Breaking news (6-12)

[slufanskip]

I can't give an exact quote since I don't remember the specifics, but essentially Majerus said that that if the team was going to be as good as it could be next year, Brett would need to lose some weight and get into better shape. Rick said that basically all returning players need to make the commitment and show the desire to make the necessary improvements to their own individual games.

Anyone know what exactly was said at the banquet?

One person says if he was a parent he'd have wanted to punch RM, the next says he said Brett would need to lose some weight and get into better shape to help next year. How did he say it? Like that ... Brett needs to lose weight and get into better shape? or Brett's a fat lazy pu$$y who better get off his ass and into the weight room. There is a big difference I can see #2 at practice or behind closed doors, but not that or anything in the same tone at the Banquet. #1 is fine at the Banquet, he's talking openly about what the team needs to do to improve.

So ... exactly what was said?

[Taj79]

I was waiting for this ---- given the exodus of the Soderberg players, given Majerus' previous track record at Utah with kids like Jensen's brother, it was only a matter of time. I read Trey's comments and they are all good --- in terms of the individual has to make up his or her mind as to just where they are going. I can echo a little of the Bomb's comments as well --- but I will wish any kid leaving the program best wishes and good luck. To this day, about the only players who ever left here and went somewhere and overachieved, I'd say they were Ricky Frazier and maybe, maybe Justin Winfield. Ford did okay at SW Missouri state and there were a couple of kids who went down to NAIA and Division II or lower, but much like my claims of this job being a graveyard for coaches, so it seems a similar vein exists for our former players. One side of me wishes Brett changes that; the other side has loyalties to the Bomb's comments.

No one ever stood up once the banquet was in the books and said "oh my gawd, what Majerus said and did about Thompson was a total injustice." We heard that about some other things in the great TL III dropping out of school thread. But nothing went off with "Warning, Warning Will Robinson" with Majerus' comments about BT. So while I am NOT disputing Trey's comments and Brett's feelings, it sounds like the transfer is a culmination of a year-long process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing. And for those who claim kids should know who they are signing with and teenagers are incredibly indecisive and uninformed, I agree to all. I've always said these are NOT the folks I want to bank my financial well-being on. Do-do happens. Brett is another in what will be likely a continuing trait. I don't believe it is unique to Saint Louis University. And I also see the connection between BT adn Brad so even the person who pointed that connection out has a little piece to add to the overall pie.

As for passion, well, again, two (at least) trains colliding in the night there. I can't believe Brett given his size faced much adversity in the southern Illinois high school leagues. Don't confuse ease with passion. Each step up you go, the level of competition and amount of commitment increase. College sports are a job -- instead of pay for play your get free education for play. Balancing the rigors of a full time job with that of being a full time student is not easy I wouild imagine. I did it for a semester and then walked away. I didn't lose any aid because I didn't get any but I remember being really happy when I finally did it. Might be the same for him. Some might call Brett weak for it, I don't know. When I quit, the only person's opinion who mattered was my dad. He agreed with the call. End of story.

Where's Brett going to end up will interest me as will any stats he puts on the board from here on out. I don't think the commitment needed from him will change ---- and I'd bet it even gets larger at bigger, more successful D-I programs. I'd be willing to bet all those Saluki's who bad-mouthed him coming here in the first place will now salivate and say they need to go get him. I will miss what I thought was going to be a great three more years of Thoimpson against Frease at Xavier. But you are kidding yourself if you think this will be the last thing.

I could see Roy's comment coming a mile away. I can see the line of connection drawn between BT and BS. I know it exists with WR adn FJ but am not saying they are next because they seem to have accepted the Majerus way and are doing okay. But if it went south, I won't be surprised. Same goes with the two Aussies. As well as any of this year's recruits and Kwamain. I don't think you can make it in the cut-throat world of major NCAA sports without having some warts in your program. I'm not saying you need to be Floyd and Mayo at USC, or Rose and Calipari at Memphis, or the Alabama football program. That is still wrong. How many freshmen dropped out of SLU last year or transferred? That number is probably corresponding to a norm across the nation; the issue here is this is an athelete, one of 13 highly recognizable campus figures.

