next year's class

[bsheldon]

I have read quite a bit about Rob Loe on this board. Any news? Are we still in a holding pattern until spring?

Anyone heard anything about Jake Kreuser? (6'11" kid from Minnesota) I stumbled on him while cruising Rivals.

Evans and McCall are for sure correct?

If we get those 4 to come in with what we currently are working with, it is looking like it is a good time to be a Billiken fan.

Yes, I know that if we have 4 more scholarship players coming in--some current players have to go. I know it sucks for the kids--majorly, but that is the price of running a winning program. I do not think this is a huge deal though. As much as I truly do like the kids we have now, there are several that are not lighting the world on fire that I will be sad to see go, but understand them leaving for the good of the program. Besides Willie, Mitchell, and Ellis, I don't see any absolute "can't lose" players or even players that will be that hard to replace their productivity. I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. Fingrs crossed he finds his stroke. Femi and Cassity are both solid players, but neither is a a world beater and hopefully the kid from Chicago can take their minutes from day one. JJ is a scorer--in high school, but D1 is a whole other level. Sure he can shoot the ball, as great as he was, 5'9" is tough to overcome when you are usually guarded by a 6'3" guy that is just about as quick as you are. Plus he isn't very long, like Kwamaine appears to be. Smith is almost still too young and green to say a whole lot about--problem is he is kind of a "tweener." He is "only" 6'5". He doesn't appear to have the ball skills or quickness of a guard or even a 3 and is a bit small in every direction to play down low with the big boys. Of course I haven't seen him practice day in and day out in person to see what kind of athleticism he truly has. He may be a a raw talent that Rick really likes, but it hasn't really shown up on the stat sheet yet. Cory is a real nice player, not great at anything, with the possible exception of shot blocking, but not noticeably bad at anything. He may be aother the is still coming into his own, but as of yet isn't lighting up the stat sheet by putting the ball in the hoop. Conklin plays with a ton of passion and does a lot of hard work on both ends, but is similar to Cory in that he doesn't have any major flaws that I have seen, but also doesn't appear to have any major outstanding skills either. I am not too sure how much better he can get.

Then there is the Jeff Reid situation. Sad. Keep your fingers crossed. We got good news recently that he is back in town. There for a while he couldn't do much of anything. Will he play again? Who knows. Someone else said he looks like the playyer we all hoped Cassity would be. Again, any news on his recovery? I can't see him playing at all this season and medical redshirt may be in his future if Rick truly thinks he is that good.

Again, I am not trying to dog any of our current players as I am truly excited about the rest of this season. (after Saturday's victory--I was mortified after the BG debacle) I am really excited about what is to come in the next 2-3 years--especailly if these recruits pan out. Plus having try outs at the beginning of the season only makes the team better--again, rough on some, but it is the way of the capitalist and competitive world that leads to deep NCAA runs.

[MusicCityBilliken]

We are good with Evans and McCall. Both have committed in November. As far as Loe goes, he probably will commit to somewhere in the Spring. Only problem with Loe, if he signs with SLU, is someone would have to leave to make room for him on the roster.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Put me down as hoping there are no more roster changes until recruits are coming to replace KM, WR, BC, & KC after they've completed their eligibility.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Rob Loe sounds nice, but SLU already has a nice frontcourt, though young. Jon Smith is not necessarily a 'tweener just because Majerus lists him at 6'5". He can play with any 6'7" player; he just needs to get stronger.

This squad is poised to be awesome over the next couple of years, but if the roster keeps changing, the continuity and chemistry will never settle down.

[NH]

Put me down as hoping there are no more roster changes until recruits are coming to replace KM, WR, BC, & KC after they've completed their eligibility.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Rob Loe sounds nice, but SLU already has a nice frontcourt, though young. Jon Smith is not necessarily a 'tweener just because Majerus lists him at 6'5". He can play with any 6'7" player; he just needs to get stronger.

This squad is poised to be awesome over the next couple of years, but if the roster keeps changing, the continuity and chemistry will never settle down.

I agree with thicks. I want to avoid forcing people at all costs. Especially since Rick recruited them.

Kreuser comitted to Lafayette.

[booyaa87]

I have read quite a bit about Rob Loe on this board. Any news? Are we still in a holding pattern until spring?

Anyone heard anything about Jake Kreuser? (6'11" kid from Minnesota) I stumbled on him while cruising Rivals.

