Clock_Tower

I know that Yuri was hurt this year. I know he was hurt last year too. I know he was slowed by Covid too. Injuries are part of the game and even more reason to have depth at PG. When healthy, Yuri is better and our team is better. Even healthy, though, we need more from the position. I hope Yuri can do it. I am pulling for him. Yuri is not a “pass first” PG bc he sees the floor better and passes better than “combo guards” such as Kwamain Mitchell and Mike McCall but bc he lacks their offensive skill. He is “pass first” mostly by default. Glad he is on our team, play him but we need more help and depth at the position. And unlike the stats you list, every point guard in the country would have more assists if they shot less and passed more. Easy to increase assist numbers and assist percentages as opposed to increasing made shots or made shot percentages. If more PG assists led to more wins, every team would do this. Instead, the opposite is true - and has been since the 1980’s. Scoring from the PG position helps the team more. A PG who can shoot the 3, opens the lane for the other 4 and helps the team win. And a PG who can dribble penetrate and score as well as pass helps the team with scoring, by drawing fouls and gives higher percentage shots to the other 4 - all which help the team win. I don’t see any correlation between PG assists and winning and again suggest there is no correlation other than what you have been peddling. Compared to JGood playing the PG, Yuri is a wizard. But because he has no offensive game, no one bothers to even guard him, he makes us predictable and he makes things harder on the other 4, his skill set makes our margins more difficult to win. And we haven’t even got to defense, steals and rebounds. Going forward, I want a point guard who can defend and score as well as run the offense. Call him what you want - a combo guard or a 2021 PG. We have room for both him and Yuri.

First, sorry to Brian. Was sending a text to a different Brian at the same time yesterday... And again, appreciate your concern for what I might be saying. Maybe you should focus on what I am saying instead . And look in the mirror as you repeat your own mantra: reading comprehension. I have taken heat for pointing out facts about Yuri - decreased performance, increased turnovers, bad decision making, turnovers by throwing the ball away on a last second shots, few steals, other teams not guarding him at all, the other team’s PG posting him up, his lack of height, his poor defense at the 3 point line, other guys being double teamed bc of Yuri not even being a threat. These are facts which I have said in the past - not opinions. Here are more truthful facts about Yuri in our 2 biggest games of the year: in the season ending NIT loss to Miss State , Yuri had 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 3 points, and against St Bona with our Tournament hopes on the line, Yuri had 0 steals, 2 turnovers and 1 point being outplayed by both opposing PG. Should we praise Yuri for his 9 assists and 5 assists in these bad losses? Yuri did his part but the others not? Yuri’s teammates and coaches let him down? Yesterday, I said he was OK - now that’s an opinion. At the same time, I also mentioned that he had been injured most of last year, again part of this year and likely affected physically by Covid. Untruthful opinion ? I didn’t blame Yuri for everything that has gone wrong these past two years. I could, as others have, by saying that Yuri has failed to take us to the NCAA tournament these past two years ... a truthful fact. I would say this would be truthful but also misleading. Again, pointing out bad facts and speaking the truth has lead to heat. Coincidently, I post comments about the entire team and you focus on only one: Yuri. Obsession? And before you try to re-present your same tired stat of assists per game which you obviously feel makes your argument and allows you to cancel others, I took a look at that stat. You are correct, Yuri is top 10 in assists. Here is the stat I believe you are referring to. https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/140 Note: the leader has 2 more than Yuri at 8.4 assista per game (Yuri had 6.1 per game) and the guy in 50th place had 1 less than Yuri at 4.9 assists per game. So what? Yuri had 1 more assist per game (2 points) than the 50th place guy and is only 2 assists per the top guy (4 points). Let’s assume Yuri is the leader next year with 8 assist per game - so what - we get 4 more points per game as a team? Will Yuri still score only 1 point and 3 points when our most important games are on the line? Will Yuri’s defense allow Lofton still to score 14 points and Molinar 19 points ? Scoring, defense, forcing turnovers and rebounds is more important than your assists per game stat. Does Yuri run our offense better than JGood? Of course!! I will take a PG with only 3 assists per game if he helps defensively, scores 8 to 10 ppg and can make steals and disruptions per game. Don't get me wrong, I loved the 1980s. No shot clock, 4 corners stall, no 3 point line to start the decades, shoes made out of leather, defined roles among the starters, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center, anyone over 6’6” told never to dribble or put the ball on the floor - and your favorite, a pass first point guard. Here’s some reading for you. https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/748520-college-basketball-power-rankings-top-40-point-guards-in-college-hoops-history.amp.html Let me know when you would like to talk basketball in 2021.

