eastsidejoe Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 still amazes me how Majerus could build this team out of not highly recruited athletes. As time goes by, I am in awe of his ability to find talent and then to mold the whole process into what we had last year and what we have this year, especially the last three games. In my opinion, his hiring was the best thing that could ever happened to the SLU basketball program. I know this is repititious in that many people have already said the same, but when I see Jett out there the last two games, I wonder, how did Majerus see this talent. In Jett's first year, I was saying, why did they recruit this guy, I'm just sayin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSLU68 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 The game against Dayton maybe the first time JJ has been 100 percent recovered from the groin pull since it happened.. I only expet what he and Ellis are doing to be the signature of the team on defense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARon Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 The game against Dayton maybe the first time JJ has been 100 percent recovered from the groin pull since it happened.. I only expet what he and Ellis are doing to be the signature of the team on defense Two guys who didn't even want to play defense when they first got here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 RM was a bb savant. We were lucky to have him. I think one of his best recruits may have been DE. No one was considering him a big timer, but RM knew he was smart, from a disciplined family, and had a nose for the ball. The kid's been nothing but money for us almost since his first day on campus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="ARon" data-cid="340162" data-time="1359938006"><p> Two guys who didn't even want to play defense when they first got here.</p></blockquote> JJ didn't want to play D? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I like Majerus and he did well here and amazing at Utah. However, let's not get too crazy he won 1 NCAA game in 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drkelsey55 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I like Majerus and he did well here and amazing at Utah. However, let's not get too crazy he won 1 NCAA game in 5 years. He started with an empty roster, what did you expect. I thought he did an awesome job in the short time he had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I wouldnt call lisch and liddell "an empty roster". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVBilliken Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Maybe, but besides them, there really wasn't much. You can't win with just two good players. As we see now, you need a solid 8 - 9 man rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Bill Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="billiken_roy" data-cid="340172" data-time="1359940728"><p> I wouldnt call lisch and liddell "an empty roster".</p></blockquote> U surround Liddell an lisch with a bunch of d2 players and it is an empty roster. Thanks brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="billiken_roy" data-cid="340172" data-time="1359940728"><p>I wouldnt call lisch and liddell "an empty roster".</p></blockquote> U surround Liddell an lisch with a bunch of d2 players and it is an empty roster. Thanks brad This must never ever happen again............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfraz22 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 You can't give enough credit to RM and the job he did turning our program around, but after McCall and Jett's senior year there isn't much to be excited about. Not yet at least. This excitement could be short lived unless Crews can show to be a recruiter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 He started with an empty roster, what did you expect. I thought he did an awesome job in the short time he had. I expect an average coach to be able to get to the NCAA tournament once every 5 years. Even if he started with nothing at the end of 4 years the roster is all his. Majerus had a lot of transfers and was able to replace players from the previous regime even quicker. We just have different definitions of awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I expect an average coach to be able to get to the NCAA tournament once every 5 years. Even if he started with nothing at the end of 4 years the roster is all his. Majerus had a lot of transfers and was able to replace players from the previous regime even quicker. We just have different definitions of awesome. We've had average coaches who couldn't pull that off...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Nope they weren't average they were below average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drkelsey55 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I wouldnt call lisch and liddell "an empty roster". Ok, so that team went 2 deep! And you wanted a NCAA bid with that roster??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Ok, so that team went 2 deep! And you wanted a NCAA bid with that roster??????? Awesome is what Stevens and Smart have done that is Awesome. Awesome is what Majerus did at Utah. Very Good is what Spoon did here. Good is what Majerus did here. Good is what Romar did here. Poor is what Soderberg did here. I'm glad Majerus was here he did well it is fun to win. But we only won 1 NCAA game in 5 years. I want more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastsidejoe Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 I expect an average coach to be able to get to the NCAA tournament once every 5 years. Even if he started with nothing at the end of 4 years the roster is all his. Majerus had a lot of transfers and was able to replace players from the previous regime even quicker. We just have different definitions of awesome. -100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="TheA_Bomb" data-cid="340184" data-time="1359945662"><p> Awesome is what Stevens and Smart have done that is Awesome. Awesome is what Majerus did at Utah. Very Good is what Spoon did here. Good is what Majerus did here. Good is what Romar did here. Poor is what Soderberg did here.