Evans and McCall are for sure correct?

If we get those 4 to come in with what we currently are working with, it is looking like it is a good time to be a Billiken fan.

Yes, I know that if we have 4 more scholarship players coming in--some current players have to go. I know it sucks for the kids--majorly, but that is the price of running a winning program. I do not think this is a huge deal though. As much as I truly do like the kids we have now, there are several that are not lighting the world on fire that I will be sad to see go, but understand them leaving for the good of the program. Besides Willie, Mitchell, and Ellis, I don't see any absolute "can't lose" players or even players that will be that hard to replace their productivity. I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. Fingrs crossed he finds his stroke. Femi and Cassity are both solid players, but neither is a a world beater and hopefully the kid from Chicago can take their minutes from day one. JJ is a scorer--in high school, but D1 is a whole other level. Sure he can shoot the ball, as great as he was, 5'9" is tough to overcome when you are usually guarded by a 6'3" guy that is just about as quick as you are. Plus he isn't very long, like Kwamaine appears to be. Smith is almost still too young and green to say a whole lot about--problem is he is kind of a "tweener." He is "only" 6'5". He doesn't appear to have the ball skills or quickness of a guard or even a 3 and is a bit small in every direction to play down low with the big boys. Of course I haven't seen him practice day in and day out in person to see what kind of athleticism he truly has. He may be a a raw talent that Rick really likes, but it hasn't really shown up on the stat sheet yet. Cory is a real nice player, not great at anything, with the possible exception of shot blocking, but not noticeably bad at anything. He may be aother the is still coming into his own, but as of yet isn't lighting up the stat sheet by putting the ball in the hoop. Conklin plays with a ton of passion and does a lot of hard work on both ends, but is similar to Cory in that he doesn't have any major flaws that I have seen, but also doesn't appear to have any major outstanding skills either. I am not too sure how much better he can get.

Then there is the Jeff Reid situation. Sad. Keep your fingers crossed. We got good news recently that he is back in town. There for a while he couldn't do much of anything. Will he play again? Who knows. Someone else said he looks like the playyer we all hoped Cassity would be. Again, any news on his recovery? I can't see him playing at all this season and medical redshirt may be in his future if Rick truly thinks he is that good.

Again, I am not trying to dog any of our current players as I am truly excited about the rest of this season. (after Saturday's victory--I was mortified after the BG debacle) I am really excited about what is to come in the next 2-3 years--especailly if these recruits pan out. Plus having try outs at the beginning of the season only makes the team better--again, rough on some, but it is the way of the capitalist and competitive world that leads to deep NCAA runs.

Heck of a 1st post

[Major Majerus]

Put me down as hoping there are no more roster changes until recruits are coming to replace KM, WR, BC, & KC after they've completed their eligibility.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Rob Loe sounds nice, but SLU already has a nice frontcourt, though young. Jon Smith is not necessarily a 'tweener just because Majerus lists him at 6'5". He can play with any 6'7" player; he just needs to get stronger.

This squad is poised to be awesome over the next couple of years, but if the roster keeps changing, the continuity and chemistry will never settle down.

Yes - I remember when frosh were not even eligible and we were delighted when a soph actually contributed. Some guys get better and better; some don't. Let the coaches figure it out. I like to project these guys as upper classmen - stronger and more experienced; too many on this board can't see beyond what's in front of them at the moment.

[SLUDrew]

Yes - I remember when frosh were not even eligible and we were delighted when a soph actually contributed. Some guys get better and better; some don't. Let the coaches figure it out. I like to project these guys as upper classmen - stronger and more experienced; too many on this board can't see beyond what's in front of them at the moment.

I too would love to see this roster remain intact and see just how far they can go. That being said our entire roster is basically condensed into two classes. At some point after this season I am sure that at least one player will not like what his future minutes look like and choose to look elsewhere. You can't blame a kid fo that. Or, even more likely, Jeff Reid decides to hang 'em up for good. I would say that the chances of at least one of these scenarios occurring is north of 50%. A true center like Loe would be a welcome addition to this team and the coaches would be silly to stop recruiting him at this point

[tourist]

"I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. "

Good call we have CE now lets deport CS back home on the next available flight ,

Why keep a kid on a scholarship to baby sit our No1 Recruit.

