Taj79

My comments on CE above stand. In today's vernacular, he is what he is. I did not advocate sitting him, just pointing out that he has limitations as to his position in a traditional lineup. I agree that he should however still be on the floor ... as should Loe as should Evans. I'd limit the minutes of Salescich and Remekun and especially Eckerle ... they become the firemen of this roster, sliding down the pole and into action as emergency responders. But in playing CE, you have to understand the tradeoff you are making given who matches up with him.

The very fact that you are on this board means about a 99.9% chance you will cheer WR on his return. I would. Same with KM, although he might even face tougher scrutiny. Not by me. Having said that, I have serious reservations as to whether o rnot we will see WR in Billiken Blue again. I hope I am proven wrong but only time will tell.

I suspect Temple, like Xavier and Dayton, is just too athletic. Even LaVoy Allen is more of a perimeter lover than an inside banger. Only Michael Eric is a stationary lug on the Temple roster. Ellis will never be an athletic big man. He is a spot-up shooter who is too slow to cover quick threes, and too over-matchd to guard hulking fours. His defensive liabilities might be best hidden in a zone defense. Which we DON'T play.

I's buy some as well.

Redshirt. See my post on the "Inconsistency" thread. Sum of all parts and even with KM a serious part is missing --- not necesarrily WR but an interior game. An interior option. Bay Area's defensive goalie presnce --- whether that's WR with CR or WR with CR and JM. Again, next year's question remains this year's and that is "can anybody shoot this rock?"

KC is a role player at best, currently playing outside his role. So too is BC. When RM and others lament "havng no sniors" net year he will hav seniors and those guys will be KC, BC and PE. I expect they will lead by example and by vocal power --- I do not expect them to all f a sudden grow a set and become someone they are not. I see KC and BC as complimentary DI players --- but they can only compliment something already on the court. They are the current go-to guys and that won't work. Ceer them on for trying --- billikan will be happy! Everyone on this team is a role player and key roles are missing: go-to guy, point guard, window washing goalie, rebounder, and shooter(s). If we had a rive-and-dish (KM) guy teams respected, it would cause help defense which in turn would allow more space for these role-playing shooters (CS/CE/RL/MM) to possibly get more open looks. More open looks start to go down and th confidence level builds. Less help defense and the dish (KM) and dunk (WR from KM) is an option. The help defnese ther allows for garbage putbacks (BC and CR) in the paint. The whole is a sum of the parts and parts are missing. Cheer, cheer for the Saint Louis Gaedells.

Graduate and get your jersey retired. I think that's what Coach K requires even to hoist your name on a national championship banner. Maybe that has changed but I always heard he wouldn't put Laetner's name up in Cameron until he graduated. Works for me ---- never on one-and-dones.

Another testament that kids sign with coaches and styles ---- you don't necesarily mrdh on all cases.

Getting one won't matter ---- dislike 3Jack all you want but I see sense in his posts ----the college game runs throguh the point and we don't have one. Adding one won't matter to the overall chemistry. We need what both bring. Without KM who "feeds the Reed?" Without WR, there's no one to feed.

So Billikan, in your mind, as long as there is effort there ---- even from a bunch of 3-foot tall Eddie Gaedells (sp?), we should accept it as is and yell "bravo, boys, bravo --- you can do it!" Look for the last time, I stand by everything I said .... especially the part about blame on all sides going around. Pretty soon, someone will put tap water in a plastic bottle, put a seal on it, call it Dasani, and have us all believing its safer than tap water. We could pay Randy Albrecht a very small amount to come back and do that. Aim high why don't we? How is it that we give Majerus a pass because he has no seniors but he would if he didn't run them off? Still don't think that would matter because they woudl still be mediocre seniors at best. And if Majerus can't "do" it, then who can? I sincerely doubt we (SLU) can get anyone better. Great --- Mitchell's in and no word on Reed. Handwriting on wall??? P.S. I am not a doctor, but what piece of slicing equipment got Majerus that badly in the leg? The bottom of the running board? I'm sure Eckerle didn't have a scapel in his socks? And with immediate treatment, it still gets infected? Smells like a duck? Walks like a duck? How does that happen?

