Quality Is Job 1

dewey33 was responding to Metz but clicked the reply link in the wrong message.

I don't listen to Demetrious Johnson's SportsWave program very often, but from when I did listen during the last basketball season, it became obvious to me that DJ had turned on Quin Snyder last year. I think his primary bone of contention was how Linas Kleiza was selfish and how Thomas Gardner had be elevated over Jimmy McKinney. DJ's exhorting McKinney to take more of the scoring load onto his own shoulders is nothing new. That was happening during the season. I won't be surprised if DJ doesn't spend airtime blasting Brad if Dwayne Polk is passing up shots while Ian Vouyoukas and Kevin Lisch are two of the top two or three scorers this season or next (I'm not saying that's what I think will occur on the team -- just how Johnson would react if it were to occur). P.S., I said to ask aj_arete because he had running debates with DJ on the air. The poor guy can't get anyone to see things the way he sees it (or is he playing devil's advocate?).

The thing that players like Donnie Dobbs, David Robinson, and Jeff Harris had against them is that, though they played inside and could shoot some from outside, they didn't meet 3star's criteria of being around 6-8.

I didn't get to see a lot of Bonner's games, but I recall he had a decent jumper out to 17 feet -- kind of like Izik Ohanon.

Well, I edited my post to factor Jumpin Jamal out of the equation (but it was too late for you, as you'd already read the unedited post), since I remembered that he didn't shoot much from outside. However, even though you don't recall, Matt Baniak surprised me as a senior by knocking down some threes late in the season. I believe he hit about three from beyond the arc, on his way to 24 points, in a win over Charlotte at Savvis. He did what we expect Chris Braun to do. I'll grant you, though, that MB didn't have many back-to-the-basket moves.

>When's the last time we had a 6'8 240 lb forward with a >legitimate post up game and a jump shot? I'm thinking >never. Not to take away from anything you've said about Obi Ikeakor, I'd like to submit Matt Baniak's name as such a forward. If you won't accept him, then Anthony Bonner.

Or perhaps he's the mascot's fanner.

>>First, the Atlantic 10 is a good mid-major conference, but Saint Louis won't have to face the likes of Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette and DePaul anymore. DePaul???? DePaul didn't/doesn't scare us. The Billikens have won more than they've lost against DePaul lately. Also, Marquette hasn't intimidated the Billikens since Dwayne Wade left. Aren't the Bills 2-2 against Marquette since their Final Four run? >>And the loss of Bryant will be eased by the arrival of Tommie Liddell from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy. Many believe that Liddell is the best SLU recruit since current NBA player Larry Hughes. If he's nearly that good, fellow incoming freshmen Kevin Lisch and Obi Ikeakor both have healthy knees, and the young returning players get better as expected, then the Billikens could enjoy a bounce-back year this winter. On the other hand, if the win-loss record doesn't show marked improvement, then Soderberg will likely be shown the door. What's "marked improvement"? If "marked improvement means more than winning three more games (which would take the Bills from 9-21 to 12-18 &l;or 11-17, since they'll be playing fewer games&r;), then I suspect Coach Soderberg's days must be numbered (if the writer of the story is correct). However, I feel that Brad has more time than that to effect a turnaround, considering that his contract extension was one of Cheryl Levick's first priorities before last season. He's going to get at least three full seasons under Levick before she would consider making a change. And I think the Bills will be NCAA bound in 2007.

>SLU Education w/ Grad School -- $ 150K >Humphrey's Weekly Excusion -- $ 32 >Late night run to Del Taco -- $ 7.50 >Billiken's fan for life -- PRICELESS! Please, say "Billikens fan for life...," with no apostrophe.

Rich, even you have more of a life than that! :-)

Hmm. I thought Izik Ohanon, with the most total points and rebounds, had a pretty good season. Sure, he wasn't all-league, but you can't say "zero production"! Or did you mean we have zero production returning at the four?

