The Salukis’ roster for the upcoming season will not only feature new players but also new attitudes that Head Coach Barry Hinson has instilled in his team.

After a 14-17 finish overall and a 5-12 conference record last season, the Salukis added many new faces to try and right the ship of last year’s team.

Senior forward Bronson Verhines is one new face. The Woodlawn native and his brother, junior guard Dawson Verhines, won the national championship at Rend Lake College last season.

“I’ve grown up watching SIU. I’ve grown up in the SIU vicinity, so just to be able to have the opportunity to play here even though I only have a year I mean it’s cliché but it’s a dream come true,” Bronson Verhines said.

Hinson brought up the use of a hybrid player during the press conference. Freshman guard Sean O’ Brien is 6 feet 6 inches tall and can handle the basketball.

O’Brien said he is looking for the opportunity to expand his game.

“I like it a lot. Playing the hybrid is nice. You can play multiple positions,” he said. “I just try to be as versatile as possible to help the team out.”

A key rule change to the upcoming season is the charge/block rule. Hinson said he spoke to an official last week who said not to be surprised if a point guard fouls out in the first half.

Senior guard Desmar Jackson said it’s all about how the game is supposed to be played.

“It’s all about decisions and knowing the rules and just knowing basketball,” he said.

The rule will be important for players around the basket to know when to attempt to draw a charge. Hinson said the game is about to change for the fans. It will be a European type of basketball with more scoring and more blocks, he said.

Senior forward Davante Drinkard said he isn’t too worried about the rule change.

“I’ve never really had problems fouling in the paint,” Drinkard said. “I’ve held my own with every big man I’ve ever guarded.”

Hinson said freshman forward Bola Olaniyan won’t have a problem in making his fouls count.

“Bola’s going to set the all-time fouls record at SIU,” Hinson said.

Hinson said his team had a lot of off-court problems last season, but this season has been completely different.

“We actually got to coach basketball,” he said. “Last year, we didn’t get to do that.”

After his success last season, Jackson has a lot of expectations coming into this season. Hinson said the team’s best player isn’t only about basketball skill.

“I expect your best player always has to be your hardest worker. He has to be a leader by example, whether it’s on the floor or off the floor,” Hinson said. “Desmar struggled with every one of those last year. With that being said, I think he’s improved in every one of those areas. He’s certainly done all that is expected of him.

Jackson was sixth in scoring last season in the Missouri Valley Conference with an average of 15.1 points per game.

Jackson said if the team puts in the effort, the rest would fall in place.

“(We need to) do better than last year, make sure we all concentrate on playing hard,” he said. “If we play hard, I feel like good things will come to us.”

Hinson said his team faces two challenges this season.

“Our biggest challenge right now, we have two challenges, the schedule we put together and all the new guys,” he said. “It’s a blender right now”

The schedule won’t be easy for the Salukis, especially with their first game of the season being on the road against the University of Missouri. They also face regional rivals in Murray State, Western Kentucky and Austin Peay.

Three-point shooting was another discussion topic for the upcoming season, and Hinson said the team has nowhere to go but up in that area.

“It can’t get worse. It’s impossible,” he said. “It absolutely cannot get worse. My wife could shoot better from the 3-point line than we did last year, and she is a horrible athlete.”

Hinson also wanted to emphasize the importance of the university’s Homecoming weekend. He said if schools such as Louisville, Kansas or Kentucky came into SIU Arena, it would sell out. It should be the same for football with North Dakota State coming in this weekend, he said.

“People should come up to the ticket gates and be told that the only seats left are on the berm,” he said. “I hope that’s what we are able to do.”

Tyler Dixon can be reached

at [email protected]

or 536-3311 ext. 269.