slu72 Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 I am so sick of seeing people on this board post "that all Bills fans accept mediocrity as the norm." What a bunch of unmitigated crap. There isn't a fan on this board that wants us to wallow in the 16-12 morass every year. There isn't a fan on here who is happy about trips to the NIT and a dance invite every 5 or 6 years. There isn't a fan on here that accepts the talent level of our teams over the past five years. There isn't a fan on here that doesn't wince when we know an opponent has an athletic PF that is going to give us fits and haveus drooling with envy. NOTICE: WE ALL WANT A WINNER AT SLU YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. What fool wouldn't. Broy, more than anyone else, gets beaten over the head with this label constantly. Does anyone really think he's liking what's taken place over the past five years? I think what we do want however is a program with integrity. Over the years it ain't been easy being a Bills fan. We've put up with a lot of crap teams, coaches, and give a s**t administrations. This is changing. What isn't is the fact that we wont' accept cheating as a sub for mediocrity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 i have said probably 10 million times that if my choice is a final four but a reputation as stained and deserved as what mi$$ouri has, or an annual 500 record with real student athletes and a program above reproach that we can be proud of, i will take the 500 record. that said, i believe brad soderberg can take us to the top without giving up the reputation. but that isnt something that happens over time. it is a matter of patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 positives of Missouri's football program. Have we ever had anyone with the National positive vibes of Brad Smith or G. Pinkel ? I don't think so. UB gets some good local gushes but most come from people "on the payroll" so to speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 pinkel seems to be a real classy guy. a coach like that is hard not to like. soderberg has the same attributes. what he lacks is his own brad smith to carry his torch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobo Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 I agree. There are 320+ D-1 BB programs and I don't believe any of those schools don't want to be a top team. It takes resources and to commit the resources does not mean that integrity be compromised. I am proud of SLU in the way it has conducted itself over the years. I do hope the AD begins to market the bb program better and that fans begin to support the team in greater numbers. We have a good program that is getting better and is deserving of support. I am concerned about the lack of information re: the arena. It is almost mid-February and no news about ground breaking and construction. I doubt it will be ready for the 2005-06 season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYBill Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Let's be realistic, SLU's (basketball) graduation rate isn't anything to brag about. Also, Soderberg has shown a propensity to recruit athletes that may not put an emphasis on being a student - see Morris and TL. BUT, I don't think there is anything wrong with that. The athlete wants to play basketball, the school gives the athlete that outlet and the option to pursue a degree. If the athlete chooses not to fully pursue that option, that's not the school's fault. Let's just not kid ourselves into believing we're a .500 program with impeccable student-athletes (again, basketball only - I think we have a better track record in some other sports). Recent history shows that not to be the case. Please don't bring up Cincy or Mizzou to show how much better we are than other programs. It is irrelevant to the analysis because the on-court performance of those programs far exceeds SLU's (for now) (not counting Mizzou this season!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 if you read the billiken media guide (which btw you can access on line at slubillikens.com) it will tell you that of the players that have graduated from slu, only matt baniak, virgil cobbin, donnie dobbs, corey fraizer, chris heinrich, and mo jeffers have not obtained a degree of the 35 seniors that have competed at slu since 1992. of the above named, only donnie dobbs is currently not working to complete his degree. so how is that not a good graduation rate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 So how does one do the math on this .... you are only counting those that became seniors, yes? Meaning that since 1992 and the 35 seniors, we do not have to count Jeramy Biles, Donnie Atkins, Eric Bickel, Ryan Grant, Larry Hughes, Marcus Jones, Randy Pulley, Rasheed Malik, Brian Smith, Tyrone Caswell, Rickey Cranford and Derek Dust and others amongst these numbers. What about Tatum? He graduated? Anyway, my point is not to dispute the numbers but the numbers look a heck of a lot better if you only qualify it with those that made "senior" and played for the Bills. There's got to be more to it than that. Doesn't or wouldn't the NCAA hold Hughes against us in the general accounting procedure for grad rates? Even though his not getting a degree is a lot different than a Mo Jeffers. Or a Donnie Adkins? By the way, does anybody know who Derek Dust was? He listed inthis media guide a s a 1998 member of the Bills. Was he an unknown walk-on that I have long forgotten or what? I'd just be careful with statistics, that's all. Bottom line to me is wins with integrity. That's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p diddy Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 he was a walk-on from collinsville, i think. or was it edwardsville. i think it was collinsville because i'm getting visions of purple. (insert punch line here, folks). help me out b. roy bad boyz for life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 you are correct taj in stating that the ncaa does count the dropouts against the school. however, most of the d-1 schools probably dont even get as many seniors through school as slu does with their higher standards. oklahoma for instance. btw, both tatum and malik have their degrees. tatum finished his at mckendree, but he is a college grad and malik is listed in the media guide as a slu grad now teaching in the houston area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 collinsville is correct. one