It’s hard to be in two places at the same time, and I’m experiencing that right now with men’s basketball season prying into football season.
Today I got back to basketball practice around 4:30 p.m., and Anthony Booker was sitting with his right ankle wrapped in ice. Didn’t look good, but he said he was OK. Probably a sprained ankle.
I watched the guys practice against a zone today, and could tell this year’s going to be a little different. Nick Evans doesn’t look like a first team all-conference guy yet, but when he actually goes toward the basket he’s pretty tough. Gene Teague takes up a lot of space and has some good hands, so, those two, just by being a presence, could open up some things on the perimeter. SIU has a slate of guys capable of busting the zone - Kendal Brown-Surles, Jack Crowder, Kevin Dillard, Tony Freeman. It’s good to see them shooting pretty well this early in the season.
Hopefully their defense continues to improve, because that’s going to be the key to their season. SIU can score - I doubt there’s much confusion over that fact. My concern, with the MVC’s emphasis on guards, is if the Salukis can stay with the rest of the league.