Prediction for this year

[Westy03]

I just want to see what everyone thinks about the upcoming season and where they will be at the end of the year. I think they will end up in the NIT. I still think the lack of depth will come back and bite them in the end.

[powerballer]

I just want to see what everyone thinks about the upcoming season and where they will be at the end of the year. I think they will end up in the NIT. I still think the lack of depth will come back and bite them in the end.

I think 20-10 is likely, with a shot at 21 to 23 wins. I think we finish 4th in the A10. Nit Bubble team. If some of the power conference teams get snubbed from NCAA tourney, they might steal the bills spot.

[NH]

I would be happy with 20 wins an the NIT, lack of frontcourt depth will kill us

[ACE]

I would be happy with 20 wins an the NIT, lack of frontcourt depth will kill us

Majerus will have to be creative with the lineups. Soderberg's recent failures to land quality bigs really hurts this team. If he could've landed just one useful big, instead of Obi, Horace and the dreaded open scholarship, I would feel much better about this year's team. With Majerus bringing in three good bigs next year, this won't be a problem in the future.

[BillsWin]

Just like last year, I will be disappointed if we are not dacin. We had 20 wins last year, with many injuries. I expect better with a better coach and the same core team.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Just like last year, I will be disappointed if we are not dacin. We had 20 wins last year, with many injuries. I expect better with a better coach and the same core team.

Same core team? How can the Bills have the same core without Ian Vouyoukas? I agree with your premise, except for the notion that it's the same team at the core. It is not.

[BJK]

I don't know... its going to be a completely different kind of game... Not just the new coach but the soon to be very obvious lack of Ian. Although he didn't have the best statistic year last season, he was still there... drawing double and triple teams, waiting for that perfect moment to kick it out to tommie or kevin. I am confident in Majerus and his ability to put a winning team on the court but 20 wins seems a bit optimistic. I'll be at all the games one way or another... go bills!

edit... I was writing as you posted... couldn't agree more, nice timing by the way.

[Postcard]

19-11. Should do well at home but struggle a little on the road.

[pompeytir]

If this team doesn't make the NIT and at least stay competitive towards an NCAA bid then we should be calling for Soderberg's job. Wait...we hired Majerus to win now. This team should be in the 23 win range, the schedule is full of nonconference cupcakes and our conference isn't necessarily better or worse this year.

[brianstl]

If this team doesn't make the NIT and at least stay competitive towards an NCAA bid then we should be calling for Soderberg's job. Wait...we hired Majerus to win now. This team should be in the 23 win range, the schedule is full of nonconference cupcakes and our conference isn't necessarily better or worse this year.

I think the conference will be greatly improved this year. The amount of talent returning is high.

As for a prediction, I would like to see at least a couple of pratices first and maybe even the preseason game. We will be at least as good as we were last year barring injuries.

[Clock_Tower]

I think the conference will be greatly improved this year. The amount of talent returning is high.

As for a prediction, I would like to see at least a couple of pratices first and maybe even the preseason game. We will be at least as good as we were last year barring injuries.

Am always excited and optimistic at the start of each new season. With that said, I did think expectations were way too high prior to last season. I did not start posting until 1/2 way thru the season so it is easy to come across now as an expert with the benefit of hindsight. Still, we had real potential the last 2 years but Brad could not add the additional pieces needed to really improve the team. We have desparately needed a 4 for years. We also desparately have needed depth at most positions (PG...). Also, during both the Spoon and Romar years, we had guys who could really shoot it but then really did not have that ability here recently. I know about KL and TL but we have been asking them to do so many other things. The past few years, we put 2 or 3 really top-level players out on the floor but probably had some of the worst 6 thru 8 players. As mentnioned by Ace, if only we had a guy or two step up (Obi, Dixon, J. Johnson, etc.) our starters would not have been so worn down. Frankly, the guys played the Conference Tourney well until they had nothing left for the GW debacle to end the season.

If we can get a few guys to step up this year, then we might win 20 or more wins. Like Brian mentions, we will know more after a few practices. Depending upon the health and ability to perform of guys like AK, Bryce, Brown and Polk, this can be an exciting season or it can turn into another one where we trot out the best 2 or 3 guys on the floor, act like our team is full of talent because of TL and KL but really trot out the worst 4 thru 12 guys. Will be extremely interesting to see how RM coaches this similar core (even without IV) team. Something tells me RM won't play the starters 38 minutes per game, shorten the bench to 6 or 7 guys, refuse to use certain players for games on end (despite a good prior game but for match-up reasons) and then inexplicably insert walk-ons while acting perplexed and lamenting how good our defense used to be and how good the defensive scheme is.

