Taj79

I had a coach in pee wee football --- well, not that pee wee, seventh and eighth grade --- that spent maybe a season or two with the Boston Patriots (yep, that long ago). He was a former lineman and was not ashamed to get down in a three point stance and blast our offensive or defensive linemen, sans pads for himself, to make a point. When you're twelve or thirteen, guys like this look like godzilla. I always thought it was part of the game and learning process. I don't know what to think of it now in today's lives of political correctness. Practice should be closed. I agree with that. Things get said or done in the heat of the moment that will escalate given someone uninformed deciding that's not right and riding to the "rescue." Playing for anyone today requires you to know the score, inside and out. With all this stuff out there, if you're not willing to compromise and put up with it, go elsewhere. You have another 300+ options. Its like folks today that buy a house in a poor school district, near an off ramp to an interstate, or with a back yard ending at a former landfill. What? You didn't think to check? Every kid that enters a collegeiate basketball program does so with the thought, no inherent belief,m that they are the next Jordan or Erving or whomever. The land of riches is right beyond this momentary and requisite stopover in life. Kind of like some of these fools that try out for "American Idol." If using Rick and his resume gets you to the top, you take it. I think I would. But I'd enter that arrangement with eyes wide open.

Before one starts offering that Spoon did this with Grawer's recruits, let's remember that while that is true for Clagg and Hmark, I believe it was Spoon and Derrick Thomas that went out and got Waldman, Dobbs, Robinson, Campbell, Turner and the others on those two NCAA teams. And even if I'm off on a couple of those, the point is that you need to mesh multiple pieces. Tell me Dobbs would have done what he did on the inside with this team as opposed to that team. That team had multiple long range bombers who were all GOOD. Without them, the middle does not open to the degree it did and Dobbs isn't considered any better than Luke is currently playign out of position. Plus the perspective coming off a five win season means that anything is an improvement, even 12 wins. The reverse is true now --- we are coming off a 20 win season. As for Tubbs at Minnesota, I'd look to see who he has played to date for one. I always like Tubby but the fan base at Kentucky considers everything below a national title a failure.

3Jack ---- there I wrote your name. For the first time. Don't take my use of the word "you" in such a personal sense. 3Jack --- what is your argument on the boxscore use? Is it summed up as in "coaches only use the boxscore in analyzing teams" or is it "the boxscore is one of the many tools coaches use to analyze teams"? Trust me: you can prove anything you want by using statistics. Case in point: Dwayne Polk's line from last year's Xavier game. Or even Dwayne's overall 5 ppg from last year. What was our record --- 20 and 14? Thirty three games at 5 pr game is 165 total points. Against Xavier he averaged 12 (or did we play them twice). It doesn't matter. A painting isn't judged on one color alone, and not sometime even on the use of color.

Just like taking Ian out of the equation now and inserting Bryce and callling it even ---- you cant' do that. You can't argue that with Ian out of the game, Tommie adn Kevin did better just because he's on the bench. What did his contribution on thefloor mean at that time? For example, if Ian had 20 minutes in DC last week (20 point output) don't you think that his presence would ahve meant something in terms of deteriorating play on the part of Rob Diggs, Damien Hollis and the African-named kid? They would ahve exerted a lot of energy covering him, including numerous fouls that their intensity to defend Tommie adn Kevin as they did that night would have been different. Even so slighly? You can't operate in a vacuum. There are causes adn effects that have a play in an overall game that you can't just ignore. What about when Ian sat down? Did Ford pull Lasme? Did Hobbs pull Mensah-Bonsu? Did Fordham pull Dunston? I dont' recall but if Ian is resting, the counter moves on the other side also mean something --- with Dunston gone, is Liddell more apt to drive and do so against lesser competition? Does Hobbs pull Elliott, forcing a lesser defender on Tommie because Rice shifts over to Lisch? You can argue all the stats you want but you can't argue momentum or karma or consequences from moves and counter moves; actions and counter actions. Some have already said that the A10 was a lesser conference last year. So now add in what those counter moves mean in terms of what caliber of player the rpelacement is. Is he Maurice Rice as a sixth man or is he Danny Brown? And on end? Doesn't five minutes of Bryce make him abetter plaeyr as oppposed to ten or twelve? I saw him against UMass in the AC last year and have not really seen THAT Bryce Husak since. But the combo that we went against ina physicla UMass made that play out. Rick is not blameless for sure but he is playing the hand that he was dealt. That is all a mater-of--fact "thank you FRUBS." I thought a 16 win season was possible this year --- almost everyone else was unabashedly out of control with 20 and in some cases 30 win season. I know the 30 win guy was probably joking but go back and look at the prediciton thread. Very few are in the mid-teen area. My 16 included home wins against Sam Houston and Dayton so we are drooping there as well. Intangibles are huge. When Ian didn't liek the way it was going with Soderberg it took a visit from his father to say "stop blowing the million dollar Greek contract" to get his sizable arse in gear again. Now Tommie adn Kevin don't like Rick's style. The Eagles got rid of TO despite the fact of not having a decent wide receiver on the roster. Teams still jam their wideouts and don't respect them in that regard. But put To out there and guys have career years. You think Patrick Crayton has the year he had (not taht great really) without TO on the other side? You decide to take a play off and you got Dwight Freeney over your head and your QB gets killed. Cause and effect. Nothing stands alone. If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullsh*t. If all else fails, use statistics.