Well said. As mentioned, I have heard similar. Makes sense. But Calipari wasn’t always this way. Same w Duke. And Calipari can (and should) change his approach abit. Coach K certainly will. Recruit some 4 year role players and not just put together All Star teams. Share the wealth abit.

Bully ball was our highly successful s6 player offense led by JGood and Isabell - not what we watched these past two years. We went to the Tournament with Bully ball. All new players and styles these past 2 years. If you don’t like our style these past 2 years, call it something else.

Roy. Like most fan groups, we overrate how good and how deep our roster really is. We also ignore our flaws. Not saying we were bad and had no talent but not the talent to run our opponents out of the gym. And yes, we were a different team pre and post COVID (and health and breathing issues from the virus likely contributed to us not running - more than your easy target of blaming Coach Ford for everything) - but you are also placing your emphasis on OOC vs conference games. Conference opponents know us, scout us and implement game plans against us. OOC - whether LSU this year or Auburn and K-State last year don’t. Big difference. Also, we cannot run if we don’t play defense. Watch Alabama tonight. Every successful good team which runs the ball and plays up tempo first plays excellent defense. We don’t. Our season is over, so I can now say: Perkins plays no defense and Yuri has done little as well. Hargrove made great strides and is better offensively but he is a liability on defense too And 2 years in a row, Yuri has been injured, worn down and JGood and Jacobs proved ineffective. JGood is gone, I have no faith in Jacobs (and even if he comes thru - he will be a Senior) and Yuri will be. Junior. We need immediate help at PG

Speaking of arrogant boosters with high demands and unreasonable expectations, Marquette got what they deserve: Shaka Smart. Enjoy.

I agree with Torch and others who believe that Calipari is tiring. And will be gone sooner than later. Also agree that the Kentucky fan base and boosters are unique and demanding as BRoy points out. Even when they were on top and winning, their boosters were complaining about their turnover of their roster and having to learn new names. I don’t believe 6 or 7 will be first round NBA picks this year. When he goes, though, I see him stepping down and taking time off rather than going immediately to another job And I am reminded, because the school at issue is Texas, that their boosters were certain that they could and would lure Nick Saban to Austin 4 years ago by throwing around their ridiculous booster money. Money can buy everything and who would ever turn them down? Well, 2 National Championships later since then, Nick is still at Alabama with his eyes set on another this year.

Ah yes. Brian, the Yuri Train police officer checking in to approve my word choices only about him.

Yes. He has been adaptable - but hasn’t been good veering away from his bread and butter which account for so much of his success which you summarize. He was given a fresh start at Texas, came in with high praise and accolades, used this together with the status, name, facilities and conference of UT, recruited extremely well by all accounts but then 3 of 6 Tournaments? 1st round losses? Lost to Abiline? And all Texas? And Marquette wanted him anyway? Great for Texas and the rest of the Big East.

JGood was very good for us - local. French was very good too - not local. Yuri, a local, has been OK, is young, has been injured and I believe slowed bc of of COVID but I am not resurrecting new vocabulary to cover his flaws, I take heat for speaking the truth and am making no plans for his induction into the Billiken HOF like most on this Board. Hargrove - a local- starts off each year on the bench, ends the year up with minutes demanding by so many, has developed more than most players despite our Billiken coaches who so many feel cannot develop players or teach them how to shoot or instruct as to field goal form ... but Hargrove has been average I would rather play the non local - Jimerson - a non local who has been great at times, is young, injured last season, and hasn’t been given a real opportunity yet but overall has been OK Perkins - a local - has been great Thatch - a local - has been average. Alot of hype, defensive specialist, Big 3, then the sickness/lost season, this year a role player, great guy, alot of hope... but so far nothing major. Bell and Linssen - non locals have been OK but not special Strickland and Lorentsson- non locals and who knows what they can do Jacobs - a non local - and an underperformer

Not saying Shaka is a bad coach or has forgotten how to coach but does anyone know what Shaka’s coaching philosophy now is in 2021? I doubt it bc Shaka does not seem to know... His Nolan Richardson 94 feet of hell system worked at a mid-major a decade ago but now?

Yes. But I have seen it the other way too. The best local kids roll their eyes and have no interest in coming to SLU bc we are not “big-time” or win enough or make the Tournament... but they are quick to refer their second tier friends and teammates whereas outstate kids might give us a chance and accept the immediate playing time without concern of negative stigma like the locals

Never thought I’d ever say it, but the SEC is a better basketball conference than the Big XII. KU and Texas were usually the best. Oklahoma also was really good. Then Mizzou and K-State had their turn. In contrast, Kentucky dominated the SEC - except for some Florida teams. Not anymore. LSU, UT, Auburnn, Arkansas, Mizzou and now Alabama have stepped up. Why would Oats leave Bama for Texas and the Big XII? Answer: he wouldn’t

Don’t believe he did. But X, Butler, Marquette., Seton Hall... have been only average. Not seeing the old Jim Calhoun UConn, Lou C Johnnies, old man John Thompson Hoyas...

