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.... Then stay out of the thread.... Nobody cares that you don't like soccer. Some of us are interested in following the team. What a stupid run of post.

Friedrich forces turnover, pokes to Copeland, slots it for Kelly inside the box, taken down, penalty kick. Miller top left side netting finish on PK. 1-1 58th minute.

So you're saying basically all pro sports are boring? except hockey maybe? which imo is boring on tv and great in person. However, we don't have solid differing opinions. just different. You've long heard about the growing popularity because it's happening. The idea that soccer was going to replace football is really just a silly argument to make a non valid point. So haters can just claim "I keep hearing soccer is going to pass football in popularity in America" Well, it hasn't happened therefore soccer isn't growing. How ridiculous and silly. Soccer really started growing in the 70's as youth leagues exploded. In the 80's the major outdoor league folded and America seemed to have this short lived (thankfully) obsession with indoor soccer. As that died the MLS came into play just after the US hosted the World Cup in '94 with record setting attendance averaging almost 70k per game. (Not bad for a sport America presumably wasn't interested in) The MLS has slowly grown, the USA is producing more young talent than at any time in their history. Cities are paying and waiting in line to get an MLS franchise while agreeing to build soccer specific stadiums which are selling out in many cities. The failure to recognize the growth and increasing popularity is really just a refusal to be open minded about something in which you're not interested in. Also many polls have soccer 3rd in the USA in popularity among millennials and Gen Z. Why? because they grew up playing the game. More so than any other sport. Now we'll get to the women. ( I know, I know, the women don't count, they can't compete with the men. ) But, have you ever been to see the USWNT play? Not even an important game, just a friendly against some mediocre team. Thousands of young girls in the jersey's of their hero's screaming and going crazy. When the women played at Busch before the World Cup, that game was one of my favorite sporting events of all time. It was so much fun and watching the kids, boys and girls was amazing. Name the other women's sport that gets that kind of attention and has that much fan support. As you old fogies die off the day will come when soccer is a top 3 sport in the US. It may be another 50 years away, but it's coming. I predict one day soccer and basketball will rule the sports world. The NFL is just a criminal enterprise and MLB can't get out of it's own way.

no his best option is to remain home and play for the billikens so all his friends and relatives can watch him excel!

I heard the same. My understanding is he has things to do in March and likes the NCAA tourney but always hopes to get it over with quickly, so he realizes the Big 10 is his best option

Ask TheOne. He’ll know.

Great season. Now turn it into their best season ever.

Heavy 2nd half SLU pressure. Several chances. Lots of depth and substitution for SLU wearing Davidson down. Near misses for Miller over the bar, Groark. Several Friedreich service ans Halverson runs. 1-1 ...70th minute.

It’s hard to get the discounted Spring Break rates when your season doesn’t end until April.

Here's the rub. Become a Billiken you're going to have to continue playing basketball deep into March from here on out. Go to a Big 10 power and you play one game, maybe one weekend and you get to go home.

You’re responding to a guy who creates a new thread after every SLU men’s basketball game to provide his “recap”. He’s the most self-important poster on the board, which anyone paying attention has known for years.

It's boring to the people who don't understand the game. Personally I've never found football very exiting. I watch for 3 hours and get literally 15 minutes most of action and much of that is an off tackle run. Baseball can be boring to those who just want scoring and don't love to watch a 1-0 pitchers duel with some great defensive plays. The NBA does anything besides the last 5 minutes actually count? Your opinion of soccer's popularity though is wrong. It's growing in the US and has been for decades and I'm sure we don't need to discuss the worldwide popularity. The MLS has most teams averaging over 20k in soccer specific stadiums with few over 25k. Atlanta is 50k plus and Seattle is 40k. And it's not like people are going because it's cheap, the average ticket is approaching $50. I don't know why I'm writing this though as your mind is made up. You don't like it and find it's boring so the rest of the country must clearly agree with you. If you're talking old farts who never played soccer ... you're probably right.

@Rise —- agreed.

No doubt, Hargrove has shown incremental improvement. His shooting has clearly improved since his freshman season. I agree, this is a big season for him to take a bigger step forward. An opportunity to take on a bigger role, perhaps be a 6th man getting around 20 minutes per game or maybe even starting. As the roster stands now, I see Hargrove v. Thatch for the final starting spot. I think the key for consistent minutes is to become an excellent defender. Knocking down threes and being a dynamic finisher on the break are all be a bonus. I love his enthusiasm on the bench with Linnsen. It cracks me up. He seems like a great teammate who brings a lot of positive energy. I'm rooting for him to take on a bigger role.

