slu72 Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 A lot of us have expressed reservations about our inside game this year. None of us think this is going to be our strong point (when has it been since AB graduated?)but we know we've got to get some O production out of there and definitely need strong interior D (ala K Brown). I'm having some second thoughts on what I thought would be an adequate interior game this year, to now where I think it may be a real weakness that opponents will take advantage of (especially in CUSA play). If Frericks has to foul to play D, if he is really only 6'7", if JJ is a headcase, RV has shown he has trouble defending inside, and Ian, who will have to do OJT, won't be available until after New Years....we could be looking at some real difficult games. Hope I'm not being a Chicken Little hear, but this is an area of concern when we'll be facing the likes of Whaley, AZ's all McD front line, GT's formidable front, etc....it's scary out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Relax ... it is just one exhibition game ... Sloan had 14 boards. Frericks will not foul as often ... I'm not saying he won't be foul prone ... but he will be ok. We will have our difficulties inside this year but help is on the way. With that said there is little doubt that our strength is at the 1-3 spots. Good outside shooting will help open up the middle also. We can make it to the tourney with great gaurd play and average inside play ... but we have to be able to play great perimiter D. and shoot the lights out. Don't forget we have: AD ... Isn't he going to score 15ppg. JF ... Definately double figures ... maybe 12 ppg. IO ... I think the consensus seems to be 13 or mor ppg. RB ... He should easily get 12-14 ppg. Hell right there alone we have 52 ppg from our 1-3. Now add CS ... at double figures ... 10 ppg. If Ross, DC, JJ, and PH can get 5 all together ... than we only need 3ppg from Ian and TF to avg 70 pts ppg See ... we will be fine ... Now if Ian and TF can do very well and avg say 10 combined ... we will avg. 77 pts per game. What more do you want??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Everyone needs to settle down. Tom had two early fouls IN HIS FIRST GAME FOR SLU. This doesn't mean it will happen every single game. A starting front line of Izik, Sloan, and Frericks will be a big upgrade over last year's front line. We will be a little thin up front against Arizona, but by the time conference rolls around we will have Ian coming off the bench. Sloan will likely play 35+ minutes per game, and Varner can provide 5-10 decent minutes per game. In the long run, I think our front line could be an asset to this team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Georgia Tech is athletic but they don't have a formidable front. Chris Bosh is in the NBA and Big Ed Nelson transferred to UConn. As for Cinci, Robert Whaley spends way to much time jacking up shots from the perimeter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 well i hate to be the i told you so guy........ the inside play has been my concern all along as well. and while i am still not convinced we have adequate inside play, i will say that between sloan's excellent performance last night, and glimpses of frericks adequate nite, i am being more positive. we still need something out of johnson and/or ian. i love varner's desire and effort, but he would be much more effective playing 2-3 3 or 4 minute blasts and then out of there per game than 29 minutes per game. that much floor time will allow the other team to focus on his short comings. our guards/wings are going to match up every nite just fine. it will be the rare night we will be overwhelmed on the perimeter. in fact, tell me the conference usa team, no wait, tell me any team the billikens will play this year that will have the physical speicimen to adequately guard josh fisher in a close situation this year. i.e. after getting the offense started, i would be running josh to the post a lot this year. it WILL require opponents inside players to come over to help and if they do someone else is going to be open. (that is where frericks better be able to finish.) it will be the rare night where the opposition will have adequate defense for our 6'10" wing with ball skills. of course conversely i worry about him guarding quicker smaller wings as well. ian has proven he isnt the best defender. so that might be a wash. and reggie is a player. sweet sweet shot. i hope he realizes that while he has slashing skills, it is that jumper that is superior. if the shot is there take it reg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Good points. Some of you guys might want to take a look at the nonconference schedule again before worrying so much about our lack of size. The only teams we play in the first 11 games with a significant size advantage in the post are Arizona and Dayton, which we won't be favored to win anyway. Pittsnogle from West Virginia plays like a wing player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted November 4, 2003 Author Share Posted November 4, 2003 Thanks for easing my concerns. I'd still like to see JJ step up and give us some quality minutes (say 10-12 mpg), because until Ian shows up we don't have much to fall back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 In terms of offensive ability I think our front line is MUCH improved over last year. Last night I was pleased by our overall defense. If we can avoid foul trouble and stop the guard turnovers we will be fine. I would suggest that JJ will need to show dramatic improvement before he ever gets 10-12 minutes a game. In spite of some comments by some posters my view of JJ after seeing him in practice and a scrimmage is that he has a lot to learn and he need to play much smarter and with intensity before he will get anything more than mopup pt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Front line problems? Rebounds: SLU 38, AIA 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 of course that rebounding edge comes about with chris sloan having a karl malone like night with his huge double double. i am as big a chris sloan fan as there is, but if he AVERAGES 12 points and 14 rebounds this year, you are correct we will have little if any frontcourt concerns. that said, i am thinking he wont. especially reboundingwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 From slubillikens.com "I don't think we can expect 14 rebounds every night," Sloan said. "But it's great to see the off-season work and the conditioning that you put into your body pay off." Keep up the hard work Chris...we're gonna need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Yes, but we should expect more than 5 rpg from Tom and 3 rpg from Izik. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 if izik plays exclusively on the wing, he wont average much more than 3 or 4 rpg. i agree we need and should have more from frericks. but he is still an unknown commodity at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I'll go out on a limb and say that Izik will average 5 rpg because he'll still be playing under the boards on defense. He averaged 3.2 rpg last year in 15 mpg and only 1 rpg was on the offensive boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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