The coaching staff could use the scholarship to find a pure shooter.

This situation was mentioned a few months ago to recruit CS to get to CE , maybe their was some truth in it ??

But its all good for the programme.

[slu72]

I too would love to see this roster remain intact and see just how far they can go. That being said our entire roster is basically condensed into two classes. At some point after this season I am sure that at least one player will not like what his future minutes look like and choose to look elsewhere. You can't blame a kid fo that. Or, even more likely, Jeff Reid decides to hang 'em up for good. I would say that the chances of at least one of these scenarios occurring is north of 50%. A true center like Loe would be a welcome addition to this team and the coaches would be silly to stop recruiting him at this point

Voice of reason Sludrew. I agree totally. We don't know what JR's status is, but it doesn't sound too hot. Sincerely feel sorry for him if he's in as bad a shape as it sounds. I am surprided he's not been redshirted as of yet. But how can you pass on a Loe if he's indeed as good as billed. Yeah, no one wants to see anyone forced off against their wishes but if the kid is honestly treated, ie there just aren't enough minutes to go around, it may be best for all involved. I'll bet Dustin McGuire and Relphorde are a whole lot happier these days than if they were pine riders at SLU.

[doowop]

"I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. "

Good call we have CE now lets deport CS back home on the next available flight ,

Why keep a kid on a scholarship to baby sit our No1 Recruit.

The coaching staff could use the scholarship to find a pure shooter.

This situation was mentioned a few months ago to recruit CS to get to CE , maybe their was some truth in it ??

But its all good for the programme.

There is no way this should happen. By the way, you are the one who said CE was not our best recruit.

[Billikan]

I have read quite a bit about Rob Loe on this board. Any news? Are we still in a holding pattern until spring?

Anyone heard anything about Jake Kreuser? (6'11" kid from Minnesota) I stumbled on him while cruising Rivals.

Evans and McCall are for sure correct?

If we get those 4 to come in with what we currently are working with, it is looking like it is a good time to be a Billiken fan.

Yes, I know that if we have 4 more scholarship players coming in--some current players have to go. I know it sucks for the kids--majorly, but that is the price of running a winning program. I do not think this is a huge deal though. As much as I truly do like the kids we have now, there are several that are not lighting the world on fire that I will be sad to see go, but understand them leaving for the good of the program. Besides Willie, Mitchell, and Ellis, I don't see any absolute "can't lose" players or even players that will be that hard to replace their productivity. I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. Fingrs crossed he finds his stroke. Femi and Cassity are both solid players, but neither is a a world beater and hopefully the kid from Chicago can take their minutes from day one. JJ is a scorer--in high school, but D1 is a whole other level. Sure he can shoot the ball, as great as he was, 5'9" is tough to overcome when you are usually guarded by a 6'3" guy that is just about as quick as you are. Plus he isn't very long, like Kwamaine appears to be. Smith is almost still too young and green to say a whole lot about--problem is he is kind of a "tweener." He is "only" 6'5". He doesn't appear to have the ball skills or quickness of a guard or even a 3 and is a bit small in every direction to play down low with the big boys. Of course I haven't seen him practice day in and day out in person to see what kind of athleticism he truly has. He may be a a raw talent that Rick really likes, but it hasn't really shown up on the stat sheet yet. Cory is a real nice player, not great at anything, with the possible exception of shot blocking, but not noticeably bad at anything. He may be aother the is still coming into his own, but as of yet isn't lighting up the stat sheet by putting the ball in the hoop. Conklin plays with a ton of passion and does a lot of hard work on both ends, but is similar to Cory in that he doesn't have any major flaws that I have seen, but also doesn't appear to have any major outstanding skills either. I am not too sure how much better he can get.

Then there is the Jeff Reid situation. Sad. Keep your fingers crossed. We got good news recently that he is back in town. There for a while he couldn't do much of anything. Will he play again? Who knows. Someone else said he looks like the playyer we all hoped Cassity would be. Again, any news on his recovery? I can't see him playing at all this season and medical redshirt may be in his future if Rick truly thinks he is that good.

Again, I am not trying to dog any of our current players as I am truly excited about the rest of this season. (after Saturday's victory--I was mortified after the BG debacle) I am really excited about what is to come in the next 2-3 years--especailly if these recruits pan out. Plus having try outs at the beginning of the season only makes the team better--again, rough on some, but it is the way of the capitalist and competitive world that leads to deep NCAA runs.

