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Duff Man

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Posts posted by Duff Man

  1. @duff man -- sorry. No way until hell freezes over that the A10 gets six bids. EVER. Five is pushing it as well. The only way you get five is if the expected rank and file teams win their conferences with no upsets and some of the supposed high-major, BCS conferences are down. Way down. For example, the ACC is a mess. Only teams of high class note seem to be Duke and NC State. Maryland was held to 14 points at half in Miami Sunday night. Florida State started out ranked. UNC is as blue as blue blood gets. Elsewhere, Texas A&M crushed Kentucky at Rupp. We crushed Texas A&M. What they did to UK will matter more latere there then our assciation to what we did to TX A&M. That's the way it goes.

    Of your list of five A10 suspects, only Xavier has a chance if you ask me and that's only because of their recent bloodlines. And if any of the others are in the regular season running, then some of the so-called top four will most certainly be dragged down. I think four is the A10 limit --- just my opinion. Yaeh, yeah, we got ofur last year but one (STB) was due to the autobid. Adding Butler and VCU means six but I just can't see the simpl emath of four plus two equals six happening.

    Xavier has the toughest road of anyone. "Bloodlines" might help if it comes down a coin flip with 1 other bubble team (provided that other bubble team isn't Kentucky), but otherwise it's irrelevant.

    I'm not saying this is likely*, but if you look at the current profiles, there's clearly a scenario where a 5th team (after VCU/Butler/Temple/SLU) beats up on the other top 100 non-NCAA teams. If you end up with 2 teams at 13-3, and 3 teams at 12-4 - all of those teams are probably in. Then if someone else wins the auto-bid you have 6.

    1) VCU KenPom 11, RPI 30

    2) Butler KenPom 43, RPI 15,

    3) Temple KenPom 60, RPI 31,

    4) SLU KenPom 48, RPI 50

    La Salle KenPom 63, RPI 41

    St Joes KenPom 67, RPI 66

    UMass KenPom 123, RPI 49

    Charlotte KenPom 79, RPI 60

    Dayton KenPom 70, RPI 89

    Xavier KenPom 95, RPI 92

    *more likely is that they all beat up on each other and the 5th place team finishes 10-6

  2. Matt Norlander continues his Billikens love

    I love when users send me videos and links. Here's a good example. First off, it's got Dan Patrick calling a random game between Southern Illinois and Saint Louis at Kiel Auditorium 23 years ago. You obviously don't have to watch the whole thing, but the game's pretty crazy. Just watch the style. It's so different from the hoops of today. If there's one spot you should go to, it's the 34:35 mark. (Also, Saint Louis should bring this court design back.)

    (scroll down to Moving Pictures and Music)

    http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21555908/wakeup-call-the-case-for-the-worst-team-in-college-hoops-history

    full disclosure: I did not send Matt the video but I know who did

  3. Based on current form, it has to be Jordair Jett.

    He won the game against North Texas, and that reverse layup against UMass out of the half court set with the clock ticking down was the same type of play.

    His only drawback is the FT shooting - so maybe some combination of Jordair/Ellis that doesn't involve an abortion of a pass and a ball slowly bouncing out of bounds.

  4. So how many teams make it from the A10? Three? Four?

    I think there's a scenario for 5 at-large bids plus a 6th if a dark horse runs the table in Brooklyn. La Salle, UMass, St Joes, Charlotte, even Xavier all could still play themselves into an at-large bid without necessarily dragging down Butler/VCU/Temple/SLU.

    More than likely though, those 2nd tier teams will beat up on each other, all finish with 1 or 2 too many blemishes and end up on the outside looking in. That's why it's so critical for SLU to stay out of that bunch.

  5. URI - W

    @Duquesne - W

    @St Bona - L

    Butler - W

    Dayton - W

    @Fordham - W

    @Richmond - L

    Charlotte - W

    VCU - W

    @Butler - L

    SJU - W

    @GW - W

    @Xavier - L

    La Salle - W

    Do this, then win 1 game in the conference tourney, and I think we're a lock. Despite the fact that our best road win would be GW.

