SIUE's "Second Season" Begins Thursday
         Southern Illinois University Edwardsville enters Thursday's Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind., in unchartered territory.
         As the No. 2 seed, SIUE begins the league championship at noon on Thursday with its best-ever seed and the first time above the No. 5 seed.
         Coach Marty Simmons said the regular season, which the Cougars finished 22-7 overall and 15-5 in league play, has made him and his coaching staff proud.
         "We are proud of them. They have invested a lot in it," he said. "They are being rewarded for all their hard work and effort to this point."
         Simmons said anybody who is in the tournament can win it all. His immediate goal is to make sure the Cougars are focused on their first opponent -- UW-Parkside.
         "We have been real fortunate to beat Parkside twice," said Simmons. "They take great shots. They shoot the three really well. They can beat you off the dribble. They are a good passing team."
         SIUE enters the tournament as the top scoring defense, allowing just 61.2 points per game this season. The SIUE school record for opponents scoring average in a season is 66.8 in 1982-83.
         While defense has certainly been a mainstay this season, three-pointers also carry a level of importance.
         "We have players who have good discipline and take good shots for the most part," said Simmons. "It helps a lot when you can knock down three-point shots. It stretches the defense. It opens up the inside for Dan Heimos (Waterloo) and Tim Bauersachs (Pinckneyville)."
         SIUE is second behind Southern Indiana in three-point field percentage at 39.6 percent. Anthony Jones (Centralia) leads the team with 56 three-points and Joel Jaye (Chicago) is next with 47.
         Jaye's play of late also has caught Simmons' notice.
         "He seems to be playing much more aggressive the last couple of weeks. Not only shooting the ball well from the perimeter, but he is driving the ball and becoming a lot more active in the offense. He has been a big part of our success," said Simmons.
         The next SIUE victory would give the 2004-2005 Cougars a share of the record for victories in a season. SIUE won 23 games previously in 1985-86, 1986-87, and 1988-89.
         "Now the second season begins, and we have to get ready to go," said Simmons.
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