Jump to content

Are the Billikens This Years Final 4 Sleeper?


Recommended Posts

This is my first post and just wanted to introduce myself. I live in NYC and was born in Connecticut. Most of my life I have been a die hard UConn fan. UConn is ineligible as you well know for both the Big East Tournament and the NCAA tournament. So I want to find a team to have a strong rooting interest in this year. Maybe even see a few games. I have some feelings on the Billikens chances this year and the prospects of this being a dream season (Final 4).

Many have predicted Saint Louis to win the A-10.

Here are some basic general questions I would like to ask the board:

1) How do you think the Billikens match up against VCU? I believe Saint Louis and VCU will fight it out for the A-10 title.

2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of this 2012-13 Saint Louis team? I am an avid follower of college hoops. Give an arguement for Saint Louis making the Final 4 this upcoming season. What seed do you think they need to get a favorable draw to get there? I think the chalk is vulnerable this year. Louisville has to be #1 in my opinion pre-season although I know some talking heads like Indiana at #1.

I know my questions are pretty general and probably have been discussed here already but I look forward to contributing on the message board during the year and enjoying some of your schools success. I love finding a good darkhorse or underdog to get to ATL.

Each year in September (pre-season) I like to put together a top 25 of what I think the final AP/coaches poll will look like right before the NCAA tournamnet starts. Basically predicting the last top 25 poll before the season starts. It is fun and did it on the UConn board last year.

Good luck!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 84
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Getting to the Final Four is a considerable challenge. It doesn't happen in the preseason. Sometimes a team able to get there gets a bad draw and loses early, and sometimes a team gets "lucky" and wins four (or five, in the case of VCU in 2011) games to get to the Final Four. I'd love to see the Billikens get to the Final Four, but it's not my expectation right now. I'm expecting Sweet Sixteen; but get to the second weekend, and who knows? But if the Bills run up a regular-season record of 32-2 or something, then I'll think a Final Four berth is likely (but even then there's the possibility of a bad matchup or a poor shooting game [or an unworldly hot shooting game by an opponent] that would knock them out "early").

Win the regular-season title first, then think about the Final Four.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with thicks. I want a conference title. We haven't won one in......forever. Then we can think about final fours.

VCU plays a different style than us but the end result is a defense that doesn't allow you to score. VCU has to replace a lot offensively. How soon they find some scoring will determine if they can challenge for the A10 title with the Billikens.

For a team from the A10 there is a lot of luck involved in getting to the Final 4, so much so that so that you can't possibly predict it. Even with a dominant season I don't expect the A10 champion to have a seed higher than 4 or 5. That is a difficult road to the final four.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

-uconn, i'll bite and assume you are not a troll

-first, welcome, i guess

-i don;t know enough about vcu to comment on us versus them

-our strengths, imo, #1 is our coach, he is a brilliant bball mind and can find places to attack and places to defend each opponent,

#2, his system, our offense during his tenure has consistently produced open shots, we just haven't made enough of them and on defense his ability to devise a plan to set us up to win each game is remarkable,

#3-our depth, for us at least, we think we have complete roster of scholarship players that can contribute to a good team to perhaps a very good team to maybe a real damn good team

#4-our experience, we lost our leading scorer and at the end of the season our 7th, 8th or 9th man (one player), depending on who you talk to, we should have significant minutes played by our top 6 returning players of sr's and jr's

#5-our concept of team, unless the newcomers upset the apple cart and there is no reason to think they will, the chemistry is outstanding

-weakness, some of our interior time will be seen by two sophs that did not play much last season and a sr who is an athletic freak but has yet to put it together, if these come together, look out

-if our season goes as many of us see it we are a top 16 seed and no one will want to play us as we will defend like few other teams, we will play smart and we will have the best coach in any game we play

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VCU doesn't scare me. Their havoc style of play shouldn't give our guards too much problem. We'll force them into a half-court game and I expect that to be a W. With that said, I do expect them to contend for the league title. Their D will disrupt a bunch of teams.

I think a 4 or 5 seed is a reasonable expectation for this team. We could get a better seed than that, though, especially if we can stay in the top 25 all year.

The Final Four is impossible to predict. My expectations for this team are a sweet 16 berth. And after that anything can happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little leery of a UConn fan coming on here, but there are people out there like us who love college hoops so let's give him a chance. I mean whenever have the Billikens drawn the interest of fans of other teams? Like never. Final 4? So, hard to predict when you've got at least 4-6 of the power teams that all appear to be locks for it. However, as Butler, GMU, and VCU have proven it's not the impossible dream it once was.

Here's some pros for doing it: 1.) We're led by one of the best bb minds in the country who always his team prepared mentally both on D and O.

2.) Experienced and talented guards all returning. Plus a FR who Majerus says is the best he's had since Andre Miller.

3.) A team that values Defense above all else which will keep them in every game they play, ie see Mich St and Memphis tourney games last year. Memphis with all 5 star young talent was flummoxed by our D. Our D kept us in the MSU game right up until the end on a night we couldn't buy a 3 pt shot.

