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SLU should be making buying season or individual game tickets as easy as possible. They need to remember that many fans are of the non-tech generation and are needed to fill Chafitz even if the young bucks don't realize that. I had to just go down to the ticket office to buy my tickets since my Smart Phone isn't very smart!

I could see Richmond or possibly VCU as the 7th East div. team but both are kind of like Dayton, in that they are separate medium-sized media markets which have an overlap with existing schools-Dayton with Xavier and Richmond and VCU with Georgetown. Richmond's advantage over VCU is it's similar size to BE schools, no football team and I think it is private, but I'm not sure of that. UMASS also overlaps with 2 separate media markets---UCONN and Providence so it adds little to the equation. The Boston media market is already divided with many schools to follow and it is likely that any UMASS games are already televised by other outlets. Wichita is further out of the geography than SLU and UD and frankly has lost its fastball - a good MBB program, so it basically has nothing going for it anymore. Yes "locks" is a strong term for SLU and Dayton if BE expansion adds 2 or 3 schools but I'll stick with it for all the reasons in my earlier post.

I would think that SLU or Dayton would be a lock if the BE just adds one school, UD has more basketball tradition and even support, but SLU adds much more from a media market addition standpoint. If they add 2 or 3 schools, it would seem that we would both be locks-good facilities (especially for BB and soccer), geography, sports, (especially MBB), academics, and similar traditions to most BE schools (private and with a religious affiliation). A poster on The Athletic points out how adding SLU and UD could actually save significant travel expense by dividing the Conference into 2 divisions with the west having Creighton, Depaul, Butler, Marquette, Xavier, SLU and Dayton. Many of these division pairings could be handled with bus trips if div. rivals played each other twice a year and the other div members once per year. (Basketball only) In the nonrevenue sports, travel costs could be saved by only playing regular season games w/in your division then having an eight team (4 from each division) tournament to determine the conf champion (this is an example only but show the possibility of holding down expenses) If they were really interested is travel costing less, they could have the 4 teams from each div play to determine a div winner then have those two teams play each other. Obviously, there are many other ways to do this to be cost effective. While soccer is not a driver in these decisions, it is certainly a sport, both mens and womens, which is more than just along for the ride. You might say it's riding shotgun. Again SLU and to a lesser degree UD have excellent teams, attendance and facilities for this sport. Our new sports-supporting facilities can be what helps get the ball across the goal line, so it is a great time to be making that investment ! This is a real opportunity for the SLU leadership so don't blow it.

One guy out for the year, JP out for at least 10+ days for an ankle. Are we looking at the start of Situation 3? But of course Old Guy and his buddy Joe says this is all Ford's doing !

Radio Boy, this is almost exactly what I read with the same quotes. I 'm glad you were able to find this in bleacher report. It sure sounds different than the Norlander tweets.

Athletic article is by their well respected CBB writer, Dana O'Neil. It paints a different picture than the twitter input from Norlander. I'm not quoting anything but the Headline indicates that they are not going to stay at their present number and in the articles itself it is mentioned that any expansion would likely be pre Feb 2024. The most important factor is basketball investment and in a backward manner the Commissioner says geography is important due to travel costs associated with around 15 sports. Further the Commish indicates that this discussion isn't going away in the near future. This article certainly paints a different picture of BE expansion than the Norlander tweets, at least as I read it.

Big article on The Athletic about the Big East expanding with quotes from the BE Commissioner which make it seem like is will be happening. In the Comments section after the article, SLU and UD are the schools most often mentioned! A timetable based on the FOX TV contract is also mentioned and the Commish seems to downplay the addition of Gonzaga based on travel expense. It is behind a paywall so you need to be a subscriber.

Thanks. Good to hear about all the 2023 recruits being there for a great game

I see that the weekend game against St Joe's is when the Seniors will be honored. Do any of the posters know if any players listed as Seniors are eligible for a Covid extra year and plan on coming back?

Back to the thread topic Seth Davis doesn't like us or Dayton at all. He just came out with his Top 25 and then added another 12 also-rans and no one from the A-10 makes his top 37. OUCH !

As I see it, you did take away from the current players with the wording of your post. Yes, there were a couple of good years before the current players arrived, and while they didn't raise the national standing of the team those earlier years certainly helped in recruiting top players. I agree with you about that. However, I viewed your post as a gentle slam at the current group. A post along the lines of, " While the current group has certainly helped raise the national rating of SLU Women's Soccer, let's not forget those prior players who also helped with the earlier stages of foundation building."

Wow ! Sometimes some of you make it really hard to say something positive on this Board.

You and Courtside are clearly right in that the incoming recruits over the next few years will generally be players who were ranked higher than some of the players who will be timing out on their eligibility, BUT even with the quality of new talent at SLU, it will be tough to replace players like Lawler, Groark, Friedrich, Halverson and Miller. They have truly laid the foundation that Katie (and staff) is now building upon.

While I question the value of this site's rankings (they don't even have narratives on any teams this year) it is of some value in that we can find what other team's rosters look like-e.g. Dayton is loaded with SOPH's, and we can also see what transfers schools have gotten. The other thing that strikes me this year is the large number of traditional CBB powers/semi-powers that are ranked below us. Here's hoping we stay healthy, especially at the #1 and #5 spots, where we have little proven depth and then of course Javonte P, who is in a class by himself. Could be a really special season in the last year we have FO, Perkins, Pickett and maybe Yuri and Fred.

It seems like KS is really focusing on the KC area.

The flick backwards by Lawler (on the first goal) was a play that few would have been able to make at that point and, if able, most would not have thought to do it without eyes in the back of their heads. Also, a heads up play by Kelly to seemingly anticipate Lawler's pass. Good job ladies. You are giving the sports community a second "feel good story" along with Albert. The one-sidedness of the game gave Katie a chance to play more of the roster. I think Heckel was the only 90 minute field player. Now if we can just get Lawson back for the end of the season, then great !

If the team played an uptempo style and shot from beyond the arc like they are capable of, then I think the area would react much like they did when Spoonball was the talk of the city. It would be especially sweet with SPUMAC continuing as door mats in the SEC

I'm just glad that Stu was able to get the Sports Dept bosses to allow a story on SLU. During the past week in the Sports' Colleges section, all 4 stories were about Mizzou, with a few on Illinois, but crickets on SLU!

Pickett looks like the physical equal of Fred. I think he will be a big help this year.

As I looked at the "depth chart" it took me back to the Spoon days when we had an outstanding passer (H) and some outstanding shooters (H, Claggs and Scott), but that team was missing a true top level big. This team actually might be better in two of those three phases, and equal in the third. As good as H was as a passer, Yuri is at least as good or better. FO is better than any C on those teams and what's exciting is that we finally have a team that can shoot at the same level as Spoon's 3-man wrecking crew, with Perkins, Gibson and Parker/Kramer. This should be a fun team to watch even if Roy is disappointed by how much they run and press full court.

Courtside, where did Teater go?

Courtside, thanks for the summary. Over the past couple of years, in my opinion the local losses (I know we can't get them all) that stung the most are Duff to Clemson, Howard to Wisc, and the St Dom "twins" to Mizzou and Ok St. Gaebe from Union has turned out to be excellent, showing that she can score at any level

Thanks for all the analysis, recruiting information and game clips to Lord and Courtside---you guys( or gals) make this thread the best one on this website.

Anybody have any word on the Hannah Larson injury, including prognosis for the rest of the year, if it is anything but minor (a game or two) ? It seems like there should have been some injury update , given her importance to the team.