Let me be clear ---- I am not advocating the U fib, lie, bluff --- the real problem with "the situation" is questionable judgment on multiple parts. But the U could have resolved the issue in the "proper way" long before October 13. The "proper way" is an individual value judgment. I blame the players, the coach, the athletic department, the administration, the student court, and the girl and her players in varying parts. Wouldn't you want to ask John Smith and Justin Jordan what they think or what their take on the proceedings are right now?

I don't really have a problem with skip's assessment ---- but I will admit to expecting more. These kids are all supposed Rick Majerus's Diamond in the Rough finds. I guess I've believed the press clippings once again. Too much. That's what frustrates me. Some comments on the posts inbetween this one and my last one: Disagree on Metz's assessment that we need JUCOs. Don't believe in them, never will. Moy mentioned us getting a Gillen-like coach. Doubt it. The gammut has been run -- from up-n-coming assistant, to Hall of Famer out of retirement, to remaining staff member, to local high school Studley Do-Right. All failed. We are a graveyard for coaches as I've used before --- look it up Box -- believe what you want. Moy also said going back to the Sodie offense of running the shot clock down and heaving one. News for you -- Sodie stole that from Rich Grawer only Sodie moved it to the three-point line; Grawer's was just inside it so if it did go in, you only got the duece not the three points for the prayer. And our shooting hasn't improved much over any generation of shooters sans the Clagg glory years. Our shooters seem to regress. How can that be????? Bay Area talks zone --- anybody remember that Dayton can't shoot????? Never could last year save Chris Johnson. And we don't zone them? Of course, the failure of a zone is boxing out and rebounding and since we are so bad at that in man-to-man, maybe it was a pick-yer-poison decision on our part. But even switching defenses throws a kink into offensive planning. We (my team) used to zone all inbounds plays and switch to man when the ball left the key and below area. How tough is that for our genius to teach???? Mix it up, mold your game plan around your team and opponent, not some abject belief in your "system." We (my team) even played a match-up zone that changed automatically whne the ball went below the foul line extended. And reversed on cue ---- on the same defensive posession --- multiple times. Of course, we were all only in high school almost 40 years ago so training kids today must be impossible. I'm not saying we were great, all I'm saying is that it's doable. You don't think every team down our schedule knows not to fear our inside game right now? Even if Conklin scores 25 ppg from here on out, 25 total points rarely wins on the final scoreboard, eh? Finally, JeffinMH talks about anger and bombs. I am angry --- I have been duped into a belief that despite the losses, this team had some talent recruited by the genius Majerus and his staff. I'm not saying we would have not missed a beat but we've missed whole sheets of music this season so yes I'm angry. If there is talent, I don't see enough of it --- definitely not enough to prevent me from calling for at least a partial refund of season ticket prices under the claim of false advertising. If I had season tickets. But wait --- I've seen this before. Larry Hughes. Another great recruiting class that imploded when Hughes left after one year. Convinced Spoon to retire, didn't it? I am angry because it seems to be business as usual at Grand and Lindell. We will never achieve the success I want until everyone --- administration, athletic department, coaching staff, boosters -- is on the same page. I was duped into thinkin gthe buildin gof Chaifetz was the advent of a new, focused and committed U. I am not advocating breaking rules or cheating or doing things the easy way. I'm just tired of this program accepting failure (or at least the lack of progress) as easily as we seem to do. Sue me.

I have been accused of lobbing hand grenades and running before the sharpnel rains down ....... okay, GUILTY. While I might avoid the sharpnel, I do not believe I run and hide. I am trying to spur discussion and maybe some of the words are harsh. If so, I will stop despising the shock jocks for doing what they do as I am thereby no better. Love Band Legends response. Excellent points. If our players are as talented as some sya, if our players are as accomplished as the media reports claim, if our talent level is as great as some would have us believe ...... WTF is the answer to what I'm seeing on the tube???? Let me repeat myself from the summer ... when I asked who on this team would shoot --- even when we expected Mitchell and Reed to play. I believe if KM drives and dishes, KC, CE, RL, MM and even CS and PE have better, more wide open and more makable looks. I believe if WR is standin gon the backline, playing goalie as Bay Area states, the inability of our current guards to guard is lessen because of the big flyswatter on the blocks. But still ... if talent is indeed present on this roster, shouldn't it rise to the top and compensate for roster losses?

