Wendelprof

Ah, not a big deal. Look at the title to the article. What average fan is going to bother to read the article based on the title? No harm, no foul? (Don't know how to add the blue font.) He could have done better, starting with the title to the article.

"Let me put to you this way. If Yuri's goal has been to play in the NBA his whole life and he thinks UT and their program give him a much better chance to attain that goal then you would still think he should stay at SLU and take the chance to not attain his goal. That's crazy if you feel that way. I think Yuri should play where he thinks he has the best chance to attain his goal, and if that is the NBA go for it young man where you have the best chance to succeed.. It's not my decision or anyone else on Billikens.com...it's his. I'll continue to watch him play, and root for him whatever and wherever he decides to play." This is the problem with too many people - they over focus on professional sports. The chance that Yuri plays in the NBA is not great. Hopefully he is grounded enough to realize it is a long shot. Might going to Tennessee slightly increase his chances of making the NBA? Maybe. At the same time, however, it will hurt his chances of otherwise being successful in life. Yuri has become a hometown hero. He is set up to be recognized and rewarded in St. Louis for the rest of his life. If he bails on St. Louis at this point for - at best - a slightly increased chance at the NBA by going to Tennessee, what's that done to his chances of success the rest of his life? People who care about college players need to remind them that the decisions of where they play college ball are life long decisions. They shouldn't be focused solely or even primarily on how it affects their chances of making it to the pros. They also have to think about life after their playing days are over. A true fan wants what is best for the player, but a true fan takes the long view, not the short view. Anyone who is not a UT fan would say what is best for Yuri is to stay in St. Louis, finish out his college career at SLU, take his chances with a pro career then, and when he is done playing sports, return to St. Louis and be honored for the decisions he made. The UT fans will forget Yuri the day he graduates and it will do nothing to improve the rest of his life opportunities. The only reason a UT fan would want Yuri to transfer is for their own self-interest (to advance their program), not for Yuri's best interest.

"I gotta tell ya - if you thought Nesbitt was our most promising player you were watching a different game than I was. If you think losing a guy like Nesbitt is bad you really are in for a rough ride." Not sure I completely agree with that. First, for a freshman he played more than any other freshman and more than probably any of the incoming freshmen. That alone makes him one of, if not "the" most promising player coming along in the program. While I agree with much of the criticism of his offensive game, his athletic ability alone made him a very good defender for being a freshman. And while I'm excited about the incoming freshmen, I don't think they have the upside potential that Jordan has. But more than just the impact on the court, I don't like the message and image it sends. I assume we want the best high school talent to come to SLU, stay at SLU, and succeed at SLU. If Jordan doesn't come back, I don't think we can say it about him. And again, while I'm excited about the incoming freshman, I'm not sure we can say they are the best high school talent in the area this year. It is harder to make that argument to high school players we want when we don't have a track record we can point to. This puts even more pressure on Perkins. We really need him to come back and excel, not only for the good of next year's team but because of the larger branding of the program.

Taj wrote "I also thought the charge call was indeed a charge. His feet were set and he was outside the restricted arc. Same situation happened in the second half and Yuri got the call on Ward. Beats the hell out of me how it's one thing one way and then another the next." I'm not a ref, but I'm a professor. Sometimes I have to give partial credit on a point a student is making in an essay. If I usually give 1 point for that analytical point, but the student really didn't fully make the point, I'm in a bind: do I give them a break and give them a full point, or do I give them a zero? What I've come up with is first time I have the uncertain feeling, I give the student the benefit of the doubt and he or she gets the full point, but the next time I'm not sure the student made the point properly the student gets a zero. From there on I rotate back and forth like that on the assumption that it all evens out in the end. I'm not a ref - never have been, and never want to be. But if I were, and there was a bang-bang play (like there often is when there's a potential for offensive charging), if it clear who was in the wrong, I call it that way. But if it isn't 100% clear, I do my best, call it way I think it probably should go, but then I remember which team got the benefit of the doubt and the next time it isn't clear, I call it the other way. Do I look inconsistent to the average fan? Sure. But in the end, maybe that is better than always thinking I'm 100% right on every call. Just a thought on why it's one thing one way and then another the next.