Life goes on.

[saluki762]

I'd be willing to bet all those Saluki's who bad-mouthed him coming here in the first place will now salivate and say they need to go get him.

Nope, we think he is a fat slow pu$$y.

Just kidding, hate to see anyone leave the program. Especially a somewhat skilled 7 footer, he could have been a force had he given it time. Now barring a stand out JC season, he is looking at a DII or DIII program and not nearly the quality education he was getting.

My only fear as a SLU fan is that this is now 2 of RM's first class that aren't here less than a year later. The same problem I have with what CLO is doing at SIU. Losing players is fine when you win but neither RM or CLO is winning and that makes it a problem.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Weighing in from the Left Coast- this is not good news at all IMO.

7 foot centers do not grow on trees.

College basketball has become so guard oriented, to the point that we are seeing 4 guard attacks. A good big man is a real premium, even an average big man has a place. The superior big man is usually playing professionally, not playing in college.

This Brett Thompson case could be one that is detrimental to both player and team.

I wish someone could become involved and mediate this situation so Brett Thompson could stay at SLU.

[DeSmetBilliken]

Anyone know what exactly was said at the banquet?

One person says if he was a parent he'd have wanted to punch RM, the next says he said Brett would need to lose some weight and get into better shape to help next year. How did he say it? Like that ... Brett needs to lose weight and get into better shape? or Brett's a fat lazy pu$$y who better get off his ass and into the weight room. There is a big difference I can see #2 at practice or behind closed doors, but not that or anything in the same tone at the Banquet. #1 is fine at the Banquet, he's talking openly about what the team needs to do to improve.

So ... exactly what was said?

I think the comments were more in line with the first of those two. When they were initially said, I was slightly taken aback, but then Majerus commented on something upon which every returning player could improve as he spoke about each individual player, so by the end the comments seemed to be more par for the course. I'll add that aside from the walk-ons, Brett was the first player mentioned by Majerus. He may have been a little harder on Brett than the rest of the returning players, but at the same time I didn't leave the banquet that night thinking "Wow, Majerus really tore into Thompson tonight!"

[brianstl]

Weighing in from the Left Coast- this is not good news at all IMO.

7 foot centers do not grow on trees.

College basketball has become so guard oriented, to the point that we are seeing 4 guard attacks. A good big man is a real premium, even an average big man has a place. The superior big man is usually playing professionally, not playing in college.

This could be a case that is detrimental to both player and team.

I wish someone could become involved and mediate this situation so Brett Thompson could stay at SLU.

It does suck losing him. I think he has got some skill and can be a good player. It will hurt our size up front and now we won't be able to crate some of the match up problems I thought we could. It almost seems lie this was a really quick decision on Brett's part. This is not the time you see kids deciding to transfer.

I wish the kid luck. Unless he starts looking at it like a job and is really willing to make a commitment to the game he will not live up to his potentail. Maybe, that is not what he wants out of his life. He just may want to play basketball for fun. If that is all he wants, SLU is not the place for him to be.

[cheeseman]

I can't give an exact quote since I don't remember the specifics, but essentially Majerus said that that if the team was going to be as good as it could be next year, Brett would need to lose some weight and get into better shape. Rick said that basically all returning players need to make the commitment and show the desire to make the necessary improvements to their own individual games.

If that is what RM said then it hardly sounds like he berated the kid. To say at a sports banquet that a player has to lose weight and get in better shape is not that bad. I am sure there were other things that were said before that in practice and that was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. I wish BT luck and hope he lands where he wants to be. It probably won't be at SIUC since they said he was soft and slow and did not want him.

[bleedbluegary1]

No loss. His play was way to timid . He obviously lacks the mental toughness to play at this level. When he gets out in the world how will he handle his bosses criticism.

