by Mikal J. Harris

DE Campus Life Editor

Although they put the Chicago Bulls through a grueling overtime on the way to becoming the No. 12 Division II team in the nation, Rolling Saluki team members always have had their sights set on a national title.

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This SIUC team never has been closer to winning the National Wheelchair Basketball Association championship, and team co-captain Dave Williams said a victory Saturday will be the first step in reaching that goal.

I said this last year, but I think we can win it all, he said. We’ve finally got the one thing we’ve been missing.

The 15-8 Salukis are gearing up for the NWBA sectional tournament Saturday at the Recreation Center, where they will face the winner of the matchup between the Tulsa Rollin’ Roustabouts (15-9) and the Queen City (Cincinnati) Slammers (11-7).

New recruit James Gouch, a freshman in special education from Detroit, may have been the missing link between the Salukis and their past championship dreams. Gouch pulls in a nine rebounds per game and also is the team’s leading scorer with 19 points per game. Past Rolling Saluki teams have suffered from the lack of a big man inside the paint, but Gouch is confident he can help chase away the Salukis’ past demons.

If we work hard and play as a team we can do it, he said. I’ve been told that I have to grab those extra rebounds and that’s what I’ve been trying to do to help.

The NWBA, founded in 1948, is composed of 181 men’s, women’s, intercollegiate and youth teams within 22 conferences across the nation. The Rolling Salukis are the No.1 seed in this weekend’s sectional tournament and have never advanced from the sectionals to the regional tournament.

The team, which was ranked 23rd in the nation among Division II teams last year, struggled with the loss of their former co-captain Rich Swanson at midseason. This loss of a veteran player could have blurred the Salukis’ championship focus, but Williams said the team had to carry on in spite of the turn of events.

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Rich was our fourth leading scorer, and he left school for personal reasons, he said. It hurt us, but it’s obvious that we’ve adjusted quite well.

The Salukis placed second in the Saluki Invitational Tournament in November, losing only to the Division I Cleveland Cavaliers team. In that same tournament, the Salukis beat No. 5 Lakeshore, from Birmingham, Ala., and twice were victorious over the Rockford Chariots, ranked 19th in the country.

In a recent tournament in Rockford, Gouch and fellow team member Earl Jordan made the all-tournament team. Gouch also was named MVP of the tournament.

When the Salukis played the No. 1 Division I team in the country, the Chicago Bulls, they lost by only three points in that overtime matchup.

Williams, team MVP last year, said the team’s recent accomplishments led one prominent wheelchair basketball coach, who coached Canada’s wheelchair basketball team in the Olympics, to make a remarkable observation.

He said he’d seen every Division II team in America, and the Rolling Salukis are the most talented team, Williams said. We just need to put together 40 minutes of basketball.

As the sectional playoffs this weekend loom, playing his heart out for an entire game will be foremost in Williams’ mind as the Rolling Salukis take the court.

I think we’re a little edgy, Williams said, but we’re more confident this year.

Factoid:The Rolling Salukis will play the winner of the Tulsa-Queen City matchup 6 p.m. Saturday on court No. 3 at the Recreation Center. There is no admission charge.