Bay Area Billiken

SLU NCAA Tourney 2025.

Marquette and Dayton agree to a home and home, starting on 12/14/24 at Dayton, then date in ‘25-‘26 at Marquette.

Yuri Collins started and played 26+ minutes in last night’s Golden State Warriors’ Game 3 in the California Classic Summer League, had 4 assists. Warriors beat Sacramento 91-90. I tuned in the game in the 4th Quarter on NBC Sports Bay Area, and Yuri, wearing #99, was on the screen. The play by play announcer said he spent 4 years at “Saint Louis,” the “Billikens.”

https://hilltophoops.home.blog/ Per the above USF related blog, USF is playing Memphis on 11/21 at Chase Center. The SLU game on 12/5 is listed as a USF home game, meaning it will likely be at USF's on campus facility, War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. USF power forward Jonathan Mogbu is still in the NBA Draft. I have seem him dominate some games and be less visible in others. If he goes pro, he would be a big loss, but USF had a number of players last season with returning eligibility. USF lost a close game on a last seconds 3 pointer at Cincinnati in the '24 NIT, after missing a key free throw that would have iced it.

Yes, alcoholic beverages are sold at the venue.

Yes, the USF Dons play at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on Golden Gate Avenue on the USF Campus. The former doubledecked 5,300 seat rectangular seating arrangement has been renovated. The lower level 7 rows on each sideline are plastic chair seats. The East sideline upper deck remains permanent bleachers. The upper decks of both baselines, south and north, are 10 row deep new bleachers. The old bleachers from the West sideline upper deck were removed and now that whole side upstairs is a high end club, with 3 rows of chair seats in front that go for approx. $300 per seat. Two or three rows of folding chair seats remain on the 2 baselines. USF great Bill Cartwright, 7'1", now a USF Administrator, sits in a lower baseline seat behind the north basket. Capacity has been reduced after the above to 3,000. The place can be a tough venue. I once saw Coach Digger Phelps' Notre Dame Fighting Irish, with LaPhonso Ellis, lose to the resurrected, post-program cancellation USF Dons. Phelps said he would never be back to "this CYO gym." Well, it wasn't that then, and it isn't that now. But it is similar to assorted A10 venues. USF has also been playing a game each season at the NBA Golden State Warriors' Chase Center, played Minnesota and Gonzaga there last season.

Billikens @ USF (CA) on 12/5/24, playing the Dons in San Francisco for the first time since Coach Spoonhour's last year. Come out to the Bay Area. This is going to be great, 2 Jesuit schools with good teams facing off. Southwest flies non-stop from STL to SFO and OAK; I just read today United is resuming non-stop SFO-STL flights in August.

I liked Bill Walton’s PAC-12 game commentary, thought he was hilarious. He was unique. We saw him at the USC @ Cal game in Berkeley on 2/7/24, where he was in his element. He talked to the fans, high fived with Cal’s Straw Hat Band. Having just seen him only 3+ months ago, I was surprised to receive the news yesterday of his passing. I watched on TV his incredible NCAA Championship Game performance for UCLA from the St. Louis Arena. He was the starting Center for the NBA Champion Portland Trailblazers. His backup on that Portland team was the late Robin Jones from SLU.

SeattleU, a Jesuit school, was a WCC (then WCAC) member from 1971-1980, is returning after a long absence, officially puts the WCC back in Seattle, the #12 TV market nationally. Grand Canyon is in Phoenix, the #11 TV market nationally. The other possibility mentioned for WCC expansion has been the University of Denver, in the #16 TV market, but that one has not yet happened. Oregon State and Washington State, right now, are joining the WCC in Hoops for only the next two seasons, as they attempt to resurrect the Pac-12 from the soon to be Pac-2.

Pizza-A-Go-Go was our #1 takeout pizza choice in the SLU Glory Days when it was on Grand & Gravois, well before moving to its current location. I haven’t been to the current spot, but am glad it’s still in operation.

This is fantastic news️ Bravo Robbie Avila, Bravo Coach Schertz, Bravo SLU and all involved️

Hip Hip Hooray !!!!!!

As Billiken great and then Assistant Coach Harry Rogers once told a certain young SLU undergraduate student in the lobby at the elevator in Griesedieck Hall: "The Bills are back, so back the Bills." And as Ms. Blue said on The Jack Carney Show on KMOX, “All is well. All is well.”

What an impressive performance that was. Billikens played their hearts out, played scrappy defense, hit big 3’s, blew out Big Ten Minnesota. Bravo and congratulations from the Left Coast. SLU had a good, Blue clad turnout across the River.

Welcome to SLU, Coach Schertz!