the mid-major dynamos in recent years.
Perhaps never before has that chip grown to its current size, roughly the diameter of Jackson County.
The Missouri Valley Conference champions roll their us-against-the-world philosophy into Indiana State tonight in the regular-season finale.
"We had a lot of critics out there, a lot of people that second-guessed us when we lost a couple games," sophomore Jamaal Tatum said. "There's a lot of people out there that didn't think we could do it. In that locker room, we never stopped believing we could do it."
SIU holds the Valley in a headlock, having won at least a share of the title in four straight seasons.
It clinched championship No. 4 -- the sweetest of all, by several accounts -- with an emotional 65-55 win over second-place Wichita State on Saturday. The players believe that they were discounted from the race in early February, when a five-game stretch included three losses.
The chip on their shoulder grew. Then, like a Chia Pet feasting on Miracle Gro, it grew some more. Finally they set out to disprove the naysayers, guard Stetson Hairston said.
"We lose two in a row and everyone thinks we're terrible. We lose three in a row again (actually, two) and everyone thinks we're terrible again," said the senior, who won four titles in four years. "And then here we go. We win conference again. Now what? How could it not be the best one? How could it not?"
SIU answered every question thrown its way with a resounding "We're still here!" It produced double-digit leads in the last six games of a seven-game win streak.
Wichita State witnessed the late-season buzzsaw on Saturday. An early 5-0 lead -- and the Shockers' hopes for an at-large NCAA bid, perhaps -- disappeared beneath a 22-8 SIU run. Wichita State trailed by up to 16 in the first half.
SIU carried a chip on its shoulder from its first meeting with the Shockers. After the hosts' gutsy 58-56 win in Wichita, one player told The Southern that his team had "the last laugh."
That remark was posted during the Salukis' pre-showdown preparations. A third meeting is possible if the top-seeded Salukis and second-seeded Shockers reach the Valley tournament final a week from today.
"After that game at Wichita State, they ran to the fans and they were pulling on their jerseys," said SIU's Darren Brooks, who led all scorers Saturday with 17 points. "They said they got the last laugh. We just patiently waited for them to get here and put it to them."
SIU plays at noon Saturday against either Bradley, Drake, Indiana State or Evansville in the Valley tournament quarterfinals in St. Louis. A significant benefit of the top seed is rest. Should SIU beat its first opponent, it won't play until the late afternoon on Sunday.
Today's contest will test SIU's focus.
A loss would only hurt the Salukis' seeding in the NCAA tournament. A RPI of 12 , strong late-season push and outright conference title has virtually assured its NCAA invitation.
So tonight is merely a chance to take the foot off the pedal, rest some tired legs, right?
"It's a game to win," head coach Chris Lowery said Sunday. "We're not going into it and looking at it like we've already won the league. It's another game we want to win. We're still trying to win as many games as we can."
Maybe the greatest advantage that elite mid-major programs have is their own perception of the underdog role. The underdog's uniform includes the requisite chip on its shoulder.
Of course, SIU won't become the underdog until, perhaps, the first round of the NCAAs, should it gain a lower seed. That fact doesn't seem to affect its motivation as the postseason nears.
"(The Valley titles) are all sweet," guard Tony Young said. "This one has just been a little bit better. We had a lot of naysayers, a lot of people that said we couldn't do it. They counted us out early. It means a whole lot to come back and take it like this."
Said Lowery, "The league is a marathon and we knew that. People jumped off the bandwagon when we lost two in a row. But we never panicked. It's a marathon, not a sprint. We won the marathon."
Perhaps never before has that chip grown to its current size, roughly the diameter of Jackson County.
The Missouri Valley Conference champions roll their us-against-the-world philosophy into Indiana State tonight in the regular-season finale.
"We had a lot of critics out there, a lot of people that second-guessed us when we lost a couple games," sophomore Jamaal Tatum said. "There's a lot of people out there that didn't think we could do it. In that locker room, we never stopped believing we could do it."
SIU holds the Valley in a headlock, having won at least a share of the title in four straight seasons.
It clinched championship No. 4 -- the sweetest of all, by several accounts -- with an emotional 65-55 win over second-place Wichita State on Saturday. The players believe that they were discounted from the race in early February, when a five-game stretch included three losses.
The chip on their shoulder grew. Then, like a Chia Pet feasting on Miracle Gro, it grew some more. Finally they set out to disprove the naysayers, guard Stetson Hairston said.
"We lose two in a row and everyone thinks we're terrible. We lose three in a row again (actually, two) and everyone thinks we're terrible again," said the senior, who won four titles in four years. "And then here we go. We win conference again. Now what? How could it not be the best one? How could it not?"
SIU answered every question thrown its way with a resounding "We're still here!" It produced double-digit leads in the last six games of a seven-game win streak.
Wichita State witnessed the late-season buzzsaw on Saturday. An early 5-0 lead -- and the Shockers' hopes for an at-large NCAA bid, perhaps -- disappeared beneath a 22-8 SIU run. Wichita State trailed by up to 16 in the first half.
SIU carried a chip on its shoulder from its first meeting with the Shockers. After the hosts' gutsy 58-56 win in Wichita, one player told The Southern that his team had "the last laugh."
That remark was posted during the Salukis' pre-showdown preparations. A third meeting is possible if the top-seeded Salukis and second-seeded Shockers reach the Valley tournament final a week from today.
"After that game at Wichita State, they ran to the fans and they were pulling on their jerseys," said SIU's Darren Brooks, who led all scorers Saturday with 17 points. "They said they got the last laugh. We just patiently waited for them to get here and put it to them."
SIU plays at noon Saturday against either Bradley, Drake, Indiana State or Evansville in the Valley tournament quarterfinals in St. Louis. A significant benefit of the top seed is rest. Should SIU beat its first opponent, it won't play until the late afternoon on Sunday.
Today's contest will test SIU's focus.
A loss would only hurt the Salukis' seeding in the NCAA tournament. A RPI of 12 , strong late-season push and outright conference title has virtually assured its NCAA invitation.
So tonight is merely a chance to take the foot off the pedal, rest some tired legs, right?
"It's a game to win," head coach Chris Lowery said Sunday. "We're not going into it and looking at it like we've already won the league. It's another game we want to win. We're still trying to win as many games as we can."
Maybe the greatest advantage that elite mid-major programs have is their own perception of the underdog role. The underdog's uniform includes the requisite chip on its shoulder.
Of course, SIU won't become the underdog until, perhaps, the first round of the NCAAs, should it gain a lower seed. That fact doesn't seem to affect its motivation as the postseason nears.
"(The Valley titles) are all sweet," guard Tony Young said. "This one has just been a little bit better. We had a lot of naysayers, a lot of people that said we couldn't do it. They counted us out early. It means a whole lot to come back and take it like this."
Said Lowery, "The league is a marathon and we knew that. People jumped off the bandwagon when we lost two in a row. But we never panicked. It's a marathon, not a sprint. We won the marathon."
