Exhibition #1
Lindenwood (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Southern Illinois (0-0, 0-0 MVC)
Match Information:
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Hyland Arena
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
All-Time Series: 0-0.
Last Meeting: N/A.
Live Stats: Lindenwood vs Southern Illinois
 
Lindenwood Men's Basketball returns to Hyland Arena for the first time in 2025-26 as they will be taking on Southern Illinois tomorrow evening in an exhibition matchup. The Lions are coming off one of their best seasons in the Division I era after finishing with a 16-17 record and a 10-10 OVC record during the 2024-25 season and captured their first win at the OVC Championships with a 73-65 win over #7 Morehead State. Overall, the 16 wins a season ago was the most wins since the 2018-19 season and the 10 wins in OVC play was the most conference wins since the 2020-21 season.

KEY RETURNERS
Seventh year Head Coach Kyle Gerdeman brings back six players from last year's squad in Clayton Jackson, Jaylon McDaniel, Jalen Bouknight, Jeremiah Talton, Jadis Jones, and Anias Futrell.

Jones averaged 12.5 points per game in his Freshman campaign, shooting 55.2% from the floor and playing more than 1,100 minutes in 2024-25.  He also grabbed an average of 5.8 rebounds per game and was named the OVC Freshman of the Week 12 different times last season, breaking the all-time conference record set in 2002 and was named to the All-OVC Second Team.

Futrell averaged a team-high 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while averaging 30.7 minutes a night. The native of St. Louis, Missouri scored in double-figures 19 times during the 2024-25 season and scored a season-high 26 points against UT Martin after shooting 6-13 from three on January 11, 2025. The six returners will look to build off of the success that they built from last year, and bring the program to new heights in 2025-26.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Lindenwood brings in nine newcomers to the 2025-26 squad, highlighted by 6'0 Guard Mekhi Cooper. Cooper is a transfer from Miami (OH) where he started 63 of 65 games played for the Redhawks. In 2024-25, the native of Bolingbrook, Illinois averaged 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game starting all 34 games. The Lions also bring in the WAC All-Freshman Selection Dontrez Williams from Abilene Christian. Williams averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game where he appeared in all 32 games for the Wildcats in 2024-25.  

Transfers Milos Nenadic and Robert Lewis will also look to make an impact on the 2025-26 squad. Nenadic comes from the University of Maine where he spent the last four seasons, making 43 appearances with the Black Bears. Meanwhile, Lewis played the last three seasons at Arkansas Pine-Bluff where he appeared in 51 games making 28 starts. The 6'9 Junior from St. Louis set a career-high in minutes played (463) and points scored (132) in 2023-2024 and scored a career-high 16 points on 8-11 shooting at Jackson State on February 12, 2024. The newcomers will look to make an immediate impact for the Lions in 2025-26.

Scouting Southern Illinois
Similar to the Lions, the Salukis return six players from last season's roster. Among the returners is Redshirt-Sophomore Drew Steffie who averaged 6.5 points per game last year for SIU appearing in all 33 games as a true Freshman. Steffie recorded three or more assists in 12 games and scored in double figures in 10 games a season ago. The Salukis also bring in 6'7 Senior Forward Prince Aligbe from Seton Hall. Aligbe appeared in 32 games while making 29 starts for the Pirates and was fourth on the team with 7.8 points per game.

Last season, Southern Illinois went 14-19 overall finishing with a conference record of 8-12. The Salukis made it to the second round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament before falling to #1 Drake by a score of 70-53. The exhibition matchup between Southern Illinois and Lindenwood will be the first time that these two teams have ever played one another.
 
Up Next
Lindenwood will travel to #10 Texas Tech to open the 2025-26 regular season. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT in Lubbock, Texas on November 4.