Next Year

[NYBill]

Not that I'm throwing in the towel on this season - I thought at the beginning of the season that an NIT appearance would be a good result with this squad - but unfortunately next year is shaping up to offer similar low expectations.

As high as everyone is on TL (and taking into account the very real possibility that he's a no-show), our lack of an inside game is an achilles heal that never seems to be addressed.

Who will be the inside players next year? I really like Frericks, but he is only providing about 25 minutes a game. After that we have IV - a big question mark; BH - a huge question mark; JJ - I have no idea what's going on here, but it obviously isn't good; and this 6'6" guy from Frericks' school may grace us with his presence...

I just don't think this gets us where we want to be next March, or the March after that. As much as I want to give Soderberg the benefit of the doubt (and I know this comment will cause grief, but sorry it's true), Brian Gregory has a hell of a recruiting class coming into Dayton next year - we need to raise the bar and it just doesn't seem to be happening.

I don't know how much TL missed by, but I'm concerned that the only reason we landed him is because others severely discounted his value due to the eligibility issue. To me that's not much of a recruiting win. I'd be willing to tutor him for the ACT if he's reading!

[3star_recruit]

Brian Gregory doesn't have any legit power forwards coming in next year, either. And he loses Waleskowski and Finn.

[NYBill]

Come on, even if that were true it is irrelevant. The fact is that Gregory has a fantastic recruiting class coming in next year. We need to start doing the same.

Those poor saps at Dayton, look at their pitiful recruits...

CHRIS ALVAREZ – 6-8, 215 forward

JIMMY BINNIE – 6-7, 190 forward

TRENT MEACHAM – 6-2, 185 guard

NORMAN PLUMMER – 6-7, 210 forward

BRIAN ROBERTS – 6-1, 170 guard

[slu72]

We all registered our complaints at the time UB was hired. I was one of the big BG supporters, but have since come to change my mind. First, BG is probably an interim guy at DU if he does well. UB is more of a lock to stay at SLU when success finally comes his way, and stability at HC is important, given he's a good one. It's way too early to judge UB on recruiting. He was left with a mess. He had to grab IO, AD,JJ etc just to put a team on the floor last year after Edwin, Pulley (way to go Randy), and Seyfert left. Also, Kern a non qualifier recruit of Zo's and Hollins defection to UCLA left him with no one coming in. UB's recruiting can't be measured until 3-4 years down the road. Yes, some schools are able to bring in big time JUCO talent right away, unfortunately SLU can't always do this, i.e. Brandon Morris, who as it turns out is a hell of a player and would have been nice to have at PG this year and next. If UB can be faulted and am not saying he should be, it would be someone is not looking into the academics of some of his recruits. Let's wait and see what the spring brings. Right now if TL is a no show, and it appears he will be, UB will have to find a PG and a PF. Otherwise, next year could be a real nightmare. We all share your desire for a legit PF. Personally, I don't think it matters if the guy is 6'6" if he can jump, bang, and has a decent mid range shot. College of Charleston has a guy who is 6'6" and I'd kill to have this guy playing for the Bills. He's a slasher who can shoot 3's, hit 7 of 9 the other night, and yes Virginia he plays the 4. It was discouraging watching the Messphis athletes jam balls down our bigs throats on Saturday, it kills me how our #4's can't put down a put back with any authority, or how a slasher type 4 can chew us up on the baseline ala Wither's of Charlotte. Probably the two most important positions on the floor are the PG and the PF, and unless UB comes up with some players in the spring at these positions, well....it's going to be another up and down year. And from what the posters on the board say about Shaw, it's going to be hell watching him play against us every year if we renew with SIU. All that said, let's go easy on UB for the moment. Duke wasn't built in a year, or two, or three....

[slufanskip]

I think we should wait to see who we do land before worrying too much. With 1 full class and 1 class that was basically over before UB could begin we have

RB

IO

TF

IV

AD

DC

JJ

BH

With DP, LM, and possibly TL coming in next year. It has been a while since we have gotten this much talent in this short of a span. I have faith that I will be pleasantly surprised ar who we sign with this last schollie

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[slu72]

I agree but landing a PF is still a critical objective. Unless JJ has an epiphany over the summer, we don't have a legit 4 on the roster. And the only pg is a freshman. Assuming TL doesn't make it, if we land mediocre players at pg and pf, we're in for more of the same. But give UB a chance, SLU is just not the easiest place to recruit to right now.

[NYBill]

Maybe I shouldn't have used Gregory as an example because he was a candidate for the SLU job. I'm really just pointing out that we shouldn't give Soderberg too much of a pass on the recruiting front because other coaches have come in and had recruiting results right off the bat.

It will take time has been the motto for the last 8 years! We have an arena on the way, new more stable conference affiliation, new coach, this should be a great time to bring in recruits.

[3star_recruit]

So am I supposed to be impressed because they had five scholarships to give? We'll have five guys 6'8 and over on our roster next year. How many will Dayton have?

[NYBill]

Dayton's class has been ranked in the top 25 by at least two sources of such rankings, but put that aside: What exactly is your point?

Is your position that SLU's recruiting is fantastic?

Is your position that Dayton's recruiting class is inferior to our's?

I really don't understand what you're getting at with the senseless comments when the facts speak clearly - SLU's recruiting needs to drastically improve. I think your reasoning skills are in the same position.

Yeah, I realize we beat Dayton this year. That won't do much for me as I'm watching the NIT and their fans are watching the NCAA.

[StLouBlue]

Don't forget that Dayton was also a 3 or 4 seed last year in the NCAA while SLU was around 500 when Brad started.