    No team is a lock for the dance if their only road wins all season are @Duq, @For, and @GW. Honestly, I can't understand how anyone would project SLU to lose all 3 games at Bonnies/Richmind/Xavier and then turn around and beat VCU at Chaifetz. That VCU game and then @Butler are the 2 toughest remaining matchups.

    11-5 - provided it's a top 4 finish - plus a win against the 5 or 6 seed to advance to the A10 semis should be enough - but that's cutting it close. If 3 or 4 teams finish 11-5 and SLU is forced to play an extra game before heading to Brooklyn, at a minimum they need to win that A10 quarterfinal showdown against a team that's seeded higher than them. This is not a desirable scenario. Given how deep the conference is, they do not want to head to Brooklyn with 'work to do'.

    Butler and VCU are making the dance barring a disastrous turn of events. Temple is looking good. SLU needs to stay a cut above the mess of teams that finish 5-9 in the standings. That means beating those '2nd tier' teams head to head and avoiding road losses to bottom half teams.

    SLU has always stuggled in Olean, but this will be by far the best and most experienced Bills team that's made the trip facing the worst Bonnies team they've had in years. They have got to win that game. Richmond worries me, but again SLU is significantly better and they are significantly worse than the last time we made the trip.

    13-3 or 12-4, with a Butler split, holding serve at home against the fringe NCAA contenders (Dayton, St Joes, La Salle, Charlotte?), and "quality losses" to VCU and/or @Xavier would put us in the field, no doubt.

  6. I do not know anything special about him but he DID come to play for legendary coach Majerus and Harriman, too, and I cannot blame him for being miffed, isn't it true that he enrolled and was here before Majerus's failing health was announced? He is thinking about his career, not knowing who TF will coach next yr or what TF conference will be around.

    So maybe the kid is not a model citizen, I really do not know, but I would say posters should not demonize him.

    And those who say he should come to play basketball "for the school" as opposed to Majerus might be technically correct, but naive as hell about, yes, reality.

    Unless he is a real ass-jerk-whatever, give him some leeway.

    Can't believe this, but I am in complete agreement with you. Frankly, it kind of rubs me the wrong way that a bunch of grown ass men are passing wholesale judgment on the actions of a teenager.

    Yep, it's a bit embarrassing. This board has always held some kind of pretentious grudge against any player who commits here and transfers, or any player we recruit and chooses another school.

    It's not passing judgement, it's called analyzing the situation from all sides.

    His leaving in and of itself, doesn't make him a bad kid. Things didn't initially turn out the way he'd expected here and he choose to move on. The general sentiment on this board was "That sucks, but it's understandable"

    This being 2013 and given that we have a window into his psyche via Twitter, there is speculation that his decision was made in haste and he might have regrets.

    That speculation leads to more speculation about whether or not he could come back if he wanted to, and what circumstances would have to be met, and whether or not that's realistic.

    Put another way...on a personal level, Carter's actions are perfectly understandable and defensible in that he's just an 18-year-old kid trying to navigate his way through life. On a professional level however, the timing and circumstances of his departure were dubious, and must be taken into consideration when discussing his potential opportunity to re-join SLU.

  7. Im not sure about the rules but I dont think players should be allowed to quit at the semester and then decide to come back.

    IMO if they leave they should not be allowed to come back.

    If they allowed this you could have kids (and it seems KC would fall into this category) go to a "mid major" to test the waters for a semester. At the end of the semester they could then drop out and re-open recrutting to see if any of the big boys would come after them. If BCS schools arent knocking down his door then they could just reenroll at their original school and go from there.

    So Jimmy Chitwood, you wouldn't let him back. The whole goddam movie does not happen.

    WTF these are kids and the coach and the asst coach are gone and for that matter the conference is "in play".

    Right movie, wrong character

    http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/hoosiers/deleted-scene-second-chance

  8. I think people should also keep in mind that Carter said a lot of the right things. He thanked the coaching staff, fans and players. Didn't handle it as poorly as people are making it out to be, in my opinion.

