courtside

Very good reports guys. I unfortunately could not make the game, last minute. One of my brothers(SLU grad student) attended and gave me a report as well. 8 OT games or something like that, ...got to be a record for them. Just a strange year. All I can say is I have been to many games this year, and the above reports could have been pulled from a number of those games as well. Grazier and John D are at a higher level with that national team exposure. And John D has improved his overall play a lot. Big fan of David Peplinski who's motor never stops, and he understands the game. He is a midfielder that might have to play up top more. Hopefully he can stay healthy. Interesting on team unity, etc...basically I think Isibevic is really the only one I have observed with the issues. From a distance, they don't seem to have take charge leaders. Such a great point on a playmaking midfielder and transition. WAY too many long balls. Davis, Dimaria, or even a Jewsbury in that role. Vedad has a temper, is showing his competition from Roosevelt high, and is learning that great skill doesn't always get it done. That cast didn't help the situation any. In major D-1, you can't take plays or parts of game off, period. Will John to a lesser extent does this too. I have seen many great young talents over the years struggle with the physical aspect of the game their first year. That will change, but doesn't help much now. SLU needs a creative playmaking central attacking midfielder. They have a million defensive ones, and a few of those are playing out of position. Glad to see Wick back. he has taken some hits here. I like him. I think he will be an important factor in post-season. I think he has earned it. Pusateri is the most experienced guy back there. He has been there done that. No left foot but that is okay. SLU isn't a lights out defensive club. They will give up a goal, or even two. And they aren't a lights out offensive club. They are in the middle...a tough spot...lots and lots of close games. Ranked 8th this week, a lot of pollster respect. They should be happy with that. I will go ahead and make the ever safe prediction that the UAB game will ...gasp...go to OT. At this point, I think SLU can get two NCAA home games, road quarters...that is subject to change quickly. And of course, I am not saying they will go that far, or less, or more...just where it looks to me right now. Lots of parity. Opportunity is there to step up. UAB has tied everybody this year...that game just smells like an OT tie....hope not...and won't be end of world at this point. With conference parity...doesn't seem to matter too much who they get in conf tourney. Bradley by the way...do not, repeat NOT overlook. Losing last two would really hurt the ranking, seeding for post-season etc...would force them to win conf tourney for good seed and home game.

I do not know Huggins, but he does know some friends of mine, people I think highly of, and who speak highly of him. I have had beers with him a few times. I enjoyed him very much. He has a terrific sense of humor, very funny. He was very kind. No sarcasm here, all legit stuff. I was happily surprised. Apparently it takes a little effort to get him out. ...once he loosened up, and lost the posse of what appeared to be bodyguards, the guy even smiles. This is all off-court stuff. On court....he is one of the best at bullying officials into calls for his team. If you are a coach playing UC, and do not have an open dialogue of lobbying skills with the officials...you better start quick when you play Huggy. While I oppose the tactic...if you just sit there and take high road, you are done. He is certainly very entertaining...packs it in at opposing venues year after year.

Thanks for the update.

Louisville finished conference at 5-2-2...with its come from behind tie at home 2-2 with S. Florida(trailed 2-0). Marquette is 4-2-1 with games at Charlotte and home for Cinci....interesting note...Marquette is 0-6-1 on road this season(8-1 at home)...and that tie is at SLU...not a good tie for the Bills. SLU is 4-2-1 as well, and get Memphis at home, and at UAB. HAVE to win both, period. Cincy is 4-1-1, and would win it if they can win out last 3 games which include UAB at home and Marquette, two tough ones.

It's really too bad that their opponent stumbled this season, taking some luster out of the matchup a little bit Bob. How is the schol academically Bob?...student body size?

...which brings the question, ...who is your son-in-law?

I agree conference is strange,....Louisville wins one more home game and wins conference...they earned it by tying UAB, and defeating SLU, and Marquette....while many observers will say they got outplayed in a lot of games, and aren't as talented...so far, they have done more than the young Bills in conference. Obviously the big prize is the post-season....so hopefully a nice tourney run makes this more of an after thought.

