volfan Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 It's 4:30pm at West Pine and Kevin is running in open gym with Dwayne, Luke and the rest of the returners. Kevin played one-on-one cut-throat this morning at 8:00am against Marquee and Fish. They played about ten games and Kevin won his fair share. Marquee tells coach, "This kid is a PLAYER!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volfan Posted April 30, 2004 Author Share Posted April 30, 2004 ete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Lisch playing at West Pine with Luke and Dwayne; now that is sweet music to my ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Are the guys playing any ball tomorrow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikens_Fanatic Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 I had the opportunity with other Blue Crew members and fans to watch Dwayne, Luke, and Lisch scrimmage today. Lisch, for a 17 year old kid, impressed me. He drained probably four 3's and a few other jump shots, with mainly Drejaj and DC guarding him. He has a sweet stroke, and with another year of experience and getting stronger, I think he would be a very nice fit for us. He didn't look very comfortable from the outset, but I think guys like Fisher and Drejaj joking around with him a bit to put him more at ease. Kevin also played some good D, getting a few steals. Dwayne's speed is incredible, and promises to be a great asset to the Billikens. He drained a few shots, made some nice looks inside, and showed off his hops with some rebounds. I can see why many on this board feel that he will carry us to victories. He makes everyone around him a better player. Luke was a bit rusty. He hit a couple shots, but missed some open looks too. I think he played in 2 of the 4 scrimmage games. Other notes: I kid you not, IV hit six 3's in a row in the shootaround, and another 3 in the scrimmage. If he can consistently hit them in game situations, it can really open up our offense. Of course I'm not expecting this, but one can hope. More importantly, Ian played a solid inside game BH is really, really tall. IO had a good scrimmage. He was on the receiving end of an awesome one hand alley oop, and had another dunk that nearly brought the rim down. He seemed less prone to turn the ball over, and focused on his inside game rather than honing his guard skills. AD is a fiery competitor, even in scrimmages. On several occasions he threw the ball against the West Pine doors when his man scored, and started up much trash talk. You gotta love having this kid on your team. RB and DC weren't hitting their shots, though Reggie had some nice moves inside. DC didn't look like he was trying nor cared that he was missing all his shots. Lisch traded off guarding DC and RB. I believe Polk guarded them for a bit too. And perhaps the highlight of the day: After being taunted by Blue Crew for laying up on a fast break, Fisher informed curious Blue Crewers that he hasn't had a dunk yet. But in the end, the Blue Crew was the fool, as Fisher threw it down with the left hand on a fast break with quite some authority. The place erupted, and Fisher just looked at us and smirked. Overall, I thought the scrimmage went very well. I was definitely impressed by the recruits, especially Polk and Lisch. And I'm sure Meyer just had an off day. I think all of our hopes for the future with these guys is merited. The next few years should be fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 and fyi, kevin right now has a severly inflamed elbow that is apparently causing a lot of pain and discomfort. just think, he is even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 where was JJ in all of this action? Jeez, he's a guy we need to step up next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUMS81 Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Can Tommie Liddell practice with the guys, and has anyone seen him play at West Pine gym yet? Did you have the impression that Luke Meyer was overmatched or just having a less than ideal day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikens_Fanatic Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 JJ was wearing sweats and a white T sitting on the bench next to Frericks. Not sure if he's injured or just has no desire to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StlCardinal Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 I was there too, and it didn't seem like Luke was overmatched. He was just missing his shots. I think (or hope) it was just a bad shooting day for him. After seeing him for the first time, I doubt that he's going to be a guy that plays 30 minutes a game his freshman year, but he could be a nice option off the bench. He will likely get some open shots if the D collapses on Reggie or Dwayne when they drive to the basket. He should be able to knock those down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikens_Fanatic Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Tommie at least wasn't at this scrimmage. I'm not sure as to the official NCAA rules, so I'll defer to the more senior members of the board. Also rules people, Brad wasn't at this scrimmage. Are coaches not allowed to have organized practices now or something, or does anyone else have an idea why Brad wouldn't be there? As to Meyer, I really just had the impression that he had an off day. It seemed like he was holding his own on D, and he was able to get some open looks. It was just a matter of him not knocking those shots down. Since he is supposedly a great shooter, I would think that most games, if given those shots, he'll hit them. I didn't really see him create his own shot at all, but Fish and Reggie were the only guys really doing that (Lisch also did once, I think). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikens_Fanatic Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Wow, I was impressed that a 17 year old kid could hold his own against our Bills, knock down a few treys, and play some good D. But for him to be doing it injured is insane. If that's the case, he has the potential to be a great player, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets some playing time his freshman year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 I am excited by this report fo many reasons. 