CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) – At the Banterra Center in Carbondale Tuesday night, SIU takes on Oklahoma State.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

It’s the first power 5 team in 15 years to visit Carbondale and the last power 5 team to come to the Banterra Center, Oklahoma State.

“We the Dawg Pound, we’ve been looking forward to this since the schedule came out. Since last year the game was announced, we’ve been waiting a year for us to host a power 5 team at home,” said Tyler Lawrence, leader of the SIU Dawg Pound.

Tuesday night’s matchup for SIU looks like one of the biggest games in Saluki basketball in the last decade.

The SIU student section told us they are ready to create an incredible atmosphere.

“That Banterra magic that’s the best way to put it. I mean we are the most energetic student section in the country, we want to keep it that way. We want to give it that power 5 feel like it is a power 5 team that is playing here. And it’s just true home court advantage and it’s the toughest place to play,” Lawrence said.

The voice of the Salukis, Luke Martin, said games like this don’t always happen.

“In today’s climate of college basketball these opportunities don’t happen very often. You don’t want to say they’ll never happen again, I hope there’s many more to come but these are just so rare to get this chance and this opportunity,” he continued.

Martin said the atmosphere in the Banterra Center on Tuesday night should have that big game feel; and he wants the entire community to be a part of it.

“There’s really not much more you can ask for this year, they have played their tails off and I know that’s all this area wants. They want a team that plays hard, that plays basketball the right way this team does that. Come out and support them tonight it’s going to be a tremendous atmosphere and be apart of that atmosphere,” he said.

Martin said the Dawg Pound could be the X factor tonight.

Leaders of the Dawg Pound are ready to make some noise.

“Excitement, I barely slept last night I’m ready to go and I’m very excited for this game,” Lawrence added.

For more information on the game and tickets, you can visit the SIU website.

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