Agree, just got back from the game as well - bit of a drive back to Boston. I was very impressed with the Ryan Center. Didn't think refs called nearly as bad a game as we usually get (and as some of the comments on the blog indicated). As for the student section, we sat near that end of the arena. I think there were more students in the cheerleading/dance squads than there were in the student section. Pathetic student support. The university honored the student-athletes who made the Dean's list last season from all the different sports at halftime, and there were definitely more students honored at halftime than were in the student section. They came for the halftime walk out to center court and then left the building (and weren't really there for the first half either - just showed up for halftime). It definitely helped the Bills that it really wasn't that much of a hostile environment. Great to see the Bills win on the road. The Billiken's zone defense in the first half really took the wind out of their sails. They made a run in the second half, but we righted the ship and withstood it in the end. Good road run to set the team up for VCU. As a side comment, Perkins didn't appear to be wearing a brace tonight, but he also didn't seem to be walking very well. I don't know what the usual recovery is, but he still has a way to go. One last comment some of you might find interesting. My wife and I sat next to two long-time season ticket holding Rhode Island fans (nice guys - never met them before - we had a good chat during the game). They have been quite impressed with Ford's run at SLU. They were mumbling that they don't think much of their current coach and said they hoped that Rhode Island would make a run at Ford. Apparently who's a good coach and who isn't is relative. Go Bills!

I guess it depends on what you mean by "obnoxious." We were sitting two rows in front of them - directly in front of them. Yes, we got an earful. But it was pretty obvious from early on that they are current students at Fordham. They actually go to class with the players and know them on a first name basis. When we finally turned around after the game and met them, it wasn't surprising that they were all decked out in Fordham clothing. Isn't that what every school wants from their "student section" - loud, enthusiastic, non-stop support? They never made a critical or inappropriate comment about the Billikens or any Billiken player. We had a great conversation with them after the game. As we guessed, one of them is from St. Louis (Nerinx High - the one in the middle). She brought her two roommates to St. Louis for the game and to show them around town (took them to the Hill to compare St. Louis' best Italian restaurants to New York's). Dad (a U High graduate) got them the tickets and was there with them. I was impressed with their enthusiasm. There were 3 young boys sitting in front of us. We told them it was their job as Billiken fans to "out-cheer" the Fordham fans. It really got the boys into the game (for a while). At one point one the boys turned around and "booed" the Fordham fans. The dad did a great job of using it as a teaching moment and talked to the boys about the difference between negative fans and positive fans, and a good fan is only a positive fan who cheers positively for his or her team. Without those three young ladies those boys would not have learned that lesson. The three young ladies were only positive fans. Let the kids be kids, they were just having fun and being supportive of their team.

I'm pretty sure (but can't swear to it), that after Okoro got his 4th foul Saturday night, they sent Martin down the passageway at the end of the bench and he got on a bike to get warmed up. If Okoro had fouled out, I think there was a good chance we would have seen him for the last couple of minutes of the game. I could be wrong, and maybe he was just starting to cramp up and needed some exercise, but I take it from that that he's pretty close to returning. It may be that Ford decided it would be better to hold him back one more game (and a non-conference game) and have him in better shape for Dayton (a conference game) than to risk him again Iona - but that if we needed him for just a couple of minutes at the end of the game that was a risk he was thinking about taking.

The college football blogs are on-fire with stories about the NIL money that is being thrown around at football players. Word has it that Texas A&M currently has the #1 ranked recruiting class for next year because a group of donors put up $30 million in NIL money to help recruit the class. Word has it the sensational freshman quarterback for OU, Caleb Williams, put his name in the transfer portal and he's been offered $1 million in NIL $ by Charlie Batch to transfer to Eastern Michigan (not that Williams will go there's but it shows you the kind of money that is being thrown around). The money is getting crazy. Absent some reasonable regulation, I fear NIL money will be the end of college sports as we know it. Obviously it is very early, and hopefully there will be some reasonable regulation to save college sports, but without it the rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer - and I don't think "mid-major" programs will fare well.

I'm in town for the Christmas break, and a friend who has season tickets gave him his tickets to the game. They include a parking pass for the Compton Lot. The Athletic Department generated both as soon as the game was announced. Based on the fact that his tickets included the parking pass, I would assume that means that your year long parking pass should be good as well. I hope that helps. Go Bills!

