here's a thought on our very bad losses

[billiken_roy]

it seems to me that rickma doesnt prepare for one game at a time as much. i.e. he has his system, the players will play that defense that offense and the belief is that if they execute and execute better than the other team the billikens win.

both romar and soderberg prepared one game at a time. the asst coaches were assigned games to scout and view tape and then bring back a game plan that could be wildly different each and every game.

while long term with increase talent and experience the big time programs succeed with what it appears rickma is doing and obviously get the opponent to play to them. short term though, that might not be as effective as planning game to game.

also planning game to game takes away from valuable repetition that pays off down the road as well.

now i dont know if rickma indeed doesnt put as much stock in game to game specific tactics, but it sure seems that way to me when thinking about some of these bad games.

[Quality Is Job 1]

it seems to me that rickma doesnt prepare for one game at a time as much. i.e. he has his system, the players will play that defense that offense and the belief is that if they execute and execute better than the other team the billikens win.

both romar and soderberg prepared one game at a time. the asst coaches were assigned games to scout and view tape and then bring back a game plan that could be wildly different each and every game.

while long term with increase talent and experience the big time programs succeed with what it appears rickma is doing and obviously get the opponent to play to them. short term though, that might not be as effective as planning game to game.

also planning game to game takes away from valuable repetition that pays off down the road as well.

now i dont know if rickma indeed doesnt put as much stock in game to game specific tactics, but it sure seems that way to me when thinking about some of these bad games.

No. Coach Majerus and his staff definitely prepare for each game on an individual basis. My thought is that the terrible performance against good teams is a result of the team's youth. And expect it to be just as ugly next year. And unless one or more of the seniors gets hot, expect the Billikens' stay in Atlantic City to be exceedingly brief this March, as the Billikids will have no idea how much more they'll have to step up to "survive and advance." And the lack of juniors and sophomores really hurts this team.

[GoBills]

There definitely is a lot of film work with this staff and preparing for specific opponents. Prior to the game, coach Moser talked a lot about how they would game plan for Temple and try to stop Christmas. They actually did a great job of keeping him well below his average. The problem was that their big guys stepped us and destroyed us, and, offensive ineptitude reared its head again.

[gister]

No. Coach Majerus and his staff definitely prepare for each game on an individual basis. My thought is that the terrible performance against good teams is a result of the team's youth. And expect it to be just as ugly next year. And unless one or more of the seniors gets hot, expect the Billikens' stay in Atlantic City to be exceedingly brief this March, as the Billikids will have no idea how much more they'll have to step up to "survive and advance." And the lack of juniors and sophomores really hurts this team.

Then how do you explain Butler's success? They use 3 freshmen, 1 soph, and 1 junior for the bulk of the minutes. Along with their outstanding record they lost by 3 at Ohio State and won at Xavier. Please explain this youth thing to me again.

[moytoy12]

Then how do you explain Butler's success? They use 3 freshmen, 1 soph, and 1 junior for the bulk of the minutes. Along with their outstanding record they lost by 3 at Ohio State and won at Xavier. Please explain this youth thing to me again.

Agreed. I think this whole youth argument is a bit of an anachronism.

[davidnark]

I have a very good idea why we are so bad on the road, and it has nothing to do with freshmen. The answer is 10-53. (Figure it out yet?)

[One Man Dynasty]

I have a very good idea why we are so bad on the road, and it has nothing to do with freshmen. The answer is 10-53. (Figure it out yet?)

noooooo...please tell us

[jimbofive]

I have a very good idea why we are so bad on the road, and it has nothing to do with freshmen. The answer is 10-53. (Figure it out yet?)

Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! I get to be the $h!t disturber! That's Rusty Lisch's shooting from the field in our 5 non-neutral away games! Pretty pathetic!

I love Daniel as much as the next guy, and probably more, and always appreciate his intensity and how he represents the school in general and especially how hot his sister is. But his game is off in every way this year and there's no denying it. I know he'll get it together, though. Kevin's just too tough a competitor and too smart to not get out of this rut.