I posted this Billsboys's "No mas" thread and it seems to have gotten overlooked, so I'm reposting it. Thoughts? I feel those who think many of the posters here are being a bit too optimistic. Even though I have tended to be among the most optimistic (or blindly homerish) Billikens fans here, I think the Bills' experience -- or lack there of -- will not be conducive to having a record much above .500, if at all. That would be if everything goes right. If anything goes wrong, as tends to happen during a long basketball season, we're probably looking at wins somewhere in the range of 11 or 12. The guards are all freshmen and sophomores (except Anthony Drejaj, who I don't think we want to have the reins at the point). The last time that happened -- Marque Perry was a sophomore coming off of a devastating, season-ending injury, Drew Diener was a sophomore, Josh Fisher was a sophomore playing his first season after sitting out as a transfer, and Jason Edwin, Chris Sloan, and Floyd McClain were freshmen -- the Billikens missed the postseason despite having probably the best overall frontcourt in the conference (Maurice Jeffers, Matt Baniak, Chris Heinrich, and Justin Tatum). I know that I picked the Bills to do quite well that season, but at the end of the season I had to admit that I'd overlooked the lack of backcourt experience (and guards of the lifeblood of college basketball). I would like to be optimistic, but considering the Bills' lack of experience on the perimeter, I can't wisely project the Billikens to do much better than last year, if at all better.

Pro scouts may look at the kid, but he won't be able to go straight to the NBA, because of the rule change.

While I wish you would continue to post, I understand your reservations. However, if you still wish to share some interesting information with some of the "misguided" members of this community, you can always e-mail those you select through the e-mail links on the board. I would like to hear from you! While I, too (like many others have proffered), would be bemused if Coach Soderberg did actually tell Cheryl Levick that he expected a 9-21 record for 2005-06, I do have to agree with those who think many of the posters here are being a bit too optimistic. Even though I have tended to be among the most optimistic (or blindly homerish) Billikens fans here, I think the Bills' experience -- or lack there of -- will not be conducive to having a record much above .500, if at all. That would be if everything goes right. If anything goes wrong, as tends to happen during a long basketball season, we're probably looking at wins somewhere in the range of 11 or 12. The guards are all freshmen and sophomores (except Anthony Drejaj, who I don't think we want to have the reins at the point). The last time that happened -- Marque Perry was a sophomore coming off of a devastating, season-ending injury, Drew Diener was a sophomore, Josh Fisher was a sophomore playing his first season after sitting out as a transfer, and Jason Edwin, Chris Sloan, and Floyd McClain were freshmen -- the Billikens missed the postseason despite having probably the best overall frontcourt in the conference (Maurice Jeffers, Matt Baniak, Chris Heinrich, and Justin Tatum). I know that I picked the Bills to do quite well that season, but at the end of the season I had to admit that I'd overlooked the lack of backcourt experience (and guards of the lifeblood of college basketball). I would like to be optimistic, but considering the Bills' lack of experience on the perimeter, I can't wisely project the Billikens to do much better than last year, if at all better.

I guess you didn't see my post below Vouyoukas, Greece bounce back, bounce Italy.

I believe it was a play on the title of the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" movie from a while back, and I don't think it was meant to defame Ian Vouyoukas in particular, but the Grecian team in general.

Greece knocked Italy out of medal contention (according to the website posted earlier) with a 79-71 victory. Ian Vouyoukas didn't start but played 23 minutes, tallying 13 points (including 7 of 8 from the line), 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a steal before fouling out.

Ian collected 9 points and 3 boards in 13 minutes. For the first time in the tourney, he didn't start. The best Greece can finish is fifth. This is their worst showing in three years.

...it didn't work. Would you please summarize?

http://www.u20men2005.com/en/default.asp Play begins Friday morning at 8:45 St. Louis time.

It's about time SLU changed its fortunes in Houston. First Greg Upchurch went there after being turned away by SLU's admissions. Then neither Larry Simmons (isn't Missouri City, Texas near Houston) nor Floyd McClain amounted to much. Continued solid contributions from Danny Brown and nice production from Obi Ikeakor would go a long way towards making Houston a better place for SLU.

He sounds more like a Jevon Crudup-style player than an Anthony Bonner-style player to me.