Clock_Tower

Get real. The again, you attempted to answer the question. For years, we have had guys play a position they are less comfortable playing “for the good of the team.” Hargrove and others will need to do the same thing this year. Anyone think French envisions himself as a center? Anyone think Luke Meyer committed to SLU to play the 4 each year? Suited his game best? How many combo guards have we had who had to run the PG? How many forwards had to play center?

OK. So in tight game, French picks up his 3rd foul at the start of the second half.... or picks up his 4th foul with 12 minutes to go... or picks up his 5th foul.... then Coach Ford replaces French with ____________?

Pistol. What's the story with the CSU coaching staff? Assume Cincinnati papers may cover their norther rival city news a little more than the rest of the country. Maybe with the right new coach in place, these players will come back and not sit out a year transferring?

Good to know. Thanks. Now that you mention, I do recall similar talk around the time he committed. No doubt we are still in need in help at the 4 and 5. Hopefully, our 2 big, seven footers will develop and fill this role we need as we have shoes of Foreman to fill. With that said, I am not counting on either of our Freshman centers to do anything more than fill back up minutes this, their first year. And yes, we may very likely have to run a 4 guard offensive with French in the middle. The problem, though, is that French has sure had a lot of fouls called on him these past 2 years. Same with Foreman. Frankly, I am not sure how long French will last before picking up his 5th foul if he is surrounded by 4 guards. French will certainly have match up issues guarding the other team's 5 rather than the other team's 4. And these issues will result in eve more fouls. And if the Freshman bigs are not ready this coming year, then we will have no choice but to insert Hargrove not only with French but as a replacement for French. Even if Hargrove is less comfortable at playing with his back to the basket, this team will need him to do this. Highs school is over and using athleticism to beat your man will only get tougher. Time will tell if Hargrove is the next offensive 3/Bess/score off the dribble type player or if will need to be more of a 4/back to basket/post up type player at the D1 level. With that said, our team is more in need of the latter than the former.

Not good stats for Bess or Isabell

So Willie was -11 in only 15 minutes while his competition was -6 in 24 minutes. And if Willie played 24 minutes at that pace as well, he would have been -17 or -18 compared to his competition’s -6.

Believe Hargrove is more versatile than French and can play the 3 where French cannot - but to act like he cannot play the 4 or post up is ridiculous

Hargove is 6’7” and cannot post up?

Love your confidence. Will resume this discussion in January and hope you are right!

I hope you are right - again I lack personal knowledge of what Yuri can do and do right now - though BRoy and 3 Star have both said Yuri is good now but won't start now -- eventually be the PG. Also, even if Tay Weaver is not a pure PG, he is a veteran, 5"10" guard who most likely can handle the ball and supplement our PG Jordan Goodwin. And because of Weaver's experience and ability to hit the 3 pointer, he will likely play a lot. And if Jimerson is as good as advertised and if TF follow through on his repeated comments that he will rely upon Goodwin, French and Thatch, then is doubt Yuri will have as great of an impact this first year. Last year - possibly easier lineup to crack.

You re right. Polk was the shooter who couldn’t shoot. Varner was just a another recruit who couldn’t do much.

Not so sure. RM liked a really good playmaking PG (JG is really talented but not sure RM would have him as his PG as he did Andre Miller and Kwamain Mitchell). Also, RM liked stretch 4’s who could shoot the 3 like Keith Can Horn and Cody Ellis while French is the complete opposite. RM as liked versatile, perimeter centers like Michael Doleac and Rob Loe and our new 7 footers appear to be far different.

Yes. But he wasn't really here that long...

SLU has not always been a bad shooting team. In fact, we were a very good shooting team under Spoon with guys like Highmark, Claggett, Waldman and even Cobbin. The problem for Charlie is that he couldn't recruit enough good talent - consistently, got lazy and then was crushed when Larry left after only 1 year. Recruiting and talent dropped under Romar (who did well with Spoon's guys but couldn't get his own guys). Brad got us Kevin Lisch who could also shoot it very well, got us Tommie Liddell and Reggie Bryant who could play the game, but couldn't get us that power forward or the other talent we needed so badly. RM changed things completely and go us to the Top 10 -relying not just on any one part of the game (such as shooting) but on having the most precise, well -run offense I have ever seen in Billiken blue. Sure, Kwamain Mitchell, Cody Ellis and others all hit a 3, but the combination of inside/outside/balanced offense was incredible to watch. But yes, lately we have gotten away from pure outside shooters. Having another Highmark or Lisch will do wonders for the offense. Then again, we have not exactly been stocked with non-shooter. Ian Voyoukas and Rob Loe our only professional centers in last 25 years? Cody Ellis, Conklin and who else at forward professionally these past 25 years? No, I would suggest that we have suffered from a lack of true talent at all positions and not just at shooting.

Could not disagree more. Any good, independent and confident AD would NOT have made the decision to permanently hire Jim Crews. Not only was there no prior track record of success with Crews but also any good AD would have personally saw, up close and first hand, the flaws in Jim Crews. No problem appointing him Interim Head Coach -- but he should not have been our head coach.