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82 points per game pre covid with 73 possessions per game. 69 points post covid with 66 possessions per game. 1.15 points per possession when we played fast. 1.04 points per possession when we slowed down. Bully ball is an effing joke. Play fast. Win. Competition was better post covid for the most part but we have a team of athletes and a few good shooters and we slowed down and tried to let undersized guys bully their way into big men. Covid zapped our energy but man our change in philosophy to bully ball tanked the season. Maybe we couldn't run as much post covid but we didn't have the legs for bully ball either. Hopefully next year we run when the offense doesn't go through Goodwin and French. Until then or until some sort of off-season news actually happens, I need a break from this board.

Hard to believe 3 people good posted that. Except for their size they aren’t even remotely the same type of player. Yuri is a true pass first point guard who makes everyone else better. 10th in the country in assists with an almost 3/1 assist to t/o rate. Could he be more effective if we pushed the tempo more? Sure. But a slight upgrade from Dwayne Polk is maybe imo one of the least accurate statements made on the board in years. Dwayne Polk was a 2 guard who couldn’t shoot in a pg body. Did Polk ever average 3 assists a game? a 1.5/1 assist to t/o ratio?

I think what some people are forgetting about Yuri is that he was a Freshman and Sophomore the last two years. A lot of programs he would have been learning the college game the last two years so he could step into a startling role with big minutes his Jr. year. I think some were guilty of expecting to much from an underclass man starting at PG. Ideally we could bring in a Freshman PG to learn for Yuri the next two years and fill it when necessary. Then when Yuri graduates this years Freshman can step in as a junior and not miss a beat. I think we will see a big jump from Yuri now that he is an upperclassman and leader of the team.

imo yuri's legend (or not) depends on ford ever running. we play fast, he will be a legend. we dont, he is a slight upgrade of dwayne polk. all up to ford.

Re: Courtside who I happen to enjoy as a poster. He's clearly a Marquette fan and has plenty of knowledge about the school and their athletics. So what. He didn't talk Marquette until Shaka going there was the talk in the thread. It was a thread about coaching changes so yes he chimed in. He didn't start threads regarding Marquette nor did he even lead the conversation there with no reason. I don't remember the last time he discussed Marquette on the board. When we played them all the time he chimed in regarding them more often and it apparently still rubs some wrong.

I think you know Yuri was hurt in the RI game, He was never the same after that. Before Injury 11 games 77 assists against 21 turnovers for and average of 7/1.9 After he came back clearly playing injured 7 games 39 assists vs 20 turnovers so 5.6/2.85 Steals after .85 pg before 1.5 I'll also agree he wasn't as good defensively the last 7 games. I think the injury played a role. You apparently do not. You're point about Yuri's assists not being that much better than the guy 40 places down would also be true with say JGood he avg'd. 10.1 rbpg for 16th. But heck is that really better than the guy at 75th? at 8.1? It only makes the difference of about 1 point per possession so 2 pts per game. How about Perkins 3 pt% he shot .376 what's really the difference between that and 30%? How about 1.2 ppg so really what's the big deal between 30 and 38%? Your statement. "I will take a PG with only 3 assists per game if he helps defensively, scores 8 to 10 ppg and can make steals and disruptions per game" However, really before or after the injury is irrelevant as the statement above describes what you want in a pg. Which is not want I want in a pg so we'll never agree. I'd also like to see Yuri increase his offense to be what I'd call elite he needs to. However, if he never scores more than he does now I'll take a healthy version of today's Yuri Collins over the guy you describe above

Set piece again. Fortunate on a weak clear, good finish by Stram. Set piece again. Stram unmarked strong finish. Really nice game from Hannah Friedrich, not just the set piece assists, but she’s doing a very good job controlling the left side of the Midfield. She then settles, beats a defender and hammers a left foot off of the bar that leads to a rebound one timer from Miller.

16 of your last 20 posts have to do with Marquette. Like I said you are on the wrong message board.

Bills up 3-0 under 20 minutes in vs the Bonnies. Goals by Copeland, Stram, and Miller

Slufan13, thanks for providing the stats that backs up what many of us on here have been thinking about the post Covid stretch. For whatever the reason, we changed our style. In no game was this more evident then our biggest most important game of the year, the semi loss to St. B's. It cost us a dance invite. Against a team we easily had outmanned we decided to go with Bully Ball. Pound it inside and hope Has his little hook working or that JGood will be there to clean up the mess. The only problem was St. B's had a robovac on the inside that sucked up our shots like the black hole in space sucks up stars. And the surprising thing is we kept doing it over and over again completely satisfying Einstein's definition of insanity. Not knowing what JGood or even Has' plans are for the future shouldn't matter to Ford. He's got the same stats as you and should see the benefit of this team being a running team far outweighs the hardhat style. Of course, the roster's not filled out yet, so we have to see what types the portal will deliver. But if it does nothing, with the athletes we have our game plan should be to push the rock and put the other team on it's heels.

