Turning corner

[AnkielBreakers]

I renounce everything. We certainly turned the corner. This is the end for Crews.

[Dwayne's_World]

[WestCoastBilliken]

No, Crews does not deserve another year.

[BigMouthBilliken]

"Better than last year." We are going to play in the play-in game in the a10 tournament, same as last year

[The Wiz]

In the last 10 games the Bills are 3-7......10 games ago, I had the Bills at C-...we are now at D+...doesn't look like improvement to me. Perhaps we should look at the start of conference play when I had the Bills at D+....Hmmm.....D+ to D+....still doesn't look like improvement. You want to go to last season. We were bad last season....D-. So yes we are better than last season ...but D+ doesn't get you on the honor roll. You pretty much have to have a B to have a shot at the NIT. About the only thing a small improvement from D- to D+ over a year( 2 yr average of D) will get you is a visit to the Dean's office to explain why you should be allowed to continue in school.

[CBFan]

This team has really turned a corner in the last 10 games. They are at least competing with the top of the A10, and there is hope for next year. Keep in mind, St. Joes shot 31 free throws compared to our 14.

I know it has been a long season, but we really are showing promise. We finally have a point guard, two actually. We have some development in our interior game. Agbeko is decent, and I think Neufeld shows promise for a freshman. We also have something to build around at the 2-3 position with Reynolds, roby, Yarborough, and Bartley.

It is not perfect, but it is better than last year.

The play of Reynolds, Roby, Yarborough and Bartley is one of the reasons this team is so bad. The sophomore class so far is a lost class. Reggie is improving and Bishop is good and Crawford plays hard but that is not enough #FIREJIMCREWS

[slufan13]

Just because we aren't losing by 30 like we did to VCU, Rhode Island, Dayton, (anyone else), doesn't mean that I'd go as far as say we're turning the corner. Like I said the other day...Lose some of the hotheads from the sophomore class, bring in an actual competent coaching staff, and hopefully have that staff get lucky on a couple recruits, and I think you could put together a team that could finish ~7th in the A10 next year. But still outside any type of meaningful postseason tournament.

[Taj79]

Leaving Hagan on Sunday, a St. Joe's guy said we had a nice nucleus in #32 (Crawford), #35 (Agbeko) and #11 (Bishop). He could not believe Bishop was a freshman. It was said in a nice tone -- one that sounded a lot like "there, there, you'll be better but I would be ripping you one if you challenged us today." So I took it for what its worth.

Agbeko has made progress. Crawford has been Crawford for most of the year -- but he does get shut down as he did second half yesterday. Bishop is a bright spot but its not hard to look like a soaring eagle when you roost amongst turkeys. Hines tries but is only slightly better than Dwayne Polk ever was at the point. These guys would be much better as supporting cast members, not starring roles.

I watched Yarbrough and Jolly yakking it upon the bench. Reynolds appears to have a second trick inhi sbag, the stop-n-pop from under 15. Roby and Bartley, who knows. I see no progress.

We trade Yacoubou for Moore next year as it stands. And add an unknown in Welmer. We are looking at year three of this dumpster fire. I see that turned corner leading us into a dead end alley.

[Cowboy]

-isn't MC graduating in May, the month not the ADirector,? if so, what are the chances he stays?

-yes, our program is only suffering from a flesh wound

[Soderball]

Leaving Hagan on Sunday, a St. Joe's guy said we had a nice nucleus in #32 (Crawford), #35 (Agbeko) and #11 (Bishop). He could not believe Bishop was a freshman. It was said in a nice tone -- one that sounded a lot like "there, there, you'll be better but I would be ripping you one if you challenged us today." So I took it for what its worth.

Agbeko has made progress. Crawford has been Crawford for most of the year -- but he does get shut down as he did second half yesterday. Bishop is a bright spot but its not hard to look like a soaring eagle when you roost amongst turkeys. Hines tries but is only slightly better than Dwayne Polk ever was at the point. These guys would be much better as supporting cast members, not starring roles.

I watched Yarbrough and Jolly yakking it upon the bench. Reynolds appears to have a second trick inhi sbag, the stop-n-pop from under 15. Roby and Bartley, who knows. I see no progress.

We trade Yacoubou for Moore next year as it stands. And add an unknown in Welmer. We are looking at year three of this dumpster fire. I see that turned corner leading us into a dead end alley.

I have no doubt that St Joseph's fans would like to extole to us the virtues of our current roster and staff, and encourage us to give Crews another chance.

"brownindians" has himself argued for retaining Crews.

Opposing fans want him to stick around and they "see potential"

That should tell you what you need to know. There was a time when opposing fans, instead of consoling us, would scream expletives about blue hair and rowdy fans. This sucks.

[slu72]

In the last 10 games the Bills are 3-7......10 games ago, I had the Bills at C-...we are now at D+...doesn't look like improvement to me. Perhaps we should look at the start of conference play when I had the Bills at D+....Hmmm.....D+ to D+....still doesn't look like improvement. You want to go to last season. We were bad last season....D-. So yes we are better than last season ...but D+ doesn't get you on the honor roll. You pretty much have to have a B to have a shot at the NIT. About the only thing a small improvement from D- to D+ over a year( 2 yr average of D) will get you is a visit to the Dean's office to explain why you should be allowed to continue in school.

