Fab freshman Gordon spoils Salukis' home streak, fans' night

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- They wore their white shirts, nearly each and every one of them, and the student section quickly filled from the front row all the way to the top, where the bad seats still felt like good seats on this night, even if those seats were only reserved as a place to stand.

Yep, Indiana was visiting Southern Illinois.

The Salukis quickly learn that Indiana's Eric Gordon is no ordinary freshman. (AP)

Which meant, well, you know exactly what it meant, don't you?

"We kinda sorta had an away game against Xavier," Indiana's D.J. White said afterward. "But it was nothing like this."

Far as atmospheres go, there won't be many better this season than the one SIU Arena produced Saturday. The local fans pulled a doubleheader, first watching their Saluki football team beat UMass in the Division I-AA quarterfinals before walking over in anticipation of the perfect nightcap, otherwise known as a victory over Indiana and Sampson and that world-famous cell phone he carries in his pocket.

But Eric Gordon had other plans.

He usually does.

And the freshman did exactly what he'll do to many opposing fans this season, which is to say he sent them home disappointed, like they were Bruce Weber or something. Gordon finished with 22 points and four rebounds in Indiana's 64-51 win over SIU, making half of his shots (7-of-14) and more than half of his 3-point attempts (4-of-7) in 40 minutes on the court, all while enduring a verbal beating second-only to the one Sampson received.

The SIU fans called Gordon a "liar".

That's because of his unforgettable de-commitment from Illinois.

But the SIU coach called Gordon "phenomenal."

That's because of his unforgettable array of skills that always seem on display.