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  1. Hoosier, I completely disagree here. Okoro is in fact better than French for the overall team performance in that he lets the offense run through the guys who actually have a semblance of scoring ability from 3 feet away from the basket. All we need him to do is guard the rim and rebound. Him hitting 80% of his free throws may be the thing that propels us to the NCAA tournament. French lost multiple games last year with his lack of FT shooting. Okoro is so valuable for us right now in that he can succeed without the ball in his hands.
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  2. Yes, Absolutely nothing more than a hunch. LOL You are creative with numbers. You called the FG per game a wash even though the numbers favor French due to your hunch. Then you give Okoro credit for turnovers but not French for assists. So the ball going through French though noted wasn't enough to get him your point on turnovers, but the ball going through him more does negate his assist advantage. Why put up the actual stats when in reality it's just basically the way you feel, not based on any true reality BTW ... This is Jr year Hasahn French Stats 12.4/10.4/2.3 It's a little early to imo to start claiming Okoro is better than French was. I'm very happy with Okoro but we seem to be forgetting how good French actually was.
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  3. 1 - I'm comparing a season in which French started all 19 games played, to the current one in which Okoro has played 5 and started in none. It's not apples-to-apples but also not a favorable advantage to either man. 2 - I'm using Common Core math really I just think if he had 6 extra minutes per game we'd see an extra two or three buckets out of him and that's not mathematically accurate but we've seen how he runs the floor, or the block-to-fast break layup we saw yesterday...I can't help but think he'd get in a better rhythm with those extra minutes and we'd see 4 FGM per game. 3 - This is something I hope levels out more as the season plays on. Maybe it's due to playing in a new system in a new state after a full year off and covid crazy?? We'll see, but yeah you're correct. Hard to objectively compare the two, but, SUBJECTIVELY, I'm taking FO 3/4 times.
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  4. SLU 5 LIU 1 Early diagonal balls for SLU over the defense, switching fields to open up the LIU midfield. It didn’t take long to open up the game, and to make LIU change up a bit. LIU never had a chance to play the formation or style they wanted. 4th minute, Vaughn gets a ball wide and sends a nice diagonal ball far side of the box for Klein who settles and finishes. 1-0. 17th minute, Palazzolo wins a ball in the defensive midfield, back heels, turns, gets past another player, sends it wide of the box to Parker service to Klein again, far post header finish. 2-0. 21st minute, Parker sends one into the box, Becher draws several defenders, as he often does with the ball in the box, patient, lays it off for Buendia for the finish. 3-0 23rd minute. Unlucky for SLU. Very poor call gave a free kick outside of the box for LIU. Shot deflects off of a jumping wall and redirects to the far corner 3-1. 47th minute, Schulte launches a long ball, defensive header flicks it on and Becher wins a 1v1 battle, heads it past the defender and toe pokes far post. 4-1 Back breaker goal there. 70th minute, Komodi corner headed out to Palazzolo top of the box, settles and volleys upper 90, left foot. One of these games, the opposing team will learn not to leave AJ all alone center at the top of the 18 on corners. Hopefully not any time soon. 5-1. Very efficient finishing for SLU, which is what they’ll need next weekend. Very accurate passing. Poise on the ball. Clean game. The game was physical and spirited, which is playoff soccer. Schulte Murana, Keller, Niece, Vaughn Leeth, Buendia, Palazzolo, Parker Klein, Becher This is what we talked about prior to the season when thinking SLU had a chance for a special team this year. Difference making finishing, depth with a 2nd 11, transfer adds, Freshmen, etc…with an already experienced, strong backline, keeper etc…1st 11. Duke is good. But so is SLU. Duke will play a more direct attacking style, which SLU prefers. They are battle tested. It should be a fun game. SLU was 4 minutes away from a home game against UCLA, (attacking style team) but Duke finally broke through while UCLA was playing with 10, for 2 goals late to win it. SLU would need a win, and, a Washington home loss to Indiana to get one more home game. (Might want to put in some extra seats behind the goal if SLU played IU. Sweet 16 is set. Great crowd and atmosphere for a college soccer game at SLU today.
