Taj79

.. today is about what I'd expect after last night's result. I didn't hear the game, I didn't see the game, I haven't read anything but what's on this board so I have no impressions on the game itself. All I know is the final score and the fact that we lost to one of the most low-lying teams currently palying on the Division 1 circuit. Fire Brad: I'd have to ask what for? Some on here have already begun the great coaching search in the sky. Stallings. Amaker. Lowery. Kruger. Stop and ask yourselves, who, in their right mind would see this as nothing more than a graveyard for one's coaching career? Albrecht -- dead and gone. Coleman -- dead and gone. Ekker -- dead and gone (some lame assistant job somewhere in the wasteland of the NBA does not count in my book). Grawer -- back to high school. Spoon -- dead and gone. Romar -- his move to Washington had nothing to do with his accomplishments here; Alma Mater U came calling. This is not a steppingstone position. This is nothing more than a career killer for most. I'm not for the "fire Brad" camp nor for the "keep Brad" camp, but you guys are dreaming if you think some up-and-coming coach is going to slit his own throat and come here. If not some unknown assitant, the best we can hope for is some donw-on-his-luck slug looking to make a comback ... and last I saw Larry Eustachey was taken. Of course, Quin is floating around out there! No Bench: Like, duh. The top three came back and Luke has shown marked improvement. Other than that, we were depending on two guys (Dwayne and Danny) getting better because, well they just had to because they're juniors now. Unfortunately, this is Billiken College Basketball and it seems to differ from the norm that is College Basketball. Someone has already done the stats on what we get from our bench so I won't go into that but what we have is what we have. And JJ, hmmmm, let's see ... a fifth year senior who's done nothing for four years. Oh, yeah, that fifth year will make him better just like osmosis. He can increase his production 100% but you know what, 100% times ZERO is still ZERO. Not Coming Out Ready to Play: pure and simple, I'd blame this on the coach not having the guys prepared. But you know I've been hearing this from the pre-streak run of Perry's senior year, to the injury riddle Bryant/Frericks senior year to last year and now this year. If you're a lunch pail team as many of us have said Billiken teams are, you have to believe that as well and not think walking out on the floor is enough. So this trait seems to be an enduring one. If a Saint Louis University team does not understand this from the get go, either they are learning impaired or the message isn't being stressed enough. But I also understand you can't berate your team into submission because that won't work either. Seems to me the current staff is not motivational enough right now. Winning the A10: We just went on the road and lost to the 330th ranked team in Division 1. It amazes me that some think this same team can waltz into Atlantic City, before thousands of empty seats, with the same five fans in the house supporting them, and win three or four straight games with a four man roster and no bench. What are you guys sniffing? Sure, stranger things have happened (see Memphis 2000) but that's a once-in-a-millenium kind of thing and we've cashed out that supply in the year noted above. Not impossible, but highly improbable. Wait Til Next Year: I can't even say that with a straight face because next year, in my book, depends on this year and its like Steve says in that the hopes and dreams of the future are being built now. I so desperately want this team to succeed, which means making the dance, because if it doesn't, the minimal cachet that even making the dance gives will not be available to impress the recruits and we again rely on 17- and 18-year-old kids to take a leap of faith, stay home, and take the little school that thinks it could to the big dance. We actually had that in Grawers' first and last years and didn't realize much from it at all. Next year to next year to next year is treading water ... which is what we do. Tiring, isn't it? The Rest of the Year: Are we out of it? No. We could still lose the rest of our games and, by winning four in AC in March, still go to the dance (not true as we would not be invited to AC with nary a win in the regular season but ignore that fact for now). If we don't win the A10 tourney this loss will surely hurt but given this loss at this time to this team, I suspect that other losses of this nature exist further down the 2007 road. I am disheartened, for sure. But changes are coming. Either this team learns that it has to be prepared to play from five minutes before the opening tip to five minutes after the final whistle, or the staff will change at the end of the year. I firmly believe that. Of course, a change in the staff, to me, is equally harmful as it is beneficial. But the progress I expected is just not happening for me right now. This is one of those losses that you don't expect from a good team. As I said in the Ole Miss game, I thought this team was better than this. The comeback and win against Ole Miss made me proud. This one just confuses the hell out of me. The time for change is rapidly approaching ..... either changing the thinking and mindset of the current roster and staff, or, I suspect, changing the staff. A team with three all-conference returnees does NOT lose to the Bonnies anywhere in my book.

