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March 15, 2004
Men’s Basketball Looks to Build On Success
After qualifying for the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament for the first time in five years, SIUE men’s basketball coach Marty Simmons and his players have a reason to be optimistic.
The Cougars, who finished 16-12 overall and 11-9 in GLVC play, entered the year with many new faces. Three of the Cougars’ top four scorers were new to the team this year. Newcomer Tyler Hackstadt (Okawville) led the team in scoring, followed by junior college transfer Calvin Sykes (Chicago). Joel Jaye (Chicago), another junior college transfer, gave the Cougars an extra lift by coming off the bench. Nebraska transfer Dan Heimos (Waterloo) gave the Cougars a much-needed presence inside. All are slated to return for the 2004-2005 campaign.
“All those guys bring something different to the table,” Simmons said. “It will be nice to have these guys come back.”
One reason for SIUE’s success this season was the execution of its defense. The Cougars finished first in the GLVC and 31st nationally with 65.2 points per game.
“Playing good defense takes a lot of effort,” Simmons said. “Our guys did a great job of accepting our game plans and carrying them out.”
The Cougars also came on strong late in the season, winning seven of their last nine regular season contests. But after being eliminated by Indianapolis in the first round of the GLVC Tournament, the Cougars were forced to look toward next year.
“All the guys coming back all have areas they need to improve,” Simmons said. “As coaches, we will help them define those areas and help the guys get better in the off-season.”
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