As far as rating Brad's classes so far, there are a lot of question marks. We won't know for a couple of years yet. How IO finishes next year and the development of the big men, Ian & Husak will be the keys. Next year's class is still very much up in the air especially without knowing what will happen with Liddell. If we can get Liddell & Lisch in along w/ Polk and Meyer and also have our bigs develop where they can be a force inside, I think we will be in great shape. It is too early right now to know though.

[3star_recruit]

Hey, you're the one who brought up our lacking a power forward. I was merely pointing out that Gregory hasn't brought in any legit power forwards either - Plummer is smaller than Chris Sloan and Alvarez averaged a whopping a 7 ppg as a junior. The fact that they have a lot of quality wings is great but they can only play three at a time.

[BillikenButch]

As they are likely to be our chief rival in the A-10. They are the standard to which we must aspire.

[billiken_roy]

6'8" 215 lbs is the biggest guy they have. that is the size of chris sloan. as 3 star stated, they have no one is replacing wojo who is listed as 6'8" and 230 lbs or finn who is listed as 7' 240 lbs.

[billiken_roy]

coach soderberg has really had less than 2 years to set up recruiting. imo that isnt sufficient time to mark him as a recruiter. rarely do you see IMMEDIATE success by a new coach that later doesnt come back to haunt them because they cut corners.

and while gregory may have a highly ranked recruiting class, he also doesnt appear to be wisely filling his needs. another example, look at the mess $nyder has created by not recruiting anything but wings and power forwards. where has it got him stockpiling all that nba talent and no point guard?

while i hate being middle of the pack, i dont want the team to ever cut corners or compromise integrity. play it out. i have the confidence brad will fill the needs, and if not, he can use the jjray plan and move izik. so even worse case we got it covered. that is more than mi$$ouri can say.

[cheeseman]

I am a little confused - did we not beat UD at Dayton - so where does this being enamored with UD come from? Gregory might have had a top 25 recruiting class but that does not equate into anything - ie Missouri. I will say I think many on this Board give IO more credit as a player than he has shown to date. He has had a problem handling the ball - I know he seemed to do better against Memphis - but he has shown that turning the ball over has been a problem. He also has had trouble scoring consistently. I am wary of counting too much on him for next year based on what I have seen so far.

[slufanskip]

One of the problems with IO early in the season was that when he received the ball more than 10 feet or so away from the basket he was trying to drive. He is too tall and doesn't have good enough handles for that. It is ok in Europe as the game is played with much more spacing. The last few games he has been moving the ball when he gets it away from the basket and trying to score when he gets it within about 10 feet. He has such long strides he can finish with 1 dribble from that distance. I hope that he starts turning to face the basket when he receives the ball on the perimiter as I think he can hit the outside shot if they give him space ... if they close the gap he can give it up and will have the first step to getting position closer in. IO is still learning this game ... but I think the more he learns what he can and can't do ... we are going to be happy.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[tseugnekillib]

(1) not ALL registered complaints when BS was hired at SLU.

(2) SLU's coaches knew week-by-week how Brandon Morris was doing last summer, unfortunately they could not do his academic work for him. It came down to the final test and he just missed out on a C.

[slufanskip]

I have heard through a very reliable source that the proffessor who gave Brandon the grade that didn't make the cut was a Mizzou grad.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[Trich]

Excellent points and a great post.

[Billikan]

Boy, am I tired of all the people that have come out of the woodwork that past week to criticize Brad, his strategy, his rotations and now you trash his recruiting. This team plays very hard and I am proud to be a fan. You, on the other hand, do nothing but complain. What a joke!

This guy was left with a big mess- two players had to leave on grades--Edwin and Pulley--Kern was a no show--Hollins was a no show--Seyferth transfered. Yet this coach and the staff busted their butts and went out and signed Drejaj--last year a very pleasant surprise who has had a few sophmore problems but is still a player -- and IO who is looking better every game. Really incredible when you think that virtually all recruits were already signed and gone.

Brad also recruited a very nice point guard in Morris who did not get in because of SLU's committment to academics-- unfortunate, but everyone expected him to qualify and he has turned out to be an excellent player. He has also recruited tow big guys that could develop in to important indside players. They will be the tallest combination off front line players we have had in more than 20 years.

then we have this coming year--People like you complained that Romar and Spoon in his last years did not sign any local stars, etc, etc.

So what do Brad and the staff do--They sign 3 big name local players including Liddell who is probably the best all around player in the area. Is it your position that we should not have recruited Tommie.--I say you are ridiculous! Even if it was a stretch on the grades it is great that a star local player picked the Bills.

then we have Polk, an excellent local point guard and leader and excellent student from VASHON, where stars reside and we have been shut out in recent years--Kern had potential but he also did not qualify. I have seen Polk play and he is quick, an excellent on ball defender and he can shoot the 3 ball. A very nice LOCAL player.

Then we have Luke Meyer who is the most versatile offensive player in the area and is LOCAL. He scored 37 and 39 in his last two games and he is a good defender with an excellent hard nosed attitude. I would say taht the results of the hard efforts are very good and excellent if Tommie qualifies.

Give this coach a few years of normal recruiting and then you can evaluate him. Up til now he has been behind the eight ball. Give him a break!!

[slufanskip]

excellent points ... I agree 100%

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[cheeseman]

I hope you are correct - I am not saying you are not just that he has not shown a consistent performance for me to think he will be a big asset next year. As I said - I truely hope you are right.

[slufanskip]

He hasn't caught on as quickly as I thought he would either ... but if you only began watching him 5 or 6 games ago ... your opinion of him would not be tainted with your (and Mine) previous dissapointment. He has been a much improved player of late ... he has much more to go ... but I think the talent is there to accomplish a lot.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman