Femi John gets scholarship offer from SLU

[GOSLU68]

no Larry Hughes effect of "one and done" by the star.

RM will put the team in front of finding one star to fill the headlines;

Spoon had his moment in the sun but Larry Hughes

eclipsed him and from the standpoint of SLU fans Spoon did not have a reason to keep recruiting if finding the perfect recruit meant he was going to leave you in one year.

if RM is going to build a dynasty it will be with lots of really good players who put the team first and stay for 4 years; I hope we get Scott Suggs but I think RM may be good enough to give us a cast of players equal to Suggs; players who can at least play with him.

The Larry Hughes year we had players waiting for Hughes to take the ball and finish-they did their part when he got the ball-we had guys on the team who could have played better if they were not in awe of LH

[VTIME]

Mitchell does have a pretty reliable step back jumper when he goes one on one. He's not great at any one thing, except maybe rebounding. He gets to the basket well and he has a great vertical off of one leg and two legs. He can get an offensive rebound and power it back up for a slam. Not many guys his size can do that. He would probably be most effective for the Bills on back-door cuts, going hard to the basket. He has highlight reel material stuff. With Liddell, Mitchell, and Relphorde all on the same team I expect to see more running and forays to the basket. Cant wait until Reed joins those 3.

[Guest BillikenReport]

Scott Suggs is not Larry Hughes.

There are no Larry Hughes-type players coming to SLU anytime soon, and by that I'm talking about kids who are good enough to go to school for one year and then leaving for the NBA.

Those players will go to schools who are more likely to make it to the final four on any given year, so they can raise their exposure.

If Suggs chooses to play at SLU, he'll already have a recruiting class in place that will maximize his talents. He'll have a point guard who can penetrate and two big men who can play inside and out. If Roth goes to SLU, Suggs will have a shooter on the perimeter waiting for the ball if he has two defenders in front of him.

One thing Femi John said yesterday when I talked to him was that SLU already has a better recruiting class in place than the other schools that are recruiting him. Now, John isn't being recruited at the same level Suggs is, but I think you can make the same point for the schools recruiting Scott.

Schools like Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Washington and Wisconsin may only have one commitment at this time, if that. Now you can assume that those schools will sign some decent players in the end, but it has to help SLU's case that the Billikens already have a few kids committed at key positions.

- Nate

[Quality Is Job 1]

It has been over 10 years since SLU has been in this situation. Perhaps being part of a highly-rated recruiting class garnering national attention will make it highly desirable for Scott Suggs to play at the Div. I school closest to home, and perhaps it may be less likely for the other schools recruiting Suggs to recruit such a class, but an advantage of the other schools is that they have been stacking classes of similar stature. That means that there are already very talented players on the team not limited to the incoming recruits and that they're likely to attract more talented players after him. He'd always be surrounded by Tournament-bound talent. So, the best advantage SLU has in bidding for Suggs's services is that it's closest to home.

It's Scott's decision, and I'll respect whatever he decides, but I also know this: If he comes to SLU, I'll pour upon him all the adoration I would give a star basketball player (which is still far below family, church, and friends). I'll follow his senior season and attempt to see him play in the Shootout and Christmas tourneys. I'll cheer for him in summer league games, etc. But if he goes somewhere else, then he's just a very talented basketball player. I won't care to check out his box scores or see his team in his senior year. I won't care to see his numbers during college. I won't cheer for him in the pros.

If other St. Louisans, including sportswriters, would adopt this mentality, then it might be more appealing for St. Louis-area stars to stay home and play for the local team. But Suggs's family and friends will love him wherever he goes, and wherever he goes he'll develop fans there, so it will come down to how he wants to be remembered in St. Louis.

[VTIME]

Kwamain Mitchell was told he would be handed the keys as a freshman. Lisch and Liddell are the other wings. Do you think Scott Suggs would come to SLU to sit on the bench, even its just for one year? Can you really expect him to sit on the bench when a high major might be offering a starting spot?

[kshoe]

"Kwamain Mitchell was told he would be handed the keys as a freshman."

V- you tapped into KM's phone line or something? That is quite a bit of inside information to know that KM was promised a starting spot.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that if Suggs were to become a Billiken the starting guards on this team would be Lisch, Liddel and Suggs.

[VTIME]

http://www.billikens.com/dcforum/DCForumID3/13080.html

Its under MarkMiller's post. Its from Miller's article on wishoops.net.

"Majerus’ words were he would hand over the keys of the car to Kwamain for the next four years.â€

[Guest BillikenReport]

>If other St. Louisans, including sportswriters, would adopt

>this mentality, then it might be more appealing for St.

>Louis-area stars to stay home and play for the local team.

You want sportswriters to stop paying attention to Suggs because he chooses to go somewhere else for college?

This mentality shown here by you and Roy and others is pathetic.

You're talking about a kid who really likes Saint Louis U. and is trying to decide whether he should attend school there for the next four years and you guys come on here and basically tell the kid he's a piece of trash if he goes anywhere other than SLU.

That stuff does get back to the kid and his family.

So why now, knowing how some SLU fans are, should this kid continue to look at SLU?