I feel we need to keep recruiting the best possible players but I really disagree with the tone of this post. Willie, KM and Ellis may be our best players but it is really unfair to rest off the team to say we only have 3 that we do not want to lose. Also, I assume you have been going to games the past two years but you need to watch the youngsters more closely because virtually all of our players have improved since they arrived. Further, it is impossible to say how much more room they have to grow. To my eye, Jon Smith has just started to understand what he can do and he has a big upside. Cory has improved just since the first game and he also looks to have some considerable room to grow. Our sophomores are all a lot better than they were last year. Every part of Kyle's game is better except his deep shooting. Willie has made progress on both ends, KM is a much better and stronger player and Brian is much stronger and tougher. A year from now our frosh will all be much bigger, stronger and will understand the game much better. Some many really blossom. I suspect that CS may become a great shooter with a little more strength and confidence. JJ may need to have his game mature the most but he is very young and he has had some very nice moments. Give Femi a better knee and Reid a clear head and add our two young intense high quality players from Chicago and the future looks bright for sure. Maybe someone will decide that the playing time will not be enough for them and we might lose a player, or we may have an injury so I would definitely go after a big time talent like Loe but the rest of the gang has a lot of potential in my view.

[kshoe]

"I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. "

Good call we have CE now lets deport CS back home on the next available flight ,

Why keep a kid on a scholarship to baby sit our No1 Recruit.

The coaching staff could use the scholarship to find a pure shooter.

This situation was mentioned a few months ago to recruit CS to get to CE , maybe their was some truth in it ??

But its all good for the programme.

You sir are an ass.

[tdog]

I have read quite a bit about Rob Loe on this board. Any news? Are we still in a holding pattern until spring?

Anyone heard anything about Jake Kreuser? (6'11" kid from Minnesota) I stumbled on him while cruising Rivals.

Evans and McCall are for sure correct?

If we get those 4 to come in with what we currently are working with, it is looking like it is a good time to be a Billiken fan.

Yes, I know that if we have 4 more scholarship players coming in--some current players have to go. I know it sucks for the kids--majorly, but that is the price of running a winning program. I do not think this is a huge deal though. As much as I truly do like the kids we have now, there are several that are not lighting the world on fire that I will be sad to see go, but understand them leaving for the good of the program. Besides Willie, Mitchell, and Ellis, I don't see any absolute "can't lose" players or even players that will be that hard to replace their productivity. I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. Fingrs crossed he finds his stroke. Femi and Cassity are both solid players, but neither is a a world beater and hopefully the kid from Chicago can take their minutes from day one. JJ is a scorer--in high school, but D1 is a whole other level. Sure he can shoot the ball, as great as he was, 5'9" is tough to overcome when you are usually guarded by a 6'3" guy that is just about as quick as you are. Plus he isn't very long, like Kwamaine appears to be. Smith is almost still too young and green to say a whole lot about--problem is he is kind of a "tweener." He is "only" 6'5". He doesn't appear to have the ball skills or quickness of a guard or even a 3 and is a bit small in every direction to play down low with the big boys. Of course I haven't seen him practice day in and day out in person to see what kind of athleticism he truly has. He may be a a raw talent that Rick really likes, but it hasn't really shown up on the stat sheet yet. Cory is a real nice player, not great at anything, with the possible exception of shot blocking, but not noticeably bad at anything. He may be aother the is still coming into his own, but as of yet isn't lighting up the stat sheet by putting the ball in the hoop. Conklin plays with a ton of passion and does a lot of hard work on both ends, but is similar to Cory in that he doesn't have any major flaws that I have seen, but also doesn't appear to have any major outstanding skills either. I am not too sure how much better he can get.

Then there is the Jeff Reid situation. Sad. Keep your fingers crossed. We got good news recently that he is back in town. There for a while he couldn't do much of anything. Will he play again? Who knows. Someone else said he looks like the playyer we all hoped Cassity would be. Again, any news on his recovery? I can't see him playing at all this season and medical redshirt may be in his future if Rick truly thinks he is that good.

Again, I am not trying to dog any of our current players as I am truly excited about the rest of this season. (after Saturday's victory--I was mortified after the BG debacle) I am really excited about what is to come in the next 2-3 years--especailly if these recruits pan out. Plus having try outs at the beginning of the season only makes the team better--again, rough on some, but it is the way of the capitalist and competitive world that leads to deep NCAA runs.

