Oakville Tim Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 What a THRILL, watching these undermanned kids battle back!! I just wanted to congratulate Coach Soderberg and the players, the seniors especially. I follow Missouri primarily, have for years and years. I follow these Tigers in truth because I'm a glutton for punishment, I suppose. This was my first Billikens game in-person in probably five seasons. If you believe in kids busting their tails and playing with heart and grit each possession, even when it's a scuffle to get on the scoreboard, then you'll very quickly fall in love with the Billikens. To Brad's credit, this is a team that is COACHED WELL! I am told that Philip Hunt plays not much, and yet at the end of regulation there he is, in the right position to follow-in Fisher's NBA-range 3. That's a kid who's COACHED WELL! My true hope for the C-USA tournament is that Bryant's father is well enough that he can rejoin the team, and that Frericks can patch and paste himself together well enough. This team ought to be something dangerous if it can be intact and healthy starting next Wednesday. Good luck, Billikens!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Dump the Tigers Oakville Tim. I don't see how anyone could root for that bunch of underachieving bums after seeing what transpired at Savvis tonight. Down by 20 in the 2ND HALF with arguably our two best players out and couple other guys hurt but playing, a walk on starting the game and playing over 30 minutes and we still won. If the Tigers had just 1% of the heart the Billikens have they would be national champs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 i dont want to ruin the moment talking about the tigers. but the billikens tonite was special. sure the first 30 minutes they looked horrible. but it would have been pretty easy to have just accepted the fact no reggie, no tom, drejaj hurt, clark hurt major minutes for varner and hunt. all the excuses in the world to just go home. that comeback was monumental. i still am shaking my head in disbelief. there is no way they should have won that game being down 20 with 10 minutes to play. unbelievable. and the adjustments and player moves that brad made looking back were just perfect. unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakville Tim Posted March 6, 2004 Author Share Posted March 6, 2004 I'm a fan of any team, any gender, any sport, that PLAYS HARD and PLAYS SMART from start to finish. One that you can tell obviously is COACHED WELL. And the Billikens wear all those adjectives, deservedly. I'll save comments on other teams for other boards. This SLU team is something special. I wish them all the luck, now and in the future!! BTW, have Liddell and Polk qualified? I hope so -- in Sloan and Fisher, some huge shoes are graduating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought Coach Soderberg's courtside demeanor was extremely calm tonight considering the low-lows and the high-highs of this particular game. I wonder if he was feeling 100%. If you sat behind the bench or behind the basket give me your thoughts Soderberg's courtside demeanor tonight. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 polk and meyer are supposedly honor students. liddell reportedly has not qualified yet, however he isnt done yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 ..."Tiger" Tim McKernan of KFNS? Maybe it's just me, but someone let me know if the same thought crossed your mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleacherBum593 Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 I've got seats in the first few rows of section 108 - just off the end of the Billiken bench. Brad did seem awful quiet for most of the game. Especially with the lack of defensive intensity that the Billikens were showing for the 1st 30 minutes of the game. But then he called a TO, inserted Tony into the game and went with the fullcourt man to man press. Immediately they started forcing turnovers. The intesity rose and finally the crowd started to join me in urging the Defense on. They started cutting into the lead and the rest as they say is history. Great clock management in the last 2 minutes of the game. Going for the steals on the inbound and then fouling immediately if they couldn't get it. Seemed to take forever to play the final 2 minutes in regulation. And what can you say about Philip Hunt? A 3 year walk-on, awarded a scholarship for his final year and then in his final game at home as a senior, makes the hustle play of the year. (I think Brad got his scholarship money back on that play tonight). Time running out, a shot is thrown up from about 20 ft off to the right of the free throw line. Everyone is standing around and Hunt comes busting down the baseline on the left side, catches the ball and in one motion puts it up and in, just as the buzzer sounds. What a way to end your final home game as a senior. He couldn't have dreamed up a better ending. After the game, the players spent at least a hour plus signing autographs for the fans in the concourse area. They were still going at it when I left at eleven. While standing around, watching them sign, I thought back to the final 2 minutes of regulation play. I realized that the ending was very similar to the Final 4 game in which NC State & Jimmy Valvano won the National Championship years ago. Same type of scenario. Foul the other team, the other team can't hit foul shots in the last 2 minutes. Then on the final play, a player throws up a shot, everyone stands around and one player steps up to make the play. THe only difference was that tonight the shot came up from the right side of the court and the player making the play came in from the left side. I feel sorry for all the fans who left early tonight. Serves them right for giving up. Reminds me of all the fans who left Busch Stadium early on a Sunday night in 2002 during a Cards-Cubs game. Ninth inning, Edgar Renteria goes deep to win the game. Same type of RUSH tonight. It pays to stay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleacherBum593 Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Liddell - I heard tonight that he's taken the test and is waiting on the results. Hopefully, we'll have good news in the next couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SShoe Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 I just wanted to assert that a big part of our win was Darren Clarke. He hit the big three, played serious D, and got some big boards. I think he could be a serious part of our future