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Posted at 12:30 PM EST

EASTERN ILLINOIS -24½ over Chicago St

3:00 PM EST. To open its season, the Chicago State Cougars played on November 25th, 26th and 27th and went 0-3 over that span so it’s been almost a full week since they have played a game. That’s not a big deal but in terms of playing Division-I basketball, we can’t even imagine what the recruiting process must look like for this program. This is a small school on the South Side of Chicago. The recruits are a shade above JUCO colleges in terms of potential/talent and even that might be a stretch. Some would argue that a JUCO is a preferred destination than Chicago St. The facilities are in poor condition. Graduating 19% of students, Chicago State alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $29,400. The last time a player from this school was drafted by an NBA team was in 1983 in the 6th round by the Washington Bullets. Said player never played a game in the NBA. 

Not only is it “the baddest part of town, as described in the song, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”, it’s difficult to schedule home games because nobody wants to go there. Chicago State’s first three games were all neutral site games. It’s next eight games are on the road. The team doesn’t even have a home date officially scheduled for this year. The roster is void of talent. The program itself is under severe budgetary restrictions, and therefore what we have is a team trying to paddle across the Pacific Ocean in a canoe. Do you think these kids aren’t aware that gambling is available in the games they’re playing in? 

The greatest thing about this game is that Eastern Illinois is also 0-3 and it’s for that reason, we get them at a bargain here. What that 0-3 record doesn’t reveal is that EIU has played Wisconsin, Marquette and Dayton. They lost by a mere 10 points to the Badgers and by just three points to Dayton. This is a team that beat Murray State last year and won six of its last seven games before some great losses this year. Coach Jay Spoonhour brings back the bulk of that squad, with his rotation likely to feature five senior starters and three more seniors first off the bench. You won’t find a more veteran bunch than these Panthers, and Spoonhour will hope to parlay that experience into his first top 200 KenPom finish in Charleston. 40 points might be a low amount to spot but 24 is truly a bargain.

NOTE THE 3PM EST TIME

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