Oh, Missy You Tease

Well, I'm hooked. All signs point to a new recruit coming in, but who knows what it could be.

Pat Summitt or Geno Auriema as an assistant? Candace Parker forgoing the WNBA for one more year of eligibility at Southern Illinois?

Too bad former coach Dana Eikenberg isn't on Twitter. It seems like she has fallen off the face of the earth since Mario Moccia announced her resignation once upon an April afternoon.

(via @SIUCoachTiber)

Wags Doing Work?

Photo Courtesy of Edyta B

Todd Hefferman of The Southern Illinoisan tweets that Saluki softball star Katie Wagner will be coming back to Southern Illinois University next year.

This time, it will be as a basketball player under the direction of new head coach Missy Tiber.

Wagner handled the hot corner with ease in her four years at SIU, but now I'm intrigued to see how she will handle the rock. The fact that she comes from a hoops crazy community such as Mount Vernon, I'm gonna go out and say that she can hold her own on the hardwood.

Saluki Women's Basketball: Change Is Here

If there is one thing SIU AD Mario Moccia seems to know, it is change.

When Jerry Kill left McAndrew Stadium and the Saluki football team for the greener pastures of Northern Illinois, Moccia and his Dream Team committee went out and found Dale Lennon.

Gone was the run, run, run some more offense. In came the term "modified spread." Lennon replaced Kill's hard hat (and lunch pail for that matter) with a visor.

So, when SIU women's basketball coach Dana Eikenberg announced her resignation on April 2, should we have expected anything other than the unexpected? Hot names bantied about included Cindy Stein of Mizzou, Kathi Bennett of Wisconsin, Jennifer Roos of Bowling Green and Greg Franklin of Mississippi State. And yet, none of them stood at a podium in Lingle Hall and introduced themself as the new women's basketball coach.

(An aside: OK, southern Illinoisans, I get it. You love Greg Franklin. He's local and you love local. Gotcha. But there's no need to bring down a coach hours into her regime just because she's not "one of us.")

Instead, it was Missy Tiber of Tusculum College, a Division II school in Grenneville, Tenn., a town I couldn't find even if I plugged it into my GPS.

So, what does Tiber bring to the table? Here's a quick rundown:

• An up-tempo offense that averaged 84 points per game last season. That's 24 more points than the Salukis averaged last year. (There's your big change folks, scoring. Remember my saying: You can't win if you don't score!)
• A recruiting map that spans the southeast. (Insert SECspeed reference here.)
• An open-door policy with the media. (As she told The Southern: "I'm not going to make my kids live in a box.")

A fresh face and a new system will likely do wonders for a team that is one year removed from a mass exodus and two years removed from a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.

Missy Tiber tabbed as new Saluki women's basketball coach [Daily Egyptian]
Let's see what you got, Missy [Daily Egyptian]

Change Is Coming To Saluki Basketball

Change is coming to the SIU women's basketball team

This is where your favorite sports editor needs a budget increase. Remember when that Memphis news station staked out a camera outside of John Calipari's office? Well, surely you remember the pretty blonde placed in front of the door that I immediately fell in love with. Either way, the SIU athletic department has called for a 2:30 p.m. CT press conference to introduce its new women's basketball head coach.

This comes 22 days after AD Mario Moccia announced the resignation of Dana Eikenberg, whose regime saw the high of highs (MVC championship in 2007) and the low of lows (mass exodus and alleged verbal abuse). Moccia employed the services of John Nicklow (intercollegiate athletic committee chairman), Dr. Harold Bardo (faculty athletic representative), Greg Cook (local businessman/big-time athletic donor) and Kerri Blaylock (all-world SIU softball head coach) to find the best candidate. This is the same committee that helped find and hire Dale Lennon.

And that worked out very well for SIU.

As for who the coach is? No leads yet. Any guesses? Leave 'em in the comments.

Dana Eikenberg resigns as Saluki women's basketball coach [Daily Egyptian]
Moccia: More than 100 applicants for Eikenberg's vacated post [Daily Egyptian]
Bardo, Blaylock discuss Saluki coaching search [Daily Egyptian]
DE Sports Blog: WBB head coach search officially underway [siuDE.com]

Photo Credit: Colorado Independent

Report: Wisconsin's Bennett Interviews For SIU WBB Head Coach Vacancy

When SIU AD Mario Moccia announced Dana Eikenberg's resignation, Moccia outlined a list of 12 to 13 things he was looking for in the team's next head coach and that he had hoped to find it in a three week time span.

