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Hard fighting Billikens, represented with Billikens hard hats...


dennis_w

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Totally agree.  I know this season isn't turning out like we hoped, but think about it this way:

Would a fan of a team rather have (A) an ultra talented team that is lazy and under-performs their way to a 17-11 record, or (B) an under talented team that busts their butts every game hustling, rebounding and playing intense defense on their way to a 17-11 record.  I'd choose "B" every time.  I prefer new recruits coming into an environment like the one Ford has created with this team, than the future of a talented team that has a culture of playing soft.

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5 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

Totally agree.  I know this season isn't turning out like we hoped, but think about it this way:

Would a fan of a team rather have (A) an ultra talented team that is lazy and under-performs their way to a 17-11 record, or (B) an under talented team that busts their butts every game hustling, rebounding and playing intense defense on their way to a 17-11 record.  I'd choose "B" every time.  I prefer new recruits coming into an environment like the one Ford has created with this team, than the future of a talented team that has a culture of playing soft.

I don't think it's a matter of being a less talented team. It's more a lack of depth and injuries that has done us in. 

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 I think we're one of the more talented teams in the league. Even hobbled, Bess is a top 10 player in the league, Goodwin and French are top 20 players, Isabell is top 30.  That's not a lack of talent.

We do almost everything well except shoot.  It just so happens that's the most important talent. If we could do that, we would average over 70 ppg.

 

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I get the whole midwest mentality "lunch pail"  "hard hat" and all that but....

We're not a lil engine that could.  SLU has the recruits.   Can you think of a better PF\C in the last 5 years than HF?  Have we had a better all around player than JB in the last 20 years?  He's arguably the best.   How many JG quality guys have we had?  Not many.    We also had a top 40 recruit for half the season.  We've not seen this level of talent at SLU in many years.  We're under achieving.   Yeah some are injuries and some are victim of circumstance but overall it's under achieving.  Do they play hard?  Yes.   I like that and appreciate it more than a team that doesn't. 

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11 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

I get the whole midwest mentality "lunch pail"  "hard hat" and all that but....

We're not a lil engine that could.  SLU has the recruits.   Can you think of a better PF\C in the last 5 years than HF?  Have we had a better all around player than JB in the last 20 years?  He's arguably the best.   How many JG quality guys have we had?  Not many.    We also had a top 40 recruit for half the season.  We've not seen this level of talent at SLU in many years.  We're under achieving.   Yeah some are injuries and some are victim of circumstance but overall it's under achieving.  Do they play hard?  Yes.   I like that and appreciate it more than a team that doesn't. 

Some of your points are good, but others I disagree with.  I don't think the team is underachieving.  Rather, they lack some important skills needed to make winning more likely.  There can be no faulting their effort or heart.  None!

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12 minutes ago, JMM28 said:

SLU is soon to have wasted 2 years of French and Goodwin. 

wasted or maybe they were saviors.   just think where we would have been without them.   crewsplatt.  

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8 minutes ago, dennis_w said:

My son David was raised on Billiken basketball and we had many great moments going to games. He enlisted in the US Navy and with deployments and other factors we have not seen a game together in many years. He is scheduled for another deployment next month and we decided that we must take this opportunity and see a game. David initially contacted Olivia Vetere asked if she could help make this a memorable experience. She was eager to help and put us in contact with Ford Stuen. Prior to the game we were invited the morning shootaround where we welcome by Coach Tate and Coach Ford. They allowed us to get right on the floor and at the end of practiced David got to shoot some threes. I was most pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the entire staff and the players as they each came and shook our hands. As we were about to leave we were offered a seat upgrade and got to sit behind the bench. I cant thank enough all of the Billiken staff and players for making the day memorable.

Great post thanks for sharing tell your son we appreciate his service to our country.

This is why I unconditionally love our team blue.

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11 minutes ago, dennis_w said:

My son David was raised on Billiken basketball and we had many great moments going to games. He enlisted in the US Navy and with deployments and other factors we have not seen a game together in many years. He is scheduled for another deployment next month and we decided that we must take this opportunity and see a game. David initially contacted Olivia Vetere asked if she could help make this a memorable experience. She was eager to help and put us in contact with Ford Stuen. Prior to the game we were invited the morning shootaround where we welcome by Coach Tate and Coach Ford. They allowed us to get right on the floor and at the end of practiced David got to shoot some threes. I was most pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the entire staff and the players as they each came and shook our hands. As we were about to leave we were offered a seat upgrade and got to sit behind the bench. I cant thank enough all of the Billiken staff and players for making the day memorable.

Wonderful Dennis! Best to you and David!

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3 hours ago, dennis_w said:

My son David was raised on Billiken basketball and we had many great moments going to games. He enlisted in the US Navy and with deployments and other factors we have not seen a game together in many years. He is scheduled for another deployment next month and we decided that we must take this opportunity and see a game. David initially contacted Olivia Vetere asked if she could help make this a memorable experience. She was eager to help and put us in contact with Ford Stuen. Prior to the game we were invited the morning shootaround where we welcome by Coach Tate and Coach Ford. They allowed us to get right on the floor and at the end of practiced David got to shoot some threes. I was most pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the entire staff and the players as they each came and shook our hands. As we were about to leave we were offered a seat upgrade and got to sit behind the bench. I cant thank enough all of the Billiken staff and players for making the day memorable.

-how great for the two of you, I'm glad to hear that you were treated this way, wish you could have seen a win, that's great, thank you for sharing this

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7 hours ago, dennis_w said:

Something i forgot to mention was that david's first basketball camp coach was corey tate. Got a smile from him when i told him that david was seven at the time

Dennis.

As other have said, appreciate your story and photos.   As we all know, it really is hard to be a Billiken fan - and we need all we can get!!  As to basketball camps, I recall my first SLU Basketball camp as well --  Grawer was in his early years and used his DeSmet/Mizzou contacts to bring in both Stiponovich and Sundvold -- watching Jon shoot FT's, in person, was amazing.  Jon got on a roll and hit at least 8 or 9 in a row, then made his next one but the ball first hit rim, then rolled in, and Grawer pointed out that to Jon - that was considered a miss.

And BTW, thank you and all the best to your son for his military service.

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On 2/27/2019 at 2:10 PM, Quality Is Job 1 said:

Some of your points are good, but others I disagree with.  I don't think the team is underachieving.  Rather, they lack some important skills needed to make winning more likely.  There can be no faulting their effort or heart.  None!

Amen.   We have a few super talented players - and glad we have them - but to act like our 7 guys who are still standing (and both Bess and Foreman are not 100%) are underachieving is nonsense.  If we can get healthy, have Hankton and Jacobs contribute, then might be able to make a run -- but this year's talent is just not NCAA Tournament quality.

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