I agree with Basketbill on his assistant coaching "tree." I sat three or four rows behidn the team in DC and from what I saw, Moser and Biancardi seemed to have the most interaction with Majerus pre-team timeout huddles. Angres didn't seem as engaged as they and even less engaged then last year. I don't know if Rick kept him around to maintain contacts with some of the incoming kids (Eberhardt, Relaphorde, Mitchell, Thompson, John or whomever) but we alwasy hear how kids align with coaches and not necessarily programs. So given that the job is done, is Angres?

Thanks thicks. Maybe subconsciously I was HOPING for Lionel and instead, of course, we got Larry. Partial credit? Got the last name right. To Slumn 1: sure, you can think that. That would be the glass being half empty on Rick, right? I think its a fair question which means my extrapolation on the abysmal failure trend isn't that far fetched. I don't know that it would be "stubborn pride," I mean it could be. How about "crafting a plan and sticking to it"? I don't have all of Rick's stuff here but I recall a stint at Ball State and another at Utah. Were there more? I could look it up but it doesn't matter because I seem to recall him being successful at both of those. So he has done it before. Where's Ball? Muncie, Indiana? I don't know much about Muncie and I don't mean to put it down given where I come from but it would seem to me that if you can recruit kids to Muncie, how can you not recruit them to the great city St. Louis is? I've spent a lot of time in Salt Lake and the UofU is not only beautiful but boasts some of the most georgous female "scenery" I have ever seen. I once had a colleague in Utah, a grandfather deeply steeped in the Mormon Church, point this out to me and say "we grow 'em great out here." It wasn't as much sexist and it was proud. Some of the young ladies were his daughters and granddaughters. I've never been to Gainesville or Coral Gables but for my visits, going to Salt Lake ain't that bad. Rick succeeded there and by many accounts, he had to retool a number of teams over his time there. Of course, when does a proven system become a millstone? That's why I am curious to see what happens when this coach gets "his" players into the system. We cut the FRUBS that brreak for many years. I see Rick as one of those types of coaches you feel storngly about --- one way or the other with very little middle ground. Finally, to threestar, I have to disagree on the "there are still enough coaches out there with enough ego to step in and do a good job" statement. I want to say "name one" but I know that is not fair at this juncture. But if Rick Majerus fails, I don't think he will go out quietly. He's not quiet now why will he be then? Which means the school has literally destroyed a living legend, a genius, a program builder and he will retaliate if only out of pride. My question would then be "if he can't do it, who can?" Which I asked above in the WWYD question. That, in my mind, would limit us to a very small pool --- about the best of which would be in a simplified version of Romar --- which alum is schooled enough in coaching to return to alma mater u. and take the program to whatever heights they can? I can see all the other top-flight assistants, the guys following in the footsteps of Brian Gregory, Kevin Stallings, Jimmy Patsos and Jason Capel going not no but "hell no" over this program. Coaches with ego might exist, but they would be coming in most likely after a fall ala Larry Eustachey, Booby Knight, Quin Snyder, etc.. I think coaches are alike in one way, they are all thinking "what can I do to get ahead" and many times, that involves where can I get ahead. Short of a personal calamity, a coach like Stallings or Crean or Huggins or Olsen would be fools to leave their respective BCS programs for our situation. Look at the Xavier guys ---- Gillen, Prosser and Matta all moved up --- to Big East Providence, ACC Virginia, ACC Wake Forest and Big Ten Ohio State. A couple more winnng seasons ---- heck even one this year --- and Sean Miller will be next. Although many times I get the feeling X fans would not shed that many tears to see Sean go. In my tenure with the Bills, where did Randy Albrecht end up? Ron Coleman? Ron Ekker? Rich Grawer, Charlie Spoonhauer, and Brad Sodeberg? On the college coaches dung heap (argumetns on Spoon at UNLV are welcome and recognized). Only Romar moved "up" and that was because alma mater U. came calling. I think WWYD is a serious question. We don't have to address it right now, but it is something that strategic planners might want to throw into the equation inthe proverbial "what if" scenario that folks morre steeped in this than I should know.

