WVBilliken

New coach, only 2 players on roster from last season. Yet another example of a new coach building a winner immediately using the transfer portal. Oh, and not a single player from St. Louis, or even Missouri, on the roster. Not sure this guy will be recruiting St. Louis very hard. The coach, Jerome Tang, is from Texas via the US Virgin Islands and was last on Scott Drew's staff.

Or maybe he is keeping opposition coaches guessing on Yuri's status?

I agree, SLU is better with Yuri. But thinking this GW game will make the team better. I saw much more ball sharing, which is very positive, and could make this team better in the long run. This team with Yuri could be much better if the ball is in Yuri's hands a little less during the game. Teams are focusing on him and the other SLU players are standing around waiting for Yuri to make a play. I really like giving Perkins the ball in space and let him "create" as he did against GW. Same with Hargrove and Pickett to a lesser extent. Less dribbling by Yuri = a better team IMO. I also liked the bigger lineup. And Hughes, if he can consistently hit the mid-range jumper, that could be a new weapon. He had a couple jumpers in the lane he missed, thinking he hits those shots as he gets more comfortable.

Sounds like an excellently coached and planned game to me. Great job Coach Ford and staff!

Home broadcast team.

Just took a peek at the A10 standings and noticed that EVERY team in the conference has a winning home record. Even the "weak sisters" of the league have a winning home record. On the other hand, I found it amazing that EVERY A10 team also has a losing road record. Not a single team in a 15 team league can manage a winning road record? I know fans will claim "home cooking" by the referees, but that can't be the only reason. Good teams should be able to win more on the road than they lose. Is this league so bad that not one team can manage a winning road record?

Dayton at home against VCU Friday night on ESPN2. Watching that one.

I haven't concluded yet that ...... "Unfortunately that ride has been steered directly off a cliff". If two players step up to be become consistent scorers and defenders out of Parker, Perkins & Hughes, then this can still be a special season IMO.

Pro teams do it all the time. If a guy has a big contract the team will go with the big money player a long time. See the St. Louis Cards with Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong.

Nice mentions of recruit Medley. https://news.yahoo.com/epic-comeback-camden-basketball-overcomes-041529904.html https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/01/no-2-camden-boys-basketball-dominates-2nd-half-in-win-over-no-3-don-bosco-prep-photos.html

If you click on Brock Vice's picture in the article you will see a nice video of his High School Team's recent win with some nice action by Brock.

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/12/28/why-st-louis-basketball-signee-brock-vice-played-football-this-year/69736237007/

Good question. Tried to see if he was on the sidelines with the rest of the team by re-watching a little of yesterday's game. Saw Thatch but did not spot Rivera, maybe I just missed him? He should be with the team on the sidelines, at least for home games, right?

Personally I want Perkins to break out and be the scorer he was two years ago. He is key to SLU having a chance to dance.

Loved thatch as a person and player. He will be successful in whatever he decides to do. Regarding his replacement, seems Parker and Hughes will get much bigger minutes.

Ford can't make the shots for the players. Way too many misses on good open shots and layups ......

And they were killing us inside too with that group on the floor.

LOL. Thinking we should see how the season plays out. This Board is so amusing ....... But seriously, Ford will be Coach next season. Big fan of what Coach Ford is doing for SLU's basketball program!

Lucky the decision is in the hands of those in the know ..... not a bunch of clueless Billiken Board posters. I am hoping Ford is Coach for the long-term. He guiding SLU to be a consistent top 50 program IMO.

Don't buy that at all. Rickma was making a massive culture change. Those guys were headed out of the program. Rickma was taking actions for the team 2, 3 years in the future. Rickma knew he wouldn't win that first year and did not owe Lisch and Liddell squat except to play them if they were worthy of getting PT.

Last couple of games teams have their players dropping off of Collins when he is driving deep into the key to the basket to cover players in the paint, saying score it Yuri. Last game Collins failed on difficult layouts/shots on multiple attempts. A couple of times he was able to kick the ball out to a shooter but more often he turned it over. Seems that was the difference in the 5 point Boise lost. Yuri and the team is going to have to adjust.

So, Ford has 6 full seasons with the Bills. He started with a horrible roster so I give him a pass for year 1 and 2. No transfer portal so you cannot build a competitive roster quick. Year 3 he got SLU to the Dance. Nice, to the NCAA's in year 3. Year 4 a 23-8 record but no bid. No Tournament due to covid but may have made it, in the discussion. Year 5 a 14-7 record, covid year mess. I give Ford a pass. NIT bid. Year 6 a 23-12. In the NCAA Tournament discussion but not selected. NIT bid. Year 7 ..... TBD. So in my estimation Ford got SLU to the Tourney 1 out of 3 years. Damn good. I give him this year and next. This board expected Parker and Perkins to be big factors for this team. Let's see if they can live up to their "press clippings" in Conference play. Ford just might have a chance to get his second bid if they can. The coach bears responsibility for loses ...... but so do the players, something many on this board fail to see over and over again.

#KeepFord

Mediocrity? Routine finishes in the top third of a good (normally) mid-major conference, 20 plus wins per season, and in the conversation to be "Dancing" pretty much every year is NOT mediocre for a mid-major program. Take it from a guy who has followed the Billikens closely since the early 1970's ..... Ford is one of the best three Billiken coaches in my time as a fan. Ford is a keeper, he's building a consistent winner. Changing coaches will just throw this program back again unless the Adminisration can pull a Majerus type replacement "out of their A$$".

I am still behind Ford. Every time the Bills have a bad game, the lynch mob comes out. It doesn't matter if the team shot 30%, and that's just going to happen once or twice a season and that ain't the coach's fault. Teams have bad nights ..... it happens to the best of teams. In the meantime Ford produces 20+ win seasons. SLU is in the A10, a mid-major Conference. That in itself is Ford's greatest obstacle. He does a great job recruiting and that is 75% of what is needed to win. But SLU is never going to get the quality of player to go "Dancing" more then a few times a decade at best. Talent isn't and won't ever be there to go every couple of years unless you are Gonzaga or SLU gets to the Big East. Okay ..... now you posters can crucify me. But me, I'm with Ford.