Well, the Missouri Valley Conference hasn’t released the men’s basketball schedule, but, apparently, it is complete.
And it’s weird. But in a good way, depending on if you like televised games.
SIU released its tentative non-conference schedule awhile back, but it had some question marks as far as some games with conference opponents. Well, the Salukis got seven network television appearances, according to sports information director Tom Weber. SIU’s game at Northern Iowa Saturday, Feb. 6, will be on ESPN2. The Salukis’ games at Illinois State (Jan. 3) and against UNI (Jan. 6) and Wichita State (Jan. 31) will be on ESPNU. The Valley’s TV network deal with Fox Sports Midwest will air SIU’s games against Drake Jan. 9 and its two games with Creighton (here Feb. 23 and at Omaha Jan. 13). Last year most of their conference games, if not all of them, were either on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday. This year they’re on every day of the week except Monday.
In a really tough stretch, SIU hosts Illinois State Saturday, Jan. 23, hosts Western Kentucky Monday, Jan. 25, goes to Indiana State Thursday and then hosts Wichita State the following Sunday. No back-to-back nights, as SIU coach Chris Lowery predicted, but still a tough stretch.
I’ll put the new, finished schedule on the blog tomorrow or Wednesday, and we’ll run it in the paper soon.
SIU’s home ESPNU BracketBuster game could also be televised, as well as the regular-season finale at Wichita State. I imagine both of those will get a lot of consideration, as SIU and the Shockers should be in contention for top-five spots. Nice to see the Salukis get some games on ESPN’s family of networks, they should be exciting to watch. Mediacom will also probably air a few, and is still picking games.
Weber estimated SIU’s All-Access program would air about 20 of the 31 games.
In personnel news, guard Caleb Long is not going to walk on this year, according to Weber. Lowery told me a few weeks ago Nathaniel Mitchell, a former Carrier Mills High School standout, will walk on this year. He’s a 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward that was pretty athletic. He played the last two seasons at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, where he averaged 3.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He shot 51 percent from the field, according to stats from the NJCAA, but was a 48 percent free-throw shooter. Yikes.
The Drew Barham saga is officially over. The shooting guard who signed with SIU for this coming school year but never showed up has been released from his scholarship, according to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Barham, a 6-7 marksman, plans to walk on at Memphis. SIU originally said it wasn’t going to release him from his scholarship, which would have cost him a year of eligibility, but relented. It’s probably for the best. I’ve made repeated attempts to get in touch with Barham, his parents and his former coaches without any luck.
I wish him well, as I’m sure the Salukis probably do. Horrible move by Barham, because I think you need to honor commitments you make to people who take a chance on you, but, hopefully both programs can move on.

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