[GOSLU68]

If that is what RM said then it hardly sounds like he berated the kid. To say at a sports banquet that a player has to lose weight and get in better shape is not that bad. I am sure there were other things that were said before that in practice and that was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. I wish BT luck and hope he lands where he wants to be. It probably won't be at SIUC since they said he was soft and slow and did not want him.

I worry the small town Southern Illinois high schools' lack of competition may be a problem not only for BT but for Kyle Cassity as well. It must be very difficult to scout kids who can dominate their league but are only tested at the state tournament level. When you jump to D1 whether with SLU, SIU, or Illinois you really have to not only make a commitment but have D1 level speed and talent as well. When you get in with other D1 players the cream rises. I was really looking forward to three more years of BT but if you look at AK the year before he lost the 60 pounds, he was told by Mizzou he was not good enough for a scholarship; and I believe the kid did everything he could but was not making the grade. If we recruit 6 kids a year one or two is going to be a mistake. There is no way of making look better. When I was a freshman at Illinois everyone I met had great grades and was a

class President or leader of some kind in high school. Many of these kids transferred, dropped out, or graduated with less than a B

average. A few became Magna ###### Laude' at the University of Illinois. This is a very pragmatic culling system but that is life. I sure was hoping we had found the next Chris Heinrich or better.

[Majerus Magic]

No loss. His play was way to timid . He obviously lacks the mental toughness to play at this level. When he gets out in the world how will he handle his bosses criticism.

Even though your comments hold not water, I would still like to point out you are flat out wrong. If BT decided to come back tomorrow, I would take him. It is not every day that an above average 7 footer with a good shooting touch walks into your gym. This departure definitely hurts the team, and once again we are going to be thin at the 5. Now we will have CR, CE, JS, and WR alternating between the 4 and 5 with Wille the only one with legitimate height.

If we sign one more guard or forward I will pull my hair out.

[GOSLU68]

Even though your comments hold not water, I would still like to point out you are flat out wrong. If BT decided to come back tomorrow, I would take him. It is not every day that an above average 7 footer with a good shooting touch walks into your gym. This departure definitely hurts the team, and once again we are going to be thin at the 5. Now we will have CR, CE, JS, and WR alternating between the 4 and 5 with Wille the only one with legitimate height.

If we sign one more guard or forward I will pull my hair out.

the Aussie shooters worry me; speaking of guards and forwards-I would like to see RM and BT kiss and make up you think Porter

could find his way to Vienna to smooth things over-this kid could have been the man his senior year-but only if he put out A level

work. Do I find RM offensive for wanting a level we have not achieved in the modern era-no. Is it pretty, No!

[cheeseman]

the Aussie shooters worry me; speaking of guards and forwards-I would like to see RM and BT kiss and make up you think Porter

could find his way to Vienna to smooth things over-this kid could have been the man his senior year-but only if he put out A level

work. Do I find RM offensive for wanting a level we have not achieved in the modern era-no. Is it pretty, No!

I have no idea how good or quickly BT might have developed but if you would be happy to get only one year - his senior year - out of him as a good player then I am sorry, we can not recruit kids, wait 3 years for them to develop and then get only one year of return out of them. If that is the case, then you can keep all the 7 footers out there and give me a couple of 6'8" players instead who can run, jump, and rebound as sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

[slu72]

the Aussie shooters worry me; speaking of guards and forwards-I would like to see RM and BT kiss and make up you think Porter

could find his way to Vienna to smooth things over-this kid could have been the man his senior year-but only if he put out A level

work. Do I find RM offensive for wanting a level we have not achieved in the modern era-no. Is it pretty, No!

I was a little concerned the day we recruited both Aussies as to how they would take to RM's abrasive style. Rumor had it Bogut wanted out at Utah as RM's intensity/criticism was starting to ruffle his feathers. Dont' want to generalize about Aussies but have worked and played with a bunch of them. They play hard, drink hard, and tend to be a fun loving carefree people. It wouldn't surprise me if RM jumps up their a** too much or says they're a disgrace to their country, they might just say "Hey, mate, bugger off... I'm outta here." Of course, we do have the Aussie AC to coddle them a little. Hope they're tough enough.

