davidnark

Fats Russell just announced he is removing his name from the draft and coming back to school next year.

Who said that the schools won't have the ability to assess the relative difficulty and academic strength of the individual high schools or the student's specific classes? Is that part of the admissions department's job?

I think the test has changed, but the historical verbal section of the SAT was one of the most absurdly biased and irrelevant tests created. A student's success on it was largely determine by whether they studied Latin roots extensively and/or came from a household that spoke the American version of "Old English." Poor kids had zero chance to get a decent score on it, and it had nothing to due with their intelligence or academic capacity.

I suspect it is a blend of (i) a genuine goal to diversity the student population by recruiting smart, hard-working kids who don't necessary test well--perhaps due to socio-economic bias--and (ii) improving SLU's objective ranking metrics. How would improve the objective metrics? Presumably, the kids with good GPAs who don't provide test scores will have their GPAs factored into the averages without dragging down the university's average ACT and SAT scores. Kids with high test scores will certainly want to submit them, and those will comprise the university's average test scores.

I have read that guys in Euroleague teams typically make between $60k and $100k/season but may also have housing cost covered depending upon the team. G League guys make under $20k. If I were advising a kid, I would tell him to finish the last year of college and get the degree, which between the cost of room/board/tuition plus the value of the degree is going to greatly exceed the net money after taxes and expenses from one season in Europe.

The low 6-figure money in Europe will be there even if they wait a year. If they have a big senior year, they both increase the likelihood of making an NBA team and likely increase their earning power in Europe. Presumably, they also get a college degree. Leaving after your junior year to play in Europe only makes sense if you have some kind of family situation that requires immediate money and/or you have no interest in your education or the college experience.

I think what posters are referring to here is the pipeline of talent across all classes and expected from future classes. When SLU has had success in the past, they tended to ride one or two strong classes and then filled things out with role players. Rarely, has SLU had depth on the bench or a pipeline to replace the current stars. For the first time ever, Ford appears to have built a program that can be sustained due to the consistent high-level recruiting across all classes. This is the Gonzaga/Villanova/Xavier model that allows them to maintain their high level.

Here is the aggregate rankings referenced in today's PD column: https://hoopshype.com/2020/04/04/2020-aggregate-nba-mock-draft-5-0-international-prospects-are-rising/ Here is Ben Fred's article: https://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ben-frederickson/benfred-now-is-not-the-time-for-areas-underclassmen-to-risk-nba-draft-disappointment/article_e62af66d-0fb4-5be4-9c68-6a4934763d36.html I just read his article, but he came to the same conclusions I described above.

Yesterday, I looked at all of the recently updated major NBA draft prospect rankings that are not behind firewalls. There are 60 spots, and most rankings list 100 prospects. I found about a half dozen different rankings, and not a single one listed Goodwin or French in the top 60 or 100. I am certain there are confidential lists held by teams and scouts that may list one or both in the bottom half of their rankings, but right now it doesn't look like either player is generally considered a likely draft pick by the experts associated with the major online media outlets and blogs. Just looking at raw metrics (i.e., size, weight, and position), it appears to me that both players' biggest challenge is being undersized for their ideal position, which is further exacerbated by their shared opportunity to improve their outside shooting.

Nick, do you realize 2 of the biggest stars--Durant and Klay Thompson--were out this entire season by playing through injury risks during last year's playoffs?

My 14-year old son and his friends certainly favor the NBA over the other sports. They don't really watch baseball. It seems like NBA and Euro Soccer is what the kids follow. The popularity of FIFA Soccer and NBA2K certainly help fuel their interest.

I have had to travel the world the last decade for my job, and I am always amazed at how visible the NBA is throughout the world. I see billboards, shoes, jerseys, etc. for NBA stars in China, India, Spain, and even Germany and the UK. It is everywhere, and sports fans all over the world know the NBA stars. Perhaps only the English Premier League is more prominent. Ironically, the NBA felt more visible in Shanghai, China than St. Louis.