As for the BRUTAL comment on the leg ... I wasn't thinking the opportunity was on our side of the ledger .. but his. I mentioned in an earlier thread his eccentricity and him tossing in the towel for whatever reason, however paltrey. This appears to be a reason anyone could extrapolate out to an end. Let me be clear: I am not for this, just saying ...... I want Majerus to finish what he started (Gillen said he could be here another 10 or 20 years as easy as five or less and Moser is the great and obvious replacement) because I feel still that if he does that, we WILL finally achieve success. Maybe short-lived but success nonetheless.

What am I crying about? While I do indeed recognize this is about what's missing, I am sick and tired of the fact that our recruits are what appear to be "overhyped." The reference to Loe as "the jewell of the Pacific?" Salescich and Ellis as mainstays of some noted international outift? McCall as one of the top three players in Illinois? The state that includes the great hotbed of Chicago. Conklin as an Oregon state player of the year. Cassity had nice pub. And so on for years before this. They get to Saint Louis Univeristy and suck. Like many before them, too numerous to mention so I won't bore you. But I for one and sick and tired of it. I understand that as you progress to each level above you, the talent gets tougher and tougher but come on! Is the talent at places like Bolwing Green, Austin Peay and Portland that much better? Okay .. Portland we played at their place. And when do we get to lose the "X youngest team in captivity" tagline????? It doesn't seem to bother teams like Kentucky, Memphis and others and I do recognize we ain't those programs but COME ON!!!!!! I am tired of it. That's what I'm crying about. Thanks for asking.

St. Joe's, Umass and La Salle are all winnable at home before Chicago State. This will be Majerus' first losing season. Potential wins on the road would be Fordham, GeeDub and the Bonnies -- in a normal year --- which this is not. We will not win at Olean and I don't expect to in DC. Now, Fordham is unlikely as I see it as well. At five and nine right now, I say its tough to get to double digit wins even this year given what I saw last night. Of course, things can change although I am on the pessimistic side right now. Only winning those three confernece games puts us at 3 and 13 ---- on the road if we even make the A10 tournament --- with zero chance to go to the boards in AC. Not looking good right now.

There's a valuable spot for Kyle on this team ---- but it will never be GO TO GUY.

Why are we so f----g bad????? How can we take reputed high-end high school players and reduce them to athletic rubble when they put on the Blue-and-White???? Pete Gillen and Tom Brennerman (I think) had the call on CBSCS last night. When our opening game highlight foucses on the offensive dynamo that is Brian Conklin, we are screwed. I expected nothing last night and we met my expectations and delivered. I love Brian's heart and moxie but great athlete he ain't. Staten went around every Billiken at will. Gillen kept pumping Jett on being a 1,000 point scorer in a good high school who turned down Marquette, Baylor and some other high end team and he then proceeded to dribble a ball off his elbow at mid-court for an unforced turnover. Then Gillen said he was really not a true point but more of a combo guard. A combo guard who can't shoot, can't dribble, can't pass and can't guard anybody????? Ummm -yes, I want more of them!!! Dwayne Polk in rasta dreds. Before the game Gillen also said the coaching staff was telling Evans they needed his athleticism for this game. I'm assuming because he is our only real athlete who can run with that Dayton bunch? And then he plays nine --- NINE -- minutes. Remekun has no clue. Salecich is a laibility. Starting Paul Eckerle sums it all up. If he's one of our five best --- SCREWED! Chris Wright embarrassed every one of our "athletes" and as someone else said, he isn't quite NBA material. Did Conklin even make an attempt at the opening tip? Not that the opening tip matters --- just symbolic I guess. Gillen said Moser directed that the bench stand and cheer as it di last night. Sounds like a great high school move. What did I like? Loe's effort at times. McCall has a future. Evans has potential. Jett, Remekun, Salescich and Eckerle add little to nothing. Conklin and Cassity have valuable roles but as go-to players, they ain't it. Ellis battled and showed grit and enthusiasm but is a spot up bomber who is not in game shape (due to illness?) right now. Wright, Benson and even Searcy outdistanced our entire roster in pure athleticism --- and I'm not even adding Johson, Williams, Staten and the transfer from Drake. Temple will brutalize us this Sunday --- not only are they atheltic and brutish, their smallest starter is 6'4". And that's Fernandez. Gillen and Brennerman did make mention of Reed and Mitchell, multiple times. They said Mitchell was at practice either yesterday or the day before. They said they will be back but will likely redshirt. Also said Biondi WILL get a Top 50 program. My arse! Moser and Harriman appeared to coach. But this team is a bunch of three-point bombers looking for any vague appearance of an open shot. When they went down in Cancun against SoMiss, great. But with our talent level, I expect more of last night than I do the rare occassion we are making shots and staying in games. This was an expected disappointment. Why put this product on TV??? I fully believe that this group of players, together as planned, with Reed and Mitchell, would be able to ocntend in the A10 --- no matter the A10's level. In that scenario ---- Conklin, Cassity, Remekun and Salescich are role players, Loe and Ellis have shooting roles, Willie defends the end line and rebounds, Mitchell runs the offense and trains up McCall and/or Jett, Evans develops at a patient pace and Eckerle leads the cheers from the far end of the bench or from the coach-in-waiting spot next to Majerus. It is a fragile scenario that gets upended by an ineligibilty, broken ankle, or player defection. Oh --- did I mention suspensions???? All this season is good for is OJT --- On-the-job- training. Here's hoping they don't learn bad habits. Majerus. Anyone else see an infected leg as a certain opportunity?

