Guys behind SLU bench

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

I wish I was a 6'8" 240lb 5* recruit because SLU would have been my choice.

Did being the 'Hoop It Up' 3 v 3 Runner - Up in middle school at least land you a 1*?

[slu72]

Roby's exactly the kind of recruit I hope we keep landing. Now, none of us have any idea if he'll be a success as a D1 player, but it wasn't like he called us out of the blue. It may have seemed that way, but I'm sure JC and staff were on him, and he expressed serious interest. He visits, he signs. Why, he liked what he saw at the Dance. Which just goes to prove the old adage, success breeds success. Keep it going, JC and staff. We like being in the top 10, we love dancing, and we're really enjoying beating the odds.

[bauman]

Roby's exactly the kind of recruit I hope we keep landing. Now, none of us have any idea if he'll be a success as a D1 player, but it wasn't like he called us out of the blue. It may have seemed that way, but I'm sure JC and staff were on him, and he expressed serious interest. He visits, he signs. Why, he liked what he saw at the Dance. Which just goes to prove the old adage, success breeds success. Keep it going, JC and staff. We like being in the top 10, we love dancing, and we're really enjoying beating the odds.

In addition, we landed Bartley when he was being recruited heavily by his parents' alma mater, Creighton. A good recruiting win over a good program, just not a Ka/UNC/KY. JC and his team of Asst Coaches have shown the ability to get the player who might be between top 100 and top 200. That, plus coaching and recruiting high character kids can result in top 10 national rankings.

My only concern is that we do not fall too much next year. I shudder when I think about JM and GG as our only 2 seniors and possible starters. We really need TL and RA to step up and be significant contributors on the front line next year (4 & 5 spots),

I think with AM, MC and AY along with the 3 incoming, non big, Freshmen we can at least be a low seed (7-10) NCAA team to keep our string of tournament appearances going. Adding a 6'5" type recruit, able to step in and play next year would also be helpful, we just haven't heard about anyone like that but hopefully that is what the staff is after.

[RiseAndGrind]

I'd just like to give a shoutout to Davell Roby for being the first commit. Screw the SEC. Lets go bills.

[Pistol]

This topic that SLU has not bee interested in local players is one that simply is just a rumor. Remember the Vtime discussions - he would have had us recruit everybody - all those UMKC and SIUE type players. SLU had no problem recruiting local top players - the problem was that the local players of worth had little interest in us. Yes we all know the story about the 2 guys who went to SIUC who wanted to go to SLU and turned out to be studs but they also had academic questions but perhaps the worse part of that was that BS was not a good talent evalutor so he may have missed on some. RM had interest in several local players but they had no interest in him or us. I have no problem with recruiting local players but not just because they are local - if they are quality to keep us playing at a high level then absolutely but if they are not then keep our national profile strong. The only reason local players may not be interested in us is because we have had success and are a top 10 team - where were they when the non local players were willing to come and get us to this level but they were not?

Talk to local STL basketball coaches and others in the basketball community. Obviously you'll hear mixed things but a lot of them have had longstanding gripes with how local recruiting has been handled. It isn't so much SLU's interest in local players, but the relationships or lack thereof with many other local basketball types.

[Adman]

Talk to local STL basketball coaches and others in the basketball community. Obviously you'll hear mixed things but a lot of them have had longstanding gripes with how local recruiting has been handled. It isn't so much SLU's interest in local players, but the relationships or lack thereof with many other local basketball types.

Pistol

Can you be more specific about the gripes and whether justified? Also whether these are RM-related or go back a dozen years?

Thanks!

[SShoe]

+1 RM had it right. Go for top local talent, but don't compromise and offer second tier local talent just because they are "local." The top priority is to put together a winning team - RM got that. If the local players don't want to be a part of it, screw them. Scott Suggs went off the Washington - I know he had some injuries, but he pretty much was a mediocre role player on a team that didn't do much of anything while he was there. Tyler Griffey went for the "big time" offer and wound up being a role player for a program that didn't do much. In fact he was part of a team that struggled and got Bruce Weber fired. He could have had a chance to be a part of building a winner here. When Nolan Berry committed to Butler I thought it was VERY early. Butler was a trendy name at the time of his commitment, but now the kid finds himself without Brad Stevens and sitting on the end of the bench for a bad team.

