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Matthew McConkey

Daily Egyptian


On crutches because he injured his ankle last week, Brandon James entered the doors of 710 Bookstore Monday afternoon with one purpose in mind. He needed to buy an SIU men's basketball Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champion T-shirt.

"For them to go 3-5 in February, then make a run at the tourney was just amazing," said James, who was already wearing the team's regular season championship shirt from last season.

The junior studying marketing from Wheaton is just one of the many people around southern Illinois buzzing about the Salukis after their conference tournament title on Sunday.

After dropping Bradley 59-46 Sunday in the Valley title game, the Salukis captured its first tourney championship since 1995. A team that appeared to be a dud for the NCAA Tournament a week ago has become a squad that has captured the attention of many.

Tom Weber, director of media services for SIU athletics, said about 25 to 30 radio producers from Chicago to San Antonio have called him in the last day, hoping to schedule an interview with head coach Chris Lowery.  

  Weber said Lowery is recruiting for the next two days but has been featured on many of the radio stations across the Midwest.

Many fans and media criticized the Salukis heading into the MVC tournament. SIU had lost three of its last five games in the month of February, including one embarrassing defeat against Evansville. The team was tired, but managed to squeeze into a two-seed in the tournament after beating Northern Iowa for its last regular season game.

"I didn't even know if we were going to get in (the NCAA tournament)," James said. "I knew we had to win the tourney."

And win it the Salukis did.

SIU blew past Evansville, narrowly escaped the Panthers and beat down the Braves to win an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

"I thought they would have trouble stringing three wins together," said Dave Mulholland, who was also at the store purchasing Salukis' apparel. "I'm glad they proved me wrong."

Leah Perschbacher, marketing director for 710 Bookstore said they already had ideas in mind for shirts if the Salukis won the tournament. As soon as they did, the presses started rattling off the shirts.

She said they had about 70 shirts on the racks at 8 a.m. and by 1:30 p.m. there were only about 20 left.

"The T-shirts are going like crazy," Perschbacker said.