CARBONDALE - The world is still waiting for freshman Anthony Booker's breakout game this season, but tonight could be the Florissant, Mo., native's coming-out party.

Through four games, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Southern Illinois University forward is averaging three points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.8 minutes. He had one of his finest games as a Saluki Friday night against fourth-ranked UCLA, scoring five points, grabbing three boards and adding a block, steal and assist in a season-high 16 minutes.

With 6-11 redshirt freshman center Nick Evans out for the next four to six weeks with a broken left wrist, Booker and junior forward Christian Cornelius will be asked to fill out Evans' minutes tonight at Bowling Green, Ky.

SIU (2-2) plays at Western Kentucky (1-2) tonight at 7 hoping to end a two-game skid.

"Obviously, Nick's out, so we gotta bring his energy that he brings the game everyday. We're going to have to step up in that department," Booker said.

One of the headliners of this year's big recruiting class, Booker makes it tough to figure out if he's getting more comfortable with the Saluki schemes through four games. When he runs hard at practice, it appears he still has another gear. Just when it appears the guy that was ranked the 29th-best player in the country is about to dominate a drill, he loses the ball out of bounds or throws it away. Then the promise shines through again.

Tuesday, his practice unit was a few seconds of getting shut out in a Saluki defensive drill. As the shot clock wound down, Booker found some space along the right side of the 3-point line, and right before the buzzer, dropped the 3-pointer.

He then stopped, turned to his left, and pumped his fist.

"I've always been pretty laid-back," Booker said. "That's just my personality. I just gotta bring a little more emotion and stay cut in, and listen to coach. You can't give into the crowd. You get too emotional then, and it could take you away from a win. You just gotta stay calm. The refs like that, too."

With current teammate and roommate Torres Roundtree, Booker helped lead McCluer North (Mo.) High School to the 2007 Class 5 state title and a runner-up finish earlier this year. He was ranked as high as the ninth-best power forward in the country, and the Salukis will need that kind of effort tonight against the Hilltoppers.

Last year's Sweet 16 qualifiers will be without 6-9 senior center Japath Aguilar, who is recovering from a stress fracture, but can go 6-9, 6-9 and 6-8 in the frontcourt tonight at E.A. Diddle Arena. WKU, picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference under first-year coach Ken McDonald, has won seven straight non-conference games at home and 14 of its last 15.

SIU leads the series 10-9 and has taken six of the last seven meetings between the two schools.

The Hilltoppers lost to Murray State Saturday on the road, 89-61. SIU comes off a 77-60 loss to No. 4 UCLA and an 83-58 loss to No. 10 Duke last week at the 2K Sports Classic.

"Obviously, we played two special programs, but now we've gotta move forward and know that we can compete with those guys," SIU coach Chris Lowery said. "Now we gotta go forward and win games."

Booker, one of eight newcomers learning a new system, said the Salukis will prepare for the Hilltoppers as much as they prepared for the Blue Devils and Bruins.

"The way we practice, and the way we play, we prepare the same way," he said. "Every team, whether big or small, we just gotta stay cut in and execute."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087