Comcast Plus Sports Package in the gretaer Baltimore area has the game at 8 EST on channel 732 (or is it 734). Anyway, I got it tonight. Will I watch it more than I watched the Bills-Duke game back in Decemeber? I'm, going with the "OVER" on that one. Also the "OVER" compared to the Christmas Evev game I watched with the Bills and MissState in Cancun.

I am betting kshoe's brother sshoe who is betting skip's business, fronted by money from Roy's mortgage group, created by a teenager in Kirkwood, on the Bills

If he was cut on the calf as some reports suggest, it would appear that the damage and cut were done by whatever that is in front of the socrer's table and not from the Eckerle contact.

Is growing up in Dayton and going to Fordham better or worse or the equivalent to growing up in St. Louis and going to George Washington? What equilibrium factor gets added to the second half of the second part when throwing in a "now living in New Jersey" caveat? It's a rhetorical question, one of those that deserves no answer, just to sit and ponder when we all have a free moment. Ask him if there's a certain age one has to be to get the sweater/vest or is it a Dayton birthright?

kshoe -- I only noted bk18's comment. I am starting nothing but I'd like to hear how he's of the opinion that " (Dr. Chaifetz got) screwed by the administration big time." The assessment intrigues me.

When are you people going to wake up and understand the Privacy Law thing???? May likely can't comment and even if he can, he is hiding or walking timidly along the privacy law line to maintain his innocence and ability to say "I said nothing." One can only comment on the facts .... which is that these two former students are going through the re-enrollment process. What I like about what he said is that he must have seen both packages so the good news is that the speculation over whether Kwamain would or wouldn't has been answered. Those are the facts. Nothing else is factual until that re-enrollment is done and they are back in. There is a chance that their re-enrollment packages are not complete? Yes? Last time I checked, premarital sex -- consensual or not --- was still against the moral terpitude of the Catholic/Jesuit principals, yes? And no matter how tight you walk this thin wire of a tightrope, you are still likely to only get a minor consensus in supporting the manner in which it was handled. Also, just because its "in the paper" does NOT make it true. KSDK is reporting the students are going to reinstated "according to Willie Reed Sr." Let me ask this: When did Willie Reed Sr. become a SLU admissions counselor, demn of admission, or all-around guiding light? Isn't this the same guy who said his son was going to Kansas State a few short months ago? If it is determined he lied about that, what makes you think he's telling the truth now? This is the bull-rush method of the truth --- preplacing the "facts" in the public in order to make them come true. I welcome the rush of exuberance that the youth of this board delivers but I also get the feeling that there is a lack of understanding in how the game of life is played in today's litigious and staid politically-correct society. Walking on the court hand-in-hand with coach before the Dayton game? Really? Seriously? No sh*t?

"Screwed by the adminsistration?" Really? Okay --- let's say you are the administartion. What would you have done?