Or the AD's office to explain why you should still be coaching this team next year?

[slu72]

The play of Reynolds, Roby, Yarborough and Bartley is one of the reasons this team is so bad. The sophomore class so far is a lost class. Reggie is improving and Bishop is good and Crawford plays hard but that is not enough #FIREJIMCREWS

You left out Jolly Mon and Gilman's Island. Total SO class of 6 has turned into a big zero. Not one significant contributor on a consistent basis. They are up one game, down the next 5. Reynolds showed promise at the beginning now been replaced by a walk on. Robey had a short string of games where he hit some 3's, now lost his spot to a FR. Bartley has all but disappeared from last year. Milik's a self centered head case. Jolly and Gillman might not be starters on that D2 team Lancona plays for, Pacific Nazarene or something. An entire class of nothing was what Jim Crews delivered to SLU after 3 straight dances. That is beyond the pale of bad recruiting.

[Soderball]

You left out Jolly Mon and Gilman's Island. Total SO class of 6 has turned into a big zero. Not one significant contributor on a consistent basis. They are up one game, down the next 5. Reynolds showed promise at the beginning now been replaced by a walk on. Robey had a short string of games where he hit some 3's, now lost his spot to a FR. Bartley has all but disappeared from last year. Milik's a self centered head case. Jolly and Gillman might not be starters on that D2 team Lancona plays for, Pacific Nazarene or something. An entire class of nothing was what Jim Crews delivered to SLU after 3 straight dances. That is beyond the pale of bad recruiting.

A six-man class of nothing. How do you miss six times? Crews has been an unmitigated disaster. Historically bad. First to worst. Wow.

[JMM28]

A six-man class of nothing. How do you miss six times? Crews has been an unmitigated disaster. Historically bad. First to worst. Wow.

It really is impressive to have a six man class that hasn't had at least one guy step up and be a strong player, especially with all of the PT they've received.

[waldo027]

This team has really turned a corner in the last 10 games. They are at least competing with the top of the A10, and there is hope for next year. Keep in mind, St. Joes shot 31 free throws compared to our 14.

I know it has been a long season, but we really are showing promise. We finally have a point guard, two actually. We have some development in our interior game. Agbeko is decent, and I think Neufeld shows promise for a freshman. We also have something to build around at the 2-3 position with Reynolds, roby, Yarborough, and Bartley.

It is not perfect, but it is better than last year.

Drawing fouls, getting to the FT line, and making them is good basketball. Commiting fouls and putting your opponents on the FT line is bad basketball.

It's really not any better than last year. Bartley and Roby have regressed from their freshman to sophomore seasons, something that should be impossible. The team is 8-27 against A10 teams in the past 2 seasons. I like some of the young guys but it is not happening under this staff. At this rate the team will be mid-pack in the A10 at best when these guys are seniors. It's amusing how the guys who were run off by the staff are doing better than the guys that were kept. Crews has to go.

[Clock_Tower]

This team has really turned a corner in the last 10 games. They are at least competing with the top of the A10, and there is hope for next year. Keep in mind, St. Joes shot 31 free throws compared to our 14.

I know it has been a long season, but we really are showing promise. We finally have a point guard, two actually. We have some development in our interior game. Agbeko is decent, and I think Neufeld shows promise for a freshman. We also have something to build around at the 2-3 position with Reynolds, roby, Yarborough, and Bartley.

It is not perfect, but it is better than last year.

In addition to all of the other comments, please don't read into the fact that we played good teams like Dayton really close and therefore we are somehow turning the corner and now able to truly hang with the elite teams of the A10. We have not not and we cannot.

Instead, we are no longer a team where opponents look for us on the calendar or truly scout and game plan us. Teams no longer feel the need to bring their "A" game in that their "C" game is usually just fine. We have no real home court advantage. Our recent A10 opponents simply took us for granted, played historically bad games against us (Dayton), were missing key players from their teams (Dayton) -- and we still have a horrible record and we still lost to Dayton. Even our wins this year have not been impressive. Instead, I would suggest that most of our wins occurred despite 2 bad teams on the floor and 1 of these bad teams simply had to win the game.

[Dwayne's_World]

You left out Jolly Mon and Gilman's Island. Total SO class of 6 has turned into a big zero. Not one significant contributor on a consistent basis. They are up one game, down the next 5. Reynolds showed promise at the beginning now been replaced by a walk on. Robey had a short string of games where he hit some 3's, now lost his spot to a FR. Bartley has all but disappeared from last year. Milik's a self centered head case. Jolly and Gillman might not be starters on that D2 team Lancona plays for, Pacific Nazarene or something. An entire class of nothing was what Jim Crews delivered to SLU after 3 straight dances. That is beyond the pale of bad recruiting.

This is so depressing. Not long ago we were all saying that the sophomore class might even be better than the freshmen class of 2009-2010.... How incredibly far off and naive we were.