Oh, and before anyone thinks I'm letting the slightly scruffy black guy (don't get bent out of shape, psychos) off the hook, Tommie's 22-61 in those games. Better, but still fairly crappy.

Kevin AND Tommie, you're both great Billikens and great people in general. Now let's cut the BS and start tearing it up, Tecmo style.

Go Bills.

[sillybilly]

Billiken Beat/St. Louis Today

At halftime yesterday, I was heading back to the press room when an NBA scout stopped me. “This is a Division I team?” he said. “They should refund the people half their ticket price.”

Honesty hurts. SLU is nothing more than a Division II school at best.

[kmbilliken]

Then how do you explain Butler's success? They use 3 freshmen, 1 soph, and 1 junior for the bulk of the minutes. Along with their outstanding record they lost by 3 at Ohio State and won at Xavier. Please explain this youth thing to me again.

Its simple. They have better players and a better coach. You can win with freshman. Look at the Fab five. The problem is the freshman we have are going to get take time to develope.I think WR and BT are both going to be good big men in two years. BC is a good role player who will improve. KM is good right now will, but will end up being 2nd team all conference before he's through. This is a rebuilding process and we are still laying the foundation.

If any of these recruits surpise us and turn out to be stars it will quicken the process. Otherwise we're still 2 years away.

[kevinfootes]

I have a very good idea why we are so bad on the road, and it has nothing to do with freshmen. The answer is 10-53. (Figure it out yet?)

Why the not-so-veiled cheapshot? KL hasn't shot the ball well on the road this year, but pinning double-digit road losses on one guy is pretty silly, IMO.

[kevinfootes]

it seems to me that rickma doesnt prepare for one game at a time as much. i.e. he has his system, the players will play that defense that offense and the belief is that if they execute and execute better than the other team the billikens win.

both romar and soderberg prepared one game at a time. the asst coaches were assigned games to scout and view tape and then bring back a game plan that could be wildly different each and every game.

while long term with increase talent and experience the big time programs succeed with what it appears rickma is doing and obviously get the opponent to play to them. short term though, that might not be as effective as planning game to game.

also planning game to game takes away from valuable repetition that pays off down the road as well.

now i dont know if rickma indeed doesnt put as much stock in game to game specific tactics, but it sure seems that way to me when thinking about some of these bad games.

roy, have you heard anything specific about RM not preparing for individual opponents? The only coach I've heard of doing what you're suggesting is John Wooden.

[Taj79]

This is perplexing but before we limit ourselves and this discussion to this year and this year's team, let's remember that the Bills have been a horrible road team for a long time now. The only aberrations to that fact were the glory years of Claggs and Hughes.

I don't know what it is but when we do get an answer, I want someone to come back and answer gister's question on the Butler team. You can't tell me that Butler University is getting better players than we have. Not by that much. And they have won at Xavier and risen to a top 25 ranking with that youth. I odn't even know who their current coach is but he can't be better than our hall of famer, can he? And while it is the Horizon League, that has just started so that fact is not even a consideration here.

I said early on that I felt good in our youth because the college game is a guard's game and we had two returning solid performers, possibly all-conference. I also have said that I'd defend this team to the point of going box and one on Kevin, not letting Tommie drive and put it on the shoulders of some yet to be named freshman to carry the load. It would appear that our kids can't do that. I don't know why --- they ain't the Fab Five but they sure ain't the Five Slugs either. I have never walked on to an opposing college floor to play, and while it has to be intimidating to do so in Cameron or at the Smith Center, with thousands of lunatics screaming at you, short of X and Dayton, half these A-10 gyms are empty most of the time we show up. Is it the unfamiliarity of the place, the unfamiliarity of life on the road, or what. Tony Gonzales talked about Herm Edwards firing last night and said the team was so young that when Herm treated them like men, they didn't know what that meant and consequently didn't know how to act and accept that responsibility. I have no clue why these kids do what they do on the road.

