Coach Majerus to be on the Bernie Miklasz show today

[cheeseman]

How about we consider this-

Hansborough is from Poplar Bluff, MO not in the STL area it is a 3 hr drive. The game could have just as easily been played vs:

Memphis 3 hrs from Poplar Bluff

SMS 4 hr from Poplar Bluff

SEMO 1 1/2 hr

UofArk 4 hr

Vandy 4 1/2 hr

SPUMAC 4 1/2 hr

Some of those would've been a more compelling matchup. It happened in St. Louis instead of those places for one reason or another but it happened. I don't care about the reason just make it happen. The home schedule has been without a marquee matchup for years. In 2006 we played UNC, Ole Miss and Houston at home now those aren't all bigtime matchups but are more compelling than Long Beach St. and Savannah St.

Maybe the staff is holding out until the team gets better though they claim to be trying to play bigtime teams. I believe them but they are failing so maybe it's time to go another route and play compelling mid-major type programs. This is the one area I feel they are failing in and would grade them well in all other areas.

As I remember, UNC choose to come to St.L because it was easier travel, because SLU was in MO and we could have 25K to a game - SEMO could not do that and they did not want to play any of the other schools because as I said they were not in MO. To say that BS got that game is just naive.

[billiken_roy]

That wouldn't have anything to do with the conference change. Would it? I think comparing sodies schedule from his last year to rm's third year is pretty fair. And please find an old post of yours from sodie's reign when u complained about the schedule. If u can do that then u will prove me wrong about your majerus blinders.

you look it up. i have ALWAYS b!tched about buy games. ALWAYS.

[BIG BILL FAN]

It appears the interview is because the spring signing period ended yesterday.

here is an audio link http://www.101espn.com/post/47042_the_bern...day_52010/audio

[JohnnyJumpUp]

you look it up. i have ALWAYS b!tched about buy games. ALWAYS.

Roy... Ryerson. "Needlenose Roy"? "Roy the Head"? C'mon, buddy. Case Western High. I did the whistling belly-button trick at the high school talent show? Bing! Got the shingles real bad senior year, almost didn't graduate? Bing, again. I dated your sister Mary Pat a couple times until you told me not to anymore? Well?

[TheA_Bomb]

As I remember, UNC choose to come to St.L because it was easier travel, because SLU was in MO and we could have 25K to a game - SEMO could not do that and they did not want to play any of the other schools because as I said they were not in MO. To say that BS got that game is just naive.

I assume that UNC is flying charter so traveling to any airport shouldn't be a problem. Most big state schools are in smaller towns not easily accessible unless you have a chartered flight. By your logic the coaching staff should bear more blame because SLU is easy to travel to and can draw 25K. So why aren't their more big games? I'm not sure where your memory of the circumstances surrounding scheduling this game is derived. I named a few schools that are in MO UNC could travel to easily and the people of Poplar Bluff probably frequent more often. SMS, SPUMAC and probably even SEMO would've drew large crowds. There were a lot of Poplar Bluffians in the STL for the game but the whole town would've been in Cape for the game.

That is just one game you can choose to focus on it and ignore the other big games that were scheduled as well. The home schedule has been weak and it needs to be changed. I've had enough excuses.

[TheA_Bomb]

ABomb, EVERYONE wants a better schedule. However, Roy simply doesn't get some of the complications that go with it.

1) Everyone wants games with those 6 teams you listed. As you already pointed out, 3 of them only played SLU because of the hometown player factor and the other 3 have made it clear they have no interest in a home and home right now. Majerus has said dozens of time we would do a home and home with just about any BCS team that is willing.

2) Those teams you have listed above are fine and I suspect we have reached out to many if not most of them to play. I'd bet Butler got about 70 incomings this season. Once you move past that bunch the decision becomes whether we should play home and homes with the middle tier mid-majors (the Pacifics, UW-Milwaukee, Loyolas, Detroits, Bowling Greens etc. of the world). The argument from the Roy's of the world is that playing those will improve your RPI. Of course, he completely ignores the fact that we often lose to those types of teams which KILLS the RPI. Roy will then come back with the argument that it you can't beat them you don't deserve a bid. Well no sheat. We haven't deserved an at large bid since 1998 and it had nothing to do with our schedule.