    From my perspective as an outsider, that was all windowdressing and PR....like when you quit your job without giving notice and then in subsequent interviews you have some 1-sided story about why it didn't work out to tell the hiring manager

    Actions speak louder than words. He quit on his team mid-season.

  9. Look at his last Tweet:

    keith carter ‏@keithcarter0

    If u change just make sure its 4 da better!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    To me, that sounds like a kid regretting a decision. Oh well. Hope he thought this all through before leaving.

    Stupid question maybe, but can he come back here? Forgetting possible bridge burning, hurt feelings, teammates' attitudes etc., would it be possible legally per the NCAA? Has it ever been done?

    Willie Reed received his release then re-enrolled as a suspended scholarship player. Circumstances were different for sure, but if Willie could come back, I don't see why Keith Carter couldn't (unless rules have changed in the last 2 years).

    It's not going to happen, but if...

    1) He wanted to come back

    2) He first apologized to Crews for his leaving and demonstrated a complete change in attitude and commitment

    3) He apologized to his teammates

    4) The team was willing to accept him

    then Crews should allow him to return.

    That being said, Carter probably believes he's past the point of no return and it's doubtful that he has the stones to put himself on the line like that knowing he might get the door slammed on his balls.

  10. I think it would be funny if Carter committed to Bryce Drew at Valpo and then Drew left Valpo after the season and became our coach.

    (Not saying I want Drew as our coach)

    Valpo is on our schedule next season. He could potentially be active for that game if it's scheduled after the end of the Fall Semester. When does the player officially become eligible? End of classes or end of exams? Vapo's 2013-14 calendar lists the exams for Dec 16-20. 75% of this season's non-conf schedule was over by 12/20 (with the Valpo game coming well before the cutoff), but there's at least a remote chance SLU could face him next year.

  11. We can lose @Temple and still be in good shape for the tournament. Most analysts expect SLU to lose that game. It's not a deflating loss at all. If they win, then they've significantly boosted their chances.

    Losing to UMass at home is the game that will zap the momentum.

    SLU likely needs to go 11-5 in A10 play to get in, provided they don't shart the bed in Brooklyn.

    @Temple, @Butler, vs VCU are the 3 games that we're currently legitimate underdogs. (If it's a legitimate underdog, the coaching staff has ways to try to shut that whole thing down)

    vs Butler, vs St Joes, @Richmond, @Xavier, and you could even throw in vs UMass, vs Dayton, and vs LaSalle as individual games that we could afford to lose provided we still get to 11-5.

    That being said, there is no need to cut it that close. 11-5 is not the goal. 16-0 should be the goal. 13 or 14 wins with (even a shared) A10 title is realistic if things go our way.

  12. D'marco Farr had a career high in sacks the year the Rams move to STL, he played on the 1999 SB winner, and by 1990s standards he was an articulate NFL player in the media.

    The sports culture has changed by leaps and bounds since then, yet D'Marco is still stuck in the 90s - where he's a Big Time personality who seemingly believe his ignorance of all things non-football is charming rather than a liability.

    and then there's Tony Softi - who makes D'Marco look like Bob Costas...why they insist on tainting the Miklasz show with segment after segment of Tony Softli is one of life's great mysteries

  13. Jeff Withey gets secret service level protection from the zebras, it's :Jimbo Bad Language: ridiculous. KU has now played 12 games at either Allen Fieldhouse or the Sprint Center and he has yet to pick up a 3rd foul. In the first half today there were 2 blatant fouls that were not called 1) the Wyatt pump fake 3 where he got Withey in the air and induced contact (the announcers claimed it was a good no-call because Withey went straight up and down when he clearly was moving out towards the arc) and 2) the below push off that robbed Temple of an offensive rebound

    withey.jpg

    The second of the 2 fouls that were called on Withey was a very late whistle and probably wouldn't have been called if the basket had gone in. I remember it was the same story against SLU. It's a HUGE advantage for a shot blocking threat like Withey to be given multiple extra fouls each game.

