Bubble Watch: Southern Illinois Salukis

They were long left for dead. Expected to be one of the pantheon of the mid-majors. The Salukis were one of the disappointments of the first few months of this season. But when a struggling team gets the duke vs. a highly regarded opponent, the momentum can switch in the blink of an eye.

Now? The Salukis are back in the conversation. But how far can they really go?

Southern Illinois Salukis (17-12, 11-6)
RPI: 40
SOS: 11
vs. Top 25: 1-3
vs. Top 50: 3-5
Quality Wins: Mississippi State, St. Mary’s, Drake, Creighton, Western Kentucky
Bad Losses: @ St. Louis, @ Western Michigan, @ Missouri State, @ Northern Iowa

The resume of a schizophrenic team. The non-conference schedule was rather tough and they got wounded because of it. As you can see, this is a team that has handled the cream of the mid-major crop (only an A.J. Graves buzzer beater was able to save Butler from being just another victim.) But they got handled by several teams that had no business giving them the business.

Remaining Games: Illinois State

A win here only helps. Illinois State has an RPI of 42. The game is at home. If they can win here, they would not need an MVC Tournament Championship to feel safe. If not? They will not be in as an at-large team.

Final Judgements
Record: 20-13, 14-7, Out in MVC Finals
Last 10 Games: 9-3

Are they In? If they hit my projection, absolutely. They will have five wins deemed quality in their last 12.