RM article in the Oregonian

[RiseAndGrind]

And for the record I agree. Rickma is not a cheater and is a winner and as I have always said a good coach.

I'll drink to that. Hope you're enjoying Florida!

[Bishop]

Thank you all once again for ruining a thread which was supposed to be about how much of a badass RickMa is and how fired up he is about our program. We can always count on you to come through!

Prebil, any word on getting that RickMa sign in a poster? Cost?

[slu72]

72, you're right on the new comment. I started following the Billikens when I went there for law school in 2001. I moved to Lexington in 2007, and I saw a different breed of basketball fan. That's the kind of people I identify with. At no point would I ever question the ethics of Rick Majerus, because he's done everything by the book and is getting the program to the level we want it. Rick Majerus will win. He doesn't have to do anything besides coach the young men he brings in (by legal methods). I want to be the team that people don't want to play, ever. The UNLV/Kentucky comment was flat-out baiting.

KY, UNC, UK et al can eat my shorts. If you identify w/ them you're really on the wrong board. They are not college BB. They are minor leagues for the NBA. I would hope we'd never become that. We have true student athletes. Calipari, Williams, Self have pampered future pros playing for free and earning their schools big money while they are risking injuries that could cost them millions. And all their respective "Universities" will give them is a "hey we're sorry". It's pure exploitation, but the entourages of these kids welcome it because it's a little more exposure on the national stage in the hopes for a big payday after their 6 or 7 months of being student athletes is finally over. Here you go, Mikey, 12 hours of BS courses to get to your 2.0. Second semester? What're you kidding, you're home free. Go out and win us a national championship. It's a total joke. Sure, KY is a fun place to watch a game with 25,000 screaming hill jacks who don't give one hoot about what happens to their players after they're replaced by next year's crop of Mickey D 5 stars. Oh yeah, you go KY, way to coach 'em up and out Calamari. Truth be told, Calimari couldn't carry RM's jock. No doubt if we get KY in the 2nd round this year we'll likely get our hat handed to us. Big deal. Those kids would hand about half the NBA teams their hats as well. Level playing field? No such thing in college hoops these days. I'm in total agreement with Booby Knight, the one and done rule was the dumbest thing the NCAA ever agreed to. Those kids who play in the McD all star game and any other high profile stud should be given a choice. You want to go and play for UK? Great, you're here for 3 years or you can enter the NBA draft right after the game's over or you graduate HS. If you don't finish the 3 years, tough. Find something to do for the next 2 years, because you won't be drawing an NBA check. Go play in the East BF Egypt Revolutionary League for all we care. Comparing us to how much fun you had in Lexington watching triple A ball just cost you some points as far as I'm concerned.

[Clock_Tower]

Back on topic. Love the article. Well written. Can totally imagine the writer listening to RM do all the talking - voice mail gold.

Also love this quote:

You get a herd mentality with coaches. You can't listen to the Scout.com things, you gotta go out for yourself and make your own decisions. I met him. I looked him in the eye. I liked his dad."

Sure sounds like RM is a reader of Billikens.com in that our motto on this board, of course, is: Go see the kids play!!

Also, I need to recall this quote next time our regular "experts" criticize RM with quotes and reviews from recruiting services such as Scout.com. RM sure appears to be "old school" in his approach to recruiting and is anything but lazy.

[MoStBearBtmFn]

