Spring Signing Period

[NashvilleBilliken]

I think you are being a little hard on Sodie. He had his problems, but he is not a terrible coach. The man could flat out game plan.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm sure everybody remembers I was one of Sodie's biggest supporters. I just happen to think RM is on a whole 'nother level. Not many coaches are on that level.

[brianstl]

Don't misunderstand me. I'm sure everybody remembers I was one of Sodie's biggest supporters. I just happen to think RM is on a whole 'nother level. Not many coaches are on that level.

I misread your comments as you were saying every coach out there was better than Sodie. I reread them and I now see you meant that Rickma is better than 90% of the coaches out there.

[SShoe]

As a game coach, I agree, Brad was good. But I stand by the statement that his judgement of talent was not very good. He was also slow to play Ian and as we're currenlty seeing, Bryce probably should've gotten more minutes in the past two years. The biggest problem with it is that his recruiting suffered. He was very slow to offer players, which I think came partially from his inability to decide whether or not the player was worth it.

[brianstl]

As a game coach, I agree, Brad was good. But I stand by the statement that his judgement of talent was not very good. He was also slow to play Ian as we're seeing, Bryce who probably should've gotten more minutes in the past two years. The biggest problem with it is that his recruiting suffered. He was very slow to offer players, which I think came partially from his inability to decide whether or not the player was worth it.

I'll give you that. Bryce should have got more time last year.

[Billikan]

Luke Meyer looked like another Soderberg bust at this point in his freshman year. Up until three weeks ago, Kevin Lisch looked like a bust in this offense. I'm not ready to write MR off because he is playing timid out there. I have no idea if he will be here next year or not, but to think MR has come anywhere close to maximizing his potential, is just plain wrong.

I also think it's a bit hypocritical to write a post calling people out who thought MR would come in and be a factor based on his resume. Then you turn around and say there is no way he'll play next year because we have Conklin, Reed, and Thompson coming in. Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black, IMO.

I may be crazy--and some here would agree--but I saw some things last night with MR that actually gave me some hope. Earlier, even though I saw him in the all star game and thought he would really contribute this year based on that performance, I thought he was almost a total bust who just jacked up shots when he got pt and never really played any defense or was tough on the boards. Last night, although he did not finish any shots he made several nice and athletic moves that would indicate with more experience and a calmer demeanor he might help us in the future. I may be wrong but I saw a glimmer of a potentially positive future. I was also very happy to hear that he was one of the basketball players, along with Bryce, Kevin, Luke and Eckerle who had a 3.0 or better for the first semester this year. That is impressive for a freshman. I am sure that fact alone impresses RM.

[Band Legend]

I may be crazy--and some here would agree--but I saw some things last night with MR that actually gave me some hope. Earlier, even though I saw him in the all star game and thought he would really contribute this year based on that performance, I thought he was almost a total bust who just jacked up shots when he got pt and never really played any defense or was tough on the boards. Last night, although he did not finish any shots he made several nice and athletic moves that would indicate with more experience and a calmer demeanor he might help us in the future. I may be wrong but I saw a glimmer of a potentially positive future. I was also very happy to hear that he was one of the basketball players, along with Bryce, Kevin, Luke and Eckerle who had a 3.0 or better for the first semester this year. That is impressive for a freshman. I am sure that fact alone impresses RM.

I just want to second your kudos to Marcus for the good GPA. Adjusting to college life and playing basketball for a coach who didn't recruit you is a daunting challenge for sure. His good grades show maturity and persistence under difficult circumstances. I also thought he played much more within the system last night, even if his stat line didn't show much. He kicked the ball out to run clock a couple of times when you know he was dying to chuck it up at the basket.

[davidnark]

I may be crazy--and some here would agree--but I saw some things last night with MR that actually gave me some hope.

I saw some things I liked from MR last night, but they were a little different from those you noted. What impressed me was his effective job catching and passing the ball from the top of the key against the zone while surrounded by defenders. He looked like he had good hands and a good feel for the system when he played that role.

