Favorite Memory as an Undergrad Here at SLU

[joe_davola]

I bet well be saying that soon about the kids who go there now.

Good point. Hope you are right.

[kcbilliken]

Ron Ekker's face after he got up close and personal with Wallace Robinson's fist!

Found this old New York Times clipping online about Ekker resigning. the details about Roninson are kind of funny after the fact.

Ekker Resings

[Box and Won]

Good stuff...I would just like to add that myself and the DirtyRican (along with a few other posters on this board) were the luckiest SOBs to go to SLU in terms of Billiken basketball and the success we had in going to the tourney. Two out of the 4 years we were there we were dancing. I think Box experienced that with Claggs/H/Highmark, so you can can include him in the SOB crowd as well.

Yep, a few of us here (Drew, Nark, myself) had our freshmen year coincide with the first NCAA appearance. We definitely got spoiled with two NCAAs and an NIT in our first three years of college.

[Bay Area Billiken]

I know you guys must have been miserable during the Ekker days, but the stories about him getting punched, the Billy-Lou and the Trumpeters totally crack me up.

We finally forced Ekker's hand and brought back the Billiken our Senior year. Ekker had gotten rid of the Billiken and replaced him with Billy Lou, who looked like the Mayrose Meat Man. A female student would sing a song to Billy Lou before the games. It was totally embarrassing. SLU was playing national powers like Louisville, Memphis State, DePaul, and a song is sung to Billy Lou before the games.

When we were sitting in Ekker's office pleading to get back the Billiken, he told us that he had spent a lot of money (from the budget) for Billy Lou.

SLU did not have a student pep band then, rather Ekker hired a rent a band that sat at the other end, away from the SLU students. So we formed our own renegade pep band in the dorm. Its first appearance was also at that Bronze Boot Game, and continued into basketball season. Our band sat with the students. They could play a few songs, but at least they were played with pep, and they could play When the Saints Go Marching In.

Ekker replaced the cheerleaders with the Billy Lou Strutters.

The Alumni Trumpeteers were actually resurrected by Rich Grawer. Those guys were solid; they wore Billiken beanie type hats. They even played during the game when SLU was bringing the ball up the court. Grawer retained the Billiken that we brought back, and also brought back the cheerleaders.

And the SLU team under Ekker had some good players- Kelvin Henderson, David Burns. But SLU was in the Metro Conference then with the likes of Louisville (Darrell Griffith) and Memphis State (Keith Lee, William Bedford), Florida State, Virginia Tech, etc. SLU was able to hold its own with Tulane back then.

Ekker came to SLU from West Texas State, and lobbied hard to get the SLU job. Some SLU students from St. Louis thought that SLU should have hired Rich Grawer then (as in 4 years earlier), instead of Ekker. Grawer was at DeSmet HS at the time.

[strozier]

We finally forced Ekker's hand and brought back the Billiken our Senior year. Ekker had gotten rid of the Billiken and replaced him with Billy Lou, who looked like the Mayrose Meat Man. A female student would sing a song to Billy Lou before the games. It was totally embarrassing. SLU was playing national powers like Louisville, Memphis State, DePaul, and a song is sung to Billy Lou before the games.

When we were sitting in Ekker's office pleading to get back the Billiken, he told us that he had spent a lot of money (from the budget) for Billy Lou.

SLU did not have a student pep band then, rather Ekker hired a rent a band that sat at the other end, away from the SLU students. So we formed our own renegade pep band in the dorm. Its first appearance was also at that Bronze Boot Game, and continued into basketball season. Our band sat with the students. They could play a few songs, but at least they were played with pep, and they could play When the Saints Go Marching In.

Ekker replaced the cheerleaders with the Billy Lou Strutters.

The Alumni Trumpeteers were actually resurrected by Rich Grawer. Those guys were solid; they wore Billiken beanie type hats. They even played during the game when SLU was bringing the ball up the court. Grawer retained the Billiken that we brought back, and also brought back the cheerleaders.

And the SLU team under Ekker had some good players- Kelvin Henderson, David Burns. But SLU was in the Metro Conference then with the likes of Louisville (Darrell Griffith) and Memphis State (Keith Lee, William Bedford), Florida State, Virginia Tech, etc. SLU was able to hold its own with Tulane back then, as those battles were usually to stay out of the basement.

