BradFan

So if RM becomes reality (not a done deal yet, remember his track record), and it comes with a much improved financial commitment from Father B., how many more wins will he have to come up with to satisfy the masses? UB got 20 wins with the modest commitment he had. RM obvious believes UB had one hand tied behind his back. What could UB have done with the full backing of administration that RM is obviously bucking for? If it was good enough for RM, why not for UB or Romar?

Whether you agree with the decision or not, the thing that can't be overlooked is the absolutely class-less way SLU has treated their highest profile employee. Brad did nothing but bleed blue for the last six years – did everything he could to make things work - generated a winning record AND a high graduation rate - saw his program shifted out of a power conference into a second tier conference in mid-stream - and still had things moving in a positive direction. Nobody could feel the pain of missing the dance over the past five years more than him. He didn't deserve to be fired, in my opinion. But even more important at this point, he deserved a more graceful exit than what he was given. This is a fine human being, and some consideration should have been given to treating him in a respectful way if this is the decision being made. Even when Wisconsin let him go after his interim season, they held a press conference with him, then proceeded with the search. The AD explained his justification, Brad was given an opportunity to state his side. Brad never got his fair chance to sign off from SLU, and that's no way to treat people who have given the best of thier life and 110% of their time over the past six years for benefit of your institution. Regardless of all other opinions, I just want this board to remember that.

A very legit point, Nark. Even worse for someone like me, who lives in the Midwest, but not in Saint Louis area. Not to make excuses, but this is a HUGE reason why recruiting has to be such an uphill climb at SLU. Even in the team's heydey in the old CUSA, TV coverage was limited. What makes any potential stud from Chicago through KC want to give the team a sniff when, for instance, a more attractive Big 12 or Big 10 or Big East team can point to all of the times they make it on TV. More directly to your point - in this day and age with unlimited TV channels and broadband Internet, it makes no sense that we can't see every game of any team we want, at least for a price. But the option doesn't even exist. Let's be thankful players the caliber of Tommy and Kevin, who are now inspiring discussions of comparison to NBA players on this board, came to SLU regardless.

In less than 48 hours, this team pulled together and won two big games. Worked from behind in both, contributions from lots of people. When we fell by 11 in first half, it appeared the team may be in a funk, a bit tired, a step behind. But Brad got them turned around and these guys showed a lot of heart. Congrats to Brad and the crew. The team is definitely in a better place than it was at the start of the A-10 season. Nothing's easy from here on in, but the boys seem more geared into it now. Defense will continue to be the key for the Bills. It came through today, came through in the clutch against St. Joe's. That's what they need to keep winning.

If you saw Timmerman's blog where he talks about the woes of travel, notice that he mentions the Bills take scheduled commuter flights to most out of town games. When Roy mentions the budget issues, this is one of them. When Brad coached at UW, they had a charter plane, and could go in and out of opposing cities on their own schedule. That may be less of an issue when you are going to big cities like NYC, Philly or Cincy. But gets to be more of a struggle getting to Rhode Island, Dayton, Richmond, etc. And let's face it, if you've ever had the option of private air transportation compared to the rat race that is normal air travel, you know there is no comparison. Just exemplifies the fact that the staff still deals with one hand tied behind their back (lack of TV coverage, lousy venue for home games, West Pine, no recent history of basketball prowess or, for that matter, any notable sports reputation other than soccer, being other issues that contribute to that). Roy, you are right on. So does anybody seriously think that if the Bills continue at the current pace (.667) and get 20 wins that Brad is gone, or that this would even be justified or productive for the program? Get real people.

The risk here, of course, is that with the latter part of the first round being such a crapshoot, some team will take a flyer on Ian, and that will spur him to give the NBA a go. I think he's making a mistake going now. If he has a stellar senior season here, he would probably be in the top half of next year's first round. We have to take Ian at his word, that he's doing this to see where he stands. If he stands better than he thinks right now, sounds like goodbye. If he finds out he's not rated higher than what he seems to suspect at the moment, sounds like he'll be back. Guess we'll have to wait for the draft to really know.

You are right Skip. The list of potential candidates is growing exponentially, it seems. I didn't realize we missed out on the second coming of Elgin Baylor when Stemler went to IU, but you'd think so based on the "woe is us" flames coming off this board. And yes, I know a million of you will be happy to list out the other 1,000 things Brad is doing wrong in defense of your panicked state. I also keep forgetting what a powerhouse NCAA mainstay SLU was before UB was hired.

Hard to know where to begin. Brad is accountable. Brad can't recruit. Blah Blah Blah. Get a life people. And a little perspective. Would Stemler have been a nice get? Sure. He was a juco guy with obvious shooting talent but a questionable inside and defensive game, not an All American (except in juco-land). He would have given UB a lot more flexibility, made a more competitive environment. But at best, he'd step on the court as the 4th best player (assuming Ian comes back). That's nothing to sneeze at, but hardly the disaster seen here. Wins and losses dictate a coach's credentials. So many of you are convinced that next season is lost. Geez, I see Tommy and Kevin back from all-frosh honors with a year under their belt. Hopefully we see Ian back and even better. If healthy, Obi could be a real contributor. Luke, Danny, Duane are all bound to be better players going into their Jr. year. AK will likely be a factor to some extent, and DM may bring a similar game to the table as LS, at least from the outside, if he's ready, and NOBODY on this board knows the answer to that. In the last three years, UB has brought in a fair number of players, most of whom merit a lot of playing time. If Ian returns, Brad has three of the top 10-15 players in the A10, I would guess (and he recruited each one of them). If Ian doesn't come back, Brad has two of the top 10-15 in the A-10, and a guy he recruited who became an NBA first rounder. Take a pill, enjoy the summer, let's see what shapes up for next year. Hot stove league is fun. But a little perspective is in order as well.

