The OOC Review from da' Couch in Maryland

[Taj79]

Looks pretty damn good.  A final 11 and 2 record, a plus 3 over my initial OOC review.  Nice wins over Boston College, KState and Belmont.  No bad losses.  No trap games.

Overall, French and Goodwin lead the charge so the expected has happened.  French still has to be more selective on his foul situations but every team we have played and will play are going to come at him.  His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year.  If either developed a stop and pop shot from 10 feet ..... look out.  Goodwin seems to have become better at the line so that's good.  Goodwin's overall game is otherwise legendary right now.  Both bring "A" games every night.  Grades there are A grades,

Perkins has delivered lately as most of us were expecting.  He is a wonderful compliment on the offensive end.  As Ford says, he's a scorer and his recent spurt has been of an A grade as well.  His defense is improving so he can get better.  A B+ grade overall here.  He's going to shoot so get used to it.

Jimmmerson was well on his way to an A grade but the injury derailed that.  He can be streaky as a shooter but what shooter isn't?  His defense was coming on.  Was well on his way to a high B grade with the conference season upon us.  His loss is still to be felt as we move forward.

Collins is a breath of fresh air what with his ball handling, floor leadership and passing.  He still can run a little out of control but that's okay.  You take that.  Needs to find a stop-and-pop pull up and a general floor shooting game but he'll get there with age and strength.  Needs to plus up some with his Ft shooting but he'll get there I believe.  Overall a B grade with the best yet to come.  His pressure defense is good, but he has to be careful when down in the trees.  Has to avoid that love affair where his head and floor become one and the same.

Bell is a C player but the sky is the limit.  As the guy on the natuzzi points out, he has some improvements that can be made and will be made.  He doesn't make me wet myself when he gets to the line and shows a nice touch.  He'll struggle and sit against teams like VCU, Dayton and Richmond but he can bang with the rest.  Needs to play "bigger" down low and his defense will be key moving forward.

Weaver takes over for Jimmmmerson and if KState and Bethune are any indication, that is better than 50/50 to happen.  He too is streaky but adds senior leadership and defensive savvy when on the floor.  A C+ with decent positives going forward.

Hargrove has seen the light and just adds intangibles when in there.  He's obviously a work in progress but we see him now more than not.  And he is far from one-dimensional.  He can go inside, has the potential to stop and pop and is quickly becoming our best FT shooter.  Looking forward to four years of him and Collins.  A C grade but trending upward.  He and the freshman Austin at Duquesne will be athletic matchups to watch for the next four years.

Jacobs blows hot and cold.  He can make the three but is slow on his release.  He's a decent defender and while I don't expect Tulane games night in and out, he needs to do more than what he did against Bethune and others.  He's a C- in my book but a nice piece to have.

Diarra and Thatch are unknowns and incomplete grades for different reasons.  I'd like to see Diarra end up giving us what Ipkeze does at Bonaventure and I'd just like to see Thatch return.  Soon. 

The hope train seems to have run out on Hankton for me.  Nothing against KState.  I get that.  But nothing against Maryville and Bethune is really poor.  He might ---- might should be capitalized --- have one game ala last year and Richmond in him but I expect nothing more.  Unless something happens soon, I'm looking at the door to the transfer portal for KC.  My only real F grade, given grudgingly due to the ongoing injuries.

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

[wgstl]

4 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

 

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

I went back through the conference schedule his morning, im seeing 12-6.

[billikenbill]

6 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Looks pretty damn good.  A final 11 and 2 record, a plus 3 over my initial OOC review.  Nice wins over Boston College, KState and Belmont.  No bad losses.  No trap games.

Overall, French and Goodwin lead the charge so the expected has happened.  French still has to be more selective on his foul situations but every team we have played and will play are going to come at him.  His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year.  If either developed a stop and pop shot from 10 feet ..... look out.  Goodwin seems to have become better at the line so that's good.  Goodwin's overall game is otherwise legendary right now.  Both bring "A" games every night.  Grades there are A grades,

Perkins has delivered lately as most of us were expecting.  He is a wonderful compliment on he offensive end.  As Ford says, he's a scorer and is recent spurt has been of an A grade as well.  His defense is improving so he can get better.  A B+ grade overall here.  He's going to shoot so get used to it.