Crews really has nuked this entire basketball program.

[Pistol]

This is so depressing. Not long ago we were all saying that the sophomore class might even be better than the freshmen class of 2009-2010.... How incredibly far off and naive we were.

Crews really has nuked this entire basketball program.

Not all of us.

[billiken_roy]

Not all of us.

Ditto.

[Clock_Tower]

This is so depressing. Not long ago we were all saying that the sophomore class might even be better than the freshmen class of 2009-2010.... How incredibly far off and naive we were.

Crews really has nuked this entire basketball program.

I am not sure that anyone thought they would be better but there were quite a few posts (mine included) which believes this Soph class did have alot of talent and did have alot of potential -- and I am likely in the minority on this Board -- but I still believe the same.

Reaching the level of the DE, RL, MM and JJ Class of 2010 is not going to happen -- too much time lost, too many bad habits, etc. even if the talent is present and even if RM could return as head coach next year. One thing for sure - there is not much learning going on right now -- and blame can be leveled against both the teacher (Crews) for not teaching or the students (players) for not working hard - or both. Similarities included a large amount of Freshmen who entered SLU and surprisingly found alot of openings/ immediate playing time and who stepped up and played well as Freshmen without alot of expectations. Similarities end there as the 2010 Class were taught by RM whereas the currents Sophs were taught by Crews. Even without getting in discussions (some speculative) of the extent of raw talent of each player/class, the RM taught class struggled and made mistakes but learned from their mistakes, made improvements and ended the year strong. The Crews class continued to struggle and make mistakes, did not appear to learn from their mistakes and ended the year miserably -- all but quitting. The end of year collapses against teams like Fordham were embarrassing. This year, these guys actually look worse (Bartley may still be injured and not recovered from last year) and appear to have regressed. If these Sophs were the only example of players who regressed, did not improve or played uninspired, then yes we could conclude how far off we truly were. When so many other guys did the same -- from JM and GG to TL, AM, to MC and RA taking longer than expected to produce and Ash still making mistakes expected from a Sophomore as opposed to a 5th year Senior -- to the fact that this team is so bad at playing team or "help-side" defense and at rebounding -- both examples were effort and heart/desire far outweigh skill and talent, I don't feel like I was far off on judging the Sophomore Class. Instead, my fear of Crews' ability to teach and coach proved miserably worse than I could have ever imagined. Makes me grateful for the efforts of Spoon, Romar, Brad and RM who may have lost respect of a player here or there but not the whole team. Guys have not walked off the floor like McGlother Irvin, Melvin Robinson and Carlos Skinner but they sure are not buying into whatever Crews is selling and I have zero interest in watching this team.

[bonwich]

-isn't MC graduating in May, the month not the ADirector,? if so, what are the chances he stays?

-yes, our program is only suffering from a flesh wound

[CBFan]

Not all of us.

Your thread about the sophomores was so spot on, this is a lost class.

[HoosierPal]

Geez, to say that Reynolds has not progressed from his frosh year to this year is avoiding reality. Last year, Reynolds averaged 4.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg with 0.8 assists per game.

This year to date, 8.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.7 apg. Okay, all of you are smarter than me, but tell me how 4.0 is better than 8.7; 1.6 ahead of 2.7 and 0.8 is prefered to 2.7?

Gillmann - broken foot. Yarbrough - concussion. Bartley - hobbled all year with a foot injury. Blame those on Crews as you wish, but give Reynolds some credit.

[slufan13]

Reynolds is not a good player at all but he's no doubt improved since last year. He deserves some credit

[Pistol]

Geez, to say that Reynolds has not progressed from his frosh year to this year is avoiding reality. Last year, Reynolds averaged 4.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg with 0.8 assists per game.

This year to date, 8.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.7 apg. Okay, all of you are smarter than me, but tell me how 4.0 is better than 8.7; 1.6 ahead of 2.7 and 0.8 is prefered to 2.7?

Gillmann - broken foot. Yarbrough - concussion. Bartley - hobbled all year with a foot injury. Blame those on Crews as you wish, but give Reynolds some credit.

McBroom is gone. Reynolds' minutes increased in the first half of the season because he wasn't sharing them with McBroom, and as you point out, Bartley's minutes have been limited by nagging injuries. Then he lost some minutes to Bishop as the A10 season wore on, and his numbers have come back down (he was averaging double figures most of the year).

I'd say of all the sophomores, Reynolds has shown the most improvement - which is to say "1% or greater" improvement, since no one else has. And even though much of his improvement is just the result of more minutes, he has looked really good in stretches. However, he doesn't have a very good +/- for the season, meaning that his improvement has arguably come at the expense of the team playing well. Not surprising, since his role on offense seems to be "go at the basket in the hopes of drawing a foul."

But to return to the words from your quote I've bolded above, no one is avoiding reality more than you. Based on your handle, you must have deep Indiana roots, but the Crews apologists are basically arging the earth is flat at this point. This is not a good roster no matter how you slice it and we need a new coaching staff to overhaul it as soon as possible.