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  5. This is our 35th time in the round of 16 in the NCAA soccer tournament
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  6. That's if we are comparing 5 games 3 of which were absolute Patsy's for Okoro against French's numbers against everyone. We are also on Jr year Okoro, so lets compare with Jr year French not the Covid season
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  7. Yes, they could absolutely lose 4 or 5 games on conference play. They could lose at Chaifetz, at Mason, lose to Rhodey, Davidson, Richmond, they could step on an A10 land mine just as easily as any other A10 favorite in any other year. We’re 5 games in. Sure, the rest of the league hasn’t looked great, but Bona didn’t exactly look great until last night. And let’s not pretend Marquette is Michigan. Sure, it’s nice to beat a Power 6 school, but they were still picked 11th in the Big East. Do I think the Bonnies are the easy betting favorites? Of course I do. I just don’t understand this inherent need to crown them A10 champs on November 21st. I don’t understand why that’s necessary.
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  8. I get it. I just wasn't sure if it was mandated that the lower seed host the game or if there was some discretion there. It is a shame too. A few measly ranking points robs NCAA soccer of another huge attendance number.
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  9. I agree, that French was a better passer at times, but he consistently frustrated me with his penchant for holding the ball too long...at this point, the ball movement has been far better with Linssen and Okoro...
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  10. Once Okoro can stay on the floor for 25 min a game, he will be approaching Bonner numbers in the rebounding department. In a very small sample size, he's averaging an absurd 9 rpg in less than 19 min a game.
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  11. Watching the video back. He waived goodbye to LIU’s bench too. All of these dudes are so cocky in the best way.
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  12. They would most likely need to bring in extra seating for a home game vs Indiana. They could have used seating behind the goal yesterday, add in - bigger game, Indiana fans traveling and locally connected players and an associate head coach you’re looking at 9k+ easily. the only issue I had yesterday and I went into it a bit on the podcast is, if you’re going to try to pack the stadium like that, you need to bring some ushers over from Chaifetz.
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  13. Senior year spring break some friends and I were in Cabo at the bar cheering on SLU beating Memphis at the NCAA tourney. We had everyone at the bar into the game. I like to think we created some new fans...
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  14. Not sure about Old Guy but when I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.
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  15. Do you see Bona losing more than 3 games in an 18 game conference schedule? Because they've had that type of run with less "dominant" teams then the current one. They don't have to be 2019 Dayton to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league. It's their conference record we're competing against for the title of top dog in the A-10. The best conference record we've managed in the Travis Ford era is 12-6. We've got a lot more to prove than Bona does. I'm not afraid to concede that. I will also gladly talk trash to our resident Bona fan if we do overtake them.
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  16. Franco is directly from the official billiken tweets. Next time I'll just say FO.
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  17. 1. Some people don't want to wear masks. 2. Some people don't trust the others to wear their masks so they don't want to be around people yet. 3. Casual fans don't care to watch buy games. 4. Fans know band less than full strength I'm going w #4
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  18. Franco is apparently what the team calls Okoro. It's not an attempt at being cute.
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  19. Oh, I didn’t take it as a criticism of the basketball. It is just amazing how successful the soccer program has been and it is great to see them return to national prominence.
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  20. This is one of those generational things where we'll just have to agree to disagree. Rah rah guys give fans warm and fuzzies but there is a segment of young men these days that is quite introverted. It doesn't mean that they're not committed to the team.
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  21. Okoro will get much better at finishing at the rim as the season goes along. You don’t come right back from not playing and not practicing for a year at an all conference level. That takes court time.
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  22. Respect to the UCLA player for taking down Thor
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  23. Riviera Maya is like a suburb of Cancun. Maybe 30 minutes from downtown Cancun. If you are looking to vacation there the area is more sedate and less built up.
