By Tom Weber siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, IL — With 10 upper-classmen, the Salukis boast one of the oldest and most experienced rosters in the Missouri Valley Conference. SIU has seven players who have a combined 178 games of starting experience at the Division I level. Tyler Smithpeters (63), Thik Bol (33), Armon Fletcher (30), Sean Lloyd (20) and Jonathan Wiley (1) have all made starts at SIU. Transfer Marcus Bartley made 18 starts at Saint Louis and Eric McGill started 13 times at SEMO.
The Salukis do have several notable holes to fill. Power forward Sean O’Brien was a four-year starter, who finished his career at SIU No. 25 in scoring, No. 8 in rebounds, No. 12 in blocked shots and No. 20 in assists. Also gone is dynamic point guard Mike Rodriguez, who started every game the last two seasons and led last year’s team in scoring, assists, free throws and steals.
FRONT COURT
Headlining the front court is shot-blocking specialist Thik Bol (6-8, 203, Sr.). Last year, in his first season at SIU, he blocked 76 shots, the third-most in a season in school history. He was also a factor on offense, where he chipped in 9.1 points per game. Bol led the team in offensive rebounds per game (2.42) and was second overall in rebounding (6.8 rebounds).
The Salukis return a pair of veteran bigs in Austin Weiher (6-8, 206, Jr.) and 6-foot-9 Rudy Stradnieks (6-9, 229, Jr.). Both players displayed a smooth shooting touch from 3-point range, combining to make 17-of-43 (.395) shots.
Look for a pair of stretch forwards to give SIU a different look at O’Brien’s power forward spot. Jonathan Wiley (6-7, 201, Sr.) and Brendon Gooch (6-5, 204, RFr.) could both present match-up problems with their ability to shoot from distance.
The Salukis add some size to the front-court mix this season with the addition of juco transfer Kavion Pippen (6-10, 240, Jr.). If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the nephew of NBA legend Scottie Pippen.
BACK COURT
The coaching staff feels it has one of the deepest back courts in recent memory. The most accomplished player in the group is athletic wing Armon Fletcher (6-5, 207, Jr.), who has scored 496 points in his first two seasons and is still developing a versatile skill set that includes a feathery 3-point stroke.
A pleasant surprise last season was the development of Sean Lloyd (6-5, 210, Jr.), who earned a starting job in mid-December and became the team’s defensive stopper. He averaged 7.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. The back court becomes even more competitive with the return of fifth-year guard Tyler Smithpeters (6-4, 203, Sr.), who took a medical redshirt last year. He ranks seventh in school history in 3-point shooting (.395 percent) and leads the roster in career starts (63).
Three players will compete for minutes at point guard. The early front-runner is Saint Louis transfer Marcus Bartley (6-5, 193, Jr.). Two years ago, he led the Billikens in 3-point shooting (.397). During his freshman year, he led SLU in assists (55). Aaron Cook (6-2, 185, So.) served as the team’s backup point guard last year and averaged 3.0 points and 0.9 assists. He was also one of the team’s top defenders with 31 steals. Juco transfer Eric McGill (6-2, 175, Jr.) can play point guard or off the ball. Two years ago, he averaged 7.0 points at SEMO and made 13 starts as a true freshman. Last year at Panola College, he averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 assists.
The Salukis will have their depth tested early in the season due to injuries to Bartley, Bol and Weiher.
MVC PRESEASON POLL
School (1st-Place Votes) Total
1. Missouri State (30) 381
2. Northern Iowa (8) 337
3. Loyola (1) 321
4. Illinois State (1) 256
5. Southern Illinois 226
6. Valparaiso 214
7. Bradley 182
8. Indiana State 216
9. Evansville 88
10. Drake 79
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