bauman

Good decision TF. Congrats Coach Tate! This has to be seen as a good thing to local HS coaches and players. SLU taking care of STL. Keep bringing in the Goodwins, Hargroves, Thatchs and Collins' , AHC Tate!

If you think GP screws up our team names, go to the Top 144 list and look at Nebraska's two returning starters. If we could get a couple of those then maybe GP would hang it up.

A few points: You are assuming that public health codes (Fed/State/Local) will allow less than 6 ' social distancing at the point season ticket renewals are sent out? Second, liability is determined by juries not non-lawyers posting on this site. Lastly, even if SLU would win such a class action lawsuit, the cost of defending it would be in 6 figures in dollars and years in time, including appeals. i don't think the Ath Dept is wanting to go down this road. Now, if all is well in a few months (probably less than 1% probability), then cancel everything in this post with my apology.

I want to watch this years' team as much as any other Billikens.com poster, but i can't believe, if things are as they are now, that the school would be willing to sell season tickets to all current STH. My area of the Arena is filled with STH and there is no way to even get close to staying 6 ' apart from each other. If SLU follows this approach I think they better have good liability lawyers on retainer. Your second sentence---yes. Your first one---hard to believe. There is going to have to be some way to space out fans, IF we are allowed in at all, and allowing all STH to buy their current seats won't fly.

A few random points in the how many minutes/game HF and JG will average this year: I don't think either of them came back based on playing 35 minutes per game instead of 27-29. They came back for a number of reasons (IMO), none of which were in my last sentence. One very important one was that they were both told that they would not be drafted and told what they needed to work on. Another one was to get their degrees. Another, they saw the talent on this team and knew as Team Blue leaders that they had a chance to go far in the Tournament. Another for Jordan might be being able to play in front of family and friends one last season. I really believe that Team Blue is more important to them than 4-5 minutes per game. I have watched a number of 2019-20 season games and have noted that they are both outstanding leaders/teammates, in addition to being two of the great recent Billikens. This includes time on the bench cheering on their teammates. I think they appreciate the impact they have had on the Program and realize that TF needs to continue to play the Hargroves, the Jimersons, the Bells and Stricklands not just the 3 Seniors, and I respect them for their continued leadership.

When have we been able to say that before?

I agree with you. My comment about TJ was intended to be very positive and my "struggle for minutes" phrase was not intended to take away from my thought that he will be a "contributor" this year, as you say. My only point is that I think he will be playing behind JP and based on the last 10 or so games last year JP will get more time at the #3 than TJ. But I expect that Coach Ford will get both of them ample court time. Based on match ups, TJ might also spell HF for some time at the #4. I am really glad to have him as a Billiken.

Hargrove's big 3 was not in the URI game. I agree with your total assessment of TJ's ability, dedication and attitude. I root for him to do well, but I think he will struggle for minutes this year while Perkins is still here. Hopefully, he can take over as the starting #3 the following year with Strickland as a back-up.

I thought the tournament was in Anaheim which makes it even more of a parallel to this year with us going to Disney!

Your mention of the URI game got me to go back and watch that game again. It has to be one of the worst, most one-sided announced games I have ever watched-ESPN should be ashamed of its announcing crew. Every thing was announced from the point of view of URI as if they were the URI announcers-pitiful. Every call was what URI needed to do.

While I put little stock in the Top 144 actual rankings, I do think the website has some value. First, it gives us something to look at in the very early off-season of CBB when it's hard to find any info in most major/local media and second, it provides a data source of what players each team has lost from the prior year and which ones they have gained through normal recruiting and transfers. This latter is especially helpful in looking at for teams that we will play OOC, e.g. Belmont and E Wash last year.

That won't be enough for them. Our 18 will make them an at large! (I know the regular season record isn't what gets you the A-10 bid)

3 star, I know this came up in another thread, but your comment about Gibson playing 25+ minutes sent me back to the "who plays how many minutes" drawing board. Without regard to trying to fit my initial estimates into the 200 minutes each game, I saw HF and JG at 30 each, YC at 33, JP and GJ at 25 each, TH and JB both at 18, Linssen and Fred at 15 ea, Dj at 10 and MS and AL at 8 each. Add those up and you get 235 or 35 too many. Some really good players are going to sit more than they want, barring injuries.

I hope, and think, he is right. I know it was just one game, but we beat Richmond at their home last year and that was without Fred and Gibson. It seems like most of the media I have read see Richmond as the favorite in the A-10 because they are bringing everyone back. However, most of them fail to recognize that we are doing likewise plus adding FT and GJ, along with two players who improved considerably as the Conf season progressed (TH and JP). In addition we are adding some needed front court depth with Linssen, plus two more strong recruits. Maybe a little East Coast media bias happening here???

That means 8, A-10 teams will come in above 138. I would rely on Taj for the best prediction since he seems to be very knowledgeable of all the eastern teams, but just for the fun of it (and since there is no real CBB news at this time) here is my guesstimate: 24 Richmond; 32 SLU; 41 Dayton; 57 Duquesne ; 73 SBU ; 93 UMASS ; 104 VCU ; 115 Davidson. Above 144---GMU; SJ ; GWU; Lasalle ; Fordham. As a reminder they picked us at 143 last year with 6, A-10 teams in the top 144. This year they have 9, A-10 teams in their top 144.