When looking down at the bench, fans will quickly be able to tell that the SIU men’s basketball team is nearly unrecognizable from last season.
Following a first round exit in the conference tournament last year, former head coach Bryan Mullins was shown the door, which prompted most of his players to put their names in the transfer portal. When combined with graduating players, 11 of last year’s 14 members were gone.
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The only three players that remain from the previous squad are 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Third Team All-Conference guard Kennard Davis, graduate student Jarrett Hensley and sophomore guard Sheridan Sharp, who was injured for much of the 2023-24 season.
Even though they are here now, it wasn’t always a given. Like many of their teammates, Davis and Hensley both put their names in the transfer portal, but ultimately they decided to remain at SIU and are excited to be back.
“It feels awesome (to return),” Hensley said.
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One of the reasons they are still here has to do with the man who was brought in to replace Mullins: Scott Nagy. During a busy offseason that involved filling out both an entire roster and a coaching staff, Nagy convinced both to remain at SIU and got them to buy into what he is trying to put together, which he attests was no easy feat.
“They’re not easy (conversations) because, with the environment of college basketball today, it’s really easy to transfer,” Nagy said. “With the three guys we got to return, we know that they’re bought in, we know they want to be here, they like it here at SIU.”
But the decision of whether or not to transfer stretched beyond the hardwood. According to Hensley, there were also advantages to staying when it comes to the classroom.
Hensley said, “On the academic side, I can get my master’s. That was also a big part of why I wanted to come back.”
Unlike those two, Sharp had no intentions of leaving SIU. He never entered the transfer portal and placed his faith in the system Nagy was bringing in.
“I like the program. I like the fanbase, it felt like home,” Sharp said. “I felt like the best decision for me would be to stay and give Coach Nagy a try.”
Basketball is a sport where teams need chemistry to achieve success. With all the new additions to the team, new bonds needed to be formed in order to build a cohesive unit. This led to a notable amount of the offseason being spent doing team bonding activities.While several of those activities were team-organized, the players also took it upon themselves to work on their relationships and deepen the ties between them and their teammates.
“I like to take them out, sometimes we go to Buffalo Wild Wings and stuff like that,” Sharp said.
Because moving to a new city and a new school can be daunting, several of the returning players also made an effort to help their new teammates get comfortable in Carbondale and at SIU. Nagy attests has been a big help for them in their transition into the Saluki program.
With the Missouri Valley being one of the tougher conferences in the nation, it has also been crucial for the new players to learn what it’s like to compete in that competitive of an environment based off of the knowledge and experience of the returning players. Hensley said that the three of them have made a point to prepare them for the season with their input.
The Salukis will play their first home game of the season on Nov. 8 against Missouri S&T, and the returning players have done their best to tell the new players what the experience of playing in the Banterra Center and in front of the southern Illinois fans is like.
“We’ve been telling them what to expect,” Hensley said. “We have an amazing fanbase and amazing support at our home games.”
Sports Reporter Nick Pfannkuche can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook and X @dailyegyptian.
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