slufanskip

I agree with the person who said that Carpenter is a key ... I think that our entire starting staff is key. There are questions throughout. Morris, Williams, Carpenter, and Marquis ... the only solid seems to be Suppan ... but he is really only the #4 guy. I don't think we need them all to reach their potential but we do need Morris to return to the form of a #1 guy ... and Marquis or Carpenter to come through big with Suppan giving what is expected of him. Williams scares me but I think Herran can come up and do an adequate job as a #5. I think we may have one of the best bullpens in the National league ... with Izzy closing and Kline, Tavares and King all solid work horses with proven success. Our everyday lineup is as good as it gets in Baseball ... I was a big Ray fan and hope he can be a valuable addition, his defense in left should be better than average ... if he can hit 275 with 20HR's and 75 RBI's I will be estatic. Our big question is obviously 2nd base and leadoff in the lineup. I think our best option is Womack as he will be ok defensively and he should hit some ... even if he doesn't have a 350 or better on base average ... he will work the pitcher. Anderson is a big liability defensively and I can't see him providing any more offense than Womack. Hart has blown his wad ... He is mediocre defensively and the same on offense. I am not a LaRussa or McKay fan ... but here is Dave's chance to show that he really can make the average veteran pitcher better as that is our rotation ... we already know he can ruin youngsters. I think overall we will surprise and win the division. Houston's offense is getting old and the defense is suspect ... Pettite and Clemons will be good ... but losing Wagner hurts. Chicago is Chicago ... Maddux is on the way down and who knows with Prior. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

I hope that doesn't turn out to be correct with Cooper ... as he is one of those players that you just cannot help loving. He has so much energy he wins any 50-50 ball he is close to. I would like to see us sign a goalkeeper as Seckman was not very impressive as a backup. He worries me a little if he is our starter in 2005. Anyone going to the Spring games Sluballs? Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

I wouldn't worry about DP ... I also think IO should work at getting stronger and play the 4. He has a better game from within 6-8 ft. we need someone who can deliver the ball to him inside ... that leaves us needing a 3 should TL not qualify. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

No offense taken ... Since I just opened a new lot ... I'm hoping for some money to fall out of a fed ex envelope ... I have a couple employees following Quinn and the SPUMAC assistant coaches now ... I feel my chances of coming up with something that way are pretty good. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Who is on who's ... board? Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

From where I was sitting ... right next to the Missouri bench ... I was watching DP on the sideline ... he was definately the leader and had a smile all night ... talking with everyone. If Tommie has to go the JUCO route ... hopefully he will stay close so we have more contact and guys like Erwin can help keep him at SLU Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Only 1 team wins and I wouldn't want to take away from CUSA ...by saying that success is only defined by winning. They didn't have a great tourney ... but they had a very good regular season ... probably their best ever. The A10 cannot win it all ... but they proved in the tourney that the top 2 teams are as good as anyone in the land ... adding Charlotte and Stl will only make them stronger ... hopefully they will drop some dead weight at the bottom to help conference SOS and consistently get 4 or more teams in. The Big 12 is a superior basketball conference to CUSA or the A10 ... I can't imagine how anyone would attempt to argue that with astraight face. With that said ... the gap is obviously closing ... As we are seeing a good cast and 1 superstar can make a team very good ... plus it seems that the A10 seem to keep most players 4 years and play teams mostly of Jrs and Srs. then just refill at the bottom. I was probably the biggest StJoes should not have gotten a #1 seed proponent ... and I still don't think they should have ... but I would say that they did along with X prove themselves to be one of the top teams in the country. The difference is the strength in the middle at least this year ...and this was a down year for the Big 12. I hope it is not just a down year this year ... I hope some of the smaller conferences can continue to rise and be competitive year in and year out especially the A10. If they will get rid of the bottom 2-4 teams after they gain Charlotte and Stl ... that will give them a pretty good top 5 or 6. which will help the inconference SOS. They need to be a 10 team league with a home and away with all schools ... that would give a school 8-10 strong conference games ... they just have to get rid of the dead weight at the bottom. The Big 12 has the same problem with 12 teams ... having to play TAM and Baylor twice really hurt the SOS of the top teams in the south. The north wasn't as strong at the top but was more solid all the way through. I just don't see how you can have 12 or more teams and avoid those killers at the bottom. All schools must also play a good non conference schedule and if possible play the big boys from the majors. Ok ... I think I just wrote a lot ... to say very little ... all in all I think the majors have stronger in conference schedules top to bottom ... but with 3-4 strong out of conference games and by getting rid of the dead weight at the bottom ... the others can and are closing the gap. Also in all sports ... I haven't done research ... but I think you will find that Stanford is #1 with Texas next. Go A10 and Go SLU Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Thank god for coach K that Duke doesn't have to play on a neutral court with neutral officials. The call that fouled Miles out was a joke ... If you are calling that tight all game fine ... but to just pick one and then foul out one of their top inside players is rediculous. Also the charge on Chalmers ... the duke player wasn't even fully upright yet ... But America either loves or hates Duke ... so they are a good draw Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

This was an all star game filled with people looking to make highlight reel dunks ... I don't think it is fair to evaluate him on this game. I wasn't trying to do that ... just giving my opinion of this one game ... so I do not want to be counted as one who definetely thinks TL needs to have a fire lit under him Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Agreed Roy ... Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

