BillikenROAR Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 This was on the ESPN Insider "Rumor Central" section this morning... Can the Billikens dance? 7:43 AM ET Saint Louis Billikens Top Email In a down year for the Pac-10 and SEC, the Atlantic 10 conference expects to place between three and six teams in the upcoming NCAA tournament. Ranked teams at Temple and Richmond lead the way, with Xavier, Rhode Island, and Charlotte hanging around above the crucial 50 RPI mark. Hold up, you forgot about Majerus. The former Utah coach hasn't been able to schedule up as well as his rivals, as his team hangs around 90 RPI, but a 7-3 conference mark and a favorable stretch run has St. Louis fans gambling on a good showing in Atlantic City. According to STLtoday columnist Jeff Gordon, the belated arrival of Aussie forward Cody Ellis, just in time for conference play, was just the spark the Billikens needed to stay in the hunt. "The Billikens are 7-3 since Cody Ellis finally arrived, with two victories against Top 50 teams," Gordon wrote. "By squeezing out precious conference road victories at Duquesne, LaSalle and St. Joseph?s - and by dodging disaster at home to St. Bonaventure - SLU became a threat. The conference tournament should afford the Billikens their opportunity." If the 6'8", 240-lb. freshman can propel the Billikens to home wins over Xavier and Temple in the next two weeks, and continue to score and rebound well in the conference tourney, the forgotten A-10 contender could have Majerus back in a familiar place: the NCAA tourney. Joe Lundardi A week to bust the bracket "Saint Louis could spoil and/or get into the conversation because of its closing stretch of games against A-10 contenders. Two among the bubble teams and/or an upset conference tournament winner will join the top three in the Big Dance, tying the A-10 record of five bids in both 1997 and 1998." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adramos77 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 We really should be 9-1 or 8-2 in conference. What happened at Gee Dubya could have been disastrous for such a young team, but we really hung in there. This will be one of those teams that comes back to Chaifetz twenty years from now and gets about a ten-minute ovation. No one and I mean no one could have predicted this season and this amount of hype. GO GET 'EM BILLS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drkelsey55 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 We really should be 9-1 or 8-2 in conference. What happened at Gee Dubya could have been disastrous for such a young team, but we really hung in there. This will be one of those teams that comes back to Chaifetz twenty years from now and gets about a ten-minute ovation. No one and I mean no one could have predicted this season and this amount of hype. GO GET 'EM BILLS! I am sorry, but I predicted 22-8 for the regular season before it started. Still on track! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adramos77 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I am sorry, but I predicted 22-8 for the regular season before it started. Still on track! I stand corrected, good sir!!! That's ballsy. Mad props. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I am sorry, but I predicted 22-8 for the regular season before it started. Still on track! +1 Here here. I didn't post a # but probably would have said 18-12 (and thought it was generous). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVACH13 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Isn't it funny how we were predicted to finish second to last in the confrence and here we are with a chance to be dancing? I just find that amusing. There was just no love for the 'young' Billikens in the preseason poll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 i had 16-14 and thought i was over the top. the billikens have been a huge success this year imo regardless of how this plays out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyRican Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I would've been satisfied with a .500 record coming into this season. Even early on before Cody I thought it might be worse. I just hope we are not getting ahead of ourselves with all the tourney hype. We still have a long way to go and I fear if it doesn't happen the fall off the bandwagon will be severe. Hopefully, this late excitement doesn't end this season but carries on to the next and so on. Proud of these kids no matter what happens in the next 5 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I am sorry, but I predicted 22-8 for the regular season before it started. Still on track! I need to borrow your crystal ball, I had 'em for 12 w's .... figuring the A-10 would be their down fall. So glad I was so wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I had them for 19-12 if Ellis joined the team. I had them at 17-15 if he wouldn't have joined the team. I don't want to put the cart ahead of the horse, but this will probably be the first time I underestimated the teams win total. Normally the fan gets the best of me. It is nice to be pleasantly suprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLU_Nick Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I had them for 19-12 if Ellis joined the team. I had them at 17-15 if he wouldn't have joined the team. I don't want to put the cart ahead of the horse, but this will probably be the first time I underestimated the teams win total. Normally the fan gets the best of me. It is nice to be pleasantly suprised. I had them dancing after the Richmond win... seriously... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runnin'Billiken Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Isn't it funny how we were predicted to finish second to last in the confrence and here we are with a chance to be dancing? I just find that amusing. There was just no love for the 'young' Billikens in the preseason poll. I just can't stop laughing everytime I think about it. The only value in preseason predictions is something to grab when the toilet paper runs out. I don't give a sh** what anybody thinks about our team. I just love watching their faces when they leave Chaifetz with a BIG 'OLE L! (more to come soon ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSmetBilliken Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I just can't stop laughing everytime I think about it. The only value in preseason predictions is something to grab when the toilet paper runs out. I don't give a sh** what anybody thinks about our team. I just love watching their faces when they leave Chaifetz with a BIG 'OLE L! (more to come soon ) I remember hearing Joe Lunardi, ESPN's bracketologist, do an interview at the beginning of the season on one of the sports stations in town, most likely 101.1 on Bernie's show. He was asked about the 3 major local teams and where they were in terms of competing for an NCAA bid. Lunardi first talked about Illinois and Mizzou, saying something like they had decent chances, probably Illinois more so than Mizzou since the Tigers had lost so much from last year's team. Then he got to the Billikens. He didn't say anything like that we were very young, but a good nucleus was there to contend in a year or so. Nothing about Majerus building something good, but it'll take time. Instead he simply said that the Billikens were a long ways away from contending for the NCAA Tournament. I realize that we would have to finish spectacularly to make it this year, but it still can't be ignored that we probably aren't that far from contending for a spot in the big dance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSLU68 Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I remember hearing Joe Lunardi, ESPN's bracketologist, do an interview at the beginning of the season on one of the sports stations in town, most likely 101.1 on Bernie's show. He was asked about the 3 major local teams and where they were in terms of competing for an NCAA bid. Lunardi first talked about Illinois and Mizzou, saying something like they had decent chances, probably Illinois more so than Mizzou since the Tigers had lost so much from last year's team. Then he got to the Billikens. He didn't say anything like that we were very young, but a good nucleus was there to contend in a year or so. Nothing about Majerus building something good, but it'll take time. Instead he simply said that the Billikens were a long ways away from contending for the NCAA Tournament. I realize that we would have to finish spectacularly to make it this year, but it still can't be ignored that we probably aren't that far from contending for a spot in the big dance. I had them at 18 wins; I feel really safe and secure and hoping the end of season run has just begun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runnin'Billiken Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I had them at 18 wins; I feel really safe and secure and hoping the end of season run has just begunI remember talking with a certain band member in class last semester after the St. Elsewhere travesty of an effort. He thought this would be Majerus' first losing season. I also remember speaking to a certain wiley character who sits in the first row above the visitor's section after the meet the team night. He told me "It's gonna be a lean year." Not that I blame either one for their assessment, they were just honest opinions. I'm incredibly proud at how different this team looks than October. Everything this year has been a bonus since I did not have high expectations. Next year I will, but I'm trying not to set my bar too high, because I would love to be pleasantly surprised again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BACKHANDtheRICAN Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I would've been satisfied with a .500 record coming into this season. Even early on before Cody I thought it might be worse. I just hope we are not getting ahead of ourselves with all the tourney hype. We still have a long way to go and I fear if it doesn't happen the fall off the bandwagon will be severe. Hopefully, this late excitement doesn't end this season but carries on to the next and so on. Proud of these kids no matter what happens in the next 5 games. I hope you have higher standards than just average for your newborn kid. PS- backhand is buying his shorts and socks for the st pattys day run today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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