Welcome to the board! I think your post brings up some of the main issues that we could be facing in the years ahead. As a longtime fan, it's hard to believe that we are even having this discussion. But good players attract more good players, and the way things look tonight, it will be no disgrace to be recruited over at SLU.

[tourist]

You sir are an ass.

A sir i am not have never been knighted and never will be

An Ass why ??

I dont believe in any kid being forced out of programmes unless its for education problems or disrespect to coaches and team mates

I think that the statement concerning CS to be saved from being pushed out because he is a friend of a player or him being in the team to recruit another player was a very low statement and not called for , as well as naming players who are not world beaters but could be moved on for better recruits , must make these young men feel really confident to step out on the court knowing that there is people out there ready to move them on like cattle , lets not pretend that these boys dont read these posts and dont take it to heart, and these are some of their team supporters who are dishing out the hate.

Yes i do agree some are struggling with their shots especially CS but every single player has given good contributions and have played with a lot of courage and never say die attitude , and we seem to forget majority are freshman coming up against teams with Seniors and Juniors.

[RUBillsFan]

A sir i am not have never been knighted and never will be

An Ass why ??

I dont believe in any kid being forced out of programmes unless its for education problems or disrespect to coaches and team mates

I think that the statement concerning CS to be saved from being pushed out because he is a friend of a player or him being in the team to recruit another player was a very low statement and not called for , as well as naming players who are not world beaters but could be moved on for better recruits , must make these young men feel really confident to step out on the court knowing that there is people out there ready to move them on like cattle , lets not pretend that these boys dont read these posts and dont take it to heart, and these are some of their team supporters who are dishing out the hate.

Yes i do agree some are struggling with their shots especially CS but every single player has given good contributions and have played with a lot of courage and never say die attitude , and we seem to forget majority are freshman coming up against teams with Seniors and Juniors.

I don't think some people got the sarcasm in your first post and thought that you were really saying we should let CS go.

[Guest BillikenReport]

Not sure why people want to target Christian for as much criticism as they do.

The guy has started every game, which makes him the only player to do so. He hasn't been in and out of the starting lineup like some of the other guys. I'm guessing that means Majerus and the coaching staff like what he has done.

I'd like to see him shoot the ball better, but I like that he's confident enough to take shots — and he's hit a couple big ones this year as well. He's also averaging 7.8 points per game, while Cassity and John combine to score 9.2 points per contest.

Whoever has planted the idea that Christian was only recruited to get Cody to SLU is obviously just trying to cause trouble. Christian committed and signed with SLU before SLU was even able to get Ellis to take an official visit to campus. Which means that if Cody has no interest in SLU, Christian would still be coming to the US to play for the Billikens.

Personally, I can't wait to see what Salecich does over his four-year career at SLU. I like what he brings to the team.

[RUBillsFan]

On next year's class, I wanted to toss out a prediction. While all the reports are the McCall is very good and I think he will see a decent amount of PT next year, I think that Evans will see very limited minutes. Unlike this year and last year where we did not have any upperclassmen or very much depth at all, SLU will go 13 (14 if Eckerle sticks around as a walk-on?) deep next year. It will be much more difficult for freshmen to get minutes. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it gives guys some time to develop before being thrown into the fire. I think Evans will be a good player eventually, but won't see a lot of minutes next year. This will be even more true if Evans get the magical Majerus shrink and goes from 6-5 to 6-3 and is basically just another guard instead of a true small forward.

[RUBillsFan]

Not sure why people want to target Christian for as much criticism as they do.

The guy has started every game, which makes him the only player to do so. He hasn't been in and out of the starting lineup like some of the other guys. I'm guessing that means Majerus and the coaching staff like what he has done.

I'd like to see him shoot the ball better, but I like that he's confident enough to take shots — and he's hit a couple big ones this year as well. He's also averaging 7.8 points per game, while Cassity and John combine to score 9.2 points per contest.

Whoever has planted the idea that Christian was only recruited to get Cody to SLU is obviously just trying to cause trouble. Christian committed and signed with SLU before SLU was even able to get Ellis to take an official visit to campus. Which means that if Cody has no interest in SLU, Christian would still be coming to the US to play for the Billikens.