I thought Jake had good footwork ... seemed very coordinated and had a nice 8-10 ft shot. He looked like he could play facing the basket. I had the feeling that with some coaching he could play the 4. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

It looke too me like he was very quick and had good hops ... most of his game appeared to be dunks ... but he is very athletic Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Roy ... that was the first time I saw either of them ... last night he was the better player ... I don't know if I would say Leaps and bounds better ... but he was a step up last night. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Well I have ... my power glasses on ... we will just have to disagree. I think St. Joe's is a good team probably top 10. I just wouldn't have given them a #1 without some bigger wins Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Thanks ... as I was also curious ... did you see the games Thicks ... what did you think? Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Sorry I didn't answer before ... Grimes was listed in the program ... but I don't think he was there. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

My opinion was based on this game only ... that is why I asked for other opinions ... and I do not think that I am off based upon tonights game ... What are your opinions of Lidell and Dentman ... Do you think Dentman is as good as DP. I am not the first person to say Tommie doesn't look to be giving his all at all times ... I'm sorry but that is the way he appeared to me ... and he cannot check DP 1-1 he tried many times tonight. I did not say Dentman was bad ... I said J.B. Jones looked good and I thought Dentman was a notch below DP and maybe no better than Jones ... if I thought Jones was good ... than that would make Dentman good also. If you had seen DP tonight ... I can't imagine you would have a different opinion. Last ... I value all of your opinions ... and again my evaluation was just my evaluation of tonights game. I agree that there are many people who have seen them more than I and may offer more insight or a better evaluation. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

OK ... here we go again ... please put on your A10 glasses so you can read this clearly. If you want to be ranked with the big boys play them !!! Do you not beleive that there are at least 10 teams that could have played St.Joes schedule to at least the same result. I agree the RPI is flawed ... but it is a system ... my point would hold true regardless of which ranking you use. The Big 12, ACC, and the Big East play much tougher in conference schedules than the A10. St.Joes and all the lower tiered conferences need to play tougher non conference schedules to make up the difference ... St.Joes did not. I have said all along they may prove to be a top team ... and even with the loss to OSU ... I beleive they did. They just hadn't done enough IMO to prove it at the time the seeds were given ... look at their schedule ... Gonzaga #9 1st game ... then BC #22 ... and an under rated X in the conference tourney ... lets see them play UConn, BC, and Syracuse in a 10 day period with one or 2 of them on the road ... if they had done that and held their own I would feel differently ... they didn't. Next year if SMS goes 30-0 playing in the MVC ... will they deserve a #1 seed. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

because Gonzaga doesn't play anyone either ... Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

DP... will start at the point ... AD couldn't check him on his best day. And thats not a knock on AD. DP is good ... he gets to the hole at will and finishes ... and he has a nice jumper pull up and from 3. He understood that it was an allstar game and was to have fun and he did. Ill won by a score of about 117-105 I'm not sure exactly ... I also don't know how many DP had but I will be surprised if it wasn't at least 40 ... maybe 50. At one time he dribbled the ball up the floor with his knees. I sat on the baseline right next to the Missouri bench ... DP has a great personality ... always smiling. It looked like him and Luke have become friends ... they stuck together on the bench. TL ... looked ok, he has a nice little 5-8 foot pull up ... appeared sloppy with the ball ... can't check DP ... but neither could anyone else ... he looks like he is not always giving his best effort LM... appeared to be awe struck and looked out of place at first ... improved a little with a 6 or 7 pt 3rd qtr ... but he is not quick. I can't imagine he will get many minutes next year. He appeared very timid and was not overly aggressive On the rest ... X looked good as did JB Jones. Terry Evens is very athletic and I think will turn into a very nice player for someone. Aaron Jackson has the ability to be a good player ... but doesn't try all the time. C. Muse also is very athletic ... but no where near ready to be a player in CUSA ... a couple years in JUCO and maybe he will be very nice. I hope he and DP are close ... as I think he could turn out very good ... from what I heard he took major steps this year. J Dentman is good ... but a solid notch below DP and I am not sure he is much if any better than JB Jones. There was a 6'8" center with a big body from Elsberry who played for the STL team against KC ... he looked like what I would imagine Frericks to have looked like 2 years ago ... The program said he missed the 1st 15 games due to an injury ... but averaged 29ppg and 17rpg since he returned. I wish he would have played against the better competition. He had a nice 8-10 ft jumper and nice moves underneath and was an aggressive rebounder. Kalicek ... No way he plays in CUSA ... he is way to slow, not strong and can't jump. Any one else go and have any other thoughts? Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

The question was wether they deserved a 1 seed ... GT played in the ACC ... they played top teams and beat Duke at Cameron. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

If anyone else is there alone ... I am 5'11" about 240 with too much gray hair and glasses. I'll be wearing jeans and a lt blue Polo shirt ... come on over and say hi. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

thanks Nate ... I hope so. It just seems like with what I heard about the playoff games ... it may be packed Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

bump Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

You did not know X was going to be in the elite 8 when the seed was given ... in fact at that time they were only slightly better than a bubble team. TT was more highly regarded. I agree with you that OSU has the losses ... but they also have numerous top quality wins which St. Joes does not ... and that is my main point they have no really good wins ... Gonzaga and BC ... I wouldn't call either of them great wins. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman