SIUC men’s basketball player Derrick Tilmon will be confronted with his ultimate test tonight when the power forward measures up against top competition at the Division I-A level.

Tilmon and his Saluki teammates open regular-season play against the University of Miami at 7 p.m. at the SIU Arena. The Hurricanes, picked in some pre-season polls to finish third in the Big East Conference, boast one of the nation’s most versatile forwards in Tim James.

James, a 6-foot-7 junior, averaged 14 points per game, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season for the Canes. He has been tabbed as a pre-season All-Big East pick this year.

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Tilmon, a junior college transfer from Hiwassee College where he averaged 13.2 points per game and 10 rebounds, has yet to play a regular-season game of Division I-A basketball.

But Tilmon is enthused about getting the early opportunity to compete with a player of James’ caliber.

No disrespect to him (James), but to me he’s just another basketball player, Tilmon said. I’ve just got to play position defense and try to make every shot he puts up to be tough, and make him work hard on defense.

Without Rashad Tucker, the Salukis’ returning leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago, the team will have to rely heavily on contribution from other players. Tucker has been declared ineligible because of his academic situation until the NCAA rules on his eligibility.

We’ll just have to go on without him, Herrin said. It’s kind of tough for us to prepare. We try to play Rashad some of the time (in practice) to get him ready to play because he’s definitely one of our better players. I don’t have much to say until the NCAA makes a ruling on it.

In Tucker’s absence, the SIUC starting lineup features Tilmon, Thunell and junior James Watts in the front court. Senior Shane Hawkins and junior Monte Jenkins make up the Saluki back court.

The interior defense of the Salukis was somewhat a question mark for Saluki coach Rich Herrin in Monday’s night exhibition 79-67 loss to the NBC Thunder. The Thunder’s inside tandem of Dave Wilson and Adam Leachman accounted for 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field.

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The physical style of play in the Big East, which features national powers such as Georgetown University, Syracuse University and the University of Connecticut, could be of some concern for the Salukis.

The exhibition was pitiful, sophomore forward Chris Thunell said. I know for sure the Big East is a lot more physical. The big thing for us will be rebounding because Miami can flat out rebound.

The Hurricanes can count on sophomore forward Mario Bland to complement James on the boards. The 6-feet-6, 265-pound Bland grabbed more than three rebounds per game in limited action last season.

Miami’s visit to the SIU Arena marks the first time that a Big East opponent has ventured to Carbondale. The Salukis have played Providence College and Syracuse University in recent years, but the matchups were on neutral sites in tournament play.

The Hurricanes, who replaced the University of North Carolina-Charlotte on the schedule, are the first of many challenging non-conference opponents for SIUC. The Salukis face St. Mary’s College, St. Louis University and Long Beach State University before the conference schedule begins. The University of Oregon and the University of Tulsa also present formidable opponents for the Salukis shortly after MVC play gets underway in December.

Thunell said the competitive schedule will only help the Salukis in the long run.

The tougher the schedule you play in the beginning, the better you’re going to be in conference, Thunell said. And that is the most important thing.

The Salukis tip off against the University of Miami at 7 tonight at SIU Arena.