I know there are a lot of good SLU fans out there, but you guys make the rest of them look bad by association.

- Nate

[kmbilliken]

Nate, are you saying because someone posts on this message board they won't follow a kid's career if he doesn't come to SLU it's going to influence his decision on coming here? I hope they're smart enough to figure out that's true about fans at every school they're looking at.

Do you actually think things said on this board have an impact on recuiting?

[Guest BillikenReport]

>Nate, are you saying because someone posts on this message

>board they won't follow a kid's career if he doesn't come to

>SLU it's going to influence his decision on coming here? I

>hope they're smart enough to figure out that's true about

>fans at every school they're looking at.

>Do you actually think things said on this board have an

>impact on recuiting?

It's not the part about not following a kid's career ...

It's the part about people saying a kid shouldn't bother trying to come to St. Louis to get a job and junk like that, that the St. Louis community will not support a kid in the future if he chooses to go away for college.

Do I think things said on this board have an impact on recruiting?

Yes, I've already seen that.

- Nate

[Quality Is Job 1]

>You want sportswriters to stop paying attention to Suggs

>because he chooses to go somewhere else for college?

Well, sportswriters still have to do their jobs, but the media's job is to provide news that's important to its constituency. Sure, as long as a St. Louis-area star is in St. Louis, I expect his exploits to be broadcast. When he makes his college choice, I expect that to be published. But once he goes to a school beyond the scope of the local media, his daily exploits are far less salient. Then, his coverage in the local media should be about as basic as the coverage an athlete from Texas going to a Florida school would get in California media (and you can replace any of those places with just about any other place). Now, if the departed St. Louisan scores 50 points or is playing for a team in the Final Four, then a feature is warranted; otherwise, there need not be anything other than what comes through syndication.

>This mentality shown here by you and Roy and others is

>pathetic.

>

>You're talking about a kid who really likes Saint Louis U.

>and is trying to decide whether he should attend school

>there for the next four years and you guys come on here and

>basically tell the kid he's a piece of trash if he goes

>anywhere other than SLU.

You're putting words in people's mouths. First of all, no one ever said he'd be "a piece of trash" if he spurns SLU. He still gets all of the same respect any decent person gets. Respect, not adoration. If I saw and recognized him (like at a summer league game), I'd treat him with respect. But I wouldn't ask him for his autograph (though I don't do that with Billiken players, either, but I think you can grasp my point). I wouldn't say, "Man, that was a great shot you hit to lift Washington to the win over Long Beach State last November," but I would remember and recognize anything he did to lift the Bills to victory over anybody. It wouldn't be depriving him of anything, though, because there would be plenty of people to replace me in Washington. I'm sure he and his family and smart enough to realize all this stuff. He's going to have a legacy wherever he goes, but if that legacy is to reverberate as legend in St. Louis, it needs to take place in St. Louis. If he goes to Washington (for example), his legacy becomes legend in Washington (can't think of the school's city offhand), only to be a fading dream here in St. Louis (excluding those who have close relationships with him).

Hey, if I'm a kid's coach, meaning I have a close relationship with him, I tell him, "of course I'll always follow and support you, and if you play in the Final Four, I expect tickets, but it would easier for me to attend ALL of your home games if you play for the local school, and my joy and pride will be much greater if you lead that school to the Final Four."

>That stuff does get back to the kid and his family.

>

>So why now, knowing how some SLU fans are, should this kid

>continue to look at SLU?

Fans are the same everywhere: fanatical. (That is what "fan" means, you know -- and I recognize that you're not a fan; you're a reporter.) If he spurns Florida, Gators fans will turn their backs on him, too. But the backlash there won't really touch him, since he doesn't live in Florida.

>I know there are a lot of good SLU fans out there, but you

>guys make the rest of them look bad by association.

>

>- Nate

Do you mean "good SLU fans" or "rational folks who follow SLU and hope the program stays around"? If "we guys," the most passionate Billikens fans, make the casual fans look bad, then it's little wonder Bernie Miklasz berates Billiken Nation. Do you think that basketball fans in Kentucky would root for or follow a kid from Louisville who spurned Louisville and Kentucky to go to Syracuse or Florida? No! Heck, the kid and his family might even get death threats. But no one here is going to threaten this kid or his family, nor are we going to stalk him and/or offer him illegal incentives to choose the hometown school. All we have are passive "incentives." We will give him adoration if he comes and buoys up or elevates the hometown program, but he will experience indifference if he goes elsewhere, and a few will vilify him if he goes to a rival program to stick it to the hometown team (see Ryan Robertson, for example).

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

[kmbilliken]

I find that very interesting. Would you give an example of what you've seen with regard to this board impacting recruiting.

[LoveforVouk]

I disagree with the comment regarding Soderberg. I recall there being a lot of debate on whether John was deserving of a scholarship well before Majerus was the coach. I do not like offering this kid. This should be an offer that comes late in the game if we miss on some other guys. I do not see it in this kid and will stick with my opinion on him being a mid major player until proven otherwise.

I do not get paid to evaluate talent though and would be happy to be proven wrong on this one.