[Clock_Tower]

Luke Meyer looked like another Soderberg bust at this point in his freshman year. Up until three weeks ago, Kevin Lisch looked like a bust in this offense. I'm not ready to write MR off because he is playing timid out there. I have no idea if he will be here next year or not, but to think MR has come anywhere close to maximizing his potential, is just plain wrong.

I also think it's a bit hypocritical to write a post calling people out who thought MR would come in and be a factor based on his resume. Then you turn around and say there is no way he'll play next year because we have Conklin, Reed, and Thompson coming in. Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black, IMO.

Nash. Think you are way off base. LM never looked to me as a bust his freshman year. First, he was not given much of a chance to play, but when he did play, I admit that he did not produce right away. With that said, even if his shots did not fall, his shooting form and instincts looked solid and typical of that shown during his highschool years when he was the local scoring leader. With LM, it was not "if he would contribute" but rather "when he would contribute." To me, lack of production your freshman year does not indicate you are a bust.

Your shot against KL is so unfathonable that I cannot comment. If you think KL was a bust until 3 weeks ago, then I hope we get more busts like him.

Also, I am not writing MR off and would never make a foolish statement suggesting that any freshman (on any talent level) would be close to his maximizing his potential. All kids get better over their college careers.

Finally, you may think you came up with a snappy comment with the pot/kettle remark, but understand that I am not basing my thoughts and expectations of Conklin, Reed and Thompson (along with John and K Mitchell) based upon this Board's comments. Was not Conklin the best player in his Class level in OR? Thompson and Reed have demonstrated AAU accomplishments... All 5 RM recruits are Fall high school recruits rather than Spring prep school recruits. Most importantly, I trust RM's evaluation of talent more than Brad's. If you are suggesting that MR may not have turned out as hoped in his first year and that RM's recruits may turn out the same, I again think you are way off base.

[kmbilliken]

Luke never looked like a bust. He had a lot of trouble freshman year adjusting to scoring at this level, but he always was a heady player contributing with good defense and a good floor game when given the chance.

I also saw a little from MR last game. He does seem to have some skills and appears to be athletic, but seems rushed. He's got good size and looks like he could develope into a power forward if he hit the weight room and worked on his post skills.

[billiken_roy]

what i saw from relphorde and knollmeyer last game was two guys that came in and played very very hard. probably too hard as they were obviously pressing to do good and then made mistakes. they need to relax and play. however, who can blame them for reacting as such. i think that is human nature.

[jimbofive]

I also saw a little from MR last game. He does seem to have some skills and appears to be athletic, but seems rushed. He's got good size and looks like he could develope into a power forward if he hit the weight room and worked on his post skills.

I typically wouldn't post anyone's pictures from FB, though this is obviously publicly available, as me and MR don't kick it reg-style and I ain't privy to his HY pics, but this one definitely showcases some athleticism:

[Box and Won]

what i saw from relphorde and knollmeyer last game was two guys that came in and played very very hard. probably too hard as they were obviously pressing to do good and then made mistakes. they need to relax and play. however, who can blame them for reacting as such. i think that is human nature.

That's kind of the impression that I got - it looked like they were both nervous/pressing and couldn't get into the flow of the game. I guess AK especially needs to play on a regular basis, even if it is just for short stretches - he was looking like he did earlier in the season.

I think Relphorde will be fine in the long run.

[jjray]

Nash. Think you are way off base. LM never looked to me as a bust his freshman year. First, he was not given much of a chance to play, but when he did play, I admit that he did not produce right away. With that said, even if his shots did not fall, his shooting form and instincts looked solid and typical of that shown during his high school years when he was the local scoring leader.

I'll disagree completely with the above. I was in the camp of thinking Luke was a bust after his freshman year. The first games he got in, it was complete deer in the headlights. Just a fish out of water. What made it worse was the ridiculous low and slow release on his jumper exhibited freshman year. He got blocked often then was scared to shoot. His shot just looked ugly. Was it the same form as in HS? Yeah, which made one scratch the head and wonder that Sodie gave Luke a scholie. The glimmer of hope I saw from Luke his freshman year was when he stopped trying to get off the ugly set shot (not a jumper really) and put the ball on the floor to drive. He was strong in traffic even his freshman year. This guy made a leap from freshman to sophomore year. I was definitely wrong about Luke. Marcus has talent. Too early to say how things will turn out and I, for one, hope Rick does not give up on him. I'd be shocked if he did.

