Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's basketball team is set to open its 111th season on Monday, November 4, against the College of Charleston. This game marks the beginning of the Scott Nagy era for the Salukis and will be held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The game is part of The Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase and will start at 11 a.m. CT.

Fans can follow the action through various channels. The radio broadcast will be available on the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, and through mobile apps like the Saluki Mobile App and Varsity Network App with Luke Martin and Rodney Watson providing commentary. Live stats are accessible via SIUSalukis.com, and a free broadcast will be streamed on The Field of 68's YouTube channel.

Scott Nagy steps in as head coach for Southern Illinois University (SIU) with an impressive track record of 30 years in coaching. His previous roles at South Dakota State and Wright State saw him achieve 14 consecutive winning seasons. Nagy ranks 17th among active Division I head coaches with 577 wins.

The Salukis' roster includes three returning players: Kennard Davis Jr., Jarrett Hensley, and Sheridan Sharp. Additionally, SIU has added 11 new players this season. Among these newcomers are Elijah Elliott from Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Ali Dibba from Abilene Christian, and Davion Sykes from Texas State.

Kennard Davis Jr., who had a strong freshman season last year playing in 32 games, returns to bolster the team's defense. Jarrett Hensley also aims to make an impact after missing much of last year's nonconference games due to NCAA transfer rules.

On the bench, SIU benefits from extensive experience within its coaching staff totaling over 100 years combined between six coaches. This includes over five decades of head coaching experience shared between Scott Nagy and Steve Hawkins.

The opposing team, College of Charleston Cougars, were picked second in their conference's preseason poll. Under new coach Chris Mack's leadership, they aim to build upon their success from last season when they won 27 games and claimed an outright CAA Championship.

Chris Mack is no stranger to Southern Illinois Basketball having played against them during his time at Evansville University before transferring to Xavier where he later coached against SIU in 2011.

As Scott Nagy begins his tenure with Southern Illinois University’s basketball program—a position familiar through his father Dick Nagy's successful coaching career—the Salukis look forward to building on past successes while respecting their conference’s strong history in NCAA tournaments.

For updates about Southern Illinois Basketball visit SIUSalukis.com or follow them on social media platforms such as X (@SIU_Basketball), Instagram (@SIU_Basketball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SIUBasketball), or download their mobile app available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store.