billikendave

Aluminum bats, astro turf and the designated hitter should be banned from baseball....

its also economics. I am probably a typical person who is going from 4 seats to 2 because of the pricing. I was getting a "new alumni" discount, sit right next to the student section, and could afford to have extras to bring my little kids. At new prices, it isn't possible. Result, decrease of 2 tickets but still paying more.

agree entirely. Good guys but come on. Also, looking at the grades, the lowest is a Cand the team went 16-15 and was record breakingly bad in some games! No one deserves an A with the uneven performances this year. Love KL and the Xavier game was brilliant. However, how that same guy could be on the floor at GW is beyond me. Team grade a C-

no, i know for the most part they don't. Rich boosters are paying to fire/hire coaches -- see Quin Snyder. Honestly, from reports about the Chaifetz donation, it sounds like that may be the reason we have Rickma and not Soderberg. I really don't believe that Majerus is cutting these kids and leaving them out to dry. Just not good business. I would guarantee that every effort would be made to get them into a program that could accomodate and that they can thrive in.

First, I am sorry that I "disgust you" for trying to take a moderate position. The discussion was not about coaches. If you want to talk about that, then fine. I don't like how coaches leave after 2-3 years (i.e. Bill Self at Illinois, Billy Gillespie at Texas A&M, Huggy Bear from Kansas State.) Most have to pay huge buyouts to leave but that does not appear to be a deterance. The NCAA should probably step in and try and do something. However, I am sure that when BS was fired you strictly stated that we should not hire a current head coach because free agent coaching is bad. I suggested that there would have to be a special rule for these circumstances where a school AND the student would be able to mutually waive the year waiting period under certain circumstance. in your hypothetical, this would solve the problem. I note that you did not address that.

Not really. It would have to be a special exception to the rule, dispensation from the NCAA or school similar to a player who wants out of his letter of intent. If you don't have it, then you have free agency in the college ranks. Before you say that i'm crazy, don't you think OJ Mayo or other wouldn't do this if he thought it was to his advantage? I would also think that the Kelvin Sampsons of the coaching world would be actively to recruit players if they could leave without reprecussions.

Thanks. all right, i am mixed up! apparently on a couple of things (MR and ESL) I really am surprised that so many people are assuming that this isn't something of a mutual decision after a frank discussion about the future. No doubt it is instigated by Rickma. I also do not think that SLU intends on throwing these guys out on the street. I am sure that they will help them get on at other places. SLU has been the recipient of transfers from guys who didn't fit. Reggie Bryant comes to mind. I do not recall people excoriating Villanova. Then again, maybe I misremember that too

For what its worth, i heard the report and it did not include Marcus Relephorde but Mike Jones -- a walk on. Maybe I misheard it but for those concerned about the ESL connection. Take it for what its worth. I think everyone has been bemoaning the lack of talent and/or depth on this team. Right? Rickma is paying the price for Soderberg's piss-poor recruiting. We all said BS got the most out of his players. At the end of the day, these guys just aren't top flight D-I athletes. Coaching only can do so much. Listen AK and DM didn't play at all under BS's last year. They played limited (if any) time this year. They have essentially been recruited over and aren't going to see playing time in the future. I suspect the decision was ultimately: you aren't getting off the bench here. I can help you get somewhere else where you can play. If that is so terrible, then, i guess it is. Most guys want PT. If you can't get it at SLU, i think most would want to go elsewhere.

didn't see this posted anywhere. Slubillikens.com posted a press release that Scott Charland is the new strength and conditioning coach. Came from Ohio State. I wonder if there is a Biancardi connection. Any thoughts on if this is a good hire? http://slubillikens.cstv.com/genrel/030408aaa.html

I agree with you entirely. Much of the criticism of IV was because we expected him to improve off his junior year and be "the guy" who averaged 20 points and 10 boards and dominate the league. We got a 12.4 pts and 7+ boards per game. No one has consistently taken that place. We are really seeing the shortcomings of BS's recruiting in his last two years.

Agree with you on the depth which is still lacking. In fact that was a complaint we often heard from BS. The fact of the matter is that LM, DP, DB and BH are the seniors on this team. With Brad's stated goal of winning the A10 and national championship and after 4+ years, how would you rate this recruiting class? Ian finished the entire year last year with 12.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg facing double/triple teams inside. I had hopes of him doing more. He was an underrated passer and defensively. He (or any strong inside game) is the reason why a guard can excell -- freeing lanes to the basket or by kick outs to behind the arc. Among everything, the lack of a dominant inside game, other real scoring threats and therefore intense focus on KL and TL are major reasons why this team is floundering.

