Xavier Game Thread

[Milwaukee Billiken]

I don't think anyone was giving the Bills much of a chance to win this one. I sure wasn't. I was in the boat with Tom Timmerman in thinking that taking 1 of the 2 against X and URI would be an accomplishment, and that that 1 would be more likely to come next week. The only thing that stings is the fact that they were beaten so badly.

I would be a lot more discouraged if they had shot terribly from the field. I thought it was a good effort by JJ in scrub time, another good effort and performance by Lisch considering his injuries, and a great game by Polk. It's too bad Tommie and Ian couldn't get it going this game, but, hey, how many teams perform well on the road against quality opponents? Not many.

At halftime, I was pretty down on the team. I was thinking that without the ability to beat teams of X's caliber on the road, that an NCAA bid is basically moot. The A-10 champ is probably going to get a 12 seed. What potential 5 seeds could SLU beat with the way they're playing at this point in the season? Texas? Georgetown? I don't think so. I realize that any talk of the NCAA is a stretch, but think about it. Do you want to see SLU embarassed in the first round of the tournament that bad?

Right now though, I think SLU has a decent chance to finish in the top half of the A-10. They could potentially win the A-10 tournament. There's nothing I'd like to see more than an NCAA bid just for the sake of exposure and recruiting pull, but seriously, who can this team beat in the tourney? The only top 25 teams that SLU matches up well with that I've seen are Notre Dame (out of the AP poll) and Southern Illinois.

I realize I'm all over the place, but I just want to point out that a loss on the road to Xavier isn't the end of the world. SLU still has a shot at making a run, but it won't be until A-10 tourney time. I just hope everyone is comfortable with a merely superficial tournament appearance if they accomplish their goal. I'm comfortable with that, and I'll be rooting for an appearance for the sake of appearing. I hope that even the Kool Aiders realize that this isn't a team that can compete with top 30 talent this season.

[3star_recruit]

>I don't think anyone was giving the Bills much of a chance

>to win this one.

Well I thought we had a shot until I learned from Xavier's board that news of Justin Doelmann's demise had been greatly exaggerated. He outscored Luke the Drifter 24 to 2. Ball game.

I sure wasn't. I was in the boat with Tom

>Timmerman in thinking that taking 1 of the 2 against X and

>URI would be an accomplishment, and that that 1 would be

>more likely to come next week. The only thing that stings is

>the fact that they were beaten so badly.

>

It's too

>bad Tommie and Ian couldn't get it going this game, but,

>hey, how many teams perform well on the road against quality

>opponents? Not many.

True. And when Tommie and Kevin don't both play well, we don't win.

>Do you want to see SLU embarassed in the first round of the

>tournament that bad?

I hate for everyone to see us get trashed by 25 on college bball's biggest stage by a Georgetown but you never know, maybe they'll have a bad day.

I just hope everyone is comfortable

>with a merely superficial tournament appearance if they

>accomplish their goal. I'm comfortable with that, and I'll

>be rooting for an appearance for the sake of appearing.

Co-sign.