I would offer to disagree, Mr. 72. We have not turned the straw spindle once making gold. We have hired an architect, for sure, but I would offer that he hasn't torn the old builidng down yet, let alone gone into heavy construction phase. I think he knows he has two, maybe three decent players he can convert this year to take his message with him next year but he hasn't sold those three (okay, maybe two) on it. Without a carry-over, he esentially goes back to square one next year. Okay, he does it with his own horses in the barn but those wild animals have to be tamed to pull the beer cart behind them. We have all had the discussion as to what makes a "big time hoops program" and I think we all agreed on the final, necessary ingedient ---- wins. I'm sure in oyur travels through Ohio, you've passed the Nutter Center off of I-675. Who plays there? Wright State. Big time hoops program? Not even close. If ever in suburban Dc ont he Viriginia side, check out the Patriot Center. Who plays there? George Mason. Big time hoops program? Nope. One year wonder? maybe. I will always admit to being the camp that wanted our own on-campus snake's den to play in and I'm all for that still. I don't care what kindo fdrain it is right now, I'd rather have that 90% full with 11,000 folks than over 50% emptywith the same folks at Savvis/Scottrade. And while I consdier that an advantage, one we've never had before, I don't think that is enough to boost us into a "big time hoops program." that takes talent --- which, if you believe what's being peddled on here, is something we don't really have. Majerus is big time. So we should have an arena and a coach. Now we need the talent. Just like having Majerus alone couldn't be enough to get over the hump, neither can an arena. There is still the issue of talent. Maybe you don't need the same amount as before, but it is needed just the same. Those three items are not enough either. You still need team compatibility, stars and role players, attitude, luck, intangibles and so on. Well, now that I wrote all that out, maybe you are right and we have turned some proverbial corner. Without the investment, you can't really get there can you? I'd still like an opinion on my question of WWYD? Majerus fails. Abyssmally. Who in their right mind looks at this program, this location, this legacy, this graveyard for coaches and --- even after a national name and figure like Majerus can't do it --- says "hey, yeah, Saint Louie Ewie is where I want to be." If Majerus succeeds and goes out with this his last stop, the two or threee guys on the bench are probably more than willing and will play the "continuation" card to keep the job should it be successful. But what happens if it isn't?

