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And more importantly, we were hoping Jordan Goodwin would take the next step and be an all-conference caliber player... and that hasn't happened - yet.

In all seriousness, believe most should go back and read their own posts (not everyone elses), take a breath, check in to rehab if necessary (the blue kool-aid and pre-season expectations is very addictive and can cause delusions) and look at the glass mostly full and not mostly empty. The Wiz has documented us as being a grade "B" team -- and he is probably right. Way, way better than the grade of "D" these past years. And no, it is waste of time to compare J Good in the same sentence as Hines (though thank you for your past efforts). And no, Welmer is not the answer - and never has been. And no, a center who steps out and shoots 1 to 2 3-pointers a game does not open up the offense -- instead, it probably makes us worse. And no, not all tall, skinny white guys who shoot 3-pointers should be compared to Rob Loe. RM ran a completely different offense designed for a perimeter shooting 4 or 5 - most other coaches don't. And yes, there is a good reason why Majerus never liked to go with the "quick fix" of JUCO's, transfer or now 5th year Seniors like Isabell. Go back and look our transfers, JUCO, etc. and you will see that over half were not very helpful and/or took half the year/whole first year to acclimate. The fact that Coach Ford is still our coach - after the embarrassing Situation II last year -- and has brought in another great Freshman class is incredible. To those who keep questioning Ford, relax, detox and wait until the end of next season - when Ford will finally have his players not only enroll but also be coached up and play. We would sure be a different team this year without losing Henriquez and the others who were kicked out of school (not by Coach Ford). The help (this year) is simply not here yet (Thor and Wiley due to maturity and injury), Thatch is coming along just fine, Gordon is doing well. We are young - and time is needed even though Bess is a Senior. Can adjustments be made ? Probably. Would a faster tempo help? Possibly. But we cannot ignore the original game plan of Coach Ford and scrap everything to date - and risk even lower confidence - all for possible short-term gain. Clearly, our shooting (perimeter and FT) has been insufficient. Patience. Our guys will either improve or be replaced/supplement with next. year. Maybe early season expectations were simply too high... but I do like the direction of this program and do again enjoy watching our Bills play.

i continue to blame our offensive plan for our offensive problems. if you want the offense to run one specific way, then you better darn well recruit players that fit that plan. granted losing henriquez kind of knocked that out of focus, however when that happened, our coaching staff did not regroup and change the plan. instead we still walk it down the floor, we still run the stupid weave, we still end up with gordon or french or goodwin with the ball 25 feet from the basket with the shot clock running down and then everyone knows that guy is going to throw up a prayer. unfortunately goodwin isnt larry hughes. he isnt the senior jordair jett. he isnt even the seniors justin love or marquee perry. i.e. that prayer "opportunity" doesnt have much of a chance. the fact that french and gordon and foreman arent guards with outside skills their "opportunity" isnt a high percentage bet either. it is time to put the blame where it belongs. our coaching staff has done a poor job of molding the offense around the players we have and considering their skills. the best this team has looked this year occurred during what ford labelled as desparate times and we sped up the pace, exerted full court pressure and pushed the ball. that is what goodwin played in high school when he was first team all state and won a state championship and a second place finish. that is who we recruited. we did not recruit a walk it down the floor and direct an offense with only one ok outside shooter (bess). let's pick up the pace. the rest of the season we will likely be the biggest and most athletic team on the floor. there is no reason to play hoosier ball any longer. let's go.

We don't have a point guard. Every player is going to look worse than they should if we don't have a player to get them the ball in the right spots to help them be successful.

His last game last year he had 28pts and 9 rebounds. During a 3 game stretch last year he averaged almost a triple double. He has the only triple double in school history. He isnt overated. Once he starts hitting shots again he will be fine. He is doing everything else.

If Isabell and a healthy Wiley don't provide the necessary scoring punch from outside, a NCAA bid isn't happening. They were our hoped for missing pieces and unfortunately they are still missing. I'm rooting for these guys.

I know we all feel disappointed by today's outcome but I want to offer a little perspective. First off, going to Florida and getting beat handily by Florida State is not an embarrassment. That is a Elite Eight/Final Four caliber team. It is a lot like what happened in the 1998 Big Dance against Kentucky. We were simply outclassed. I reference that 97-98 team for a reason. That season we started the season with high expectations. We got off to an 8-0 start winning home games against Illinois and Vanderbilt. Good wins, but nothing impressive. We then lost at #11 UCLA. We went to a holiday tourney in Puerto Rico and lost to #19 Syracuse, a weak rebuilding Iowa State team, and #12 Arkansas. We came back to SLU and opened the Conference USA season with a disappointing loss to Memphis before the students got back from Christmas Break--making 5 losses in a row. The feeling when we got back to campus was much like how I imagine we are all feeling today. But we kept getting better, and even though the only ranked CUSA team (Cincinnati) beat us twice including an absolute de-pantsing at the Savvis Center. We finished the season strong and got an At-Large bid and got the Big Dance. We even beat UMass in the 1st Round. I think that is probably what this team can still accomplish this year. Yes, the turnovers, stagnant scoring, and FT shooting leaves a lot to worry about. But Coach Ford has showed the last two seasons that his teams get better as the season goes on. Have faith that this will continue to be the case. We can still take it to our conference foes. We just need to learn how to play to our strengths and away from our weaknesses. The season is far from over. Have faith in this team. With a leader like Bess and a great defense we can still make a tourney trip. These games can really be beneficial to the Bills later on in the season. Let's give this team a chance to prove itself in the conference season before anyone jumps off the bandwagon. Go SLU! We believe!

