Major Majerus

Claggs came with the shot...and might have improved it while he was here, but he was lights out when he came. When I saw him for the first time at the Billiken's midnight madness, I predicted he would be the top Billiken scorer of all time if he stayed 4 years. He would have been if he had had the NIT runs that Bonner/Gray/Douglas had, but his teams had no postseason the first 2 years and then got into the NCAA instead of the NIT.

Plus, AB has a sculpted body today and years of professional banging. Now, he had a great body while at SLU, but not the body he has today. I wouldn't expect Izik to hold up against him, but AB is not the usual body you come up against in D1 hoops.

I'm not sure of your baseball analogy. Baseball has great comparability since many of the careers are so long. Musial's career overlapped with Dimaggio's and Williams...and Aaron and Mays, etc. Dimaggio's overlapped with Hank Greenberg, Jimmy Foxx etc. Those guys smoked, didn't lift weights, faced a higher pitcher's mound... Baseball, like most athletics, is a sport where hand/eye coordination that separates the greats from the others. I don't buy that today's athletes are better, but I agree they play and train in a totally different environment. And, yeah, there IS a lot of "in my day..."

I've seen Monroe - he didn't have the great shot. He got up plenty high so nobody could block it, but he didn't have the great stroke. Roland Gray, who started as a great inside player developed a better jumper and became a 3 pt threat. I don't mind if a player doesn't have a great shot - just don't waste the trip down the court by taking it.

Shaw reminds me of Jeff Harris - except that he will give quality minutes earlier in his career than Jeff did. He will play bigger than his size - that is, with a lot of heart. He is a quality athlete - can dunk with ease - and is already a basketball player - sees the court well; passes and shoots well. The only criticism I've heard is: "Well - he's only 6'6!" I say so what - he's the whole package - and hard nosed. I'd like to see him in a Bill's uniform.

I agree with you in spirit, but you see what's happening at Mizzou, and that's a state school. Illinois has the same thing - the good seats are for people who pay year after year, or make a large one time donation, or put the U in their will. It might come down to that at SLU, at least in the short term. Although my # is around 220, I might have to buy a few more points to maintain my level of seats, which are about halfway up in 115, about even with the FT line. I'm sure PSLs are a last resort, but if they'll put the project over the top, count on 'em or something similar.

I visited every page on the site and couldn't find the section on the cost of the PSLs:+

First of all, I quit listening to sports talk radio years ago because of too many ads and lack of intellectual content. That being said, I think Rammer is walking on eggs here and I wouldn't try to back him into a corner. To me, his comment about the team looking the worst in the past 20 years would be the involuntary outburst of a disappointed, frustrated, true fan. Rammer addressed the Tip-off Club some years ago. He was a delight, and to listen to him, you would have thought he bled Billiken Blue. Broadcasting our games has been a big help to his career. He has no axe to grind against us. I think we need to cut this guy some slack and get on to the true issue confronting us - can Billiken Roy arrange mortgages for the PSLs...

Dicky V unbiased...there is no subject on which this guy doesn't have an opinion. I turn the volume to zero when he's the announcer.x(

The RFT is part of our "free press." Bravo for personals and sex ads of any description. How else to get the word out to uptight America? Would the detractors rather have our attorney general as the editor in chief of America?:7

Only if one of them wins...

Plus we get to keep the popcorn take

I expect he'll complete his original plan of taking official visits to SLU, SIU, and Stanford. I think Stanford is a longshot. His folks can drive 75 minutes and see him at Savvis, or drive 30 minutes, and see him at Carbondale. I think that's a wash. Perhaps the big city will be an attraction for him, coming from Centralia, which is similar to Carbondale in size if you subtract the college poplulation. I think we can get him if we want him, and I think we want him.