All I can say is "in Rick I trust." He owes me no explanation. I can't see arguing with a guy who has a record like his. Genius? Well, in today's day and age, it seems everybody wants to put a moniker on someone. Starting with Chris Berman and taking off from there. I don't see how, for me, you can be a genius without some sort of national title which I don't recall Rick having but that's me. Now the Washington Post of Fox Sports has removed that title from his name? Good for them --- I suspect it will return. At least I hipe it does and at that point, there will be no living with the smug SOB. But at that point, I think we'd all say "he earned it." that's what I'm hoping for. It's amazing how coaching foibles are cute and eccentric when that coach wins. Booby Knight. Freddie Shero. Al Maguire. Ray Meyer. Bob Huggins. Bill Belicheck. Joe Gibbs. But lose and eccentric and cute turn into arrogant and egotistic. Oh well ..... Why do I trust in Rick? Frankly, what choice is left? We've gone the local coach route and lost (Ron Coleman). We've gone the local coach/savior route (Rich Grawer) and despite early success, lost there as well. We went the rule bender route (Ron Ekker) and lost. We went with regional, home-spun legend (Spoon) and lost there although that was probably the greatest decade with Grawer's recruits and Hughes. We went with national level coach and assistant who came off a national title winning program (Lorenzo Romar) and lost there. Then we went to hard-working, Midwestern-raised, nose-to-the-grindstone guy (Brad Sodeberg) and that failed. What for heaven's sake is left? If this fails, I am sure we will keep at it ($80 million and a brand new arena means no D-III) but if a guy with as natioanl a rep as Majerus can't do it, you have to ask who or what can. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think a coach of this natioanl caliber would ever come to SLU. I'm not about to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I din't judge the last guy's tenure until four or five eyars in. I also believed Cheryl when she supported him after last year's efforts. I have come to the conclusion that he couldn't recruit much or at least judge whatever talent he was recruiting. I'll leave that at that. For those espousing the fact that we've replaced one seven-footer with another, I can honestly say it doesn't work that way. Maybe at a UNC or a Duke but certainly not here at little Saint Louie Ewie. Ian frankyl was the greatest center in my history with the program. Hands down without a doubt. What his presence inthe middle did in regards to allowing others to do other things can never be really measured. Its like batting Albert Pujols behind Barry Bonds or Ryna Howard, not David Eckstein or Yadier Molina. Lynn Swann was good maybe even great, but what effect did having John Stallworth on the other side make Swann better. And vice a versa. Wes Welker was a nice player at Miami. Jabbar Gaffney was a nice player at new Englend. Bring in randy Moss and what happens? kshoe and I rarely get along, let alone agree so I would be remiss if I didn't digress on some point --- and this one is "preparing for the future." Normally I'd agree with that statement. But as I sat int he stands in DC this past Thursday, I couldn't help but note to "jz" next to me that there was no real future out there. Lishc and Liddell and Eberhardt are the only three "returning" in my book (I think all the freshmen and sophomores will be gone although I did like what Anthony Mitchell showed in his brief appearance). Three seniors. Two of which Bob Ryan identified on PTI as being Rick's best players and "not liking the way he coaches." Yes, the incoming class looks like it could rival some in the greta Billiken decade but you never really know about recruits, do you (Tyrone Caswell, Tony Manual, Justin tatum, Lionel Simmons, Vashun Newborne, Tony Brown, etc., etc.)? Wasn't Claggs and Hmarks freshman year a five-win season? All I'm saying is ...... I think I'm starting to see the method to Rick's madness. Do I like it? From the human standpoint, no. But is that my/our main goal here? i don't think so. Cliches are what they are but there is an old saying about breaking some eggs to make an omelet. Eccentric or egotistical? Its kind of ike the question "can Rich Rodriguez drag Michigan kicking and screaming into the 21st cenntury of college football?" For debate's sake, let's say that the "Majerus experiment" was a bad move and turns into an abject failure. Then what? WWYD? What Would You Do? Will the Horizon League take us?

Damn those Indians .... I thought it was colonists? The colonists must've been Billiken fans and stayed off the bandwagon until sometime around Yorktown.

I disagree. I don't think there is a great player on this team. Adequate? Maybe but in the proper context. Hughes was a great player. Burns was a great player. Bonner was but not in the same sense as Hughes because Hughes was great one and done while Bonner didn't exactly set the world on fire as completely his freshman year as his senior year. But his career is what this program needs --- four years per person for development --- to model things after. Claggett and Highmark were good, and approached great but only with the right parts added like H and Donnie and others. That's my issue as described in the Post Mortem from GeeDub. For example, Tommie can't shoot as well as Maurice Rice does for GeeDub. Rob Diggs is just as great a leaper as Tommie. The Christmas kid and the Forbes kid are better perimeter shooters at Temple and Umass and are better that Kevin. Luke is a scrapper and fighter in the Jeff Harris/Chris Heinrich mold but those guys would never win championships or even some games if that's all you got. Luke's like Steve Carlton on the '72 Phillies. The team won 54 total games and Carlton won 27 by himself. Luke won't win those games but he'd be more like the guy that lost the other 27 and you'd still like him because you know or can tell that he's plugging and doing all he can. If just for one bounce per game, he'd at least be a .500 pitcher. He'd win the Cy Young if you traded him. Why? Not because his stuff got better but because his supporting cast did. Can you say Johan Santana to the Yankees? Thirty wins maybe. This is a lot of post-FRUBS stuff we are paying for but there is some blame to be handed to the head shed. Why not change to fit your personnel? Maybe he can't. Maybe, he is thinking he trains these three guys (Liddell, Lisch and Eberhardt) and they help train next year's class to start the four year training rotation I'm talking about that will be the only way to offer salvation or even find this program? Some have read his book --- did he do this at Ball State and Utah? Given our tepid history, don't you think that if someone has a blueprint, that they've done this sort of thing before, it would be better to follow a previous example than to make this sh*t up as they go? As for RickMa, we were warned. I recall folks talking about his demeanor all the way at his hiring. Right now, unfortunately, the poor kids left over from the FRUBS are the sacrifice. Its unfortunate for nice kids like the ones we have. I like Kevin and Tommie and (love) Luke but let's face it. To go where no SLU man ever has gone before, to reach out for the final frontier of the NCAA Basketball universe, is goin to require drastic measures. To say RickMa is not enamored with the talent in the program is not a reach but it should not be surprising. I get the feeling a lot of Saint Louis University boosters will be turned off. I must say that I'm alien to RickMa's style. His playing in the western most time zones of this country meant I did not know much of him until tournament time. I 'm going ot have to read the book. Maybe adapting his style is not in his mantra. Maybe the groundwork is laid here with the task of remolding his returning players so that they, in turn, help assimilate next year's group. Maybe a huge part of that is Paul Eckerle. Is he praising Eckerle to ensure he has one spear carrier coming back to "enlighten" his first class? If his two best players don't liek the way he coaches, and they are around for only one more year, I don't know if appeasing them is the route to go. If there is one thing to change, maybe its the public criticism aspect of things. Otherwise, I'm fed up enough with the lack of success in this program that I'm willing to give him a blank check and a free ride. Let's face it --- if this doesn't work, we may as well amputate and go D-III or move to the Horizon conference for good. If we can't play in the A-10 with any consistency, we need to look down, not up.

