NCAA Previews: Recognize the Southern Illinois Salukis

Conference: Missouri Valley
Record: 27-6 (15-3)
RPI: 6. Yes, 6.
How They Got In: An at-large bid after losing in the conference tournament finals to Creighton.
Mascot. The Saluki, which would be one of the oddest and most unique in the land, if the Salukis weren't so ubiquitous in the tournament. It is, of course, an Egyptian hunting dog with an exceptionally long snout. If I had a snout like that, you wouldn't believe the coke problem I'd have.

Big Wins: Beat Virginia Tech in an early-season tournament on a neutral floor. Big in-conference wins include Missouri State, Creighton, and Bradley, and they beat Butler on the road just a couple of weeks ago.

Notable Losses: Lost early to Arkansas, and then the big one in the finals of the MVC tournament to Creighton, Bradley, and Northern Iowa.

Player You Should Know: Probably Jamaal Tatum, but it would be a disservice to the Salukis to mention just one guy. Tatum's great, but Southern Illinois wins by running an intricate offensive system and sweating you like crazy on defense.

Outlook: Southern Illinois wins by playing smart, energetic basketball. Teams that will give them trouble are teams that attack in a similar way (like Creighton, and WVU in last year's tournament). If they end up playing a highly-seeded team somewhere down the line that relies too much on their athleticism and ability to win one-on-one battles, Southern Illinois can take them down.