Jimmmerson was well on his way to an A grade but the injury derailed that.  He can be streaky as a shooter but what shooter isn't?  His defense was coming on.  Was well on his way to a high B grade with the conference season upon us.  His loss is still to be felt as we move forward.

Collins is a breath of fresh air what with his ball handling, floor leadership and passing.  He still can run a little out of control but that's okay.  You take that.  Needs to find a stop-and-pop pull up and a general floor shooting game but he'll get there with age and strength.  Needs to plus up some with his Ft shooting but he'll get there I believe.  Overall a B grade with the best yet to come.  His pressure defense is good, but he has to be careful when down in the trees.  Has to avoid that love affair where his head and floor become one and the same.

Bell is a C player but the sky is the limit.  As the guy on the natuzzi points out, he has some improvements that can be made and will be made.  He doesn't make me wet myself when he gets to the line and shows a nice touch.  He'll struggle and sit against teams like VCU, Dayton and Richmond but he can bang with the rest.  Needs to play "bigger" down low and his defense will be key moving forward.

Weaver takes over for Jimmmmerson and if KState and Bethune are any indication, that is better than 50/50 to happen.  He too is streaky but adds senior leadership and defensive savvy when on the floor.  A C+ with decent positives going forward.

Hargrove has seen the light and just adds intangibles when in there.  He's obviously a work in progress but we see him now more than not.  And he is far from one-dimensional.  He can go inside, has the potential to stop and pop and is quickly becoming our best FT shooter.  Looking forward to four years of him and Collins.  A C grade but trending upward.  He and the freshman Austin at Duquesne will be athletic matchups to watch for the next four years.

Jacobs blows hot and cold.  He can make the three but is slow on his release.  He's a decent defender and while I don't expect Tulane games night in and out, he needs to do more than what he did against Bethune and others.  He's a C- in my book but a nice piece to have.

Diarra and Thatch are unknowns and incomplete grades for different reasons.  I'd like to see Diarra end up giving us what Ipkeze does at Bonaventure and I'd just like to see Thatch return.  Soon. 

The hope train seems to have run out on Hankton for me.  Nothing against KState.  I get that.  But nothing against Maryville and Bethune is really poor.  He might ---- might should be capitalized --- have one game ala last year and Richmond in him but I expect nothing more.  Unless something happens soon, I'm looking at the door to the transfer portal for KC.  My only real F grade, given grudgingly due to the ongoing injuries.

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

No more reactions left so I'll say "Good post."

[dennis_w]

7 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Looks pretty damn good.  A final 11 and 2 record, a plus 3 over my initial OOC review.  Nice wins over Boston College, KState and Belmont.  No bad losses.  No trap games.

Overall, French and Goodwin lead the charge so the expected has happened.  French still has to be more selective on his foul situations but every team we have played and will play are going to come at him.  His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year.  If either developed a stop and pop shot from 10 feet ..... look out.  Goodwin seems to have become better at the line so that's good.  Goodwin's overall game is otherwise legendary right now.  Both bring "A" games every night.  Grades there are A grades,

Perkins has delivered lately as most of us were expecting.  He is a wonderful compliment on he offensive end.  As Ford says, he's a scorer and is recent spurt has been of an A grade as well.  His defense is improving so he can get better.  A B+ grade overall here.  He's going to shoot so get used to it.

Jimmmerson was well on his way to an A grade but the injury derailed that.  He can be streaky as a shooter but what shooter isn't?  His defense was coming on.  Was well on his way to a high B grade with the conference season upon us.  His loss is still to be felt as we move forward.

Collins is a breath of fresh air what with his ball handling, floor leadership and passing.  He still can run a little out of control but that's okay.  You take that.  Needs to find a stop-and-pop pull up and a general floor shooting game but he'll get there with age and strength.  Needs to plus up some with his Ft shooting but he'll get there I believe.  Overall a B grade with the best yet to come.  His pressure defense is good, but he has to be careful when down in the trees.  Has to avoid that love affair where his head and floor become one and the same.