In addition to the defense, I don't see any real help emerging to take the pressure off Lisch at this point. Who on this team can duplicate the threat Lisch brings to our court? We all know Tommie is not a spot shooter. We have yet to see either Mitchell or Cassity provide that as well. Last year, down the stretch, we all loved the second option Danny Brown brought to the table. We had another outside option. Right now we don't, so its all Lisch and the numbers show that and the defense being heaped on him.

You also don't hear much in concert from the boys down low. Sure, every now and then Reed has a game or Conklin. But never together and certainly not on the same night. It scares me when you start measuring contribution in points per minute or rebounds per minute and rebounds over some games as has been the case with Eberhardt and Thompson. That usually means that they ain't scoring or have other issues like Thompson handling the ball and so on. That has been the case.

To me the problem is simple. Right now, if Lisch doesn't score, who does? And that answer has been Tommie but it's what ----- an average of 12 or 14 points per game? There is no other consistent contribution from anyone out there right now, including Lisch, so the struggles continue. I think you can overcome some of that at home where the crowd is behind you and your comfort zone is much clearer but not on the road. That's the way this will play out for this year. I am not that surprised --- disappointed because I thought enough of Kevin and Tommie that they would overcome some of this, but not surprised that they didn't.

Next year, we lose both. Who right now has established themselves to make our spirits bright going forward? Sure, Conklin and Reed and Thompson and Mitchell are all great to have in the hand for the next three years and that's a ton beter than what we have been left with before but who is the outside threats. Folks don't believe that to be the redshirt John. Cassity is a horrible shooter right now. So we again look to freshmen --- Reed, Salecich and Smith. But remember, we all looked the same way to Cassity and Cotto and how'd that turn out?

I still believe the future is bright and these questions I ask I am hoping RM has the answer.

[kevinfootes]

This is perplexing but before we limit ourselves and this discussion to this year and this year's team, let's remember that the Bills have been a horrible road team for a long time now. The only aberrations to that fact were the glory years of Claggs and Hughes.

I still believe the future is bright and these questions I ask I am hoping RM has the answer.

Taj, this is a great point. SLU hasn't one more than 5 road games (true road games) in at least 10 years. A typical road record is about 3-8. Anyone who thought a team this young would be good on the road was being way too optimistic.

[Westy03]

Taj, this is a great point. SLU hasn't one more than 5 road games (true road games) in at least 10 years. A typical road record is about 3-8. Anyone who thought a team this young would be good on the road was being way too optimistic.

I understand losing on the road but we dont even look like a Division 1 team out there

[slu72]

I still believe the future is bright and these questions I ask I am hoping RM has the answer.

These bad road losses are perplexing. I also had the same thought about Butler's team this year when I found out how young they are. Then I look at IU for consolation. More from the heart than the head I guess, but I thought RM would have brought these kids on a little quicker. But objectively speaking, it now appears our talented frosh class may not be as talented as we all hoped. And that opinion may be shared by RM when he said, "trainwrecks a coming". Yes there are some bright spots. KM's improving play, BC's heart and guts, WR's flashes of athleticism, BT's rebounding, KC's savvy and passing. But none of them have proven to be very good at getting the ball to go in the hoop. At least not at foreign venues. This is where I thought KL and TL would play major roles this year. I really figured both would have ppg averages of at around 15 to 16 ppg. Who can really say why KL is struggling w/ his shot? Why doesn't TL slash a little more and use those skills we saw in JaleJarr's long ago videos? Didn't TL himself say RM wanted him to take it to the hoop more this year? Well, it's not happening for those two on a consistent basis, and therein lies a big part of the problem. The fulfillment of our dream of being a regular at the dance ala XU is going to be a long time coming it appears, well, at least not until 2011-12 and hopefully beyond. I think a lot of us expected RM to wave his magic wand and deliver us to the promised land quicker, but alas it ain't in the cards this year or probably next. Probably the biggest disappointment this year is the one step forward two steps back trap we seem to be caught in. It'll be interesting to see how we boucnce back at home. It will be more interesting to see how we develop on the road the rest of the year. Right now, I'm not expecting more than 1 or 2 W's on the road.

