Can the Dawgs make the grade?

Comment on this story on our discussion board

The SIU men's basketball team is just over the midway point of the Missouri Valley Conference season and sits tied with Creighton and Southwest Missouri State for first place with a 9-1 league mark.

Overall on the year the Salukis are 14-4 and are one of the hottest teams in the nation as they have won nine of their last ten games.

The following is a midseason report card on the nine players who make up the Salukis' current rotation.

Name: Kent Williams, senior guard

Grade: A

Williams' evaluation:

"I feel like I've done a pretty good job at point guard. I haven't been turning the ball over too much. I feel like I've done a pretty good job there.

The biggest thing, though, is my shooting percentage. I feel pretty good about it, especially my three-point percentage. I feel like I should maybe have a better percentage on two-point shots, but I think that's going to come and hopefully I'll finish strong on that.

I know there's a lot of room for improvement and I just got to step it up here these last 10 games."

Weber's evaluation:

"I think Kent has really given himself up for the team having to play point guard and be the safety on defense, get us into our offense, maybe pass up some shots. His defense is much better than it's been. He's done a better job on some different opponents, especially when he's focused, and he seems to do better when he's got a guy who is a challenge and he knows he's got to stop him. So I'm pleased with what he's done overall."

Bottom line:

Williams has sacrificed his chase for the SIU scoring record to give the Salukis quality play at the point guard position, a spot he had never played in college before this year. Despite his scoring numbers not being mind-boggling, his overall play is probably the best since he arrived in Carbondale.

Name: Jermaine Dearman, senior forward

Grade: B

Dearman's evaluation:

"I'm still striving to try to work on my weaknesses. I'm trying to be more consistent. I've heard that being thrown around a lot. I'm kind of getting sick and tired of it though. I'm trying to force myself to be more consistent so that people can kind of put that behind that behind me. I've been dealing with this 'Big Game Jermaine' thing a lot lately. I'm trying to deal with it where people feel like I can show up for a game that's not necessarily on TV, which I don't think about anyway."

Weber's evaluation:

"Just again it's the old inconsistency. Down the stretch he's got to do a better job of being consistent. My biggest gripe with him is the rebounds. He should be one of the leaders. Last year he competed for it and now we lose Rolan [Roberts] and you would think he'd have more rebounds, and I think his mindset is that he thinks he needs to score."

Bottom line:

Some nights Dearman is as dominant a player as there is in the MVC. On other nights, he is relegated to only being able to contribute by supporting his teammates and cheering from the bench. He needs to find a happy medium.

Name: Stetson Hairston, sophomore guard

Grade: B

Hairston's evaluation:

"I've just been consistent, defensively and offensively, on both ends. If I'm not being there some nights, if I'm not there on offense, be there at least on defense. If I'm not there on defense, at least be there on offense. I think that the best thing that I've given is consistency."

Weber's evaluation:

"I want him to become just more consistent. He had nine assists the other day, but five turnovers. I don't mind turnovers if he's creating action. That's fine because we need to push the ball and do things. I'd like him to get more focused on defense and rebounding, which is the things I thought he would give right from the start, and he's done it off and on."

Bottom line:

Hairston goes full speed at all times, and while he can use that to his advantage at times, it also gets him in trouble. He needs to slow down some and take better control of the ball as turnovers have plagued him this season.

Name: Darren Brooks, sophomore guard

Grade: A

Brooks' evaluation:

"I think lately I've been playing well. I got off to a slow start at the beginning of the season and I was upset at myself and I kind of played it off. I'm pretty happy about the way I've been playing lately."

Weber's evaluation:

"Maybe the most pleasant surprise, he's had some huge games. I don't like the big drop-off and I've talked to him about that. Like a lot of guys, if he doesn't get in the flow early, he seems to not get that emotional boost. He's really been much better on defense. He's at the top in steals, but he's guarding good people. He's doing a lot of good things for us."

Bottom line:

Brooks has been probably the biggest surprise of the season as he has gone from being a good bench player to a starter who can dominate the game on any given night. His quick hands and ability to grab crucial rebounds has made Brooks more than just a dangerous scorer.

