WICHITA, Kan. - A true Missouri Valley Conference basketball nut - armed with a top-notch satellite dish - had his or her pick Saturday night. At their disposal was Indiana State-Evansville (MVC-TV), Northern Iowa-Bradley (WEEK-TV), Creighton-Illinois State (WMBD, KMTV) and SMS-Drake (Mediacom).

But even a Jamaal Tatum-quick channel surfer couldn't find the best matchup of the evening.

So why wasn't Southern Illinois University-Wichita State televised?

Good question.

There's a good answer, too - even if it doesn't appease upset Salukis fans, marooned 576 miles from Charles Koch Arena.

"We have a league rule that we must select the league games for ESPN, Fox Sports and Comcast by Oct. 1," said Jack Watkins, Associate Commissioner for Television and Marketing. "We've had a lot of e-mails about the Southern-Wichita game: 'How could the Evansville-Indiana State game be on instead?' Well, we determined our television package in October. And the last time I checked we have 10 (Valley) members, not just two."

As part of its record 33-telecast television package, the Valley chose in October the Evansville-Indiana State matchup for broadcast on Jan. 22. Each Valley team is guaranteed at least two appearances on MVC-TV.

"If we would have switched games, then (Evansville and Indiana State) would have had only one appearance," Watkins said.

Take heart, Saluki fans. There is light at the end of the tube. Five of SIU's 12 remaining regular-season games will be televised. Two more will likely be televised.

These are certain: At Southwest Missouri State (Wednesday, WSIU-TV); At Bradley (Feb. 2, WSIU-TV); Creighton (Feb. 12, ESPN2); At Illinois State (Feb. 16, WSIU-TV); Northern Iowa (Feb. 23, MVC-TV).

When the SIU-Creighton contest was selected for ESPN2, it ended a 15-year precedent that the reigning MVC tournament champion appeared in the obligatory ESPN telecast. But Northern Iowa got bumped for Creighton and SIU. (Last week, however, the network picked up the UNI-Creighton contest on Feb. 9. The time slot was made available due to the NHL lockout).

Two other SIU games - the Bracket Buster contest (Feb. 19) and Wichita State (Feb. 26) - have a strong possibility of being televised.

Eleven of the Bracket Buster games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN-Plus. SIU's Bracket Buster opponent will be announced on Jan. 31. With the highest current RPI of any Bracket Buster participant, SIU is all but a lock to be included in one of ESPN's 11 telecasts on Feb. 19.

MVC-TV also left room for a "Wild Card" game on Feb. 26. The week of Feb. 1, the league will choose which of the Valley contests on Feb. 26 - there are five - has the greatest title implications. Since frontrunners SIU and Wichita are scheduled to butt heads, TV cameras in Carbondale are a good possibility.

Which would reduce Southern Illinois-based e-mails and channel surfing in one swoop.

"TV coverage is always good," SIU head coach Chris Lowery said Thursday. "It's good for recruiting, it's good for the fans, it's good for everyone."