Taj79

Coleman went 7 and 20 in his lone year at SLU in 1977-78, my junior year. I believe he was hired out of Vashon High School and followed local legend Johnnie Parker, Sr., to SLU. If memory serves, Parker was out of Central High. Parker lasted six games into his sophomore year under Coleman as Coleman went 7 and 20. Others on that team included Milt Wiley, Henry Tiggs, Mike Smith, Craig Shaver, Mark Rhode, Rick Plate, Mike Newbold, Carl Johnson, Howard Jackson, Curtis Hughes, Jimmy Glass, Everne Carr, and Mark Alcorn. They weren't collectively any good and played in the tough Metro Conference. And, of course, Ricky Frazier. Frazier only played in 17 games of those 27. Unfortunatley, this was in the real down period of SLU basketball. Coleman followed Randy Albrecht and was replaced by Ron Ekker. This was about the tiem college basketball was taking off, highlighted by the Bird/Magic final in 1979. Many also forget that Grawer had bookend seasons of 5 and 23 in both his first year and his last. So while college basketball is starting to soar and really take off, SLU was bumbling its way through typical bad seasons. Yes, Grawer had a few, but he could never get over the Xavier hump and make the NCAAs, making the NIT finals in 88-89 and 89-90. Spoon then won with Grawers' core and Romar lived the Miracle in Memphis. The Majerus years then became the highlight of the program. If you start with Albrecht in 1974-75, SLU has seen 8 NCAA appearances and 6 NIT appearances with one CBI runner-up appearance. Those percentages are 16%, 12% and 2%.

I never got that "much" from Tate's in-game coaching skills, if there were any. But with the proliferation of 'suits' on the bench, retaining Tate for continuity and the St. Louis connections seems a good move at this point.

Virginia has become the first state to enact a law that allows the school itself to pay its players: Virginia law allows schools to pay athletes for NIL - ESPN Click on the link and listen to Tim Legler's take on it all. He is saying everything I have said or believed ---- and it starts with calling it pay-for-play. He also talks about how it's likely the ruination OF sport as we knew it and echoes the same thing Nick Saban is saying about the term "student-athlete" being a MYTH. Unlike a statement in the article, I do not believe this gets us closer to a federal or national solution because i believe in what cgeldmacher is saying about pending law suites and continued issues going forward. The UVa AD believes the school has "an obligation to maintain elite athletics program at UVa." This law will force most other states to do the same to "keep up with the Jones." Schools will then have to increase their operating budgets to cover the new cost of NIL line in their bottom lines. It might or migh tnot take the payment plans out of the hands of rabid boosters. Virginia has stepped in where the NCAA continues to fail. But I don't know how the NCAA can succeed when at every turn, they are rebuked by a court case as cgeldemacher states. They continue to call these NIL deals when we all know the reality is simply pay-for-play. I think these scholarship players ought to pay their own way through school now. They seem to have enough money on hand.

Tarris Reed to Uconn.

I have to believe that if you try to "cut" a player's NIL payout from one year to the next, they are gone. And even if you don't, it is to their benefit to enter the portal every year in an attempt to up their personal ante. There are likely no such thing as NIL contracts. You don't sign on for anything more than one year, do you? And there is no evaluation of such payments. Ballo is supposedly getting $1.2 million at Indiana this year. All that did was get him to leave Arizona for Indiana. I am unaware of any stipulations put on these guys ..... what if they don't make the NCAAs? What if he gets injured? What if he's part of a situation and gets dismissed from the team? What if family matters call him to Macedonia? What are the effects on team chemistry when the top dawg is getting $1.2 million and eighth man doggie is getting $25k? How does one establish a pricing structure. And like all things in this society, prices will continue to go up, never coming down. Sustainability seems an impossibility. MLB is seeing a number of its broadcast deals go down the drain. ESPN is getting out of their broadcast contract. Three or four regional sports networks have failed. Is college basketball far behind? But network monies don't go into NIL pots. Ratings for the tournament are down. I don't get rich alums paying for fleeting results. What has Pickens got from his support to Oklahoma State? Knight to Oregon? Chaifetz to SLU, for that matter? It used to be hard to be a Billiken fan. Now it's getting harder to be a fan of college sports IMHO. I'm trending more to sports now for the betting aspect. I don't bet much but as Jamie Foxx said 'put some skin in the game.'

Main list/first post updated today.

It doesn't list Max Pikaar either. I think you have to be officially enrolled in school to get the listing.

It's the new world order .... college mercenaries. The idea that kid's are profiting from their Name, Image and Likeness is pure bullshite. Kobe Brea at Dayton is in the portal. Assets at Dayton claim he wants "MORE" money. It's a hostage situation. Love reportedly demanded $1 million. Ballo from Arizona to Indiana for a reported $1.2 million. For what? A one-year thrill ride? With no guarantee at the end of the rainbow for fans. NIL was a nice idea but it was quickly highjacked into Pay-for-Play. I hope Caleb Love gets his $1 million somewhere because once he's done with his fifth year, it's minimum wage in the G League, if he's lucky. By the way, when does all this five year COVID crap stop?

I really don't think CTF trusted him ..... CTF only went so deep and Curcic wasn't one of them. He used him only when things pressed despite the kid having good results as you have pointed out in the past.

If he was recruited by Harriman, he went with Harriman. Kids sign with coaches.

I think slu92 should change his moniker to "I Hate Chris May." All his posts say the same thing.

Updated today.

@73Billiken: why not? Joe Bamisile did it very well for VCU ..... Va Tech, Geedubya, Oklahoma and then VCU. For what it's worth, Verbal Commits has neither Ezewiro nor Zhang transferring. They do have Magassa, Parker, medley, Jimerson and van Bussel.

I think Hughes is at best average. I've always wondered why he had no collegiate offers .... was that because all thought him a lock for SLU due to his dad? I've watched him closely over the season. While he is athletic, he rarely was an offensive option when the game was in the balance. We couldn't defend the three yet he was helping out on lane passes only to get burned on threes with the return. I think he has a place, but at best he and Curcic are really the same player with plusses and minuses affecting both. One or the other, not both. I'd keep Hughes, but as the eighth or ninth man. Fourth guard at best.

The whole roster is essentially gone. Depends on how you take that ... good or bad. But one thing is certain, there will be no "he was a Travis Ford recruit" excuses as next year unfolds.