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We made the tournament last year and we have an awesome group of players coming in this year. People should STFU and be nice to each other. It’s a good time to be a Billiken.

I admit to liking the name Steamers, but that may be more of a sentimental thing, as I grew up going to Steamers games as a kid. Still, they had a cool logo and color scheme. On the downside, it conjures up the term "Cleveland steamer."

Just go by St Louis at first and let a nickname develop organically. It isn't like FC is a nickname for teams in the EPL. Using FC for US professional soccer teams is pretty lame. Should we all start referring to the Cardinals as the St. Louis Cardinals BC or St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Club? The official business name of the Cardinals for years was The St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Club, but we never added that onto what we actually called them. Just come out with a good looking kit and color scheme. Let the fans start rallying around something the first few years and then the owners can go with that if they like it. Plus, then everyone will buy new team merch.

Last year, we were a favorite. Not this year. Big difference. Praise opponents and downplay yourself … 7 new faces ... young... building mode... Not as dramatic as Lou Holtz but sure does sound like "coach speak" to keep expectations low to me! And in the interview, Coach Ford did say this year's team, top to bottom, is the most talented team he has had here. Isn't that a good thing? Isn't that something which might help us win few games? Also, Coach Ford called us a "contender." Contender for what? Contender for tier 3 of 5? And again, I have not read any new NCAA rule changes for this year, but don't youngsters and new faces get the same amount of points for each made basket as do upperclassmen and veterans? As to the talent advantage, or lack thereof... I would like to take this up later. Maybe around the end of OOC season. Again, I recall those talented teams with their deep benches not being able to stop our 6 player team - the team with Bess limping the last 2 months of the season, Foreman looking like he was nursing a leg/hip injury nearly the whole season - doing quite well down the stretch and then 4 days in a row. How much better we looked when our shooting guard actually made shots!! As to Dayton and VCU, have I missed the national articles about them likely to win the NCAA Tournament this year? Once again, are we talking about UD and VCU or are talking about Duke and Kentucky? Should the NCAA Tournament Committee just announce now that they each are now given an "at large" bid? Everyone does remember that Archie Miller and Shaka are no longer their head coaches anymore, right?. Should we even both to play them if they are that good, talented and deep? And new players? And sorry, but the day we return 3 players like French, Goodwin and Thatch and add 7 talented guys like we did - with experience among them from Perkins and Weaver and we fear programs like Davidson and Bonwelding is the day - in basketball - not high jumping - is the day give up supporting our Billikens. Not there yet.

I may have seen that or another tweet and read it incorrectly. And I couldn't agree more. The bootleg Euro cosplay names have to go. Sporting KC, Real Salt Lake, Fussball Club Cincinnati. MLS is never going to be anything but a cheap second-rate league if they keep these garbage names going.

I heard that they're NOT sticking with FC - I believe Kilcoyne tweeted that. And that's fine with me. I don't care for the phony Euro names.

Lay off the weeeeedaaaahhh

You make good points. Don’t understand why you need to be an ahole about it.

I thought we had a reasonable shot at being among the leaders in the A10 this year, if we landed a starting quality big and guard, grad transfers. Now it isn't impossible, but a lot of things have to go out way. French and Goodwin need to improve shooting range and FTs. Thatch can't have a sophomore slump and must also improve his shooting. Perkins needs to have a big year. Bell needs to play significant minutes. At least 2 of our freshman need to be impact freshman. Coach Ford will need to figure out who is making the grade and the combinations that work by conference play. With so many new players and freshmen, we are going to see a lot of players getting lost at times, on both ends of the floor. Will we press, and run, it depends on who excells and how well we shoot as a team. If Hargrove is getting a lot of minutes, we are probably running. Our returning 3 experienced players need to stay healthy, an injury especially to French, would be devastating. A lot of things need to go right.

Santos was not dismissed for weed. No one was sad to see him go. I’ll leave it at that

Maybe he was dealing.

I figured Taj Mahal 79 meant Sit III was Santos. Rumors were it involved a female. Gordon's deal wasn't a situation. Just a spoiled kid who's now RuePauls problem child.

6 footers in the NBA need great handles and range out to 25 feet. We don't get those players at SLU.