Over the years, both nark and roy have been the constants. For the most part. Yet both of you seem so distant or disgusted or call it what you want. I know 12 is facetious (at least I think it is) but that still does not explain the complete hopelessness that you seem to exude, nark. Living as close to DC as I do, four years ago, the corner was turned in 'Skin land. The great Saint Joe Gibbs returned to the fold. By the time he called two consecutive time outs this year at the end of the game to lose to the Buffalo Bills, the greater part of 'Skin-dom was lamenting how the game had passed him by. Then he made the playoffs and all was once again golden in Burgundy-and-Gold land. Then he up and retired. Choas now rules. All thought at least Joe could counter the insanity that is Dan Snyder. I see parallels here but what I also see if some Billiken folks not being able to accept that to advance, change had to happen. As a player, I know I would not like to hear about all my faults in the press. I can't ever condone that of Rick. I believe any other coach would have done no better, he would also be playing two-on-five and as someone said, there is enough tape out there in this country for EVERY team to know how to play us. That where my "human factor" comes into play because the book is so solid on us, we really should never expect to win a single game because we are predictable and talent-challenged. Yet we are 9 and 6. Go figure. Cheer up.

Nice talking to you and your lovely wife as well "jzstldc." We'll meet again. I think she deserves something special ---- a trinket, a dinner, a show of appreciaiton --- for sitting through that debacle with you/me/the rest of the Bills atheltic supporters in the house. Except that condescending a-hole behind us. For reference sake, my wife (Kutztown University grad) lasted for about eight years before she said "no honey, that's something you can 'enjoy' on your own" and quit takign the beatings with me. Hope yours busts that scale. Moy --- I'll see your Guiness and raise you a Grey Goose & cranberry with a splash of OJ. Age sucks. Food allergies, among other things, slow you down. Coupled with an allergy to molds and mildews makes me allergic to beer, of all things. Thank god that wasn't the case in the old Quad years ago. Send me a PM if and when you head this way and we'll make it happen.

I spoke to my YouDee season ticket holder/SLU grad/best friend last night, bemoaning the fiasco I witnessed Thursday night. Near the end, he was laughing and started talking about how the Flyers would blow the Bills out tomorrow (tonight). After all that I said, I answered "not so fast, Slappy." I agree with both posts above ---- that this one could go either way --- but I, for some odd reason, can see the Bills winning tonight. Of course, to quote the Scarecrow ..... "If I only a had a brain ....."

We made it on Pardon The Interruption on ESPN tonight. A total 90 seconds of banter. Of note, Ryan said he spoke to Majerus earlier in the year when SLU was at BC and he quoted Majerus as saying he inherited someone else's team and "his two best players don't like the way he coaches."

Au contraire ---- I'm not whining. I am trying to continue the hysteria that drove me home last night.