I don't feel like SLU has to apologize or mend fences with any of these AAU coaches. It seems to me RM told many of the top local prospects he was going to build a top 25 team here. That's exactly what he did. It's not SLU's fault those kids decided to go elsewhere. My problem with some of these local AAU coaches and other advisers is that I sense they view SLU as the fallback school. They want SLU to be a landing spot for the second tier local players. Nice for the kids, but not exactly a recipe for success for SLU. These folks all seemed to get blinded by the "name" schools. RM and now Crews have shown what is possible with this program. IMO, it is up for the AAU coaches/advisors to change some of their misconceptions about the program.

Good stuff. I'd love to see more local recruits on the team, but that should never be at the expense of getting the best players possible. I also got the sense that so many AAU and local high school coaches, as well as the local bball types, wanted their egos stroked by RM, but he had no interest in doing that. Under Sodie, I always felt he had to recruit locally because he and the program were not big enough names nationally to be able to pull in good talent from outside the area. I think that was very different under Majerus who still had a nationally recognized name, so he didn't have to kiss any local yokel arse. Going forward, the program should be on significantly better footing with these local kids.

[TheChosenOne]

He's an animal, he'll be one on the top recruits in the nation when it's all said and done

I think that may be exaggerated, but there is no question the kid is having a big time freshman season. Hopefully he continues to grow physically and develops his skill set. I heard this weekend that his older sister played at SLU for Shimmy.

[Pistol]

Pistol

Can you be more specific about the gripes and whether justified? Also whether these are RM-related or go back a dozen years?

Thanks!

Eh, I can't say too much. But I can say they're justified to some degree and they go back long before RM was in charge.

Basically, SLU hasn't done a good enough job of pursuing local kids with regards to forging lasting relationships with coaches, fostering good standing in the basketball community, being visible, showing they care, etc. Some of the complaining has to do with guys needing to have their egos stroked; some of it is very real and largely justified. This issue isn't only on one staff, but goes back quite a ways and there have been major inconsitencies from staff to staff.

I will say that from what I can tell, the guys there right now (Bronson, Chaney, et al) have done an excellent job trying to repair this. In fact, I would say fences started mending in the second half of Majerus' tenure. Again, this is observational because I haven't spent as much time around these staffs as I did the previous few.

I'm happy to talk about this subject more in person but don't want to say too much in print.

[ACE]

Eh, I can't say too much. But I can say they're justified to some degree and they go back long before RM was in charge.

Basically, SLU hasn't done a good enough job of pursuing local kids with regards to forging lasting relationships with coaches, fostering good standing in the basketball community, being visible, showing they care, etc. Some of the complaining has to do with guys needing to have their egos stroked; some of it is very real and largely justified. This issue isn't only on one staff, but goes back quite a ways and there have been major inconsitencies from staff to staff.

I will say that from what I can tell, the guys there right now (Bronson, Chaney, et al) have done an excellent job trying to repair this. In fact, I would say fences started mending in the second half of Majerus' tenure. Again, this is observational because I haven't spent as much time around these staffs as I did the previous few.

I'm happy to talk about this subject more in person but don't want to say too much in print.

If some folks are harboring issues from BEFORE RM was here, may I suggest that is their problem they need to get over. This kind of stuff just makes me respect RM even more. He didn't waste too much time sucking up to some of the AAU and other assorted characters surrounding high school bball who feel they need to be stroked. RM proved to be able to build a winner and find players a lot of different places without having to waste too much time with some local recruits and associates who thought they were too good for SLU. With the facilities and recent tradition of winning, there clearly is an outstanding product that local recruits can see for themselves. It's no longer some promise that SOMEDAY we can build a top 25 program. RM and now Crews have proven that it can become a reality and it's not some empty promise. At some point it is up to the quality local kids to decide if they want to be a part of it. There will be some who just want to go out of town no matter what. Can't worry about them.

