here's a thought on our very bad losses

[davidnark]

Nark, you said we'd be in "great shape" for the NCAA if not (among other things) losing 3 consecutive road games...and that KL was mostly to blame for the losses. When was the last time we won 3 consecutive road games? Why do you think Nebraska is an easy place to win? They were bitten by UMBC, but they're a pretty good team...about 100 rpi points better than SLU.

Where did I say Lisch was mostly to blame? I just wrote four paragraphs explaining that Lisch wasn't mostly to blame, he was just the worst of the senior offenders. If I truly said we would be in "great shape," then I embellished, but we certainly would have been in realistic shape.

[ARon]

This isn't a NCAA team. The freshman front-men are too green, inconsistent, and just plain sub-par right now. Can't we just accept that? There is no reason to freak out or get upset with the whole program for not being a tournament team this year. It was unrealistic to expect they would be. NIT or CBI, that is a different story. Just enjoy the ride and appreciate TLIII and KL while you still can.

[huzzah]

it seems to me that rickma doesnt prepare for one game at a time as much. i.e. he has his system, the players will play that defense that offense and the belief is that if they execute and execute better than the other team the billikens win.

both romar and soderberg prepared one game at a time. the asst coaches were assigned games to scout and view tape and then bring back a game plan that could be wildly different each and every game.

while long term with increase talent and experience the big time programs succeed with what it appears rickma is doing and obviously get the opponent to play to them. short term though, that might not be as effective as planning game to game.

also planning game to game takes away from valuable repetition that pays off down the road as well.

now i dont know if rickma indeed doesnt put as much stock in game to game specific tactics, but it sure seems that way to me when thinking about some of these bad games.

Roy, my guess is that Rick does utilize game to game specific tactics. I base this on the UMass game. I watched KU play UMass and KU used zone. KU ended up losing the game, but it was because of poor play and poor shooting. The zone was effective. When we played UMass we used zone. Rick gave credit for this tactic to Moser. Rick said it was the first time in his life he had utilized zone. Therefore, I think the coaching staff looked at the KU vs UMass game and then decided on using the zone and this was a specific game tactic based on scouting either by watching film or seeing the game in person.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Roy, my guess is that Rick does utilize game to game specific tactics. I base this on the UMass game. I watched KU play UMass and KU used zone. KU ended up losing the game, but it was because of poor play and poor shooting. The zone was effective. When we played UMass we used zone. Rick gave credit for this tactic to Moser. Rick said it was the first time in his life he had utilized zone. Therefore, I think the coaching staff looked at the KU vs UMass game and then decided on using the zone and this was a specific game tactic based on scouting either by watching film or seeing the game in person.

I suspect Coach Majerus likes to use hyperbole. January 14, 2009, against UMass wasn't the first time his team has utilized a zone defense during a game, because I recall his talking about it and its happening last year. (And I doubt it was his first time then, either -- heck he used a triangle and two [a form of zone defense] against SLU in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.)

[redbirdfan]

I suspect Coach Majerus likes to use hyperbole. January 14, 2009, against UMass wasn't the first time his team has utilized a zone defense during a game, because I recall his talking about it and its happening last year. (And I doubt it was his first time then, either -- heck he used a triangle and two [a form of zone defense] against SLU in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.)

HEY THICKS! CHeck your PM's!

[kevinfootes]

Where did I say Lisch was mostly to blame? I just wrote four paragraphs explaining that Lisch wasn't mostly to blame, he was just the worst of the senior offenders. If I truly said we would be in "great shape," then I embellished, but we certainly would have been in realistic shape.

Here's the post I'm referring to the most. I'm not even sure "realistic" is appropriate. IMO, this schedule only allows for about 5 losses with any chance of an at-large bid.

Jan 21 2009, 12:13 AM Post #32

davidnark

Group: Moderator

Posts: 3,482

Joined: 30-November 99

From: University City, Missouri

Member No.: 100,032

Torch, your stats are very telling, but even without statistics, the bigger disappointments were Kevin's defensive lapses against Kent State and overall poor play at Nebraska (2-12 shooting), Detroit (2-11 shooting), and SIU (2-7 shooting). Those were the games when we needed Kevin Lisch, the senior star, to take over and will us to a win like Marque Perry, Justin Love, and the other SLU stars he has been compared to once did. Had we won those games, we would be in great shape right now. Instead, we are once again left hoping for a miracle run in the conference tournament.

I still have great respect for Kevin and the stellar effort and commitment he gives all the time, but that doesn't mean I can't be disappointed in his performance for much of this year.

[kevinfootes]

I don't find Majerus's candid comments offensive. I could care less about his bizarre behavior. I see nothing wrong with him shooting straight with kids who don't belong with a program. I do, however, find a winless road record and a couple of 30-point losses offensive and unacceptable.

I was very upset with some of the poor performances last year, and the road performance this year isn't very good. I was hopeful that RM could work his mojo on the team and get them a few more wins. For whatever reason, it hasn't gone down that way. I've come to accept the idea that it's going to take 3-4 years to get this team in position for the big dance. Keep the faith, Nark!

[davidnark]

Those were the games when we needed Kevin Lisch, the senior star, to take over and will us to a win like Marque Perry, Justin Love, and the other SLU stars he has been compared to once did. Had we won those games, we would be in great shape right now. Instead, we are once again left hoping for a miracle run in the conference tournament.

I didn't say Kevin was solely to be blame or to be relied upon, but instead I was pointing out that as the senior star he was the one that needed to take charge to find a way to make this team win. I stand by that statement. (Tommie shares equal responsibility, but he has performed at much higher level relative to expectations.) Nowhere did I state that everyone else gets a free pass, and that was never my intention or implication.

I also didn't claim we would have been a sure in for the NCAA tournament had we won those games. However, we would have been top 50 or 60 in RPI going into a solid conference schedule, which would have given us a realistic shot at a bid. Relative to where we have been going into the conference schedule most of this decade, I would have considered that in great shape.

You keep twisting my words to suit your arguments.

[kevinfootes]

I didn't say Kevin was solely to be blame or to be relied upon, but instead I was pointing out that as the senior star he was the one that needed to take charge to find a way to make this team win. I stand by that statement. (Tommie shares equal responsibility, but he has performed at much higher level relative to expectations.) Nowhere did I state that everyone else gets a free pass, and that was never my intention or implication.

I also didn't claim we would have been a sure in for the NCAA tournament had we won those games. However, we would have been top 50 or 60 in RPI going into a solid conference schedule, which would have given us a realistic shot at a bid. Relative to where we have been going into the conference schedule most of this decade, I would have considered that in great shape.

You keep twisting my words to suit your arguments.

Actually, someone estimated that our rpi would have been about 67. That's certainly better than where we are, but a 60ish rpi is no shoe-in for an at-large. Ask the Springfield folks.

As I mentioned in another thread (that you locked), SLU could have easily lost 5 other close games that we won. You keep forgetting that part. I'm not sure why you thought a team with this much youth would pitch a perfect game for the season, but that's just about what it would take.

As a few other posters have mentioned, we're pretty much where any realistic fan would expect us to be.

[GoBills]

I think something is ailing Lisch physically, but that kid won't make excuses. I also think Kevin strikes me as an overachiver, that perhaps he reached his ceiling ability-wise and already peaked. So maybe he really wasn't capable of taking his game up another level this year, considering such an inexperienced supporting cast. It is probably too much to ask Kevin and Tommie to carry the team. They're just not those kind of players. When I see Xavier, I don't see superstar players (Brown comes close) I see 4-5 outstanding, mostly experienced players capable of stepping on any given night. The Bills are really lacking two more quality upperclassmen.

[MusicCityBilliken]

Temple is really clicking now.

They slaughtered Charlotte last night 80-53.