Recruiting - 2021

[Billikenbooster]

One of my wife’s friends is a SLU prof. Her students dropped off a blue hydrangea Bush to thank her for her efforts this year. On the note they mentioned Team Blue.

Coach Ford and the MBB program is continuing to grow into all parts of the university.

mhg

[cgeldmacher]

1 hour ago, gobillsgo said:

Don’t want to speak for him, but I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been asked by casual sports fans if SLU is D1.  We’ve got a long way to go to become the Gonzaga of the Midwest, as I think many of us hope we will. 

I have never once been asked by a casual sports fan if SLU is D1.

[BilliesBy40]

1 hour ago, gobillsgo said:

Don’t want to speak for him, but I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been asked by casual sports fans if SLU is D1.  We’ve got a long way to go to become the Gonzaga of the Midwest, as I think many of us hope we will. 

Labeling these people as casual sports fans is likely inaccurate. 

[Quality Is Job 1]

13 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I have never once been asked by a casual sports fan if SLU is D1.

You have your anecdotal "evidence," and others have contradictory anecdotal evidence.

About a dozen years ago, when I was still in St. Louis, I hosted a cousin from Cleveland who was in St. Louis for a bodybuilding contest.  During one drive to a function, we discussed hoops a little.  (He went to Ohio State.)  He asked me who my favorite schools are, and I told him SLU and Mizzou.  He said, "Saint Louis University?  Are they even D-1?!"  I was incensed!

(In his defense [possibly!] though, because I went to the University of Missouri-St. Louis [and I imagine he was aware of that, at least vaguely] and not many people outside of the St. Louis region are really familiar with its school structure or that of Missouri, he may not have realized that SLU is not UMSL.)

I'm sure there are plenty of sports fans outside of the St. Louis region who have no idea that SLU is — or has been, depending the definition — a high-major program.

[JettFlight5]

I probably went too far in what I said and I’ll own it. I know the A10 is where we are and where we have to get great.

That said, Coach Ford can lead this team to a place that transcends what league we play in. 

[3star_recruit]

19 minutes ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

You have your anecdotal "evidence," and others have contradictory anecdotal evidence.

About a dozen years ago, when I was still in St. Louis, I hosted a cousin from Cleveland who was in St. Louis for a bodybuilding contest.  During one drive to a function, we discussed hoops a little.  (He went to Ohio State.)  He asked me who my favorite schools are, and I told him SLU and Mizzou.  He said, "Saint Louis University?  Are they even D-1?!"  I was incensed!

(In his defense [possibly!] though, because I went to the University of Missouri-St. Louis [and I imagine he was aware of that, at least vaguely] and not many people outside of the St. Louis region are really familiar with its school structure or that of Missouri, he may not have realized that SLU is not UMSL.)

I'm sure there are plenty of sports fans outside of the St. Louis region who have no idea that SLU is — or has been, depending the definition — a high-major program.

More anecdotal evidence but I do a bit of traveling and I've found that to be absolutely true outside the Midwest.  Casual fans know about their local teams, national powers and state schools but random mid-major teams?  Fuggedaboutit.  That's why pulling off upsets in the tournament is a big deal.  Disrupting some casual fan's bracket may be the first time he/she gets exposure to your team.

[billiken_roy]

57 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I have never once been asked by a casual sports fan if SLU is D1.

i have in a patronizing way by mi$$ouri fans.   number 344 in the list of why we hate mi$$ouri fans so.

[JettFlight5]

14 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

i have in a patronizing way by mi$$ouri fans.   number 344 in the list of why we hate mi$$ouri fans so.

You still number the list?

[WVBilliken]

57 minutes ago, BilliesBy40 said:

Labeling these people as casual sports fans is likely inaccurate. 

Yeah, more like clueless and not sports fans.  I live 500 miles from St. Louis and get comments all the time when I have Billiken gear on.  They know the Billikens, they know they were recently in the NCAA tournament, they know that they are pretty good.

[billiken_roy]

37 minutes ago, WVBilliken said:

Yeah, more like clueless and not sports fans.  I live 500 miles from St. Louis and get comments all the time when I have Billiken gear on.  They know the Billikens, they know they were recently in the NCAA tournament, they know that they are pretty good.

You have good friends

[almaman]

1 hour ago, cgeldmacher said:

I have never once been asked by a casual sports fan if SLU is D1.

Any local who knows what D1 means knows SLU is.

[johnbj14]

I will say, it is not far fetched that a casual sports fan would not know SLU is D1, or even what SLU is in general once you venture outside of St. Louis. Just in my own experience, I’ve had to explain to many people in Chicago what/where SLU is. 

[BilliesBy40]

2 minutes ago, johnbj14 said:

I will say, it is not far fetched that a casual sports fan would not know SLU is D1, or even what SLU is in general once you venture outside of St. Louis. Just in my own experience, I’ve had to explain to many people in Chicago what/where SLU is. 

I hope they didn't have to explain to you where the University of Chicago is located. 

[Gremio14]

1 hour ago, johnbj14 said:

I will say, it is not far fetched that a casual sports fan would not know SLU is D1, or even what SLU is in general once you venture outside of St. Louis. Just in my own experience, I’ve had to explain to many people in Chicago what/where SLU is. 