3) The Roy's of the world also ignore the reality that home and homes with the BG, Detroits of the world do NOTHING to improve the attractiveness of the home schedule, yet it leads to us playing a road game, without t.v., against a team with an RPI of 100-150 in front of 1,000 fans. Not to mention that every game we don't play at home hurts the bottom line (the revenue from a game far outweighs the "cost to turn on the lights") and it is not obvious to me that we shouldn't play buy games rather than schedule home and homes with mid level mid-majors.

4. Finally, Roy loves to point out that we won 20 games last year yet didn't get an NCAA sniff. The magic of 20 games is gone unless you play in a BCS conference. It was our 2-5 record against non-conference non buy games that killed our at large chances. Not the 7-0 we went against buy competiion. Somehow that always gets ignored by Roy (he'll likely name 4 teams we could have played instead of buy games and will claim we would have won all of them, depsite the reality that all 4 are better than Bowling Green).

Its like Davola said, its groundhogs day anytime you present reasonable arguments to Roy against his scheduling philosophy.

I don't see Roy arguing to play more low level teams unless they are local teams. He has advocated playing buy games against teams that in the geographic region to add some interest to the buy games because he thinks it would be more compelling to play EIU or SIUE than Savannah St. It makes sense but may not always be practical.

I'm pointing out that big games happened in the past for one reason or another. I don't buy the argument, "but we only got that game because of x player." That is an excuse it can be applied to nearly any situation, "we only got Hughes because of his brother, we only got KM because of his mom" on and on. There is always some reason something happens or not. Right now the staff is not making it happen and the home schedule is lackluster. We are not the only school in this grey area of college basketball so if the big teams aren't returning the calls we need to make compelling matchups with those teams, I've listed a few off the top of my head.

Winning 20 games doesn't get you in with the schedule we played. It needs to be better.

I think a lot of Roy's frustration is that many of the posters that were all over BS for every nit-pick detail are now defending Majerus. I'm calling for objectivity. I believe that Majerus has upgraded the talent and been good overall. The part that is still lacking is the schedule and getting to the tourney.

[SLUDrew]

I assume that UNC is flying charter so traveling to any airport shouldn't be a problem. Most big state schools are in smaller towns not easily accessible unless you have a chartered flight. By your logic the coaching staff should bear more blame because SLU is easy to travel to and can draw 25K. So why aren't their more big games? I'm not sure where your memory of the circumstances surrounding scheduling this game is derived. I named a few schools that are in MO UNC could travel to easily and the people of Poplar Bluff probably frequent more often. SMS, SPUMAC and probably even SEMO would've drew large crowds. There were a lot of Poplar Bluffians in the STL for the game but the whole town would've been in Cape for the game.

That is just one game you can choose to focus on it and ignore the other big games that were scheduled as well. The home schedule has been weak and it needs to be changed. I've had enough excuses.

Majerus and the Bills are in a very difficult spot when it comes to scheduling. Teams would come plays UB's teams because there was little threat of losing to the Bills and these coached could showcase their teams in a good-size market in which they may not otherwise have much exposure.

Now the Bills are a real threat to knock one of these teams off, and though our RPI may be high by the end of the year and for years to come, coaches for these big schools are not yet prepared to have an L to Saint Louis on their resumes.

[billiken_roy]

Majerus and the Bills are in a very difficult spot when it comes to scheduling. Teams would come plays UB's teams because there was little threat of losing to the Bills and these coached could showcase their teams in a good-size market in which they may not otherwise have much exposure.

Now the Bills are a real threat to knock one of these teams off, and though our RPI may be high by the end of the year and for years to come, coaches for these big schools are not yet prepared to have an L to Saint Louis on their resumes.

tell that to arizona who only survived going to overtime because reggie bryant's shoe touched the three point line.

or tell that to gonzaga who was holding their breath as lisch's 30 footer at the buzzer missed.

tell that to iowa who never wanted to see kevin lisch again after two years in a row playing very good games.

as i recall both the north carolina games were very close at the half and no walk in the park.

kansas state lost two years in a row to the billikens.

the point is the billikens have typically played the marque games through the years very well.

[b.hayes]

tell that to arizona who only survived going to overtime because reggie bryant's shoe touched the three point line.

or tell that to gonzaga who was holding their breath as lisch's 30 footer at the buzzer missed.

tell that to iowa who never wanted to see kevin lisch again after two years in a row playing very good games.

as i recall both the north carolina games were very close at the half and no walk in the park.

kansas state lost two years in a row to the billikens.

the point is the billikens have typically played the marque games through the years very well.