Bell is a C player but the sky is the limit.  As the guy on the natuzzi points out, he has some improvements that can be made and will be made.  He doesn't make me wet myself when he gets to the line and shows a nice touch.  He'll struggle and sit against teams like VCU, Dayton and Richmond but he can bang with the rest.  Needs to play "bigger" down low and his defense will be key moving forward.

Weaver takes over for Jimmmmerson and if KState and Bethune are any indication, that is better than 50/50 to happen.  He too is streaky but adds senior leadership and defensive savvy when on the floor.  A C+ with decent positives going forward.

Hargrove has seen the light and just adds intangibles when in there.  He's obviously a work in progress but we see him now more than not.  And he is far from one-dimensional.  He can go inside, has the potential to stop and pop and is quickly becoming our best FT shooter.  Looking forward to four years of him and Collins.  A C grade but trending upward.  He and the freshman Austin at Duquesne will be athletic matchups to watch for the next four years.

Jacobs blows hot and cold.  He can make the three but is slow on his release.  He's a decent defender and while I don't expect Tulane games night in and out, he needs to do more than what he did against Bethune and others.  He's a C- in my book but a nice piece to have.

Diarra and Thatch are unknowns and incomplete grades for different reasons.  I'd like to see Diarra end up giving us what Ipkeze does at Bonaventure and I'd just like to see Thatch return.  Soon. 

The hope train seems to have run out on Hankton for me.  Nothing against KState.  I get that.  But nothing against Maryville and Bethune is really poor.  He might ---- might should be capitalized --- have one game ala last year and Richmond in him but I expect nothing more.  Unless something happens soon, I'm looking at the door to the transfer portal for KC.  My only real F grade, given grudgingly due to the ongoing injuries.

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

Good assessment, i too was hoping hankton would step up. I dont want to give up on him, but when he has the opportunity he needs to take it. 

[Cowboy]

-HAS and JGood need to realize their importance to this team and have to stay out of foul trouble, if I am an opposing coach I am trying all I can within reason to get them in foul trouble, other than ft's and being consistently efficient on offense are my areas with them, it is amazing how many shots HAS attempts to block but still gets the rebounds he does, our entire team tries to block too many shots

-Perkins has far exceeded my expectations, what a great get by our Staff

-JBell is getting every game, keep this going young man and you will make a lot of money in this sport

 

[willie]

2 hours ago, Taj79 said:

Looks pretty damn good.  A final 11 and 2 record, a plus 3 over my initial OOC review.  Nice wins over Boston College, KState and Belmont.  No bad losses.  No trap games.

Overall, French and Goodwin lead the charge so the expected has happened.  French still has to be more selective on his foul situations but every team we have played and will play are going to come at him.  His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year.  If either developed a stop and pop shot from 10 feet ..... look out.  Goodwin seems to have become better at the line so that's good.  Goodwin's overall game is otherwise legendary right now.  Both bring "A" games every night.  Grades there are A grades,

Perkins has delivered lately as most of us were expecting.  He is a wonderful compliment on he offensive end.  As Ford says, he's a scorer and is recent spurt has been of an A grade as well.  His defense is improving so he can get better.  A B+ grade overall here.  He's going to shoot so get used to it.

Jimmmerson was well on his way to an A grade but the injury derailed that.  He can be streaky as a shooter but what shooter isn't?  His defense was coming on.  Was well on his way to a high B grade with the conference season upon us.  His loss is still to be felt as we move forward.

Collins is a breath of fresh air what with his ball handling, floor leadership and passing.  He still can run a little out of control but that's okay.  You take that.  Needs to find a stop-and-pop pull up and a general floor shooting game but he'll get there with age and strength.  Needs to plus up some with his Ft shooting but he'll get there I believe.  Overall a B grade with the best yet to come.  His pressure defense is good, but he has to be careful when down in the trees.  Has to avoid that love affair where his head and floor become one and the same.