[TheBand]

I think the comments were more in line with the first of those two. When they were initially said, I was slightly taken aback, but then Majerus commented on something upon which every returning player could improve as he spoke about each individual player, so by the end the comments seemed to be more par for the course. I'll add that aside from the walk-ons, Brett was the first player mentioned by Majerus. He may have been a little harder on Brett than the rest of the returning players, but at the same time I didn't leave the banquet that night thinking "Wow, Majerus really tore into Thompson tonight!"

Count me as a +1 on this as well. Jim hits the nail on the head with an accurate description of what took place at the banquet. Several at our table were suprised by Majerus' bluntness, but it didn't faze me since I had heard him speak several times this season and each time, the comments were very blunt.

To be fair, I also have not been allowed to attend a practice...so I don't know how hard Majerus was on Brett in those settings.

[Kahok]

What happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room. If you want to berate a player, you do it in private not in front of a room full of people.

[slufanskip]

What happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room. If you want to berate a player, you do it in private not in front of a room full of people.

Is saying he needs to lose weight and be in better shape for the team and himself to be as good as they can be, berating a player? I can see where it could be, and I can see a context where it wouldn't be. So far on here we've had different interpretations on what was said.

[brianstl]

I have no idea how good or quickly BT might have developed but if you would be happy to get only one year - his senior year - out of him as a good player then I am sorry, we can not recruit kids, wait 3 years for them to develop and then get only one year of return out of them. If that is the case, then you can keep all the 7 footers out there and give me a couple of 6'8" players instead who can run, jump, and rebound as sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

I would have took one great your from him and a couple of developing years from him. He was the only kid we had that could legitimately defend another true 5 last season. Footers normally take time to develop. I would take him back, but I don't run the team.

This departure at this time doesn't make a lot of sense and from the way Trey talked there doesn't seem to be much of a plan on Brett's part. But then again there are rumors in southern IL that he will eventually end up at Indiana St.. Maybe it was a little more planned at than Trey made it look.

[GoBills]

This is disappointing, as I thought Brett had some potential. He wasn't quite as good as I expected and he developed a bit slower than some of the other freshmen, but it often takes big guys a while to develop. Heading into the season, I think it was expected that Brett would be the starter, but Willie clearly passed him by. Brett still could have played a valuable role next year and in the future. He would have given the Bills a different look. Some size and strength. The good thing is though, this is why you try to fill every scholarship position, so you can withstand something like this. We'll just have to go with some smaller, quicker lineup combinations. Maybe Jon Smith and Remekun play bigger roles now? Perhaps the Bills have a more athletic front court.

[Guest BillikenReport]

Maybe Jon Smith and Remekun play bigger roles now? Perhaps the Bills have a more athletic front court.

I think that is what we will see.

You'll still have five players (Willie Reed, Brian Conklin, Cody Ellis, Jon Smith and Cory Remekun) for two frontcourt spots, which means you should have some decent depth there. You lose some size, but I think you'll gain with the athletic ability of Smith and Remekun who could be stronger rebounders and defenders (shot blockers) than Thompson was.

It's not good to lose someone with Thompson's size and promise, but I don't think the Billikens are in too bad of shape.

Also, recruiting-wise, they can focus on bringing in a big guy in the following class who would be a freshman when Reed is a junior and Remekun is a sophomore.

[GoBills]

I think that is what we will see.

You'll still have five players (Willie Reed, Brian Conklin, Cody Ellis, Jon Smith and Cory Remekun) for two frontcourt spots, which means you should have some decent depth there. You lose some size, but I think you'll gain with the athletic ability of Smith and Remekun who could be stronger rebounders and defenders (shot blockers) than Thompson was.

It's not good to lose someone with Thompson's size and promise, but I don't think the Billikens are in too bad of shape.

Also, recruiting-wise, they can focus on bringing in a big guy in the following class who would be a freshman when Reed is a junior and Remekun is a sophomore.

