aj_arete

Was the issue with Coleman was that he committed recruiting violations? I know his record was terrible, but he was only given one year. I was curious what happened during his tenure. I was born at the time, but was real little. When I think about when I started to seriously follow the Billikens, it was during the Ekker era.

Do you think Schertz keeps any of the Billiken assistants? As for me, I'm good with cleaning house and starting a new slate.

So is this bracket from the WNIT incorrect: https://womensnit.com/documents/2024/3/27//WNIT_2024_Bracket.pdf?path=post_wnit It shows that SLU would face Wisconsin, rather than Purdue.

Looks like MO State is prepared to hire Cuonzo Martin when the speculation was with McCollum going there. Or is McCollum content with remaining at the Div II level where he can just focus on coaching ball.

Maybe the industry knows more about Mack than the general public does. I'm all for waiting for Schertz. If that doesn't work out, then so be it. I think it's a risk worth taking, if that's the guy that's the best for the job.

This is not the greatest of timing as some coaches might balk at accepting a job offer without knowing who the president is. But I agree that Pestello will be missed.

A couple of weeks ago, I listened to Doug Gottlieb interview Schertz on his All Ball podcast and I came away impressed. Good get if they can get him. Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-ball-with-doug-gottlieb/id1358843497?i=1000645759088

It’s hard for me to sift through all this. Now I hear that McCollum is linked to the Missouri State job but has that been finalized? Why are people dismissing him to SLU. I think he’d be a great fit.

I remember listening to McCollum in a podcast and was extremely impressed with him. If SLU is unable to generate NIL money that competes with the top tier of the A-10, then getting a tactician and developer of talent is the route to go. I have not seen NW Mo St play but I remember him saying that he doesn't like to play a pressing type of offense because he doesn't think that style will beat top teams that can handle the basketball. However, how would others describe his offensive style? Can it be appealing? If NIL is not a problem, then I do believe with SLU's significant investment in facilities should be able to attract some strong candidates. What do others think? I think Chris May and Travis Ford have done well at SLU, but I'm concerned that both can't take SLU to the next level.

One, Vermont is an elite mid major program so it’s no shame losing to them and we were underdogs anyway. My expectations are modest this year and so far, they’ve performed better than I thought. However given the investment in the program, I expect more than what Ford has delivered over the last few years. Finishing in the top 4 or 5 in a diminished A-10 isn’t good enough.

So what’s your take on the season? I know the team is young. While a disappointing end, should we be excited about the future?

So is our AD Chris May savvy enough to pivot and develop their NIL. I would think our capacity for NIL should be greater than our A-10 brethren.

I want to be optimistic, so do we think we can finish in the top 4? I think those preseason rankings appear reasonable to me. There are just so many new players here that I just don't know much about. We can take comfort in Coach Ford having an eye for talent, but it's hard for me to get excited about this year. I just think SLU is set up to be much more than an also-ran in the A-10. Hopefully, we can get some new blood to coach this team as I would think it'd be a very attractive job given the resources that have been poured into it. There's no reason why SLU shouldn't be a title contender every year in the A-10.

My question is...What Have You Done For Me Lately? All I know is Harriman was part of a hideous Cal team last year. To get excited about him, I'd like to know what bigs he's developed since Ellis and Loe. Have any made the NBA... top levels of Europe... Australia... or G League? I don't know, but maybe someone has done the research.

With the current level of spending, there’s no reason why SLU can’t dominate the conference with the right coach. It’s either the Big East or stay in the A-10.

SLU had a good enough schedule to get an at-large bid, but the near miss at Auburn hurt. They outplayed Auburn for much of the game, but couldn't seal the deal. Then on the other end of the spectrum was the bad loss to SIUE. If they could have pulled out a couple of more wins, then I think they could have gotten the at-large bid. Having said that, I think the SLU administration made a short-sighted mistake in not pulling the plug on Travis Ford. I think he's a solid mid-major coach, but I expect SLU to be making multiple at-large bids with their facilities and NIL infrastructure. We need to stop thinking small and do an upgrade.

That’s surprising about Grant not having 1 NCAA bid in his tenure. Given the institutional and community support that Dayton provides, that’s simply not good enough.

No, I don't agree with what you said. He got the job because he knows how to interview and not because he's black.

That's offensive. What makes Kim English stand out is that he's articulate and knows how to set a vision. I can definitely see him excelling in an interview, even if he was white. This is so ignorant when looking at the landscape of college basketball where the coaching profession is hardly representative of the talent pool (that is the number of blacks who played college basketball exceeds the number of whites at the Division I level). Having said that, there are plenty of people who know how to excel on the interview, but then flop on the job. I'll agree that the jury is still out on whether English will be a highly effective coach, so we'll just have to wait and see.

I had no idea as I haven't been on this site for awhile. We were Facebook friends and noticed that I hadn't heard from him in awhile and that's where I learned about his untimely death. He is surely missed.

There needs to be context. I believe SLU's resources far exceed their competitors in the A-10. The facility is top notch and I believe is unmatched in the conference. Then they've got the new athletics complex that is second to none. This is a program that appears to be funding at a level that would be extremely competitive in the Big East. However, the results don't show that. SLU is not getting enough bang for their buck and that lies at Ford's feet. Now if SLU didn't have the Chaifetz Arena and their spending was in line with the A-10, then I'm fine with the 20 wins and upper half finishes. But that doesn't appear to be the case here. I think the Billikens can do better.

I think Travis Ford should be commended on stint at SLU. He's certainly raised the profile from the Jim Crews era. However given that SLU's facilities and spending far exceed their rivals in the A-10, I think we can do better. I just don't think one NCAA appearance in 7 years is good enough. It's time to cut bait.

Must admit that I didn't like the coaching hire, particularly after their rough start. However, I'm glad to eat crow in this instance.

I have no problem with Nick trying to follow his dream. I only fault Travis Ford granting him the scholarship. Do you think this was done as a favor to the St. Louis Eagles. I'm just hoping that Larry Hughes Jr gets his scholarship now.

Character and chemistry can take you a long way.