Many on this board are like Russian historians!

[Billikan]

In reading all the posts about our team, many who picked in the prediction contest for us to succeed big time are now saying we have no players, no talent and never had any!

So I went back and reviewed the predictions and here is what I found

24-6

19-10 (regular season)

23-11

21-14 NIT

23-12 NIT (SLU72)

21=14

21-9

22-13

24-9 NCAA

24-10 NIT

22-10 NIT 20-13

23-11 NCAA

27-8 NCAA

21-12 NIT

25-10 NCAA

23-12 NIT

22-8

25-10

22-8

20-14 NIT

24-11 NCAA

24-10 NCAA

26-9 NCAA

20-10 best or 16-14 worst

27-8 NCAA

24-11 NCAA

23-11

23-7

23-11 NCAA

27-9 NCAA

23-13 NIT

17-13

22-12 NIT

26-11 NCAA

27-8 NCAA

Virtually everyone thought that we had plenty of talent and would win, on average, about 22 or 23 games. Now many of the same people say we have no players and we never had any players so we have to wait 3 more years until RM can get all new players who can learn his system. Then we can have the kind of record that virtually everyone picked for us to have this year.

I continue to refuse to agree with those who say we have no team and no players. This is a myth started after some of the worst on court performances in the last 15 years. No one said we had no talent after the first 3 games. Somehow, we have been getting progressively worse! I never liked Russian history and particularly do not like it when the textbooks are changed after the fact!

[Sheltiedave]

Amnesia is a wonderful thing.

Seeing 2 mil in coaching salaries and expenses with little demand for improvement tops that.

I wouldn't be bothered to actually hear a gameplan for how RM expects the incremental improvements to occur, but I doubt he wants to talk to the huddled masses.

[Taj79]

I'll admit to the "20 at best, 16 worst" line. That was predicated on having two all conference guards returning and believing that the college game was a guard dominated game. But it had a lot of trends in it among other things. I will admit that the two all-conference guards predicted at the beginning of the season are out there right now. Yes, there is a kid wearing "LISCH" on his back and another with "LIDDELL III" but anyone would be hard pressed to say these are the same players filling those jerseys that were in them last year. I don't know how or to what to attribute that to but it is disconcerting to say the least. Given the change in that variable, I'd ask to be able to recount my "worst" mark and move it down.

Having said that my "worst" prediction is currently off-pace by one game --- losing at home to Sam Houston. And that's based on an average team that defends the home turf and struggles on the road. I didn't expect the SHS thing until I saw they were 8 and 0 (but as someone said you don't lose to this program at home no matter their record). Check point two for me is looming this weekend. An average team defends the home turf --- can that be done against Southern Illinois? Right now, I'd say no. Meaning the revision request is asked again and goes even lower.

[kshoe]

Has this board ever "under-predicted" the results? It is the nature of fans to be optimistic.

What was the average win prediction when we won 9 games in the final season of CUSA? 18 or 19?

What was the average win prediction last year when publications were picking us for the Sweet 16?

I'll guarantee you that if you go back through the history of this board and compared the average win prediction with reality the prediction contest ALWAYS over-states it, often as will likely be the case this year, SIGNIFICANTLY. Prove me wrong Billikan.

[TheOldie]

Amnesia is a wonderful thing.

Seeing 2 mil in coaching salaries and expenses with little demand for improvement tops that.

I wouldn't be bothered to actually hear a gameplan for how RM expects the incremental improvements to occur, but I doubt he wants to talk to the huddled masses.

Are "gameplans" discussed during the coach's corners meetins prior to the games?

[Cowboy]

I'll make another prediction - if we continue to shoot 29% from the field we will not make the A10 Tourney - how about that one??

Billikan - didn't you say 2 games ago the next 4 games will tell the tale or somehting like that? you jumping the gun or pointing it early?

if that was not you, then my bad, but i stand by the prediction above

[davidnark]

As long as we are accusing others of revisionist history, how come the same posters who spent the five years lecturing everyone to be patient with the last coaching staff are ready to dismiss the new one after a 1/3 of a season? Give it a break for a while. Let's see where we are a year from now before we throw the coach and all of his supporters under the bus.

[Clock_Tower]

Billikan. Preseason basketball predictions are like spring training to baseball teams. Guys come back to school bigger, stronger and more confident. New recruits walk the campus and rumors spread about how tall so and so is or how fast so and so looks. Very easy and natural to get caught up in this. Don't be too hard on your fellow posters. Am sure die hard Pittsburg Pirate fans make statements each spring that they might have a chance each season but then the games began and they soon start putting losing streaks together.