God that sounds like an amazing time to be at SLU. I love the saying "renegade pep band." I love it.

[billiken_roy]

B-Roy, did the SLU student re the Wiley Brown incident wear a huge cowboy hat? If so, I'm pretty sure I know who he was. If he is that guy, he was known as the Phillie Phanatic.

We sat perpendicular to the opponent's bench and talked to the players. With those great Louisville teams, we implored Denny Crum to put Marty Pulliam, the proverbial U of L benchwarmer, into the game. "Hey Coach, put this guy in the game." With the sparse crowd, even for Louisville, there's no doubt that Crum heard us, but he always acted like he didn't and and kept the serious face, as he kept the full court press on with a huge lead. We had the Louisville bench players in stitches. (It was great when Spoon got to SLU and was able to defeat Crum and Louisville.)

For the Tulane game, we upgraded and could hear then Tulane Coach Roy Danforth in the huddle. Danforth said, "Watch that Miscarriage guy (Dick Missavage), he can shoot."

that was about 30 years ago but i dont remember a hat. the guy was fairly skinny with dark hair and about 5'10" tall (about my own height).

[Bay Area Billiken]

God that sounds like an amazing time to be at SLU. I love the saying "renegade pep band." I love it.

The renegade pep band had at least 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, and someone banging a drum.

There were not a lot of fans in the stands, but the SLU basketball games in Ekker's last year had 2 bands (Ekker's rent a band) and the renegade band, playing at opposite ends of the floor.

[strozier]

someone banging a drum.

I didn't know Todd Rundgren was an alum?!

[Bay Area Billiken]

I didn't know Todd Rundgren was an alum?!

Re your moniker/name, Ekker brought in a JUCO recruit in his last year- a guard by the name of Kevin Strozier. Stro was part of a class of 4 JUCO's that year, the last year of Ekker's contract, with the others being shooting guard Isaiah Singletary, Center Wallace Robinson, and Center/Power Forward Andre Craig. Craig played only 1 year of JUCO before coming to SLU with his JUCO Coach, Mickey Englett. Englett, who started as an Assistant Coach, eventually became the Interim AD that last year of Ekker. Ekker was the AD after Dick McDonald, with Ekker still being the Men's Basketball Coach.

The Ekker Era players included Kelvin Henderson (the first 2 years), David Burns (the middle 2 years), Mark Rohde (the first 2 years), Craig Shaver (the first year), LaTodd Johnson (the last 3 years), Bob Mueller and Dick Missavage (all 4 years), holdover guards Jim Glass and Everne Carr (the first year), and Willie Becton and Darryl Anderson later.

LaTodd Johnson roomed on 6G and played 2B and hit leadoff on our intramural softball team. Dick Missavage roomed on 3C.

Kelvin Henderson, a 6'7" Center, and David Burns a lighting quick 6'2" guard with flowing hair, were very good players. Both were drafted by the NBA, and Burns played a bit for the New Jersey Nets. They almost led SLU to an incredible upset of Mizzou in Ekker's second year, that got away in OT after Henderson fouled out. Bob Costas was at the mike on KMOX and kept praising the great coaching job of Ron Ekker.

All these names should spark some memories of my contemporaries on this Board. Those were the days (37-71), but treasured memories.

[willie]

Re your moniker/name, Ekker brought in a JUCO recruit in his last year- a guard by the name of Kevin Strozier. Stro was part of a class of 4 JUCO's that year, the last year of Ekker's contract, with the others being shooting guard Isaiah Singletary, Center Wallace Robinson, and Center/Power Forward Andre Craig. Craig played only 1 year of JUCO before coming to SLU with his JUCO Coach, Mickey Englett. Englett, who started as an Assistant Coach, eventually became the Interim AD that last year of Ekker. Ekker was the AD after Dick McDonald, with Ekker still being the Men's Basketball Coach.

The Ekker Era players included Kelvin Henderson (the first 2 years), David Burns (the middle 2 years), Mark Rohde (the first 2 years), Craig Shaver (the first year), LaTodd Johnson (the last 3 years), Bob Mueller and Dick Missavage (all 4 years), holdover guards Jim Glass and Everne Carr (the first year), and Willie Becton and Darryl Anderson later.

LaTodd Johnson roomed on 6G and played 2B and hit leadoff on our intramural softball team. Dick Missavage roomed on 3C.