I have family in the DC area and visit there several times a year.  Whenever I wear a SLU sweatshirt in public, I’m often  approached by A10 alumni (Mason, GW, VCU and even Dayton folks.). The question is never “is SLU in D1?”   It is invariably “what the heck is a Billiken?”  Great conversation starter   

[johnbj14]

23 minutes ago, Gremio14 said:

I have family in the DC area and visit there several times a year.  Whenever I wear a SLU sweatshirt in public, I’m often  approached by A10 alumni (Mason, GW, VCU and even Dayton folks.). The question is never “is SLU in D1?”   It is invariably “what the heck is a Billiken?”  Great conversation starter   

I will say, the folks I run into that do know what the school is always will ask that question. 

[billikenbill]

6 hours ago, cgeldmacher said:

I have never once been asked by a casual sports fan if SLU is D1.

I’ve been asked by more than “casual” sports fans.

[cheeseman]

48 minutes ago, billikenbill said:

I’ve been asked by more than “casual” sports fans.

I would assert that they are not "more than casual sports fans"

[Clock_Tower]

Lack of football (and exposure from that) and what D1 means causes confusion as well. 
Most casual fans follow football over basketball.  D1football has 130 teams vs 347 for basketball. 

[billikenbill]

2 hours ago, cheeseman said:

I would assert that they are not "more than casual sports fans"

When you live in ACC country you run into fans who love Duke, Carolina, and others but aren’t really familiar with teams not in the Power 5 conferences.

[basebill123]

I played baseball at SLU and got asked if we were D1 all the time.  That being said, when we traveled to the northeast we’d frequently get asked where St. Louis was so it’s mainly because people live in their own bubbles.

[RUBillsFan]

9 hours ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

You have your anecdotal "evidence," and others have contradictory anecdotal evidence.

About a dozen years ago, when I was still in St. Louis, I hosted a cousin from Cleveland who was in St. Louis for a bodybuilding contest.  During one drive to a function, we discussed hoops a little.  (He went to Ohio State.)  He asked me who my favorite schools are, and I told him SLU and Mizzou.  He said, "Saint Louis University?  Are they even D-1?!"  I was incensed!

(In his defense [possibly!] though, because I went to the University of Missouri-St. Louis [and I imagine he was aware of that, at least vaguely] and not many people outside of the St. Louis region are really familiar with its school structure or that of Missouri, he may not have realized that SLU is not UMSL.)

I'm sure there are plenty of sports fans outside of the St. Louis region who have no idea that SLU is — or has been, depending the definition — a high-major program.

I had a friend from undergrad at Rockhurst that went to SLU for grad school.  He was originally from Nebraska.  I ran into him after a game at Chaifetz while he was in grad school.  I think it was probably 2012-13 season.  He told me that before the game he didn't even know SLU had a DI basketball team much less that they were any good.  He just decided to go because some friends were going.  Granted, I wouldn't consider this guy a casual sports fan - or at least not a casual basketball fan.  However, the fact that he freaking went to school at SLU and the team was in the midst of a 3 year NCAA run and he didn't even know they had a DI team was pretty freaking nuts to me.

[cheeseman]

5 hours ago, billikenbill said:

When you live in ACC country you run into fans who love Duke, Carolina, and others but aren’t really familiar with teams not in the Power 5 conferences.

I understand your point but if you are "more than a casual fan" you have watched the NCAA Basketball Tourney more than casually and probably filled out brackets for it so you know there are something like 300 plus D1 basketball teams.  I don't expect them to know our conference or mascot or record but honestly to be so unknowledgeable and call yourself "more than a casual fan" is crazy.  My guess is they could not even tell you about the other D1 teams in their state.  I guess the issue here is how we define "more than casual"

[Clock_Tower]

1 hour ago, cheeseman said:

I understand your point but if you are "more than a casual fan" you have watched the NCAA Basketball Tourney more than casually and probably filled out brackets for it so you know there are something like 300 plus D1 basketball teams.  I don't expect them to know our conference or mascot or record but honestly to be so unknowledgeable and call yourself "more than a casual fan" is crazy.  My guess is they could not even tell you about the other D1 teams in their state.  I guess the issue here is how we define "more than casual"

Do casual fans, or more than casual fans, realize that all teams in the March Madness Tournament are D1?  Ask if they believe Florida Gulf Coast, College of Charleston, Lehigh, East Middle Tennessee State.... are all D1. vs are allowed to play with/against UCLA, Michigan, North Carolina...

[DoctorB]

56 minutes ago, Clock_Tower said:

Do casual fans, or more than casual fans, realize that all teams in the March Madness Tournament are D1? 

This debate about the "knowledge of the casual fan" seems rather quaint to me. this board is populated by rabid trivia hounds. Lots of my friends and family like sports, more r less; but really could not define Div. I.

I guess what I am saying is -- you should keep in mind that a large % of Americans cannot tell you the 2 sides of the US Civil War; and cannot name the 3 main enemies we fought in WW II, just to give 2 examples. And only one in three Americans can actually pass the US citizenship test, for example.

One survey listed some of the embarrassing answers given on the test:

-Seventy-two percent of respondents either incorrectly identified or were unsure which states comprised the original 13 colonies;

-Only 24 percent could correctly identify one thing Benjamin Franklin was famous for, with 37 percent believing he invented the lightbulb;

-Only 24 percent knew the correct answer to why the colonists fought the British;

-Twelve percent incorrectly thought WWII General Dwight Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War, while 6 percent thought he was a Vietnam War general;

-While most knew the cause of the Cold War, 2 percent said it was climate change.

Young people performed worst on the test. Out of all test-takers under the age of 45, only 19 percent passed.

[slufan13]