In no particular order: If someone repeatedly posted in SLU basketball threads saying how much they dislike basketball, and SLU Men's basketball, many people on the board would respond negatively or ignore, and consider you a board troll. Of course you mean to be a troll. That's what you have been doing. It's okay to step up and own it. It's one thing to want more success of a SLU sport. It's another to negatively say a sport is boring to you, or not as popular as other sports (you really don't have a good grasp of various sport popularity) as if the kids should only follow the most popular crowd. And yet, here you are again, reading threads, commenting, watching what you dislike so much and find boring. Blink twice if the person next to you still has a gun to your head. "Inconsequential" What is the cut off date that schools can honor past success? Is there a particular year when history is allowed to begin? I will just let your sexist mysogony speak for itself. Yes, every college basketball game is played exactly the same as the UCLA vs Gonzaga game. 100% of the time. You mentioned Georgetown and UMass to say they got lucky one time. When it gets pointed out to you that neither is a one hit wonder in soccer and hockey, as you are not aware of the landscape, you curmudgeonly say oh those sports aren't popular anyway. It's pretty interesting because American Football has the highest ratings in the U.S., yet here you are. You then say you don't have an understanding of soccer, while quickly (again) pivoting to saying with convincing authority that your opinion is of the majority. Seems to be quite the battle going on in your head. This was a lot of words to say you want to be accepted by the popular kids. You want to be an included supporter of the teams that win the most. Or more simply put, you could have said that you wished SLU Men's Basketball won more games, as opposed to trolling one of the more successful sports at SLU. Maybe start a new thread for one of those things. Perhaps supporting one of the several schools you mentioned in your various posts would be a better fit for you. SLU has two soccer teams. This is one of the two main soccer threads. That's it. Two threads, clearly labeled. Many people who read this thread and/or post in this thread would be happy and willing to have an objective soccer discussion with anyone of sincerity.

My only confusion with the Ford criticism is I can never figure out what the actual critiques are. Some on this board seem to think he's not a tactically adept coach, but I have never heard specifically what they don't like. Our 2018-2019 team that was switching between multiple defenses mid-possession was, in my opinion, very well coached defensively. Our offensive efficiency this year was the best it's been since 2011-2012 and has improved every year under Ford. We have never struck me as an undisciplined team under Ford and we almost always play hard. Do I think Ford is perfect? Absolutely not. I have complaints about his substitutions, his sideline demeanor, his handling of late-game time management (not getting 2-for-1 against VCU was inexcusable; boggled end of game against UMass last year). But I also think that this narrative that he only recruits, or that he can't develop players, or that he just rolls the ball out and lets the team play, is only from pre-conceived notions of what Travis Ford represents as a coach and isn't actually based on what happens on the court.

More back hand slams on our head coach - Coach Ford. You must really detest him. Not an original thought in that empty head of yours. Unlike you, I think Ford has done a remarkable job of developing talent. And while I have the highest respect for RM, he had alot of misses and gave up on players rather than develop them. RM made up for this by showing many, many players the door. Ford doesn’t. Yes, RM developed his own players (BC, KM, Jett, etc) but he did very little with Liddell and Lisch - both of whom would have flourished themselves under Brad rather than RM. In fact, I believe Coach Ford has been an exceptional developer of talent as I give him credit for Roby, Bess, Isabel, JGood and Perkins. And while RM would not have recruited the same players that Coach Ford recruited, I have no doubt that RM would have shown the door to Jacobs after 1 year - and yet he developed greatly under Ford. And if we are patient, we will see real development in Yuri, Hargrove and Jimerson - all 3 who are light years ahead of when they first set foot on campus. Like an asshxole, everyone has one - an opinion. But just like your ridiculous prediction that Ford will never win an NCAA Tournament game, you are wrong on Ford’s ability to develop talent and you will soon be proven wrong on Ford’s ability to win an NCAA Tourney game.

SLU 1 St. Bonnies 0 F 2OT Hannah Larson wins it on a goal with 5 seconds remaining in double overtime:

I think the immediate transfer rule benefits a coach like Ford. He's a good recruiter and maybe not the best teacher/developer of talent. With immediate transfers you don't have to develop players just get free agents that fit your need.

Alot of prior discussions about our players and coaches, player development and how hard it is to change one’s game. Doesn’t appear to have been much development of Watson by Cuonzo Martin or by Watson himself. Not seeing much development of other players in Columbia either. And when I read your comments about Watson being a 6’4”, talented, 4 star guy struggling in high level D1 with limited dribbling and perimeter skills still relying upon what worked in high school, I think of a different 6’4” talented guy of our own who appears to be excelling in high level D1 by changing himself into a completely different player than the successful one he was in high school - Terrance Hargrove.

That’s pretty normal for sporting events as the importance increases. It’s like a playoff game compared to a regular season game in any pro sport.