Zeke Moore - 2016 Commit

[slufanskip]

I made a joke to one of my brothers the other day that under Crews we are back to picking up commits from second team all GAC conference type players much like the Sodie years and this seems like a case in point

I have said this numerous times but I will say it again; this is by no means a shot at the kid. I have two sons and if either make any sort of all conference team in high school I would be unbelievably proud and rightfully so. This kid is a very nice basketball player. It just seems to me like he would be better suited at an SIU E or SEMO than playing in the A-10

No, I haven't seen him play but if he made Earl's FOURTH team (and lets give the man his due; Earl Austin knows more about area high school talent than just about anyone) I do not think it bodes well for his time playing in the A-10

I doubt Earl names his teams based upon college projections

[kmbilliken]

This is a good question and I tried to begin my comments last night with the disclaimer that HS stats aren't always perfectly accurate. But even if they're off, they can't be that far off...right?

I trust the staff isn't relying on the stats which could be influenced by his father.

[thetorch]

HS stats are pretty accurate. Usually the people turning them into websites maybe affiliated with the host school but not always. Stats aren't lying, he is a very very good shooter.

[TheChosenOne]

HS stats are pretty accurate. Usually the people turning them into websites maybe affiliated with the host school but not always. Stats aren't lying, he is a very very good shooter.

Those are incredibly good shooting %s. The top single season 3-pt field goal percentage in SLU history is Roland Gray at 45.7% and field goal percentage is Melvin Robinson at 62.3%. I don't have an issue with this signing if this kid is that good of shooter, you are talking about incredible shot making %s for a guard and he is a volume scorer not just a shooter for his team. That is really impressive.

[hsmith19]

You must be easy to surprise

When Gillmann signed with no other major offers, everyone on here expected him to be next to worthless. I certainly wasn't expecting him to shoot 35% from 3 and finish third on the team in EFG%. Were you?

[Quality Is Job 1]

I would question the accuracy of shooting percentages. A couple of decades ago I worked for the company that accrued stats and reported box scores for Post-Dispatch, and when coaches call in stats for the box score in the next day's paper, not all of the stats would be included. Two-point field goals made and 3pts made had to be reported, along with free throws made and attempted, but FG attempts, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals weren't always reported. I'd seen cases when players' shooting percentages would be more than 100 percent (because the attempts weren't accurate). All it takes is one or two games in which the attempts weren't recorded to throw off the percentages in a major way. Furthermore, as someone who was a statistician in high school, the accuracy of the stats keepers in high school is far less than that of those in college.

Zeke Moore, whom I believe I've met — and I know his dad and have met his sister (as I work for Riverview Gardens) — may be a very good shooter, but I doubt he shot over 60% from the field and over 50% from 3. But his reported FT percentage is likely accurate.

[TheChosenOne]

This is a good question and I tried to begin my comments last night with the disclaimer that HS stats aren't always perfectly accurate. But even if they're off, they can't be that far off...right?

I found the individual season state records and I see that Scott Highmark's junior year he had the 4th best 3-pt fg % (minimum 100 attempts) at 51.69%. Zeke Moore's listed 3-pt shooting of 47-90 (52.22%) would put him at 4th in the record books for 3-pt fg% (75-99 attempts). We are getting ourselves a really nice shooter.

[VeniceMenace]

I found the individual season state records and I see that Scott Highmark's junior year he had the 4th best 3-pt fg % (minimum 100 attempts) at 51.69%. Zeke Moore's listed 3-pt shooting of 47-90 (52.22%) would put him at 4th in the record books for 3-pt fg% (75-99 attempts). We are getting ourselves a really nice shooter.

Yes but the critical questions here are 1. Is he a gym rat and 2. Can the kid slam dunk?

[AlumniFan]

Funny how expectations fall. How can this program move up when the norm is mediocrity. Everything that was built up has been torn down.

Hmmm.... I'm pretty sure the last time I drove down 64, Chaifetz was still standing. That said, I have to agree with several on this board - our recruiting sucks, Crews sucks, Biondi sucks, Guy sucks, Platt sucks, parking sucks, student section sucks, sports marketing sucks, scheduling sucks, inbound passes suck, timeout calling sucks, not getting in the big east sucks, ticket policy sucks, McBroom sucked, Manning sucked, Tatum sucks, Chris May sucks, statues suck, and on and on. Why do some of you even bother following the Billikens as much as you think just about everything about them sucks AND it sure seems to frustrate you? There are 330+ other teams to follow, plenty in the general area. Just sayin'.....

