18 days until the opener

[For-DaLove]

What is he then? a PG? He goes 6-2 210 according to slubillikens.com (compare that to Remekun who is 6-7 205). Does he have enough speed to play the point? I hope he can, that frees up KC and CS to play thier more natual position.

Jordair is the closest thing to a true point guard we have on our roster.

[slu72]

Jett will be a very competent pg. More of a true point than MM. Would not shock me to see Jett start at the point in game 1.

I see KC getting the nod at PG. He's a good distributor of the ball and makes very few TO's. RM's conservative when it comes to starting Frosh. So I'd guess KC, CS, CE, CR, and BC as the starters but with the frosh getting some serious minutes. What we'll miss about KM is his confidence and wanting the ball in his hands at the end of close games. And that's a big void. The only guy I can see taking that load on is CE. What we'll miss with WR is nothing because he's a goner so there's no sense debating it. But we better hope RL is a better inside player than we've been led to believe. We need a 6-10 post man more than a 6-10 guy on the wing. JJett, love that name, will probably be a first guy off the bench because he's got a higher level of experience than the other frosh, and he's supposedly a tough defensive minded guy. Hopefully, he doesn't make the mistake of so many young PG's in trying to force things on the floor, see Randy Pulley.

[cheeseman]

If CS has a sophomore fall off he should be the last player off the bench. He needs to improve (based on last year's production) to be of help to the Bills.

He already had his sophomore fall off last year after his hot shooting start - my point is if he falls off this year he won't even be worth a damn.

[slu72]

I'm going to assume CS' shot has improved. RM likes his defense though and that means a lot.

[BillikenROAR]

I cant help but think RickMa is really regretting asking to play dayton and xavier twice..

I am very worried about Rob Loe. After hearing how he is getting pushed around on top of the fact that many people said he was soft at the nike summit, I do not expect much his freshman year, except how to learn the kiwi dance in the movie invictus.

PE seeing the floor is not good. yah he is a leader, but he was average at best BEFORE getting hurt. and he was average on an average team..the best way he can help this team is in practice helping coach mm jj n company while also hopefully remaining a good role model for the rest of the guys..which could be his greatest value.

BC will be better. He will be healthier as well as motivated. Last season he sat for long stretches with really no hope of getting minutes over willie or cody. When he did get in, he played like a jackass half the time setting screens like a linebacker at points of the game when they were not needed. I believe he will play smarter this year because he knows he is needed, and we will see a great improvement.

I personally am very excited for MM and JJ. I do not know as much about JJ, but I cant help but think a kid who was a decent recruit and goes that extra year to prep school can only help. MM is going to be good. Playing in Chicago is going to allow him to come in and adapt to the speed of college a lot easier. I see him playing well, but obviously he will need to get stronger and that will come in the next 2 years, but he will still be a very good player.

Dont expect much from DE. He is undersized and view him as a smarter jon smiff without the jumping ability. my guess is he will transfer (yeah whatever its just a guess based on our past few years, but i dont see him fitting in anywhere..seriously tho, how many good 6'5 forwards do you ever hear about?)

The players i have no idea on are CS and CE. It was clear by the end of the school year last year cody was dropping tons of the baby fat. I always said that he was one quick step away from being very very good. last season everything he did was in slow motion and could not get off a shot on anyone playing good d. He is a good shooter and 6'8..wtih the extra step, he will be a force.

I do not know what CS brings in his second year but hopefully it is a consistent shot. We all know he is a gunner, but can he make a few is the question..I like his size and quickness on d, I just hope he put in the hours over the summer to take a big next step we need from him.

KC and CR will be solid. I honestly cant stand how KC plays, but he knows the system and always plays hard. Maybe being a team leader will give him the confidence he lacked to be a scorer, but i really hope we are not dependant on him scoring..

CR will be good, just a tad undersized and a liability on offense..