Personally, I can't wait to see what Salecich does over his four-year career at SLU. I like what he brings to the team.

You left out the fact that CS is money from the FT line. If he isn't yet, he should be out designated shooter (like Lisch last year) when the other team is fouling late in the game.

[GoBills]

Not sure why people want to target Christian for as much criticism as they do.

The guy has started every game, which makes him the only player to do so. He hasn't been in and out of the starting lineup like some of the other guys. I'm guessing that means Majerus and the coaching staff like what he has done.

I'd like to see him shoot the ball better, but I like that he's confident enough to take shots — and he's hit a couple big ones this year as well. He's also averaging 7.8 points per game, while Cassity and John combine to score 9.2 points per contest.

Whoever has planted the idea that Christian was only recruited to get Cody to SLU is obviously just trying to cause trouble. Christian committed and signed with SLU before SLU was even able to get Ellis to take an official visit to campus. Which means that if Cody has no interest in SLU, Christian would still be coming to the US to play for the Billikens.

Personally, I can't wait to see what Salecich does over his four-year career at SLU. I like what he brings to the team.

I agree with your thoughts on Christian. His overall floor game has really improved. He seems a lot more comfortable. Improved ballhandling, good passing and defensive, he even seems to stick his nose in there a lot for rebounds. He's pretty quick and seems big for a guard. He's our best free throw shooter, which may not be saying much. He just needs to get some of those 3-pointers to start falling.

[tdog]

Not sure why people want to target Christian for as much criticism as they do.

The guy has started every game, which makes him the only player to do so. He hasn't been in and out of the starting lineup like some of the other guys. I'm guessing that means Majerus and the coaching staff like what he has done.

I'd like to see him shoot the ball better, but I like that he's confident enough to take shots — and he's hit a couple big ones this year as well. He's also averaging 7.8 points per game, while Cassity and John combine to score 9.2 points per contest.

Whoever has planted the idea that Christian was only recruited to get Cody to SLU is obviously just trying to cause trouble. Christian committed and signed with SLU before SLU was even able to get Ellis to take an official visit to campus. Which means that if Cody has no interest in SLU, Christian would still be coming to the US to play for the Billikens.

Personally, I can't wait to see what Salecich does over his four-year career at SLU. I like what he brings to the team.

Just to be clear, my previous post had nothing to do with CS. I thought I saw a boy becoming a man Saturday. It took a lot of courage to take the charge he did in the first half. He also got the rebound and hit his FTs at the end of the game. He gets better with every game.

I still think the original poster is right, though, that going deep in the NCAAs will naturally involve recruiting over some of our current team, as much as I admire each and every one of them.

[kshoe]

A sir i am not have never been knighted and never will be

An Ass why ??

I dont believe in any kid being forced out of programmes unless its for education problems or disrespect to coaches and team mates

I think that the statement concerning CS to be saved from being pushed out because he is a friend of a player or him being in the team to recruit another player was a very low statement and not called for , as well as naming players who are not world beaters but could be moved on for better recruits , must make these young men feel really confident to step out on the court knowing that there is people out there ready to move them on like cattle , lets not pretend that these boys dont read these posts and dont take it to heart, and these are some of their team supporters who are dishing out the hate.

Yes i do agree some are struggling with their shots especially CS but every single player has given good contributions and have played with a lot of courage and never say die attitude , and we seem to forget majority are freshman coming up against teams with Seniors and Juniors.

I'm normally pretty good with getting the sarcasm in posts but your first one was very hard to get on a first read. Now I see where you are coming from and that you weren't really saying any of those things but even now as I re-read the post its not something that jumps out at you.

I know Doowoop agrees with me as he read it the same as I did.

I apologize for calling you an ass...

[Major Majerus]

I too would love to see this roster remain intact and see just how far they can go. That being said our entire roster is basically condensed into two classes. At some point after this season I am sure that at least one player will not like what his future minutes look like and choose to look elsewhere. You can't blame a kid fo that. Or, even more likely, Jeff Reid decides to hang 'em up for good. I would say that the chances of at least one of these scenarios occurring is north of 50%. A true center like Loe would be a welcome addition to this team and the coaches would be silly to stop recruiting him at this point

Jeff Reid hang it up for good? Not many shooting guards get concussions - he'll have a great college career, even if it's not here. The guy's a gunslinger - if you give him an open look, he'll hurt you. Every team needs a pure shooter.