So maybe everyone finally learned their lesson?

[SLUDrew]

tell that to arizona who only survived going to overtime because reggie bryant's shoe touched the three point line.

or tell that to gonzaga who was holding their breath as lisch's 30 footer at the buzzer missed.

tell that to iowa who never wanted to see kevin lisch again after two years in a row playing very good games.

as i recall both the north carolina games were very close at the half and no walk in the park.

kansas state lost two years in a row to the billikens.

the point is the billikens have typically played the marque games through the years very well.

Yes the Bills played many of the top programs very well but that has nothing to do with what is going through a coaches mind when scheduling the Bills. Do you think Roy Williams was really concerned about losing to the Bills when he agreed to a home and home? The reason Bill Self, Romar and others will not come here is because they know Majerus has this program on a new level in terms of talent and there is a very real chance of losing to the Bills in St. Louis. Coaches are scared of Majerus coached teams. In another year or two after we gain some more name recognition scheduling will again become easier as it becomes obvious that a loss to the Bills will not be a "bad" loss.

[billiken_roy]

my first and main point is that teams knew they would get a tussle.

second, we got marque games with spoon and romar as well. i just dont buy the no one will play us excuse. our schedules are intentional imo. there is no way that other mid majors are turning us down for games. i would gladly take a non conference schedule that is the same as last year but one less exhibition game and 4 less buy games and the five games replaced with 100-150 rpi home and away foes. why in the world would anyone believe that 5 more mid majors wont play the billikens?

play that schedule for 4 years with success and ncaa tourneys and then the big boys wont be able to apparently use that excuse anymore to play us.

[b.hayes]

I agree that is how we should try to schedule. I disagree we would have made the tournament like that this year. If you swapped 2 of our non-conference buy games with non-conference road games of teams with 100-150 RPI, we wouldn't have won them. We just weren't good enough until we got TCE (The Cody Ellis) to complete our team.

[SLUDrew]

my first and main point is that teams knew they would get a tussle.

second, we got marque games with spoon and romar as well. i just dont buy the no one will play us excuse. our schedules are intentional imo. there is no way that other mid majors are turning us down for games. i would gladly take a non conference schedule that is the same as last year but one less exhibition game and 4 less buy games and the five games replaced with 100-150 rpi home and away foes. why in the world would anyone believe that 5 more mid majors wont play the billikens?

play that schedule for 4 years with success and ncaa tourneys and then the big boys wont be able to apparently use that excuse anymore to play us.

So when Majerus states that he has written to and called Self, Anderson, Donovan, Romar, et al, you do not believe him? I agree we could set our sites a little lower in terms scheduling without going all the way to the basement (ie buy games) but again, I think that is easier said than done. By the way, if the relative ease of last year's non-con schedule was intentional (if you consider playing SIU, Notre Dame, Iowa State, Mo State, and at Gerogia weak) do you think Majerus is the only Coach in America that would try to schedule winnable games with such a young team?

[kevinfootes]

tell that to arizona who only survived going to overtime because reggie bryant's shoe touched the three point line.

or tell that to gonzaga who was holding their breath as lisch's 30 footer at the buzzer missed.

tell that to iowa who never wanted to see kevin lisch again after two years in a row playing very good games.

as i recall both the north carolina games were very close at the half and no walk in the park.

kansas state lost two years in a row to the billikens.

the point is the billikens have typically played the marque games through the years very well.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn't mean jack. We'd all like ot see a better schedule, but close losses don't mean anything. There's no glory for a second place finish in a 2-team event.

[slu72]

Woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn't mean jack. We'd all like ot see a better schedule, but close losses don't mean anything. There's no glory for a second place finish in a 2-team event.

At this stage maybe we should take one of those BCS games where it's 2 roadies for 1 homie. Also, I think the Butlers, Zags, and X's of the world get better games because there's a TV angle. We're not there yet, but hopefully it's coming. Until then get some good mid major programs and take the home and home.