Bell is a C player but the sky is the limit.  As the guy on the natuzzi points out, he has some improvements that can be made and will be made.  He doesn't make me wet myself when he gets to the line and shows a nice touch.  He'll struggle and sit against teams like VCU, Dayton and Richmond but he can bang with the rest.  Needs to play "bigger" down low and his defense will be key moving forward.

Weaver takes over for Jimmmmerson and if KState and Bethune are any indication, that is better than 50/50 to happen.  He too is streaky but adds senior leadership and defensive savvy when on the floor.  A C+ with decent positives going forward.

Hargrove has seen the light and just adds intangibles when in there.  He's obviously a work in progress but we see him now more than not.  And he is far from one-dimensional.  He can go inside, has the potential to stop and pop and is quickly becoming our best FT shooter.  Looking forward to four years of him and Collins.  A C grade but trending upward.  He and the freshman Austin at Duquesne will be athletic matchups to watch for the next four years.

Jacobs blows hot and cold.  He can make the three but is slow on his release.  He's a decent defender and while I don't expect Tulane games night in and out, he needs to do more than what he did against Bethune and others.  He's a C- in my book but a nice piece to have.

Diarra and Thatch are unknowns and incomplete grades for different reasons.  I'd like to see Diarra end up giving us what Ipkeze does at Bonaventure and I'd just like to see Thatch return.  Soon. 

The hope train seems to have run out on Hankton for me.  Nothing against KState.  I get that.  But nothing against Maryville and Bethune is really poor.  He might ---- might should be capitalized --- have one game ala last year and Richmond in him but I expect nothing more.  Unless something happens soon, I'm looking at the door to the transfer portal for KC.  My only real F grade, given grudgingly due to the ongoing injuries.

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

 

2 hours ago, Taj79 said:

His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year. 

Don't agree. I think his form is terrible. Looks like he is pushing the ball. 

[CBFan]

Hankton has been disappointing so far.

I watch Hankton in the shoot around shooting 3’s and he struggles from the corners.  Hankton is hitting practice 3 shots better on the arc of the 3 point line.  Hankton missed a wide open 3 from the corner last night and was out of the game for good at the next stoppage in play.  With Bell hitting free throws inserting Bell for French for free throws reduces Hankton’s minutes.  Hankton is a player in need of a breakout game and I hope it happens soon.

Jacobs so far has been the player I thought he could be.  Jacobs is streaky but you never know when that next 6 of 7 from the 3 is coming maybe against a top A10 team.  Jacobs is missing the confident fire in his eyes that French, Goodwin, Collins, Perkins, Weaver, and Hargrove have but that will come in time.

French and JGood have been terrific.  What a joy to attend games and watch these guys play and lead the team.  They have a few flaws in their game but they make up for it with tenacity.

Perkins is the player I thought he would be with the exception of shooting percentage. A lot on the board predicted 12 to 13 points a game have been right so far.

I think that Weaver deserves a higher grade than a C+.  Weaver gets an A for being the 3 point sharp shooter depth to replace Jimerson.  His last 2 games have produced big 3’s that pushed  team across the finish line for wins.  Weaver will continue to have those crushing 3’s at the end of games.

Hargrove is really fun to watch and was the depth our team needed.  The sky is the limit for this local kid.

Jimmy Bell has been okay and is improving every game.  If Bell continues to improve at his current pace then he will be a good player not just okay.  I feel good about Bell being out on the court subbing for French closing out games because he hits free throws and can get rebounds.  Bell needs to finish better close to the basket.  Coach Ford starting Bell is paying off.

Yuri Collins is what all of the knowledgeable posters on this site said he was.  Yuri is such a gifted passer and scores enough to keep teams honest.  Yuri’s scoring will improve making it tougher for teams to defend him.  Yuri must improve his free throw shooting.

I feel bad for Fred Thatch being ill and wish him a full recovery.  Fred has an infectious smile and attitude.  He was fun to watch in the shoot around yesterday smiling and messing around with his teammates.  The best thing for Fred is to be patient and listen to the doctors we do not want a Hank Gathers situation ever with a SLU player.

SLU is a good team led by 2 remarkable juniors with a deep high scoring bench.  The scoring is balanced and you never know who will show up to break their previous high game scoring.  The loss of Jimerson hurts however our team had enough depth to overcome the loss so far. If Fred Thatch can come back his defense will be a big factor and that will make the team stronger.  With Fred Thatch back our team can win 14 conference games.