Senior leadership is about a lot more than just age. I love Hargrove. I love the improvements he has made in his game since he first arrived to campus. But he's not ready to take on the role that Javonte would have had with this team. I love Jimerson, but his injuries have kept him off the court for enough time that he's not a senior either in terms of time on the court and ability to handle that role. Yuri is the closest, but (a) he's already doing so much for the team in terms of running the offense, I'm not sure it is fair to ask him to take on this role as well, and (b) I'm not sure he's a good enough shooter that you can put the team on his back at the end of the game. I have no doubt we win the last two games with Perkins (probably still don't win the Memphis game). This isn't on Ford, and to some degree it isn't on the team. It takes time for players to assume new roles, and you can't rush time. Even with the disappointment of the last two games, this team - without Perkins - has exceeded my expectations. Go Bills.

I think we are finally starting to see the impact the loss of Perkins is having on the Billikens. We are missing the maturity and scoring ability that he brought to the team. Guys who aren't ready for that role are trying to step up and fill it, but because it really wasn't their time yet, they are pressing too much and the results have not been positive. Senior leadership comes naturally after years of playing and watching those who come before you fill that role. You grow into that role. When one is suddenly forced into that role because of injuries, it isn't something that most players can immediately fill.

This is great news. SLU has a good presence in Chicago already. The University already recruits well from the city, and it has a good number of alums in the Chicago area. This will only help to solidify that relationship. Lots of kids in Chicago who want to get away for college will be more likely consider SLU the more they know about it. From a University and student recruitment perspective, and from an alumni perspective, this is a home run. From an athletic perspective, it is great news. Easy road trips between the two cities. SLU fans will love their road-trips to Chicago, one of the best cities in America. Good rivalry between two good Jesuit institutions. The move will help Loyola recruit better athletes, but it should also help SLU recruit Chicago athletes better as well. A lot of great basketball and soccer players have come out of Chicago, just to name the two sports I follow the most. The move sets up a great rivalry between the two schools. Maybe I'm biased because I love the city of Chicago, and I love the fact that another Jesuit institution is joining the A10, but I don't see any downside to this development.

This is great news. SLU has a good presence in Chicago already. The University already recruits well from the city, and it has a good number of alums in the Chicago area. This will only help to solidify that relationship. Lots of kids in Chicago who want to get away for college will be more likely consider SLU the more they know about it. From a University and student recruitment perspective, and from an alumni perspective, this is a home run. From an athletic perspective, I still think it is great news. Easy road trips between the two cities. SLU fans will love their road-trips to Chicago, one of the best cities in America. Good rivalry between two good Jesuit institutions. The move will help Loyola recruit better athletes, but it should also help SLU recruit Chicago athletes better as well. A lot of great basketball and soccer players have come out of Chicago, just to name the two sports I follow the most. The move sets up a great rivalry between the two schools. Maybe I'm biased because I love the city of Chicago, and I love the fact that another Jesuit institution is joining the A10, but I don't see any downside to this development.

Fauci was starting point guard and captain of his team at St. Regis High in New York City - a good Jesuit school.

Lots of talk on here about the athletic pros and cons of joining the Big East, but if I'm the President of a university, there are several other variables that need to be factored in as well (and that arguably are more important than the athletic considerations): (a) how would this affect the university's ability to recruit the type of student we want; (b) how will alums react to our being in this conference; and (c) how would the university's donors react to this development. Seems like a pretty easy decision for SLU if the opportunity arises.

Ah, as a good lawyer would say, that gives rise to the question of "what constitutes a difference maker?" Sometimes I think people underestimate how important it is to have players in practice who will push your starters to get better. If the starters don't need to go all out in practice, they won't. That's human nature. It is hard to push yourself every day to do things that you don't appear to need to do. Much easier to get better when there is someone in practice pushing you, forcing you, to get better. You need depth that will push the starters. If the coaches can find a kid who's going to come in and push one of the starters, particularly one of our bigs, I say take him - whether he's an in-game difference maker or not. Sometime I think French suffered from not having a big who forced him to deal with a shot-blocker in practice. It is tough to suddenly have to develop that ability in a game if you haven't developed it in practice. Trust in Ford. He knows whether adding a player will help the team, or any particular player on the team, or not.