Kelvin Henderson, a 6'7" Center, and David Burns a lighting quick 6'2" guard with flowing hair, were very good players. Both were drafted by the NBA, and Burns played a bit for the New Jersey Nets. They almost led SLU to an incredible upset of Mizzou in Ekker's second year, that got away in OT after Henderson fouled out. Bob Costas was at the mike on KMOX and kept praising the great coaching job of Ron Ekker.

All these names should spark some memories of my contemporaries on this Board. Those were the days (37-71), but treasured memories.

Ekker was not a bad bench coach but he didn't beleive in recruiting. He thought he could come in at the last minute and buy some juco players. I had a very minor role in the recruitment of Wallace Robinson. Ekker wanted someone who had gone to the business school to have lunch with Wallace at the old Kemolls on north grand. We were hosted by Frank Cussamono's [sp] father . Mr. C was just great,talking about food and life. Wallace seemed like a nice guy. I was surprised when he punched out Ekker. I thought he was a serious student. I guess everybody has a breaking point.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Ekker was not a bad bench coach but he didn't beleive in recruiting. He thought he could come in at the last minute and buy some juco players. I had a very minor role in the recruitment of Wallace Robinson. Ekker wanted someone who had gone to the business school to have lunch with Wallace at the old Kemolls on north grand. We were hosted by Frank Cussamono's [sp] father . Mr. C was just great,talking about food and life. Wallace seemed like a nice guy. I was surprised when he punched out Ekker. I thought he was a serious student. I guess everybody has a breaking point.

Ekker came from West Texas State, then D-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference (now D-2 West Texas A&M). Ekker really lobbied hard to get the SLU job. I remember some SLU students from St. Louis (I grew up in Quincy) thought the job should have gone to Rich Grawer instead of Ekker.

We couldn't stand the old Ekker offense of players playing in a shell away from the basket and holding the ball over their heads, making weak passes around the perimeter. We often thought the best SLU offense was the four corners, which allowed David Burns to penetrate, as Burns was fast and tough to guard. This was pre-shot clock days.

Remember the old SLU cannon fodder, Roosevelt University from Chicago? The Billikens used to run up the score big time on Roosevelt.

But many opponents were powerhouses- SLU didn't get close to Louisville. But SLU gave games to Memphis State, Florida State, and Cincinnati (which was not that great then). I remember one debacle in which the Billikens blew something like a 7 point lead with 30 seconds left against Florida State. FSU pressed and SLU was passing the ball under its own basket right to FSU players for layups. We were sitting mere feet away from it on the baseline and would have gone out there to help if we could.

DePaul, ranked very highly, perhaps #1, came to town my Senior year. That DePaul team had Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings, etc. I remember a local TV station asked Ray Meyer if he feared St. Louis (this was before it was Saint Louis), and he deadpanned that he did.

Another classic was when SLU played at Notre Dame my sophomore year. We had 27 guys in our little dorm room on 6G watching that Saturday night game. We went bonkers when Kelvin Henderson dunked on Kelly Tripucka. SLU tied the score at something like 27 and then collapsed and got blown out. The TV game analyst was John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood himself. I still remember Wooden talking about the "Billikens."

[b.hayes]

Another classic was when SLU played at Notre Dame my sophomore year. We had 27 guys in our little dorm room on 6G watching that Saturday night game. We went bonkers when Kelvin Henderson dunked on Kelly Tripucka. SLU tied the score at something like 27 and then collapsed and got blown out. The TV game analyst was John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood himself. I still remember Wooden talking about the "Billikens."

Bay Area Billiken = my new favorite poster. 6G4LYFE

[strozier]

Bay Area Billiken = my new favorite poster. 6G4LYFE

AND he's from Quincy - home of Tower Pizza. The best Pizza in Illinois. Both my parents went to then-Quincy College. Gotta love the friars.

[billiken_roy]

if ekker was even a mediocre game coach he wouldnt have lost to mckendree college. i cant remember a billiken game i was more p!ssed off going home from. i consider that the most embarrassing loss in the last 40 years.

[Bay Area Billiken]

AND he's from Quincy - home of Tower Pizza. The best Pizza in Illinois. Both my parents went to then-Quincy College. Gotta love the friars.

Indeed. I've been to the Tower of Pizza many, many times, along with its cousin, Gem City Pizza. Jeff's Special is perhaps my favorite pizza of all.

The then Quincy College played SLU at The Checkerdome on a Friday night, I think it was my soph. year. Quincy's Eric Karg had a huge game for the Hawks. But Ekker's Billikens were the beneficiaries of some rare home cooking from the zebras at crunch time and survived. I can tell you that had SLU lost that game, I would never, ever have heard the end of it. I still hear about it, but at least it went in the record books as a SLU win.

SLU and Quincy had some great soccer battles over the years. When I was growing up and before I was at SLU, we knew that the Billiken game was the big one. We used to sit right behind Eric Delabar in the goal at old Q-Stadium. He could really punt the soccer ball.

[strozier]

Indeed. I've been to the Tower of Pizza many, many times, along with its cousin, Gem City Pizza. Jeff's Special is perhaps my favorite pizza of all.

The then Quincy College played SLU at The Checkerdome on a Friday night, I think it was my soph. year. Quincy's Eric Karg had a huge game for the Hawks. But Ekker's Billikens were the beneficiaries of some rare home cooking from the zebras at crunch time and survived. I can tell you that had SLU lost that game, I would never, ever have heard the end of it. I still hear about it, but at least it went in the record books as a SLU win.

SLU and Quincy had some great soccer battles over the years. When I was growing up and before I was at SLU, we knew that the Billiken game was the big one. We used to sit right behind Eric Delabar in the goal at old Q-Stadium. He could really punt the soccer ball.

My old man said that as much as the QC people got up for any game with Ambrose or Loras, SLU was just as big, even though they weren't really rivals. Just a lot of St. Louis people had chips on their shoulders about not being recruited or looked at by SLU. My Dad was from Keokuk and loved going to St. Louis for those games. Great posts, Bay Area.

[Bay Area Billiken]

if ekker was even a mediocre game coach he wouldnt have lost to mckendree college. i cant remember a billiken game i was more p!ssed off going home from. i consider that the most embarrassing loss in the last 40 years.

Agreed. I was at that McKendree debacle my Junior year at SLU. It was impossible to fathom that a Division 1 Billiken team from the Metro Conference, and led by David Burns, could lose to McKendree College.

If we changed this thread to one's worst Billiken memory as an undergraduate at SLU, that McKendree game would have to be it.

[willie]

if ekker was even a mediocre game coach he wouldnt have lost to mckendree college. i cant remember a billiken game i was more p!ssed off going home from. i consider that the most embarrassing loss in the last 40 years.

I can't defend the Mckendree game but we had no talent. Every Metro team had superior athletes. I remember beating Cinci one night with smoke and mirrrors. I still say Ekker was not a bad gameoach just a terrible recruiter .

[Bay Area Billiken]

Bay Area Billiken = my new favorite poster. 6G4LYFE

Yes- 6G was known as Cellblock Six back then.

We had some great SLU athletes on that floor-

Basketball- Curtis Hughes, LaTodd Johnson;

Soccer- Larry Hulcer, Don Huber, Ty Keough was a de facto resident, Mark Fredrickson (in my class);

Hockey- Chris Valentine, Pierre, Luc, Guz Gazzola, Terry Kitching (sp.?), Mike Denk.

I know I've got to be missing some guys. John Hayes was often on our floor.

LaTodd was a real good guy; he used to come in our room often to watch Sanford and Son. LaTodd played 2B and hit leadoff on our intramural softball team and used to have personal softball battles with Monte Poole, a 6'5" basketball player in his same class, who lived on arch-rival 5C. Poole looked like Dave Parker at the plate and hit a memorable, massive homer against us at the old Channing Field.

[strozier]

Yes- 6G was known as Cellblock Six back then.

We had some great SLU athletes on that floor-

Basketball- Curtis Hughes, LaTodd Johnson;

Soccer- Larry Hulcer, Don Huber, Ty Keough was a de facto resident, Mark Fredrickson (in my class);

Hockey- Chris Valentine, Pierre, Luc, Guz Gazzola, Terry Kitching (sp.?), Mike Denk.

I know I've got to be missing some guys. John Hayes was often on our floor.

