7. Southern Illinois Salukis
Head coach Scott Nagy has accumulated a .625 winning percentage over 17 seasons as a Division 1 coach. Finishing 14-19 last year is simply not acceptable to the highly competitive, but down-to-earth coach. As a three-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, we know he is a proven winner.
While his offseason wasn’t as busy as his first season with SIU, he has made some notable roster additions. The Salukis return five players that appeared in at least 27 games last year and redshirt who knows the SIU ways.
While none of the returners were explosive scorers, Drew Steffe, Damien Mayo each logged over twenty-minutes per game, and Davion Sykes, Rolyns Aligbe and Jorge Moreno all played valuable roles, gaining great experience.
Steffe played in all 33 games last season and gained a starting role for the final 19 of the campaign. His 6.3 point scoring average and 2.3 assists per game lead all returners. The 6’5 sophomore converted 38 percent of the time from long range, hitting 43 triples.
Mayo is the ‘jack of all-trades’. He can guard every position except the post, averaged five points, three boards and two assists. After starting his career at Missouri State, the 6’3 senior has played in 91 games for MVC schools, starting 62.
Aligbe and Moreno are big men that can rebound and defend.
Sykes and redshirt freshman Jaheem Webber are intriguing returners. The 6’6 Sykes can be an electrifying dunker and Webber is a 6’10, three-star prospect from Normal, Illinois.
As noted above, the Valley is getting bigger. Nagy added seven-foot Saint Louis transfer Max Pikaar who was stuck behind SLU’s Robbie Avila and Aligbe’s brother Prince, a 6’7 forward from Seton Hall. The elder Aligbe played two seasons at Boston College can score (7.8 ppg) and is a defensive stopper.
Three incoming guards could be the key to the season. Valparaiso transfer Isaiah Stafford sat out last season with a knee injury. During the 2023-24 season, he averaged nearly 17 points for the Beacons.
Quel’Ron House started 22 games for Jacksonville State, averaging over eight points-per-game and three assists per contest. Junior college transfer Caden Hawkins comes from nearby John A. Logan College and is a lethal shooter in the form of his Saluki, hall-of-fame father Shane Hawkins.
Three, three-star freshmen, Luke Walsh, Jalen Haynes and Daniel Pauliukonis seem ready to contribute.
Nagy has a strong nucleus and numerous talented newcomers. Expect Nagy to put together another winning season.