KY, UNC, UK et al can eat my shorts. If you identify w/ them you're really on the wrong board. They are not college BB. They are minor leagues for the NBA. I would hope we'd never become that. We have true student athletes. Calipari, Williams, Self have pampered future pros playing for free and earning their schools big money while they are risking injuries that could cost them millions. And all their respective "Universities" will give them is a "hey we're sorry". It's pure exploitation, but the entourages of these kids welcome it because it's a little more exposure on the national stage in the hopes for a big payday after their 6 or 7 months of being student athletes is finally over. Here you go, Mikey, 12 hours of BS courses to get to your 2.0. Second semester? What're you kidding, you're home free. Go out and win us a national championship. It's a total joke. Sure, KY is a fun place to watch a game with 25,000 screaming hill jacks who don't give one hoot about what happens to their players after they're replaced by next year's crop of Mickey D 5 stars. Oh yeah, you go KY, way to coach 'em up and out Calamari. Truth be told, Calimari couldn't carry RM's jock. No doubt if we get KY in the 2nd round this year we'll likely get our hat handed to us. Big deal. Those kids would hand about half the NBA teams their hats as well. Level playing field? No such thing in college hoops these days. I'm in total agreement with Booby Knight, the one and done rule was the dumbest thing the NCAA ever agreed to. Those kids who play in the McD all star game and any other high profile stud should be given a choice. You want to go and play for UK? Great, you're here for 3 years or you can enter the NBA draft right after the game's over or you graduate HS. If you don't finish the 3 years, tough. Find something to do for the next 2 years, because you won't be drawing an NBA check. Go play in the East BF Egypt Revolutionary League for all we care. Comparing us to how much fun you had in Lexington watching triple A ball just cost you some points as far as I'm concerned.

I guess you've chose to forget the Larry Hughes era? And if SLU could get 3 or 4 Larry Hughes to come every year like the Kentuckys and North Carolina's of the world, you and everyone else on this board would be standing in line for tickets.

[jbizzle09]

I guess you've chose to forget the Larry Hughes era? And if SLU could get 3 or 4 Larry Hughes to come every year like the Kentuckys and North Carolina's of the world, you and everyone else on this board would be standing in line for tickets.

To be fair, though, there was nothing underhanded or violation-worthy about the Hughes season. It was really a 'Perfect Storm' situation. Hughes' brother was ill, Hughes knew he was an NBA-ready player who had his pick of colleges, and he just decided that the best thing was to play in his hometown to be close to his family for a year. Everyone knew the score that season. He wasn't demanding anything from SLU to play here. It was a situation that will almost certainly never happen again.

For SLU to ever get to the situation that we'd get '3 or 4 Larry Hughes to come every year', SLU would need to violate so many NCAA rules, and basically sell its soul. It would be extremely obvious to everyone that SLU was paying these players under the table. Whatever banners would be raised would merely be taken down a few years later, if not sooner. And the program would be left in shambles. No thanks.

[JettFlight5]

To be fair, though, there was nothing underhanded or violation-worthy about the Hughes season. It was really a 'Perfect Storm' situation. Hughes' brother was ill, Hughes knew he was an NBA-ready player who had his pick of colleges, and he just decided that the best thing was to play in his hometown to be close to his family for a year. Everyone knew the score that season. He wasn't demanding anything from SLU to play here. It was a situation that will almost certainly never happen again.

For SLU to ever get to the situation that we'd get '3 or 4 Larry Hughes to come every year', SLU would need to violate so many NCAA rules, and basically sell its soul. It would be extremely obvious to everyone that SLU was paying these players under the table. Whatever banners would be raised would merely be taken down a few years later, if not sooner. And the program would be left in shambles. No thanks.

I don't think the insinuation was that Hughes was illegally recruited. I took it to mean the criticism of the 1 and out rule. We'd love to have those kind of players, but they don't come along every day. The program is in a better place today than it was before and will continue to get better. If we start getting Hamburger All-Stars, it will be done on the level.

[jbizzle09]

KY, UNC, UK et al can eat my shorts. If you identify w/ them you're really on the wrong board. They are not college BB. They are minor leagues for the NBA. I would hope we'd never become that. We have true student athletes. Calipari, Williams, Self have pampered future pros playing for free and earning their schools big money while they are risking injuries that could cost them millions. And all their respective "Universities" will give them is a "hey we're sorry". It's pure exploitation, but the entourages of these kids welcome it because it's a little more exposure on the national stage in the hopes for a big payday after their 6 or 7 months of being student athletes is finally over. Here you go, Mikey, 12 hours of BS courses to get to your 2.0. Second semester? What're you kidding, you're home free. Go out and win us a national championship. It's a total joke. Sure, KY is a fun place to watch a game with 25,000 screaming hill jacks who don't give one hoot about what happens to their players after they're replaced by next year's crop of Mickey D 5 stars. Oh yeah, you go KY, way to coach 'em up and out Calamari. Truth be told, Calimari couldn't carry RM's jock. No doubt if we get KY in the 2nd round this year we'll likely get our hat handed to us. Big deal. Those kids would hand about half the NBA teams their hats as well. Level playing field? No such thing in college hoops these days. I'm in total agreement with Booby Knight, the one and done rule was the dumbest thing the NCAA ever agreed to. Those kids who play in the McD all star game and any other high profile stud should be given a choice. You want to go and play for UK? Great, you're here for 3 years or you can enter the NBA draft right after the game's over or you graduate HS. If you don't finish the 3 years, tough. Find something to do for the next 2 years, because you won't be drawing an NBA check. Go play in the East BF Egypt Revolutionary League for all we care. Comparing us to how much fun you had in Lexington watching triple A ball just cost you some points as far as I'm concerned.

I don't think the NCAA ever actually 'agreed' with the one and done rule. It is an NBA labor rule. Basically, David Stern wanted more name recognition for the kids getting drafted and playing as rookies. He wasn't getting it with the high schoolers, so that is where the one year out of high school rule came in. Stern wanted at least 2 years, but had to settle for one. The NCAA can't force anybody to stay in school, and also can't keep them from going to any professional league once they are no longer in school. Their hands are completely tied in this manner.

It would be great for college basketball if the NBA had a rule like MLB. MLB will draft high-schoolers. However, if the high-school player decides to turn down the offer and goes to a four-year college, he then has to wait until his junior year is completed before he can be drafted again. This might be what Bobby Knight was referring to, that he wants the NBA to go to this type of rule. However, the NCAA really can't do anything of the sort.

[MB73]

Outstanding, postive article about our senior leader, all conference, all academic player B.C, and our legendary coach, who supports the whole program in such a dynamic way despite serious health issues... and a few of you choose to turn in into an ugly smear thread. Some fans you are.

[moytoy12]

Outstanding, postive article about our senior leader, all conference, all academic player B.C, and our legendary coach, who supports the whole program in such a dynamic way despite serious health issues... and a few of you choose to turn in into an ugly smear thread. Some fans you are.

Huh? Yes, the thread got off track, but who is getting smeared, much less some ugly smear campaign?

Of course, we can't all be super fans like you. "19-20 wins, maybe if there is a gigantic miracle..." Reality.

[jbizzle09]

Huh? Yes, the thread got off track, but who is getting smeared, much less some ugly smear campaign?

Of course, we can't all be super fans like you. "19-20 wins, maybe if there is a gigantic miracle..." Reality.

To be truthful, MB started out saying 16 wins at the end of last season and moved his way up to 19-20 by the start of this season. As the season went along, his predictions got better and his outlook sunnier. It was like he was following along with KenPom's and The Wiz's ratings.

MB, are you going to come out to The Fieldhouse to watch the Bills play tomorrow? I remember you saying that it would be cool to have an A-10 watch party a little while ago. Make it out tomorrow and the first vodka's on me!

[Billsrmajic]

C'mon - you're preaching about a hypothtical, pretend meeting in the future?

Watch out, your high horse is about to get run over by the bandwagon full of SLU fans of this year's team who aren't concerned about fake future recruiting violations that won't happen. Come on board if you like. We're having a good time!

my problem in this thread is not rickma. my problem in this thread is busted and majic advocating cheating.

Just to be clear, Roy, I did not nor do I advocate cheating. That's one of the reasons I'm a huge fan of Rick Majerus. He wins without 4-star recruits and without cheating. He wins by finding good kids who are not as highly recruited as they should be and coaching them up. In my post I was making fun of you for getting high and mighty about a hypothetical recruiting violation in the future. I was trying to point out that you are wasting your time discussing this stupid hypotheical when you could be discussing the season the Bills are having. Be thankful you have an ethical coach at the wheel. You don't have to worry about violations with Rick, so enjoy the season.