1. What a great thing it is to have current and former players turn out for a full scrimmage to welcome a recruit and everyone plays with enthusiasm and intensity. 2. It is very nice that the Blue Crew and some fans were there to cheer on the players and add a bit of fun to the process. Thanks to all who attended. 3. It sounds like this experience should convince Lisch that he is perfect for our team and that many minutes will be available to him when he arrives. The fact that as a person who just finished his junior year in high school is competing with chiseled veterans like Fischer, Perry and Drejaj, etc. is a fantastic tribute to his mental toughness. Our guys play HARD! If he can keep up with that group he is perfect for Brad and the Bills. 4. It is wonderful to hear of the great play of Polk. I think he will be the starter at point guard by the time the season ends next year with Reggie and Drejaj playing the two or three. Once Kevin arrives, I can see him as a fantastic guard tandem with Polk where there both play like combo guards--a combination of point and two guards. 5. It sounds like IO has finally realized that he can be a dominant inside player with his jumping ability and quickness. I really think he will have a big year next year. 6. I was surprised and pleased to hear that Ian is still in town. I thought he was going to be in Greece this summer. If he continues to work and get stronger he will be a very important part of our teams for years to come. His shooting touch is excellent and he can make free throws, something we have not had from our centers in seemingly decades. 7. It is always easier for a guard to shine in the scrimmages because he will have the ball so much more than anyone else. I assume Luke was playing the three so I would think he did not see the ball near as much as he did in high school and the pressure of playing with all of these good tough players could be a factor. Based upon what I have heard I would think that he will be a valuable player off the bench next year--possibly to jump start the offense. he is still in high school so we need to cut him a bit of slack. 8. I am very concerned about DC and JJ. I have to assume that JJ was hurt or he would have been in the games. At this point in his carreer he needs every minute he can possibly get in hard nosed competition. If he just decided not to play that would really upset me. As to DC, he is an enigma. He has a laid back attitude that may not be indicative of his true passion for the game but I have yet to see the spark. He clearly has some talent and ability but he needs to really put it into gear and work hard, with toughness and emotion, so he can help our team next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 "6. I was surprised and pleased to hear that Ian is still in town." Because of our "mid-major" status, our players are actually expected to show up for their finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 >>6. I was surprised and pleased to hear that Ian is still in >town. I thought he was going to be in Greece this summer. If >he continues to work and get stronger he will be a very >important part of our teams for years to come. His shooting >touch is excellent and he can make free throws, something we >have not had from our centers in seemingly decades. Why is that? Finals haven't even started. Every player at every school has to take finals. Are you saying that you were under the impression that SLU players didn't have to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 us working folk sometimes lose touch with what part of the year it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Sorry! I thought that most kids were finished with exams. I checked with my daughter who is a junior and she says only the seniors may be finished. I was thinking that the school year had ended. My bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Nope, exams for undergrads start this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SShoe Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 finals are this coming week...and then party time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 now that is a scary thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 >Also rules people, Brad wasn't at this >scrimmage. Are coaches not allowed to have organized >practices now or something, or does anyone else have an idea >why Brad wouldn't be there? NCAA regulations do not allow coaches to run team practices outside of the window of the season. It is a violation of the rules for them to even watch the team scrimmage (but I'm sure many have their spies). During the academic year (outside of the season window), coaches can have workouts with individual players (or small groups of players, but not most of or all of the team). During the summer, they aren't allowed to have even individual workouts. For those reasons, Brad wasn't present at the scrimmages. However, Brad was surely in the building -- in his office. I'm sure the players stopped by and spoke to the coaches before and/or after the scrimmages. Let me caution that what you see during offseason scrimmages is not necessarily indicative of what you'll see from player during the season. As Brad told me last fall, they don't play that hard, they don't play much defense (particularly TEAM defense), and they don't run the plays they would run when they're coached. This word of caution especially applies to Izik Ohanon. I think he always looks awesome during the offseason, but he hasn't been a star during the season. I sure hope it changes for his senior season, but I'm not betting on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Why would Coach Soderberg sign a kid who would be "overmatched" in the West Pine gym? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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