Record: 24-6. Last 10: 8-2.

Location, conference: Carbondale, Ill.; Missouri Valley.

Web site: www.siusalukis.com.

Conference finish: First; lost in final of conference tournament.

NCAA tournament record: 3-5.

Last tournament appearance: 2002.

Coach: Bruce Weber (fifth season, 103-53).

Starters:
F J. Dearman, 6-8, Sr., 14.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg.
C Sylvester Willis, 6-7, Jr., 4.4 ppg., 4.2 rpg.
G S. Hairston, 6-3, So., 11.3 ppg., 4.4 rpg.
G Kent Williams, 6-2, Sr., 15.7 ppg., 3.1 apg.
G Darren Brooks, 6-3, So., 12.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg.

Key reserves: F Brad Korn, 6-9, Jr., 5.7 ppg., 1.8 rpg.; F Josh Warren, 6-8, So. 5.4 ppg., 3.7 rpg.

Key statistics: PPG.: 75.6; OPPG.: 68.3; FG.: 47.8 percent; OPFG.: 44.5 percent; 3-PT.: 40.0 percent; FT.: 69.7 percent.

Scouting report: The Salukis were one of the Cinderella stories of the 2002 NCAA tourney, ousting Texas Tech and Georgia to reach the Sweet 16 (where they lost to UConn). The Salukis return three starters from that office-pool-wrecking club in Williams, Jermaine Dearman and Stetson Hairston. ... A balanced scoring attack features four double-figure scorers, but the go-to guys are Williams, a terrific outside shooter, and Dearman, a superb athlete who averaged 19.7 points per game and 9.3 rebounds in last year's tournament.

—Statistics through regular season.