slu72

I thought he was no longer a possibility?

Now, I have no numbers to support me on this, it's a gut feel. But when you watch college teams on TV, be it football or basketball, I don't often see a lot of PE majors when they do player highlights. See a lot of majors in communications, sociology, and business areas but not a lot of PE's. Just wondering if this PE thing is that big a deal. Now granted, a number of JUCO transfers may be taking PE courses that don't count at SLU, or for that matter a lot of JUCO courses may not, but I just don't see those many PE majors being highlighted. Besides, let's look at schools in a similar or better "academic" class than SLU. Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Marquette, XU, Gonzaga they're likely to be dancing and they probably don't offer a PE major either. To me this excuse is a copout for poor recruiting.

Well, now would be the time to close out with two W's and get some momentum going into the tourney. Beating Richmond but losing to Dayton just looks like more of the same old same old to me, and doesn't get the blood flowing for the A-10 tourney. Cripes, Dayton's next to last in the conference. Why can't we beat them at home? It's a new season come next week, and UB and the boys can certainly turn around the perception of this program by winning the A-10, which is possible. Now would be the time to get those signature wins we didn't get early in the year against A&M, SIU, and UNC.

nm

Sounds to me like he would have gone to KU if they offered him the manager's job....

nnm

I think last year it was on ESPN. I know I saw that ugly affair w/ St. Joes in a sports bar and pretty sure it was an ESPN channel.

I figured UMass might blow us out given the athletic and strong inside game they play. Didn't happen, which is encouraging. I think if the team gets the message that our real strength is still playing good D, we might actually have a shot at pulling off an Atlantic City Miracle. Of course, X appears to be really hitting it's stride right now, but if IV brings his A game, we play tough D, we have a shot at meeting this season's high expectations. And no, I'm not drinking blue kool aid.

The answer is an exciting winning basketball team. A team that has a legit shot every year of going to the dance, a team that can knock off a few biggies we bring in to the arena, read a UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Arizona....As for the cheering and noise at the game, the students have to start creating their own traditions. Last year at UNC, they did a Jump dance before the game, the volume was incredible. I don't know if marketing is the answer to get fans aroused. As someone posted, SLU has a core base of fans, there are area fans who like D1 hoops who attend probably more than a few games, and the students. That will probably mean 8,000 which is 80% full, so you'll always have a good crowd. but being there doesn't mean the crowd will be loud. Like many of the over the hill game, we're not gonna be jumping up and down for 40 minutes, that's up to the students. Every game has to be "an event" you can't miss for the students. That will come if the program reaches Biondi's goal of top 50.

And the Georgetown Hoyas? I think it's a rock.

Watched a little of ESPN's high school game between St.Pat's of NJ and OJ Mayo's Huntington WV game last night. Huntington had a big inside kid, 6'7" or 8", name of Patrick I think. Already built like Bogans of Ok State. That's what we need to get, but doesn't everyone? By the way Mayo's 3 shot is a thing of beauty. The 4 or 5 I saw him make went though the net like a laser bomb. The net never moved and they were from NBA range. He's one and done at USC.

This weeks. Lou Pinella and Soriano of the Cubs on the cover.

I didn't say offers, I said interest. There were a couple of A-10 teams, and believe even Wisconsin was starting to show some interest.

Understand the let's not get carried away mood about a UB recruit. The thing that stands out about this kid though is he apparenlty had interest from some other places....which was not the case with UB's last 4 or 5 recruits. I'm just trying to be positive here.

Ok, don't get too excited, but there is a full page picture of DP guarding Lawson of UNC. Of course, the article's about UNC's devastating fast break style of play. Also, a shot of TL and DP on page 2 of the article. Last time I can remember SLU pictures in the mag, was way back in '94 when they did that article on Spoonball. Also, SIU was given a good writeup after the Butler game. Primarily about their rugged style of D. As for Falker, he isn't an engineering student, some kind of communications major.

Sorry to hear about your dad, Skip. I lost my mom in January...so I feel your loss.

Why wouldn't we want Powell. As I understand with a little time in the weight room he could be a 4. Is this not correct? Two 6'7" guys, one who has played pg, would not be bad. From previous Powell posts however it does sound like academics are the issue.

Nice column on the Bills today from Gordo. Calling KL one of the best guards in college basketball was big. Sure wish he didn't add that UI could certainly use him....don't want KL getting any ideas here. His point about IV not getting the touches. Is it mainly due to: him being doubled-tripled, KL and TL's outside game improvements? It's a shame this season may have been blown in the first two conference games. Still a mystery how all that happened, but it is what it is. One can only wonder if we'd started out 2-0 vs 0-2. How good would a W be at UMass? Record wise, good. Confidence wise, huge... Team that most seems to be hitting it's stride is X. If they make the dance, and they should, would look for them to surprise some people. Possible sweet 16 run or maybe even elite 8. After UB officially signs Relphorde(sp), I'll be researching crow menus. But not actually buying the bird until after the spring signing period is over.

Sounds like a great pickup for Brad. Congrats....we need more...more...more

It's not difficult to sign the Obi's and HD's of the world, but they are signings none the less. NO MORE OF THESE PLEASE.

The only thing going in was we expected IV to be an A player. If he'd played every game with the intensity he showed against UNC, SLU would have notched a few more W's. At the beginning of the season, UB tossed out there that he might use the Twin Towers that worked well against Charlotte last year. We've not seen it once to the best of my recollection. Had IV been used as the 4, that would have eliminated a lot of the double and triple teaming that have supposedly caused his decline. Also, Euro bigs tend to feel more natural playing out further than US bigs. Who knows, maybe UB is planning this as a surprise in the A-10 tourney. God knows, we need some sort of miracle like that to salvage this year.

UB will not be judged by the recruits before they ever play a game. As someone said above, supposed first tier guys could end up worse than 2nd or 3rds when the final analysis is in, see Ricky Cranford. It will be his record that utimately decides his fate. If the Spring class can't contribute more than his last 4-5 recruits did, that will put us in the same situation next year as this year and his prior years. Slightly above .500, possibly even worse, and still a bridesmaid come March. What will cause some excitement will be a couple of name signees in the fall, which will warrant his finishing out his contract. But say we do sign Suggs, Brandenberg, Kramer in November, are they the players that are going to put us over the top in the '08-'09 season? Not likely. These players will have to be TL, KL, AK, DM and whoever he signs this Spring. Bottom line, UB will finish out his contract at SLU. But I'm thinking what keeps him here after that has to be an NCAA bid in the next two years, this is why this Spring period is so important for him.

One thing from the radio feed, BH sounds like he's getting the crowd into it.

From afar I'll toss out a thought, UB has managed to lose this team. If you can't recruit players, you can't develop players, you can't control players....might you wonder if you're in the wrong profession?

This is a ridiculous question to begin with. Judge Biondi because of the Basketball program? This guy has been a super president. I don't know how the budget works in the AD for cell phones, but I can't imagine they can't put those expenses on an expense account, but whatever. Biondi went out on a big limb to build an $85mm dollar arena at a private institution without all the funding in place. Without even met the initial funding goal of $45mil or so. Am sure he recognizes the value of a high profile hoops team, see Marquette, Zaga, etc. and is hoping SLU gets there as well someday. The fixing of our program squarely rests with CL and UB. Last time I checked I don't think Biondi was in charge of recruiting.