Pistol

That's a good point, scheduling specifically for your team. Majerus said all along that we were going to play a soft schedule this year based on our youth. I'd still like to see a considerable step up next year, even if we're technically even younger. I wasn't suggesting that SLU should have played an all-BCS non-conference schedule this year and battered our freshmen; they struggled enough against some bad teams. There just needs to be some real challenges and some big names (which also helps draw more fans). Everyone's going to have a few cupcakes each year, fine, but when they outnumber decent games I don't like that. One thing I liked about our schedule is that we went on the road a decent amount to start the season even if we took our licks. Some teams only play a couple neutral games and maybe 1 or 2 actual road games before the conference season. A lot of it also has to do with the coach- what does he want his guys to take from each game? Could he teach them more and keep their heads up if they were getting pounded by great teams every week, or is he more comfortable beating weaker teams to build their confidence and work out the kinks? Coaches need to find that balance during scheduling and during the season and I give Rick credit for doing what he says he's going to do.

Where'd you get these numbers from? What are the boundaries of this viewership market? What were the times of all these events? I have a very, very hard time believing some of these figures, particularly the TT-Nebraska women's game. Women's basketball games typically see way lower ratings, especially if matched up against some of these other events.

Keith Waleskowski?! If it's him then we have to run with this thing. Anything to get in their heads. He's one of those guys who seemed like he was at UD for 7 years. The most annoying fan I've ever encountered at a SLU game was a Dayton fan who somehow wound up with seats right behind SLU's bench. He stood the whole time (at an angle where he blocked everything for the people behind him) and screamed obnoxious baseball chatter-sounding phrases constantly: "Atta kid, Waleskowski, atta kid!" To get back at UD for unleashing this moron on the world, I have no qualms about saying terrible things about their players and watermelon love.

I'd rather have Cronin get the rivalry fired back up with words than with dirty recruiting, ignorance of academics, off-court problems, and a lack of respect for his institution and the NCAA, as his predecessor did. But I also see where you're coming from, I don't like coaches whining about their conference being too hard. Coach K actually did say earlier this year that the ACC was way better than the Big East and deserves more credit with bids and seeds- which I thought was pretty annoying, no matter which conference is actually better. I personally think the Big East is stronger top to bottom and the ACC is stronger at the top. I also have no respect for weak non-conference scheduling and was pretty disappointed with ours this year. I think what Miller and Xavier put together in the non-conference schedule was almost perfect- a lot of solid games at home and on the road, a good early season tournament, and an SEC road game in the middle of the conference season. My only complaint is that they didn't get a marquee non-conference opponent at home from a BCS conference; Butler was the closest thing to a marquee game. Playing weak schedules and all home games doesn't make you any better in March, no matter how many wins you wind up with. Dayton is going to find that out pretty soon.

But couldn't crazies still use the thread to go through and look at everyone's seats anyway? Either way, if that's the case then it's a real shame, a few goons ruining a good resource for everyone else.

Steve, what happened to the billikens.com seating chart? I looked at the thread again this morning and the graphic seems to have vanished. Also, I gave you the wrong seat info anyway- I'm 205, Row D, Seats 17-18

I'll be there with my dad. I packed last year's Billiken Blue Out shirt in case I'm not there in time to get the new one.

Romain Sato was drafted by the Spurs but never caught on in the league. He's playing in Italy for Montepaschi Siena, one of the top teams there. Lionel Chalmers was drafted by the Clippers the same year (2004) and played a little with them and the Timberwolves. He's been playing in Europe since 2006- first in Greece, then Spain, and now Italy for Benetton Triviso, a league rival of Sato's team.