I'm just glad that I don't read the board as much anymore - it is friggin' depressing seeing so much despair and gnashing of teeth. I feel like I just listened to George Costanza talk about his life when he was trying to get the apartment...

P.S. Welcome Zeke Moore! Very glad you are joining the Billikens!

[Billboy1]

When Gillmann signed with no other major offers, everyone on here expected him to be next to worthless. I certainly wasn't expecting him to shoot 35% from 3 and finish third on the team in EFG%. Were you?

No I expected him to red shirt. He was overmatched and out muscled in most games not to mention playing more like a guard. Hope he worked on putting on some muscle and using his height.

[eastsidejoe]

Hmmm.... I'm pretty sure the last time I drove down 64, Chaifetz was still standing. That said, I have to agree with several on this board - our recruiting sucks, Crews sucks, Biondi sucks, Guy sucks, Platt sucks, parking sucks, student section sucks, sports marketing sucks, scheduling sucks, inbound passes suck, timeout calling sucks, not getting in the big east sucks, ticket policy sucks, McBroom sucked, Manning sucked, Tatum sucks, Chris May sucks, statues suck, and on and on. Why do some of you even bother following the Billikens as much as you think just about everything about them sucks AND it sure seems to frustrate you? There are 330+ other teams to follow, plenty in the general area. Just sayin'.....

I'm just glad that I don't read the board as much anymore - it is friggin' depressing seeing so much despair and gnashing of teeth. I feel like I just listened to George Costanza talk about his life when he was trying to get the apartment...

P.S. Welcome Zeke Moore! Very glad you are joining the Billikens!

Hmmm, just curious. How many games did you see last year?

[Littlebill]

No I expected him to red shirt. He was overmatched and out muscled in most games not to mention playing more like a guard. Hope he worked on putting on some muscle and using his height.

Will u just coach the team plz

[AlumniFan]

Hmmm, just curious. How many games did you see last year?

Probably about 95% of the games over the past 25 years and it has been a lot of fun!! I have a lot of great memories; I choose not to dwell on every negative thing I can ferret out of being a Billiken fan. We all have choices in life. If some want to choose to dwell on the negative, I guess that is their choice, but it sure as hell is not mine - life is too short.

[TheA_Bomb]

When Gillmann signed with no other major offers, everyone on here expected him to be next to worthless. I certainly wasn't expecting him to shoot 35% from 3 and finish third on the team in EFG%. Were you?

Don't feed this TROLL. While you might be wrong 98% of the time at least you're a real Billikens fan. I can deal with that these other punks need to go away.

AlumniFan I agree with you. KU has room on their band wagon last I checked they do OK at BBall.

Onto the recruiting. Those more knowledgeable about basketball give me your thoughts on this theory. Could we be experiencing growing pains as we see a shift from Majerus Offense and Defense System to Coach J. Crews Offense and Defense System, as CJC is now recruiting players that fit his systems? I think the drop off was due to inexperience but was it exacerbated by this shift? So the first thing to establish is there a shift in systems and secondly is it significant enough to cause issues during transition?

To summarize:

1. Is there a shift in offensive/defensive systems

2. Is it significant?

3. Is recruiting mirroring this shift?

4. If recruiting is mirroring this shift did it exacerbate our issues last season?

[Taj79]

In all seriousness, your questions Bomb are based on #1) the theory that CJC has a system and #2) it is that different from the CRM system. Can't answer; don't know if there is a CJC system.

But I thought CJC was brought on to the CRM staff because Jensen left and 1) he was available (having been fired by West Point) and 2) he was from the same coaching philosophy as the great CRM. If that apple didn't fall far from the tree, then one would have to assume a similarity in intentions as far as theories go,no?

So .....

1) no.

2) no.

3) no.

4) yes --- but not so much the system IMO but the fact that this staff may not be able to identify/evaluate "good" players or able to teach them up to be better no matter the system in place. And I may be wrong on the second count --- but that is why again I look forward to the coming year and the progress made. Deaux.

[Pistol]

Probably about 95% of the games over the past 25 years and it has been a lot of fun!! I have a lot of great memories; I choose not to dwell on every negative thing I can ferret out of being a Billiken fan. We all have choices in life. If some want to choose to dwell on the negative, I guess that is their choice, but it sure as hell is not mine - life is too short.

