Southern Illinois Basketball: 2021-22 season preview for the Salukis
No. 1 – Marcus Domask
Marcus Domask was the Valley’s 2020 Freshman of the Year. He averaged 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds while accumulating high shooting percentages in all three levels. His versatility, overall play, and dogged competitiveness made SIU the Valley’s surprise team of 2019-20.
Domask reminds some SIU fans of former Saluki Kent Williams. Both under-recruited coming out of high school. Williams is the school’s second all-time leading scorer and was a part of those famous ‘Floor Burn U’ teams of the mid-2000s.
He reminds me of a shorter Doug McDermott. The former Creighton star was adept at knowing where to be on the floor, how to use screeners to perfection, and did all the little things that made his team better and his personal numbers skyrocket. Domask is that same kind of player.
Following that break-out freshman season, Domask was off to a great start last year. He was scoring (16.3), rebounding (4.5), and delivering (3.2 assists per game) and the team was 7-and-3 when he went down with a season-ending injury. The team never fully recovered and Domask spent much of the season in a walking boot.
His return changes SIU’s team dramatically.