Clock_Tower

Aquinas. Normally I agree with all your posts. This one, though, I am going to disagree a little bit. Here goes: I do NOT want a stretch 4. Of course I liked Cody Ellis, who didn't/doesn't? Instead, I would much prefer another classic power forward along the lines of Anthony Bonner and now French. Put me down for a guy like French - but who can make a 10 footer and also make 3 of 4 free throws. Another 4 years of bully ball - but this time with 3 point shooters as well!

Yes. My neighbor is a physician who works there. Have talked to her in detail since last Fall but I believe she had last been working on tests involving malaria and other such Third World diseases.

NCAA has not yet voted yet, right? Transfers like Martin must still sit out a year? Wonder if restrictions within the leagues will remain? Can remain?

Wait a second. 6 years of high school? How old is he?

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2020/03/12/meet-the-slu-department-on-the-frontlines-of.html?b=1584013271^21634720 A SLU degree not only helps you get admitted to a graduate program/school or your first job... but also a little pride... to know your alma mater is 1 of 9 medical research centers working on a vaccine. Proud to “Be a Billiken”

Not much of a compliment. If it is a compliment. Thor clearly did not have a great experience with us. I know very little about him. Understand he has an older brother who is good and made the adjustment to better D1 basketball. But from my little knowledge of Thor, he needed more time to adjust and get ready for D1/SLU and b/c of his illness, he actually got less time. Then, the team was without perimeter shooters and everyone looked to him for help - and he wasn't ready. Probably would have needed a year even without his illness. By comparison, we all love Jimerson, who was great in his 9 or 10 games and who would have had a great season for us, but I wonder how good he truly would have been had he come to SLU without his extra year at prep school.

French has zero chance of making an NBA this Spring. If he has a good summer and works really hard on his shooting, then he has decent chance next year.

What does that mean?

I too think we have 2 openings right now - things just have not gone public yet.

I too think we have 2 openings right now - things just have not gone public yet.

Elite for the A10. Elite for us at SLU. But Has is probably closer to 6'6" than he is 6'8" - and even then the NBA is full of even taller, bigger, stronger guys. Has play more of a true center position (range of 5') and creates mis-matches b/c of his quickness, strength, jumping ability and size (often shorter). Can Has play a wing position in the NBA? No. Heck, he cannot even in play that in college. Can Has play more of a power forward? yes, though, he lacks the ability to step out and hit the 10' to 15' shot, cannot shoot FT's and cannot shoot the three. 6'7" bully ball won't work in the NBA. And if so, then foul him and watch him struggle. Has is clearly undersized by NBA standards and undersized guys must make up for it elsewhere -- perimeter shooting, FT shooting, defense, versatility (I am thinking more of a stretch 4). Sorry, glad is on our team but he will need to leave the US to play professional ball.

French needs to test the waters. It needs to register upon him. We know already what he will be told. Develop a mid range game, improve your dribbling and learn how to make a FT. Shaq was a poor FT shooter but he dominated the NBA game as a 7' power center at nearly 400 lbs. NBA is not interested in a 6'7" forward who cannot shoot beyond 5 feet, and if fouled, will throw up the worst looking FTs at a clip of 1/3.

Not down Diarra though I am down on Hankton. Just like a NFL free agent compensation in later years, Coach Ford should send him to Western KY or Northern KY as compensation for us acquiring Tay Weaver. Diara may turn into something. Because of his injury, I was excited for his signing (though not as much as Yuri, Jimerson and Hargrove), I figured either he or Bell would turn out good (50-50), that Diara was likely a project b/c of his injury and b/c of his size, and that we won't see real production from him until his JR year. I want to keep Diarra - though I am not counting upon him NEXT year. So not many quality big men available... and we just play 5 guards? We now have playing time to offer -- French will be gone next year and Bell is a true center . But 2 guys playing significant minutes measuring 5'!0" ? Bully ball not only works b/c our guys are not good perimeter shooters but b/c they are big/strong - 6'4" Goodwin, 6'6" Perkins, 6'7" French, 6'3" Thatch, 6''5" Hargrove, 6'2" Jacobs. We already have a 40%+ shooter from 3 point (Jimerson) who is 6'5", Perkins will shoot in upper 30% next year from three, Hargrove will be groomed into a 3 point shooter, I would rather go with 6'8" outside shooter in Lorentsson and I don't care as much about replacing Weaver. Already done. Weaver wouldn't play much next year if he had another year. If Russell wants to go prep school and then come in next year with Kern, then I am all over that. Might be good for him too - not be in Yuri's shadow for 3 years. if Ford believes Diarra is the answer, then let's take Russell and redshirt him. Yes. We already have Yuri. How many 5'10" guys do we want? And in back to back classes? If anyone thinks Russell will be a better PG than Yuri and will put Yuri on the bench, then I will take Russell. Otherwise, no thanks. Yes. I/we hope so. But if he have another scholarship available, do we save it like Soderberg would do? Me too. Thanks for all your updates. Again, there would be a big drop off by using Goodwin or Jacobs 80% of the time, and not directing only at you, but why is no one answering my question? What is the plan if French goes down? Bell play 80% with 4 guards? No center back up other than Hargrove/Perkins and Diarra? Again, should we play next year without Yuri, we would still be set at PG the next 2 years - his JR and SR year. Should we play without French next year, then what? Still would need to replace him the following year.

Aaron Hines saved our skin too but I would not offer a scholarship now to his clone. Being a good backup contributor? Yes, the scholarship to Weaver did work. Glad we had him this year. But stretching the defense and keeping the defense honest? It did not work. Lanky guards could sag off Weaver, pack the lane and then jump out and guard/block the shot of 5’10” Weaver as opposed to a taller 6’5” shooter. And defensively, Weaver sure got better, and I believe would be far better now had he been coached by Ford and played for us his prior 3 years, but defense and his size/strength was an issue. So if a 5’10” Senior GT transfer gets pushed around, why would we expect 5’10” freshman to be any different? Yuri is good for 32 mpg and I would prefer a non-freshman handling the other 8 minutes. Now, if Sophomore Yuri (God forbid) were to break a bone in his foot and be out for the year, it would be a big blow and a replacement would be needed. Would Russell be the answer as opposed to anyone else? Not sure. We would at least have other options. But what if French (God forbid) were to break a bone in his foot, who would his replacement be? My point: we need a big and I am not sure Hankton and Diara are the answer and not sure Bell can play 35 mpg, not foul out and we rely upon Hargrove to be our big man in the middle. And even if no injuries, we need to replace French as he will be a Senior.

Why would we want a 5’ 10” three point shooter (didn’t work so well w Weaver) when we already have 6’5” Jimerson, 6’5” Hargrove, 6’6” Perkins, 6’2” Jacobs and now 6’8” Lorentsson? We need a big in 2020 and a PG in 2021 when Yuri is a JR.