What I expect is what we have had the past couple years. we will not get blown out too many times based on the hard-nosed d-fense and half court offense. I still believe we have enough talent to get through the first semester still with some hope. IF KM comes back, I see this team making headlines like it did last year, an underdog overachieving late..having to play xavier and dayton twice will hurt us in league standings..we will have some good home victories and bad road losses...all basically coming full circle to another average year being a billiken fan.

[DoctorB]

just out of sheer curiosity -- have you even seen these new players? are you making these "judgments based on posts here on billikens.com??

if so I would say your "analysis" is pretty much worthless. sorry if this is stepping on your toes too much, but goodness: these are sweeping critiques based on exactly nothing.

for example: guessing the DE will transfer, what a condescending remark. FYI--he is a cool all around talent and not unlike one Tommie Liddell, one that we would have been ecstatic about getting just a few years ago. I wish only the best for DE-- he is working hard and a very fine addition to SLU. He will definitely get some minutes, early and often IMHO.

Your expert analysis: PE seeing the floor is not good? Well, we'll see. Go Paul, take you (in effect) senior season and enjoy. Pour in some 3-pointers, OK?

I'd also like for you to look BC in the eye (or rather, probably the belly button) and call him a jackass. Or inform him he played like one. bring a towel.

But my main point is, when you make idiotic comments based on internet rumors, it sort of makes you look like an idiot. ouch!

or as Jimbo likes to say it : HATE!

[billiken_roy]

to regret playing dayton and xavier twice is crazy talk.

first from an rpi perspective, we should want to play the best possible schedule we can be successful in. if we cant beat them we dont deserve to go to any postseason.

second, from an alliance standpoint, we should continue to encourage a one for all and all for one attitude with dayton and xavier from all aspects of the a-10 and anything else.

[RiseAndGrind]

to regret playing dayton and xavier twice is crazy talk.

first from an rpi perspective, we should want to play the best possible schedule we can be successful in. if we cant beat them we dont deserve to go to any postseason.

second, from an alliance standpoint, we should continue to encourage a one for all and all for one attitude with dayton and xavier from all aspects of the a-10 and anything else.

Agreed. We need to stick together with Dayton and X.

[BillikenROAR]

just out of sheer curiosity -- have you even seen these new players? are you making these "judgments based on posts here on billikens.com??

if so I would say your "analysis" is pretty much worthless. sorry if this is stepping on your toes too much, but goodness: these are sweeping critiques based on exactly nothing.

for example: guessing the DE will transfer, what a condescending remark. FYI--he is a cool all around talent and not unlike one Tommie Liddell, one that we would have been ecstatic about getting just a few years ago. I wish only the best for DE-- he is working hard and a very fine addition to SLU. He will definitely get some minutes, early and often IMHO.

Your expert analysis: PE seeing the floor is not good? Well, we'll see. Go Paul, take you (in effect) senior season and enjoy. Pour in some 3-pointers, OK?

I'd also like for you to look BC in the eye (or rather, probably the belly button) and call him a jackass. Or inform him he played like one. bring a towel.

But my main point is, when you make idiotic comments based on internet rumors, it sort of makes you look like an idiot. ouch!

or as Jimbo likes to say it : HATE!

you are an idiot.

roy- i agree about rpi..but still hate how we match up aganist these guys now..

[slu72]

you are an idiot.

roy- i agree about rpi..but still hate how we match up aganist these guys now..

Roar, you've basically described a Soderberg talent level team in your analysis, So, we'll probably go around 8-22 this year. I think it's way better than that. I don't think we'd have any of these players, other than PE, at SLU under Soderberg's regime. Will WR and KM be missed? No argument there, but to insinuate as you have done that the rest of these guys were just their supporting cast it way off base. Remember we didn't start to make our move last year until CE showed up out of shape and way under practiced in RM's system. Toward the end he got tired due to lack of conditioning. And I don't believe RL is as soft as everyone says. He may not be the athlete the guys he'll be up against are but let's give him a chance before we relegate him to the dance team, OK? And DE was a first team all Chicago player, yet you cast him aside like a Dustin McGuire level recruit. Get a grip and at least wait until you see them play before being such a harsh judge of their supposed talents.