I, for one, never thought we would be as good as last year but I did think we would be better than are right now. While we had 19 wins last year, we had some terrible games (T A&M, GW, Duquesne, St. Bonnie) and were a quite soft, pedestrian 19 win team. As mentioned, I knew RM was a perfectionist and wanted the team to play his way but I did not realize the extent of change he was implementing. I also did not appreciate the apparent resistance and information overload placed upon the team. Easy to say so now, but I questioned why people would think BH would be a productive starter all season long. He could not run up and down the court last year without being winded and needing to come out and yet some predicted (most likely because we have no one else) that he would be an inside presence and a "RM type" big guy. Sure he had some good games against lesser Division 1 teams early in the season. So did Justin Johnson each year but we know how he turned out.

Go back and read the rest of the predictions other than the numbers. They all assumed and were predicated upon us having an inside presence. Not that we had a lot of interior depth and talent but everyone assumed that RM would be able to get more production out of AK and BH at the 5 (replace IV) and that MR and BE each could help at the 4 (replace LM) and allow LM to play the 3. This just has not happened.

I am tired of watching typical SLU basketball - 2 or 3 stars (usually finesse players) - who are worshiped and treated like prima donas surrounded by second rate role players. RM is bringing in a new system. We will be deep and solid team. Our hopes will not rest upon 1 or 2 guys each night. I am excited - 5 new talented recruits and Eckerle for next year. If RM needs to run off the rest of the team, so be it. I cannot understand the resistance to change. We have been a disappointing basketball program for years. Just look at our record against Missouri State and Carbondale the past 10 -15 years - especially on the road. It's not like SLU basketball has had significant success. We now have a proven, Hall of Fame coach who has won everywhere he went - Marquette, Ball State and Utah and we question him??

[3Jack]

In reading all the posts about our team, many who picked in the prediction contest for us to succeed big time are now saying we have no players, no talent and never had any!

So I went back and reviewed the predictions and here is what I found

24-6

19-10 (regular season)

23-11

21-14 NIT

23-12 NIT (SLU72)

21=14

21-9

22-13

24-9 NCAA

24-10 NIT

22-10 NIT 20-13

23-11 NCAA

27-8 NCAA

21-12 NIT

25-10 NCAA

23-12 NIT

22-8

25-10

22-8

20-14 NIT

24-11 NCAA

24-10 NCAA

26-9 NCAA

20-10 best or 16-14 worst

27-8 NCAA

24-11 NCAA

23-11

23-7

23-11 NCAA

27-9 NCAA

23-13 NIT

17-13

22-12 NIT

26-11 NCAA

27-8 NCAA

Virtually everyone thought that we had plenty of talent and would win, on average, about 22 or 23 games. Now many of the same people say we have no players and we never had any players so we have to wait 3 more years until RM can get all new players who can learn his system. Then we can have the kind of record that virtually everyone picked for us to have this year.

I continue to refuse to agree with those who say we have no team and no players. This is a myth started after some of the worst on court performances in the last 15 years. No one said we had no talent after the first 3 games. Somehow, we have been getting progressively worse! I never liked Russian history and particularly do not like it when the textbooks are changed after the fact!

What a great post by Billikan. And listen to the Spin Doctors come in to try to shine up their predictions. Funny stuff.

[brianstl]

What a great post by Billikan. And listen to the Spin Doctors come in to try to shine up their predictions. Funny stuff.

I won't try to shine up my prediction. I predicted the NCAA and you know what I think we still have an outside chance. I knew the start of the season would be tough, but not exactly this tough. I have also always believed that this team would play much different come conference play and I still believe it.

I posted this earlier this earlier, but I will post it again for those who may have missed it. This is a very good example of how hard it is to adjust to a new sytem at the start of the season. This is a list of three of the biggest coaching hires this past off season and what they have done so far. It is, also, important to point out that these three are system coaches.

Gillispie UK results of 4-3 and RPI of 146

Beilein Mich results of 3-6 and RPI of 144

Lickleter Iowa result of 6-5 and RPI of 243

[3Jack]

I won't try to shine up my prediction. I predicted the NCAA and you know what I think we still have an outside chance. I knew the start of the season would be tough, but not exactly this tough. I have also always believed that this team would play much different come conference play and I still believe it.

I posted this earlier this earlier, but I will post it again for those who may have missed it. This is a very good example of how hard it is to adjust to a new sytem at the start of the season. This is a list of three of the biggest coaching hires this past off season and what they have done so far. It is, also, important to point out that these three are system coaches.

