NCAA Tournament March Madness

#118 S Illinois

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Projection: likely out

Southern Illinois has built a resume that features a mix of ups and downs throughout the season with some key wins but also several missed opportunities that could have significantly boosted their case. The highlight win over Oklahoma State stands out, showing they can compete with solid programs. However, losses to higher-ranked conference rivals like Indiana State, Drake, and Bradley, especially late in the season, raise questions about their ability to deliver in crunch time. The defeat at the hands of Illinois Chicago in the conference tournament, a game that would have helped solidify their standing, particularly stings. The Salukis have shown they can hang with tough squads and pull off an upset, but their inconsistency against stronger teams is hard to overlook. They've also failed to take full advantage of their easier matchups, losing to lower-ranked teams like Valparaiso and Belmont.

Date Opponent Ranking Outcome
11/10Queens NC248W91-68
11/16Chicago St310W71-55
11/21(N)James Madison51L82-76
11/22(N)New Mexico St260W81-54
11/28@Indiana St32L77-48
12/2St Louis190W101-62
12/5Oklahoma St128W70-68
12/12Austin Peay203L70-68
12/16@Wichita St159L69-68
12/19N Dakota St279W76-63
12/22Southern Indiana340W81-50
12/30IL Chicago193W62-50
1/2Belmont113W73-63
1/6@Illinois St179W71-64
1/10@Valparaiso285W77-68
1/13Drake35L76-58
1/17Bradley69L70-69
1/20@Northern Iowa101L61-57
1/24Valparaiso285W75-69
1/27@Murray St158W60-58
1/31Missouri St134L76-75
2/3@IL Chicago193W74-71
2/7@Drake35L92-88
2/10Illinois St179W69-66
2/14@Belmont113L82-68
2/17Indiana St32W74-69
2/21Murray St158W72-68
2/25@Evansville184W65-53
2/28@Bradley69L86-67
3/3Northern Iowa101L82-70
3/7(N)IL Chicago193L84-82