I know K-State is a common joke on this board, but they were a completely different team the 2nd half of the season. Lowery does a great job recruiting Missouri. We would be wise not to dismiss them. I’m not trying to be a K-State apologist here. Just being honest.

It's also not a coincidence that those other 2 guys are the first option on offense. The only opportunity that Yuri will have to be the first or second option on offense is after next year's seniors graduate.

It’s not a coincidence those other 2 guys will play in the NBA. You’re right about his all-conference potential, and he’s an all-American at 15 ppg. Not saying it will happen, but it seems some fans underrate how good Yuri is today and how high his ceiling is.

Be nice but the player the Bills need to get going big time from 3 next season IMO is Gibson Jimerson.

Need Yuri to be a credible threat to hit from 3. He does that they can't sag off covering him on D it opens passing lanes. Seemed like he took a few more at the end of the season. He does that with his feel for passing he becomes real dangerous and our offense will click better.

As a pass first PG, I see Yuri as better than average PG now. As far as numbers, would like to see him average 8 to 10 points a game next year, no more than 2 turnovers, 7 or 8 assists and plays good defense. This assumes Ford brings in another established scorer, Okoro is equal to French and a couple of our young players make a jump in production. Yuri does NOT have to be a scorer to be a top-notch player. Everybody does not have to be a scorer on a TEAM for the TEAM to be outstanding.

Hoping Frank said Verge because the coaches know something we don't know. The Arizona paper said he's likely going to play pro somewhere this year. Why anyone wouldn't want him here is a head scratcher, but then again this is a message board where everyone is entitled to their opinion. Where he comes from is immaterial, only one Billiken this year had a higher scoring average than he did, and he played against better competition. Also, I think Cook and McKissick would be great adds to this team as well, and they would help greatly with perimeter defense, this team's biggest weakness this season. The fact they are local players is a plus, but not a requirement.

It will be interesting to see what (if anything) Moser does. Word on the street is he wanted the Marquette job, and, he thought he'd get it. He may just stay now. One particular Marquette booster, and small group there, have long been fascinated with Shaka Smart, whom they thought they were hiring in 2014. Many signs pointed to Moser there, but once they knew they could get Shaka, they went that direction. I'm also interested if Dennis Gates gets scooped up this time, or if it takes another year for him to go Power 5/Big East. Marquette was pretty determined to get someone with Head Coaching experience, especially higher levels, because Wojo didn't have that. They want as quick of a build as possible. We'll see.

Roy. Like most fan groups, we overrate how good and how deep our roster really is. We also ignore our flaws. Not saying we were bad and had no talent but not the talent to run our opponents out of the gym. And yes, we were a different team pre and post COVID (and health and breathing issues from the virus likely contributed to us not running - more than your easy target of blaming Coach Ford for everything) - but you are also placing your emphasis on OOC vs conference games. Conference opponents know us, scout us and implement game plans against us. OOC - whether LSU this year or Auburn and K-State last year don’t. Big difference. Also, we cannot run if we don’t play defense. Watch Alabama tonight. Every successful good team which runs the ball and plays up tempo first plays excellent defense. We don’t. Our season is over, so I can now say: Perkins plays no defense and Yuri has done little as well. Hargrove made great strides and is better offensively but he is a liability on defense too And 2 years in a row, Yuri has been injured, worn down and JGood and Jacobs proved ineffective. JGood is gone, I have no faith in Jacobs (and even if he comes thru - he will be a Senior) and Yuri will be. Junior. We need immediate help at PG

You could just post a list of things that trigger you. Loyola doesn’t. Moser doesn’t. Texas doesn’t. Utah doesn’t. Oklahoma doesn’t etc...and many of these are ex SLU assistants, Jensen, Moser, and ex SLU opponents, Smart (That Blue Out game was probably the loudest Chaifetz game I have been to)...in the Coaching Carousel thread. Wait until we discuss other schools, Women’s Coaches etc...

Bully ball was our highly successful s6 player offense led by JGood and Isabell - not what we watched these past two years. We went to the Tournament with Bully ball. All new players and styles these past 2 years. If you don’t like our style these past 2 years, call it something else.