<br /> <br /> I'm glad Majerus was here he did well it is fun to win. But we only won 1 NCAA game in 5 years. I want more.</p></blockquote> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Majerus seemed to be able to identify the kids' inner self, the kind of inner self that not only had harvestable basketball talent, but those that also allowed him to have an open hand in molding the player his way. Those that didn't listen, those that he might have been wrong on, were quickly dispatched (Cotto, Thompson, Smith). Those ingredients he didn't want in his soup, were also quickly dispatched (Jordan, Maguire, Mitchell, Knollmeyer, Relaphorde). Those that bought into Rick and his way, flourished (Lisch, Conklin, Reed, Mitchell, Jett, McCall, Evans, Loe, etc.). In a system like that, you need time to cultivate it. He said four years -- and he would have done that had the "situation" not derailed hjim for a year. But I think he only signed an initial five year deal for a very good reason --- his third year (CBI) would have fed into his crowning year (4) and then another year (5) of riding high on the success. After that, he could walk away with his reputation cinched in the truth that he was a program savior. That's what I thought, hence my calls for sustainability. Right now, as others have said, this is year 6 and the cupboard was/is stocked. Next year would have been the end of the Majerus main recruits in Loe, Jett, Evans and McCall. And that is what we find ourselves facing as we have one recruit in the incoming freshman role, two redshirts in the to-be sophomore class (with Carter leaving), and two huge unknowns in the junior class in Glaze and Manning (although Glaze is getting some serious OJT right now). Aww .. what the hell. Worry about all that at the end of the year. Just enjoy the ride for now and believe the folks on North Grand wilkl come through again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I wouldnt call lisch and liddell "an empty roster". Lisch would have flourished under RM. Tommy, not so sure he would have even come to SLU or been recruited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Aww .. what the hell. Worry about all that at the end of the year. Just enjoy the ride for now and believe the folks on North Grand wilkl come through again. Pretty sure the folks on N. Grand will be told by a guy in Chicago how to come thru again. Dr. C seemed to be having a real ball this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 slu72, i disagree. some people need the drill sarge routine, kevin lisch doesnt need it, liddell wouldnt want it. they both would have been illini players imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACE Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Awesome is what Stevens and Smart have done that is Awesome. Awesome is what Majerus did at Utah. Very Good is what Spoon did here. Good is what Majerus did here. Good is what Romar did here. Poor is what Soderberg did here.I'm glad Majerus was here he did well it is fun to win. But we only won 1 NCAA game in 5 years. I want more. So Romar and Majerus get the same "good" rating for their time at SLU? Huh?!? Romar had one "miracle" run in Memphis with Spoon's roster. After that, the talent level got progressively worse and his teams were worse in year 2 and 3. RM, on the other hand, built his NCAA Tourney team and to my way of thinking, built three NCAA caliber teams with his own players. The year of the "situation" would have been a tourney team and there is no question this year's roster has the talent... now whether they get there remains to be seen, but I have no doubt that if RM were still coaching this team, it would be a done deal. Majerus left a team that if healthy and with the big guy on the bench, was garnering a lot of preseason Top 20 rankings. Romar never built anything close to that level here. While Romar bolted for UW, Majerus helped guide SLU through the "situation." I think this really may be one of RM's greatest contributions that gets overlooked. A guy of his stature could have easiliy bolted when all that went down and gotten another coaching job or gone back to ESPN. He wasn't happy with how it was handled, but he stuck it out and righted the ship. If RM left, the whole program could have easily fallen apart. He was key in keeping everything together. I know this doesn't speak to their time at SLU, but it was really striking watching SLU destroy UW last year. Romar had two 1st round NBA players, plus a McDonald's All-American, yet RM's cast of mostly lightly recruited players wiped the floor with Zo's team. No doubt who the better coach was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David King Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 . In my opinion, his hiring was the best thing that could ever happened to the SLU basketball program. . Completely agree. Actually, it seems pretty clear that he was the best Billikens coach in the modern era. Majerus was great; Spoonhaur was very good. Grawer also very good; Romar was lucky. Spoon took Grawer's recruits and went to the NCAA's two years in a row, but without the one year gift of Larry Hughes, that would probably have been it. Majerus built a program, basically from ground zero, then had "the situation" setback, followed by SLU's best NCAA run ever, which will continue this year, and would have for the foreseeable future, had he remained the coach. Majerus was a better recruiter and a better coach that Spoonhaur. Spoonhaur, of course, was more likeable, which may explain why some think he was the better coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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