and I was so pleased to see him jump in and make a helluva contribution. I've thought we should have played him more all season long and now I'm sure I was right. Nice last 10 minutes of the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLURadioBoy Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Bleacherbum, that Cardinals-Cubs game you speak of was July 28, 2002. I know this because that was my 21st birthday and I was at the game with my dad, brother, and girlfriend (at the time) sitting in the bleachers. The Cards were down by 5 in the ninth and won it on a three-run homer by Renteria off of Alfonseca. I can't ever decide which is the most exciting comeback/game I've ever been to. It was either that one or last year's Louisville game when I got to rush the court. I wish I could have been at the game tonight to see the comeback and see how it compared to the others. "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Official Billikens.com sponsor of Andrew Latimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 A healthy Darren Clarke has a some good upside. For the Billikens to match up athletically against the better teams, we really need him to steal minutes away from Drejaj next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 imo, Darren Clarke is the most introverted player on this year's Billiken team. Perhaps that comes with being a young freshman, being away from home, being less than 100% healthy, and from struggling against veteran players like Fish and Reggie Bryant. Clarke has a very quick first step with the ball. Hopefully, the dose of confidence from his good performance in the Houston miracle and some serious maturing will allow us to see the real Darren Clarke from here on out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleacherBum593 Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 LF or RF in 2002? I have season tickets in LF - section 593. I'd put last nights game as 1 of the 2 best Billiken games that I ever attended. Last years Louisville game being the other. Last nights game was like night and day between the first 30 minutes and the last 10 of regulation play. During the first 30 minutes, the Billikens played very unispired defense. In fact, there was a couple of fans in the next section over (109) who were starting to berate Soderberg. One, in particular, kept yelling out that their play was embarrasing and that Soderberg was a big embarrasment to SLU. I thought a former student manager was going to go over and put his fist in the guy's mouth. Another thing that happened last night in the first half - and maybe somebody else had a better view - but it looked like Tony & Chris almost came to blows in the huddle during a timeout. My view was blocked by Tom & Bryce (hard to see over or around them). But I did catch Bennett restraining Sloan and Tony being pushed out of the huddle. Tony sat for the rest of the first half and for about 8 minutes of the second half. It would be awesome if the Bills could play with the same type of intesity shown in the last 10 minutes last night for about 160 minutes next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLURadioBoy Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 I was seated in left field as well during the Card-Cubs game, but I'm not exactly sure what section. All I know is that the best part was the Cubs fans sitting behind me shooting their mouths off the whole time and we got to rub it in their faces at the end. I would definitely rank last year's Louisville game as the best Billikens game I've ever been to. #2 would probably be the overtime thriller against Cincinnati at the Savvis in 2000-2001. I can't believe that one fan was telling Soderberg that he's an embarrassment to SLU. I guess the guy has no knowledge on what it takes to be a good coach and turn a program around. At least not everyone else is as ignorant as that guy. "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Official Billikens.com sponsor of Andrew Latimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bauman Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Great game, great post except for one point-I don't feel sorry for the "fans" who left early. They are probably the same people who left the Louisville game early last year. What is wrong with many of the people who attend Biliken games, why leave early, especially on Senior night? I think it is just flat out disrespectful to the players and the coaches-think how you would feel if you were on the team and saw the place emptying out with 10 minutes left. Unfortunately, many of the people who make it a habit to leave early are people who you would least expect it from-people with multiple season tickets and in one particular case a former well-known player. Where are you going folks? It is great that you buy tickets and come to the games but why not come to all, not 3/4th or 7/8th, of the game. By the way, on the way out of the game I was walking close to a guy who felt just as strongly about this point as I do since he said that he hoped the "leave early crew" threw their tickets away on the way out so that they couldn't get a free meal at The Pasta House. Sorry Kim. This was just a great effort by an undermanned group of kids and a Coach, none of whom knew the word quit. It made you proud to be a Bills fan!!! No matter what happens the rest of the way, your comebacks against DePaul and Houston show just what you are made of and we are glad you played for the Billikens. Thanks for a great year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 I don't feel sorry for the bums who left early either. You can't leave early on senior night I don't care how bad the team is losing. I had some doubts about the outcome in the second half but I always thought a comeback was very possible. BTW a certain zany St Charles car dealership owner who sits below me was one of the guys who left early. He and his party take up an entire row and never once have stayed for an entire game this year. They made their regular early exit last night at about the 8 minute mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakville Tim Posted March 7, 2004 Author Share Posted March 7, 2004 This doesn't add anything intelligent to the dialogue, but no, I'm not the host of 'The Sandbox.' We share only the same first name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 We don't strive to have intelligent dialogue ... it is in fact quite the opposite. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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