SLUDrew Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 One guy gets hurt and we wind up with a f*****g walk-on on the floor during an absolutely critical road conference game??????????????????????????????? This is absolutely intolerable! Let's stay the course though. We are headed in the right direction. We have a great recruiting class coming in next year. I feel sorry for Kevin and especially for Tommie. They don't deserve this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaginCajun Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Is it too early for me to start telling Roy, Rich, and the boys that I told you so. Everyone jumped all over me when I said that that recruiting class was a joke and Bryce and JJ were garbage. I predicted little to nothing from our legitimate bigs of JJ, Bryce, Obi, and Horace and everyone said that JJ and Bryce had really progressed and Obi and Horace were great talents. Well look at them now, an absolute joke. We have 6 legitimate players on this team, why isn't everyone on this board up in arms. We have two guys who could end up being two of the better Billiken players ever and we are completely wasting it. We recruited a bunch of guys who had been passed on and now have no verbal going into the spring this year. Come on, this is unacceptable. Brad went with Jeff Coffey in this game, what the hell is that. Bring in some new blood to this program who are going to be tireless workers and pour their heart and soul into this team. No excuse for the train of clowns we have lined up on our bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 You certainly are raging tonight cajun. I wouldn't waste my breath on the kool aid club. They haven't got it, ain't gonna get it, and neither is this team. Which is truly a shame for the starters who are really giving it their all. When you're busting your hump every game for 35+ minutes, it's bound to take a toll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaginCajun Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I apologize slu72, I am just so angry right now. This is completely unacceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Agree as the walk-on. Have previously posted that I don't care for Brad's stubborness in not playing the younger kids. Too early to talk about wasting KL and TL. Instead, could easily be argued that we are undefeated in the A-10 if KL had remained healthy. Show me a team with only 2 seniors, one being of the experience and talent of JJ, and I will show you a mediocre team. While IV is good, we are seeing that he cannot carry the team on his back. He alone cannot make up for the lack of other Seniors. Like it or not, we are paying the price for poor recruiting 4 years ago. Add this the fact that BH has been a mistake (also should have been in our current Senior class) and you find that our "decent/good" Junior class, together with our "good" Sophomore class (KL and TL are special but the lack of others drops my view of the Sophomore class down to only "good" are just not enough to win consistently , especially conference road games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slumn1 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 we could also be undefeated if we had a coach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I can understand the frustration but i think that Kevin and Tommie have flourished and improved under Brad's coaching. He has let them do their thing and has designed plays for them. If, and I know it is a big if, we can sign 4 nice players this spring then Tommie and Kevin will have a chance to shine even more. But there is no question that we need at least 3 and probably four good players to help us improve next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Do you have any confidence UB can sign 4 "nice" players this spring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 He sure seems confident that he can do it. Time will tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Are you confident that he can do it? I hope to hell he can, but when was the last time UB brought in 4 nice players in a single recruiting class? And since you did a post and run on the LM thread, let me reiterate that you were entirely off-base with some of your comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 The way he is playing right now...Tommie could be headed to the NBA after this season. Frankly, that notion scares me unless one of the 4 Coach Soderberg is recruiting is his clone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I'm sure TL is starting to generate some interest w/ the NBA. Especially with his improved shooting. This season is turning out to be depressing enough though to start thinking about that right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Guys, Tommie is on the radar screen for the NBA, BUT he has three noted deficencies that will not serve him well in the NBA. First and foremost - he does not have an NBA handle. He is still a season away from having a good college handle, so there is a lot of work to be done. Second - he does not shoot threes as a jump shot. He either strokes it with a little bunny hop, or toeing up, and almost always while stationary. A shooting guard in the NBA can go three or four feet beyond the college arc, shoot while moving, and elevate like crazy. Third and least important - Tommie is still developing physically. He is strong, but not nails. When you get pushed around in college, jumping to the NBA will be a three year maturation process. Look at Larry Hughes' progression, and that will be Tommie, with slightly less talent. With the new cap, and the likelihood that Tommie would go deep in the second round, he would gain more by staying another year. He would get drafted higher, and he would regain his passed year of wages in the first two years. The only benefit to leaving after this year - besides avoiding next year's turndown at SLU- would be hitting free agent status a year earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 You are correct. Agree with all your reasoning but believes he needs two (2) full years and not just one more. Maybe he will surprise and be ready after next year but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Understand and share your frustration but think it is more of a quantity of talent and lack of senior leadership issue than a coaching problem. The team plays with direction and with effort and therefore not a coaching problem IMO. If your comment about the coach is more directed at Brad's recruiting efforts 4 years ago