    The worst call of the game was a first half steal by Wyatt that was ruled a kicked ball when it never hit anyone's foot.

    KU had ridiculous calls against them too, as one player got thrown to the floor on the baseline away from the ball after a defensive rebound (I believe Wyatt chucked/missed a quick 3 on the ensuing possession) and Releford's 5th foul was absurd, but he'd already put the game out of reach by that point.

  14. the difference between now and spoonball days when we averaged 17k per season is we are no where near the level of media support as spoon had. besides cusamono there is no one that could be considered a cheerleader. bernie would defend rickma, but if you notice, there was no love for saint louis university.

    we are going to have to win the conference and go deep in the tourney to win over the fans without media cheerleaders.

    College basketball as a whole is not as popular as it was 18 year ago. The regional economy is in far worse shape than it was 18 years ago. Those are far bigger factors in the attendance than the lack of cheerleaders in the local media.

    Media support or lack thereof is part of the equation, but there are others out there besides Cusamono who actively promote SLU. BJ Rains for example is firmly on the bandwagon. Tim McKernan is a Mizzou honk, but still keeps SLU in the discussion and generally seems bullish on the potential of SLU basketball.

    and I don't care how many local media guys you have in your corner, none of them are going to do you any good when they're not on the air for 3 days leading up to the game (as was the case for New Mexico).

    It's unfair to judge interim coach Crews on his media skills, but the man is a boring interview. Majerus may not have had Spoonhour's charisma, but he certainly was able to pull some casual fans in just by going on the air and talking about the upcoming games. Ideally our next coach can 1) recruit 2) develop talent 3) out-game-plan his peers 4) make in-game adjustments and 5) possess a charm that appeals to the local media and casual fans (note: media savvy is the least important of those 5 skills)

    Regarding local players...

    Of course having a team featuring local talent boosts attendance on some marginal level. This is an undeniable fact. The question is to what degree you factor that into your overall strategy. You don't want to waste scholarships on token locals just to fulfill some sort of quota.

    What seems to be overlooked [edit: well, until GOSLU68 raised this point in the previous post] is that many high school students - if given the choice - want to go somewhere else for college. This is human nature.

    If you're a highly touted basketball recruit from St Louis, and you have offers from programs with National Championship pedigree, what's it going to take for you to turn down that opportunity and stay in St Louis to play for SLU?

    Are you prepared to see SLU turn into a Calipari-style 1-and-done factory that will inevitably go on probation for recruiting violations?

    I'm all for recruiting more local players, but the pool of kids who

    1) want to stay in St Louis

    2) are good enough to fill a role NCAA caliber team

    3) can cut it academically at SLU

    is not very deep.

  15. lol at "not having us as a top 25 team". Not sure if trolling or you're just new to this whole college basketball thing. We're 13-1 against a top 20 SOS, with two wins over ranked teams, including a top ten team on the road. I don't know what your criteria is for a team deserving to be ranked, but I'd be extremely interested to see what you would consider worthy.

    To be fair, he did call UNM a great team - just not in the top 25 based on his computer algorithm - which factors in margin of victory, etc...

    Coaches' poll has the Lobos at 23.

    http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/polls/

  16. Thanks for posting the article info - I wonder why VCU is not considered over George Mason? I still think that Creighton is not the lock everybody thinks - they may get an invite but I think the Omaha thing is a problem. I also still think Dayton is a question - they are not needed for the Ohio market if X joins. I understand the - Conf will not have their own TV network - but the conf should not want to relegate itself to small markets to start with - they could easily see that in a bigger market the team their could become good and take over.

    Creighton was 6th in attendance last year averaging 16,665. Dayton ranked 28th averaging 12,154. These programs dominate their smaller markets and don't have to compete against pro sports locally. They might not have the upside of bigger media markets, but they do offer stability and both are a safe bet to pull their weight when it comes to non-conference RPI, even in their rebuilding seasons.