Matt does bang...took a few, too. He came in rubbing his back, and the trainer checked him a few times. Still, he looked good - certainly enough to play pickup with those guys. He showed a nice 3 pt stroke as well as the ability to dunk with ease, including in traffic. Can pass, and showed a nice slash and finish. Hits the boards hard. A combo 3-4; more of a 4 than Sloan, less of a three, but he already moves his feet well defensively. I was a big fan of JJ from practice last year - on potential only. I'd take Matt right now over JJ...on the basis of the pickup games I saw. The whole team was there except for Hunt. Here are my comments on the others, for what they are worth... Ike - has not "bulked up", but has about 2% body fat. He has a body like Isaac Bruce - if you add "bulk", you take away from the whole. He was unstoppable; outside, breaks, postups, etc...except...Bryce swatted away some of the postups. Ike is very clever underneath, including passing out. I think he'll be the man this year. Bryce - showed no inclination to shoot, but is already a defensive force. Very agile for a big man. He had a few putbacks, both lefthanded, but maybe that is his natural hand. Still, they were both on the left side of the bucket, and looked nice. He has a better body than, say, King who plays at Illinois. With Zorba sitting out the first 10, I don't see how you redshirt this guy. After some big league coaching, we are going to be very happy with him. In no way does "stiff" apply to him. Weight training will probably get him to pro ball. Think of Archibald, and what he became. I'm not kidding. Zorba - already gets an "A" for the pick and roll - he really understands the interchange between the big man and the guards. Dunks with ease, has a nice pullup js in the lane, bangs and rebounds. Highly mobile. Clever passer. Already has a mature body, but weight training will only help. Frericks - similar in build to Zorba, very offensive minded, a good banger, and VERY good passer. Looks for his shot down low, but has an eye out for the cutter. Drejaj - still leading the league in hustle at both ends, and finishes a lot of his drives over bigger defenders. Brandon who? Clarke - my first view of him - very mobile, and hit a lot of 3's - his shot is in the same ballpark as Ahearn - and did a lot of other athletic things, but needs coaching. A great athlete. Sloan - very comfortable with his shot and his driving ability - will think of himself as a true first option on offense this year - particularly if first shots go down. Goes right at his man now. Nothing much to add on the others. I've seen enough pickup; now I can't wait for 10/15 or whatever the exact date is.

I called the basketball office to inquire about when to watch the pickup ball this afternoon. Joann hemmed and hawed and said there was a recruit on campus this weekend and they weren't allowed to list the time. I guess I'll show up around 4 and watch Matt Shaw bang a little...

Effingham is right, and it was his back, not his knee. He was a good one. Could bang inside, and go to the top of the key and hit the 3 - the kind of player we hoped CB would have become...

Already I can see my vision being blurred...I hope I can find the right channel...

He was suitably impressed and plans to sign early. This is not a second hand rumor. It is first hand - I made it up myself...:7

You don't need a PE or any major to do the following: give up white flour, white rice, sugar, anything deep fried, and go for a brisk walk of 15 minutes most days. You can do a lot more, of course, but that regimen would save millions of pounds and millions of $. Of course, there's a lot more to a PE major, and I certainly don't look down my nose at anyone who coaches, or the school from where they got their degree. I think SLU should at least offer a minor - then the courses would transfer.

421 N Hanley - 2nd house on left N of Pershing. 5 minutes b4 gametime - don't make me answer the door during play...:7 Keep my phone # and let me know ahead of time who's coming 314-721-8564.

Many of the posters complain about not having access to Charter. While that's true, if you can get to Savvis for a game, you can get to another fan's house that DOES have Charter. Surely the limited # of posters on this board without access can make alliances with guys who have it. I'd be tickled to watch the game with other Bills fans at my house - then I woouldn't have to shout alone...plus I usually have beer in the fridge. Maybe Signguy can add a TV signup list to the front page. I'm near downtown Clayton; surely we have guys in South, West, and North county, as well as the east side areas served by Charter.

I'll take another Wardle...

Good news stirs us up...:7

I don't think so - Shaw is a bonfide 4; Meyer is a 3 or possible 2.

I think you guys worry too much; we have a lot going for us, and we'll land on our feet. Change is good. I can't wait to see how it all shakes out, but I have no control over it, and thus don't worry...and I won't even mention the rumor about the Big Sky conference...:7