The University of San Francisco men's basketball team travels to Carbondale, Ill., for its first road contest of the season on Saturday.  The 3-0 Dons will take on host Southern Illinois (2-2) at the Bantera Center.  USF is coming off an 84-79 win in overtime over Yale last Monday night.  Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN3 with Connor Onion and Mike Trude on the call.  As always, fans can tune their radio dial to KNBR 1050-AM, the official home of USF Dons Basketball, to hear Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli call the action courtside. 
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Nov. 16, 2019 – 5:00 p.m. PT
Opponent: Southern Illinois Salukis (2-2/0-0 Missouri Valley)
Site: Bantera Center (Carbondale, Ill.)  
Stream:  ESPN3 (subscription required)
Talent: Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Mike Trude (analyst)
Radio:  KNBR 1050-AM
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play) and Jim Brovelli (analyst)
Live Stats: SIUSalukis.com
 
USF AT A GLANCE
•  The Dons are 3-0 following USF's 84-79 overtime win over Yale on Monday.  The Dons are on the road for the first time in 2019-20 when they take on Southern Illinois in Carbondale. 
 
• As a team, USF is averaging 89.0 points per game which ranks 28th in the nation. Over the last four years, the Dons have scored 70 or more 69 times and are 53-16 in those contests.  USF is also in the top-50 in scoring margin - they are +22.0 in scoring margin this season which ranks 40th in the nation.
 
• Double-Double Point Guards: In the overtime win over Yale, the Dons got two tremendous outings from guards Jamaree Bouyea and Khalil Shabazz.  Both players finished with double-doubles.  For Bouyea it was his first career double-double finishing with a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.  Shabazz tallied his second career double-double and first at the Division I level, he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, all coming off the bench.
 
• Breakout Performer:  Junior guard Jamaree Bouyea is flourishing as the Dons primary guard.  After backing up former guard Frankie Ferrari, Bouyea has posted back-to-back career-bests.  He scored 19 in the win over Princeton and followed it up with a team-high 21 against Yale.
 
•  Through three games, USF has three players in double figures - leading the team is redshirt junior Charles Minlend who is averaging 16.0 a game, behind him is guard Jamaree Bouyea at 15.7 points per game, followed by senior center Jimbo Lull at 10.7 ppg.
 
• On the Glass:  USF is averaging 47.3 rebounds per game which ranks 13th in the nation - the Dons are +16.7 in rebound margin which ranks 11th best in the nation. On the offensive side of the ball, the Dons average 15.67 offensive rebounds per game which ranks 21st in the nation.  Center Jimbo Lull is 40th in the nation averaging 4.0 offensive rebounds per contest.
 
• Golden Era: Under first year head coach Todd Golden, the Dons have opened the year 3-0 - a win on Saturday against the Salukis would match the 4-0 start by former head coach Kyle Smith who started 4-0 in his debut at USF.
 
• Golden versus the Salukis:  As a player at Saint Mary's, head coach Todd Golden faced Southern Illinois twice - first on Dec. 23, 2006 in a 66-61 defeat.  The second game on Dec. 11, 2007 when the No. 24 ranked Gaels lost to SIU 71-56 in Carbondale.  In both contests SIU head coach Bryan Mullins got the start, in the second contest he finished with 24 points. Golden (34) and Mullens (32) also happen to be two of the youngest head coaches in Division I.
 
• Milestone Watch: When senior Jordan Ratinho scores a field goal tonight against he will become the 37th player in USF history to eclipse 1,000 points.  The last player to score 1,000 career points was Frankie Ferrari who accomplished that feat Sat, Feb. 23, 2019 at Santa Clara.

THE SERIES
Saturday night will be the third time the Dons and Salukis have squared off with each team winning a game in the series. This is the first time the two sides will play at a home court as the prior to contests were at neutral site locations.  The series dates back to Dec. 21, 1967 when USF defeated Southern Illinois 71-55 at the Sun Carnival in El Paso, Texas.  The programs would next meet 28 years later at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Tournament with SIU defeating the Dons 67-66 on Dec. 20, 2009.
 
ABOUT THE SALUKIS
Southern Illinois is 2-2 under first year head coach Bryan Mullins.  Mullins, a 2009 graduate of Southern Illinois, is one of the youngest head coaches in college basketball, two years younger than USF head coach Todd Golden.  At home, SIU is 1-0 this season – a 76-48 win over Illinois-Wesleyan.  The Salukis return four letter winners from last year's team, including starters Aaron Cook and Eric McGill. As a team, SIU is averaging 63.5 points per game but holding their opponents to 56.3 points per contest. Last time out, the Salukis fell to Oakland 61-52 in the finale of the Sunshine Slam in Kissimmee, Fla. Three players are averaging better than 10 points a game, leading the team is Cook who is averaging 15.3 points per contest.
 
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
The last time these two teams faced each other came at the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 20, 2009.  USF led 33-29 at the half, but could not overcome a strong second half by the Salukis who came away with the 67-66 win. The Dons were led by center Dior Lowhorn's game-high 24 points, he was one of two players in double figures for USF.
 
UP NEXT
The Dons will return home on Tuesday, Nov. 17 for a 7:00 p.m. game against CSU Bakersfield. The first 500 fans in attendance will get a free USF tumbler.  Tuesday's game will be streamed on The WCC Network, and as always, fans can tune into the official radio home of USF Dons basketball, KNBR 1050 AM.