Southern Illinois Salukis

The Southern Illinois Salukis bring a proud, unlikely history to Banterra Center, anchored by one of the most improbable championships in college basketball history. Southern Illinois basketball built its reputation on toughness and defense, values that carried the program to a national title before it even reached Division I. The Salukis have been a fixture of the Missouri Valley Conference for decades, with a strong run of NCAA Tournament trips in the 2000s. Carbondale's basketball identity is inseparable from the Salukis' scrappy, defense-first style. Few mid-major programs can claim a championship pedigree quite like Southern Illinois.

Southern Illinois joined the NCAA in 1947 and captured a landmark achievement in 1967, winning the National Invitation Tournament as a College Division (now Division II) program, led by future NBA great Walt Frazier. The Salukis moved to Division I and joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1975, going on to win multiple regular-season and tournament titles. Southern Illinois advanced to six straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002 to 2007, reaching the Sweet 16 twice during that stretch.