There's a difference between choosing negativity or positivity and reacting realistically to what's happening. While I appreciate a positive approach to the program we all follow and love, I can't imagine the amount of denial necessary to pretend everything is fine with the program right now. To acknowledge this doesn't make you a traitor or anything.

In other words, it's okay to see things in terms other than black and white.

(I know you have to toe the company line as a representative of the university.)

[3star_recruit]

1. No. We didn't have the quickness+length to contain point guard penetration. Crews inherited the short-armed 5'10 guard so that's not Crews' fault. He recruited a 6'4 guard without lateral quickness. That is his fault. Crews recruited a quick 6'2 combo guard who could have been the answer but the young man totally lost confidence in his jump shot a la Dwayne Polk That's not Crews' fault. We also didn't have a frontcourt player who other teams had to guard.. It's normal for frontcourt players to take a couple of years to develop. So part of that was due to poor recruiting by Majerus due to his declining health. But bringing in a kid who can only set screens and flop is on Crews.

2. No.

3. Recruiting has started to address our deficiencies with the signing of Jermaine Bishop. Zeke Moore has the quickness + length to be an above average defender. 2017 Javon Pickett, who SLU followed at NY2LA Summer Jam this weekend, is already a good defender. The first two guys are plus shooters and Pickett is getting there.

4. Holes in the roster were the source of our problem last year. Part of that was on Majerus and part of that was on Crews. Crews overestimated his ability to coach up these guys. If he wanted a quick, offensively potent point guard, he should have recruited one. If he wanted an interior player who could finish inside and play the two-man game, he should have recruited one. He's correcting those mistakes now. I like the guards. He needs a frontcourt player to pair with Neufeld now.

[JMM28]

There's a difference between choosing negativity or positivity and reacting realistically to what's happening. While I appreciate a positive approach to the program we all follow and love, I can't imagine the amount of denial necessary to pretend everything is fine with the program right now. To acknowledge this doesn't make you a traitor or anything.

In other words, it's okay to see things in terms other than black and white.

(I know you have to toe the company line as a representative of the university.)

If everyone was just happy that basketball is played, SLU could save the expense of major D1 and drop to non scholarship D3.

Or if it was only rainbows and lollipops for some, there would never be a firing or releasing players. The program would spiral down and become a 250 or worse program like it was last year.

Some negativity and realism has to exist in a fan base.

[MB73]

Some of the 24/7 negative posters on here make me sick.

• Ripping Crews coaching after last year's performance in such an brutal, ugly manner, given all kinds of extenuating circumstances with an extremely young team, a few bad apples, etcetera, is inappropriate. Oh, and that helps recruiting a lot. Thanks. Sure you can say the recruits are smarter than to listen to those on this board. Are they?
• Ripping Crews saying he cannot recruit when in fact his only true recruiting year is represented by last year's 6 freshman, who were thrown into the fray with almost no help or leadership from upperclassmen. I think they will do well this year, 2 will emerge & step up big, 2 will improve significantly, and 2 will just improve a little.
• Constantly ripping players like Jolly, a freshman center, and making it very personal. Show some class.
• We even have a poster who is ripping our newest recruit, questioning the credibility of his stats, even citing his father's behavior. Damn ugly. Some fan.
• Blaming Crews for not closing Tatum. That means all of our coaches, ever, as you would say, "suck". We have never landed a true 5* much less a player like Tatum. Why? Superior schedule (NC, 'Cuse, Mich State, etcetera vs. Fordham, St. Bonny, etcetera), superior national TV coverage, HOF coach, Duke HOF alumni and NBA players across the land to be in touch with forever, and a strong chance to go to the Final 4, even win the whole shebang... what would be your sales pitch, Brian?
• The same silly men who do not like Crews think some hot shot up and comer assistant from Florida or Michigan St. or 'Cuse will beg to come here... will they? And if they do and do well, they will leave in 3 years to go to a power conference, won't they?

SO the most important thing, still, by far, is for us to somehow get into the Big East. If we had, a kid like Tatum might have stayed.

Crews is a good, solid coach. Let's see how they do this year.

[Billboy1]

Will u just coach the team plz

[/.quote]

Love to

Edited July 19, 2015 by Billboy1

[JMM28]

The up and coming assistant bit is bunk. SLU has in the past and will in the future attract some of the top candidates. Outstanding facilities, major metro with no competitors pro or college, and a great fan base, individual and corporate. SLU also has proven to have the resources to pay someone 1 million so keeping a successful coach for awhile, ala Butler-Wichita-VCU wouldn't be an issue with the right guy.

