Quality Is Job 1

Billikens blow a 21-point first-half lead to lose 70-68???????????????

I copied and pasted but didn't change ALL of the pertinent information in my haste. The deadline was supposed to be 6:00 p.m.

You are not correct. "Learn and use" is a compound verb. It does not require commas. The compound verb is modified by "the proper syntax." Do you recognize the difference between the following two sentences? 1a. Learn and listen to God. (wrong) 2a. Learn and obey the Ten Commandments. Changes: 1b. Learn to listen to God. (correct) 2b. Learn to obey the Ten Commandments. (changed meaning) The second version of Sentence 2 presumes that the addressee already knows the Ten Commandments but isn't obeying them. But the first versiou suggests that the addressee doesn't know them yet. Furthermore, to say just, "Learn the Ten Commandments," suggests obtaining knowledge that might not be used. Any questions?

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There's nothing wrong with the sentence, "Learn and use the proper English syntax." I suppose you want him to say, "Learn to use the proper...," but that changes the meaning of his sentence. His sentence prescribes two steps: 1. Learn the proper syntax; and (in case you've already completed Step 1) 2. Use the proper syntax.

Possible stress fracture.

I don't question the players' heart or desire to win, though I might agree that their confidence is down. Well, the reason that the Billikens lost these last three games (and also the reason their confidence is down) is that they played three straight games against very good teams on the road. Fans of teams typically fail to give their team's opponents credit. It's always: "We didn't this; we didn't that; blah, blah, blah." The Bills lost because they played good teams. They didn't play their best games, but that's because their opponents were prepared and had a hand in preventing them from playing their best games. The Bills turned the ball over a lot in the last two games because their opponents were quicker (and better prepared). The players didn't get worse; rather, their opponents got better.

While SLU has had virtually no success against SMS, but has a winning record against Southern Illinois. I would not say that SIU spanks SLU regularly.

1. Charlotte isn't any better than SLU. 2. SLU played Charlotte close at Halton (68-62). 3. Charlotte has never beat SLU at Savvis.

TF missed several shots around the basket that I would expect him to make. Also, he and Chris Sloan were hesitant to go up with the ball around the basket among Memphis's shot-blocking trees.

I also think a win at DePaul will be very tough, but it IS possible. I don't really think the home game against DePaul is a 50-50 game. Neither is the Charlotte game. I've got a best-case scenario of 7-1 (Louisville is flashy, but I think they'll go down at Savvis just like they did last year). The worst-case scenario is 5-3, with losses at DePaul and Cincy and to Louisville.

When the Billikens pull off the upset tomorrow, let's applaud the team for playing a great game against a very good team to get a great victory rather than disparage Memphis and John Calipari. I don't want to hear any of that "Calipari can't coach" or "Memphis was overlooking us" junk.

"who was the last NCAA mens team to finish undefeated (any division)"

If I'm not mistaken, there's a delay from the year of the tournament to the disbursement of winnings. The payout for 2002-03 may not be indicative of what the conference did in the 2003 Tournament.

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Bob Knight coached his team tonight.

Considering the Tigers lost to SMS in the last meeting between the two schools.

I refuse to think about the NIT until every opportunity for an NCAA Tournament bid has been exhausted. I have about six weeks.

UAB had 12 blocks and 13 steals. That indicates they were considerably more athletic than the Bills. Tom Frericks, who was jacked up about playing where he started, fouled out in 16 minutes (but other than that, he had a great game: three of three from the field and eight rebounds). It is the first time since conference play began that he didn't score in double figures. The Billikens committed 25 turnovers and had only eight assists. It was their worst game of the season (more awful than the SMS game). Moreover, the 52-point output represents the fewest points the Bills have scored in a game this season (not counting the 51 points scored in the loss to EA Sports). As a team they hit just one of nine three-pointers (Ross Varner, of all people, hit it). UAB shot 50 percent from the field, including 34.8 percent from three-point range. If Tommie Liddell isn't playing for SLU next year, I'll have to back way off of my projections for an NCAA Tournament bid for 2005.

People who read and understand what they've read will generally perform better on tests than people who don't like to read -- regardless of how many times they take the test.

Anthony Drejaj may not have deceptive quickness or an explosive first step like Marque Perry has, but he's certainly not slow. In practice last year, I saw AD beat Perry in suicides.

>>Our guys were busting their tails out there. The reason >>that UAB was quicker to the ball is because ... well, >>they're a lot quicker. If we play them 10 times, UAB will >>still be quicker to the ball. > >I have to agree with this statement. I love Josh but he is >not the quickest PG around. We miss Marque more in a game >like last night. Next year when UAB comes to Savvis, it >will be interesting to see Polk, Bryant and Liddell on the >court at the same time for our Bills. We should be quicker, >more athletic, more skilled with the ball. > >Then again, maybe UB sits all our freshmen for a hazing year >like he has done with JJ. Anthony Drejaj didn't ride the pine last year. Therefore, I'm not concerned that Dwayne Polk and Tommie Liddell will have to sit out most of the year just because they're freshmen. If they work hard in practice and are committed on defense, they'll play, because the only options in front of them are Anthony Drejaj, Darren Clarke, and Reggie Bryant. Reg will get heavy minutes, but the rest are up for grabs.

No, AJ, it's too early to say that Justin Johnson is a bust.

Keep in mind that AJ had written off Justin Johnson when Brad Soderberg made the decision to redshirt him. In fact, AJ was down on him before that: he was trashing JJ after he saw him in the Demetrious Johnson all-star game in June 2002.