Taj79

I don't think it's a "Notre Dame bias" but rather a "BCS bias." This is what happens to the non-power conference members. Frankly, I'm surprised Murray State didn't even drop out witrh their one loss. Harvard did yet did so by losing at a place (Princeton) they haven't won at in years. A rivalry week game. And Harvard now resides one notch above us in the AP poll. Only six teams are in the AP from non-power conferences. Less than 25%. In the coach's it five teams and 20%. Face it -- that's the piece of the pie we are playing for. We might only get ranked by winning out. Which is fine by me --- I hope these same coaches pay us no nevermind when it comes tournament time and we stun them when it counts.

What scares me is if the team starts looking ahead (overlooking the current needs) like this board already seems to be doing. The clkiche is "one game at a time." I think that applies here for another reason: a season like this doesn't happen very often so relish it and enjoy every victory. Savor it. Act like you belong.

like our radio guys and find rammer to be the more emphatic one. does anyone have a link or know where to get background on these two gems? i know earl has a web site but is there anything else? why are they our radio team? what's their pedigree. past experiences? just a fact sheet/bio kind of thing.

They all scare me. About as much as Umass didn't.

This is pretty hilarious but it just again goes to show beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wanted to shout out "get a stretcher please the man is dying" when Wright was on the ground with that obvious fake display of an injury. European soccer players would have been proud. I refrained because everyone would have heard me and identified me and it was so hushed and quiet. Giannini was on the floor looking lost attending to the kid --- it was obvious he wanted to "work" the refs but the little black guy stood tall and pointed right to the player as if to say "attend to him or leave the court." And despite this overwhelming injury, Wright was back in at the next dead ball. No acadmey award on this one. Duren's loose ball timeout was a good call by the kid. I will say the author is right on on Galloway. This guy was out of control but neither of the two suggested replacements could do much in terms of replacing the team's leading scorer. If they were illegal blocks onm the Bills, La Salle's guys were fouling trying to get through them. And none of that was called. We complain just as much but we do stop short of calling them corrupt. How can this be voted the best site in the A10? If I were Steve, I'd file a protest. We need to get on that polling place and put this idiot to shame. Up with Billikens.com!

You have to make it so that they CANNOT overlook you. Just win, baby. That is the only lock.

roy - KC. KC - roy. Ho hum.

Interesting. Count me in jumping from 7 and 9 to Final Four. Why not?

If you subscribe to the belief that it takes big men a little longer to develop, and factor in Cory's age of 17 at the time of enrollment, there has to be a correlation. If only Cory can do next year what Brian is doing this year. Wouldn't that be a real dream-come-true sequence? Cory has the look of alow blocks game and his assists Saturday speak volumes into his understanding what to do if double teamed. Hope springs eternal.

Never mind. Just looked it over. Nice statistical recounting.

I have not read this but at first blush how can Florida State not have a positive. They beat Duke. In Cameron. They demolished North Carolina.

Did I say that? I think I attempt to stay away from any "predictions" on the Bills rather content to allow my detractor(s) to substitute synonyms wherever and whenever necessary. I thought I very distinctly stayed away from ever saying the Bills will win or the Bills will lose ---- I never WANT the Bills to lose, mine and their history together just makes me slow on the uptake to fanatical lunacy. Ooooh, look, I got three ninja's for breaking my usual in-person results. Trust me, I am proud of those ninjas! Seeing this team yesterday from about 15 feet away showed me one thing a television or internet or Rammer feed cannot --- namely their resolve. When the going got tough, the Bills got going and La Salle blinked and faded. The look and feel of this team is decidely different. A while back, I said an above average team wins all its games at home and is there in contests on the road, winning their share,more than they lose. This is a well above-average team. They took some torpedoes in the side when the 7 and 9 projection was made but have rebounded beautifully. They could have folded and been just another edition of the lame Billiken program that precedes them. Their talent level is more a sum of the individual parts than any one individual with different guys stepping up when needed. Ellis on Wednesday; Remekun, Evans and McCall at different parts yesterday with Ellis nowhere to be seen. Thats what good teams do. I'd also say lady luck is riding shotgun for us right now. Don't discount that. Those in the know know what I mean. Half of the game is 90% mental? Trevor Mbakwe. Pe'shon Howard. Fab Melo. The Crosstown Shootout. Josh Benson. A full compliment of players in all classes. Today is the highwater mark of the season. Let's go higher.