4.) Two big south pacific kids who can hit the long ball. We expect that after working out with their respective national olympic teams this summer, they'll have improved their inside games which were progressing last year. In short, they create serious matchups for opponents much like Butler's bigs did when they hit the jackpot two years in a row.

5.) The NCAA experience showed this team they can hang w/ anyone.

Cons: 1.) We do not have a proven interior scorer. Some good defenders, but no one we're certain or confident can replace Conklin's 13 ppg and leadership. Although, our SR PG will take over the leadership role quite nicely. The 13 ppg won't be so easily replaced.

2.} The A10 has 16 teams that from 1-12 will be very competitive making road wins difficult to rack up. Our schedule and how well we do will go a long way in determining what kind of seed we get. I'd venture to say, the A10 is like the old Beast prior to your losing teams, tough games night in and night out. The regular season's a tough road to hoe, and not being a power conference, the A10 isn't going to get the breaks, ie number of bids, available to Beast teams.

3.) We've never done well in the conference tourney. I think we need to win it to get on a roll going into the dance. Not a big negative, but it would be good for their confidence level to take home the A10 tourney trophy.

The pros outweigh the cons, but as we've all seen this means squat come March. Ask Duke and Missouri (Mizzery or Mi$$ouri as we say on here), the road to the final 4 is loaded w/ land mines, ied's, cinderellas, and witches w/ an army of flying monkeys. Still, it should be a fun season for us Billiken fans and we'll take on new fans any time, just as long as they don't hail from Columbia, MO. Welcome aboard. Billiken gear available thru our bookstore or the athletic dept's official site. Our mascot alone will make you unique in NYC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VCU doesn't scare me. Their havoc style of play shouldn't give our guards too much problem. We'll force them into a half-court game and I expect that to be a W. With that said, I do expect them to contend for the league title. Their D will disrupt a bunch of teams.

I think a 4 or 5 seed is a reasonable expectation for this team. We could get a better seed than that, though, especially if we can stay in the top 25 all year.

The Final Four is impossible to predict. My expectations for this team are a sweet 16 berth. And after that anything can happen.

Agree with this. My only nuance is that if we are a 4-5 seed I expect us to play to play in a tight round of 32 game that could go either way. If we were to fall in that game I wouldn't say that this team failed to meet my expectations.

We shouldn't forget that the highest seed a Billiken team has gotten since they expended to 64 teams is a 7. If this team gets a 6, 5 or 4 it would arguably be the best regular season in school history.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our strength is our defensive play - simple as that. Why it is our strength is due to many factors - very good guards, great XOs coach, a team first mentality. Final 4 - seems a bit heady to me but I have been wrong before so why not now. By the way, anybody who wants to be a fan of the Billikens, I could care less where they come from just glad to have them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way, anybody who wants to be a fan of the Billikens, I could care less where they come from just glad to have them.

I'd cast a wary eye at anyone from Boone County who was interested in becoming a Bills fan, unless he/she is a SLU grad, and they shouldn't be interested in becoming a Bills fan, they are one due to their degree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We only need 10,600 fans. And they should go to every game

We might need 12,000 when you factor in vacations, sickness, etc. But then at least 50% need to go to all NCAA / CT / Preseason Tournament games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd cast a wary eye at anyone from Boone County who was interested in becoming a Bills fan, unless he/she is a SLU grad, and they shouldn't be interested in becoming a Bills fan, they are one due to their degree.

-why drag this beaten and worn topic into this or any thread?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Basketball aside I think the biggest hurdle this team will have to overcome is having Brian Conklin around off the court. He was a phenomenal team leader and kept guys focused. That asset is immeasurable and I'm wondering if Kwamain has that in him.

Kwamain has it in him. Absolutely no worries there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my first post and just wanted to introduce myself. I live in NYC and was born in Connecticut. Most of my life I have been a die hard UConn fan. UConn is ineligible as you well know for both the Big East Tournament and the NCAA tournament. So I want to find a team to have a strong rooting interest in this year. Maybe even see a few games. I have some feelings on the Billikens chances this year and the prospects of this being a dream season (Final 4).

Many have predicted Saint Louis to win the A-10.

Here are some basic general questions I would like to ask the board:

1) How do you think the Billikens match up against VCU? I believe Saint Louis and VCU will fight it out for the A-10 title.

2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of this 2012-13 Saint Louis team? I am an avid follower of college hoops. Give an arguement for Saint Louis making the Final 4 this upcoming season. What seed do you think they need to get a favorable draw to get there? I think the chalk is vulnerable this year. Louisville has to be #1 in my opinion pre-season although I know some talking heads like Indiana at #1.

I know my questions are pretty general and probably have been discussed here already but I look forward to contributing on the message board during the year and enjoying some of your schools success. I love finding a good darkhorse or underdog to get to ATL.