[cheeseman]

I know I personally have never berated a kid for choosing to go some place else other than SLU. I have said that the kid has the right to choose where he wants to attend and if he chooses another over SLU then more power to him but I really have little interest in following him in the future unless we are playing his school or if one of our conf. members are playing his team. I don't take my approach as negative but simply human nature - afterall, once your girlfriend says she wants to end it is it not best to say OK, goodby, and move on. That is exactly what most of us do. In reference to Roy, I have have never seen that he has berated a kid but just pointed out how he thought the kid made a mistake and say goodby and good luck to the kid. Now I do agree that there are a couple of knuckleheads on the board that say all kinds of stupid things but those exist everywhere and if a kid uses that as a reason for not coming then he is either looking for reason not to come or he never reads the other schools boards which I think is highly unlikely especially if he is reading ours.

[VTIME]

When did SLU become a high-major. Just because a mid-major school like SLU hires a high-major caliber coach doesnt mean every recruit has to be high-major. He's a local kid, he can play, and Majerus thinks he's good enough. End of discussion.

[LoveforVouk]

I have always felt SLU should target kids who are a step above what I would call mid major talent. I am not looking to start a debate on whether SLU is mid major or not. I said I am not a talent evaluator and if Majerus thinks he is good enough I will trust him, but I disagree with the decision on the surface and will stick with it till proven otherwise. I always said I was a fan of Roundtree and liked his game, but never saw John as being a legitimate D-I prospect.

[bills75]

We can all agree or disagree with Nate's points. I do agree with Nate's comments, particularly as they relate to broy. Whether we think that what is posted should or shouldn't have any impact is not relevant. If Nate, who has access to information that we don't, says it does, then we should listen. That doesn't mean that people can't post what they want, of course they can. So can Nate. For those of you that feel the need to respond & defend your posts, I would ask you the following...... Why would anyone ever make a comment about a young person that could be seen as negative. These are 17 / 18 year olds who are trying to make decisions that will have a significant impact on their future.

[stlsfinest]

>I have always felt SLU should target kids who are a step

>above what I would call mid major talent. I am not looking

>to start a debate on whether SLU is mid major or not. I

>said I am not a talent evaluator and if Majerus thinks he is

>good enough I will trust him, but I disagree with the

>decision on the surface and will stick with it till proven

>otherwise. I always said I was a fan of Roundtree and liked

>his game, but never saw John as being a legitimate D-I

>prospect.

He's more than a legitimate prospect. He's 6'4 200lbs, already a college ready body, he can shoot, he can run, he can jump. He has a post game. He finishes with contact and likes contact. He had 3 D1 offers after his sophomore year.

[kshoe]

but in the same article..."Coach Majerus said from the start that Kwamain was his guy. He said Kwamain would get a lot of playing time, even as a freshman."

That is hardly a promise to start.

I think in general people need to take anything that is said during the recruiting process with a grain of salt. Not that any coach is lying but they all stretch the truth about how much time they'll get and how the offense will be structured aroudn them, etc.

I'll stand by my statement that if Suggs is a Billiken the starting guards will be Lisch Liddel and Suggs.

[stlsfinest]

What if Mitchell takes it literally?

[VTIME]

>but in the same article..."Coach Majerus said from the start

>that Kwamain was his guy. He said Kwamain would get a lot of

>playing time, even as a freshman."

>

>That is hardly a promise to start.

>

>I think in general people need to take anything that is said

>during the recruiting process with a grain of salt. Not that

>any coach is lying but they all stretch the truth about how

>much time they'll get and how the offense will be structured

>aroudn them, etc.

>

>I'll stand by my statement that if Suggs is a Billiken the

>starting guards will be Lisch Liddel and Suggs.

He said he would hand Mitchell the keys for four years. That's a pretty definitive statement. He intends for the kid to start all 4 years. The kid intends to start all 4 years. That's probably why he's coming. It looks like his stock was about to take off, he's committing to Saint Louis with the understanding that he's going to start all 4 years.

[kshoe]

Omar Epps is the star running back and on his recruiting trip is greeted by dancing cheerleaders when he gets off the bus and is given a campus tour by Halle Berry of all people.

When he comes back for the first day of practice he is met by one of his teammates as he gets off the bus. He asks "what happened to all the cheerleaders and the band." The teammate says, "Well its summer and all the students are gone ...but even if it wasn't they wouldn't be here anyway, because WE"VE GOT YOU NOW and your just another freshman."

I have trouble believing any recruit is naive enough to believe everything he hears from recruiters...its just not possible for 13 guys to start.

[kshoe]

A lot of time = start.

That is quite a leap there V.

[VTIME]

Is this the same board that was worried about negative recruting from other coaches if Majerus didnt keep Eckerle on scholarship all 4 years. Mitchell is probably going to start. Majerus loves this kid. If Suggs comes, they are either going to run a 4 guard offense or he probably wont start. He's being brought in to start.

[kshoe]

V - You've been around long enough to know that just because a few posters had a whacked out take on the Eckerle situation doesn't mean the whole board believes it.