I do agree the Big East thing would help tremendously but terrible seasons like last aren't helping matters in that regard.

Also I'd like a list of Duke Hall of Fame alumni. I'll hang up and listen for my answer.

[willie]

Some of the 24/7 negative posters on here make me sick.

• Ripping Crews coaching after last year's performance in such an brutal, ugly manner, given all kinds of extenuating circumstances with an extremely young team, a few bad apples, etcetera, is inappropriate. Oh, and that helps recruiting a lot. Thanks. Sure you can say the recruits are smarter than to listen to those on this board. Are they?
• Ripping Crews saying he cannot recruit when in fact his only true recruiting year is represented by last year's 6 freshman, who were thrown into the fray with almost no help or leadership from upperclassmen. I think they will do well this year, 2 will emerge & step up big, 2 will improve significantly, and 2 will just improve a little.
• Constantly ripping players like Jolly, a freshman center, and making it very personal. Show some class.
• We even have a poster who is ripping out newest recruit, questioning the credibility of his stats, even citing his father's behavior. Damn ugly. Some fan.Good Post.
• Blaming Crews for not closing Tatum. That means all of our coaches, ever, as you would say, "suck". We have never landed a true 5* much less a player like Tatum. Why? Superior schedule (NC, 'Cuse, Mich State, etcetera vs. Fordham, St. Bonny, etcetera), superior national TV coverage, HOF coach, Duke HOF alumni and NBA players across the land to be in touch with forever, and a strong chance to go to the Final 4, even win the whole shebang... what would be your sales pitch, Brian?
• The same silly men who do not like Crews think some hot shot up and comer assistant from Florida or Michigan St. or 'Cuse will beg to come here... will they? And if they do and do well, they will leave in 3 years to go to a power conference, won't they?

SO the most important thing, still, by far, is for us to somehow get into the Big East. If we had, a kid like Tatum might have stayed.

Crews is a good, solid coach. Let's see how they do this year.

[willie]

Good post MB.

[AlumniFan]

If everyone was just happy that basketball is played, SLU could save the expense of major D1 and drop to non scholarship D3.

Or if it was only rainbows and lollipops for some, there would never be a firing or releasing players. The program would spiral down and become a 250 or worse program like it was last year.

Some negativity and realism has to exist in a fan base.

There's a difference between choosing negativity or positivity and reacting realistically to what's happening. While I appreciate a positive approach to the program we all follow and love, I can't imagine the amount of denial necessary to pretend everything is fine with the program right now. To acknowledge this doesn't make you a traitor or anything.

In other words, it's okay to see things in terms other than black and white.

(I know you have to toe the company line as a representative of the university.)

Just to be clear, I am an alumni and fan like most others here; I am not nor have I ever been an employee of the University. I am definitely not toeing a company line. I guess it is more just a personality thing.

My initial post has nothing to do with people criticizing certain elements of the program from time to time. That is perfectly appropriate and I have done it too. However, there are people whose posts are probably about 90% negative about everything. They seem to seek out things to complain about, often irrelevant things (e.g. Guy Phililps or statues around the University) or they twist positives into negatives (e.g. we go to the tournament three years in a row and all they see is the drop off after FIVE STARTERS GRADUATED) or they ***** about something and when the University makes a change, they find a negative in it (e.g. paying big dollars for a coach which people called for, but when they learned how much Crews makes they were all pissed off). Again, to each his own, but I just cannot imagine getting up every day to open up Billikens.com so that I can *****, yet again, about how bad everything Billikens is.

And, let's not exaggerate our importance as fans. We don't recruit. We don't coach. We don't decide on marketing policies. We don't decide the hiring or firing of coaches. And most of us had very minimal impact on the finances of the program. We are spectators. Heck, despite all the whining about the recruitment of Tatum, how many posters on this board actually took the time to be on campus for his unofficial visit?

[TheChosenOne]

And, let's not exaggerate our importance as fans. We don't recruit. We don't coach. We don't decide on marketing policies. We don't decide the hiring or firing of coaches. And most of us had very minimal impact on the finances of the program. We are spectators. Heck, despite all the whining about the recruitment of Tatum, how many posters on this board actually took the time to be on campus for his unofficial visit?

If the teams sucks this season and enough fans show their displeasure by not attending games (my wife and I are not renewing our season tickets this year (we were only going to if Tatum committed)), at some point the message gets sent. Big time college athletics are a business after all.