Impressions

[waterboy]

Here are some impressions that I had....take them for what they are worth:

1) Polk does not have a point in A-10 play. He has seven assists and seven turnovers. He has three steals. We have to pull him out at the end of the game because he cannot shoot FTs. Note, this also includes 10 minutes of OT. Dwayne is by all accounts a great kid...but was not the player the former staff thought he was. Their guard, Clark, I think, scored seven points and really didn't do much more than Polk except hit a frickin' shot occasionally. I think Kwamain Mitchell has to be an immediate upgrade for next year....

2) Husak looks like the tin man out there. I am going to send my cousin down there to oil him before the next game. That may help.

3) That over and back call reversal in the second half really hurt. We were up by five with the ball...they get it back and Christmas hits a three. Major swing there on a BS call.

4) I looked at Temple's record...they have some losses, but have played a tough schedule. I think it's a bit unfair to label them as a mediocre opponent.

5) I generally think that Knollmeier does play OK in spurts. He, at least, has some hands and can make some rebounds in traffic. I hope that Barry's problems are due to injury. We have seen some glimpses of good things from him in past games. Overall, I am a bit disappointed. Maybe, it's just because everyone inside is playing out of position.

6) If we don't beat LaSalle or Richmond on the road....we may not be in the A-10 tournament.

7) Will continue to support the team and the Billiken Club---looking forward to better days in the near future.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Here are some impressions that I had....take them for what they are worth:

1) Polk does not have a point in A-10 play. He has seven assists and seven turnovers. He has three steals. We have to pull him out at the end of the game because he cannot shoot FTs. Note, this also includes 10 minutes of OT. Dwayne is by all accounts a great kid...but was not the player the former staff thought he was. Their guard, Clark, I think, scored seven points and really didn't do much more than Polk except hit a frickin' shot occasionally. I think Kwamain Mitchell has to be an immediate upgrade for next year....

2) Husak looks like the tin man out there. I am going to send my cousin down there to oil him before the next game. That may help.

3) That over and back call reversal in the second half really hurt. We were up by five with the ball...they get it back and Christmas hits a three. Major swing there on a BS call.

4) I looked at Temple's record...they have some losses, but have played a tough schedule. I think it's a bit unfair to label them as a mediocre opponent.

5) I generally think that Knollmeier does play OK in spurts. He, at least, has some hands and can make some rebounds in traffic. I hope that Barry's problems are due to injury. We have seen some glimpses of good things from him in past games. Overall, I am a bit disappointed. Maybe, it's just because everyone inside is playing out of position.

6) If we don't beat LaSalle or Richmond on the road....we may not be in the A-10 tournament.

7) Will continue to support the team and the Billiken Club---looking forward to better days in the near future.

#3 Although sour grapes will no doubt be raised by some, that reversal of the over and back call on Temple was a horrendous call, and proved to be game dispositive, as Temple hit a 3 on that gift possession. No SLU player touched that ball, at least by a foot, as confirmed by the replay. The A-10 refs continue to homer SLU at home. On that play one ref called over and back, the correct call, but was reversed by another ref, who at best saw something that didn't happen.

In addition, Danny Brown took a blow to the head under the basket after a Temple shot near the end of regulation. I did not expect a foul to be called there, as the refs usually swallow their whistles there. But it was a foul, and Brown could have been shooting FT's for the win right there.

I agree that at times SLU is playing 5 on 3 with the ball. IMO Polk is the best overall ballhandler, but teams know of his shooting woes and don't have to guard him in the half court. I also thought Temple was overplaying Tommie Liddell's left side to keep him from driving left. Tyndale said that the scouting report was that Liddell drives going left and shoots jumpers going right. As for the 5, it is a dilemma. I like having Husak in there on defense blocking shots and getting rebounds. But at the other end ...

[Band Legend]

#3 Although sour grapes will no doubt be raised by some, that reversal of the over and back call on Temple was a horrendous call, and proved to be game dispositive, as Temple hit a 3 on that gift possession. No SLU player touched that ball, at least by a foot, as confirmed by the replay. The A-10 refs continue to homer SLU at home. On that play one ref called over and back, the correct call, but was reversed by another ref, who at best saw something that didn't happen.

In addition, Danny Brown took a blow to the head under the basket after a Temple shot near the end of regulation. I did not expect a foul to be called there, as the refs usually swallow their whistles there. But it was a foul, and Brown could have been shooting FT's for the win right there.

I agree that at times SLU is playing 5 on 3 with the ball. IMO Polk is the best overall ballhandler, but teams know of his shooting woes and don't have to guard him in the half court. I also thought Temple was overplaying Tommie Liddell's left side to keep him from driving left. Tyndale said that the scouting report was that Liddell drives going left and shoots jumpers going right. As for the 5, it is a dilemma. I like having Husak in there on defense blocking shots and getting rebounds. But at the other end ...

It is quite a pisser to have at least one player on the court at all times that the other team knows it doesn't have to guard. That has pretty much been the case all year long. Dwayne has to play alot of minutes for this team, and four on five on the offensive end is not a recipe for scoring. In many games I have honestly hoped that he would shoot just to keep the other team honest, but then HE MISSES EVERY SHOT HE EVER TAKES! It has to be creeping deeper into his head, because usually reliable parts of his game, like taking care of the ball, have suffered as well. I think we need to resign ourselves to the fact that this team has deficiencies that cannot be solved. Unfortunately the players we need are still seniors in high school.

[dewey33]

It is quite a pisser to have at least one player on the court at all times that the other team knows it doesn't have to guard. That has pretty much been the case all year long. Dwayne has to play alot of minutes for this team, and four on five on the offensive end is not a recipe for scoring. In many games I have honestly hoped that he would shoot just to keep the other team honest, but then HE MISSES EVERY SHOT HE EVER TAKES! It has to be creeping deeper into his head, because usually reliable parts of his game, like taking care of the ball, have suffered as well. I think we need to resign ourselves to the fact that this team has deficiencies that cannot be solved. Unfortunately the players we need are still seniors in high school.

They are in high school....OR are JUCO's that have yet to sign....

[Box and Won]

A kid sitting a few rows behind us who was probably 8 years old or so, yelled out twice "Dwayne, you're not allowed to shoot the ball!" which was pretty damn funny.

[MB73]

A kid sitting a few rows behind us who was probably 8 years old or so, yelled out twice "Dwayne, you're not allowed to shoot the ball!" which was pretty damn funny.

I like how he always pump fakes, open by 10 feet.