Bay Area Billiken

Awesome!

When SLU under Brad Soderberg played at Pacific (UOP) in Stockton in the '06-'07 season, I was introduced to a gentleman who played for the Billikens in the early '60's. I was asked by the person introducing us if I knew what the former player's job (on the team was). I didn't and asked. The person introducing us told me his job was to guard Oscar Robertson (then of Cincinnati). I asked the former player how he did. His response: Not too good.

Yes.

Josh Fisher was from Mercer Island, Washington on the Left Coast.

I hope Bernie stays in St. Louis. One way or the other, be it in St. Louis or not, he should be able to get a new job. He is a nationally known sports columnist, probably the best known in St. Louis nationally.

That was quite a story too. When SLU played at USF (CA) in Spoon's last year (a debacle from which I still have not recovered), the SLU team walked by the concourse from the locker room to the gym, through the fans mingling, like always at USF's War Memorial Gym. My sister-in-law, a USF alumnus, saw Heinrich and said he is a Billiken. I had 20 tickets to that game. My parents were out here from Quincy. As SLU collapsed in the second half, my Mom yelled at the Left Coast WCC refs: "Homer." Like mother, like son.

Yes, Francis Okoro had injury and bereavement issues in his second season at Oregon. Also, I agree with what Coach Travis Ford said, namely that Oregon plays a guard oriented system. Oregon plays up tempo and shoots the 3. While I don't think SLU signed the next Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Okoro was a Top 60, 4 star recruit coming out of Normal Community West High School, a relatively big school in Central Illinois. I'm happy to have him at SLU. I was reporting my personal observation from being at that Oregon at Cal game.

I loved Chris Sloan's story on the Podcast re the recruitment of Darius Miles, with SLU being a finalist along with St. John's. Miles flew to New York City for his official recruiting visit to St. John's and was met at the airport by a Bentley and shown the town by Jay-Z. Then a week later, Troy Robertson had the recruitment duty for SLU. Sloan said Miles then lit up the McDonald's All Star Game, which propelled him directly into the NBA.

Ryan Hollins, 7'0" Center, would have been a Billiken had Lorenzo Romar stayed at SLU. Taj Gray, 6'8" Power Forward/Center probably would have been a Billiken had Romar stayed. I was disappointed when Romar left, but unlike some others, I really couldn't begrudge him when his Alma Mater, Washington (U Dub) called.

I also seem to remember registration for classes at West Pine Gym. 2 more stories: When I was a freshman at SLU in '78-'79, word leaked into Griesedieck Hall that DeSmet, then coached by Rich Grawer, was practicing one afternoon at West Pine Gym. That DeSmet team had Center Steve Stipanovich, who was being heavily recruited nationally, and Frank Cusumano. So we walked down to West Pine Gym to check out Stipo. Coaches in the stands that weekday afternoon watching the DeSmet practice were Dean Smith of North Carolina, Digger Phelps of Notre Dame (sucking on a Tootsie Pop) and Norm Stewart of Mizzou. We actually wrote a letter to Stipo trying to convince him to come to SLU. He chose Mizzou. Later word leaked into the dorm that the Los Angeles Lakers were practicing at West Pine Gym on a Friday night. Again we made the short walk down to the old gym, and there they all were, Showtime right at our West Pine Gym: Coach Pat Riley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Michael Cooper. Those were the days.

http://enquirerdemocrat.com/blackburns-double-ot-loss-slu-brings-back-memories/ Yes, in 1984-85, Coach Rich Grawer's Billikens played 2 weekday afternoon matinees at West Pine Gym against Blackburn and Greenville. The Blackburn game was a near miss disaster. The Billikens were booed off the court at halftime, rallied to send the game into overtime, and won in Double OT. That was Tony Brown's greatest game as a Billiken. SLU blew out Greenville, Thank God. The Rec Center opened at SLU during my Senior year, 1981-82. Before that everyone was at West Pine Gym, Division 1 varsity athletics, intramural athletics, runners on the 2 tracks, swimmers. I have vivid memories of playing goalie at West Pine Gym in intramural soccer. I felt like a human pinball bouncer. And we played intramural hoops at West Pine Gym. One of my good friends, a soccer player, shot a famous air ball up into the stands. My then SLU roommate and I had our (in)famous meeting with then Coach and AD Ron Ekker in his office at West Pine Gym, when we finally convinced him to let us restore the Billiken mascot. One of us told Ekker: "Coach, we aren't leaving until you let us have back the Billiken." When Coach Grawer arrived at SLU in 1982, the old gym was painted that hot summer, and Grawer brought out and hung the old Missouri Valley Conference banners, Wichita State, Bradley, etc., even though SLU was moving from the Metro to the then Midwestern City Conference (now known as the Horizon League).

Okoro, #33, played at Cal on 1/30/20. In 14 minutes he did not score, was 0-1 from the floor, with 2 rebounds, one offensive and one defensive, and had 2 personal fouls.

I'm listening to the podcast with guest Chris Sloan. It's just awesome. Great job 05! My recollection is the SLU game vs. St. Bonaventure under Brad Soderberg was in Rochester, NY, not Buffalo.

Oregon was greatly underseeded in '13 to fill seats in San Jose. Regrettably, that very good SLU team played poorly that afternoon, and Oregon was on fire. SLU probably wins that game 6 times out of 10, but not that day.