Perspective and the 800 lb Gorilla

[slufan13]

Crawford is a star, but at the same time, he seems to me like the kind of guy that the fans could really get to him if he starts off slow....if he starts off hot, nothing will stop him, but if we can get some misses and turnovers out of him early, I could see the fans really getting to him......hopefully.......

My key is rebounding......you give up the offensive boards and give away 2nd and 3rd chance points and extra possessions, it will be near impossible to win I think. Gotta think we'll see a lot of Conklin tonight.

Another key is the 3......defending it and shooting it.......both teams are solid against the 3, but I think SLU is going to need to be hitting their shots from 3 if they want to win it.

Another key is to not fall behind early....We've done a great job of coming back in the 2nd half, but Xavier is a little different from some of those other teams.

Keep the crowd in it throughout, rebound, and no stupid turnovers and I think SLU pulls it out. May sound obvious, but surely easier said than done.

[Pistol]

Crawford is a star, but at the same time, he seems to me like the kind of guy that the fans could really get to him if he starts off slow....if he starts off hot, nothing will stop him, but if we can get some misses and turnovers out of him early, I could see the fans really getting to him......hopefully.......

My key is rebounding......you give up the offensive boards and give away 2nd and 3rd chance points and extra possessions, it will be near impossible to win I think. Gotta think we'll see a lot of Conklin tonight.

Another key is the 3......defending it and shooting it.......both teams are solid against the 3, but I think SLU is going to need to be hitting their shots from 3 if they want to win it.

Another key is to not fall behind early....We've done a great job of coming back in the 2nd half, but Xavier is a little different from some of those other teams.

Keep the crowd in it throughout, rebound, and no stupid turnovers and I think SLU pulls it out. May sound obvious, but surely easier said than done.

Good post. I also can't understand why we play so poorly in the first half and are constantly battling our way back in almost every game. We need to stick with them early and not let this get out of hand. They shoot free throws a lot better than Dayton and they don't make as many dumb mistakes. They also might be a little better on the road than Dayton. If we get down 15 on X, I don't see us coming back.

I know what you're saying about Crawford and beeing a streaky, 'feeling it' kind of guy. He takes some circus shots- and makes quite a few. I think because he's a shooting guard who likes to take it himself in pressure situations and has some memorable hot streaks, people think of him kind of like a Stanley Burrell, who for the first three years of his XU career was a streaky, selfish player. The difference, though, is that Crawford is a talent of another level. He shoots a nice percentage (45.4% FG, 39.4% 3FG), gets to the dish, and has unbelievable range. For as many times as I've seen him go on these amazing hot streaks this year, he isn't prone to wild cold streaks like Burrell was. Even if he's having a slow first half, you can be sure he's going to get his. His numbers are very consistent:

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/player/xa...ford/game_stats

So that's why I fear Crawford in this game; I'm just not sure how we stop him.

The crowd is going to be great. Once again, have to score early and keep it close.

I was at the Xavier-St. Joe's game last week, and while I think we're a much, much better team than St. Joe's, it's a good example of how good a rebounding team Xavier is. At halftime, Xavier had 30 rebounds to SJU's 6. XU had 15 offensive boards; SJU 1. Both teams had 30 shots. It's mind boggling. They are really getting to the glass lately, and we need big, big games out of Reed and Conklin- stay out of foul trouble and play physical at the same time.

[kcbilliken]

Crawford is a star, but at the same time, he seems to me like the kind of guy that the fans could really get to him if he starts off slow....if he starts off hot, nothing will stop him, but if we can get some misses and turnovers out of him early, I could see the fans really getting to him......hopefully.......

My key is rebounding......you give up the offensive boards and give away 2nd and 3rd chance points and extra possessions, it will be near impossible to win I think. Gotta think we'll see a lot of Conklin tonight.

Another key is the 3......defending it and shooting it.......both teams are solid against the 3, but I think SLU is going to need to be hitting their shots from 3 if they want to win it.

Another key is to not fall behind early....We've done a great job of coming back in the 2nd half, but Xavier is a little different from some of those other teams.

Keep the crowd in it throughout, rebound, and no stupid turnovers and I think SLU pulls it out. May sound obvious, but surely easier said than done.