but as '72 points outin another thread, YouDee has ten wins, all at home, against less-than-stellar competition and asks the question just how good YouDee is. I think that's a legit thought. Of course, if Gregory is thinking schedule a bunch of dolts to pad the win total while adding confidence to a young team, he won't be the first. And what I do know is that YouDee season ticket holders have not been happy with YouDee's schedule for some time now, even before Gregory got there. Not much will come into the YouDee Arena. Even the biggest names of the recent past .. Kentucky, Cincinnati ... insisted on YouDee playing them at neutral USBank Arena in Cincy. Even last year when YouDee played Purdue, it wasn't at the Arena, rather, they insisted on "neutral" Conseco Fieldhouse in Indy. Oh well .. it is what it is.

... plays a real basketball team? Annihilated by 30! I forget what we lost by but it was the same and we were at home. Which means, to me, that the SLU/UD games are going to both be nailbiters once again.

... and I was serious as a heart attack when I posted it. Again, that shows me that the expectation can be real for this team. A skank team does not come back and right the ship the way they did that afternoon. Hope springs eternal. Has to when you're a Bills fan.

Purely opinionated .... and you're entitled to that. Of course, Footes never went to UMKC but so what.

No harm no foul ... I just like to set the record straight if there's a misinterpretation. Most of my real diatribes are for the the likes of Vee and Putz-zie. As for skip above this, I still believe that in most instances, JUCOs are stop gaps in this program more than in others. Sure, there will always be a Justin Love or a Donnie Dobbs or a Mo Jeffers. But I'd also like to pointout that those were recruits done by a different staff in a different era. All I'm sayign is that past history what it is, and given Brad's recent history, I don't see JUCOs as anything more right now. Reggie Bryant was a good get, but I'd venture that he initiated the move from Nova, not us. And again, short of kids coming home to finish up, Saint Louis University is not a destination of choice. Again, there are exceptions to every rule (H Waldman) but the volume of evidence I believe supports my claim.

.. mon fraire ..... another guy interpreting emotion from the two-dimensional image .....

LaSalle lost a lot with Steve Smith. I think their new center is a hulking white guy Mike St. John. At last year's game in Philly, he led the "get up and cheer" section from the court during warmups and when he got in against Ian, had four fouls in less than four minutes. If you go to the game this year, enjoy dumping on him. Last I saw, he was still starting. Blue Crew should have fun with that clown. I seem to recall LaSalle having one of the top recruiting classes this year in the A10. Again, I believe it was based on numbers and not quality. Just goes to show ....

.. I reread my post and can assure you that no sarcasm was used whatsoever in responding to yours. I am sorry if you took it that way. I find the two-dimensional very difficult to fathom if you're trying to interpret what's in there. If I use sarcasm or things I usually capitalize for emphasis or add the (wink,wink) to alert folks. I don't see where I did that in there. I am certain in my beliefs as stated in the post. Its just an opinion. Your comment about a recruiting season for JUCOs is true. No argument here. But when is it? When do most sign? I would offer in the spring. Why? Because in my mind, they are indeed stop gaps. You didn't get who you wanted in the open period so now you're shopping around tring to fill the voids left in that roster. Seems to be the case in BILLIKEN basketball and it is my opinion that it doesn't work most times. Sure, sure, some JUCOs go inthefall signing period, I agree. But htose are usually the studs like Pete Mickell or Larry Johnson or Steve Francis. While the rest may be either leftovers or guys improving their lot based on the recent season past, so be it. I still think most are stop gaps. Most D1 to D1 transfers in our history have been guys coming home. Lenard. Johnson. Pedersen. Mimlitz. Roder. In rare cases, do we get a guy who means much. I'd name H. Reggie. Josh. Josh came because of Romar. I can't speak to the other two although I've heard rumors and explanationa. All I'm saying is that personally, I don't like it. That's all. The debate can rage on. As for the sarcasm, I apologize. But I stand by that it was not meant as such.