Gillispie UK results of 4-3 and RPI of 146

Beilein Mich results of 3-6 and RPI of 144

Lickleter Iowa result of 6-5 and RPI of 243

More shining huh Brian? How is Tubby Smith doing at Minnesota? He is really the only off season hire that is comparable to Majerus IMO.

[brianstl]

More shining huh Brian? How is Tubby Smith doing at Minnesota? He is really the only off season hire that is comparable to Majerus IMO.

How is he the only hire comparable to RM?

Tubby is of to a nice 6-1 start against a much weaker schedule than SLU has played. Five of his seven games have been home games. The only victory worth talking about is a road win against a very average Iowa State team. Tubby also runs a system that is much easier to learn than Majerus's.

[3Jack]

How is he the only hire comparable to RM?

Tubby is of to a nice 6-1 start against a much weaker schedule than SLU has played. Five of his seven games have been home games. The only victory worth talking about is a road win against a very average Iowa State team. Tubby also runs a system that is much easier to learn than Majerus's.

Polish away dude. Minnesota's RPI is 31. They were 9-22 last year. I also read the other day that Tubby Smith said that he inherited talanted players he just needed to instill confidence in them. Novel theory.

[brianstl]

Polish away dude. Minnesota's RPI is 31. They were 9-22 last year. I also read the other day that Tubby Smith said that he inherited talanted players he just needed to instill confidence in them. Novel theory.

You don't want to give majerus more than one month fine. I assume when this turns around you will go back to posting under your normal handle and we will never hear from 3Jack again. Thats cool. It is easy to take shots at RM and the program now.

Did you want us to stay with Brad? Should we have hired Tubby? What do you think this teams record should be right now? Should we have one more win? Should we have two more wins?

[3Jack]

You don't want to give majerus more than one month fine. I assume when this turns around you will go back to posting under your normal handle and we will never hear from 3Jack again. Thats cool. It is easy to take shots at RM and the program now.

Did you want us to stay with Brad? Should we have hired Tubby? What do you think this teams record should be right now? Should we have one more win? Should we have two more wins?

First of all I have no other handle on this board I just haven't posted previously. And I am not the one who said this team should be in the NCAA tourney or made one of the many predictions above that this team would be better than last year. Now when you read this board all you hear about is how Majerus doesn't have any talant. It's ridiculous.

[brianstl]

First of all I have no other handle on this board I just haven't posted previously. And I am not the one who said this team should be in the NCAA tourney or made one of the many predictions above that this team would be better than last year. Now when you read this board all you hear about is how Majerus doesn't have any talant. It's ridiculous.

You think this team has a deep pool of talent? I think this team has good talent in KL, TL, and LM. I think they have a better center than most people give him credit for, but he is way behind where he should be at this point in his career. What does this team have after that? An undersized point guard that can't shoot. A four who doesn't like to bang. A bench that is stripped bare from the previous coach's inability to recruit. That sounds like a team that is loaded with talent.

It is a team that has very little margin for error.

[3Jack]

You think this team has a deep pool of talent? I think this team has good talent in KL, TL, and LM. I think they have a better center than most people give him credit for, but he is way behind where he should be at this point in his career. What does this team have after that? An undersized point guard that can't shoot. A four who doesn't like to bang. A bench that is stripped bare from the previous coach's inability to recruit. That sounds like a team that is loaded with talent.

It is a team that has very little margin for error.

Again Brian I am not the one who thought this team was going to be in the NCAA tourney at the beginning of the year. You did so you must of thought this team had pretty good talant. They do return 4 starters including their top 2 scorers from a team that won 20 games a year ago.

[brianstl]

Again Brian I am not the one who thought this team was going to be in the NCAA tourney at the beginning of the year. You did so you must of thought this team had pretty good talant. They do return 4 starters including their top 2 scorers from a team that won 20 games a year ago.

I still think this team will end up in NCAA tourney. I think we have paid a price so far for dividends that will be reaped later. We are a team because of a lack of talent has little room for error. I think once the system clicks this team will not have the same mistakes and bad shooting that we see now.

[Westy03]

I still think this team will end up in NCAA tourney. I think we have paid a price so far for dividends that will be reaped later. We are a team because of a lack of talent has little room for error. I think once the system clicks this team will not have the same mistakes and bad shooting that we see now.

With the way we are playing we will be lucky to make the A-10 tourney much less the NCAA

[brianstl]

With the way we are playing we will be lucky to make the A-10 tourney much less the NCAA

If you think we will play like that all season, you are correct. I don't believe that will be the case.