Whether you choose to watch the NBA is obviously a personal decision, but right now the league has the best collection of good, unique and charismatic superstars that has ever been assembled in any league and sport. Plus, the NBA league leadership allows them the freedom to showcase and build their individual brands. Durant, Curry, Lebron, Giannis, Westbrook, Kyrie, Chris Paul, Harden, Beal, Tatum, Zion, Trae Young, and many more -- these guys are charitable and generous and engage with fans and the media better than anyone before not named Jordan. Simply put -- good guys and amazing basketball players and athletes. If you chose not to watch and follow, you are missing out. The worst part of not having a team in St. Louis is we lose all sense of how popular and global the NBA has become.

Do you watch the current NBA? There are drastically different styles in play. The off the ball movement and stretch shooting featured by Golden State is downright revolutionary. Meanwhile, the Bucks want to push the ball through a Big Man who is re-defining what an athlete at his size can do. Down in Houston, the spread the floor for isolation from outside like no team has ever done before. The Lakers use extraordinary talent and experience to win. San Antonio is still focused on the team first. Defense is light during the long regular season, but int he playoffs it is intense and outstanding.

Does this include a conversation along the lines of "you are unlikely to ever get playing time here, but we can use all of our great connections to help you find a school where you will play and get a quality education"?

Some form of concert venue would be a great reuse. Sitting a block or two from the Grand Center theater district also makes it fit. There are a fair amount of small to mid-sized concert venues, particularly in the Delmar Loop. This makes me wonder whether a small to mid-sized venue that targets a specific genre (e.g. Blues, Jazz, etc.) would be the ideal solution.

The challenge is that we cannot dictate the pace of play every game. If a team elects to drop 3 or 4 players back on D during their offensive shots, there are no fast break opportunities available. We ran against teams who pressed or who favored challenging the offensive glass. It is fair to assume we will continue to push the ball whenever it is available, but I also expect more and more teams will game plan to take that away.

I think the biggest frustration with Jacobs from a coach and fans' perspective is that he has all the right tools but has never once shown any signs or confidence to have a "takeover" mentality. Goodwin, French, Collins, and Perkins have all displayed the mentality of "give me the ball and I will find a way to get us a bucket." (And haven't been afraid to fail in trying to do so.) Jacobs has the ability, but he just hasn't crossed that mental threshold and may never get there. If he does, watch out.

Can someone clarify? Has Andre signed his LOI yet?

1. Hughes (easy choice) 2. Bonner (easily number 2) 3. Clags (he played in a league with future NBA all-stars and will forever be the league's all-time leading scorer) 4. H (he could shoot the 3 and passed the ball like no one we have seen until a certain young kid recently came along) 5. Melvin Robinson (the big chill would have been all-world if he could have kept his head on his shoulders) 6. Douglass/Gray (they were both great, and they are so inter-connected) 7. Goodwin/French (I will cheat again, but I have never seen a combo rebound, defend, and give the constant effort these two do) 8. Kwamain (he was so good) 9. Jett/McCall (I think everyone forgets how good McCall was, but he started ahead of Jett for 3 of their 4 years) 10. Justin Love (he could light it up) Honorable Mention: Scott Highmark (finished 3rd all-time in scoring in the Great Midwest), Maurice Jeffers (2nd round pick), Bess (everyone knows what he did) Honorable, Honorable Mention: Willie Reed and C Gordon (if only)

60 players are drafted. This is a site that consolidates various draft rankings. Here is the current consensus player ranking. https://www.draftsite.com/mydraftsite/mock-drafts/nba/2020/player-rankings/ There are 157 ranked players on their current list, which does not include Goodwin and French. It will be tough for them to climb these rankings with limited workouts available due to the current situation. I expect they will both be back and will have a chance to use their senior year to rise.

I didn't mean it as a criticism of you in any way for posting it; I was commented on the author's criteria. How do you have rate SLU's in-game experience in the bottom half of the conference when most teams play in half empty, glorified high school gyms. Why isn't budgets and resources weighted way above all else?

This is a hack article and ranking that is nearly 2 years old. Ignore it.

Fully expected. Good move for everyone.

In addition to his good size and build, I liked how Diarra got up and down the floor in his very limited minutes. We have no idea whether he will develop into a solid D1 player, but there is enough there to justify patience as long as he has a good attitude and work ethic.