Know the Foe: Southern Illinois

After a 0-2 weekend in the Bahamas, Memphis returns to FedExForum for a home game against Southern Illinois. The Salukis 3-3 to start the season, and they’re coming off an 81-73 loss against UAB on Monday.

While Southern Illinois has three wins on the season, only two are against division one opponents, after opening the season against division two McKendree University. The Salukis beat Kansas City and Delaware, but they’ve only won one of their last four games.

Scott Nagy enters his second season as the head coach, following eight seasons at Wright State, and he’s looking to improve following a 14-19 campaign last season. Nagy had to replace his top four scores from last season after one graduated and three transferred out of the program.

Sophomore guard Quel’Ron House, who transferred in from Jacksonville State, leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. The 6-foot guard only averages 2.2 three-pointers per game, and he makes his money in the mid-range and on floaters.

As a team, the Salukis have struggled from three-point range, and they rank No. 356 in the country, shooting 23.2 percent from three. Southern Illinois only has three players shooting over 30 percent from three this season, and as a team, they only take about 18 threes per game.

Davion Sykes is the only other player on the roster who is averaging more than 10 points per game, and he’s currently averaging 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The senior, who is one of five returners on the team, has scored in double figures in three straight games, and he’s recorded six steals in that span.

In the frontcourt, Southern Illinois has three players 6-foot-10 or taller, including 7-footer Max Pikaar, but all three big men come off the bench. The Salukis have rolled with a smaller starting lineup early this year, and the tallest starter is 6-foot-9 forward Rolyns Aligbe.

Aligbe leads the team in rebounding, averaging 5.8 boards per game, but he’s struggled with his shot over the last two games, going a combined 4-for-12 against UAB and Delaware. Rolyns Aligbe shares the frontcourt with his older brother, Prince Aligbe, who transferred into Southern Illinois following two seasons at Boston College and a year at Seton Hall.

Prince Aligbe, a former four-star recruit, averages 8.8 points per game, and he’s shooting 63.1 percent from the field over the last two games. The 6-foot-7 senior is also one of the leading rebounders on the team, and he has recorded six or more boards in the last four games.

Defensively, the Salukis are allowing 71.7 points per game, and they’re holding their opponents to only 39 percent from the field. Nagy’s team forces 12.3 turnovers per game, and they average 18.5 points off turnovers. 

Southern Illinois hasn’t faced a team like Memphis this season, and the Tigers should be able to cause a lot of trouble with their length. Memphis is off to its worst start since the 1996-97 season, and the Tigers need a few wins to boost the team’s confidence before four tough non-conference games throughout December.