And with the late addition of Jordan, maybe this accelerates coach Majerus's idea that he has spoke about of playing more up-tempo, since presumable he'll be playing more bigs who can run with the guards. Still, Thompson has value in match-ups like going up against the big kid from Xavier, so his loss will be felt. There had been some fretting on the board about not having more balanced recruiting classes. Now with two for next year, things are already balancing out a little more.

[GOSLU68]

And with the late addition of Jordan, maybe this accelerates coach Majerus's idea that he has spoke about of playing more up-tempo, since presumable he'll be playing more bigs who can run with the guards. Still, Thompson has value in match-ups like going up against the big kid from Xavier, so his loss will be felt. There had been some fretting on the board about not having more balanced recruiting classes. Now with two for next year, things are already balancing out a little more.

06.12.2009 11:49 pm

Goodbye Brett Thompson

By Tom Timmermann

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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A few days after the Sports Illustrated story on Rick Majerus came out over a year ago, I said hi to then-recruit Brett Thompson as he sat behind the SLU bench at a game at Scottrade Center.

What did you think of the story? I asked.

“It will be interesting,” he said.

Indeed it was. The school announced that Thompson was transferring on Friday, in a move that ultimately wasn’t too much of a shock. Thompson showed promise but he also clearly frustrated Majerus at times and one has to assume that made for uncomfortable practices and timeouts. Majerus talked regularly about Thompson’s need to get tougher, lose weight and get in shape, something that he stressed would be important to do over this offseason. I’m not sure what’s next for Brett; I spoke to him for about 15 seconds on Friday afternoon and he didn’t want to talk.

I think there were, within the confines of what you can expect from a freshman, high hopes for Thompson at the start of the season. Majerus indicated as the season went on that he had wanted Willie Reed to redshirt, which would have meant all the minutes for Thompson that he could handle. But by six games into the season, Reed had passed Thompson, taking his spot in the starting lineup and getting the majority of the minutes. (Majerus used Reed and Thompson on the court at the same time for just a handful of times during the season; it was pretty much either one or the other.) 

“He’s lost like 18 pounds, all fat, and he’s got to lose 12 more of all fat,” Majerus said at the start of the season. “He’ll do it. I’ve always been able to do that. I’m great at that (getting players to lose weight), with everybody else but myself. It took a long time to put on and it’s going to take a long time to take off. He’s going to take a long time to get a good body and I’m hoping it comes in about the middle of his sophomore year.”

Thompson got off to a slow start to the season. He started the exhibition game with Harris-Stowe, played just a little in the opener with UMSL, the first of several times matchup problems would limit his minutes, and then started the next three games. His fitness limited his playing time and in uptempo games, he didn’t play much. He was at his best when the other team had a big postman who he could bang with. In the first Xavier game, he had five points, five rebounds and two fouls in 16 minutes, admittedly almost all of that in the second half after the game was decided.

His game was starting to come back together when he sprained his ankle in practice — I was in the hallway outside the gym when it happened, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy for them to carry Thompson to the training room — and missed the first Dayton game, one where he could have helped, then after a five-point game against Fordham, he didn’t play at all against a fast-paced Duquesne team. He played about 12 minutes per game the rest of the way, and his season stats, as my colleague Nate Latsch has pointed out, were similar to those of another SLU big man, Bryce Husak, when he was a junior.  And by the time Husak was a senior, you started to wish he had two more seasons because he was finally making progress. I think there’s ample reason to think Thompson will continue to get better. How quickly is the issue.

Looking back over my notes from the season, Thompson may have been commented on by Majerus more than anyone on the team, at least on a per-minutes-played basis. Thompson started but played just 10 minutes against Southern Illinois. Afterward, Majerus said,

When you’re able to get away with just being big your whole life playing defense, now you can’t get away with being big so he’s going through a change in that. I like him.”

Prior to the Xavier game, I asked Majerus about Thompson’s development.

from Tom Timmerman Blog

“I’d like Brett to be tougher,” Majerus said. “I wish he had Kwamain’s toughness. Brett’s cerebral and I’d like Kwamain to be more like him on occasions.”