[SShoe]

to regret playing dayton and xavier twice is crazy talk.

first from an rpi perspective, we should want to play the best possible schedule we can be successful in. if we cant beat them we dont deserve to go to any postseason.

second, from an alliance standpoint, we should continue to encourage a one for all and all for one attitude with dayton and xavier from all aspects of the a-10 and anything else.

Agreed. I don't care if we're 20 and 0 or 0 and 20, I want to play these guys twice every year.

[RiseAndGrind]

Roar, you've basically described a Soderberg talent level team in your analysis, So, we'll probably go around 8-22 this year. I think it's way better than that. I don't think we'd have any of these players, other than PE, at SLU under Soderberg's regime. Will WR and KM be missed? No argument there, but to insinuate as you have done that the rest of these guys were just their supporting cast it way off base. Remember we didn't start to make our move last year until CE showed up out of shape and way under practiced in RM's system. Toward the end he got tired due to lack of conditioning. And I don't believe RL is as soft as everyone says. He may not be the athlete the guys he'll be up against are but let's give him a chance before we relegate him to the dance team, OK? And DE was a first team all Chicago player, yet you cast him aside like a Dustin McGuire level recruit. Get a grip and at least wait until you see them play before being such a harsh judge of their supposed talents.

Soderberg did not recruit PE. He was Majerus' first recruit.

[Billikenbooster]

you are an idiot.

roy- i agree about rpi..but still hate how we match up aganist these guys now..

why don't you answer his reasonable questions rather than respond by calling him and idiot?

mhg

[billiken_roy]

Roar, you've basically described a Soderberg talent level team in your analysis, So, we'll probably go around 8-22 this year. I think it's way better than that. I don't think we'd have any of these players, other than PE, at SLU under Soderberg's regime. Will WR and KM be missed? No argument there, but to insinuate as you have done that the rest of these guys were just their supporting cast it way off base. Remember we didn't start to make our move last year until CE showed up out of shape and way under practiced in RM's system. Toward the end he got tired due to lack of conditioning. And I don't believe RL is as soft as everyone says. He may not be the athlete the guys he'll be up against are but let's give him a chance before we relegate him to the dance team, OK? And DE was a first team all Chicago player, yet you cast him aside like a Dustin McGuire level recruit. Get a grip and at least wait until you see them play before being such a harsh judge of their supposed talents.

interesting that you use that comparison since the only year soderberg had a less than 500 record was the year his two best players got hurt and then proceeded to lose more close games than seemed possible.

even though some can say we just lost our two best players, imo we have far more depth that will allow us to be significantly over 500 for the season. if our freshmen, who many have claimed consist of the best rickma recruiting class yet, step up and perform at a high level, i personally believe a 20 win season can still happen. a lot depends on loe, jett, evans and mccall, being all they are advertised to be. let's see how it turns out.

[HusakAttack]

for example: guessing the DE will transfer, what a condescending remark. FYI--he is a cool all around talent and not unlike one Tommie Liddell, one that we would have been ecstatic about getting just a few years ago. I wish only the best for DE-- he is working hard and a very fine addition to SLU. He will definitely get some minutes, early and often IMHO.

I may be reading this wrong, but are you comparing DE's skill set on the court to that of Liddell's? If you are then you are WAY off. I personally have seen him play live and there is no comparison at all. Nothing against the kid at all but to compare his basketball skills to TL3's is not fair to DE.

[SLU_Nick]

interesting that you use that comparison since the only year soderberg had a less than 500 record was the year his two best players got hurt and then proceeded to lose more close games than seemed possible.

even though some can say we just lost our two best players, imo we have far more depth that will allow us to be significantly over 500 for the season. if our freshmen, who many have claimed consist of the best rickma recruiting class yet, step up and perform at a high level, i personally believe a 20 win season can still happen. a lot depends on loe, jett, evans and mccall, being all they are advertised to be. let's see how it turns out.