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  24. I wish we were ranked on attendance but we aren't so because Duke is the 7th seed and we are the 10th, we are at Duke. If we can get enough SLU fans out there, we can certainly make it more of a homefield feel for the boys. I think hanging out with the in-laws over the holidays has a three day shelf life, so cut it one day short and get out to Durham. If they are not hosting, then they need to take down their ticket portal for the game: https://goduke.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=MS&linkID=duke-athletics&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=
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  25. Nice post. In order to address your point, let's look at the last game with Mercer....a terrible shooting FT team....Yet against us, instead of shooting low to mid 60% area, they shot 80%. Yet that extraordinary performance yielded them 2 extra pts over what was expected and made no difference. FT shooting will only make a difference in a close game. In ISU's case, they take a lot of FT /gm...29. When you play poor teams you get fouled more. The poor teams can't defend the dominant team so they tend to foul more. I have already baked in 76.9% FT in the model. We won't give up 29 FTA, but for this example let's say we do....let's also say that ISU does the impossible and shoots 100%. We give up an extra 7 pts and we still win easily. Imagine that FT shooting is a knife....and that FG% and 3P% are guns. To quote Indiana Jones....Never bring a knife to a gun fight. If we lose this game, it won't be because of FT shooting...it will be because we didn't bring ammo for the guns. Here is hoping that The Bills bring out the big guns.
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  26. If FO could finish around the rim like French, the Memphis game probably stays competitive for a lot longer.
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  27. -always a good time for a classic
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  28. We can agree to disagree, right? Here is what I want to see out of Okoro...finish at the rim. Show an ability to pass out of the double teams as French did. I certainly hope he exceeds my expectations, but so far he hasn't. Of course, the number of games Okoro has played for the Bills makes this all rather meaningless so far, right? French's FT's % doesn't even need to be discussed. I wonder how many more rebounds French would have grabbed if he didn’t have to ‘battle’ Goodwin for many of them.
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  29. It has been a refreshing start to the season. Mercer could have easily been an L if Ford doesnt make the defensive adjustment to contain the pick and pop center. I was a little frustrated when we didnt push the ball up the court against Mercer. I know we have 1-2 turnovers doing it every game but the breakneck pace after a defensive board really helps fuel our guys and decimate the opponent's will. The Yuri push to Nesbitt, then Nesbitt no dribble cross court to Jimmer for corner 3 was the turning point in the game. It gives our guys the notion that we are superior and our opponents start thinking....oh man these guys are good....then they tend to play a little tighter. Every win is a good win after watching the absolute dumpster fire going on in the rest of the A-10 non conference. We cannot overlook anyone, including illinois st. I think it is a fantastic luxury that if any one Bill decides to take the night off, then there are 4 hungry bench players ready to come in and perform. I thought Nesbitt playing bad defense and sitting for long stretches is really good for the overall team performance. if you want to play, you cant take a minute off or Thatch/Traore/Williams is going to come in and prove that they should be in the rotation. I expect Nesbitt to bounce back tomorrow night and be much more focused. It honestly would not shock me if he scored 25+
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  30. I’m all for scoring goals with toe, laces, inside/outside of the foot, sliding with bottom side of cleats. Whatever it takes. (The Forward, attacking player in me who counted all of them the same, lol) That of course is different from teaching 7 year olds, of which, there’s always a few that need some technique instruction for ball striking. For me, the term just means the type of goal. Actual strike location on the boot may vary.
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  31. Have to love the way Bécher turned towards the stands and was already celebrating the goal while the ball was still five feet away from crossing the goal line. He is such a natural talent - born to be a #9.
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  32. Honestly, we should have been hosting a Sweet 16 game regardless of the outcome of other games, but we were shafted a bit with the 10th overall seed instead of something 8 or higher. Another home game next weekend after the performance they put on yesterday would have been packed & absolutely crazy. A home game Elite 8 matchup versus Indiana would be even more nuts. Two most decorated soccer programs in the County for a trip to the Final Four. It's the equivalent of Duke or UNC vs Kentucky or UCLA in basketball. Definitely rooting for Indiana to upset Washington so this scenario can play out.