I'm confused .. if I don't count JUCOs, then I don't count Dobbs. I don't think one year of Footes was that great. Same with Pedersen. Same with Jamal Johnson. I'd rather have four-year guys for sure, because a one-and-done says stop-gap to me, both for the team and the player. Did we go to the NCAAs with Pedersen? If not, then in my book, that don't count because its not BILLIKEN basketball. That's me, granted. You can beg to differ. Carr was like a JUCO All-American up in Iowa and that was as an offensive star. He came here and what happened? Sure, he may have been a solid defensive player but I'll betcha' he was recruited for his offensive game, not his defense. My point is this, given my druthers, I'd rather stay away from the transfers for the most part, leaving the door open to a Reggie Bryant type and that is all. I've always felt that JUCO's were gap pluggers anyway and I still feel that way today. I have no problem with prep players like HD. Its worth a shot just like taking a Knollmeyer is. Both give you the potential of four years so I'd go that route eight times out of ten. Just my preference, that is all. So in the cliche, "those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it," what part do I ignore after 30 years of BILLIKEN history as far as transfers and JUCOs are concerned? Sure, there are some that are worth it. That means research and scouting and talent evaluation are key. Jut a note, my list wasn't meant to be comprehensive. Just the ramblings of an incoherent fan.

There are teams, and there are teams, and then there are teams. Stupid statement (I know) but what this means is that there is no sure fire definition of a team. Standard team would be the traditional 1-2-3-4-5 team ... point, shooter, slasher, rebounder/enforcer, and center. Given that that in no way describes this edition of the Bills doesn't really matter. You can win in the college game with different makeup, you just have toplay to your strengths and minimize your weakensses. If you have four guards, it seems you don't play to the tradional team makeup. But if you do have four guards, I don't know how you have turnover after tournover. That said, I want to say that I predicted a comeback win at half. Big deal, right? What I think this shows however is that to win, we have to play to our strengths, and not come in after a break and loaf or take anything for granted. We are definitely not North Carolina or Duke and will never win on talent alone. Intensity must be there from the get go. I did not see the game nor listen to it so I might be off in my call for intensity but it has to be something. I have long said that for a team to be good, to be above average, it needs to defend the home court, win those on the road it should, and pull some upsets along the way. This could have been a bummer heading into the regular season but they came back and demonstrated heart. Sometimes heart beats talent. This says to me that this is an above average tema so far. The only thing I'd say is off kilter right now is not being able to win at Carbondale. Losing to two top ten teams is no slouch. We had a chance at Carbondale but it went awry. Oh well. Those things happen. At ten and three, I have little if any problems this year. An average team does NOT come back and beat either Ole Miss or MoState. An Average team does not win at Pacific or at Loyola. I think we are sitting pretty as the depleted A10 turns inward. The A10 is guard dominated. You would think with four/five/six guards we will be okay. Winning at St. Bonnie is the next biggest game. As much as I would have liked to have some choices with JJ/Obi/Adam/HD, well, like I said, this is BILLIKEN basketball. I also would like to have seen Dustin do a little more but it is what it is. The starting five is what it is. Jj and Danny are the benchers. Maybe Adam, Bryce and Dustin can contribute in their moments but who knows. This is what we are going to go to the dance with, like it or not. My support is there. But please, let's acknowledge we can't shoot and go from there. It would be nice to hit our shots at the beginning and open the lane for Ian. Or maybe we pound it in to Ian in the beginning and have him dump it out for us to hit a few that way. In any case, again bringing the lunchpail to every game, every night, from the opening tip, is our only way to win. Maybe one day, we'll even win comfortably.

