Bay Area Billiken

Yes. That was me. My friend tipped me off that it took him an hour to get from Downtown SF to the Bay Bridge, so I stayed at work, double tasking.

I had never heard of the Spiritans, who are at Duquesne, until I saw the Duquesne website.

I would add that the Jesuits are often regarded as the Catholic educators. Of course, others would argue that point. The Jesuit education philosophy is the education of the whole person. As a point of Midwest reference, Quincy is a Franciscan school (like St. Bonaventure), another religious order within the Catholic Church. Loyola Chicago, Marquette, Detroit Mercy, Xavier, Creighton, and SLU are all Jesuit schools. DePaul is a Vincentian school (as is St. John's in New York). Notre Dame is run by the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Dayton is run by the Marianists. CBC in Memphis is a Christian Brothers school (like LaSalle and St. Mary's of California). These are all religious orders within the Catholic Church.

Bring home a winner against UMass. The SLU AD said that SLU had to win 2 games. That is being interpreted to mean that SLU needs to win 2 games to make the NIT. Notwithstanding the NIT, let's get on a roll in the AC and win the whole thing. I seriously question whether Mo. State still has an NCAA bid, but if it does, SLU can take it. That would be the ultimate poetic justice given the totality of the circumstances this season.

True. I guess this proves that SLU is relevant.

And how does the STL media counter that 36-19 A-10 advantage over the MVC in a 10 year period for post-season bids? Those figures speak for themselves. I guess the STL media will say that is the past, that the Valley is the league now. It says here that the change has already started in that regard too. Ms. Levick noted that the A-10 has a number of good young players, whereas the Valley has a lot of Seniors. Again, let's not let the facts get in the way of knee jerk reaction, seat of the pants opinions from press row. Is there more under the surface to all of this? At least Bernie cited Father Biondi's Top 50 pledge. And I have no problem with Bernie citing that. But is there something else that was behind this STL media offensive against SLU at this particular time?

These talking heads will say anything. After the Bernie interivew, Karraker actually said that SLU should have stayed in C-USA had it not joined the Valley. Last night on KFNS, John Maracek tried to counter the arguments. When one caller correctly noted that the SIU and Mo. State games have not drawn that great in STL, Maracek attributed that to not being in the same conference, playing twice, and developing rivalries. What he didn't say is that SLU and SIU have played each other something like 49 times. The STL media tries to counter the A-10 being in 8 of the top 30 media markets by countering that some of the A-10 schools don't get covered in their home cities. Then they dump on Fordham, which is actually a program on the rise. Fordham is hampered by its own facility. But if Fordham really takes off, Madison Square Garden is a subway ride away. There is some positive movement at Fordham. The students and alumni have become interested again. Another reason for SLU in the A-10 is that SLU says it wants to recruit East Coast students. Then Maracek went down the list of the SLU basketball roster, noting the players' home states. That is not the point. The point is that SLU wants to be visible on the East Coast, in terms of the whole student body. Ms. Levick in both interviews tried to be nice and diplomatic re the MVC, as she should. But there are some unspoken hard truths that the Valley apologists don't want to hear. Or when they hear them, they accuse SLU supporters of being arrogant or "elitists." But the truth is the truth. SLU is considered and ranked as a national university. Not a single Valley school is ranked in the top 125 of national universities by US News and World Report. The Valley is composed of 6 public schools, many of which are 3rd and 4th tier schools and low on the totem pole in their respective states. Of the Valley's 4 private schools, only one of them is Catholic: Creighton. In contrast, the A-10 has 5 schools ranked in the top 125 national universities. The A-10 has 10 private schools, 8 of them Catholic, and 4 of them Jesuit. How does this translate to sports and college basketball: different admissions standards, at least theoretically. Now I know a couple of A-10 schools have had their own issues in this area. But the point is that SLU wanted to be associated with similar schools. What is wrong with that? Maracek went on about SLU fans not being able to attend road games in the A-10. But how many SLU fans actually attended road games in C-USA? How many would be venturing to those Valley outposts if SLU was in the MVC? It is most interesting that the STL media picked this time, during and right after the MVC Tournament, and right before the A-10 Tournament, in which SLU is fighting for its post-season life, to mount this print and over the air offensive. At least, for once, it has been answered by someone from SLU, in this case, the AD.

Here are some points she made (it was just replayed): 1. 2 to 1 post-season bids over the last 10 years in favor of A-10 over MVC. 2. 10 private schools, 8 of them Catholic schools in the A-10, with similar academic visions and similar budgets. 3. 8 of the top 30 media markets are in the A-10, and recruiting students from those areas.