Hope, for our sake, English learned alot fro Haith...

Do you believe there is a correlation between playing in the NBA being a great recruiter and winning at a mid-level program with little recent success?

None. The argument was we needed to hire Crews to keep the team together. We did hire Crews, the team stayed together but my point is that the team would have stayed together with someone else as well. Then, maybe we win more... and we don't have the subsequent disaster years.

Thanks for starting this thread. Sad day for Blues Hockey and St. Louis. Everyone likely has their own story, and I would like to read them, but I will always remember going into the hockey locker room at the old Hardee's Ice Complex, in Chesterfield, crowded with about 20 kids (ages 5 to 6 years old) on the benches and 20 Dads kneeling on the floor untying skates and keeping track of their sons' equipment from ending up in the wrong bag, following my then 6 year old son's 1 hour "Learn to Play" ice hockey session, his second time ever on the ice for a practice, when this older guy, I assumed a coach but I did not turn around to see him, came in to the crowded locker room, and in that deep, distinctive voice, asked the boys: "OK, who in here is tired? Is anyone tired?" The boys all stopped what they were doing, gave full attention and yelled back "No" and "No, I am not tired." Then, the voice asked, "Ok, who can skate another hour?" The boys all raised their hands or yelled that they could. And then, this voice said: "Well, if you're not tired, that means you didn't skate hard enough. Next time, skate harder." and out he went. For a few seconds, silence. Finally, I spun around on the floor but the voice had let the room and I said to the guy next to me, I recognize the voice, who was that? And was told: Bobby Plager.

I fully agree that Romar was NOT one of our better coaches and I don't subscribe to him being close to some great West Coast pipeline for us. Romar lacked the contacts, and I suggest experience, and did exactly what RM said was the worst thing you can do -- come in second place on recruits. At the same time, Romar had been a young charismatic coach who had some good years and good teams at Washington in his backyard - the West Coast and PAC 10. At the same time, are you saying that Romar was not good for us so therefore all young coaches are bad? I hope not. And no, young, charismatic coaches does not mean greater success but also does not mean worse. At the same time, Chris May knew that he had an old school, abusive coach stuck in the 1980's who had never won much as a coach. Are you disagreeing with this statement? Chris May knew the players did not relate to him or respect him. Are you disagreeing with this statement? And Chris May kept quiet while the team won despite Crews and underperformed b/c of him. Are you disagreeing with this? And Chris May used the success of being the Interim head coach for RM's stacked team as the criteria to hire Jim Crews as our permanent head coach. Do you think that was a good test? Maybe a better test would have been how Crews could teach and recruit his own players: Lancona, Agbeko, Crawford... Yes, before Ford, our better coaches have been older guys at the end of their careers: Spoon and RM as opposed to Brad and Romar. And yes, best man for the job of any age, any race, etc.; however, when faced with a guy like Crews - yes, I would have gone with anything I could in a different direction. I remember rumors or our players and recruits (J Love and Marquee Perry) re-thinking SLU after Charlie left but they stayed b/c of Romar. And then the players wanted Brad when Romar left, and they stayed. And no one left when Brad was fired. And likewise, I doubt our team would have broke up and the guys left for different directions before their Senior had we named someone other than the National Coach of the Year. And as to the winning success under Chris May, RM and Travis Ford can make an AD look good but longevity may be just as big of a factor. And you do know that many of the best AD's leave basketball only schools for those with basketball AND football. Debbie Yow was great and Cheryl Levick would have been really good too... but for Fr. Biondi.

Not true. Yes, only a handful of AD's would not hire Crews after being silent all year and then watching Crews take us to the Tourney and win National COY but many good AD's would have (and should have) stepped in early, controlled the narrative, said Crews was our Interim Coach, is the perfect Interim Coach but that he won't be our permanent coach, that SLU is forming a blue ribbon national committee, that our next coach would be young, enthusiastic, would be our coach for the next 10 years, that after RM and Crews we would be returning to a youthful coaches such as Romar when hired by SLU, examples could have been given, leaks of possible names could have been given.... this is not that unusual. But because Chris May was silent, did nothing, took no leadership, then yes, only a few AD's with a sack of stones would have not hired Crews after he won National COY. And that is not Chris May.