Name: Sylvester Willis, junior center

Grade: E for effort

Willis' evaluation:

"I'm still working on my NBA range, my NBA three," Willis said jokingly.

"I've been shooting after practice working on my 25-footer, but other than that, I don't know. Everybody needs work. I still probably just got to settle down, work on my shot, making 17 and 15-footers. That's about it."

Weber's evaluation:

"He's kept a positive attitude, been our energy guy. It's human nature even though I tell him he's doing good, if you don't score baskets you just kind of question yourself and your confidence is gone, so I'm glad he got some buckets down and I'm hoping that he can continue to play with that kind of energy."

Bottom line:

While he isn't one who will rack up huge offensive numbers, 'Sly' is often the hardest working player on the court. His work ethic and enthusiastic energy is the main reason Weber kept Willis in the starting lineup even when he scored just two points over a four-game span.

Name: Brad Korn, junior forward Grade: B

Korn's evaluation:

"I haven't been probably as consistent as I would like, but that happens. No one can stay perfect the whole year, but I'd like to leave my focus at the point where we're at now, 9-1 in conference. In the first half if I could have done anything better I would have just shot more. I mean, my percentage is good and my shots are good, so I probably just would have shot more."

Weber's evaluation:

"He's made big strides since Christmas. I wish in the games where he's not making shots he still can give us stuff. He's smart and he also is good at getting information from the coaches. He is not the best defender, most athletic, but he gets in position. He takes things away from the teams and we can still use him as a valuable player. We've got to go more to him, especially when he gets hot and we've tried to do that as of late."

Bottom line:

Korn is still one of the better three-point shooters in the MVC, though he has appeared to be a little gun-shy at times this season. He has done a better job on defending other team's big men and rebounding although he could still improve in both areas.

Name: Josh Warren, sophomore center

Grade: B

Warren's evaluation:

"I haven't done anything really great, I mean I've had a couple of good games and everything, but nothing really stands out stat book-wise... right now [assistant coach Matt] Painter says I need to go back to do some more conditioning, so they put me on the stair master [Monday]."

Weber's evaluation:

"He had some big games a couple of weeks ago and his thing is to stay motivated without us yelling at him all the time. He seems to need to be kicked in the fanny to get going. We need him down the stretch. He can shoot the ball and he can score inside, he's a wide body, so he gives us a much different look than all the other big guys."

Bottom line:

At times Warren has looked spectacular and has flashed the potential to be a top post player in the league. At other times, he appears to be the Warren of years past and looked slow and sluggish out on the court.

Name: Bryan Turner, junior guard

Grade: A

Turner's evaluation:

"I think my strong point so far has been really getting after the guards, like the point guards that we've played against. The league is full of really good guards, so I think my strong point is pressuring the guards a lot, forcing them, not letting them get in a really good groove. That allows Stetson and Darren to pressure the ball and stuff like that."

Weber's evaluation:

"He's been the most pleasant surprise. He's energy, defense and attitude - all the things you don't think a junior college kid is going to give you. He maybe last week hit a little bit of a wall, struggled a little bit. We need him to kind of get rejuvenated and have a good stretch run."

Bottom line:

Turner has come in and played at a higher level than Weber expected for the junior college transfer. He has provided the starting guards with valuable rest during games without sacrificing the level of either offensive or defensive output on the court for the Salukis.

Name: Blake Schoen, freshman forward

Grade: C

Schoen's evaluation:

"For me coming from high school to playing here and the athletic ability and just the strength and picking out different reads on everything has probably been the biggest challenge for me. But my teammates have been patient with me and talked me through it and walked me through it, so I appreciate them for it."

Weber's evaluation:

"I told him the other day, the light's at the end of the tunnel. We're down to the last third of the season. It's going to be over in five weeks so just let loose and play.

"I told him he's got to learn and improve. He can't wait till next year to improve, improve now. Help us and then as we get into the summer, then he has to make a big step again."

Bottom line:

Schoen has provided an energetic spark off of the bench for the Salukis. Despite not being able to score a basket seemingly for weeks, Schoen still provided solid defense and has been able to lend a hand on the boards as well.

Reporter Jens Deju can be reached at jdeju@dailyegyptian.com