I'm a big Cardinal fan. But I again paraphrase the late native Illinoisan and Cub broadcaster Jack Brickhouse: I don't care how it happens as long as SLU wins.

We'll take help anywhere we can get it at this point. That poor opposition free throw shooting was game dispositive.

Realtimerpi.com has SLU at 81. So at least so far, SLU didn't take an RPI hit (call that the Few Factor) just by playing the game against Duquesne. This morning SLU had the last NIT spot subject to more shenanigans in the lesser conferences.

If you have a good shooter on the other side, the pack doesn't even work in the CYO.

Earl Austin, Jr. said that he thought 1 (SLU) player should have been on the line.

To paraphrase the late Jack Brickhouse (of all people), I don't care how it happens as long as SLU wins.

SLU 78 Duquesne 77. Thank God!

Agree with the amendment. Stats: Duquesne is 8-15 on 3 pointers. SLU has 10 turnovers.

My fellow Billikens, This is unacceptable. Something needs to be done immediately. Our team cannot be swept by a team like Duquesne. I'm sitting here 3,000 miles away, totally helpless. IMO the pack defense only works when the opposition is not hitting its shots. If the other team is hitting, SLU must guard the shooters. This is Basketball 101, CYO stuff. Come on. We have to win this game. The naysayers will have a field day if SLU doesn't come out in the 2nd half and win this game. Win one for Easy Ed. Do something.

SLU must stop the TO's and must stop the 3's. I haven't been able to see the game. Are the 3's being contested or is SLU in the "pack" defense and not coming out to get the shooters? Obviously, there are no excuses for a loss today. SLU must win, period.

This interview was as if CL went into the lion's den, and temporarily tamed the lion. Of course, once Randy Karraker started babbling after the interview, the taming of the lion didn't last long.

Karraker's comments were after the interview. He didn't participate in the interview- that was Bernie and CL only. CL said that of course the Athletic Dept. would like more money, but emphasized how much the new Arena and its practice facility will help. I don't think she said there were plans for more allocated money to men's hoops, but I could be wrong about that. CL did most of the talking. And she seemed well prepared, telling Bernie to not call us "mediocre," and noting her disagreement with Bryan Burwell's column today, prefacing that by saying that she usually agrees with him. I've got to hand it to her. She did a real good job in the defense of SLU.

That SLU should have stayed in C-USA was the silliest thing said of all. There's no way SLU could stay in C-USA with its emphasis on football and its de facto NASCAR and Rodeo divisions. Really the only thing lost by leaving C-USA was a decent rivalry with Memphis, which itself seems out of place in that league. UTEP is now in C-USA. El Paso is supposedly closer to San Diego than it is to Houston. Staying in C-USA would have been worse for SLU than the end of its days in the MVC in the 1970's, when the MVC had members such as New Mexico State, North Texas, and West Texas State.

I tried to note the biggest points. CL told Bernie to not call us "mediocre." It is ok to call us on the rise, but not mediocre. Bernie said something about holding Father Biondi to his Top 50 pledge. CL noted a defense of the A-10 decision: 1. She has a grid, and her grid still says A-10 over MVC for SLU. 2. A-10 is in a number of top media markets. 3. When the decision was made by SLU, the A-10 had the better RPI and led the MVC 36-19 in bids (I think NCAA bids, but I'm not sure if that was post-season bids, meaning NIT too, or just NCAA). CL noted that this runs in cycles, the A-10 has a number of good young players, and the MVC has a number of Seniors. 4. A-10 is composed of many schools with similar athletic and academic visions as SLU, including many private (10) schools and 8 Catholic schools. CL mentioned several times that TV situation and to fix the TV situation. She said the A-10 AD's are meeting tomorrow on this issue. CL also cited the new Arena several times. Bernie actually mentioned the donor. I thought CL did a real good job in the defense of SLU. And then after the call concluded (it ran over by the way) and as I'm typing this, Randy Karraker and Bernie started in on the A-10 again, noting how some A-10 schools don't get newspaper coverage, how they are low in their cities, etc. Of course, they fail to mention how these MVC schools are not #1 in their respective states either.

Richmond led 61-60. With 30 seconds left, Fordham converted a conventional 3 point play on a layup and FT. With 13 seconds left Richmond missed a 3, but got the offensive rebound. But Richmond had a layup blocked near the end and then fouled Fordham, which made one FT. Fordham 63 Richmond 61.

Dayton wins 81-63. I was hoping this one would go the other way. Dayton wins are not good for SLU's NIT chances.

I did read that Kansas City was making a push for the MVC Tournament for the new arena being built there. Kansas City is also going after the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team. But from the standpoint of St. Louis, those huge crowds this year at the MVC Tournament have to help the cause of keeping that tournament at Scottrade Center.