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  33. I think you’re discounting the nicked up factor and how that affects the player. In our 13-14 season our 5 guys got to a top 10 ranking prior to conf games. Then we started getting players nicked up. I think both Jett and Evans were playing with minor injuries. Consequently we fell in the rankings and went out in the second round. Yes, these guys are in exceptional shape, but little nicks and bruises can take their toll. And it’s rare any team goes thru a whole season without a player(s) getting banged up. I like what STB’s is doing but am skeptical they will go thru the entire season unscathed.
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  34. FWIW....I think the bigger issue is not that they are tired from running or just exhaustion due to exertion. It is the banging of the games. The bumps, bruises, sprains, and aggregate soreness from the physical contact and beating without a full break to rest and recover. Jett was still in great shape and had great energy at the end of the season, but the tailbone bruise certainly had an impact on his explosiveness.
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  35. Doubting the iron man 5 approach will take you far in regards to the dance. This should be deja vu for Bills fans from the 13-14 season. 5 guys playing 90% of the minutes will take you only so far.
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  36. Just one if, but it seems like we’re on the same page. Next few weeks are telling.
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  37. they sounded good yesterday. quietest part of game is when they played, I mean that as a good thing. all that intro music & loud TO Dj ing is maddening IMO.
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  38. We are gonna need the rat pack, the brat pack, and any other pack we got to beat the Bonnie’s
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  39. I just disagree. They looked good in the 1st half tonight, but they’ve been FAR from dominant to start the season and eeked out a couple wins they probably shouldn’t have. We can ABSOLUTELY play with and beat this Bonnies team. They still only play 6 guys and are mediocre at best from deep. Don’t get me wrong, the Bonnies are a very good team. They deserve to be the favorites to win the A10 this year. But they ARE NOT the Dayton team from a couple years ago with Obi and Crutcher. They’re just not.
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  40. I don't think so. I'll give Lofton the edge over Collins given his better offense. Jimerson and Welch at a minimum zero each other out. I'm leaning pro Jimerson because he is more than a spot up shooter and I'm leaning towards Welch for his defense and rebounding. Holmes barely beats Nesbitt given he's a senior and Nesbitt's a freshman. Adaway and Hargrove could Z each other out as well but Adaway is the glue for the Bonnies. Offensively, Linssen easily distance Osunniyi but Osun catchs up on the defensive end. Which takes us to the bench. I'd take ours over theirs any day. Okoro, Thatch, Jones, Traore and Strickland are actually living breathing bodies. The Bonnies don;t have any. Yet. The Bonnies can be had on the court with foul trouble, and on the bench with any kind of injury. They lose any guy to a Perkins-like injury, and they could be meat.
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  41. I know nothing about soccer, but how does a team go undefeated and get a 10 seed?! Does the NCAA football selection committee also do soccer?!? Lol.
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  42. Dean's original comedy duo before Jerry Lewis had a hit put on Franco?
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  43. Even with the school giving away free tickets the attendance yesterday was very subpar. This has to be a bit concerning.
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  44. I too like GJ going to the hoop. that will eventually pay dividends at the arc. Would like him to do more of the little things. Should be averaging more than 1 rebound and 0 assists. Amazed at Franco's free throw shooting. With Martin's solid FT%, we don't have any hack-a-shaq candidates.
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  45. Last year Earl Austin said, "It's not the coach's job to make the players happy. It's the player's job to make the coach happy." Coach needs to make sure we get the W and not worry about everyone getting a participation ribbon.