Well of course we kept the score close...we probably had 10 fast break points the entire conference season....

[NashvilleBilliken]

interesting that you use that comparison since the only year soderberg had a less than 500 record was the year his two best players got hurt and then proceeded to lose more close games than seemed possible.

even though some can say we just lost our two best players, imo we have far more depth that will allow us to be significantly over 500 for the season. if our freshmen, who many have claimed consist of the best rickma recruiting class yet, step up and perform at a high level, i personally believe a 20 win season can still happen. a lot depends on loe, jett, evans and mccall, being all they are advertised to be. let's see how it turns out.

The biggest problem with Soderbergs teams were 1) We severely lacked athleticism and 2) we severely lacked size. I feel like our athleticism is still above anything we had with Soderberg, but with Willie gone, we are missing the athletic/size combination we need. Even if Cory improves like everybody said, we are severely lacking at the 5 position. Who plays the 5 when he is out? Although Rob is 6'11, I have read nothing...anywhere...that tells me he can play the 5. He excels facing up to the basket and he is too young/thin to guard a 5. That leave's us with Conklin at the 5...who can bang with the best of them...but can barely get above the rim. Teams like Duke or Xavier will have an absolute field day with us on the blocks.

I disagree with the person that states this is a Soderberg team, but I really feel we are missing a vital piece to be "significantly over 500".

[RiseAndGrind]

5. That leave's us with Conklin at the 5...who can bang with the best of them...but can barely get above the rim.

I disagree with the person that states this is a Soderberg team, but I really feel we are missing a vital piece to be "significantly over 500".

Not sayin Conklin will dominate, but his vertical has improved GREATLY after he had surgery and was able to rest. He hurt his ankle at the beginning of last season and was never 100%.

Look for the Eugene Enforcer to have a substantially better year than last year.

[DoctorB]

Actually the DE to TL comparison is not, IMHO, 'WAY' off. The phrase I did use was that DE was "not unlike" TL. First, they are physically similar and about the same athletically. Second, it would be instructive to compare their numbers as seniors, and their erlative ranks within the state of illinois-- I am guessing here but assume they were "not unlike" each other. You make it sound like Tommie was just through the roof compared to Evans ... not so. Was TL REALLY so much better??

I think they are different players to some extent, but I am talking about TL as a freshman in October, at which time (please remember) he had a definite hitch in his jump shot and was pretty raw on defense and the boards. I think DE is ahead of freshman Tommie in terms of D and rebounding; and DE will spark some offensive boards and (I really hope) can be a good shut-down type defender once he figures out RM's complicated system. I guess Tommie was a better ball handler and passer, and probably a much better all around scorer as a freshman. I think DE will also need to work very hard on his jumper (like Tommie did),

But look at it this way. If TL were right now that same freshman on this same team, believe me, he would be fighting for minutes much, much more than he had to on that rather slow and unathletic Soderberg team. Tommie, even as freshman, was simply head and shoulders above them all athletically -- it would not be like that right now. Tommie, as he was as a freshman, probably would not start on this team -- right?

As for the ROAR man -- nice, thorough response, we are all impressed; obviously he was called out honestly and has no competent response, other than calling me the idiot (get in line); and just as obviously he has no eyewitness evidence, none whatsoever, and thus has easily and hastily been routed from the field of play.

[doowop]

Not sayin Conklin will dominate, but his vertical has improved GREATLY after he had surgery and was able to rest. He hurt his ankle at the beginning of last season and was never 100%.

Look for the Eugene Enforcer to have a substantially better year than last year.

I hope so. Otherwise he won't be of much help. If he develops an accurate jump shot from fifteen feet on in he could be a big contributer this year.

