I'm always conflicted when Southern Illinois comes to town. On the one hand, their style of play more closely resembles rugby than basketball, and the result is generally completely unwatchable unless your team happens to be the opponent. My buddy Rob sums it up best: "A Saluki game is like watching a rugby match and having a basketball game break out." But on the other hand, their record speaks for itself and while I loathe them with every fiber of my being, I do respect their sustained level of excellence.
Southern Illinois is a reflection of their town, Carbondale, a blue-collar town nestled in the middle of the southern half of Illinois, an area known as "Little Egypt". They recruit hard-working players who compete for 40 minutes with a massive chip on their shoulder, making up for what they lack in skill with pure, gritty toughness.
When you bring the ball upcourt, their guards apply a witches brew of hand and body checks intended to both intimidate their opponent and dictate the style and pace of the game. When you throw it inside, their bigs go with the same philosophy. This is how Southern has played for years, and everyone -- refs included -- knows it. Its simply expected that Southern will be rough, and the result is a game with tons of fouls, and tons of no-calls. And this is the genius of their style: they know, their opponents know, and the refs know that they can't call a foul on every play.
A foul is a foul is a foul, generally speaking. When Southern is involved, things get a bit more gray: is that a foul or is it a FOUL? I can only imagine the inner monologue a ref has when calling a game involving SIU: "He hit the shooter in the face and drew blood, but it wasn't as bad as the last trip down when he knocked a tooth loose, so its not a foul this time." I actually feel sorry for refs who get assigned to an SIU game.
For the longest time, I honestly believed that the way to play Southern was to fight fire with fire. Like Rocky against Ivan Drago, you go toe to toe and blow for blow. When they relentlessly hand-check, you do it right back. When they smack you in the head, you do the same on the other end.
But after watching their style for going on a decade now, I've come to a discouraging realization: you just can't do that. Remember that faux-inner monologue I imagined up there? The reason SIU gets away with so much is because they do so much. That style of play won't work for anyone else unless you adopt it on a full-time basis and condition the refs to think the same way about you as they do SIU.
More and more, I think the best way to beat SIU is to run. Push the ball, never make more than 3 passes, and do not allow them to set-up in a half-court defense. Slash to the rack, drive it inside, force the issue. Tie the refs' hands into blowing the whistle on their bigs, get them in foul trouble, and open up the offense from there.
Would that work? I honestly don't know, which is why I sit in my seats behind the basket and not on the bench.
***
Saturday night, Southern Illinois and their trademarked brand of Rugby Hoops came to Omaha for a showdown for first place in the Valley. A Fire-Marshal Special, with 200 more in attendance than the rated seating capacity, and the loudest, most raucous atmosphere I've ever seen at a Creighton game made it an exciting game to have the privilege of participating in.
Wait, you're thinking, did he just say "Participating in"? You bet. There's spectators, and there's participants. Spectators drink sparkling wine out of stem glassware while watching tennis and golf in sweater vests. Participants drink beer or caffeinated beverages out of plastic cups while yelling and screaming to make it seem as though the home team has six players.
I say this because I actually heard someone who sits near me complain first about everyone standing up, and later that the noise was uncomfortably loud. Warms my heart to hear these things.
The fans were jacked up for the game -- the fact that the attendance broke the all-time arena record speaks to that. One thing, could we agree to stop announcing the crowd as "The largest to ever see a basketball game in the state of Nebraska"? It was cute and funny at first, but it just seems really bush league to me now. The Qwest Center seats almost 5K than the Devaney, so give it a rest.
Southern was booed lustily when they left the court after warmups, booed when they came out of the locker room, and after 40 minutes of nastiness from the students, several of their players reportedly flipped off the students upon leaving the court after the game. Good stuff.
Unfortunately, the players were jacked up as well, and started the game tighter than Scrooge McDuck. 9 points at the 7 minute mark? Lucky for them Southern only had 15. Once they settled down, the game did as well, and started to look more like the battle of Valley heavyweights that everyone expected.
Actually, early on the hand checks were being called, much to the chagrin of Fat Albert, I mean, ReRun, I mean, Chris Lowery, the SIU coach. What I wouldn't have given to hear his arguments against the fouls. "Come on, that's not a foul! He didn't even draw blood!" All-Valley guards Tony Young and Jamal Tatum both sat on the bench for most of the half with foul trouble, which made Creighton's inability to either take a lead or at least keep it closer extremely frustrating.