Floyd is a great coach that says and does some dumb things as well. Generally he doesn't duck anybody.(playing wise) He plays the race card when it isn't there, he pouts when his kids lose in playoffs and blames anything and anyone, except giving credit to the other team. He can be a bully and intimidates other area coaches. His personality and comments aren't my style...but his success speaks for itself, and he has done a lot for a lot of kids. He wins. Period. Let's face it, more times than not, he wins with non d-1 talent kids.

capacity...not sure, because capacity is more than actual seating availability. 6000? 7000? tops. I believe the highest ever reg season crowd is under 6k...but you can stuff in more...and it is easily conceivable to expand seating. As I have said before, they have a nice facility right now, a good team, ...a shame they don't get more students at games. I just don't see why they can't have a student section, etc... SLU is still 5th in rankings this week. Interesting to note, that it is WHEN you beat an opponent...Clemson, UVA, Furman, all highly ranked squads, are unranked now...and those wins would not mean as much as they did before. And rightfully so, SLU is still held with the high ranking. IU is hot lately, though down for their standards. Win would look nice, and be a positive...nicer to win conference. SLU has a lot of work to do to get a 4 seed in NCAA...Memphis is very beatable, and it is a home game....UAB has a TON of ties, and is still better than their results, a tough road game.

Louisville 1 Marquette 0 Louisville has one conf game left, at home Sun vs S. Florida...a win gives them at least a share of conf title. They have same loss and tie total as SLU, but beat SLU. Marquette has same loss and tie total as SLU(and one conf game left) and is even with SLU. Cinci has only one conf loss, but more games left to play in conf. SLU has Memphis and UAB, needless to say, needs to win both.

Curious as to why? I don't think there is a minimum...but the goal is to have a bunch of 20-25k capacity stadiums. Sure wish STL had a team, but it takes big corporate dollars of someone willing to lose some cash...and nobody wants to buck up n STL...more importantly...it takes a stadium. Dallas is getting a new one, so don't get used to that field...Lamar Hunt owns 3 teams...and another owner has multiple teams I believe. I know STL could draw 10-15k for summer games...more than a lot of teams. Not anywhere on the horizon...need a soccer buff with big dollars in STL. btw....big week for SLU soccer...Louisville in driver seat with only two conf games left, both at home...if they win both, SLU cannot finish ahead of Louisville in conf...Marquette also in good position(play at Louisville this week, SLU needs both teams to lose) and Cinci has several games left...but those 3 need some losses...Louisville MUST lose one of those two gmes this week. They got dominated at home by UAB but tied 0-0 last week. Louisville in driver seat, but if they lose one, SLU wins their remaining conf games, and Marquette loses one...SLU is right there. Best scenario seems to hope for Marquette to beat Louisville on road, then have Marquette lose their next one. And ...I am confident Cinci will lose one more in conf...but with their win over SLU...they need to lose two more. Glad I probably confused everyone with that...

National? I don't think any cusa school can confidently call itself a comfortably "national" university. SLU is regional, like the rest of CUSA...it WANTS to be national, and hopefully it will be some day.

Memphis Memphis Memphis....no one else should be allowed to have one...at least in C-USA. nothing better than their full army fatigue striptease. And they get full rides.

ranked 21st this week in coaches poll. very tough game, as will be IU, and UAB.

Personally I wish I could have been in either Columbia or Madison, Sat night, looked like a blast in either place to me.

Greetings gents...short on time here, checking in...others have provided quality reports, so we don't need anything extensive from me. My very thoughts: Organization, much better in recent few games, good spacing. The lineup rotation is settling in nicely, and getting more consistent. Conisistency is important. The frosh are getting the chance to play.....basically Benne, Gannon, Guffey, Pusateri in back, Grazier, McKee, John d, Mateson in midfield, John and Vedad up top...Peplinski, Spiess off bench...although it was mixed a little different last game, similar type of rotation. Wileman is a spark plug off of bench. Vedad's goal...as I said last report, he is terrific at flick ons, especially near post, head or feet. John d targets him often. If John d by the way, can hold the ball a little better to go with his service and set pieces, he would be even better. Vedad is learning to hold ball back to goal, turn and shoot, instead of doing too much. I like that a lot. I think it is good to get Sackamn some time in goal...he hsn't had much to do last two games, so that helps too. no margin for error...a lot of those ot wins could be ties and changes everything... Soon, some of those missed shots will start going in, and there were plenty Sat. John will start nettng those. Big one at Cincy next weekend. SLU looks to be in good shape...tight games, but wins are wins. ...btw I like knocking the ball back to reorganize if USF is sagging back...but in general I am not a fan, unless it is necessary to change it up. SLU had right balance for this Sat. Losing the long balls, short interior passing moving forward... other games btw...Louisiville a winner and Memphis a winner, Depaul and E Carolina losers. Marquette only has two conference games left,...I believe and needs a loss. #6 team lost, helps....So far, UCLA and Maryland to me...and maybe UNC, are the very top teams, with SLU... Get the homefield, and then beat a Creighton or SMU or whomever and take care of business in playoffs at home this year, because those clubs while always good are not as good as SLU this year. all you can do is set yourself up for all home games to final four. Win conf and tourney...and they will get it. That is what they are playing for. But for now...a win against Cincy is very big on road.