LaTodd was a real good guy; he used to come in our room often to watch Sanford and Son. LaTodd played 2B and hit leadoff on our intramural softball team and used to have personal softball battles with Monte Poole, a 6'5" basketball player in his same class, who lived on arch-rival 5C. Poole looked like Dave Parker at the plate and hit a memorable, massive homer against us at the old Channing Field.

We should get Bay Area a book deal.

[Bay Area Billiken]

I can't defend the Mckendree game but we had no talent. Every Metro team had superior athletes. I remember beating Cinci one night with smoke and mirrrors. I still say Ekker was not a bad gameoach just a terrible recruiter .

SLU did have David Burns, who was later drafted by the NBA. That McKendree game was one of those aberrations. They came in all fired up. The SLU team acted like it could just show up and turn it on.

I agree that SLU was outmanned in the Metro, except for Tulane. We could beat Tulane.

Earlier in his tenure at SLU, Ekker had a reputation as a good coach, at least that's what we heard. Bob Costas raved about Ekker's great coaching job in the Mizzou game in his second year at SLU.

In retrospect, Ekker probably should not have taken on the AD duties and just stuck to being the basketball coach. Once he became AD, there were issues with the other SLU sports, as SLU athletes from other sports often felt slighted vis-a-vis the basketball team. And there were issues with the students. Ekker was trying to have an NBA type show in terms of the Billy Lou Strutters. It wasn't the college basketball atmosphere that most of us wanted. We always heard that the SLU Jazz Band didn't want to play at the Basketball games, even though my recollection is that they did before Ekker's arrival. In any event, putting the Billiken mascot into mothballs in favor of the regrettable Billy Lou, not having a student band, but rather having that rent a band, and not letting the Billy Lou Strutters cheer at the soccer games, to say nothing of the embarrassing losing by the team, especially to McKendree, did not help Ekker with the students.

He brought in all those JUCO's in his last year, SLU started off strong in the non-conference part of the schedule, even winning a road game at Butler, but then came the Incident with the Center at about New Year's, and the season completely unraveled after that. Ekker resigned as Basketball Coach effective at the end of the season. That team won only 1 game after the Incident, ironically on the road at Cincinnati, and finished 6-21. Ekker was replaced as AD during that second semester of his last year at SLU.

I can tell you that we feared that SLU was going to drop to D-2. We were so relieved when we went to that press conference at Busch Center in which it was announced that SLU was staying in D-1, but moving to the then Midwestern City Conference (now Horizon League). SLU hired Rich Grawer as coach, he resurrected the program from the deep abyss, and the rest is history.

[Bay Area Billiken]

My old man said that as much as the QC people got up for any game with Ambrose or Loras, SLU was just as big, even though they weren't really rivals. Just a lot of St. Louis people had chips on their shoulders about not being recruited or looked at by SLU. My Dad was from Keokuk and loved going to St. Louis for those games. Great posts, Bay Area.

The visits by the Soccer Billikens to Quincy, every other year, were big deals. The Billikens were at the very top of NCAA Soccer in those days.

Quincy was the power of the NAIA, whereas SLU was the power of the NCAA. Quincy played the role of the underdog, and yes, most of the Hawks players were from St. Louis, including the current Mayor of St. Louis, Francis Slay, who was then known as Fran Slay.

Re the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees, I was once at a Quincy-St. Ambrose basketball game at Memorial Gym. A good number of QC students suddenly marched into the premises chanting "Old Bald Leo," in "honor" of the St. Ambrose coach. It was quite a spectacle for a young guy growing up in the Midwest to see.

[billiken_roy]

I can't defend the Mckendree game but we had no talent. Every Metro team had superior athletes. I remember beating Cinci one night with smoke and mirrrors. I still say Ekker was not a bad gameoach just a terrible recruiter .

willie i think that david burns with me, you, skip and taj should have been able to beat mckendree. i distinctly remember, "Hell mckendree's guards look better than ours."

that wasnt because they were better, it was because ekker wasted ours.

[Bay Area Billiken]

We should get Bay Area a book deal.

I've often said that I could write a book about the Ekker Era, with a couple of chapters devoted to his last year alone.

But, on the other hand, it might be better to let those days drift away into history.

[willie]

I've often said that I could write a book about the Ekker Era, with a couple of chapters devoted to his last year alone.

But, on the other hand, it might be better to let those days drift away into history.

Anybody have a picture of Billy Lou?.I was trying to explain him to someone and could not find anything.