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Sorry. Got busy at work. I don't have an announcement but after chatting with Javonte today I am more positive about his chances of returning than I was after talking to him a couple months ago.

If you have watched St. Peters play, you see a very small team with tenacious defense. While we have had probably the most athletic Billiken team in history, we often didn't maintain high energy defense, and I know Ford preaches it. Players sitting on the end of the bench have to play aggressive defense when they get their chances. The coaches see these guys every day. They also see their work ethic. Coaches also love players that work hard. Recruiting high-school players is always a gamble. Will the talented player mature? He says the right things, but will he do the right things? Will a player that loves street ball embrace defense and playing within a system? Will he fold in adversity or double down on his effort? Under Ford, the players on the floor are generally the ones working the hardest.

I’m not saying you’re wrong; but you could have the same complaint about 99% of teams across college basketball. Gonzaga only plays 8 goes deep, Villanova basically plays 6, Duke plays 8, etc. I think the examples of teams playing more than 8-9 guys are few and far between.

What did the Greg Lansky tweet say?

Is Bobby aware that Billikens.com MBM’s don’t think this is a good fit. I know it’d be cruel to Jimmy but could someone please reach out to Huggins and let him know that Jimmy is a bad fit. WTF is he clueless?

I'd like to see more mid-major programs build a roster of players who where great defenders in high school, support them with a couple of shooters and see what happens. I've seen various coaches recruit athletes with poor defensive fundamentals and try to mold them into plus defenders. It fails more often than not.

Thatch's 17 game conference stats: 29.8 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 46% FG, 45% 3FG (best on team), 78% FT, and 31 Assists, 23 TO, 11 Blocks, 17 Steals. No one who watched the Billikens will argue his defensive presence was a plus. If we find a power paint transfer/recruit that can top those stats, that player would be pretty darn good and likely destined for P5.

And they’re playing in Philly. Only 100 miles door to door. Somebody bus the student body down for the Elite 8 game!!! Brotherly love!

Except that neither was good enough. How many practices did you go to that enabled you to observe their skill level or ability to contribute competitive minutes. Or maybe the 80 minutes you saw them play over 3 months allows you to grasp their abilities better than the coach who saw them 80+ min almost daily. im constantly amazed we do t have more D1 coaches on this board.

They do if they shoot 40% from 3 like Thatch did in conference play. To act like thatch in conference play wasn’t playing like a fringe all-league guy is lying to yourself averaged 11/6 in 29 mins. 45% from the field and 42% from 3 in a10 play I was as out on thatch as anyone in nov but he was completely different in the second half of the season. Spent most of his time on the floor as the secondary ball handler as well. With Perkins coming back, there are less balls to go around. Fred is the perfect 5-7 guy. A good shooter and a plus defender and rebounder who can guard 4 positions in todays game i don’t understand the posters who develop an opinion and can’t change it based on a player’s development Also, no one is “riding with his years team”. We’re (knock on wood) adding the a10 POY. You think that’ll make a difference?

Literally in his post said “at the same level or higher” the only one you’d have half an argument was at this level was Yarbrough at ISU. And they dealt with a lot with him

Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

B1G requires 9 to reap the early NCAA unit$ since none of them earn unit$ in Elite 8 and Final 4.

Big 10 9 teams in NCAA Tourney...0 teams in the Elite 8!

Metz

This is easy to stop. Just review all games and if a player flops or feigns injury. Red Card for next game increasing 1 per offense. Someone just has to want to stop it

games are short and coaches want there best players on the floor as much as possible, i will not take the time to look it up but i bet you will find most schools do not go past 8 players with meaningful minutes. the coaches watch and chart every practice, they know who can play and who cant and with transfer portal players dont want to sit and develop and work on skills. cant put all of this transfer stuff on the coach. players have little patience

I think Traore has the athleticism, plus defense and rebounding to be a solid 2nd big. Defense is what this roster is currently lacking, so Traore is a good fit. We have enough scorers. For the 3rd big, rather than a Jimmy Bell type low-post player, I'd rather see a stretch big who could provide some minutes at the 5, but could also get some minutes at the 4 alongside Okoro.

I think it is easier for the coach and staff to concentrate upon a group of 8 to 10 players and use the others as practice players, and for occasional relief of the playing group. The ones not playing should leave looking for better opportunities elsewhere. I wish Strickland and Traore had played more this year, we might have done better.