I put that clown on ignore years ago I suggest you do the same. Your rebuttal to his comment was fair and a good point I guess that is why he rated it as a troll. You are a very good poster on this site and I encourage you to post as you always have.

First, sorry to Brian. Was sending a text to a different Brian at the same time yesterday... And again, appreciate your concern for what I might be saying. Maybe you should focus on what I am saying instead . And look in the mirror as you repeat your own mantra: reading comprehension. I have taken heat for pointing out facts about Yuri - decreased performance, increased turnovers, bad decision making, turnovers by throwing the ball away on a last second shots, few steals, other teams not guarding him at all, the other team’s PG posting him up, his lack of height, his poor defense at the 3 point line, other guys being double teamed bc of Yuri not even being a threat. These are facts which I have said in the past - not opinions. Here are more truthful facts about Yuri in our 2 biggest games of the year: in the season ending NIT loss to Miss State , Yuri had 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 3 points, and against St Bona with our Tournament hopes on the line, Yuri had 0 steals, 2 turnovers and 1 point being outplayed by both opposing PG. Should we praise Yuri for his 9 assists and 5 assists in these bad losses? Yuri did his part but the others not? Yuri’s teammates and coaches let him down? Yesterday, I said he was OK - now that’s an opinion. At the same time, I also mentioned that he had been injured most of last year, again part of this year and likely affected physically by Covid. Untruthful opinion ? I didn’t blame Yuri for everything that has gone wrong these past two years. I could, as others have, by saying that Yuri has failed to take us to the NCAA tournament these past two years ... a truthful fact. I would say this would be truthful but also misleading. Again, pointing out bad facts and speaking the truth has lead to heat. Coincidently, I post comments about the entire team and you focus on only one: Yuri. Obsession? And before you try to re-present your same tired stat of assists per game which you obviously feel makes your argument and allows you to cancel others, I took a look at that stat. You are correct, Yuri is top 10 in assists. Here is the stat I believe you are referring to. https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/140 Note: the leader has 2 more than Yuri at 8.4 assista per game (Yuri had 6.1 per game) and the guy in 50th place had 1 less than Yuri at 4.9 assists per game. So what? Yuri had 1 more assist per game (2 points) than the 50th place guy and is only 2 assists per the top guy (4 points). Let’s assume Yuri is the leader next year with 8 assist per game - so what - we get 4 more points per game as a team? Will Yuri still score only 1 point and 3 points when our most important games are on the line? Will Yuri’s defense allow Lofton still to score 14 points and Molinar 19 points ? Scoring, defense, forcing turnovers and rebounds is more important than your assists per game stat. Does Yuri run our offense better than JGood? Of course!! I will take a PG with only 3 assists per game if he helps defensively, scores 8 to 10 ppg and can make steals and disruptions per game. Don't get me wrong, I loved the 1980s. No shot clock, 4 corners stall, no 3 point line to start the decades, shoes made out of leather, defined roles among the starters, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center, anyone over 6’6” told never to dribble or put the ball on the floor - and your favorite, a pass first point guard. Here’s some reading for you. https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/748520-college-basketball-power-rankings-top-40-point-guards-in-college-hoops-history.amp.html Let me know when you would like to talk basketball in 2021.

Lol. That's some nice spin there. All of my last 15 posts (I only went back 15) were about SLU Women's Soccer, Transfers, recruiting, Coaches during coaching changes/searches, all of which had a SLU connection, among several other things. I post about many SLU sports. It's interesting that you have posted recently about Loyola, Moser, etc...which doesn't bother me in any way. I very rarely start threads. So there is already a topic and discussion in a thread when I post. As long as there is a Coaching Carousel Thread, I will post in it at times. Any coach, Men or Women. What did you think of Aari McDonald's performance last night for Arizona? What a player at both ends? Adia Barnes, her husband, and staff have done such a great job there. I highly recommend their Regional final game vs Indiana Monday night. But Marquette triggers you so let's see...hmm. oh I have one...it's pretty interesting that three Marquette assistants were able to get head coaching jobs while Wojo was there, and yet, things didn't work out for him. Brett Nelson (Holy Cross) Stan Johnson (Loyola Marymount) Dwayne "DK" Killings (Albany) What do you think of Killings' hire of seven year Vermont assistant Hamlet Tibbs? John Becker has had a lot of success there. Maybe catch up in the SLU Women's soccer game today, or catch the SLU Men's game tonight.