    I know Brian Gregory is long gone - and this phenomenon was primarily true under his tenure - but what conference wouldn't want a program that consistently builds an NCAA caliber non-conference resume then under-performs in conference play?

  17. If it's BE7+ X, Butler, Dayton, Creighton, and SLU, I would expect Marquette to be the 6th team in the East (i.e. 'traditional') division rather than the retro-MCC West.

    A major objective is to get as many nationally televised conferences games as possible, and the key element is highlighting traditional rivalries and establishing new ones.

    The 5 original BE programs surely prefer Marquette to Xavier or any other new addition. Marquette has the brand of a successful BIg East program and in selling the TV rights, you're going to want as many premium 'traditional' Big East matchups as possible.

    Additionally, you want to maximize the number of Xavier's match-ups against their natural rivals. They're not going to take Dayton and then split them up from Xavier.

  18. http://saintlouis.scout.com/2/1251329.html

    "Since [Kwamain Mitchell] was hurt, we didn't have many guards," Carter said. "They were trying to do what was best for the team, and trying to do what was best for me. We just couldn't come to one decision."

    "I played better in practice but I knew I wasn't going to be right," Carter said. "I had absolutely no problems with the Coach [Jim] Crews or the coaching staff, this was just the best decision for me. I just need some time off."

    I'm not sure how to interpret these comments. The program would have every incentive to redshirt him if he was truly hurt. Kwamain was going to be back in time for the A10 season and surely Carter's impact in that extra year (2016-17) > anything he could have done this season (even without the injury). They certainly had to know he was always a threat to transfer and would be foolish to force him to play against his will.We were worried his lack of playing time would force him to transfer...and according to Carter the opposite was true

    Either Carter is being coy about his motivation or someone within the program ("nothing against the coaches"?!? Then who? May?) has royally ###### up.

  19. Did Carter tell you directly about his feelings?

    empathy : the capacity to recognize feelings that are being experienced by another

    Staying with the dream date analogy - imagine it's the first date, and you traveled 5 hours to be there, and upon arrival you are informed your date can't make it because of a heart attack sustained months earlier.

    Again...I'm not saying it would have made any difference (and it's possible this was a complete non-factor), nor am I saying SLU acted in the wrong (no-win situation, really) - I'm just saying that if I'm in Carter's shoes I'd have found the timing of the announcement dubious.

  20. I do not understand the need or the want to have certainly players "come off the bench." Last year the talk was it was great to start Loe and have Cody come off the bench (and often play more minutes.) This year its Carter and Jett. If Carter is good enough to bump Jett and/or Jett's motor isn't up to playing all game at a high level so be it but otherwise I don't get it.

    When the team is short-handed and Jett is forced into playing 35+ minutes and serving as the first option on the offensive end, that's going to take a toll on his defensive intensity. He has to conserve energy and temper his aggression in order to stay out of foul trouble.

    When the team is at full strength with Mitchell and Carter, Jett can have an even greater impact playing fewer minutes because he's able to rev up the defensive intensity knowing that he'll get a breather.

    As far as Jett starting or coming off the bench...I personally think it's preferable to have either Evans or Jett in the game at all times. With Carter and Kwamain coming back from injuries, Jett will probably continue to start for the foreseeable future, but at some point when Kwamain is back to full strength, it should revert back to Mitchell/McCall with Jett coming off the bench.

  21. Why is everyone shitting on Rob Loe in a thread titled Corey Remekun?

    Thus far, Corey is most improved player from last season. His low post repertoire still leaves something to be desired, but he's clearly our best big man and he was dearly missed against Santa Clara.

    Even a game like Wednesday, his stat line isn't that impressive, but did well guarding Tony Mitchell in the 2nd half, had a brilliant hustle play where he forced a turnover in the backcourt, came up with a huge block late when SLU was up only 1, and then came up with a critical offensive rebound and putback to break a 59-59 tie with under 2 minutes to play.

    Corey is the unsung hero of this team.

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