Diehard college basketball fans know that year after year the Missouri Valley Conference is one of the most underrated mid-major leagues. They should also know that for many years, the Southern Illinois Salukis have been an important part of that success. The Salukis have a long and proud history on the hardwood, which has kept last-minute Southern Illinois basketball tickets in high demand. That tradition continues to this day, with the Salukis typically being one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley, which means it’s not as easy as one might think to find cheap Southern Illinois basketball tickets.

The Legends

The early days of Southern Illinois basketball were spent with the Salukis playing at the Division II level. However, the Salukis had great success at that level, reaching the Division II Final Four four times between 1962 and 1966. In 1967, Hall of Famer Walt Frazier was a key part of the SIU team that won the NIT and set the stage for the Salukis to make the jump up to Division I the following year.

The Arrival

Like most teams, Souther Illinois struggled a bit after moving to the Division I level. Outside of a Sweet 16 trip in 1977, the Salukis found little success until the 1990s. However, once they got there, they were there to stay. Under Rich Herrin, SIU won Missouri Valley regular-season titles in 1990 and 1992 and reached the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive years starting in 1993. That set the foundation for the likes of Bruce Weber, Matt Painter, and Chris Lowery, who took the Salukis to new heights. In 2002, Weber helped SIU begin a string of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances. That era was highlighted by Sweet 16 runs in 2002 under Weber and 2007 under Lowery.

Homegrown Hero

After falling on some hard times, the Salukis received a jolt of life in 2019 when Bryan Mullins was hired as head coach. Mullins was a four-year starter for SIU under Lowery and a part of the team that reached the Sweet 16 in 2007 and finished with a program-best 29 wins. With one of their own at the helm, the Salukis are confident that brighter days are ahead.