And Majerus may have been most upset with Thompson when he missed a layup at the end of the first half of the A-10 tournament game with Xavier.

“We’re down by seven, Brett has a layup, he’s the biggest guy in the gym other than Frease, he’s 6-10, 260, he double clutches the layup, double pumps it because that’s the way the game is going and then they go down and hit that 3 and I’m so mad at Brett that I did a bad job of not getting our guys organized and coming back. At that point there, I think the game was not lost in the period of time, I just felt we could get to the end. I should have taken a fatigue time out in the last four minutes, I’m going to look at the tape and evaluate that. That was my fault as well.

In my plus-minus stats, Thompson finished -44 (meaning over the course of the season, when he was on the court, the opponents scored 44 more points than SLU did), the lowest of anyone on the team. Willie Reed was a +63. But over the final 11 games of the season, Thompson was a +2 to Reed’s -26. So he was clearly making progress. (Or Reed was getting tired.)

A commenter elsewhere decried it, but I think SLU’s starting big men next season will be Willie Reed and Cody Ellis, the 6-8 kid from Australia. And if Reed’s in better shape and his knee is good, he’ll be playing 30 minutes a night.

Thompson’s departure means SLU has 11 scholarships committed for next season (not including Paul Eckerle, who I think will finally have to give his up after next season), which means SLU will have at least two to offer next season.

And Thompson is the sixth player to leave the program since Majerus took over: Adam Knollmeyer, Dustin Maguire, Marcus Relphorde, Anthony Mitchell and Ruben Cotto are the others. I’m not counting Daniel Lisch, since he came into the program with the understanding he’d be leaving the program.

[brianstl]

And with the late addition of Jordan, maybe this accelerates coach Majerus's idea that he has spoke about of playing more up-tempo, since presumable he'll be playing more bigs who can run with the guards. Still, Thompson has value in match-ups like going up against the big kid from Xavier, so his loss will be felt. There had been some fretting on the board about not having more balanced recruiting classes. Now with two for next year, things are already balancing out a little more.

I know he has said this, but I wouldn't count on this. While he always had efficient offenses at Utah his teams were not really up tempo. He only had three teams that averaged more than 75 ppg in 15 years. I would actually become a little concerned if he tossed out the style and beliefs that have made him successful.

[Saluki]

I know he has said this, but I wouldn't count on this. While he always had efficient offenses at Utah his teams were not really up tempo. He only had three teams that averaged more than 75 ppg in 15 years. I would actually become a little concerned if he tossed out the style and beliefs that have made him successful.

Is Majerus calling somewhat fat and slow not not unlike Nancy Pelosi calling someone stupid and liberal?

PS- we told you so!

[moytoy12]

This is a big disappointment. Brett had a real chance to be a solid-to-very good contributor his last two years with his sophomore year being an up-and-down transition year.

I'm guessing the truth of what was said was somewhere between the extremes with RM acting somewhat inappropriately and BT being too sensitive. Since there wasn't a large uproar about this on the board right after the banquet (perhaps overshadowed by the "did TL drop out" discussion?), I doubt RM's statements were as bad as some are saying. However, I'm growing more disappointed in the way RM is handling things.

[TreyT3]

Here it is guys, what Ive gotten from the little he told me its not being called slow and fat that bothered him but the way he was told and how often. Theres a big difference being told you need to lose weight and get faster and every day all day being told your a slow fat f****** peice of ######. It got in his head and he started to believe he wasnt good enough to be there. He was treated much more poorly then some of the other players on the team. To me thats not how you treat people, especially a kid you want to play basketball for you. Im speaking from experience. I loved basketball with all my heart but I didnt love my coach shitting all over me every day and my teammates making fun of me. Yeah I was the second leading scorer on the team as a soph but who cares. So when basketball was no longer fun I quit. No one can know exactly whats going through his mind except him. All i know is he went from the biggest basketball freak to not wanting to play much. He went from being so confident in himself to one of the meekest 7 footers Ive ever seen. He was scared on the floor and you all know that. When you get it pounded into your head youre not good enough you start to believe it.