[Schasz]

Good thread by Taj79. Wonder what everyone thinks we will need to post in wins to get a decent look for a Big Dance invite. It would be nice to get a bunch of wins where we are not forced to win the A-10 Tourney. Wins over Dayton and VCU will be important. LGB!

[Old guy]

2 hours ago, Taj79 said:

Looks pretty damn good.  A final 11 and 2 record, a plus 3 over my initial OOC review.  Nice wins over Boston College, KState and Belmont.  No bad losses.  No trap games.

Overall, French and Goodwin lead the charge so the expected has happened.  French still has to be more selective on his foul situations but every team we have played and will play are going to come at him.  His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year.  If either developed a stop and pop shot from 10 feet ..... look out.  Goodwin seems to have become better at the line so that's good.  Goodwin's overall game is otherwise legendary right now.  Both bring "A" games every night.  Grades there are A grades,

Perkins has delivered lately as most of us were expecting.  He is a wonderful compliment on he offensive end.  As Ford says, he's a scorer and is recent spurt has been of an A grade as well.  His defense is improving so he can get better.  A B+ grade overall here.  He's going to shoot so get used to it.

Jimmmerson was well on his way to an A grade but the injury derailed that.  He can be streaky as a shooter but what shooter isn't?  His defense was coming on.  Was well on his way to a high B grade with the conference season upon us.  His loss is still to be felt as we move forward.

Collins is a breath of fresh air what with his ball handling, floor leadership and passing.  He still can run a little out of control but that's okay.  You take that.  Needs to find a stop-and-pop pull up and a general floor shooting game but he'll get there with age and strength.  Needs to plus up some with his Ft shooting but he'll get there I believe.  Overall a B grade with the best yet to come.  His pressure defense is good, but he has to be careful when down in the trees.  Has to avoid that love affair where his head and floor become one and the same.

Bell is a C player but the sky is the limit.  As the guy on the natuzzi points out, he has some improvements that can be made and will be made.  He doesn't make me wet myself when he gets to the line and shows a nice touch.  He'll struggle and sit against teams like VCU, Dayton and Richmond but he can bang with the rest.  Needs to play "bigger" down low and his defense will be key moving forward.

Weaver takes over for Jimmmmerson and if KState and Bethune are any indication, that is better than 50/50 to happen.  He too is streaky but adds senior leadership and defensive savvy when on the floor.  A C+ with decent positives going forward.

Hargrove has seen the light and just adds intangibles when in there.  He's obviously a work in progress but we see him now more than not.  And he is far from one-dimensional.  He can go inside, has the potential to stop and pop and is quickly becoming our best FT shooter.  Looking forward to four years of him and Collins.  A C grade but trending upward.  He and the freshman Austin at Duquesne will be athletic matchups to watch for the next four years.

Jacobs blows hot and cold.  He can make the three but is slow on his release.  He's a decent defender and while I don't expect Tulane games night in and out, he needs to do more than what he did against Bethune and others.  He's a C- in my book but a nice piece to have.

Diarra and Thatch are unknowns and incomplete grades for different reasons.  I'd like to see Diarra end up giving us what Ipkeze does at Bonaventure and I'd just like to see Thatch return.  Soon. 

The hope train seems to have run out on Hankton for me.  Nothing against KState.  I get that.  But nothing against Maryville and Bethune is really poor.  He might ---- might should be capitalized --- have one game ala last year and Richmond in him but I expect nothing more.  Unless something happens soon, I'm looking at the door to the transfer portal for KC.  My only real F grade, given grudgingly due to the ongoing injuries.

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

I think we can beat St. Bona, UMass, LaSalle, GW, Fordham, Duquesne, Richmond, Mason, and Davidson away or home. The away games for RI and Dayton may be more problematic as well as the home games against VCU and Dayton. I think we are likely to win at least two of these more problematic games, and perhaps (just perhaps) lose a couple of the games I think we should win. So, I stand at 25-6 for the season, no tournament included, with a best case scenario of 27-4 and a worst case scenario at 23-8. The tournament will add more wins for SLU, making attendance at the Dance more likely. Believe it or not, I am not chugging the Kool-Aid, I think I am being realistic.

