Salukis look to disprove preseason rankings

By Gus Bode

After ranking last in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, the Salukis look at the 2011-12 season with greater expectations.

Head coach Missy Tiber said she understands why the SIU women’s basketball team was picked to finish last in the MVC, but players have decided to forget the past and look toward the future.

Tiber said she wasn’t surprised about the team’s placement this season because of their 2009-11 rankings.

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Sophomore point guard Brooke LeMar drives past Christian Brothers University freshman guard Adrienne McKay Tuesday during the Salukis’ first exhibition game at the SIU Arena. The Salukis defeated the Buccaneers 82-52. Nathan Hoefert Daily Egyptian

“Where would you expect to be ranked?” Tiber said. “From a coach’s perspective … we will get where we want to get because we’re working really hard at it.”

The team was picked to finish 10th in the MVC in a preseason poll released Oct. 25, a season after it finished 2-28 overall and didn’t win any games in the conference. According to the Salukis athletic website, the team only earned 65 points in the MVC preseason poll. The poll rankings are a collective decision made by coaches throughout the conference, sports information directors and select media members.

While Tiber expects a different result than a last-place finish, some of the players shared the same viewpoint.

Junior guard Teri Oliver said the preseason poll rankings are used as inspiration to the Salukis to go out and play even better than the next team.

“Being ranked 10th in the conference, we know that no one respects us, and we know no one really is talking about us,” Oliver said. “We’re using it as motivation.”

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She said the players are not concerned about the criticism they received from the previous season, but their main objective is to look at this season in a different light than last.

“We aren’t too focused on what people outside of the team have to say,” Oliver said.  “We know what we want as a team. We know our goals and what we’re capable of doing.”

Sophomore center Cici Shannon said the preseason poll rank doesn’t worry her  because of the team’s new outlook on a better 2011-12 season.

“Nobody knows the talent we have brought in,” Shannon said. “It gives us a point to prove.”

With Missouri State picked to finish first in the MVC, the remaining teams fall in set protocol according to the preseason poll rankings: Northern Iowa, Wichita State, Creighton, Indiana State, Illinois, Illinois State, Drake, Bradley, Evansville and finally SIU.

Tiber said she has a fairly young team and it is her job, along with her coaching staff, to educate players more about the MVC and what to expect this year.

She said the players will continue to work hard, play hard, watch film and make each other better to reach their goal: Winning a championship.

Tiber said she is only focused on where the team will finish in March.

“I’m never big on where you are picked preseason,” Tiber said. “I believe that we are better than 10th in this league. I think we are now talent-wise getting close to where we need to be in order to be competitive in this league night in and night out.”

Brandon Willingham can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 269.

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