[billiken_roy]

I agree that is how we should try to schedule. I disagree we would have made the tournament like that this year. If you swapped 2 of our non-conference buy games with non-conference road games of teams with 100-150 RPI, we wouldn't have won them. We just weren't good enough until we got TCE (The Cody Ellis) to complete our team.

and if that is the case we didnt deserve to go to the ncaa or the nit.

[moytoy12]

I think Roy and I have a similar few with respect to scheduling. I don't think (and I haven't read the entire thread, so i could be wrong) that either Roy or I demand Top 25 teams be on the schedule. However, I have a hard time believing that during this interim period when it is too scary for the big teams to come to St. Louis, we can't schedule teams in the 75-125 rpi range. These teams should replace the dregs that have been on our schedule in the past.

I'm guessing that Rick thought some of the teams we have scheduled would have higher RPI's based on the prior year's results. I can't really get up in arms if we schedule teams with a reasonable belief that these teams will have decent rpi's.

I guess this is a long-winded way of saying, I think we can and should schedule teams in the 75-125 rpi range until SLU becomes a higher quality opponent for the bigger boys.

[billiken_roy]

So when Majerus states that he has written to and called Self, Anderson, Donovan, Romar, et al, you do not believe him? I agree we could set our sites a little lower in terms scheduling without going all the way to the basement (ie buy games) but again, I think that is easier said than done. By the way, if the relative ease of last year's non-con schedule was intentional (if you consider playing SIU, Notre Dame, Iowa State, Mo State, and at Gerogia weak) do you think Majerus is the only Coach in America that would try to schedule winnable games with such a young team?

why is he writing letters? why isnt he calling in favors?

for the millioneth time though, again if the big boys wont come anymore because they are so deathly afraid of rickma, then fine, play the next level. it shouldnt be, "well the top 10 wont play so we will fill these 5 games with the bottom 10". how about something somewhere inbetween.

one would think if for no other reason more would join me in an effort to get better games for our season tix and billiken club costs. and secondly for the savings of the cost of buy games. play home and aways and the cost is our travel costs instead of the cost of a buy game which i believe would be more than home and away series costs. plus i am sure a few hundred more walk up and single game fans might show up for regional mid major out of conference games than the buy game from the southern conference. do we really think anyone outside us season ticket holders come to see mississippi valley state and savanaugh state?

[kevinfootes]

At this stage maybe we should take one of those BCS games where it's 2 roadies for 1 homie. Also, I think the Butlers, Zags, and X's of the world get better games because there's a TV angle. We're not there yet, but hopefully it's coming. Until then get some good mid major programs and take the home and home.

IMO you just can't do the 2 for 1 approach. You hope you start winning enough games to warrant a 1 for 1.

[SLUDrew]

why is he writing letters? why isnt he calling in favors?

for the millioneth time though, again if the big boys wont come anymore because they are so deathly afraid of rickma, then fine, play the next level. it shouldnt be, "well the top 10 wont play so we will fill these 5 games with the bottom 10". how about something somewhere inbetween.

one would think if for no other reason more would join me in an effort to get better games for our season tix and billiken club costs. and secondly for the savings of the cost of buy games. play home and aways and the cost is our travel costs instead of the cost of a buy game which i believe would be more than home and away series costs. plus i am sure a few hundred more walk up and single game fans might show up for regional mid major out of conference games than the buy game from the southern conference. do we really think anyone outside us season ticket holders come to see mississippi valley state and savanaugh state?

He has said numerous times he has CALLED Romar (who you think would feel a small debt of gratitude to SLU) Marquette (a school a not only attended and coached but help raise a TON of money for) Anderson at Mizzou, Donovan at Florida, and Self at KU. According to Majerus, Self said to him, "Rick, I am not playing you in a million years." What else do you want him to do Roy?????????

[billiken_roy]

He has said numerous times he has CALLED Romar (who you think would feel a small debt of gratitude to SLU) Marquette (a school a not only attended and coached but help raise a TON of money for) Anderson at Mizzou, Donovan at Florida, and Self at KU. According to Majerus, Self said to him, "Rick, I am not playing you in a million years." What else do you want him to do Roy?????????

again, why the focus on the big names only? my debate continues to be about increased buy games and extra exhibition games. my comment about the bcs schools is only that grawer, spoon, romar and soderberg consistently got the games.

play the 100 - 150 rpi schools then.

btw, romar should show gratitude because of the increased budget and facilities he got when he was the billiken coach? or maybe because of the gratitude slu showed to his very good friend and former coach soderberg?

