Saluki Sports with Fred Huff: Taking a wait and see approach
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Attending SIU's frequent news conferences designed to inform area media members of what's happening in a particular sport has not been a favorite pastime of ours, but we made an exception this week when told that Chris Lowery would be "unveiling" his 2010 recruiting class.
Preferring to be truthful, we were more interested and hopeful of learning some facts about some of the wild rumors circulating throughout southern Illinois regarding present members of SIU's basketball squad.
It was worthwhile as after learning that Mykel Cleveland, Devonte Drinkard, Troy Long, Mamadou Seck and Ernest Watson had accepted scholarships to play basketball at SIU next season, Lowery confirmed some of what Saluki fans have been gossiping about for the past six weeks or so.
Kevin Dillard and Anthony Booker, SIU's No. 1 and No. 5 scorers this past season, had requested -- and been granted -- their releases from SIU in order to transfer elsewhere. The fact that it's happening after the fairly recent departures, for one reason or another, of others like Nick Evans and Ryan Hare make it even more disturbing to some Saluki loyals.
After all, Dillard was perhaps the most celebrated SIU recruit in many years. Booker, too, joined the program with great expectations. Both had enjoyed superb prep careers and were being counted on as leaders for the next two seasons.
Lowery said all of the proper things in "wishing them well" in the future. Then he preceded to talk about some of the changes Saluki fans should expect to see in the immediate future and the implication was clear that perhaps neither Dillard or Booker agreed with Lowery's plans.
Lowery, a former Saluki basketball standout who starred for coach Rich Herrin's fine teams in the early 1990s before jumping into the coaching ranks and becoming SIU's leader in 2004, had many to-the-point comments. Like:
"We can't compromise any more . . . we can't compromise because of talent . . . we compromised with our defense . . . we have to get back to playing hard . . . the fact that it (did not) happen is on me . . . our offense was not our problem, it was the defense . . . we haven't guarded in two years . . . it is what it is . . . now is the time to change . . . if guys had bought into what we were selling, we could have been very special."
Believe me, Lowery is smooth. I'd hate for him to be selling cars and set out to sell me a model I really didn't like or could not afford to purchase. I probably would anyhow.
Yet one has to be concrned with the situation if you're a true Saluki fan.
Dillard has been SIU's leading scorer as a freshman (377 points, 12.2 ppg) and as a sophomore (357, 12.3). He's started 49 of 61 games and averaged playing 30 minutes per game. He was probably going to become only the second player EVER in SIU's basketball history to lead his teammates in scoring all four years of his career. (Kent Williams is the only player to have accomplished that feat).
Not having Dillard around will weaken SIU's offense and the team's overall effectiveness even if his replacement is more dedicated to playing defense. After all, Dillard was the Missouri Valley Conference's "freshman of the year" in 2009.
Booker was SIU's fifth-leading scorer this past season although an infrequent starter and averaging only 17 minutes of playing time per game due to his fouling problems.
Both will be missed for one reason or another. Now fans simply have to hope that there are no other defections and that the newcomers add all Lowery is anticipating to the program.
Four of the five are junior college transfers. Seck and Long both played at Southeastern Illinois College where the Falcons won 24 of 35 games this past season. Cleveland played at Southwestern Illinois College and has been a regular on teams that have won 57 games during the past two years. Watson is a product of Trinity Valley Community College (24-9 in 2010) while Drinkard prepped at Stephens County in Atlanta.
Lowery described Drinkard, a 6-8, 220-pounder, as "a key in the recruiting class" although he played in only eight games due to a broken foot.
We'll see.