The second half appears to be the Luke Meyer show. Good for Luke!

Two points on a buzzer beater at the half? Points scored must not count in the definition of "showing up." Not watching this, it must be the intensity with which he is playing.

Let's see ... we have essentially the same starting five from last year. The same first two off the bench as last year. No recruit of substance posting minutes or numbers. AND >>>>> we couldn't SHOOT last year, either? Hmmmm ... call me perplexed. Many had argued that Dwayne's nubers would go up. That Danny was going to be better if only by being a year wiser. That Maguire was a shooter extraordinaire. Now Tommie had improved so one out of four aint' bad but ... as is the case ... we're talking BILLIKEN basketball here. It's only half and I'm expecting a comeback but can we accept the fact that we can't shoot and go from there? I can understand the inability to rebound with four guards out there but shouldn't that translate into better ballhandling i.e. less turnovers? that I don't understand. We will come back. We will win!

.. Ijust didn't post it because I couldn't remember all that he said and I couldn't remember the rest of the schedule for X. Franny did say that the win over Nova was a good one, but then went down the schedule showing what they had done against who. I think he also mentioned that losing to Creighton was a bad one, with Cicny being good or bad, depending on if they won or lost (I think they lost). In any case, what he was saying was that because the A10 is so "down" this game was the last chance they had, along with beating KState, because the rest of their season would be the poor, poor, decadent A10. His conclusion was that based on where X was at that point, they had to win out over both the Illini and KState to counter IF they don't win the A10 automatic bid. Again, another guy planting the seeds for the mid- and low-majors getting one bid only. And someone has already pointed out the fact of what happens if Butler is upset in their tourney. You can't leave the Bulldogs out based on their work to date but no way two from the Horizon merit consideration. To me, its the big boys posturing for the big boys to maintain club membership. I also heard seven from the Mountain West. The rich get richer.

... if he wants to come home, is he taking classes in a major that will transfer to the home school? I'm not saying PE as is mentioned in another thread, but something more than that? Also, what are the grades? Is he fulfilling the requirements as prescribed by NCAA under JUCO transfer rules or is he just scraping by with medicore grades in mediocre classes? Who am I to judge what's mediocre but ignoring that, what about "good" classes put together with thoughts and ideas directed at teh future beyond Cowley and beyond basketball? Y'know .. the And1 tour doesn't take everybody either.

.. ain't that good. And I'm counting JUCO transfers as well. We've had smaller numbers of good transfers (Roder, Waldman, Lenard, Love, Jeffers, Burns, Henderson, Newberry, Turner, Robinson, Bryant, etc.) but tons of bad and horrible transfers (Manual, Tadysak, Ivester, Causwell, Johnosn, Pedersen, Mimlitz, Malick, Frericks, Newborne, Whittenberg, Strozier, Carr, Craig, al-Mateen, etc.) I know some might argue my ranking of Johnson, Pedersen and Mimlitz and so be it. I don't consider a transfer of a one-and-done kid to be that great, no matter how well he does on the court that one year because its a stop-gap .. either your bench is exceedingly depleted or the kid came home to finish up and where were his best or better years spent? I never thought Mimlitz did much of anyhting here, let alone at Mizzou. Again, like Parcells, I'd rather cook with the groceries I bought and do it for four years than two. And never one and done. H Waldman was the greatest transfer case in my history and David Burns was second. Burns had no help at all other than Kelvin Henderson in his years here.