Stemler chooses Indiana The search for a final player to round out their 2006-'07 recruiting class will continue for the Marquette Golden Eagles, who learned late this afternoon that Lance Stemler is headed for Indiana. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Stemler visited MU last week before heading to Saint Louis and finally Indiana. Had he committed to MU, he would have been in the mix to replace the graduating Steve Novak at power forward. Stemler averaged 22 points and 6.7 rebounds for Southwestern Illinois College last season, and was a junior college All-American.

That's a sad state of affairs for SLUs media status, but I believe that is slowly changing. Brad is not a camera-hog, super promoter. But he is a builder, and the program is building. As it continues to enjoy success, the media will catch up. The days will get better and better, even if the PD isn't paying attention right now. Remember, we always have Billiken Bernie on our side (ha!).

This in today's Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel...don't know what to make of it, but presume Lance's comments would be made to any reporter from any of the four schools he is considering (except the part about Novak): The Marquette Golden Eagles should know by early next week whether Lance Stemler, their No. 1 recruiting target in the spring signing period, will accept their scholarship offer. A 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Ill., Stemler took an official visit to MU earlier this week and indicated that once he's through with a six-day whirlwind recruiting tour across the Midwest, he'll make his choice. "I want to make my decision by the beginning of next week," Stemler said. "I want to get my decision over with before my finals, so it's not on my mind and I can just relax." Nebraska, Saint Louis and Indiana are also vying for Stemler. He visited Nebraska earlier in the signing period, Saint Louis on Tuesday and Wednesday and will arrive in Indiana today for a two-day stay. While visiting MU, Stemler toured the campus, played pick-up games with current Golden Eagles players and then attended the team's annual awards banquet on Monday night. "Everything was real nice," he said. "All the guys get along real good. We played (Sunday and Monday) and I liked the way they played. Everything was real good." Stemler, a sophomore, averaged 22 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in leading his team to a 34-4 mark and a sixth-place finish in the NJCAA Tournament. He was also named a first team All-American. A native of Columbia, Ill., Stemler played his freshman year at Bradley before transferring to Southwestern Illinois College. Regarded by many as the top remaining big man available, he and incoming freshman Lazar Hayward would likely battle it out for the power forward spot vacated by Steve Novak. Both are considered top-notch perimeter shooters, an area coach Tom Crean will be looking to bolster with Novak no longer around. "I'm looking for someplace where I can come in and contribute right away," Stemler said. "I only have two years left so I want to get into it. The main feel I got when I was playing with them was I could really step in for Steve." If Stemler commits, he would close out MU's 2006-'07 recruiting class. Hayward, David Cubillan and Ball State transfer Maurice Acker have already signed with the Golden Eagles.

Nice of LM to do that when he's going to get cut from the squad next year (chuckle)!

I would think Walls is a good candidate as the mysterious third player. No particular inside information, but I can't imagine the staff isn't still hot on his trail. Funny how the wind blew again, this time favorably, and my boy UB is a darn genius!! Just like watching the shifting CW in Washington DC. I think Luke is getting trashed too much. We forget that the team went on a pretty good run when Luke moved into the starting rotation, often in overmatched situations. He is a heady ballplayer who may have some offensive limitations, but still has two years to go and I expect will be a big contributor. And as stated above, JJ better get his butt in gear or it will stay firmly entrenched on the pines. He still has an opportunity to make a difference. A summer of hard work is the key. Congrats to Brad and staff on their hard work. LS would really be nice. And he should think long and hard about the potential for him and the team if he made the commitment. Could be two really great years to bring the West Pine era to a close!

Good points all, Roy. For the conventional wisdom on this board that Soderberg can't recruit, three key points to remember are: 1. SLU's basketball reputation prior to UB's hiring wasn't exactly top rate 2. Academic requirements at SLU present some recruiting challenges 3. Despite that, UB has brought in some decent talent, and in the case of our current three stars, pretty high quality talent. If injuries clear up, I think Obi will join that level sooner or later. To those referencing his Wisconsin days, he and Bennett recruited well enough to build a Final Four team (admittedly with pretty limited talent but a combination that worked) and also signed Devin Harris and Mike Wilkinson, two of the best players Bo Ryan has had in his system.

No, my message was clearly not meant for you. My outrage comes at people who see kids play once or twice, or only know from things they read, and make judgements as if they are professional scouts. For most of us, JUCO players are far less known than current college players (who we may see a lot on TV) and even some high school prospects. As for you seeing that many JUCO games in a year, it is tempting to quote the great William Shatner line from Saturday Night Live and say, "get a life people." But I won't. Appereciate your insights!