[Guest BillikenReport]

I guess AK especially needs to play on a regular basis, even if it is just for short stretches - he was looking like he did earlier in the season.

Knollmeyer could find a role on this team as a hustle and effort guy who just sets picks, rebounds and defends. That's what SLU needs him to be, because other than Bryce the Billikens don't have anybody his size. You need some role players to do the dirty work. When he started those few games, he looked like he was starting to become that player.

One thing someone pointed out to me about Marcus earlier in the season was that when he did play, he didn't seem to get anything accomplished. He would be out on the floor, but he wasn't scoring or rebounding or doing anything that stood out on the defensive end. Basically, he was just a body out there going through the motions.

Personally, I think Marcus is a nice kid who has a lot of potential. I think he's suffered from not playing much and then trying not to screw up when he does get out there.

But I can also see the viewpoint of him being a guy who bounced around to a couple different high schools, didn't impress the people who follow prep basketball and recruiting (despite the exposure of playing with guys like Tyreke Evans) and didn't draw much attention from colleges.

[NashvilleBilliken]

Nash. Think you are way off base. LM never looked to me as a bust his freshman year. First, he was not given much of a chance to play, but when he did play, I admit that he did not produce right away. With that said, even if his shots did not fall, his shooting form and instincts looked solid and typical of that shown during his highschool years when he was the local scoring leader. With LM, it was not "if he would contribute" but rather "when he would contribute." To me, lack of production your freshman year does not indicate you are a bust.

Your shot against KL is so unfathonable that I cannot comment. If you think KL was a bust until 3 weeks ago, then I hope we get more busts like him.

Also, I am not writing MR off and would never make a foolish statement suggesting that any freshman (on any talent level) would be close to his maximizing his potential. All kids get better over their college careers.

Finally, you may think you came up with a snappy comment with the pot/kettle remark, but understand that I am not basing my thoughts and expectations of Conklin, Reed and Thompson (along with John and K Mitchell) based upon this Board's comments. Was not Conklin the best player in his Class level in OR? Thompson and Reed have demonstrated AAU accomplishments... All 5 RM recruits are Fall high school recruits rather than Spring prep school recruits. Most importantly, I trust RM's evaluation of talent more than Brad's. If you are suggesting that MR may not have turned out as hoped in his first year and that RM's recruits may turn out the same, I again think you are way off base.

I disagree with pretty much everything above.

In regard to Luke, I never saw anything like this prior to this year - "LM, it was not "if he would contribute" but rather "when he would contribute." Up until early conference play last year, I was having huge debates with people over if Luke "was a D1 player". Roy would come back with the usual "there are 350 d1 schools" then people would continue to argue that he shouldn't be on a top 100 team. I disagreed, but to even suggest that Luke has been a known commodity for 4 years is insane. I won't argue that you felt that way, but I don't believe you.

In regard to your take on my Lisch comment, please reread what I wrote. I said Lisch looked like a bust IN THIS OFFENSE. Just read the threads, man. Everybody was upset with his play. People wondered what happened (myself included). People thought that RM destroyed any sort of player Kevin was....and he was getting 30+ minutes a game. So, what's that....like 400 minutes it took before he felt comfortable? And you expect Marcus to feel comfortable after about 30 total minutes? Obviously, I don't agree that.

I hope Rick's recruits come in and take us to the next level. In fact, I expect that. However, I'm not going to say something like since Rick recruited them, they will be starts. Since Brad recruited them, they suck. Obviously Kevin, Tommie, Luke, Ian and Bryce blow that argument out of the water.

Finally, I would encourage you to read Rick's book. All fans must read it. Rick says time and time again that things don't always work out in recruiting. Sometimes he makes bad choices, sometimes the recruit makes a bad choice, sometimes it's a little of both. So, regardless of Rick's ability to evaluate talent, even the master makes mistakes.