I was at the game Vee. Both. it seemed that a lot of the shots were also "holy sh*t, three seconds on the shot clock --- better launch it" variety. If they drove, blocked. If they shot, missed. I havenever seen an entrie team go as cold as last night. Not even in biddy ball.

I think our history against the Flyers is goofy. We can win there, they can win here. I can't wait for the game --- I too think we can win --- if only to get the stench of this fiasco past us. Note to staff: cover Roberts, make someone else beat us.

Streaming consciousness rules! Driving home from the Smith center last night, I broke down at least six time sinto hysterical laughter. Which was either preceded or followed by an emotion in the complete opposite direction. I have been associated with this program in some way for 33 years now (34 if you count your senior year in high school when you kind of know what school you will be going to). I thought I had seen it all. I lived through GeeDub in AC last year. St. Joe's in Cincy the year before. Two five-win seasons. Grawer's players leaving the program --- in mid GAME. Home games in West Pine. Talk of going Division III. The loss to McKendree. Ron Ekker. ushers and concession workers outnumbering fans at old Kiel. One concession window open during games. It could not go any lower. I was wrong. Words and adjectives floating through my mind on last night's drive included: Woeful. Pathetic. Impotent. Pitiful. Embarrassing. Hysterical. And many, many, many others that if used, will get this post deleted. I was going to stop in southeast DC and buy seven bullets for my six-chambered piece. Why seven? I figured jamming seven bullets into a six-round piece would eliminate any doubt when I went to blow my brains out. Then it dawned on me --- I have no brains. A person with an inkling of sense would have abandoned this program years ago. Everything will be okay. Polk's a shooting guard. I know that, Vtime told me so. Someone's daughter notwithstanding, I will be the first to tell you that my second half was devoted to visually identifying eye-candy in the stands, on the dance team, with the cheerleaders you name it. I'm a dirty old man, what can I say? What I CAN say is that the "talent" level in the stands was enough to pass my time. What else was I to do? It's not like a basketball game was being played to distract me. Thank god the performance level on the court matched what I paid for my ticket. I walked up to the ticket counter, said "one please" and the lady slid a ticket out. I looked at her, she smiled, I saw "$0.00" on the price. I looked back at her, she shrugged and said "enjoy the game." Little did I know she was insulting me at that point! But I got the performance and the result I paid for. Rain started in the DC metro area as I left my house north of Baltimore. For those of you who know what that means in terms of DC traffic --- right on! I met Steve at the Metor exit in Foggy Bottom at about 7:15 and we went to two local places to try and eat. It wasn't going to work and Steve was nice enough to suggest we bag it because "I don't want to miss a thing." In hindsight, we should have just ate and misse dthe whoel freaking thing. Also in hindsight, it's a good thing we didn't eat --- it would have never stayed down. Met and sat with a young couple --- he's a SLU grad and she's a Duquesne grad but somehow it works. He posts on here so that's good and I had an enjoyable time. I think he said he was a 2000 grad so they were relatively young. Which was nice because their attendance brought the average age of SLU folks there down to about 84 1/2 years of age. That does not factor in Steve. On the atendance note, that was the best attended game I have ever been to as far as Billiken turnout was concerned. The organizer, who I think I met in the subway afterwards, was the president of the DC chapter of the Alumni Club. That was a large group. The age thing is a joke, there were actually a lot of young folks there for the Bills. Maybe school is on break and the DC kids were home for the holidays? In any case, kudos. Too bad we didn't get to see a basketball game. Speaking of eye candy --- let me nominate the two young ladies that do whatever young ladies do for intercollegiate basketball teams when they sit on the bench. I don't know if they are managers, trainers, go-fers, or whatever ---- but the geeDub ladies win hands down the "best dressed," or "best looking" or "best whatever" in my book right now. I'm serious, I'm in love ---- and it wouldn't be this way if I had something --- like a basketball game --- to distract my wandering eyes!!!!! George Washington is bad, really. Of curse, we were worse last night. The problem was that even though Bryce towered over the GeeDub frontline, they more than compensated for that with athleticism. Diggs, Hollis and Kunat Kinte or whatever his name was were daringour little rascals to come into the paint. At one point, I was pleading for a reverse layup. At least give it a try and use the rim to shield your shot. I hate to credit Karl Hobbs but he did exactly what I would do with our team --- here's a zone, there's