I was replying to Roy's post where he wrote: "however when we didnt take advantage of that athleticism last year, that sealed it for me. aint never going to change. that's ford's style. deal with it." I should have included that in my post to clarify my point. I don't think one should come to that conclusion based on how Ford got the team through last year. We don't really know how healthy each player was or was not, and how covid affected each player's stamina. Without that inside information, there are too many unknowns about last year to draw too many conclusions about Ford's coaching philosophy.

I wouldn't read too much into last year. Once covid hit the team it is logical to assume everyone's athleticism took a hit. Trying to run a team out of the gym after covid hit our team so hard - wasn't going to happen. I give Ford a "pass" on last year (hell, I give everyone a "pass" on last year). Most everyone was doing their best just to get through the year. My impression is that Ford tries to match his style of play to his players' strength. Without French and Goodwin, I don't see us relying on "bully ball" so much. The strength of this year's line-up arguably lines up better with a more up-tempo team. We'll see. I love the chemistry on this team and have high hopes for them.

Is. I have four kids. All of them could have attended Pepperdine for free. All of them attended Jesuit institutions (2 to SLU).

If the dancing is part of the theater program, it is permitted. Weekend dancing, casual dancing, fun dancing, is not. And if one came back to campus drunk I think that would not be permitted to happen too often. The school doesn't take kindly to students who try to skirt the rules. And if you don't mind paying $100 for a t-shirt, there's great shopping in the trendy shops in Malibu, or $20 for a burger at Dukes or Paradise Cove. I know I couldn't have afforded that lifestyle when I was a student. Not much fun being so close to all that and knowing that it is beyond my resources. I do agree that there are great hiking and beach options close to school (the "free" options), but you have to have a car. No one walks in LA - or Malibu. Pepperdine's campus is as close to an on-land "island" as one can get. You have to pass guard gates to get on and off. It isn't like the rest of southern California, nor does it want to be.

Good for Sekou, but Pepperdine doesn't share all the fun of Southern California. As a Church of Christ institution, there's no drinking or dancing permitted on campus, and they strictly enforce it (yes, they expel students who break the rules). And Malibu is about 25 minutes up the coast from Santa Monica. There's quite a bit of night life in Santa Monica, there's almost none in Malibu. Great views of the ocean, but not much else from a college student's perspective. Romar is a great guy, so at least he'll be playing for one of the good guys.

It is hard being a Billiken fan. One step forward, two steps backwards. I hope we get there, but there's no doubt this will put the program back into damage control mode to some degree.

I'm not sure I'd agree that abnormally strict guidelines are a good thing. The Pac 12 initially canceled football last fall because they had abnormally strict guidelines. When the rest of the country showed that they could play football under reasonably safe protocols, the Pac 12 had a difficult time recruiting players all of a sudden. Players don't want to go to schools that will not let them play when other schools will. I agree it is a very difficult balance, but "abnormally" strict guidelines are not always good.

The issue that SLU needs to determine is how much it wants to disclose. Based on all the speculation and the school's statement, this does not involve any person's individual health which would be confidential information and cannot be publicly disclosed. If the issue is truly about the University of Richmond's protocols, there is no legal reason why SLU cannot disclose it. Now comes the interesting part. If SLU ends up deciding that its medical personnel made a bad call, then maybe you don't disclose it so as not to embarrass the person in question. The person no doubt made his best call under the circumstances, but we all make mistakes at some point. On the other hand, if the person made the right call, why not disclose the basis? Because it would embarrass the University of Richmond? I have a hard time understanding why SLU would risk hurting SLU's reputation to protect the University of Richmond. Either the Conference steps in and makes a statement that protects both schools and gives cover to both schools or it seems to me SLU should be looking out for its best interests. I'll be disappointed in the A10 if the A10 doesn't get involved.

SLU, UR, and the Conference need to get on the phone ASAP and resolve whatever the claimed issue was. Whether it ever goes public or not, the Conference needs to get involved and resolve the claimed issue before the tournament begins. The conference should issue a vague statement giving both sides cover that the apparent issue has been resolved and all is well - and that needs to be true. All parties need to pull back and take the long view. What happened today is water under the bridge, but this cannot happen again this season.