In Pistol's defense, "top tier" doesn't necessarily equate to "top half" — which is to say that being outside of the top tier doesn't necessarily mean in the bottom half. In any given year, there are 3-5 tiers in the conference. A team can be in the top half and be in the 2nd tier.

I think most Preseason coach speak comes from expectations. If expectations are high you knock them down a few pegs. If expectations are low you build their confidence.

Javon Bess is in town for 30 days before he goes to camp with the Pelicans and I had an opportunity to talk to him for a while at practice. He is in great spirits and very excited to have a potential opportunity. He is working out hard and looks to be in great shape. He plays open gym with the guys and he said that Perkins was playing outstanding basketball and can score from almost anywhere on the court. As soon as school starts Perkins can join the team at practice. It is difficult to know how all the distinct new players will mesh but I have been watching early practice for about 40 years and this is the most athletic and potentially best scoring team I have ever seen from top to bottom. With all the leapers we have it will be hugely entertaining! Go Bills!

After some hesitation, Coach says that Jimmy Bell is the one newcomer that has stood out (came in at 318 left friday morning at 280). Says Bell has great hands, great feet and uses his big body. Will have an impact right away. Bell has to get in "great" shape, but has all the skills. Probably the biggest surprise. Better than Coach thought. Jimerson is the best shooter "by far" in the program since Coach has been here. Physically strong, big time scorer (got a little bit of "stuff...grit" to his game. not just a shooter). Everyone says Jimerson is like Klay Thompson with how quickly he can get his shot off. Going to be hard to keep off the floor. Bess apparently told Tate that Javonte is best player in the program right now. Best talent top to bottom on roster since Ford has been here. Thatch appears to have taken that next step based on summer performance. "Really...REALLY stood out this summer." Yuri made great strides this summer. Struggled first couple of weeks this summer adjusting to D-1 caliber players. Figured it out. Last couple of weeks was excellent. He is going to play a significant amount of minutes. Will be major part of team this season. Apparently, "The Athletic" is going to do some type of story on the team. Frank asks if you can really play Fred, Yuri, Jordan and Has together given the lack of shooting? Coach said yes, but obviously going to mix in others to offset lack of shooting. Weaver is more than Coach thought. Fast as lightening. Great energy. Players love him. Good shooter. Going to add a lot to the team. Much better shooting team. Thatch has really improved his shooting. Worked on pressing and fast break basketball every single day this summer. Going to play differently this year.

We will be a better team this year for a few reasons No players with history of injuries from the previous year No team chemistry problems should arise More experience under Ford Players can shoot finally This won’t be a bottom half team. Ford did very well his first year with 20% the talent of this year. Last year we had problems arise halfway through but before that we were an at large team without Santos. We shouldn’t have departures like that anymore

Quick is better than fast. David Burns was quick and fast and best the rest by a mile.

What dlarry said ... coachspeak. And there wasn't a team in the A10 last year with a "deep bench." With the exception of maybe VCU. Davidson was a five man team. Dayton has four transfers in street clothes. The Bonnies went five deep. Rhode Island four. Duquesne three. Please give these guys time ----- will Collins earn a starting role? Can Jomerson shoot at the D1 level? Can Perkins score. Have French and Thatch developed perimeter games/ Has Goodwin found a shooting touch from the filed or line? Are Bell and Diarra better than just projects? Lots of stuff to watch for in the OOC. No history of injury problems? So what, an injury will be an injury, history or not. No chemistry problems? Not yet an dmaybe not but no one knew the Gordon situation until it blew up in our faces. No Situation iV? Not yet but stay clean and chaste boys -- the coeds are about to appear on campus. More experience under Ford? What does that mean? Players can shoot? Player si plural -- who you counting? What's the proof? While having the likes of Goodwin, French and Thatch back are huge positives, they all need more work to be the answer we need them to be. The rest are unknowns, including Hankton and Jacobs. If you are not watching games in November and December with a critical eye focused on demonstrated development, you're watching for the wrong thing. As the schedule assembles, I am liking it more and more but it will be a challenging schedule given our many unknowns. A great year to watch and see what happens. I'm excited.