Keeping it real

After six games of watching IU yo-yo between “Stellar Ying” and “Awful Yang” – oftentimes in the same possession – my neck is throbbing with pain. If this team doesn’t settle down into some kind of groove in the coming weeks, I’m putting my masseuse on speed dial. \nSaturday, the Hoosiers face their most daunting challenge yet when they travel to Carbondale, Ill., to face the Southern Illinois Salukis. But before we move on to Saturday’s matchup with Southern Illinois, let’s revisit Wednesday’s post-Georgia Tech column in which I praised the Hoosiers for turning in a “team win,” playing their “best 40 minutes of team basketball this season” and “making the extra pass.” \nAfter putting down my pom-poms and placing the crimson and cream Kool-Aid back in the fridge on Tuesday night, I realized perhaps I fixated on the rose without mentioning the many thorns of the Hoosiers’ play.\nSure, there were plenty of bright spots on Tuesday night – particularly the play of Jamarcus Ellis – and the effort level spiked noticeably from the previous weekend. But the game could be described as disjointed at best and at some points downright sloppy. \nWhat I failed to mention about the extra passes IU made was that a fair amount of them ended up being fumbled away. For every assist against the Yellow Jackets, the Hoosiers averaged nearly two turnovers.\nEric Gordon, who was called for palming twice in the game’s opening minutes, nearly reached double digits in the giveaway category with eight turnovers. Several of Gordon’s miscues came on fancy passes to D.J. White. At this point in the season, it appears that Gordon and White haven’t found a way to make their games gel on the court. \nMost of Gordon’s scoring has come off of one-on-one moves and free throws, while White seems surprised every time Gordon dishes the ball to him down low. When they connect, it is a thing of beauty resulting in an easy dunk for White. When they don’t, it’s like two points for the other team.\nThe Salukis have been nearly unbeatable at home the past five seasons, going 80-3, including wins in their last 15 home games. Although they rarely host ranked teams like the Hoosiers at SIU Arena, Southern Illinois has more than held its own against the best in the country. As regular season champions of the Missouri Valley Conference last year, the Salukis garnered a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, three seeds higher than IU.\nA smothering defense and efficient half-court offense have formed the foundation of SIU’s lasting success. They play grind-it-out, fundamental IU basketball better than, well, IU.\nRandal Falker, a 6-foot-7 forward regarded as the best player in the MVC, embodies the Saluki way. Falker is averaging 17 points on 62 percent shooting while hauling in 6.8 rebounds a game. After an embarrassing 25-point loss to USC in the Anaheim Classic last Sunday, you can bet Falker and company will be foaming at the mouth when IU takes the court.\nA win for the Hoosiers on Saturday will take their best effort of the season and major breakthroughs on both ends of the court. Plus, it would be much more deserving of lavish praise from yours truly.