In class right now..everyone is talking about the game...not about swot matrixes...teacher is talking about the game....why is there class today? pregame of kegs kegs kegs in vandy in on my mind....F*&$ THE MAN GO BILLS

[billikenfan05]

In class right now..everyone is talking about the game...not about swot matrixes...teacher is talking about the game....why is there class today? pregame of kegs kegs kegs in vandy in on my mind....F*&$ THE MAN GO BILLS

I cannot concentrate on anything but the Billikens right now. Last class, gotta power through!

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

That there are posts on here in late Feb discussing our shot at an NCAA bid is amazing. It's a real credit to how hard the Billikids have worked and how much they've developed under a truly masterful and proven HC. All the players deserve a huge amount of credit for their contributions and development, which are discussed on here to the nth degree on here. All this said, tonight the A-10's 800 lb gorilla enters the arena. Yup, we've beat Richmond, Dayton, and RI at the Fetz. Yup, we've smashed the road game barrier to a degree. And yup, with the exception of the Richmond game, we've been competitive in all our conference games. But hear those footsteps? It's the 800 lb gorilla known as X. Don't let him rub Billy's belly, he's likely to knock him off his pedestal. Face it, X is the A-10's bully, the A-10's fair haired child, the A-10's big man on campus who drives the sexy car and gets all the co-eds. Admit it, if we go 1-3 down the stretch we'd feel thrilled if the lone W was against X. A loss to X won't ruin what's been an unexpected and totally exciting season. It won't diminish our appreciation for how far the Billikids have come. It won't, or shouldn't, reduce the number or the enthusiasm of the students at the DU and Temple games. But think for a moment what a W would do. This game is our miracle on ice game, ok maybe that's a little over the top since St. L and Cincy aren't involved in a heated cold war or a battle of conflicting ideologies, but still, they're X. The school that was our nemesis back in the old MCC when Byron Larkin seemed to have 6 years of eligibility. We went to the NIT while they went dancing. And they've been dancing just about every year since. Wins against X have been few and far between. X is on a different level. X is the program we're aspiring to become. They are our 800lb gorilla and they deserve a beat down. God, I wish I could be there. I will be in spirit as I watch from a sports bar tonight, the only guy in the joint who cares about this game except for the gamblers. I'll even where my white SLU T shirt and hat. Heck, I'd buy a white pair of pants, belt, and shoes to complete the ensemble, but couldn't tolerate my wife's laughter. Bottom line, this is our GAME of the decade. Let's make it OUR GAME, the "one small step for the team and one giant leap for Billiken Nation" game. GO BILLS BEAT THE MOUSKETEERS!

I give your semester thesis a 'C-'.

Thank you,

Professor Backhand

PS- can we instituted a character limit on these posts of maybe 1,000???!?

[b.hayes]

I give your semester thesis a 'C-'.

Thank you,

Professor Backhand

PS- can we instituted a character limit on these posts of maybe 1,000???!?

Is this you, Professor Backhand??

http://deadspin.com/5477230/nyu-business-s...f-email-flaming

But yeah, we should try to win today.

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

Is this you, Professor Backhand??

http://deadspin.com/5477230/nyu-business-s...f-email-flaming

But yeah, we should try to win today.

hahaha yes, thats me. Don't ever walk into my class late. On a serious note, how about this freaking $4 charge for purchasing a $12 ticket on the chafeitz website!?!?!

Hey Comcast!! Do we get to charge you a fee for the time that you forgot stools for the boxing match at your arena, or the time you didnt wake up a boxer to actually make his match on time, or what about the other time that you didnt give the Billikens basketballs during their pre-game warm-ups!?!?

Sincerely,

Professor Backhand

[Bizziken]

I was at the Xavier @ UD game, where UD tried to deny Crawford the ball the whole game, and even though UD killed them, Crawford still ended up with 24 points.

During the UD @ X game, UD tried to play Crawford straight up and he still torched them...

I think we have to let Crawford get his 20-25 points (maybe a little less since he hasn't faced ANY defense on par with SLU's this year) and then shut down everyone else...

To me, the key is to shut down Jason Love and Jamel McLean...Jason Love is a frickin linebacker, and McLean is the type of player that gives SLU problems, a 6'6'' athletic slaasher...shut those two down, and its a W for the Billikens!

[Runnin'Billiken]

I cannot concentrate on anything but the Billikens right now. Last class, gotta power through!

I just start shaking whenever I think about this game. I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. I'm so anxious. Not because we could lose, but because WE'RE GONNA WIN DAMMIT!