Each year in September (pre-season) I like to put together a top 25 of what I think the final AP/coaches poll will look like right before the NCAA tournamnet starts. Basically predicting the last top 25 poll before the season starts. It is fun and did it on the UConn board last year.

Good luck!!!

Welcome to the board. Let Backhand provide his thoughts on the season; We will not lose a game during the regular season and probably fall to Louisville in the NCAA Championship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little leery of a UConn fan coming on here, but there are people out there like us who love college hoops so let's give him a chance. I mean whenever have the Billikens drawn the interest of fans of other teams? Like never. Final 4? So, hard to predict when you've got at least 4-6 of the power teams that all appear to be locks for it. However, as Butler, GMU, and VCU have proven it's not the impossible dream it once was.

Here's some pros for doing it: 1.) We're led by one of the best bb minds in the country who always his team prepared mentally both on D and O.

2.) Experienced and talented guards all returning. Plus a FR who Majerus says is the best he's had since Andre Miller.

3.) A team that values Defense above all else which will keep them in every game they play, ie see Mich St and Memphis tourney games last year. Memphis with all 5 star young talent was flummoxed by our D. Our D kept us in the MSU game right up until the end on a night we couldn't buy a 3 pt shot.

4.) Two big south pacific kids who can hit the long ball. We expect that after working out with their respective national olympic teams this summer, they'll have improved their inside games which were progressing last year. In short, they create serious matchups for opponents much like Butler's bigs did when they hit the jackpot two years in a row.

5.) The NCAA experience showed this team they can hang w/ anyone.

Cons: 1.) We do not have a proven interior scorer. Some good defenders, but no one we're certain or confident can replace Conklin's 13 ppg and leadership. Although, our SR PG will take over the leadership role quite nicely. The 13 ppg won't be so easily replaced.

2.} The A10 has 16 teams that from 1-12 will be very competitive making road wins difficult to rack up. Our schedule and how well we do will go a long way in determining what kind of seed we get. I'd venture to say, the A10 is like the old Beast prior to your losing teams, tough games night in and night out. The regular season's a tough road to hoe, and not being a power conference, the A10 isn't going to get the breaks, ie number of bids, available to Beast teams.

3.) We've never done well in the conference tourney. I think we need to win it to get on a roll going into the dance. Not a big negative, but it would be good for their confidence level to take home the A10 tourney trophy.

The pros outweigh the cons, but as we've all seen this means squat come March. Ask Duke and Missouri (Mizzery or Mi$$ouri as we say on here), the road to the final 4 is loaded w/ land mines, ied's, cinderellas, and witches w/ an army of flying monkeys. Still, it should be a fun season for us Billiken fans and we'll take on new fans any time, just as long as they don't hail from Columbia, MO. Welcome aboard. Billiken gear available thru our bookstore or the athletic dept's official site. Our mascot alone will make you unique in NYC.

I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to respond to my post and add insight into this years Billiken team. As you guys know UConn with Kemba Walker went from a season in which they missed the NCAA tournament the previous year to a National Championship. UConn was also unranked in both the pre-season AP and Coaches Poll prior to their improbable title run in 2010-11. Some of the details of what it took to make that happen really focus on some great intangibles. My dad is a former high school basketball coach in the state of Connecticut. We have had strong ties to the New England basketball scene for years. More my dad then me. My career has taken me to NYC.

Rick Majerus no doubt is 1 of the top 3 coaches in America. At the risk of sounding overly opportunistic I can envision the weekend of April 6, 2013 as a surprise bratwurst fest.

I loved this last paragraph (all of it) it made me smile:

"The pros outweigh the cons, but as we've all seen this means squat come March. Ask Duke and Missouri (Mizzery or Mi$$ouri as we say on here), the road to the final 4 is loaded w/ land mines, ied's, cinderellas, and witches w/ an army of flying monkeys. Still, it should be a fun season for us Billiken fans and we'll take on new fans any time, just as long as they don't hail from Columbia, MO. Welcome aboard. Billiken gear available thru our bookstore or the athletic dept's official site. Our mascot alone will make you unique in NYC."

Alex Oriakhi may hail from Columbia now but NOT this new very interested Billiken observer. The Billiken mascot is priceless and I have done my research. After a health diagnosis that has helped put life in perspective I can use the "good luck".

Hopefully as the season progresses we can all share strategies and insights on the team. I wanted to respectfully defer to the fan base before giving my 2 cents.

Once again thanks to everyone who responded to my thread. I like this fan base already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd cast a wary eye at anyone from Boone County who was interested in becoming a Bills fan, unless he/she is a SLU grad, and they shouldn't be interested in becoming a Bills fan, they are one due to their degree.

This kind of attitude is what makes everyone that is a Muslim then must be a terrorist. (not saying this how you think) My point is a person is who he is not where he comes from.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This kind of attitude is what makes everyone that is a Muslim then must be a terrorist. (not saying this how you think) My point is a person is who he is not where he comes from.

So you're saying that all people from Boone County are terrorists?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...