By the way, I agree with you about Hankton. I think he missed the boat. And, once more, Hargrove is the guy that does a little dance in the middle of the pre-game huddle. I think he may well reflect the soul of the team.

[cgeldmacher]

I think 14-4 and at least two tournament wins would put us squarely in the conversation.  That would put us at 27-7.  At that point, it would depend on whether we had a win over Dayton.  If so, it gives us at least one quality win and a solid argument.  Anything less than this, and I think the committee will come up with reasons to not include us.

[Cowboy]

-who and where the wins come from is important for SS (Selection Sunday), I think we will be fine as I think HAS and JGood will pull their teammates along

-let's not put undue expectations on Fred Thatch when he returns and remember exactly the player he most recently has been, that is a very good defender, decent to good rebounder, great effort and not the greatest scorer or shooter

[HoosierPal]

The first third of the conference games will go a long way in determining our at large potential.  We have three away games, at Duquesne, Richmond and Davidson.  All will be tough.  Three home games are UMass, GW and Dayton.  A 4-2 record keeps us alive, I believe, as long as UMass and GW are wins.  Beating Dayton would obviously be huge.  Losing two road games could mean trouble  Losing all three road games, well let's not go there.

Last season we were 1-4 in Q1 and 4-2 in Q2.   So far this season we are 0-1 and 0-1.

[slu72]

40 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I think 14-4 and at least two tournament wins would put us squarely in the conversation.  That would put us at 27-7.  At that point, it would depend on whether we had a win over Dayton.  If so, it gives us at least one quality win and a solid argument.  Anything less than this, and I think the committee will come up with reasons to not include us.

13-5 with a W against SVU and VCU, then a run to the finals should put us in the bubble or at the least the play in games.

Good post Taj Retiree Mahal 79, although I would have fed the Yurimania craze a few more kudos. Can't argue w/ any of the other grades. However, Jacobs has to start doing more showing up. I don't know if it's confidence or he's just too laid back, but Ford believes he's got greatness in him and he's shown it..... on occasion. He needs to bring it every night. 

Jimmy Bell keeps getting better right before our eyes. Once he realizes he can play at this level and gets more aggressive , he could be a real force in the A10. It's good to know he can play alongside French, which never appeared to be the case with Has and Gordon. 

 

[Aquinas]

The loss of Jimerson hurts our chances of excelling, but Weaver takes some of the sting out of it. His loss makes us more susceptible to the zone again. 

Bell is having an impact that exceeds his stats.  You can see that his size is affecting the shooting of opposing players.  He is also due for breakout game. 

Hargrove is still figuring out where he needs to be on both ends of the floor, but knows exactly what to do on a fast break. He is a wild card, if he can get to where he is playing within the system instead of thinking, then our stock goes up. 

We are far from a smooth running machine, but to be 11-2 at this point, with all of these freshmen minutes and new players is amazing. 

Ford deserves a lot of credit for recruiting these young men and getting them to play this well this quickly and to play through difficult situations... they dont quit. 

 

 

[Littlebill]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

The first third of the conference games will go a long way in determining our at large potential.  We have three away games, at Duquesne, Richmond and Davidson.  All will be tough.  Three home games are UMass, GW and Dayton.  A 4-2 record keeps us alive, I believe, as long as UMass and GW are wins.  Beating Dayton would obviously be huge.  Losing two road games could mean trouble  Losing all three road games, well let's not go there.

Last season we were 1-4 in Q1 and 4-2 in Q2.   So far this season we are 0-1 and 0-1.

K State is a Q2 win, so 1-1

BC, Belmont, E Washington all close to jumping in the Q2 range

Seton Hall very close to Q1

[slu72]

While it's early, who besides Dayton is a Q1 potential W for us? 

[RiseAndGrind]

You are giving Jacobs a C-? That’s crazy. From not playing to starting this year. 
 