[Westy03]

I still believe the future is bright and these questions I ask I am hoping RM has the answer.

These bad road losses are perplexing. I also had the same thought about Butler's team this year when I found out how young they are. Then I look at IU for consolation. More from the heart than the head I guess, but I thought RM would have brought these kids on a little quicker. But objectively speaking, it now appears our talented frosh class may not be as talented as we all hoped. And that opinion may be shared by RM when he said, "trainwrecks a coming". Yes there are some bright spots. KM's improving play, BC's heart and guts, WR's flashes of athleticism, BT's rebounding, KC's savvy and passing. But none of them have proven to be very good at getting the ball to go in the hoop. At least not at foreign venues. This is where I thought KL and TL would play major roles this year. I really figured both would have ppg averages of at around 15 to 16 ppg. Who can really say why KL is struggling w/ his shot? Why doesn't TL slash a little more and use those skills we saw in JaleJarr's long ago videos? Didn't TL himself say RM wanted him to take it to the hoop more this year? Well, it's not happening for those two on a consistent basis, and therein lies a big part of the problem. The fulfillment of our dream of being a regular at the dance ala XU is going to be a long time coming it appears, well, at least not until 2011-12 and hopefully beyond. I think a lot of us expected RM to wave his magic wand and deliver us to the promised land quicker, but alas it ain't in the cards this year or probably next. Probably the biggest disappointment this year is the one step forward two steps back trap we seem to be caught in. It'll be interesting to see how we boucnce back at home. It will be more interesting to see how we develop on the road the rest of the year. Right now, I'm not expecting more than 1 or 2 W's on the road.

Very well said, I agree with pretty everything that you said. Its going to be a longer road then I expected but hopefully its worth it.

[kevinfootes]

I understand losing on the road but we dont even look like a Division 1 team out there

our moderator has figured out the reason why!

[slufanskip]

our moderator has figured out the reason why!

Here's what I don't get. We all thought we'd be from a few games under to a few games over 500. We are now what 10-7. We all knew that we'd have very bad games and we did. What has happened that we didn't really expect? We're acting like something totally unexpected and shocking just happened.

I believe that the Reid sp? out of KC will be a good shooter. He is a 3 star recruit and my understanding is shooting is what he does best. I also think Saleich is supposed to be a good shooter.

[davidnark]

Why the not-so-veiled cheapshot? KL hasn't shot the ball well on the road this year, but pinning double-digit road losses on one guy is pretty silly, IMO.

It's not just Kevin's fault, it's all 3 seniors fault, but Kevin has been the worst of the three relative to his skill set and expectations. We knew going into the season that the freshmen were going to be up and down and learning on the fly. Therefore, we desperately needed our seniors to elevate their play during the road games when freshmenitis is magnified. Instead of elevating their games on the road, our seniors have frankly fallen apart on the road, thereby setting the wrong tone and example for the Billikids who look to them for leadership. I know that our seniors are good kids, have had to persevere through difficult changes, yada, yada, yada, but that doesn't change the fact that they have been really, really bad at times this season, particularly on the road. So Roy and company can continue to coddle these guys and pretend they are doing great, but the reality is they dropped the ball and choked on their last shot at big-time college basketball success.

I also know I am going to get bombarded with the "leave these guys alone, their great Billikens, they are way better than you could ever be" string of posts. Well, I know they are good kids who work hard and are much more talented than any of us, but those of us who invest thousands of dollars in tickets and donations and spend a lot of time and energy supporting the program have every right to be disappointed and vocal about the performance of the players getting a free ride to school, in part, on our dime. Hell, we are a bunch of sweetheart nuns in the coddling we provide these kids compared to most successful programs. It is about time we raised our expectations as fans.