You are in the exact same boat as my girlfriend. She's from Cincinnati, parents are Xavier alums and long-time season ticket holders, been a solid Xavier fan since she first knew what basketball was. Then she went to SLU and never switched loyalties, but roots for them when they aren't playing XU. Now I'm here in Cincinnati while she goes to UC law school and I'm a SLU fan going to Xavier games regularly, and I probably cheer for Xavier in the way you do for SLU, as sort of a second team. I share your opinion about Huggins but have a hard time hating UC now because Mick Cronin is a stand-up guy who has gotten the classroom issues in order before he started recruiting, and now he's starting to land some top-notch recruits and commits. Rough game at Charlotte last night. I'm not sure what's happened to XU on the road lately. They don't look like the same team away from home. Holloway went from looking like a senior early in the season to looking like a freshman down the stretch. He's forgotten how to handle the ball and looks jittery in everything he does. I'm not sure if Miller publicly dogging him helps or hurts. Welcome to the board.

Now the Knicks have Hughes, Lee, Sloan, and Bonner on the payroll. They're quickly assembling a St. Louis-area all-time greats team. And it would be classic to hit Manhattan one night with those four.

By whom? After last night's game, I think Nivins is underrated. There aren't a lot of great bigs these days and he's flown way under the radar in the A10.

0.7 is considered enough for a catch-and-shoot, and the last 1.2 seconds looked legit to me. I was watching the online feed and saw replays, too. When they were taking a lot of time after the 3 to put St. Joe's within 1, the commentators thought it was more about whether the shot was a 2 or 3, not how much time there was. The replay didn't give us a good enough angle to tell for sure, but it looked more like 2 to me. Of course, Lappas thought there could have been a foul, which would have been the worst possible call in that situation given the time left in the game and the fact that the defense was straight up and any contact was initiated by the shooter. So anyway, I don't know if they looked at the shot or just the time- I'm guessing they looked at both because it took so long and just looking at the clock wouldn't have taken that long. There probably wasn't enough evidence to overturn calling it a 3.

He was, but he was a good-natured guy and said a lot of nice things about SLU. I'd take him over some of the old guys CBS had or still has on the payroll (Packer, Raftery, etc.).

There is, but the other stud freshmen are point guards- maybe an all-freshman PG team is in order. The kids at Fordham and St. Bonaventure are better statistically and are nice players too, but I like our guy the best. Only had two assists tonight but I like the 3-point shooting. He's always doing something to help us win. All the freshmen had nice moments tonight. Good games for Mitchell, Lisch, Eberhardt, and Reed. Tommie, where art thou? Made a first half drive look easy and then vanished into thin air for most of the night. Take it to the hoop, Tommie- they can't stop you.

73-71 final. Great win, and Nivins made us nervous at the end there.

Student section still looks solid. Must be a lot of freshmen and sophomores because Penny Pitchers is now underway.

Williamson makes a circus 3-pointer to make it a 1-point game. They foul Lisch and there's under a second to go. And no, guys, he was not fouled (and it may have been 2).

Lisch laughs off Tasheed Carr's impression of Stanley Burrell as he drains two. Great stuff. 72-68 with 10.3 to go.

Makes both- 70-68 SLU after Govens scores on a drive. "Tough kid. I tell you what, he's gonna be up for A10 rookie of the week this week." "He's the reigning A10 rookie of the week."

Mitchell fouled shooting a jumper from the top of the key. Probably could have had a clean block if he were more careful. 68-66 SLU with 29.5 seconds to go.

HUGE 3 for Mitchell, his fifth of the night. 68-64 good guys with 1:10 to go. mms://a1097.l1083755096.c10837.n.lm.akamaistream.net/d/1097/10837/v0001/reflector:55585

A few questionable calls both ways now. 65-64 SLU with 2:13 to go after Tasheed Carr hits a 3. This is going to be the close one we all thought it would be. Hopefully everyone bet the over, though (the O/U was 121).

Barry got away with an obvious one on Nivins. Whew. SLU up 2 with under 4:00 to play.

Freak and-1 by Reed. That was huge after Kevin missed one he deserved.

Definitely - and they are not shooting from deep and apparently have a couple weak links out there shooting-wise. Let's shut down the big guy before he makes another case for A10 player of the year.