The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Waiting to walk

It's been a week now and Jaron Mercier is still waiting - waiting to hear if he earned a spot on the SIU men's basketball team with his performance at tryouts Oct. 20.

The 22-year-old sophomore from Chicago's southeast side fell asleep around 10:30 the night before, but was awakened several times throughout the night by an incessant fear that his alarm clock had somehow failed him.

"I was anxious and ready to go," Mercier said.

Mercier was relieved of his worries when, at 5:20 a.m., his alarm clock reminded him of the morning that was ahead.

Preferring the nourishment and lightness of fruit to a heavy breakfast, Mercier snacked on a pineapple and apple before climbing into his '96 Ford Taurus.

There was a mist in the cool air that Wednesday, and though the sun had not yet overtaken the early darkness, the sky had already been modestly illuminated by a collection of streetlights.

Mercier would be one of about 50 students to make the journey to the SIU Arena for an hour-long competition and a chance to convince head coach Chris Lowery that they were the best suited to fill the Salukis' final roster spot.

The Vets

Mercier is not the first student to try his luck at becoming the next Saluki walk-on, and he won't be the last.

SIU has picked up four players - David Carney, Leonard Hughes and most recently Austin Brooks and C. J. Smith - in recent years.

Carney played three years of varsity basketball at Tell City High School and was named All-Southwestern Conference his last two seasons and joined the Salukis before the 1998-1999 season.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Tell City, Ind., native played just 82 minutes his entire Saluki career but was one of the Dawg Pound's favorite players.

Hughes played with Illinois prep standout and Portland Trailblazer Darius Miles at East St.

Louis High School, and tried out three times before making the team before the 2002-2003 season.

Brooks and Smith walked on before last season, but Brooks is no longer with the team. Smith, a sophomore from Chicago, received All-Catholic League honors after averaging 17 points and four assists a game in his senior season at Gordon Tech.

But not even one of Chicago's toughest conferences could prepare Smith for the next level - collegiate basketball.

"It's a whole different level," Smith said. "You gotta get your mind right."

In addition to learning SIU's offensive and defensive systems, Smith had to adapt to being a practice player and the Salukis' physical, blue-collar style of basketball.

"I would come to my dorm after practice and be hurting," Smith said. "Learning the plays and certain cuts you have to make and how to read defenses, it was really tough for me."

The transition to the college game is one most players initially struggle with, whether they were the best player on their high school team or a role player.

Senior guard Darren Brooks, who took home both the conference player of the year and defensive player of the year awards, was redshirted in 2000-2001 and had to adjust to the level of intensity in the college game.

"You're not used to playing hard for that long a period of time," Brooks said. "You have to play hard the whole time you're out there, where in high school you could take breaks.

"But in college, every person out there was a star in high school, so you can't take plays off."

Smith went head to head with Brooks, Stetson Hairston, Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young - the Salukis' guards who are just as strong as they are quick.

Smith held his own ground for the most part, but had his share of problems in certain areas.

"As far as getting rebounds and being physical with him, that was probably the difference," Brooks said.

Smith was outweighed by every Saluki guard not named Tatum, but added 10 pounds of muscle over the summer through four-day-a-week workouts with SIU strength coach Eric Klein.

The workouts consisted of timed three-mile runs and concluded with two hours of weightlifting.

The summer regimen added up to a lot more resistance from Smith to his counterparts' physicality in practice this season.

"You can see his strength more in his play," Brooks said. "He's starting to get more physical with us."

With an already loaded backcourt, Smith isn't sure if a year under his belt, and improved strength and knowledge will result in playing time but he's prepared for whatever comes his way.

"It's a possibility," Smith said. "I'm not going to count it out, but if not, then I'm cool with my role. When the time comes I'll be ready for it."

The Newcomer

For Kyle Smithpeters it was the perfect fit.

An opportunity to play for a team that has won the eighth-most games in college basketball since the 2001-2002 season - only Pittsburgh, Duke, Connecticut, Kansas, Gonzaga, Kentucky and Xavier have won more - was one Smithpeters couldn't pass up.

The junior college transfer's decision was made even easier by the fact that he is just 38 miles from his hometown of Harrisburg, and in coming to SIU he would reunite with former Southeastern Illinois teammate and Saluki senior forward LaMar Owen.

And in the few conversations the two had about Smithpeters' future, Owen wasn't bashful in selling the Saluki program.

"He just told me how much he enjoyed it, the program and the coaching staff," Smithpeters said.

While being just around the corner from Harrisburg as well as Owen's endorsement, Smithpeters' was sold on SIU by its basketball tradition.

And last summer, the All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference guard arrived in Carbondale to begin the first chapter of his new life as the Salukis' latest addition.

Mercier Still Waiting

It's been a week now, and Mercier is still waiting.

He's waiting for the phone to ring and hear the words "you've made the team" escape Lowery's mouth on the other end.

This was not the first time the 6-foot-6, 190 pound Mercier attempted to join the Saluki basketball family.

In 2000, fresh out of Chicago's Hyde Park High School, Mercier took a crack at impressing then head coach Bruce Weber.

Weber, who parted ways with SIU to take the reigns of the Illinois basketball program in 2003, comprised his workouts with ball handling drills and full-court scrimmages.

"My first year my hopes were high," Mercier said. "But this year it was just like, I'm going to be prepared and if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen."

It didn't happen for Mercier four years ago and he ended up leaving SIU for two years when he was denied financial aid.

Mercier returned to school in July and transformed the Recreation Center into his own personal training ground, working on his ball handling, shooting and strength.

"I always had a nice little shot," Mercier said. "I'm real energetic. I just wanted to increase my handles."

Mercier had prepared for tryouts much better this time around was ready for whatever Lowery had in store.

The possibility of a walk-on receiving a minute, or even a second, of playing time is small, and basically helps players who get significant minutes improve in practice.

"I felt like if I can get on, just get my foot in the door, then I'll make my own opportunities despite of how good those people are, and if I didn't, then I would at least learn from them," Mercier said.

But it's been a week and the chances of the fateful phone call shrink with every passing minute.

If in fact Mercier doesn't make the team, he will be found back in the Recreation Center pushing himself even further to pursue his goal once more next year. "I'm never going to say never but I don't know," Mercier said.