All the systems are working ---- they cause debates much like this thread. Again,win out and see what happens. I cannot believe that a 28 and 5 record, champs of the A10 (the sixth best conference in land) gets you anything below a five or six seed. And kshoe is right ---we cannot play in St.Louis but Mizzou can (and likely will).

I would think the Wiz is talking in the here and now and knows for sure what happened where. I am also sure that with his system, we'd be favored in his book at Liacouras. Doubt the result would be good but you never know. Temple gives us fits because they seem to always have those long,lean athletic types ---- usually with guards bigger than our guards and usually big men more mobile and athletic than our bigs. Against Eric, Lee and Hollis-Jefferson, we can only really counter athletically with Remekun. I'd guess Evans gets Moore but Moore is POY in the A10 in my book right now. Plus, their bigs can readjust and get out on Ellis and Loe quicker and negate some open looks. I'd settle for a SLU/Temple final on the boards. But that will be a de facto home game for the Owls. I'dalso like to see Temple play X in the 1/4game the night before. Slugfest and tiring.

.... that 7 and 9 is now impossible in conference? Just thought I point that out. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Shuman?

Toss up ----- depth and defense for this team; shooters and smart players for the H/Claggs team. Trending up with only half of February left. Bills have never made second weekend of Dance. That would seem to separate teams. If it came down to having the ball and a last second shot to win, I want the Claggs team.

@duff -- thanks. @wiz --- not worried about what the point differential is, but about the boost emotion might bring to the home team plus the disadvantage sight lines and unfamiliarity might add to the contest. In my book, neither La Salle nor St. Joe's has any business being on the same court as Temple and no matter the location, I'd pick Temple over La Salle anywhere but St. Joe's might be able to ride th eemotion at Hagan and win. But that's why you play the games.

I was impressed late yesterday when something went amiss on the court. The team wasn't lined up right, McCall seemed in the wrong place and it led to a turnover. It might have been when Conklin passed to Mitchell who was going left and Conk passed right and hit the wide open Rick Majerus on the bench. A timeout ensued and Conk came off yelling "Mike!" I thought it was great senior leadership and it was also taken well by McCall. He didn't sulk or anything. Just seemed to get more determined. That to me said a lot. Additionally, sitting that close to the bench, one could see the discussions going on between Mitchell and Majerus and Cassity and Majerus. Thery are his obviously kids and play well for him. But its not necessarily a dictatorship. Conversely, I saw at least three times where Conk or Evans or Remekun set the midcourt screen for the guards bringing the ball up and while none of them nailed Galloway the way Conk did the Washington and Duquesne players, Galloway was screaming at his teammates in frustration to call out screens. I came away not liking Galloway the player.

Given the special situation of Philly's Big Five, are the "road" games real road games or do they go and tip them at the Palestra? I know the Hawks played them at Liacouras so I am guessing that means payback on Hawk Hill. What about La Salle?

Problem was that we were in North Philly. Guessing the scene lost some in travel distance and translation. I never felt the game was La Salle's to win. I always felt it was ours to lose. We were just so much better than them ----- despite our limitations inside, we were better; they could not shoot, we do; our bench was far more deeper than theirs; and our defense is second to none. All it took was that shot by McCall and a few failings by a less-than-average La Salle team. I thought they played a better,Philly-style one-on-one game, ours is a team game. I liked that. I thought St. Joe's was the better, more talented Philly team.

oops, lostthe Richmond game. Very pleased with the St.Joe result andthe Dayham/Forton thing seems appropriate what with overtime. And Xavier has nothing when Mack messes with one of his two heads. He benched Lyons for "head in wrong place" and did not start him. There isn't a single guy on Xavier that scares me outside of Markie-Mark and Tutu. Wells has potential; all the others are struggling into oblivion.

First ---- I have been hard on CR and for yesterday's effort and results, change that view to tyhe positive. While i think he being the second coming of kenyon Martin vwill NOT hppen, the signs are trending upthat he can be morelike yesterday than what was in the past. He is our most physical specimen right now and we need him. The dunkprior tohis, by the La Salle kid, energized the student crowd.Cory's return and one shut it down again. Secondly --- maybe KC has discovered his "niche." There are roles to be played on every team and there is a role and a need for KC. If that's off the bench, then it seems to me, Majerus has made that decision and maybe feel;s better doing so now that MM has stepped it up. Mike's three was the minute breathing room we needed yesterday and came at a great time. What concerns me is the rotation because if KC comes in so does JJ and our reluctance to take an open jumper is doubled. There is not one kid on this team that deserves any criticism right now. They are hitting on all cyclinders. Its nice to win like this. Its nice to win when a kid like Ellis goes off as he did on Hawk Hill. But he was a non-factor yesterday (foul trouble) and we found a way to win. Aces in my book.