And, no Footes, I didn't guarantee that we would be NCAA-bound had we won our winnable road games in November, but we certainly would have had a real shot with strong conference play, which is more than we have had in years.

Finally, Majerus is not without blame. These are his kids, and he has done a crappy job getting them to perform on the road. He is getting paid the big bucks, so we don't need another two years of excuses from him.

[moytoy12]

It's not just Kevin's fault, it's all 3 seniors fault, but Kevin has been the worst of the three relative to his skill set and expectations. We knew going into the season that the freshmen were going to be up and down and learning on the fly. Therefore, we desperately needed our seniors to elevate their play during the road games when freshmenitis is magnified. Instead of elevating their games on the road, our seniors have frankly fallen apart on the road, thereby setting the wrong tone and example for the Billikids who look to them for leadership. I know that our seniors are good kids, have had to persevere through difficult changes, yada, yada, yada, but that doesn't change the fact that they have been really, really bad at times this season, particularly on the road. So Roy and company can continue to coddle these guys and pretend they are doing great, but the reality is they dropped the ball and choked on their last shot at big-time college basketball success.

I also know I am going to get bombarded with the "leave these guys alone, their great Billikens, they are way better than you could ever be" string of posts. Well, I know they are good kids who work hard and are much more talented than any of us, but those of us who invest thousands of dollars in tickets and donations and spend a lot of time and energy supporting the program have every right to be disappointed and vocal about the performance of the players getting a free ride to school, in part, on our dime. Hell, we are a bunch of sweetheart nuns in the coddling we provide these kids compared to most successful programs. It is about time we raised our expectations as fans.

And, no Footes, I didn't guarantee that we would be NCAA-bound had we won our winnable road games in November, but we certainly would have had a real shot with strong conference play, which is more than we have had in years.

Finally, Majerus is not without blame. These are his kids, and he has done a crappy job getting them to perform on the road. He is getting paid the big bucks, so we don't need another two years of excuses from him.

Great post. I especially agree with the last part about Majerus.

[davidnark]

Great post. I especially agree with the last part about Majerus.

I don't find Majerus's candid comments offensive. I could care less about his bizarre behavior. I see nothing wrong with him shooting straight with kids who don't belong with a program. I do, however, find a winless road record and a couple of 30-point losses offensive and unacceptable.

[kevinfootes]

Here's what I don't get. We all thought we'd be from a few games under to a few games over 500. We are now what 10-7. We all knew that we'd have very bad games and we did. What has happened that we didn't really expect? We're acting like something totally unexpected and shocking just happened.

I believe that the Reid sp? out of KC will be a good shooter. He is a 3 star recruit and my understanding is shooting is what he does best. I also think Saleich is supposed to be a good shooter.

Excellent post, skip.

[moytoy12]

I don't find Majerus's candid comments offensive. I could care less about his bizarre behavior. I see nothing wrong with him shooting straight with kids who don't belong with a program. I do, however, find a winless road record and a couple of 30-point losses offensive and unacceptable.

And neither do I.

I share your same concern re: the road record. At the end of the day, Majerus is in charge and gets paid a heckuva lot of money to figure these issues out.

[kevinfootes]

And, no Footes, I didn't guarantee that we would be NCAA-bound had we won our winnable road games in November, but we certainly would have had a real shot with strong conference play, which is more than we have had in years.

Finally, Majerus is not without blame. These are his kids, and he has done a crappy job getting them to perform on the road. He is getting paid the big bucks, so we don't need another two years of excuses from him.

Nark, you said we'd be in "great shape" for the NCAA if not (among other things) losing 3 consecutive road games...and that KL was mostly to blame for the losses. When was the last time we won 3 consecutive road games? Why do you think Nebraska is an easy place to win? They were bitten by UMBC, but they're a pretty good team...about 100 rpi points better than SLU.

I hate losing more than anyone. I just think I'm being a little more realistic.