[cheeseman]

In reading all the posts about our team, many who picked in the prediction contest for us to succeed big time are now saying we have no players, no talent and never had any!

So I went back and reviewed the predictions and here is what I found

24-6

19-10 (regular season)

23-11

21-14 NIT

23-12 NIT (SLU72)

21=14

21-9

22-13

24-9 NCAA

24-10 NIT

22-10 NIT 20-13

23-11 NCAA

27-8 NCAA

21-12 NIT

25-10 NCAA

23-12 NIT

22-8

25-10

22-8

20-14 NIT

24-11 NCAA

24-10 NCAA

26-9 NCAA

20-10 best or 16-14 worst

27-8 NCAA

24-11 NCAA

23-11

23-7

23-11 NCAA

27-9 NCAA

23-13 NIT

17-13

22-12 NIT

26-11 NCAA

27-8 NCAA

Virtually everyone thought that we had plenty of talent and would win, on average, about 22 or 23 games. Now many of the same people say we have no players and we never had any players so we have to wait 3 more years until RM can get all new players who can learn his system. Then we can have the kind of record that virtually everyone picked for us to have this year.

I continue to refuse to agree with those who say we have no team and no players. This is a myth started after some of the worst on court performances in the last 15 years. No one said we had no talent after the first 3 games. Somehow, we have been getting progressively worse! I never liked Russian history and particularly do not like it when the textbooks are changed after the fact!

The problem with this post is that many of us refused to predict because we saw where the team had significant holes. Those of us who were leery should not be chastised for pointing out these holes. I said earlier when people were getting ready to start jumping off a cliff that probably what has them so upset is that they did like seeing their precious prediction being proved wrong so their anger was being turned on RM even though he always said he was concerned about how difficult this year might be. Focus on the future and the progress being made - it will let you sleep better and keep your blood pressure down.

[cheeseman]

Are "gameplans" discussed during the coach's corners meetins prior to the games?

No coach appears this year - it is just a gathering of Club members at the higher membership level. The AD admin. is there and you can talk to them. Actually, even when an AC came before, they really did not say much and the sound system was so bad you could not hear them anyway - kind of a waste of their time as it turns out. I don't miss them this year at all. As far as a time table is concerned, RM has given it to us - he needs to recruit bigger more athletic players along with shooters and ball handlers to improve this team - he signed 5 in this category this fall and has hopes of signing 1-2 more this spring as well as more next fall. He wants TL and KL to be well versed in his offensive and defensive set ups so they can be senior leaders next year for the newcomers. He thinks it will take until his 3rd year before we really begin to get the fruits of his labors. All you have to do is actually listen to him when he does talk and you will hear exactly what his plans are. The problem is that so many foolishly tried to dismiss the warning sirens by calling it coach's speak, ways to motivate players, or he simply is lowering expectations so he will be the conquering hero when he wins big this year. Sorry, the man from what I have seen tells the truth and does not play games with his words - start actually listening and you will be better informed. (You is not you personally but more a general "you")

[billiken_roy]

I still think this team will end up in NCAA tourney. I think we have paid a price so far for dividends that will be reaped later. We are a team because of a lack of talent has little room for error. I think once the system clicks this team will not have the same mistakes and bad shooting that we see now.

well brain, you need to pray that the a-10 comes out of the non conference schedule sky high in the overall rpi. we will need our conference rpi to be 6 or 7 overall to have a chance to get 3 or 4 at large bids. and then finish in the top 4 or 5 in the conference.

and if the a-10 does indeed finish the non conference schedule as such, that only makes that climb to finish top 4 or 5 in the conference that much harder and unlikely.

imo, your predicted path to the tourney is actually more pie in the sky than those of us that thought we would do better in the non conference schedule.

[brianstl]

well brain, you need to pray that the a-10 comes out of the non conference schedule sky high in the overall rpi. we will need our conference rpi to be 6 or 7 overall to have a chance to get 3 or 4 at large bids. and then finish in the top 4 or 5 in the conference.

and if the a-10 does indeed finish the non conference schedule as such, that only makes that climb to finish top 4 or 5 in the conference that much harder and unlikely.

imo, your predicted path to the tourney is actually more pie in the sky than those of us that thought we would do better in the non conference schedule.

We will see. I just believe with the days off between now and the GW game, we will see a much better looking team come conference time. I have been saying that for awhile.

[billiken_roy]

hope you are right on. it will make january through april a hell of a lot more fun.