[majerus mojo]

Thank you all once again for ruining a thread which was supposed to be about how much of a badass RickMa is and how fired up he is about our program. We can always count on you to come through!

Prebil, any word on getting that RickMa sign in a poster? Cost?

Bingooo. If someone says they doesn't mind a little rule bending, that is their opinion. They are still allowed to be a fan.. sorry. "Condeming" someone on a message board... actually that's kind of funny. Along with the scenario in which SLU becomes the next UK.

Can we please get back to the quote in the article where Rick says, "We'll be a Top 10 team in about three years... I did it at Ball State, did it at Utah, and we're going to do it here."

I have cranked it to this article at least 3 dozen times. Tell me I'm not alone.

[For-DaLove]

I'm sure Roy has spent a lot of time around Rick and truly knows what kind of guy he is. I'm sure his criticism of his off-court behavior is because he's seen it first hand.

Busted, you know how I feel about this topic. I want to win. I don't suggest cheating, but I'm not going to question anything if we start landing a couple of 5 star recruits every year.

[Billsrmajic]

I'm sure Roy has spent a lot of time around Rick and truly knows what kind of guy he is. I'm sure his criticism of his off-court behavior is because he's seen it first hand.

Exactly - I've asked Roy if he's spent time with Rick, but haven't gotten a response

[David King]

I'm sure Roy has spent a lot of time around Rick and truly knows what kind of guy he is.

.

Well, RM is pro-choice, and I believe he was a big Hilary Clinton supporter, so he obviously has some character flaws. But, who doesn't? I heard the Pope has a huge carbon footprint.

But, as a coach, RM is of the highest character. Anybody that has paid attention would know that the welfare of his players, and their future, is much more important to RM than winning or losing. Not just this Oregonian article, but, in pretty much every interview of RM that I've read, he spends at least half his time talking about the academic progress of the players, or about the players lives outside of basketball. Similar to Bobby Knight, one of Rich Majerus' strengths is teaching kids how to suceed in life.

I agree...F! Kentucky,UNC, and Mi$$ou, for that matter. In reality,those teams have very little connection to the academic institutions that they are representing. Each of those teams has no more than two or three scholar athletes on the roster. The rest are just basketball players. I pity most of the fans of those teams. It's much better to be a Saint Louis University Billikens fan!

[prebilliken]

Thank you all once again for ruining a thread which was supposed to be about how much of a badass RickMa is and how fired up he is about our program. We can always count on you to come through!

Prebil, any word on getting that RickMa sign in a poster? Cost?

Yes, they are about 20 bucks. Im actually shocked how low the cost was. There is no bulk discount unless you order 50...

I included the link in the original facebook post.

[MB73]

Huh? Yes, the thread got off track, but who is getting smeared, much less some ugly smear campaign?

Of course, we can't all be super fans like you. "19-20 wins, maybe if there is a gigantic miracle..." Reality.

Actually I settled with guessing 20-21 D-1 wins, thought that would not be good enough for the dance, they got 23, good for them!

Did you think they would win all those A-10 road games? Sweep BC-Nova-OK? Beat X twice? So now they should go in, fantastic.

And yes, a dozen++ posts implying RM did something unethical IS a smear campaign.

You attack me every time like a teenage girl who has been dumped but then you let some a-holes ruin a great thread: article about our best hardest working successful player and coach. So, get off my back; what is your angle?

[JettFlight5]

Actually I settled with guessing 20-21 D-1 wins, thought that would not be good enough for the dance, they got 23, good for them!

Did you think they would win all those A-10 road games? Sweep BC-Nova-OK? Beat X twice? So now they should go in, fantastic.

And yes, a dozen++ posts implying RM did something unethical IS a smear campaign.

You attack me every time like a teenage girl who has been dumped but then you let some a-holes ruin a great thread: article about our best hardest working successful player and coach. So, get off my back; what is your angle?

No one implied that Coach Majerus did anything illegal. The question was if it was a big deal to you if he did. This is a best of all worlds team because there is no trace of behavior against the rules.

FDL, that's the situation I want to see happen as well.