Southern Illinois University’s men’s basketball team will travel to Peoria to face Bradley on Sunday, December 21, at Carver Arena. The Salukis, who are currently 6-6 overall and 0-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play, aim to improve their record before the holiday break.
Bradley enters the matchup with an 8-4 overall record and a five-game winning streak. The Braves recently defeated Indiana State in a triple-overtime game and have secured a notable win over Washington State this season. Sophomore Jaquan “Bully” Johnson is averaging 18.4 points per game for Bradley, ranking second in the conference.
The Braves average nearly 79 points per game and allow just under 70 points defensively. They are ranked No. 123 in the latest NET ratings and No. 120 by KenPom.
For Southern Illinois, eight players average more than 17 minutes per game. Quel’Ron House leads the team with an average of 15.1 points per game, while several others contribute at least seven points each night. Max Pikaar played a season-high 25 minutes during SIU’s recent win over UT Martin.
SIU has been effective from three-point range during its last three wins but generally relies on scoring inside the arc, making fewer than five threes per contest—one of the lowest rates nationally. The team holds a strong rebounding margin this season, with Rolyns Aligbe leading at 6.5 rebounds per game.
Freshman Jalen Haynes has seen increased playing time recently and scored in double figures multiple times over the past few games.
In their most recent outing, SIU lost its conference opener to Illinois State by a score of 75-68; Quel’Ron House led all scorers for SIU with 22 points.
Southern Illinois Salukis Men’s Basketball competes as part of NCAA Division I athletics within the Missouri Valley Conference and plays home games at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois (https://siusalukis.com/sports/mens-basketball). The program has produced NBA talent such as Walt Frazier and has made ten NCAA Tournament appearances (https://siusalukis.com/sports/mens-basketball). Head coach Scott Nagy leads the team (https://siusalukis.com/sports/mens-basketball).
Fans can follow updates on SIUSalukis.com or through social media channels including X (@SIU_Basketball), Instagram (@SIU_Basketball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SIUBasketball), or via the “Salukis” mobile app.