NOBODY f***s with the BILLS at the FETZ!!!

CRAWFORD! Your candy @$$ is about to get b*tchhslapped back to last week!! You got a date Wednesday baby!!

[Schasz]

I sure hope our team has an A+ game in them. I got to see Xavier beat the Gators on the road and I was impressed with their inside play in that game, and that is my major fear tonight. As stated before we have to hold our own on the boards tonight and limit the TO's. I would also not want to get down double digits to this team. Florida did in their game, came back and probably spent too much energy in their come back as Xavier was the fresher team at the end of that game and won going away. I hope this game is a sell out and that the crowd is loud throughout. Let's Go Bills!!!

[Pistol]

I was at the Xavier @ UD game, where UD tried to deny Crawford the ball the whole game, and even though UD killed them, Crawford still ended up with 24 points.

During the UD @ X game, UD tried to play Crawford straight up and he still torched them...

I think we have to let Crawford get his 20-25 points (maybe a little less since he hasn't faced ANY defense on par with SLU's this year) and then shut down everyone else...

To me, the key is to shut down Jason Love and Jamel McLean...Jason Love is a frickin linebacker, and McLean is the type of player that gives SLU problems, a 6'6'' athletic slaasher...shut those two down, and its a W for the Billikens!

Love is a bigger concern to me than McLean. He's having a great year, rebounding at both ends, showing nice touch with both hands around the basket, and outsmarting his assignments. 1-2 inches taller and he'd be drafted; as it stands now, I'm not so sure. Anyway, I don't know that Reed is going to be able to box him out consistently, and Love is a lot more crafty than most centers in the league offensively, so Willie isn't as big a block threat as usual tonight unless he's swatting whenever the guards are driving.

McLean has been awesome lately, after spending a little time in the doghouse for inconsistency and looking asleep out there. I wouldn't call him a slasher, because if he gets the ball anywhere around the perimeter, he's not going to dribble unless there's no one in the neighborhood. His game is all about mopping up the offensive glass. He loves putback dunks and tips, and loves to be the other guy in a 2-on-1 in transition. He's got no range, doesn't like to put it on the floor, and can't hit free throws. Conklin's best bet would be to put a body on him all night and give him nothing on the glass. Go ahead and spend a few fouls sending him to the line, too; he's only going to hit half of them. McLean seems to disappear mentally in stretches, so maybe frustrating him early and giving him some of those patented Conk Brand Elbows will keep him from posting another double-double.

As for Crawford, I'm counting on Rick to have a plan. He's my A10 Player of the Year. The kid does it all. XU fans are afraid he won't be back next year.

[jimbofive]

I sure hope our team has an A+ game in them. I got to see Xavier beat the Gators on the road and I was impressed with their inside play in that game, and that is my major fear tonight. As stated before we have to hold our own on the boards tonight and limit the TO's. I would also not want to get down double digits to this team. Florida did in their game, came back and probably spent too much energy in their come back as Xavier was the fresher team at the end of that game and won going away. I hope this game is a sell out and that the crowd is loud throughout. Let's Go Bills!!!

tonight, we're going to see how high JON SMIF can really jump. he won't get a ton of minutes, but his energy is going to blow the roof off the fetz. i don't care how much that clown, jason love, weighs, JON SMIF will have his **** resting on love's face on multiple rebounds. conklin's going to be pissing off everybody and smiling all the way to the line. and willie is going to be so fired up from the couple thousand students there that he's going to put down three monster dunks and block a shot into chaifetz's GOTDAMN lap. cory's going to hit a pair of fifteen footers and block a shot or two to keep 'em honest. and ellis, well everytime those XU goons start getting hot on those O rebounds, he's just going to box out like GOTDAMN george mikan and rack up the over the backs like klickety clack. and then he'll rain down 23-footers all day on the other end. and that's just our frontcourt.

LET'S GO BILLS.

[SLUAvtr]

tonight, we're going to see how high JON SMIF can really jump. he won't get a ton of minutes, but his energy is going to blow the roof off the fetz. i don't care how much that clown, jason love, weighs, JON SMIF will have his **** resting on love's face on multiple rebounds. conklin's going to be pissing off everybody and smiling all the way to the line. and willie is going to be so fired up from the couple thousand students there that he's going to put down three monster dunks and block a shot into chaifetz's GOTDAMN lap. cory's going to hit a pair of fifteen footers and block a shot or two to keep 'em honest. and ellis, well everytime those XU goons start getting hot on those O rebounds, he's just going to box out like GOTDAMN george mikan and rack up the over the backs like klickety clack. and then he'll rain down 23-footers all day on the other end. and that's just our frontcourt.