... and Fran Fraschilla was echoing what's being said above. That essentially its " a down year for the A10." He was making this statement in relationahip to Xavier's record and schedule to date. He said that short of next week's KState game with the return of Huggy to Cincy, the Illinois game was X's only real chance of posting any noticable wins on its ledger to impress the selection committee should they fail to win the A10. One would also have to assume that is true for anybody in the A10, including us. It IS way too early to call but with all the talk going that way, the justifications for making the A10 a one-bid conference have already been planted. At worst, my opinion is that its a two-bid league in the making. I think with the tournament in a non-home court environment (i.e NOT Dayton and NOT Cincinnati), any one of maybe three or four teams could win it. If the winner of the AC Tourney is the #1 seed from the season, then I think it will be a one-and-done. However, if its a #2 or #3 or whatever seed, and the #1 has a twenty-one or twenty-two wins records, it could mean two. I didn't watch the whole game and what I saw did not make me want to jump up and say Lavendar is that super, but it was painfully obvious that this is not the same Illinois team we have become used to over the last few years. On the other hand, I did not see anything that made me go "wow! Who's gonna beat Xavier this year?" Duncan is still Duncan and is a guard in a 6'10" body. Doellman has not changed much over the four years he's been there. Burrell is still way too streaky and seems thisclose to being a head case, and Cage is Cage. The subs were nothing to crow about and Johnny Wolf is still the worst example of a Divison 1 scholarship player that side of Randy Pulley. What frustrates me most is that we beat them twice last year with essentially the same team we have now. I doubt that happens this year but it demonstrates to me how close one nice recruit added to last year's roster would ahve been and how much that would have meant. I also caught the beginning of the USF/Wake game. Wake's center went from averaging something like one shot a game last year in 3.8 minutes to some sort of early season monster on the boards and in the scorebook. I thin his name is Visser. Anyway, just goes to show that hope springs eternal still for guys believing in unknowns like Bryce. Of course, that's elsewhere and this is Billiken basketball ......

I don't really think any of these programs are "biger names." Maybe overall but not in the basketball world of the college game. Houston had a nice run for a while but disappeared very quickly. UMass and Florida State are no different than Indiana State during its one-and-done Larry Bird year. I remember Florida State's one-and-done when they were back in the Metro or even right before joining the Metro. These three programs had aberation-like times and don't really mean much as far as consistency is concerned. I would offer that George Mason and Bradley are about to be added to that list as well. Kind of like when Loyola of Chicago had that year in the mid-60's and won a national title. These are not the "big boys" of college basketball whatsoever. K-State and Oregon State? Bigger names in one aspect: state schools. I do not believe it fair to lump us into a heading with some of these schools. To me, it is more appropriate to look at our competition as the Marquettes, Creightons, Georgetowns, Seton Halls, Xaviers, and Gonzagas of the world. If I want to be like Mike, these are the Mikes I'm shooting for.

While it would have been nice to relive the Louisville, Kansas or Miracle in Memphis days, I think you have to look at this game, take th eblinders off, and see that the weaknesses discussed in this year's team were exposed for what they are. #1) Six or seven deep just ain't going to cut it. We got thirty minutes from JJ and DB totaling four points. #2) Playing four guards may be our strong suite but in the long run, its not going to work against teams with horses like UNC. For the most part, it will and it will especially work in a conference like the A10 where guard play dominates, nine nights out of ten. #3) The early season ability to nominate and develop a viable four option seems gone. We are what we are and unless Brad gives up on the seven man rotation we are looking at breaking down even more. As many note, Lisch is hurt. Might take a while to recover. WHAT IF ... another piece breaks down in light of the workload. #4) This team still lacks a readily identified outside game outside of Lisch. And he's hurting. The best team's in SLU history had either multiple options (Gray/Douglas/Bonner or Claggs/Hmark/Waldman/Turner) or a one-man All-American (Hughes) who made thoe around him better. Ian is inside. Lisch is outside. And Liddell is a viable slasher. But all three rely on the other two doing their thing to make their respective things work. If Lisch ain't hitting, the middle for IV and drives for TL aren't going to be there. We still don't have a dependable other shot maker. #5) While this game (UNC) is an aberration (unless you happen to play in the ACC night after night), DP went back to the DP of old. Something like 1-of-6 shooting, no assists, eaten up by his opponent according to one poster. We marveled at how well he had done up to this game and I believe this is an aberration as noted, but here's hoping he ignores this and goes back to producing like before. St. Louis fans are notorious for being front runners and being where its fashionable to be seen. Can you imagine a 10K seat arena packed with folks who wanted to be there last night instead of the curious and the Poplar crowd? Kiel/Savvis/Scottrade never has and never will be a home court advantage for our Bills. I think Biondi and company ought to put in all bleacher-style seats at the BiondiDome with the exception of the high rollers who pay for them. That way, it would be too uncomfortable to sit on those padded arses and the hardness would piss all off so much that anger would begin the minute you made it to your seat and yelling would be a great release. I recall the Notre Dame facility being that way above the first level. Seats set up in theater comfort make fans comfortable. Just a thought. I am happy with 9 and 3. I am also hopeful as Brad said that the team takes away a real lesson in what it takes to be one of the nation's elite as UNC is, was and always will be. It should help in the long run with the A10.