[slufanskip]

why is he writing letters? why isnt he calling in favors?

for the millioneth time though, again if the big boys wont come anymore because they are so deathly afraid of rickma, then fine, play the next level. it shouldnt be, "well the top 10 wont play so we will fill these 5 games with the bottom 10". how about something somewhere inbetween.

one would think if for no other reason more would join me in an effort to get better games for our season tix and billiken club costs. and secondly for the savings of the cost of buy games. play home and aways and the cost is our travel costs instead of the cost of a buy game which i believe would be more than home and away series costs. plus i am sure a few hundred more walk up and single game fans might show up for regional mid major out of conference games than the buy game from the southern conference. do we really think anyone outside us season ticket holders come to see mississippi valley state and savanaugh state?

calling in favors?

There aren't any favors that would require a coach do something that he doesn't feel is best for his program because he "owes someone a favor"

The minute Bill Self agrees to play a game he doesn't think is good for Kansas he should be fired. His loyalty should be to Kansas not to some guy he owes a favor to.

And what would all these guys owe RM favors for? Free Pizza? Hell, even if he did take them to dinner, how much pizza do you think they actually got?

[Clock_Tower]

again, why the focus on the big names only? my debate continues to be about increased buy games and extra exhibition games. my comment about the bcs schools is only that grawer, spoon, romar and soderberg consistently got the games.

play the 100 - 150 rpi schools then.

btw, romar should show gratitude because of the increased budget and facilities he got when he was the billiken coach? or maybe because of the gratitude slu showed to his very good friend and former coach soderberg?

Roy. I agree w/ many of your thoughts on scheduling.... but your comments about Romar/Brad??? Fr. Biondi did not give Romar proper support. Go figure. Neither did Grawer, Spoon or Brad and Fr. Biondi has even backtracked on RM!! Fr. Biondi just doesn't really care about men's D1 basketball. Over 20 years after being on the job, Chaveitz got built - finally!! Thank you nonetheless.

But SLU did hire Romar's guy, kept him here 5 years, gave him pay increases and we all endured average basketball with no post-season success. I won't put it all on Brad's feet but Brad could have, and should have done better. Now the manner and timing of Brad's firing and the treatment of CL. ... yes, that was disgraceful. No one ever said Fr. Biondi is good at handling public events.

[SLUDrew]

again, why the focus on the big names only? my debate continues to be about increased buy games and extra exhibition games. my comment about the bcs schools is only that grawer, spoon, romar and soderberg consistently got the games.

play the 100 - 150 rpi schools then.

btw, romar should show gratitude because of the increased budget and facilities he got when he was the billiken coach? or maybe because of the gratitude slu showed to his very good friend and former coach soderberg?

Bottom line Roy; is the program in better shape now than it was 4 years ago, or any time since H, Claggett and Highmark were here? You are starting to sound a lot like Slaten. The Cardinals are in first place, have won more games than any team in the National League since LaRussa has been manager, yet he somehow continues to dog the organization and claim Tony is a fool. Some of his complaints are valid, much like I agree with some of what you say, but when your posts are exclusively focused on negativity in light of the obvious strides this program is taking, it makes many write-off what you have to say as just more of Roy's negative ramblings.

[Archy McNally]

Bottom line Roy; is the program in better shape now than it was 4 years ago, or any time since H, Claggett and Highmark were here? You are starting to sound a lot like Slaten. The Cardinals are in first place, have won more games than any team in the National League since LaRussa has been manager, yet he somehow continues to dog the organization and claim Tony is a fool. Some of his complaints are valid, much like I agree with some of what you say, but when your posts are exclusively focused on negativity in light of the obvious strides this program is taking, it makes many write-off what you have to say as just more of Roy's negative ramblings.

In his defense, he has always argued against the schedule. It seemed as soon as he took over, the non-conf sched took a hit. It seems there are a lot more buy games then there used to be and a lot less big names. Maybe the big names have refused to play more than they used to. Maybe we have deliberately weakened the schedule b/c of the freshmen. But next year, we better see more mid-level teams. If we are not playing the BCS schools, shouldn't we be trying to play the Wichita States, Ill States, Green Bays, just to get a better RPI?

Or are we playing more "buy" games now that SLU has their own gym and they can make more money doing that?