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  46. Some of my thoughts on the game: Overall I thought this was the most professional performance we've had so far. Responded well to early adversity. Nobody forced the issue too much offensively and we kept our principles on defense. Mercer was well organized and certainly had players capable of getting buckets against A-10 level defenders. Goes without saying but Fred's performance was a revelation. He does an outstanding job of absorbing contact and is a testament to the value of two-foot finishing. Always keeps his balance when going to the basket. He also is really patient on his drives which I think is a harder skill than it looks. A strong game by Jimerson. I think his biggest improvement from last year is his body. He's clearly more athletic this year and it's allowing him to utilize his size more than ever before. I love his aggressiveness looking to score (and we need it with no JP), but I am not sure than Jimerson is capable of throwing a pass. Two areas that he'll improve on as the year goes along are (1) making the easy pass when he drives rather than forcing tough shots near the basket and (2) hunting more threes, and making them. I expect his 3-point shooting to become more of a factor soon. Great game by Hargrove. He's doing a very good job of finding space in the halfcourt whether it's at the high-post or creating spacing with his spot ups. He's a sneaky all-conference candidate this year. Yuri and Linssen have a really nice connection on the pick and roll. Yuri knows where Marten can do damage on the roll and Linssen is great at putting himself in a good position to receive the feed from Yuri. You can see Okoro's confidence increasing each game. I'm frankly shocked by how good his FT stroke looks. He never blocked as many shots at Oregon as you would think given his length and athleticism, but you can tell his defensive timing is improved. I think we're at our best with him on the floor because he covers so much space on defense and his mobility on offense creates offensive rebounds out of nothing. Obviously not Nesbitt's best game, but I thought he actually did a good job of not forcing things on offense and he made two really nice passes to Gibson. His defense is better than we typically get from freshmen. Fred was the hot hand so Nesbitt had to take a backseat today, but Jordan is the only player besides Yuri and Deandre who the coaching staff trusts to initiate offense. He is a very useful safety valve when the opposition picks up Yuri full court like they did today. Speaking of Deandre, I thought this was one of his better games. His confidence is growing, and he was a little more aggressive than in prior games wrt pushing the ball and looking to get shots for others. I was iffy on this pickup when we got him, but he is filling a crucial role right now. I didn't think our matchup zone was very good today, but clearly Travis sees some upside in the Match Zone as a secondary look on defense. I think this is a worthwhile point to monitor as season evolves to see how often we go to this as a different look on d. I was kinda bummed that the staff decided to ditch the suits today. Attendance seemed light. We need this to pick up soon.
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  47. On Post Game Coach said he met with Thatch on Thursday to discuss his Memphis performance. Coach complimented his maturity, keeping his head up and having his career game. (No, no mention of Fred reading this board and figuring he needed to do better, as some MBM's have posted.)
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  48. Also of note: one of Mercer's subs is Jalen Johnson! No, not former SLU player Jalen Johnson. He's at Texas A&M now (after stops at Louisiana and Mississippi State), but is out for the year after tearing his ACL. No, not this Jalen Johnson either. He struggled through half a season at Duke last year, but quit (maybe because of injuries, maybe because Duke wasn't very good), got drafted into the NBA and now plays for the Hawks (currently of Atlanta, formerly of St. Louis). No, not this Jalen Johnson either. He started his career at Murray State before transferring to UIC. Also not this Jalen Johnson either. He is in his 3rd season at Alabama A&M and seems to be the only Jalen Johnson who has been able to stick in one place. Yes, last season you potentially could have fielded an entire DI starting lineup of Jalen Johnsons if you recruited properly. They go 6'1", 6'6", 6'6", 6'7", and 6'9" too, so you wouldn't even necessarily have anyone playing too much out of position. "Jalen, set a pick for Jalen to free him up for a pass from Jalen while Jalen pops to the 3 point line & Jalen crashes the boards...er...Johnson, set a pick for Johns...ugh never mind." Amazingly these 5 Jalen Johnsons who all had overlapping careers to some extent appear to be the ONLY Jalen Johnsons in the college basketball reference database which seems to have complete team rosters (at least for SLU) going back into the 1980s and has random players going at least as far back as Easy Ed. Mercer's Jalen Johnson started his career at Tennessee and played 3 forgettable season there (stats wise) before going to Wake Forest for 1 and finally ending up at Mercer for his COVID year. He was super highly touted top 25 recruit out of high school, but hasn't lived up to that at all. Although he was a year behind SLU's Jalen Johnson, I can recall when trying struggling to find info on SLU's Jalen Johnson because that you had to wade through a ton of stuff on this more highly regarded Jalen Johnson first.
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  49. With Perkins, yes, they might've.
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