A big reason for this was the play of SIU's extraordinary center, Randal Falker. Falker, in case you don't know of him, is the latest in a long line of Saluki players to style their hair in dreadlocks to look like the floppy ears of a Saluki. I may ridicule him, but my lord, he is a talent. Big, quick and unafraid of contact, he made Anthony Tolliver look like a tentative Freshman for the majority of the game. With Falker's lead, SIU took a 28-23 lead to the locker room at halftime despite Young and Tatum playing a combined 13 minutes.
At halftime, I was at a loss for words. The Jays had really played poorly, shooting just 27% and not making a single three, while allowing SIU to shoot 50%, make 6 threes and butcher them in the paint. Tolliver was being schooled by Falker, Nate Funk and Isacc Miles were being harassed by SIU's guards into making hurried decisions with the ball, and yet they were only behind for 5. I mean, I had no words. If you're one of the many people who tried to talk to me during halftime, you can attest to my lack of words to describe those first 20 minutes.
Adding to my confusion was the halftime entertainment: "Christopher", a one-man Village People impersonator. Blink. Blink.
As he came out of the tunnel to the sounds of "Macho Man", my brother exclaimed, "This is unexpected!" A dance-puppeteer who dresses as the American Indian Village Person, manipulates the other Village People, all of which are life-size puppets. It was hilarious, awesome, and dominant all at once. For a moment, it made me forget the first half. Then the maroon-and-black villians came back out on the court, and it was time to play another 20 minutes of Rugby Hoops.
The first 10 minutes of the second frame were a series of mini-runs by the Jays, answered by SIU mini-runs to keep them at arms-length. Finally, the Jays busted out an 8-0 run, culminating in Nate Funk burying a jumper to give them the lead, 41-40. Unfortunately, the increasingly annoying Randal Falker answered with an emphatic slam dunk just 30 seconds later. On the dunk, Tolliver had finally had enough of Falker's shenanigans and decided to challenge him -- a grave mistake with 3 fouls. Sure enough, he was whistled for his 4th foul, and put CU in a severe disadvantage the rest of the way. But for the immediate future, it didn't matter, as the Jays rattled off another 9-0 run -- making it an amazing 17-3 run that turned a 7 point deficit into a 7 point lead.
When SIU called for timeout with 4:59 remaining, CU had a 7 point lead, 17,405 fans yelling and screaming their lungs out, and the Jays were about to put their foot on the Salukis' throat. Had the Jays been able to get a defensive stop and one more bucket, the old saying "Tearing the roof off the dump" might have actually come true. But alas, SIU ran off a quick 6-0 run to make it 50-49, forcing the Jays into a timeout. In the midst of that run, Dane Watts fouled out on an illegal screen that stirred the crowd into a frenzy -- it appeared like an iffy call anyway, but add in the fact that the refs had really let the players play most of the second half, and it became harder to defend.
Regardless, the Jays moved on with Watts DQ'd, their only other legitimate post player with 4 fouls, and a perilous 1-point lead.
Tolliver scored an aggressive layup, and drew a foul, heading into the under-four timeout. 52-49 Jays, and after the timeout, Tolliver's free throw made it a two-possession game with just over 3 minutes left. On the very next possession, Tolliver would foul out, again on a questionable call. This time, Tolliver beat Tony Young to a spot under the basket, made slight contact, and was whistled for the foul.
Who would play post? With their starting 4 and 5's DQ'd, would Manny Gakou be forced into play? Nope. Pierce "Tweak" Hibma assumed the post, giving up 6 inches and about 600 pounds of muscle to Falker -- and sending chills up the spine of every Jays fan in the building. The overriding feeling seemed to be "Game, Set, Match". SIU would dump it inside every time, Falker would dunk it over the over-matched Hibma, and the Jays would be able to do nothing to stop it.
Surprisingly, Hibma played admirably, denying Falker from even touching the ball, and kept the Jays with a chance to eek out a win.
Tied 53-53, Funk nailed a shot at the 1:09 mark to give the Jays a 55-53 lead. In between yelling, screaming, and hoping for my voice to retain enough juice to make it to the end, I remember thinking, "This is one helluva game." After calling a timeout, SIU ran a play for Matt Shaw and he nailed a wide-open jumper to once more tie it up.
At the other end, Funk drove to the basket, was absolutely, positively creamed by a haymaker from Falker, and missed the shot. This time, rumor has it the blow drew blood -- from my seats a mere 100 feet from the play, I could see Funk checking his mouth for blood and/or missing teeth. That had to hurt.