I believe usually the editors write the headlines, not the reporters. mhg

i actually disagree with the above. goodwin and isabell need the ball to score. standing in a corner and waiting for a pass and oncoming double team isnt going to be successful. now does that mean i am saying they are the point guards? not necessarily, but they need to be more than stand around wings.

I believe Goodwin has a chance to become an all-conference caliber player, it just won't be this year. His strengths and weaknesses were well-known even as he climbed in the recruiting rankings. Those strengths allowed him to be an impact player as a freshman. Those weaknesses will stall his offensive development until he adds a mid-range or three-point shot.

Honestly, the way this team has performed to date it's not deserving of a bid. The only way they get in, other than taking the tourney, is to get thru the conf schedule with only 2-3 losses. Who thinks that is realistic based on the way we've played so far? Not saying they don't have the talent to do it, but with offense in disarray it's gonna be damn difficult to pull off a 15-3 record.

SLU Fans, I'm a double Billiken--BA philos & comm' 2000, and MA comm' 2007 [I think; finished it over a summer or winter somewhere around there]. I'm also a new campus minister. And a longtime SLU bball and soccer fan. This came to me in a revelation-- probably when I was watching Sportscenter this fall. With so many lame college teams' 'hand signs,' why can't SLU have one, too!? here's what you do: make a diamond shape with your hands [like you are holding a tube and looking through it], then point your index fingers up [as 'ears']. or, another description... -pointer fingers up! thumbs touch tips, ring fingers and middle fingers touch tips, pinkies just kind of hang out by ring fingers. Looks sorta like the new logo, right? It certainly looks more like a Billiken than the Texas hand sign looks like a longhorn video here: https://twitter.com/FrLaramieSJ/status/1056274162136834049 photo here: https://twitter.com/FrLaramieSJ/status/1056313064214183937

Well he's going to need to be able to hit that shot to play at the next level. I'm sure it's something he will work on over the next few years. His shot looks great. Rather see a Gordon three than a turnover.

He's 2-5 so far. We'll never know if he can keep it up. I'm willing to take a tiny risk.

You are assuming that he can make the shot in some reasonable percentage. Nobody will follow him out if he can't make it.

Nobody is saying change strategy or turn CG into a guard. What's being suggested is that when he finds himself at the top of the key with a defender sagging off of him (this happens in the course of the game fairly often) he should fire it up every once in awhile, nothing crazy just force defenders to get up on him. It will also pull their big guarding him away from the basket.

Exactly, it's about keeping defenses honest and giving Gordon the chance to take his man off the dribble which he has excelled at IMO.

Eh. I'd probably use "vastly underacheiving"

Wide or tall?

exactly. when the likes of Villanova or Duke or Michigan have let downs vs lesser opponents, they have their power conferences to fall back on to "correct" the loss. We unfortunately now in a conference where in the 2018-19 season will not even be in the top 10 of conferences let alone the typical 6th or 7th power spot the A10 has traditionally been in during past seasons.

It starts with not saying "oh well this happens". It may but a team like the Bills can not let it happen - they just have to "Do It"

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the Fetz Not a creature was stirring, not even a Metz The banners were hung from the rafters with care, In hopes that The Wiz would soon be there; The fans were nestled all snug in their seats; With visions of Bills wins, while they munched on their treats. And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my Bills cap Had just settled in for a win streak without a gap- When on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my seat to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below; When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,, But a basketball team as quick as reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and all biz, I knew in a moment it must be The Wiz. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled and shouted and called them by name: Now! Gordon, now! Goodwin, now! Bess, oh my lord, On! French, on! Isabell, on! Foreman, and Ford; To the top of Gate A ! To the top of the wall ! " Now dash away ! Dash away ! Dash away all !" As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the arena top the coursers they flew, With a bus load of stats and The Wiz too: And then in a twinkling I heard on the floor The bouncing of b-balls making baskets galore. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down Section 103 The Wiz came with a bound: He was dressed all in Bills gear, from his head to his toe, And his clothes were all blue, he was ready to go; A bundle of spreads was flung on his back, And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack: His eyes- how they twinkled ! His dimples: how merry, His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry; His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face, and a little round belly That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly: He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know that The Wiz had a spread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And calculated point spreads, ; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose And giving a nod, up the concourse he rose. He sprang in the Chaifetz , to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle: But I heard him exclaim, ere he shouted out clear-- Happy Christmas to all, it will be better next year. To all that follow the Billiken Biz Merry Christmas to all , best wishes from The Wiz

We know every team is going to pack in the defence until we hit more outside shots. We know we have shooters coming next year, but that doesn't help this season. At the moment, Bess and Isabell are the only threats that require attention. The one move that might produce an immediate change is having Gordon put up more 3s. If he hits them, it forces opponents to pull a big man out from under the basket. Open up the middle and everything changes. Coach would need Gordon look for and take the shot. Thatch and Goodwin will hopefully improve as well. I think our success this season will largely mirror the development of Gordon.

Oh yeah. NCAA will factor in Quad 1/2 wins to snub mid majors. Last year St. Mary's 28-5 team with an RPI of 40/KenPom of 28 was left out, as was 23-7 Middle TN with 33/52. And who can ever forget Missouri State being left out in 2006 with an RPI of 26. Still, I'm targeting mid 40's in the NET as bubble city. If a mid-m is above that, just plan on the NIT. I sure wish we could trade our second game with LaSalle out for a rematch with Davidson or VCU, a la what CUSA is doing. LaSalle is sitting at 314 and GW at 302. Three games against 300+ teams will kill our NET.

that one senior year loe had has spoiled the mindset of the billiken fandom.

evvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvverytime i hint at this.... people get upset. bottom line - overrated