[tourist]

I'm normally pretty good with getting the sarcasm in posts but your first one was very hard to get on a first read. Now I see where you are coming from and that you weren't really saying any of those things but even now as I re-read the post its not something that jumps out at you.

I know Doowoop agrees with me as he read it the same as I did.

I apologize for calling you an ass...

No need to apologize , should have written it a bit clearer , was probably my anger at the stupid suggestion that a player is going to be kept on only to make things happier for a couple of other players.

Might as well kick the kid in the guts and ask him to smile.

[Topeka]

Jeff Reid hang it up for good? Not many shooting guards get concussions - he'll have a great college career, even if it's not here. The guy's a gunslinger - if you give him an open look, he'll hurt you. Every team needs a pure shooter.

I saw him over the holiday period watching a Hayden (Topeka) basketball game. I think this was after his concussion. He looked a little listless. I could not find out much from people who were close to Jeff last year about his status. I hope that he stays at St. Louis and qualifies for a medical red shirt this year. I imagine that decision will come soon. Congratulations to everyone for beating Richmond. I still think that Reid could be a significant offensive threat for Saint Louis in the years to come and he might even play passable defense !

[GOSLU68]

I have read quite a bit about Rob Loe on this board. Any news? Are we still in a holding pattern until spring?

Anyone heard anything about Jake Kreuser? (6'11" kid from Minnesota) I stumbled on him while cruising Rivals.

Evans and McCall are for sure correct?

If we get those 4 to come in with what we currently are working with, it is looking like it is a good time to be a Billiken fan.

Yes, I know that if we have 4 more scholarship players coming in--some current players have to go. I know it sucks for the kids--majorly, but that is the price of running a winning program. I do not think this is a huge deal though. As much as I truly do like the kids we have now, there are several that are not lighting the world on fire that I will be sad to see go, but understand them leaving for the good of the program. Besides Willie, Mitchell, and Ellis, I don't see any absolute "can't lose" players or even players that will be that hard to replace their productivity. I think Salecich stays just by default for Ellis and potentially Loe. Fingrs crossed he finds his stroke. Femi and Cassity are both solid players, but neither is a a world beater and hopefully the kid from Chicago can take their minutes from day one. JJ is a scorer--in high school, but D1 is a whole other level. Sure he can shoot the ball, as great as he was, 5'9" is tough to overcome when you are usually guarded by a 6'3" guy that is just about as quick as you are. Plus he isn't very long, like Kwamaine appears to be. Smith is almost still too young and green to say a whole lot about--problem is he is kind of a "tweener." He is "only" 6'5". He doesn't appear to have the ball skills or quickness of a guard or even a 3 and is a bit small in every direction to play down low with the big boys. Of course I haven't seen him practice day in and day out in person to see what kind of athleticism he truly has. He may be a a raw talent that Rick really likes, but it hasn't really shown up on the stat sheet yet. Cory is a real nice player, not great at anything, with the possible exception of shot blocking, but not noticeably bad at anything. He may be aother the is still coming into his own, but as of yet isn't lighting up the stat sheet by putting the ball in the hoop. Conklin plays with a ton of passion and does a lot of hard work on both ends, but is similar to Cory in that he doesn't have any major flaws that I have seen, but also doesn't appear to have any major outstanding skills either. I am not too sure how much better he can get.

Then there is the Jeff Reid situation. Sad. Keep your fingers crossed. We got good news recently that he is back in town. There for a while he couldn't do much of anything. Will he play again? Who knows. Someone else said he looks like the playyer we all hoped Cassity would be. Again, any news on his recovery? I can't see him playing at all this season and medical redshirt may be in his future if Rick truly thinks he is that good.

Again, I am not trying to dog any of our current players as I am truly excited about the rest of this season. (after Saturday's victory--I was mortified after the BG debacle) I am really excited about what is to come in the next 2-3 years--especailly if these recruits pan out. Plus having try outs at the beginning of the season only makes the team better--again, rough on some, but it is the way of the capitalist and competitive world that leads to deep NCAA runs.

Either you have been waiting for us to have a big win and come in and stir the pot or you are off your nut-nice first post-I'm sure you are head coach material and all of the players would give their all for you knowing their scholarships are safe.