would think our resident kahok expert, schasz, would have gotten that one. afterall he did rob collinsville of their homecoming queen or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 I have not really followed Collinsville basketball since the days of Kevin Stallings, and heck, he's the HC at Vandy these days. That was the last time that the Kahoks were any good and I'm wondering if that was their last state tourney appearance. I have not lived in St. Louis since '96 and seems to me the Kahok program isn't quite the same since Virgil Fletcher left. My guess is that Bobby Bone is HC...at least he was the last time I remember talking to anyone still living in CVille about the Kahoks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 bobby bone indeed is the head coach at collinsville, but it seems like all he cares about is spotlighting his kids. not that his kids are not good players, but they are not necessarily the best the town has to offer either. this year the team is so small, i have to wonder if a town the size of collinsville, can possibly have a high school team that small. my guess is that mr bone, whether intentional or not, has chased away some bigger athletes that should be competing for the kahoks. btw schasz, i like the way you ignored the "stolen homecoming queen" thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlumniFan Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 Did anyone from the school ever contact you about your desire to do some alumni events/fund raising in NYC? Let me know. Thanks, B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I agree NYBill. So many people have blinders on, they forget about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYBill Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 The first e-mail was never replied to, so I forwarded it to Doug Woolard with a polite FYI and maybe you should have someone else be the point person for arena contributions e-mail. He wrote back and asked me to call him and we spoke for about 10 minutes. He seems optimistic that the arena will get done (of course his job is to say that). I'll be contributing and am willing to help organize an event in NYC so I'm doing all I can up here! PLEASE GET SOME OUTSTANDING (ELIGIBLE) RECRUITS BRAD!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken75 Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 Where is Matt Baniak these days? I thought he was a 4.0 student with plans for medical school? Any info on him. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 according to the media guide he has been playing professional basketball in switzerland since his senior year at slu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 Again, the fundamental issue was dodged. Again, the University proves institutionally incapable of paying attention to details. There's an arena web site. There's an e-mail contact on the arena web site for fundraising. That contact did not respond to a query. What's wrong with this picture, and when is the University going to demand the same level excellence from its own practices that it tells us is being instituted in the basketball program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trich Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I noticed this follow-up posting and and I am sure the University development office would want to take care of this situation. I know you talked to Doug Woolard but there is another person with whom you could also discuss your willingness to become involved. He is Don Whelan and is Vice President of Development for the University and is the point person on this project as well as all other fund raising activities for the Universtity. His e-mail address is and his direct phone number is (314) 977-2472. I suggest you contact him and he will certainly respond and work with you in any way you are willing to assist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlumniFan Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I believe Don was the original e-mail receipient if I am not mistaken. NYBill, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. There have been a lot of changes in the development offices and there are also several factors with the way the arean campaign is being conducted that, while perfectly appropriate, impact situations like these. Once the public phase begins, I think we all will see things much differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I interviewed with Don last year. He's a terrific guy. From all appearances with SLU's success at its endowment, he's also a very successful development person. But that misses the point. SLU took considerable time to construct a web site to announce the arena. It's "public." Don's e-mail address is listed as a contact point. An e-mail to him, offering to fund-raise and/or generally raise awareness about the project, went unanswered. That, in three words, is crappy public relations. And it's not rocket science. Maybe Don doesn't know he's shown as the contact point. Maybe the web-site design is independent of his office. Doesn't matter. If the University wants to be "the premier Catholic university in America," it ought to have operational standards that match that goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthington Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 Somebody help me out here....I'm having a total brainfart...what happened to this guy? He didn't stay at SLU did he? Where did he come from and did he transfer somewhere? I could be totally off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 P-D, 10/29/01 "So, how did this 70-year rarity come about? The 1998 recruiting class is the culprit, in a manner of speaking. The Billikens added freshmen Diener, Braun and Ricky Cranford and junior college transfers Justin Love and Dave Fergerson that year. Cranford stayed one season and transferred. Diener and Braun would be seniors but they sat their first season as redshirts." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyjibo Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 Charles "Ricky" Cranford played at Northeastern University in Boston. He was good but not great player on a mediocre to bad team. He was their leading scorer his junior year but had lost something his senior year (and lost his starting position for the middle third of the season). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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