[moytoy12]

If this team doesn't make the NIT and at least stay competitive towards an NCAA bid then we should be calling for Soderberg's job. Wait...we hired Majerus to win now. This team should be in the 23 win range, the schedule is full of nonconference cupcakes and our conference isn't necessarily better or worse this year.

23 win range with only 3.5 proven players (KL, TL, LM, and DP)...WOW!

I like the enthusiasm, but...

[Major Majerus]

None of us have seen a practice, but I've seen Relephorde, Eberhart, and Mitchell play - these guys are athletic and talented, and Majerus is supposed to be a great teacher. There's potentially a big upside this year if all are healthy and AK and BH show up to play. I suspect there will be greater excitement on this board after you get a look at these new guys.

[Clock_Tower]

None of us have seen a practice, but I've seen Relephorde, Eberhart, and Mitchell play - these guys are athletic and talented, and Majerus is supposed to be a great teacher. There's potentially a big upside this year if all are healthy and AK and BH show up to play. I suspect there will be greater excitement on this board after you get a look at these new guys.

I sure hope you're right. The key really will be AK. He absolutely must contribute. One additional year of maturity, strength and skill improvement will make the guards that much better. Throw in MR and LM both at the 3 and we are even better. At the same time, not sure we are better at the 4 and 5 especially if no one can beat out LM at the 4. For instance, I would rather have LM and IV (AK and Bryce backups) than have LM and Bryce (AK, AM and BE backups) or BE and Bryce (LM, AK and AM back ups) or BE and LM (AK, AM and Bryce backups).

From what we seem to hear, MR really is not a 4. If that is the case and if AK does not step up, whether due to health reasons or otherwise, this could be another difficult season no matter who the HC is.

[slu72]

I sure hope you're right. The key really will be AK. He absolutely must contribute. One additional year of maturity, strength and skill improvement will make the guards that much better. Throw in MR and LM both at the 3 and we are even better. At the same time, not sure we are better at the 4 and 5 especially if no one can beat out LM at the 4. For instance, I would rather have LM and IV (AK and Bryce backups) than have LM and Bryce (AK, AM and BE backups) or BE and Bryce (LM, AK and AM back ups) or BE and LM (AK, AM and Bryce backups).

From what we seem to hear, MR really is not a 4. If that is the case and if AK does not step up, whether due to health reasons or otherwise, this could be another difficult season no matter who the HC is.

Obviously teams will be out to stop TL and KL figuring that's the way to beat us, and it is. So inside play becomes key once again. Whoever posted IV didn't have the best year but still drew attention away from TL and KL was right on. That's why BH, BE, and AK are the keys. We're a solid team with TL, KL, and LM on the floor, we're a good team if we get any kind of decent minutes from our inside guys. This is just a gut feeling, but I think towards the end of the year we're going to be singing the praises of MR. Not that he's going to be rookie of the year in the A-10, but that he'll be a vital contributor either as a 3 or small PF. But it's still to early to tell anything about this team, given the question marks on the inside and the depth of our bench. What magic RM will be able to pull out of his XXXL sweater remains to be seen.

[jimbofive]

I was up at the Rec the other day and MR and KL were rebounding for each other... I only watched for 3-5 mins - Kevin hit 12-15 3s in a row, Relphorde's 3 point shot looked a bit shaky though... almost a sidespin knuckle ball at times. Maybe I was just spoiled by Kevin throwing the ball in there on a string, but it was kind of surprising to see that shot from MR, because from what I've seen, his free throw stroke looks PERFECT.

I think 22-23 wins this year and here's why:

- I truly think we will get solid contributions from MR, AM and BE.

- BE, AK and BH combined should be able to contribute what IV and (insert PF here) did last year, at least numbers-wise, if not presence-wise.

- TL and KL are going to be better, and starting to get a little PO'd at not dancing.

- Better senior leadership from DP and LM than last year from JJ and IV

- LM, KL and AM will get EVERY loose ball.

- Majerus.