We are now entering Week 3, and we now have an interviewee thanks to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

"Assistant coach Kathi Bennett, generally credited with bolstering the defense of the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team in her first season on the staff, has interviewed for the head-coaching vacancy at Southern Illinois University."

A simple Google search helped me find the following info on Bennett:

• She is the daughter of former Wisconsin men's head basketball coach Dick Bennett, whose teams were known for their stifling defense.
• Bennett has head coaching experience, leading Indiana University to a 72-74 record, ending after the 2004-05 season. She has an overall head coaching record of 296-178.
  
• At UW-Oshkosh (a D-III school), Bennett won a national championship in 1996.

SIU wrapped up its application process Monday and will look through approximately 130 applications.

That's quite a task, but Moccia is no stranger to finding the right fit. He landed Dale Lennon, who led the Saluki football team to a 9-3 record and a Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. Moccia also nabbed Audra Nothwehr, who led the Saluki women's tennis team to a No. 3 seed in the upcoming Valley conference tourney.

Yes, tennis (one of the first beats I covered) is legit.

So as the process begins trust Moccia (and his committee) to do their due dilligence in finding the right candidate. As complex as this process seems (and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you the reader who might not understand the situation as well as someone who has talked to Moccia on a weekly basis all year long) it's a good thing.

The last thing this administration wants to do is botch this hiring ... or worse ... make the wrong hire.

Patience is a virtue. In Moccia We Trust.

Bennett interviews for women's head coach job at SIU [JS Online]

Storyline on the hush

I have a feeling when a certain TBDS staff member reads this post, he will cringe and then strangle me virtually.

Oh well.

We're gonna have ourselves a nice double-header today at the SIU Arena as long as the weather holds up.

The SIU women's team is hosting Wichita State at 5:30 p.m. The Shockers are coached by Jody Adams, who was the Salukis' associate head coach when the team went 21-11 en route to a Missouri Valley Conference championship.

Adams left after that season and was the head coach that sparked Murray State to a 24-8 record. Back in Carbondale, SIU slumped to 10-20 as head coach Dana Eikenberg battled player defections and accusations of verbal abuse in what was a total 180 turnaround from the season before.

Now, Adams is back in the Valley and will be on the other side of the court leading the Shox against her former boss.

Awkward.

Daily Dosage: Mourning Wood

Yeah, I'm still on my Kerry Wood post-mortem trip. Can you blame me?

The guy's arm was killed by Ed Lynch and Jim Riggleman. Brought back to life under Don Baylor. And then almost massacred at the hands of Dusty Baker.

He deserved better. I guess it will be OK in the end because like ex-Cubs who were scorned in the past (Maddux, Grace) I feel as if Wood will win a World Series ring before the Cubs do.

It makes sense. That's how it always happens.

Oh yeah, and Chickipedia presents Denise Richards.

Happy Friday!

Bulls blow by Mavs. The Chicago Bulls overcame a 19-point first quarter deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks, 98-91.

In the "I told you so" moment of the week, Bulls guard Ben Gordon scored 35 points and rookie guard Derrick Rose notche 16 points, 6 assists and 9 rebounds as the Chicago backcourt had an excellent go of things against the Mavs.

Dallas was led by Josh Howard, who notched a double-double by scoring 21 points and pulling down 11 boards.

Chicago 98 Dallas 91

SIU faces SDSU in MVFC alphabet soup showdown. Ryan Berry and South Dakota State University may have flown under most people's radars with a 4-loss record ... but not Dale Lennon's.

Lennon and the No. 9 Salukis have prepared for stud-QBs high-powered passing attack all week. SIU has so much to play for. Its seniors. Its playoff spot. Its playoff rnaking. And most importantly, a possible share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship.

I'd be completely shocked if SIU didn't come out with both guns blazing.

Salukis bring 'playoff mentality' to SDSU game [Daily Egyptian]
Seniors take lead in playoff hunt [Daily Egyptian]

Where's yours truly gonna be tonight? You can catch me at the SIU Arena at 7 p.m. where I'll be covering the SIU women's basketball team's regular season opener against Saint Louis University.

You can get a +1 rating if you can tell me what a Billiken is.

Check out the Saluki Orphan's preview on siuDE.com.