LET'S GO BILLS.

Jimbo's not fired up at ALL.......(note the EXTREME sarcasm)

[JMM28]

He's my A10 Player of the Year. The kid does it all. XU fans are afraid he won't be back next year.

Is he planning on transferring?

If they think he's going to the NBA, they can rest easy that he won't. He's a mid-late second rounder at very best and that is with a very exceptional pre draft workout circuit.

Maybe by the time he is a senior, but by that time he will be 24-25 as a rookie.

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

That there are posts on here in late Feb discussing our shot at an NCAA bid is amazing. It's a real credit to how hard the Billikids have worked and how much they've developed under a truly masterful and proven HC. All the players deserve a huge amount of credit for their contributions and development, which are discussed on here to the nth degree on here. All this said, tonight the A-10's 800 lb gorilla enters the arena. Yup, we've beat Richmond, Dayton, and RI at the Fetz. Yup, we've smashed the road game barrier to a degree. And yup, with the exception of the Richmond game, we've been competitive in all our conference games. But hear those footsteps? It's the 800 lb gorilla known as X. Don't let him rub Billy's belly, he's likely to knock him off his pedestal. Face it, X is the A-10's bully, the A-10's fair haired child, the A-10's big man on campus who drives the sexy car and gets all the co-eds. Admit it, if we go 1-3 down the stretch we'd feel thrilled if the lone W was against X. A loss to X won't ruin what's been an unexpected and totally exciting season. It won't diminish our appreciation for how far the Billikids have come. It won't, or shouldn't, reduce the number or the enthusiasm of the students at the DU and Temple games. But think for a moment what a W would do. This game is our miracle on ice game, ok maybe that's a little over the top since St. L and Cincy aren't involved in a heated cold war or a battle of conflicting ideologies, but still, they're X. The school that was our nemesis back in the old MCC when Byron Larkin seemed to have 6 years of eligibility. We went to the NIT while they went dancing. And they've been dancing just about every year since. Wins against X have been few and far between. X is on a different level. X is the program we're aspiring to become. They are our 800lb gorilla and they deserve a beat down. God, I wish I could be there. I will be in spirit as I watch from a sports bar tonight, the only guy in the joint who cares about this game except for the gamblers. I'll even where my white SLU T shirt and hat. Heck, I'd buy a white pair of pants, belt, and shoes to complete the ensemble, but couldn't tolerate my wife's laughter. Bottom line, this is our GAME of the decade. Let's make it OUR GAME, the "one small step for the team and one giant leap for Billiken Nation" game. GO BILLS BEAT THE MOUSKETEERS!

The only 800lb gorilla that i know of is Dirty's mom

[TheChosenOne]

Is he planning on transferring?

If they think he's going to the NBA, they can rest easy that he won't. He's a mid-late second rounder at very best and that is with a very exceptional pre draft workout circuit.

Maybe by the time he is a senior, but by that time he will be 24-25 as a rookie.

I agree, although I would have no problem with him jumping to the professional ranks after the season.

I just looked at their roster and this could be the first of many great battles with tournament implications between the Billikens and X. Love is their only big contributor not returning next season and they have a four man recruiting class coming in that includes a 4 star and the 19th rated power forward and three 3 star recruits (the 26th rated SF, 29th rated PF, and 39th rated SG) and then for the following class they already have a verbal from a 4 star and the 14th rated small forward and a 3 star point guard. I am looking forward to some memorable games between the programs over the next couple of seasons. Xavier will continue to be a beast in the years to come and it is looking like the Billikens may be elevating themselves to that level.

[slu72]

The only 800lb gorilla that i know of is Dirty's mom

She got any eligibility left? If so, recruit her. And sorry about the long post, I got swept away by the enthusiasm and thought I was Taj79.

[800lbG]

She got any eligibility left? If so, recruit her. And sorry about the long post, I got swept away by the enthusiasm and thought I was Taj79.

I do have one year of eligibility left, the other years were spent in collegiate greco roman wrestling.

[milwaukeebill]

I do have one year of eligibility left, the other years were spent in collegiate greco roman wrestling.

haha. greatest opposing team poster ever