[bauman]

I was up at the Rec the other day and MR and KL were rebounding for each other... I only watched for 3-5 mins - Kevin hit 12-15 3s in a row, Relphorde's 3 point shot looked a bit shaky though... almost a sidespin knuckle ball at times. Maybe I was just spoiled by Kevin throwing the ball in there on a string, but it was kind of surprising to see that shot from MR, because from what I've seen, his free throw stroke looks PERFECT.

I think 22-23 wins this year and here's why:

- I truly think we will get solid contributions from MR, AM and BE.

- BE, AK and BH combined should be able to contribute what IV and (insert PF here) did last year, at least numbers-wise, if not presence-wise.

- TL and KL are going to be better, and starting to get a little PO'd at not dancing.

- Better senior leadership from DP and LM than last year from JJ and IV

- LM, KL and AM will get EVERY loose ball.

- Majerus.

According to CBS Sports MBB preview magazine, JJ is still here! How can these mag. writers/editors stay employed? How hard would it be to run these writeups past some Regional/Conference "experts" for a sanity check review? When you read that kind of cr@% about your school you don't know what is correct about all the other schools. Shame on you CBS.

[brianstl]

According to CBS Sports MBB preview magazine, JJ is still here! How can these mag. writers/editors stay employed? How hard would it be to run these writeups past some Regional/Conference "experts" for a sanity check review? When you read that kind of cr@% about your school you don't know what is correct about all the other schools. Shame on you CBS.

He might as well still be here. We will get the same cotribution out of him this year as we did last. JJ is a good guy, but he just never panned out as a player.

[kevinfootes]

I just want to see what everyone thinks about the upcoming season and where they will be at the end of the year. I think they will end up in the NIT. I still think the lack of depth will come back and bite them in the end.

Let's hope people have realistic expectations from this bunch. RM is a good coach, but it might take him a year or two to really get rolling. I hope I'm wrong, but I think SLU will win around 20 this year and fall short of the big dance. As has been mentioned, IV wasn't at this best last year, but he'll be hard to replace.

[MusicCityBilliken]

Let's hope people have realistic expectations from this bunch. RM is a good coach, but it might take him a year or two to really get rolling. I hope I'm wrong, but I think SLU will win around 20 this year and fall short of the big dance. As has been mentioned, IV wasn't at this best last year, but he'll be hard to replace.

Kevin, I tend to agree. I have a lot questions on who can handle the 4 and 5 positions. Hopefully both BH comes back from his injury and AK from his illness. Who knows how BE will play being new. I recall the first year for Justin Love and Mo Jeffers (our two most recent successful JUCOs) had okay first years with outstanding second years.

My guess is 21-23 wins with a NIT bid. XU and St Joseph's will go to the dance.

[cheeseman]

Just like last year, I will be disappointed if we are not dacin. We had 20 wins last year, with many injuries. I expect better with a better coach and the same core team.

We only had 19 D1 wins - one was against a NAII team (Quincy) - that decision ended up coming back to bite us I think although it probably was not the sole reason we did not go to the NIT.

[cheeseman]

Kevin, I tend to agree. I have a lot questions on who can handle the 4 and 5 positions. Hopefully both BH comes back from his injury and AK from his illness. Who knows how BE will play being new. I recall the first year for Justin Love and Mo Jeffers (our two most recent successful JUCOs) had okay first years with outstanding second years.

My guess is 21-23 wins with a NIT bid. XU and St Joseph's will go to the dance.

I just finished RM's book - My Life on a Napkin this morning as I sat in a turkey blind. I will have to say that from reading the book I have a much better understanding of what to expect this year from the team based on RM's approaches to coaching BB. He is not afraid to play small players so a kid like Luke will be more apt to contribute more under RM's set up then in the past. AM if he is as good as some say then he may very well find himself playing in a small forward role. I think BH if he does not play good defense and hustle on the court will be at jeopardy of sitting. Barry could end up playing the 5 if that happens. MR - if he buys into playing defense could also see good playing time at the 4. AK and DM could find themselves in trouble unless they really ramp it up and will probably end up getting the RM talk when he says - if you are happy being on the practice team and sitting on the bench then you can stay with your schollie but if you want more then you should go someplace where you can play - I can help you find that place or you can do it on your own but you are not going to play during games at SLU - this is your call. The BH, DM, and AK comments come from some things RM said at the MAC luncheon about them that did not make sense until I read the book. Because of all of the above, this will be a tough year to predict - things could click really well and the team could be very good or it could be a slow learning curve for some and we could be looking at a .500 year or of course something in between.