I think the board is grossly underestimating the loss of Ian -- SLU's best big man in recent memory. He clogged the lane and shot blocker and demanded double teams. He was a great passer. All of which means that KL and TL were open more. I like Husak and Eberhardt but they don't compare to what we had last year.

who on this team was supposed to take a quantum leap forward because Majerus came on board and propel this team to what you expected? Was Majerus supposed to get DP a shot to match his speed? DB -- discipline and consistency? Husak -- athleticism and skill to match the frame? Meyer -- height and skill to match his heart? Maguire and Knollmeyer? Others? This is especially true since SLU graduated their best big man in decades. Love the guys and will cheer continuously for the Bills but outside of KL and TL, Brad left the cupboard as bare as I can recall since the Claggett/Highmark/Winfield class. Yes, he is showing stubborness in sticking to his system at the expense of winning games. I have concerns about that and about how long he is going to be here. I think people need to recognize that BS was getting the most out of the talent that he had. Recruiting did him in.

A coach can make a huge difference and win right away if you have an underachieving team. For example, Quin Snyder recruited McDonalds AA and high profile talent but could not run Xs and Os. In that situation, a coach can make a huge difference. I (personally) never criticized BS's Xs and Os. I thought BS was a poor recruiter who typically got the most out of the little talent he had. Be objective and look at the team BS assembled. Outside of TL and KL, there is little top flight talent. No one appreciates LM more than I but come on, he is 6'4/6'5 and he is playing a power forward. LM plays more on grit and savvy than talent. He is great if he is your 6th or 7th man. But your number 3? We know about DP (your point guard) who can't shoot very well. Bryce -- he does well when he has a large height advantage or against mediocre big man talent -- i.e. guys on Sam Houston. BE was signed late but he is really only 6'5 playing a power forward. Other than KL and TL who is "under performing" based upon expectations. Honestly, I think the answer is no one. What is the real difference from this year and last? Ian. I think he was a threat inside (which isn't there), with senior leadership and he was a very underrated passer. Using a baseball term "VORP" (value over replacement player) has got to be 10 - 15 points a game.

You beat me to the punch. I tried to edit my post couldn't get the irony part quick enough !!! ;-)

Found on line at stltoday.com http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...27?OpenDocument I don't blame her. I find it ironic that she's going to Maryland. I am certain that Debbie Yow understands what Levick went through with Biondi.

For perspective, I just checked Tyler Hansbrough's stats. He was only 18.4 and 7.8 per game for his first two years. Ian's stats last year were 12 and 7. tough standards indeed.

It depends on the terms of how it was given, if it was "hey we are going to have an open scholarship, you may as well use it...." Didn't one of the walk-ons get that sort of deal last year? If it was promised as a 4 year deal (which I doubt) then, yes, you don't revoke it. But this happens at almost all schools with "requests/suggestions that a kid transfer"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/...ck-majerus.html This gets me excited for SLU basketball....

I came in on the last 2 minutes of Rene Knott's interview with the two of them last night on Sports Plus. Liddell smiled and agreed with Knott's question that RM's presense would take the "next level." Anyone see it? Anything else of interest said?

you are absolutely correct it could be the environment. I agree that increased recruiting budgets, assistant salaries, and athletic tutors are important to be a "big time" program. However, I would suggest that Romar's tenure here did not elevate the program and left the cupboard bare. Grawer/Spoon had the same restrictions and environment and maximized the available local talent and Biondi alotted resources. There is criticism by many of Spoon for not doing more following Hughes to maintain a higher profile. I have not heard anyone suggest that support/$ decreased after Spoon left. Romar (and subsequently BS) did not reach the Spoon levels. Romar is a great west coast (WC) coach and needs the big time budget and WC to succeed.

I have always thought that Luke is the quintessential 6th man and could end up playing 20-25 minutes a game at different positions. He can come in and play guard or forward and gives a legitimate talent and scoring threat off the bench. Due to lack of depth, he has been pressed into playing too much at one of his weaker positions -- pf.

I like Roy and appreciate his zeal for the program; however, he had the same blind loyalty to Romar even though he left the program in less than ideal circumstances....

seems consistent with what we are hearing from other sources. I am really not surprized that Cheryl would leave. She has essentially been eclipsed in this whole process and hung out to dry. I would be on the first plane out of town too.

heard the same thing. I probably agree. I hope that is wrong but.... I just hope that we don't lose people.