Corner3

Seriously?????? Just remembered the reason I skip over every one of your posts.

Not what one of the top 5 basketball boosters says.

I hope this isn't considered to be a mauling, but I disagree. I do appreciate what Crews has done this year, in that he took over a difficult situation. The situation got even more difficult once Majerus died. Regardless of how this season ends, SLU fans should be grateful to him for leading the program and being there for the players through what has to be an emotional season. My issue with the thought of Jim Crews as the permanent head coach at SLU is that I just don't see him as an adequate long-term option. The guy is in his late 50s or early 60s, and if we were to hire an older coach, he would have to be a big name who could make a huge impression in a shorter tenure. I don't see Crews as that guy. Recruiting is huge in college basketball, and from where I'm sitting, Crews brings nothing to the table in that regard. When he came to SLU last season, he had not worked at a school that gave athletic scholarships in the past 10 years. Given the Chaifetz Arena, what will hopefully be back-to-back NCAA berths, and a big money donor who appears to be willing to kick in money for a good coach's salary, SLU's coaching position has never been in a position to appear more desirable to coaching candidates. That doesn't equal Jim Crews. So the kids are going to coach themselves to hopefully a second NCAA birth? If there is a second NCAA birth then maybe one of the current players can coach as well next year. I completely agre that JC isn't the long term answer but are you not shooting yourself in the foot by hanging an interem tag on anyone? Give him the job and actively look to replace him behind the scenes. Give him one year with option contracts. Let him get some of our assistants on the road to recruit. Get SLU intheir face and talk up the possible C7. It may at least lay the groundwork with a kid should a new coach come in.

This is my first post on the board and I know none of you know me. I have been a Billiken Season Ticket holder for 6 years. I did not attend SLU but I live on the Illinois side and love college basketball. I love SLU BBall and am always checking the board to see what you lifers are seeing and how you are feeling. That said, You all will think I am probably pretty silly with what I am about to say but here it goes. I personally am amazed at what Jim Crews has been able to accomplish with these guys this year so far. Just think about it for a second objectively. He came here as a favor to RM last year as a temporary situation to help out a friend. Obviously RM thought he was worthy enough to be on his staff to ask him for a favor and come help. I trust RM considering he assembled the team you all see as probably the most talented 1 thru 10 ever at SLU. JC stepped up when asked and took the lead with these young men when they were in a place of need. He did not recruit these kids. None of the assistants recruited these kids.He did not meet their parents. He had to build trust and earn respect after the fact. He only met them last year and it is my guess that he was more of a help to the staff last year than the players. Some have criticized his decisions at times and his lack of fire as well. I personally see a man that was getting to know these young men and how to deal with the individual personalities to get the most of their ability. Don't get me wrong, I do not think that JC is John Wooden by any means. But I do see a group of kids that is starting to gel under a man that has stepped up in a time of great need for a bunch of 18-21 year olds that just lost everything that they thought was right about their basketball and school decision. In my humble opinion, I think JC has done one of the best coaching Jobs in the country this year in gaining the respect of these kids and getting them to play as hard for him as they played for RM. That to me is a testament to the character of these kids and that JC made the effort to find out who they all are and find his way of coaching them up that molds to their abilities. I will probably get mauled for this comment, but I think SLU is doing themselves a big disservice by not offering him the job right now and giving him a fighting chance at a recruit or two this year. Please don't be so naive as to think that this crawford kid signed because he wanted a SLU education. I know SLU is a great school but a kid ranked 1 i his class has the pick of what school he will attend academically. Jim Crews had a lot to do with this young man signing with SLU. Numerous tourney appearances with Evansville and Army and the job he has done this year gets a chance with me to be the SLU coach for real.