Quality Is Job 1

>I'm going to have leave thicks hanging on this one. When he >was soliciting questions mine was "who will share point >guard duties with Polk while Drejaj is recovering from >injury" not "who does he see as a backup to dwayne polk?" >One implies that Polk is in the mix at point guard and one >implies that Polk is the starter. > >In any case, it looks like Clarke will be the backup if >Drejaj can't go right away, which is what I wanted to know. >I thought Coach Beane might mention Bryant also because >Bryant is a good ballhandler and passer -- we could have a >Bryant/Clarke backcourt for a handful of minutes in the >exhibition games -- but it doesn't look like the staff is >thinking that way. There's always something lost in translation. How could my asking who would back Polk up at the point while Drejaj is recovering imply that Polk would be installed as a starter even if Drejaj were healthy? It seems to me that it would make sense that if -- if -- Drejaj isn't able to go, Polk is the starter? And what difference does it make how the journalist phrases the question as long as he/she reports the answer accurately in context? Coach Beane first said that Drejaj should be ready to go next week. Then he said that it's not a given that Polk will start and that he, Clarke, and Drejaj are competing for the position.

There's still Justin Johnson. Hopefully his having to miss the trip to the Virgin Islands will be a significant step in his maturation.

...he goes pro out of prep school. >I would like to know where we stand with TL. They probably >can't answer this either. By the way, speaking of TL do we >still have a verbal committment? I should know this but >don't, why can't we sign him to an LOI right now? Is there >something magical about that November date? As far as I know, Tommie Liddell's verbal committment to SLU stands. I believe that if he were considering other schools, we would have been seeing reports by the recruiting services that he has visits to schools. It's pretty late in the process, with the early signing period about one month away. As for why Liddell can't sign a letter of intent now is that schools can receive LOIs only during sanctioned time periods. There's a one-week window in November and a one-month window in the spring (beginning mid-May, if I'm not mistaken). After that spring period, athletes eligible to enter school that fall can sign a grant-in-aid agreement at any time (after the spring signing period). Recruits can sign only one LOI. Liddell's expired when he didn't enroll at SLU as a result of failing to qualify. Once the fall signing period arrives, Tommie will be able to sign a grant-in-aid agreement with the school of his choosing, and right now, it looks like it will be SLU. Coach Thorpe told me after last month's Tip-Off meeting that of the high-major-caliber athletes he saw Liddell playing with, Tommie is the best. He said TL will be a pro.

I plan on going. Does anyone have any burning questions I should ask on their behalf?

I didn't say a negative thing about Missouri. I didn't say anything about the Tigers at all. However, I wanted Bills fans to know that some Mizzou fans, many of whom have a tendency to disparage SLU at every opportunity, hold a Billikens recruit in high regard. That might be even more meaningful than one of the recruiting "gurus."

http://www.tigerboard.com/boards/missouri-...message=1824312

No where in this thread did cheesycow say anything about being a fan of "both teams." It was eallstun who said that.

Last year SLU put on "First Look," which was not unlike a midnight madness presentation. The women's and men's teams were introduced -- Coach Pizzotti and Coach Soderberg spoke, and the players were introduced, each was asked a question submitted by someone in the audience. Both teams had a scrimmage. The players hobnobbed with the audience, giving away t-shirts and media guides. I was told at the last Tip-Off Club meeting that another such event is in the plans. It's just not on the first day of practice. It's before the first exhibition, when the teams and department are a little closer to being presentable.

Danny Brown

I wouldn't switch Luke Meyer for Reggie Bryant because of three-point shooting. Meyer is known more for his mid-range shooting than three-point shooting, and Bryant is the team's foremost three-point threat until Darren Clarke gets more experience and confidence. There's nothing more we want than to have a running squad with Bryant waiting on the wings. Would such a unit battle enough on the boards and against the opponents' inside threats to offset the benefits of the unit on offense?

(That's Marquette, not Missouri). I like Gonzaga (I think), but it's still a mid-major program that can't advance particularly far in the NCAA Tournament now that the Bullzags are no longer a surprise. It's no longer safe to pick Gonzaga to go very far in one's bracket.

...and that was coming a Mizzou fan, not a SLU fan. Will your Bullzags be able to win at the PSA this year? Missouri is inexperienced this season, so Gonzaga has a chance. I fully expect the Bullzags to get the better of the Billikens from the "overrated" C-USA in their own building this year, but I have to ask you, Are you familiar with Dwayne Polk, Vas'shun Newborne, Tommie Liddell, Kevin Lisch? Don't be surprised when your No. 1 ranked Bullzags come to Savvis in 2005 and get throttled by the Billikens of the underappreciated Atlatic 10.

I think the rotation for the first exhibition (against my alma mater, UMSL) will be much deeper and variable than anything we'll see during the regular season. Bryce Husak and Luke Meyer will probably get significant time that they may not see for a while. Let's not foget about Danny Brown in the rotation projections, either.

Dwayne Polk will start from the beginning, anyway, and he will be ready. Sure, he'll make some freshman mistakes, but his talent and quickness will more than compensate for his inexperience. He'll put in the effort on defense, too, even if it takes him time to pick up the system and gain strength. It's difficult to pinpoint a rotation by position, so I'll do it by generalities. Bigs - Frericks, Ohanon, Newborne, Vouyoukas, Johnson (if he's reinstated), Husak Wings - Bryant, Drejaj, Clarke, Brown, Meyer Ballhandlers - Polk, Drejaj, Clarke

...at two o' clock in the morning? He should be sleeping!

...the article isn't about the Big XII as much as it's about point guards in the Midwest. Part I was about West Coast point guards, and Part III was about East Coast point guards. Yeah, the article centered on Texas's and Missouri's incoming point guards, but it also listed incoming points to follow throughout the Midwest. I'm disappointed that Dwayne Polk was overlooked. Trust me, he won't be ignored by March! Lindy's preview also disses the Billikens, picking them 10th in the conference and neglecting to mention Polk among SLU's newcomers. Do they not know that Polk is coming? Perhaps they don't know and see no one to fill Fisher's slot and thus the team will drop.

...it's Jeff, not Ryan, that BLIKNS is talking about, probably.

It's just eight days away (seven, for those having a midnight start). One question will be whether or not Coach Soderberg will close the first week of practice to the public, like he did last year. I have not seen any pick-up action at West Pine this year, but I hope to get down there Monday. That will probably be my last opportunity to see pickup before practice starts.

You are a cynic.

Hope for KFNS, which streams for free (unless the university forbids their airing the game).

Well, if KMOX won't air the games, KFNS will. I'm sure KMOX would be willing to air the Sunday afternoon game, even if they relegate the Friday game to KFNS.

Folks will have to do like I do -- listen to Bob and Earl on the radio broadcasts. As the Friday and Sunday games of the Paradise Jam are on at 4:30 p.m., they will make nice afternoon diversions after work and after church.

Tom returned to school out of shape because of his shoulder injury, but Coach Thorpe has been working with him, and I believe he'll be in great shape by the time practice starts.

That release was to announce the Charter schedule; Charter will be picking up some ESPN+ broadcasts. ESPN hasn't released the schedule for this season, as far as I have seen. I guess it will be out shortly. I figure SLU will have at least one ESPN game this season.