Lisch, let's see if someone else can beat us. Our level of athleticism is extremely low. Couple that with what appears to be a low talent level and what appears to be an enigma in the coaching box, and last night was not surprising. The Billikens. What can I say? It woul d not surprise me if that whole bench ----- no, roster --- left for next year. I am serious. Someone said we have two shooters? And who would that be? Lisch I'll assume is one. Who are you counting as number two? I honestly could see Liddell saying screw it and check out of this situation. That was not the Tommie Liddell I am used to. But GeeDub's athleticism stunts and counters Tommie very well. Diggs was smiling at him and daring him to drive. I don't know if Diggs was covering Tommie or not but our interior offerings gave Diggs no cause to worry about anyone other than Liddell. Tommie is NOT a point guard, much like Polk is not a shooting guard. Yes, Tommie needs the ball in his hands to create, but that is for himslef, not really anyone else. That is not a selfish thing, that's what he appears to be best at. Even when he did dish off last night, Lisch was so heavily covered that Tommie had to go elsewhere and Polk won't shoot, Brown won't shoot, and Luke's release rivals in speed what Deiner's did. Tommie has to be the focal point, but with, as someone else said, two of our players being zeros as far as offensive options, well, yuck. Lisch can be a valuable role player on almost any team. A gonzo defender. A zone buster. A heady leader. But his ability to do that is predicated on having other equla parts around him. So we play two-on-five. If Lisch is a fifth, sixth or seventh man, Luke is after that. I love Luke's work ethic an dhis dogged determination and would probably hire him in a heartbeat but he has spent four years out of position and gets swallowed up by guys with more athleticism that he. Which turns out to be just about every guy he ends up facing each night. Even in the big man-weak A10. I read Mark Adams' article on Majerus practices and watched Husak based on what I read there. Husak plays "small." He bends over in a prepatory way when on defense that he loses a lot in terms of presence. He has questionable hands. He wa not pointing his toes at the ball and showing his numbers at Adams' article said. By the time he did get around, Tommie or the wing on his side had eliminated him mentally as a potential option on the play. last night's game was played on the interior at a pace that did not seem to suit him. Ihave no feel whatsoever for Eberhardt based on lat night. None at all. it's hard to even say "wait'til next year' when the three guys next year involves --- Liddell, Lisch and Eberhardt --- did so dang poorly. Polk and Brown were wasted scholarships in the long run. I am certain Dswayne will be a great JV or high school coach some day. And I think I said early on yesterday that Eckerle might get his lunch money taken by the GeeDub players last night. it was close. All I will say is that if this program has to rely on the likes of Paul Eckerle to be a major contributor, stick a fork in it. Majerus didn't impress me at all, although I didn't know really waht I was looking for. He stood the whole game and never lost his cool --- offering instructions at every break and every time out. Biancardi or whatever his name is is the one who tugged on Rick and must've said empty the bench late. Majerus wasn't going to do it. Knllmeyer showed me nothing. Relaphorde looked like a kid who had lost interest. Mitchell deserves some credit and might warrant keeping. The kid showed some nice heart in his three or four minute mop up duty. I guess Maguire travels so we have enough bodies in shoot around and game day practices to make a go of it. My recommendation is not to take this game and lock and load chambers and fire. The good news is that we have the human factor going for us. I don't know how to explain that but it involves how we play like crap on the road and do okay at home. It would not surprise me to see this team win come Saturday. I expect that this same game will happen in reverse (sort of) when GeeDub comes into our house to play. I can't explain it only to call it the human factor ---- why teams play Jekyll and Hyde at home versus on the road, I don't know. What irks me most is to have to sit there with some a-hole behind me rooting for our guys and team in some sort of misplaced pity-party manner. "Go Ooh-ooh, go." TYhen the parody on ooh-ooh being "ut-ooh." Another thing that bugs me is the feeling one gets walking out of a place like that even as you identify yourself by wearing the Billiken colors. I found myself zippingmy jacket up to the neck in order to hide and form of Billiken blue as I walked out of there. I was even going to ditch the hat by turning it inside-out but the dang interior was blue too. If I received one pity look in the Foggy Bottom Metro station for my Billiken emblem on my hat, I felt like I received 100. You want to talk about how tough it is being a Billiken fan ------- shoot em, shoot me now ---- seems to be the mantra of the day. Satruday can't come soon enough.