and lack of JUCOs added to the mix, then you have a good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Brad played a walk-on instead of kids he offered scholarships to. Brad lost/booted two of his "nice" recruits from the recent past earlier this year. Since his first year of 2002-2003, his recruits have been Clarke, Drejaj, Frericks, Newbourne, Ohanon, Bryant, Knollmeyer, Maguire, Dixon, Ikeakor, Liddell, Lisch, Vouyoukas, Meyer, Polk, Johnson and Husak. Throw out that first class (Drejaj, Ohanon) because of the late start. I'd throw Bryant out because I don't know the circumstances that makes a kid leave one school and go to another. Throw out Ian because I believe the recruitment of him was not what I'd call typical and usual for a US high school or prep school kid and what do you have? Brad's "A" recruits are arguably guards ... Liddell, Lisch, Meyer. His "B" recruit is Polk. meanign the bulk of his recruits are C or less: Frericks (incomplete because of injury), Newbourne, Johnson and Husak with obvious failures for Clarke, Dixon and Ikeakor and yet-to-be-decided marks on Knollmeyer and Maguire. I guess this is really the epitome of placing blind faith in someone or something because the track record, the proof in the pudding, suggests otherwise. Th emountain in front of this man is getting higher and steeper by the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaginCajun Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 You commented about the key of having seniors, well look at the top 7 teams in the country and you will see few of those teams being lead by seniors. Florida play 2 seniors, starting one of those guys. UCLA does not even have a senior on their roster. UNC has two seniors who get minutes, one of those guys is a starter and the other plays a little over 12 minutes a game. Kansas has no seniors on their team. Ohio State plays two seniors. Sounds like these teams are doing alright without being led by seniors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Ugh. It's even more painful when you list out all the recruits. I agree with your take on Reggie's recruitment. We had always heard that Philip Buchanon (Villanova star who went to Valley Park H.S.) recommended SLU to Reggie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Latsch Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Soderberg has already wasted the first three years of Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell. He hasn't been able to bring in players to support those two guys so far, so there isn't much hope for next season. As it stands right now, next year's team will be Liddell, Lisch, Luke Meyer, Dwayne Polk, Adam Knollmeyer, Bryce Husak, Danny Brown and a couple of walk-ons. So you're looking at four guys who should be starters and then the fifth spot being up for grabs between Knollmeyer and Husak. If they lose one of those players — to injury, grades, transfer, NBA aspirations or whatever — they'll be in big trouble. Looking at the recent success of getting recruits in the spring, I doubt they'll be able to bring in anyone to contribute solid minutes. If the Billikens don't have a successful recruiting class this year, what are they going to be left with the next year after Meyer, Polk, Husak and Brown graduate? The recruiting mistakes are piling up and it doesn't appear to be getting any better. They probably hope to get a couple of the St. Louis area juniors who have multiple scholarship offers, but I haven't heard anyone say they are favoring SLU. I think it's going to take a coaching change. I don't like to say that, because I don't want to see good people lose their jobs. But I think this coaching staff has shown that it can't recruit — with the exception of Ian, Tommie and Kevin — enough to have a successful program. It has to be hard to recruit to SLU, but there is no excuse for missing out on local kids who wanted to play for the Billikens. Hopefully a new coach can come in and make an impact with recruits right away, enough to salvage this recruiting class and entice some of the juniors to consider SLU. Otherwise, the program is in big trouble. - Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I wanted to "bump" this thread. i thought Nate's comments were insightful and highlight the trainwreck that could happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 nate you are too experienced to believe what you just wrote. just because no one is signed yet doesnt mean that the center position is between byrce and adam. does that mean if sampson hadnt shown up last minute last year that stemler wouldnt have started this year? my understanding is the three rivers kid from europe likes slu. i wouldnt be surprised if another power forward also ends up here that has donnie campbell/david robinson skills. give me two of them to go along with lisch and liddell and meyer and polk and i am fine with the next two years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 "i wouldnt be surprised if another power forward also ends up here that has donnie campbell/david robinson skills." We haven't had one like this under UB have we? How can you state that you wouldn't be surprised if one "ends up here". I don't understand the confidence in UB's recruiting, it's mind-boggling. You won't be surprised if a PF ends up here. Billikan is holding out hope for 4 "nice" players this spring. I hope to hell he gets these kids and if and when he does, i will start expressing more confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 >nate you are too experienced to believe what you just wrote. What does this statement mean? Nearly everything Nate wrote was accurate, whether folks on this board want to believe it to not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 david, do you really beleive they wont sign a single player in the spring and no one will come that can contribute to the team and challenge for a starting spot next year in ian's open slot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaginCajun Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 What track record do we have to go on that would make us think otherwise? Wasn't Vas'Shun Newborne the answer and then it became JJ's job to lose and then it moved on to guys like Obi, Horace, and Knollmeyer having a shot at competing for the spot. We go into the spring once again without any verbals and we are looking to fill some rather large holes, same old story and once again good luck with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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