[HusakAttack]

Actually the DE to TL comparison is not, IMHO, 'WAY' off. The phrase I did use was that DE was "not unlike" TL. First, they are physically similar and about the same athletically. Second, it would be instructive to compare their numbers as seniors, and their erlative ranks within the state of illinois-- I am guessing here but assume they were "not unlike" each other. You make it sound like Tommie was just through the roof compared to Evans ... not so. Was TL REALLY so much better??

I think they are different players to some extent, but I am talking about TL as a freshman in October, at which time (please remember) he had a definite hitch in his jump shot and was pretty raw on defense and the boards. I think DE is ahead of freshman Tommie in terms of D and rebounding; and DE will spark some offensive boards and (I really hope) can be a good shut-down type defender once he figures out RM's complicated system. I guess Tommie was a better ball handler and passer, and probably a much better all around scorer as a freshman. I think DE will also need to work very hard on his jumper (like Tommie did),

But look at it this way. If TL were right now that same freshman on this same team, believe me, he would be fighting for minutes much, much more than he had to on that rather slow and unathletic Soderberg team. Tommie, even as freshman, was simply head and shoulders above them all athletically -- it would not be like that right now. Tommie, as he was as a freshman, probably would not start on this team -- right?

As for the ROAR man -- nice, thorough response, we are all impressed; obviously he was called out honestly and has no competent response, other than calling me the idiot (get in line); and just as obviously he has no eyewitness evidence, none whatsoever, and thus has easily and hastily been routed from the field of play.

I believe you are way off. I have not read anything about DE garnering national attention and being named to any sort of All-America team (honorable mention or not, Tommie still was). Yes, they had similar statistics, but TL3 was playing against the top players in the nation at prep school and DE was playing in a conference that might as well not be Chicago bball. And I have a hard time believing A10 rookie of the year like Tommie did. Say what you want about his effort and work ethic but from a pure basketball skills perspective, it is not close. I hope DE is a very good player but Tommie is one of the most talented players this program has ever seen.

[NashvilleBilliken]

I hope so. Otherwise he won't be of much help. If he develops an accurate jump shot from fifteen feet on in he could be a big contributer this year.

Ya know, I see a lot of people on here dog Conklin's jumper, but I don't see it. For as much as he takes it, he sure seems to be fairly accurate from the free throw line and base line. It's a bit ugly and looks like a half ass fade away most of the time, but it seems to me anyway, that he hits the shot at a consistent clip. I really hope his vertical has improved like you guys are saying...that would make a significant difference. Still a bit leary though at only 6'6". I keep telling myself he is really 6'8" if measured elsewhere.

Edit - not referring to actual free throws when I say free throw line. Just the jumpers from the general area.

[eastsidejoe]

interesting that you use that comparison since the only year soderberg had a less than 500 record was the year his two best players got hurt and then proceeded to lose more close games than seemed possible.

even though some can say we just lost our two best players, imo we have far more depth that will allow us to be significantly over 500 for the season. if our freshmen, who many have claimed consist of the best rickma recruiting class yet, step up and perform at a high level, i personally believe a 20 win season can still happen. a lot depends on loe, jett, evans and mccall, being all they are advertised to be. let's see how it turns out.

I know I am in the minority, but I see a 20 win season also. I agree with you Roy. I bad

[billiken_roy]

rickma would never recruit liddell. so to compare him or to ask if he would be fighting for minutes now is moot.

in the right system, liddell would start immediately and do very well. for example, i think liddell would be idea at mi$$ouri or say the unlv teams of recent years (not tark, he isnt good enough for the late tark teams).

lidell indeed played at slu right away because of less talent up and down the roster. i think had soderberg had more depth, he too would have taken a harder stance with tommie and probably made him conform more upfront.

that said, lidell was a fantastic talent that did underachieve. but when he wanted to play he could play. probably the best rebounding guard we have ever had at slu.

i hope you are right about comparing evans to liddell as you have because that means he will indeed be a nice billiken.

[SShoe]

probably the best rebounding guard we have ever had at slu.

From what little I know about DE, I think this will be the biggest similarity between the two. Supposedly he is quite the rebounder.