The scuttle on the coast here is that GeeDub is without their point guard, have been for some time. This has necessitated Rice moving from his past role of sixth man/instant offense to not only starter, but starter/point guard. I think TT picked that up and noted a drop in his ppg average of nearly seven points this year compared to last. I remember the Diggs kid being pretty servicable and the team that crushed us in Atlantic City were all size equal and talent equal, with Rice being the go to guy. So I expect them to press us again, especially at home in the Smith Center, and try to wear us down. I don't see a game that cottons to a Bryce kind of night. I would hope that our lineup of no one bigger than 6'5" and having Danny Brown healthier allows us to at least counter well enough. I expect Eckerle to get some rude awakenings tonight for some reason. I cannot sanction the Wiz's call. There isno way in hell the Bills get favored in any game on the road until they show me they can win a road game. This game, at La Salle, at Richmond and at Umass (with Umass featuring an entire lineup driven by guards, maybe we can match up well enough) are about the only rare stops on the schedule that appear winnable right now. But the trend is we don't win this games. That needs to change and tonight is another key checkpoint in the schedule. Not one I had penciled in at first, but a win here might add credence to the espoused theory that the guys are starting to get Rick's system as Lisch implied in today's P-D article. Two years ago, we came in here and had this game, only to see it go to OT and another loss. Record or not, the Bills still have to show me that this team can win something on the road -- neutral courts notwithstanding. And the box office is telling me its not a sellout and the students are not here so it won't be as "hostile" an environment that it could be. Thnink Rick will autograph my SLU hats?

The video on that guy was amazing! Equally amazing, and even more impressive, was the psycho dunk Hansborough threw down on him! The guy wears a sixe 26 shoe! When he's done playing basketball, they can sink those tugs and turn them into artificial off-shore reefs! I didn't see it but is he a freshman? What yer was he? How the heck does NC-Asheville lose a game in their conference? I've seen Manute Bol and Georghe Muresan and even Shawn Bradley and ralph Sampson and while they had height, they had no body mass to back up that height. This guy was height and weight proportionate. I didn't get the impression he was highly skilled but he was just as skilled as Greg Oden was and look where he ended up (injury not included).

From personal experience --- I hate Mark Adams and can't stand to hear him when he broadcasts games. And that stems from my first experience with him back in a Great Midwest tournament when the Bills were in it and it was in Dayton. Regardless of that, it was a great article and a tremendous insight. Sounds eerily Marine-like ---- break down all you think you know and impart a whole singular train of thought. Sounds like Majerus' Marines. I too share the moytoy disclaimer of "I'm glad he's our coach and don't want him to leave." Maybe this is the kind of intensity that builds programs. Maybe this is the kind of intensity and attitudes that change the "CYC culture" a certain favorite columnist seems to believe SLU has. It certainly explains why certain kids are told "look elsewhere" for your oportunities.

I'll be joining Steve in DC tonight. Other than the "you are ugly and your momma dresses you funny" comments, anybody need a message conveyed?

This game is only being attended by convicted felons ....... it is what they agreed to in lieu of extensive jail time. I can't imagine a more horrible punishment ..... making oyu watch these two go at it, let alone an overtimes, two, three or four. About the only thing worse would be watching the Bills play St. Joe's in the A-10 tournament in 2006. or the Bills against GeeDub in the 2007 A-10 tournament. Hey, wait a minute --- I did sit through those and I was innocent, INNOCENT I tell you!!!!!

Again, I have to question the credibility of all this. Saint Louis University has "offered" this kid? So if he says "yes" he's in? I just find it extremely hard to believe. I mean, I know nothing one way or the other but this is the first we've heard of this kid and he's sitting on an "offer." Not doubting you, brian, just the semantics in this and similar sites.

Umass had #15 Vandy on the rope before falling yesterday. The Twerps ran out big time on Charlotte in the Bobcats arena and then held on for dear life down the stretch as Charlotte closed a 21-point deficit to a four-point loss. Not bad for on the road and in a neutral site. Looks like Umass has a big three as well --- Gary Forbes and the starting back court went off for 69 of Umass' 88 total points. Richmond also took out Virginia Tech at home this past weekend or so and given our perchant for NOT palying on the road ---- that reaffirms my belief that a win there will be tough to come by. Can't wait to see the team in person in DC this week. URI and Dayton are ranked. Xavier and Umass are playing well. No one's talking about St. Joes so they are lurking out there. Duquesne is doing well and Charlotte is competing. Mentioning us now puts us at eighth in the conference. Gonna be a dogfight.