High Major Salukis

[Whatsasaluki]

Salukis break out of mid-major label

Drew Stevens

Daily Egyptian

OKLAHOMA CITY - LaMar Owen sat in his locker with his head down and his hands covering his face as he mulled over an 85-77 loss to second-seeded Oklahoma State.

Most of his teammates had their eyes fixated on the ground and their bodies, tired from the helter-skelter 40 minutes before and drained from the loss, drooped into their lockers.

As the SIU locker room sat hushed, legendary Oklahoma State head coach Eddie Sutton took a moment at the post-game press conference to reflect on how tough the Salukis played before even commenting on his own team.

Had their play this weekend not backed it up, people still would be forced to believe the Salukis shed the mid-major label since the hall-of-fame-bound coach said it himself.

In its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, SIU solidified its status as one of the rising programs in the Midwest, not just another mid-major making a brief appearance at the March ball.

Advancing to the second round for the first time in three years, defeating Saint Mary's 65-56 and after going toe to toe with the Big 12 Tournament champs Sunday, that label was all but ripped to shreds, by Salukis and Cowboys alike.

"We're a high-major," said Darren Brooks, who scored 17 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists in his final game as a Saluki. "We've proven that the last couple of years, and it's sad to still hear people call us a mid-major."

Added Cowboy senior forward Ivan McFarlin, who scored a career-high 31 points: "You have to give them credit. They gave us a run. They had the lead at the half, and we had to fight to get back and win this game. To me, they're not a mid-major team. To me, they're just like a top 25 team."

In the first half, SIU (27-8) seemed to have an answer for every Oklahoma State run and led 46-39 at halftime in front of a crowd that, save for a few hundred Saluki fans, was mostly made up of Cowboy fans.

A second-half team much of the season, Oklahoma State (26-6) opened the final 20 minutes with a 12-0 run to take a 51-46 lead, knocking the Salukis back on their heals. Soon, though, SIU charged back and eventually retook the lead, 52-51. But they never reclaimed the momentum.

Brooks scored just four points in the second half, missing a few point-blank shots he usually converts and was also pressured heavily by the taller Daniel Bobik. His 17 points, and furthermore, his toughness and defense left an impression with his opponents.

One by one, Sutton sifted through the Salukis following the game, shaking each player's hand and congratulating him for the scare they gave. Then came Brooks, and Sutton stopped and spoke with him for about 30 seconds.

"I told him after the game he was good enough to play in the NBA," Sutton said. "I admire how hard he plays. He hustles and is a great rebounder for a guard. I wish I would have recruited him."

As Brooks' career as a Saluki is now history, so too are those of Stetson Hairston, Josh Warren and Owen.

"We have to thank our seniors," said SIU head coach Chris Lowery. "We have tremendous men in this program who started this thing and built this program to what it is now."

Cowboy guard John Lucas, an energetic player who was left tugging on his shorts the final minutes of the game, was particularly impressed with the Salukis' pressure defense. Though just speculation, he said SIU would rank among one of the better teams in the highly talented Big 12 conference.

"At first, I was like, 'Man, this is nothing,'" said Lucas, who committed two turnovers as a result of the Salukis' defense. "But constantly them coming at you, it wears you down, and I see why everybody says it's tough.

"I think they would fit in high in the Big 12 because of the way they play."