davidnark

The career NBA average of the greatest shooter to ever live is 48/44/90. I am not equating Gibson to Steph Curry--there is obviously an absurdly incomparable level of competition--but it does suggest a truly elite level of shooting ability.

I didn't view this thread as a depository for just feel-good news about former 4-year Billikens. Perhaps the most interesting news to many is contemporaneous updates regarding transfers who are currently playing for other schools or teams.

Let's just keep all posts about former Billikens here regardless of how, where, and when they became former. This would include graduates, dropouts, early NBA declarers, grad transfers, expulsions, etc.

I would expect a lot of interest. This area has become really attractive in recent years.

The RPI was an antiquated formula that was not considered statistically predictive. We will need a season or two of data to understand what types of teams and conferences will most benefit from the change in algorithms, but everyone was long overdue for a more statistically relevant methodology.

I had someone independently tell me that everyone associated with the program is smitten with Thatch.

I had heard a rumor that Jontay Porter had the lowest measured vertical at the draft prospect workouts and among the lowest scores in other key measures. If true, I guess it means he is extraordinarily skilled in order to be as effective as he is.

Yes. He is still a freshman.

Finished as the leading scorer in the game, which has to mean something good. http://www.fiba.basketball/europe/u20/2018/game/1407/Iceland-Serbia#tab=boxscore His shot wasn't really falling, but he took 12 threes (and only made 3)!

http://www.fiba.basketball/europe/u20/2018/videos/LIVE--Iceland-v-Serbia No 6 on white team. Scored on a pretty drive a minute ago.

Our best overall player and our likely best scorer/creator are guards, so we should be just fine.

I don't think the level of coverage by the P-D matters at all in today's world. How many people under 40 have ever subscribed to or even purchased a hard copy of a newspaper? In fact, how many people under 40 regularly visit stltoday.com directly? Every post dispatch story I have read this year has been online and has been accessed by me through a link on twitter, facebook, a text, flipboard, or a link through a site like this one. I don't think I am atypical. In this framework, it is really irrelevant whether the article I am reading is published by the post dispatch, the university paper, a blogger, a an east side paper, or any other publication. If the content is newsworthy, it will travel. Only 3 newspapers in the United States--only three!--have a daily circulation of more than a million (Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and USA Today). By contrast, CNN, the current and former presidents, and several major athletes have well over 40 million twitter followers they can transmit news to any second of any day. Meanwhile, Jon Rothstein, who has no connection to St. Louis, has over 120,000 followers and has shown an interest in routinely sharing news about SLU men's basketball. What is the point? If SLU's mens basketball program continues to have success, people will write about them and the news will reach local and national sports fans through social media regardless of what Stu or the Post-Dispatch decides to do.

I don't like to criticize journalists who are trying to do their job, but Ortiz was the worst I have ever seen at entrenching himself in grossly uninformed opinions and then belittling readers who disagreed based upon actual knowledge or facts. He also had so many biases and close-minded perspectives that impacted how he did his job effectively. The impression I got was that he never gained the respect of his sports colleagues for many of these reasons.

I think it was intended as an article about the team's backcourt and guards.

I assumed Stu was referring to potential offensive positions. JJ could line up a shooting guard, but that doesn't require him to defend the other team's shooting guard.

I was more impressed by the video displaying the lowest vertical on an outside shot in the history of basketball.

Does anyone officially know what Bishop's initial punishment was, and what the official outcome of this appeal was? Is it possible he didn't receive a multi-year suspension/expulsion when it all netted out? I do think it is interesting that one player publicly announced he would be back in May, 2 players promptly and publicly announced their moves, and Bishop has said absolutely nothing. I also recall an interview with Ford following the appeals where said something along the lines of he could have 2 or 3 additional scholarships as a result of the rulings. I have no inside knowledge here.

Are there even any relevant juco players these days? Haven't we signed something like 1 juco recruit in the last decade? I thought kids who were real talents but need more academics now went to prep school rather than juco, and juco is just for fringe D1 players.

Goodwin, French, Bess, and Gordon likely have 4 of the 5 spots locked up for next season. Thatch, Johnson, Foreman, Pearson, Jacobs, and Santos are effectively fighting over the 5th spot, which will also depend upon the type of lineup coach wants to play. If you wanted to go really big and strong, you could actually play Goodwin, Bess, and Gordon in the backcourt with French and Foreman/Santos up front -- would break some rebounding records.

The reality is that at this point in the process they are not going to sign a point guard for next season who will leapfrog any of our returning guards (or even our signed recruits), so why not sign an experienced pass-first point guard who won't expect to start and will only use the scholarship for one season. Seems like a win-win for all involved.

He has immense knowledge and as much passion as anyone for the kids and the game. He is also a wonderful person who spends a whole lot of his personal time and money volunteering for others. I don't mind him as a broadcaster.

We are playing f'ing Hickory at Hinkle.

Who provided these announcers the research on SLU's players?

Locking this thread, so we can all move on.