And yes, I'll be tweeting.

Quality Linkage:

• Hot chicks and country music. [My Chill Pill]
• The budding rivalry between the Celts and Hawks. [Atlanta Magazine]
• 10 reasons UNC will fall short in March. [Amphibious Sports Duo]
• Jesse McCartney to perform on Thanksgiving. And still, the Lions will be the biggest losers. [NFL.com Blogs]
• The NFL cares about its fans, lowers playoff ticket prices. [NFL Fanhouse]
  

Women's basketball takes center stage

One night after the SIU men's basketball team opened its exhibition season against Missouri Southern, the women's squad will take its first crack at the new season as it hosts Christian Brothers.

While it seems like a mismatch on paper - you know, an entire basketball team facing only two brothers - I wouldn't look at it that way.

CB features former SIU stand-out freshman Tanaeya Worden, who was one the many Salukis who left after last year's debacle of a season.

But don't fret Saluki fans, the reinforcements are here and we'll find out soon whether they're up to par or not.

Head coach Dana Eikenberg seems excited about this group, led by seniors Jasmine Gibson and Erica Smith.

With the right "bus drivers" in place, SIU could come close to repeating the kind of success it did when it won the Missouri Valley Conference title a few years ago.

Maybe they won't have that many wins or a conference regular season title, but they could (and should?) be competitive.

And sometimes, that's all I want out of my teams.

Daily Dosage: Opening blows for Rose

Today's eye candy is Kate Hudson, courtesy of the SalukiOrphan.

Not a bad call.

I'm trying to get some things done in the office and in the classroom right now, so today's Dosage will be brief and hopefully painless.

Bulls win, Rose shows flashes. Rookie point guard Derrick Rose scored 11 points and dished 9 dimes (assists for those of you who aren't up with the lingo) in his NBA regular season debut as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95.

Rose had plenty of help from his friends as five other Bulls scored in double figures including Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon.

The biggest surprise might have been moving Hinrich, who was recently named one of the team's captains, to the bench. The move will not only give size to the backcourt (with Thabo Sefolosha starting) it will also it gives the Bulls two starting guards in its second unit with Hinrich and Gordon.

It's only one game, but if the Bulls can keep it up, then the sky will truly be the limit for this ballclub, who gave Vinny Del Negro his first NBA win.

[Bulls 108 Bucks 95]

Who's No. 2? The SIU men's basketball team was tabbed to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference Tuesday at the conference's Media Day in St. Louis.

The Salukis, who picked up two first place votes, will be led by preseason all-conference selection Bryan Mullins and a slew of newcomers.

Despite the offseason departures of Joshua Bone and Brandon Wood, SIU has reloaded with the additions of Justin Bocot, Ryan Hare, Anthony Booker, Torres Roundtree and Kevin Dillard.

Creighton was picked to finish first as it returns seven players that played double-figure minutes for the Bluejays, including Freshman and Newcomer of the Year P'Allen Stinnett.

SIU tabbed second in poll, Mullins grabs MVC honors [Daily Egyptian]

Nowhere to go but up. One year removed from an MVC title, the SIU women's basketball team was pegged to finish ninth in the preseason poll.

The Salukis return only four players from last year's team and will bring nine new players to the hardwood of the SIU Arena.

Two of its returnees are starters Erica Smith and Jasmine Gibson. Smith is a defensive force who led the team in rebounding (6.8 average) and steals (54). Gibson, who only played 19 games because of an injury, is the Salukis' best scoring threat. She averaged a little more than 14 points per game, highlighted by a 31-point effort against Chicago State.

With a batch of fresh faces, SIU should be fun to watch if only to see the kind of competitors coach Dana Eikenberg has brought in.

Women picked ninth in MVC poll [Daily Egyptian]

One-liner: Want my take on Media Day? Check out another one of my media presences. [Gus Bode's Blog]

Quality Linkage:

• "They like him better when he's drugged up." You know, that's what the girls say about me. [Buffalo News]
• Nets moving to Brooklyn? Pfft. How about Moscow? [Yahoo! Sports]
• In search of some fantasy studs down the stretch? [The Hazean]
• Headline: NASCAR legend endorses Obama. I love when sports and politics mix and the result doesn't involve Sammy Sosa forgetting how to speak English. [From The Marbles]
• Angry North Carolina fans as depicted by a one-liner. [The Big Lead]