I agree that reputation is important, and tradition, but also what have you done for me lately. SLU will always play Marquette tough, either lose close games, or split or win. But even Mike Deane...lol...Mike Deane won 20 games 5 straight years at Marquette. It is like following ALL of a teams games. Here is how I look at it. If your team is very good, you want to play best teams possible...if say a Dayton or Marquette, SLU or whomever is in a down period you don't want to play them non-conference. If your team is struggling, you may wnat a little less ambitious of a schedule...although I am more in favor playing best teams who will play you. SLU nationally does not have the perception of a hoops school. I have been going to SLU games for decades, and also a lot of college hoops nationally...to have an opinion on it. Going to dance, and winning games in dance on an almost yearly basis is what SLU needs. Right now, people remember the Larry Hughes blip for SLU, and for the more educated fan, Claggs, Highmark, Waldman teams. That is it. It is my opinion that only very recently SLU has been losing the stigma of a commuter school as well. Media, etc...Let me give you another example..I road tripped to Wrigley Field for Cards/Cubs baseball series, as I do most years..(tough one this year, go Fish!!!)...and during 7th inning ...it was recognized as Marquette day at Wrigley...I was told Crean has song that 7th inning song 3-4 times...I believe their sports editor went to Marquette, or one of their editors...etc...Chicago papers track Marquette hoops more than U of I. It is like ND football, their home market is Chicago. Louisville has always had the tradition, teams, winners, Denny Crum, etc...and now Pitino. They get the attention. Cinci was great back in the Big O days...but were nothing for a long time until Huggy Bear built them as winner over and over, dominating conference foes each year...and it took them a LONG time to get any kind of national play or attention or respect. ...a lot of consecutive winning teams over the years first. The also have Huggins, who gets them attention. SLU just needs to make NCAA tourney 4 out of 5 years in a row or something, and build a few rounds of winners in there...and they will get more attention...some stability...etc...like they have in soccer. The soccer team has a big time reputation, and there have been a couple of teams in the 90's that didn't deserve their seeds etc...but based on reputation. Hopefully SLU can get the top local kids, then look to other areas of country and expand that interest to big media markets. That would be great.

btw...Thanks for Memphis/UAB score I forgot to mention that according to former teammate Nick Walls, Jackie is miserable in KC as their drafted developmental player this year. They never really gave him a chance ther. Sounds as though he may be exiting there next year, and counting combines has played 1.5 years straight of soccer and needs/wants a break.

Thanks SLUBALLS. I knew no one else could make it there. I can't hit every game, but go to as many home ones and a few road ones when possible. ...the L stop in that neighborhoos is about two blocks down by Kell's bar and McGee's bar(I identify many geographies via pubs and bars) on Webster...great area, very pretty and expensive homes along the tree-lined streets there...so yes it probably was the field you saw. Marquette concerns me, because they beat South Florida early in year, and really do not have many tough ones left. That annoyng long ball style is frustrating teams I suppose. They beat Memphis 3-2 as well. Cinci, has not played many conference games at all. unbeaten so far, only played a few. Indiana coming up as well...and though they are struggling for them, unranked at moment...I know they will jump back up. They have a lot of ties. It is psychological for SLU to beat IU...something they don't do much. It is a good year to do so. I noticed Mike Ambersley not on IU's roster...anyone with info on that? Former Big Ten frosh of year. big time player, etc... South Florida won't be a cake walk. Must start strong. I thin kthey will do fine. SLU played NINE frosh vs DePaul...starting 7.

USF is small...but I like that hill on campus. Sort of weird to see the gym right in middle of campus. My family knows Fr. Schliegel)sp? the former President there in the 90's. Santa Clara, pretty little campus, small down by SJ. I went to DeSmet high school in STL(Jesuit) and the school started right when you were leaving back then. I have been to Stanford as well a few times, quite the resort, I mean campus there as well.

Niners or Raiders? Giants or A's?

Yes your image would probably be right. In the middle of a tree lined street neighborhood, as crowded as you imagine. ...Like Wrigley as well, but even more intimate and surrounded.

Not in middle...it did extend to the very far corner of field a very little amount...but yes...dirt was in play.

Money and upside talk 72. 3 million people in the surrounding cramped neighborhood, and another 8 million in the burbs. DePaul has a lot of potential, ...just haven;t gotten it right in a while. Joey Myer could not recruit...Pat Kennedy bought cars, paid folks, out of control program...at somepoint DePaul will get it right. As for soccer, they have no room, ala NYC to play in their neighborhood...maybe they can go to far suburbs like SLU did in Fenton for years?

yes I will be there sat.