"Lose?" Don't you mean favored?

We had a contingent of about 50 strong at the game,maybe more. I counted nearly 40 of us in the luncheon and I know tarheel was having car problems from Meg. There was a group of guys from St. Louis that flew up, something to do with the team or the athletic department. I spoke at length to one on the walkover from the La Salle Union to the game. They all got "uniforms," nice blue SLU thermal pullovers, hence the ease in picking them out. About 12 to 15 in that group. Chris May was there. Declan O'Neill and I spoke. Also chatted with Darren Pais and SLU Nick. Our seats occupied about the first seven rows behind the Billiken bench. Had a lengthy conversation with may at half. Didn't get to Earl, Rammer and Timmerman as they were on theother side and the ushers were pretty ticket conscious. Did spend short timewith Earl at half. Won ugly, what can I say. I said to my wife that this was a prize fight, punch and jab, no real ballet of basketball going on. La Salle is not good. As in NOT good. I said I'd take Roberts and Aiken from Wednesday game but there isn't a guy on La Salle I'd want for anything more than mop-up duty. Sure Wright has somenice dunks but with our front line, that's okay. CR came to play and brought his best game ever, and I know I've been hard on him. He is the only guy on our bench who meets up with equal physicality when we face guys like Wright and White. Ramon Galloway appeared to be auditioning for the role of Curly Nealwith the Globetrotters. Sure, it brought oohs and aahs from the student section,but he also dribbled into seven turnovers and hurt his team more. However, if that ain't carrying the ball,I don'tknow basketball. I liked Duren lastyear; himandGalloway onthe same court is tough because of only one ball to play with and Galloway seems tothink its his. Mills was nothing,Zack was nothing, and while it seemed allPettis in their first half, he disappeared in the second. Their "band" was, sorry la Salle, putrid, only seven off-key members there. The keyboard guy must have had a hard night, he was dozing with his head down on the keys at least twice. While the little girl on the dance team was "hefty," she likely had the best moves out there and might have been the captain of the whole bunch. I found it funny that the student section chanted "L-S-U" ---- I understand why but the Bayou Bengals have that one wrapped up. I hope we never wear pink sneakers. Not against the cause mind you but still .... One of the La Salleites overheard me say we "are bigger than them" ands remarked he didn't fully understand how big we were. I think we tried to play to that advantage, passing over the top to Evans and/ Conklin when they had Mills or Pettis on them. La Salle was quick to the ball and doubled but we did not recognize it quick enough or they over-rotated to pick up the doublers' man. We needed one more pass but we seemed to lower the ball down where short hands had a better chance of hitting it free. It wasnot a free-form game but we proved we can stay and win in those situations too. A great week and a great sweep. Can't wait for AC. Need to remain focused and take care of business this week. I got to high five just about all the players as they moved from one side of the court to the other after the game. Lots of giddiness, lots of self-confidence. This is a whole new position as far as i can see. Philly guys,who are knowledgable despite the rep, recognize Evans as a beast in the making. Cory's dunk made highlight reels inPhilly that evening as we enjoyed dinner at the Great American Pub in Conshohocken. La Salle: still don't know why anyone would go there, its in the middle of a section of Philly that looks a lot like the old West Pine area with stone homes in states of disrepair. Walking to the Union, the campus interior was nice enough. Phills is such a dirty city with litter everywhere. The band had seven or nine members and clearly was coordinating some sort of hangover recovery. The dance and cheer squads seemed somewhat amateurbut get an A for effort. Attendance was about 3K which was one of if not their best crowdof the season. Gola is still a pit but you get a great view. One of the SLU guys told me Rose Hill Gym is still the worst but Gola was a close second. La Salle nation seemed less snobby than St. Joe's nation --- Jesuit factor I guess.

Me and the missus. Tarheel and wife. I am guessing BillyKen and Bizziken. One other guy who I always see in Philly and AC although I don't know his name. Likely more seeing as the Alumni Club is running the show. Make sure we meet and greet.