I know that Sodie missed on Shaw, Harrellson, Ahearn and probably a number of other local recruits who had strong interest in playing for SLU, but in the RM era, how many of those have there been? I can't think of many. It could be a good offseason topic to kick around.

[kappy96]

+1 RM had it right. Go for top local talent, but don't compromise and offer second tier local talent just because they are "local." The top priority is to put together a winning team - RM got that. If the local players don't want to be a part of it, screw them. Scott Suggs went off the Washington - I know he had some injuries, but he pretty much was a mediocre role player on a team that didn't do much of anything while he was there. Tyler Griffey went for the "big time" offer and wound up being a role player for a program that didn't do much. In fact he was part of a team that struggled and got Bruce Weber fired. He could have had a chance to be a part of building a winner here. When Nolan Berry committed to Butler I thought it was VERY early. Butler was a trendy name at the time of his commitment, but now the kid finds himself without Brad Stevens and sitting on the end of the bench for a bad team.

I don't feel like SLU has to apologize or mend fences with any of these AAU coaches. It seems to me RM told many of the top local prospects he was going to build a top 25 team here. That's exactly what he did. It's not SLU's fault those kids decided to go elsewhere. My problem with some of these local AAU coaches and other advisers is that I sense they view SLU as the fallback school. They want SLU to be a landing spot for the second tier local players. Nice for the kids, but not exactly a recipe for success for SLU. These folks all seemed to get blinded by the "name" schools. RM and now Crews have shown what is possible with this program. IMO, it is up for the AAU coaches/advisors to change some of their misconceptions about the program.

Spot on.

[kshoe]

In addition, we landed Bartley when he was being recruited heavily by his parents' alma mater, Creighton. A good recruiting win over a good program, just not a Ka/UNC/KY. JC and his team of Asst Coaches have shown the ability to get the player who might be between top 100 and top 200. That, plus coaching and recruiting high character kids can result in top 10 national rankings.

My only concern is that we do not fall too much next year. I shudder when I think about JM and GG as our only 2 seniors and possible starters. We really need TL and RA to step up and be significant contributors on the front line next year (4 & 5 spots),

I think with AM, MC and AY along with the 3 incoming, non big, Freshmen we can at least be a low seed (7-10) NCAA team to keep our string of tournament appearances going. Adding a 6'5" type recruit, able to step in and play next year would also be helpful, we just haven't heard about anyone like that but hopefully that is what the staff is after.

I'd be very surprised if we are an NCAA caliber team next year.

[SluSignGuy]

I'd be very surprised if we are an NCAA caliber team next year.

I agree. But if we are, the program has definitely taken a permanent turn.

[JettFlight5]

I'd be very surprised if we are an NCAA caliber team next year.

Depends on league I think.

In the A-10, there's a chance we do make it. League's losing a lot besides what we lose.

[NH]

I'd be very surprised if we are an NCAA caliber team next year.

+1

When Mike, Rob, Jordair and Dwayne were freshmen we won 12 games. We also had Conklin and Cassity on that team. We would all agree that we hope the incoming freshman class is on this current senior class' level.

If we are fighting for an NIT berth at season's end, I don't think that would be so bad.

[kshoe]

Depends on league I think.

In the A-10, there's a chance we do make it. League's losing a lot besides what we lose.

Then the league won't get a lot of teams into the dance. I'm not a believer that somehow being in a weaker league makes it easier to get into the dance (except for the auto-bid). If the A-10 is down next year, and I have no idea if it will or won't, I don't see how the league becoming a 1 or 2 bid league will make it easier for us to get in.

[Cowboy]

Then the league won't get a lot of teams into the dance. I'm not a believer that somehow being in a weaker league makes it easier to get into the dance (except for the auto-bid). If the A-10 is down next year, and I have no idea if it will or won't, I don't see how the league becoming a 1 or 2 bid league will make it easier for us to get in.

-and one of those bids will certainly go to SVU

[JettFlight5]

-and one of those bids will certainly go to SVU

They will, without a doubt, win the Preseason Championship.