Anybody else feel that way? In today's day of science and rehab, where a Carson Palmer is back playing at the topest of top levels within eight months, I find it hard to fathom that this injury took two years to begin with. Then, he comes back fat and winded which I understand but really makes no sense. Then he won't mix it up and prefers to float on the perimeter and now we've got grades and ineligibility. I'm betting another schollie will open on this one. If getting back wasn't enough motivation, then getting back and still not playing won't matter either. Chalk this one up, IMO.

I have contacted the ticket offices at Temple, St. Joe's and Fordham for East Coast games I might get to. I got to GeeDub and La Salle last year. Anyone else looking to do these games? If you are and you contact the ticket offices in advance, tell them you're an alum of Saint Louis. All three have said that they have a section reserved behind/near the St. Louis bench and will try and accomodate all requests of this nature. The St. Joe ticket guy (Ron Joyce) said they have mailed these tickets to the SLU ticket office and if they are all gone, then contact them and they'll see what they can do to get you near the area. St. Joe's and Fordham have band box gyms seating maybe three thousand apiece. Temple has a relatively new 10K seat place. Still, being near the benches was great last year. Anyone going? Let me know and we'll try and have the celebratory "NatiCat Memorial Beer."

Don't know the hotel at this point ... there was an ad here in the Baltimore paper last Sunday on a "package" deal at Bally's. Bally's seems to own a number of place on the AC boardwalk. Claridge. Sands. Closest to the venue is the Trump Plaza; suggest you get as close as you can as walking the wind swept boardwalk on a cold, cold March day can be quite painful. Rates I saw didn't look too, too bad .... about $100 a night for weekdays; consdierable jump for a Friday or Saturday night stay .... Trump went from $100 a night to $300. Be careful. Our plans are fluid. We usually don't buy full game packages and usually only do two nights hotel. History has not been kind over time. Still keeping weather watch for golf clubs. If we go out early, I am not so far away in Baltimore that me and the buds pack up and head back to the manse for the rest of the weekend. Don't know of anyone else coming at this juncture.

.... I know when you and Billiphan, and Billsboys and billiken_roy lift those yule glasses full of whiskey-tainted egg nog, I will be there in spirit. Although I am still surprised the four of you are getting together and am still skeptical the good times will last!!! Looking at the AC in March. Searching hotels and all that. Still thinking about it? Merry (politically incorrect) Christmas and Happy TV replay viewing to all!

I don't think it "belittles" anyone ... the winner or the loser. I'd applaud Mo State for coming in to a hostile environment and winning 39 minutes, 59 and nine/tenths seconds of the game. I'd applaud SLU for winning and coming back down 11 or so in the last five or six minutes. I'd boo Mo State for letting that happen, much like I'd boo SLU for finding itself in that position at home no less. I'd cheer Dwayne for his effort on Ahearn. Standing ovation for shutting that agrument up emphatically in Blake's senior visit. Come selection time, its a good win for the Bills, a good loss for the Bears. Let the "wait until next year" claims begin.