After the no-call, Tatum grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled by Hibma. Tatum made one-of-two to put SIU up 56-55. 36 seconds remained, and my brother was frantically screaming for Altman to call timeout to set up a final shot. In between yelling encouragement, I told him Altman never does that at home, preferring to trust his players and by extension, not giving the defense a chance to set up. They had to be holding for the last shot, right? I mean, 1 second difference between the shot clock and the game clock, down 1, you hold it and hope to score at the buzzer.
So of course Nick Porter drives the ball inside, gets hacked, and draws a foul with 18 seconds left. Ice Cold Porter sank both free throws, or so I'm told -- I couldn't bring myself to watch the first one, and after he made it, superstition precluded me from watched the second one. 57-56 Jays, 18 seconds left.
Out of the timeout, SIU drove the length of the court, with everyone in the building expecting the play to be run for Falker, who was being guarded by Hibma. But Hibma denied a passing lane for the pick-and-roll, unbelievably, forcing point guard Bryan Mullins to attempt a fall-away jumper from eight feet. With a hand in his face, with 17,400 fans screaming against him, with his team trailing by 1 on the road and 6 seconds left, he banked it off the glass and in. Wow. Just...wow. Helleva shot. You had to tip your hat to him. Gutsy shot.
So its 58-57 Salukis, 4 seconds left. Timeout Jays, to draw up what they hoped was the winning shot. Despite their best efforts, the Jays got the ball in the hands of Nate Funk, who dribbled down court, managed to pull a head-fake to get an open look, and threw up a desperation three.
It hit the backboard, bounced to the rim, rolled around, and as gravity took hold, it even looked to be going in the right direction -- down -- for a brief moment. Unbelievable loudness became hushed quiet as the ball tried to decide what to do. Ultimately, it rolled out, the horn sounded, and SIU celebrated another improbable last-second win in Omaha.
Had the Jays won this game, it would undoubtedly move into my Pantheon of Greatest Jays Games. With the loss, its still a classic game, but its one I will never care to watch again; a heartwrenching loss and a 9 on Bill Simmon's "Stomach Punch Game" scale.
***
Were the fouls that DQ'd Watts and Tolliver questionable, and probably bad calls? Yeah, probably. But they got themselves into the position of having four fouls, not the refs, so you really can't complain too much. Disappointing, frustrating, and it does make me upset to lose a 7th straight game to the Salukis. But I can't blame the refs for blowing this game. The Jays did that to themselves by pissing a 7 point lead away in the final minutes.
To those who say Nate Funk shouldn't have been the one taking the last shot, because he fails to make the majority of the game winning shots he takes, get your arms around these stats (courtesy of a poster on the Bluejay Cafe, vjay):
On shots to win the game on the final possession (meaning the clock hits zero, or their is .3 or less left on the clock with .3 being significant because you technically cannot get off another shot -- other than a tip-in, or no other shots are attempted by the trailing team before the game ends), here are career numbers for some names you'll recognize:
Michael Jordan: 21-122 (17.2%)
Larry Bird: 18-73 (24.7%)
Magic Johnson: 26-109 (23.9%)
On to more current players:
Dwayne Wade: 6-31 (19.3%)
Gilbert Arenas: 7-41 (17.1%) -- by the way, he is 3-7 this season.
Tracy McGrady: 5-29 (17.2%)
Nate Funk: 3-8 (37.5%)
Am I comparing Nate to any of these NBA greats -- No.
And I also realize that I am comparing NBA players to a college athlete, however, the point being that last second shots are made very infrequently.
Why is it such a big deal to see a buzzer beater on SportsCenter or any other highlight show for that matter?? Because THEY ARE RARE and deserve the unique attention they get.
Since the start of the 1996-97 season (both NBA and NCAA Div. I):
NBA players have made 17% of such shots, while NCAA Div. I players have made 14% of such shots.
Between NCAA Div. I and NBA players yesterday alone, they combined to go 2-21 (9.5%) in such situations.
Hmm. Interesting, isn't it? Personally, I admire a player with the guts to take the last shot for that very reason -- even the all-time greats fail 3/4 of the time on those shots, but fans still gripe when they miss even one. Get 'em next time, Nate.
***
In the big picture, the Jays are 6-3 at the midpoint of an increasingly brutal Valley slate, own road wins over first place Northern Iowa and an improved Evansville squad, and are in excellent position to finish in the top-third of the conference. Their 3 losses are by a combined 7 points. So don't get too down. If I was a betting man, I'd wager a decent amount that this loss defines the season -- and leads the Jays to come out swinging like Dwight Schrute at a Pinata through the second half of the conference season.
You bet.
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