Southern Illinois University’s men’s basketball team will return to its home court at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois, on Wednesday night after nearly two weeks away. The Salukis, who have an 8-9 overall record and a 2-4 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play, are set to face the Drake Bulldogs, who hold identical records.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on January 14. Fans can follow live stats, watch on ESPN+, listen via radio, use the mobile app, or purchase tickets for the event.
Drake enters the matchup following two consecutive losses and a recent defeat against Belmont by a score of 78-76. The Bulldogs led by 19 points at halftime but were outscored in the second half. Jalen Quinn leads Drake with an average of 16.4 points per game, ranking fourth in the conference. As a team, Drake averages 76.47 points per game and allows opponents an average of 71.47 points per contest.
Drake’s assist-to-turnover ratio stands at 1.42, which is second-best in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). In national rankings, they are No. 186 in NET ratings and No. 173 according to KenPom.
For Southern Illinois University (SIU), eight players average more than 16 minutes per game this season. Quel’Ron House leads SIU with an average of 13.8 points per game while seven other players contribute at least seven points each per outing: Drew Steffe (9.1), Rolyns Aligbe (8.9), Prince Aligbe (8.5), Damien Mayo Jr. (8.5), Davion Sykes (7.9), Jalen Haynes (7.6) and Isaiah Stafford (7.3).
Sophomore Max Pikaar has played a key defensive role for SIU with a season-high of 25 minutes against UT Martin and leads the team with 15 blocks this year.
During a recent three-game win streak against Little Rock, High Point and UT Martin, SIU shot 41% from three-point range but typically focuses its offense inside the arc—averaging only about five made three-pointers per game.
Freshman Jaylen Haynes has provided valuable scoring off the bench with double-digit performances in six games so far this season.
On rebounding, SIU holds a +2.9 margin over opponents and ranks among the top teams nationally with an average of 38.4 rebounds per game; Rolyns Aligbe leads with an average of 6.4 boards per contest.
In their last outing on January 7 against UIC, Southern Illinois lost by a score of 70-57 but tied their program record for blocks in a single game with eleven total blocks; Damien Mayo Jr contributed seventeen points including thirteen in the second half.
Southern Illinois Salukis Men’s Basketball plays its home games at Banterra Center according to its official website. The program is part of NCAA Division I athletics and belongs to the Missouri Valley Conference. Over its history it has produced NBA talent such as Walt Frazier and retired his number, made ten NCAA Tournament appearances and won an NAIA national championship in 1946.
Fans can stay updated through SIUSalukis.com or follow @SIU_Basketball on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