In deference to me and others on this Board, Moser himself has repeatedly stated that he, in essence, was not a good x's and o's coach prior to RM. And yes, Porter had alot of RM's knowledge in his head but it did take him awhile to learn how to teach this knowledge and to know which players would accept the knowledge and style and which would not. Porter was given this freedom to experiment and to grow further at Loyola. And RM had his share of failures over the years as well. As to RM's coaching tree, yes, he now has Porter Moser. But again, my take has always been that RM used his coaches to compensate for his own issues and to compliment him - the Master - as opposed to develop any heir apparant. And to answer an earlier question, RM felt true passionate coaches should be like him -- eat, sleep, drink basketball. RM had no wife or kids. Family time each evening and weekends was not the RM way and likely ran afoul of coaches' wives such as Mrs. Porter Moser.

All I meant by “investigating” was that Chris May performed the normal due diligence any good AD would do when presented with a new hire recommendation and was aware of the prior allegations which led to Jim Crews being terminated by Army. Agreed. Chris May does not override RM or deny RM his proposed new assistant coaches but he most certainly reviews who they are and what they did and did not do prior to us. My only real point is that Chris May cannot have it both ways. Either he was a good AD, who vetted new hires and had his finger on the pulse of the program and knew things the rest of us did not know because Crews was a well-known commodity and had been on campus a full season or he did not. Either way Chris May should have been fired. Chris May had time and knew in August that RM was not coming back for the entire season when RM stepped down in August and then knew RM would never come back in that RM died in early December. What was Chris May’s plan in December? Wait the year out and see if Crews can win with that loaded bc that would be a true test of whether Crews was the right man for the job? Brilliant plan. Not his plan after the season was over when Chris May knew we would win - which we did, made the Tourney and Crews received the National COY honor - which I contend was more of a tribute to RM than Crews. Leaders lead from the front, not the rear. Leaders make tough choices and don’t get led. BTW, I believe this Friday is payroll day - another paycheck.

NCAA football calls the extra coaches “analysts” and they coach the coaches as they are not allowed on the field to with the players. Instead, they watch from above, from their own practice film and game film and by scouting other teams.

Taj You are correct. Once Jim Crews won National Coach of the Year, AD May and SLU were stuck and could do nothing but hire Jim Crews, pay him "market price" and a full term as you mention. And if you recall, Fr. Biondi apparently let the contract to hire Jim Crews collect dust sitting on his desk and delayed in signing it -- unsure if he really went out of town or was just throwing another Fr. Biondi fit to remind everyone that he was still in charge on campus. And then there was concern that Fr. Biondi's delay in signing the contract would allow the National Coach of the Year to take his talents elsewhere... and then finally... a collective relief when the great Jim Crews did not leave but signed with SLU for 4 years. Laissez les bon temps rouler!! Now, if you will agree to the following three (3) premises, I can explain how AD May could/should have handled this situation. Can we agree that 1. Chris May, as typical of most good AD's, had a feel for how the players and other coaches/staff felt about the coaches on the program's only revenue sport -- namely what they thought of Crews and how Crews related with them/commanded their respect. 2. Chris May was aware of Jim Crew's reputation, and track record, as a coach, including why he was terminated at Army for assaulting a player. 3. Chris May is not an idiot and capable of making a rational decision. Now, it took us MBMs a year or more to discover how the guys hated him, ignored him and coached themselves. How did Chris May not see this or know this? I believe Chris May knew this. I also believe Chris May had to investigate Jim Crews just to hire him as RM's assistant coach due to his assault of a player. Universities will look the other way on many issues... but not upon the physical or verbal treatment of a student athlete, and SLU is no different. Sure, there are two (2) sides to every story, not all accusations are true, allegations and "facts" can be exagerated and everyone can have a bad day or an isolated bad moment, but Crew's age, demeanor, style and philosophy of coaching is so 1970s and 1980s, he had not had success in over a decade and at Evansville. This had to be a red flag just to hire him as an assistant coach. And finally, I don't personally know Chris May well, am sure he is a nice guy, passionate, etc. and not an absolute idiot. If so, we all knew our team was loaded, stacked, an NCAA team and that they would win as long as they stayed together and the coach got out of their way. BRoy told us his grandmother could win with RM's team, most on this Board agreed. Did AD May think otherwise? No, AD May had to know the team would win and yet he also had to know that Crews was not the right man for the job and also had to know that this team would win, and if it won, that there would be pressure to hire this winning interim coach. So what did Chris May do? Not believe we would win? No, Chris May may be alot of things - but is not an idiot. So why did May not take early action before the wins piled up? Get ahead of the decision, set the tone, leak information as to the new requirements of the job: young, charismatic, recent success as a head coach, etc. to control it rather than be controlled by it? No, Chris May did nothing, no leadership, no action, waited until the decision - even the one he had to know was the wrong one - would be made for him. That conduct alone is sufficient to have let Chris May go.

And bc he was on our team, I loved him throwing those wild elbows ... but other teams naturally hated that