[Taj79]

R&G ---- I temper starting with one word, AaronHines.  Demarius is almost a complete unknown.  Yes there were the Valpo and Tulane games but that's 38 of his 92 points.  Meaning the other 11 he is scoring only about 5 ppg.  His talent is obvious; he just disappears too much for my liking.

[HoosierPal]

1 hour ago, Littlebill said:

K State is a Q2 win, so 1-1

BC, Belmont, E Washington all close to jumping in the Q2 range

Seton Hall very close to Q1

As of today, Kansas State is a Q3 win.  Let's hope it moves up to Q2.  Today KSU is NET 110 and it was a Neutral Court win.  So it is close. When they move up to 100, it will be Q2.  Yes, Belmont, Boston College and Eastern Washington could move to Q2.  Boston College has the best chance playing in the ACC.  They are two slots away from a Q2 win for us.  Belmont and EWash might be a little tougher to get to Q2 with the conferences they play in. 

[3star_recruit]

We've only had two players play below expectations -- Thatch, who was suffering from an illness, and Hankton.  That's over 80% of the rotation either meeting or exceeding expectations.  That's an amazing record.  

[Taj79]

3star --- which is why we are 11 and 2.

[Schasz]

It would really help the cause if Fred Thatch can make some positive contributions.

[RUBillsFan]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

As of today, Kansas State is a Q3 win.  Let's hope it moves up to Q2.  Today KSU is NET 110 and it was a Neutral Court win.  So it is close

I thought K State counted as a road game for NET purposes?

[HoosierPal]

31 minutes ago, RUBillsFan said:

I thought K State counted as a road game for NET purposes?

Neutral court.  K State's home court is in Manhattan KS.  This game was in KC.  KSU was the 'home team' but it counts, in the NET ratings, as a N game. I read that KSU took care of the game administration, so there is where the confusion might have been. 

Same situation with Auburn, which played our N game 100 miles from their home court.  Manhattan to KC is about 135 miles.

https://bracketologists.com/team/saint-louis-billikens?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

This link also shows 10 future Q1 and Q2 possible games.  Those totals may/will change as the season progresses. And has been discussed, several Q3 games could move up to Q2.

 

 

[Clock_Tower]

12 hours ago, Taj79 said:

Looks pretty damn good.  A final 11 and 2 record, a plus 3 over my initial OOC review.  Nice wins over Boston College, KState and Belmont.  No bad losses.  No trap games.

Overall, French and Goodwin lead the charge so the expected has happened.  French still has to be more selective on his foul situations but every team we have played and will play are going to come at him.  His FT shooting is still a liability but he looks a lot better there than last year.  If either developed a stop and pop shot from 10 feet ..... look out.  Goodwin seems to have become better at the line so that's good.  Goodwin's overall game is otherwise legendary right now.  Both bring "A" games every night.  Grades there are A grades,

Perkins has delivered lately as most of us were expecting.  He is a wonderful compliment on the offensive end.  As Ford says, he's a scorer and his recent spurt has been of an A grade as well.  His defense is improving so he can get better.  A B+ grade overall here.  He's going to shoot so get used to it.

Jimmmerson was well on his way to an A grade but the injury derailed that.  He can be streaky as a shooter but what shooter isn't?  His defense was coming on.  Was well on his way to a high B grade with the conference season upon us.  His loss is still to be felt as we move forward.

Collins is a breath of fresh air what with his ball handling, floor leadership and passing.  He still can run a little out of control but that's okay.  You take that.  Needs to find a stop-and-pop pull up and a general floor shooting game but he'll get there with age and strength.  Needs to plus up some with his Ft shooting but he'll get there I believe.  Overall a B grade with the best yet to come.  His pressure defense is good, but he has to be careful when down in the trees.  Has to avoid that love affair where his head and floor become one and the same.

Bell is a C player but the sky is the limit.  As the guy on the natuzzi points out, he has some improvements that can be made and will be made.  He doesn't make me wet myself when he gets to the line and shows a nice touch.  He'll struggle and sit against teams like VCU, Dayton and Richmond but he can bang with the rest.  Needs to play "bigger" down low and his defense will be key moving forward.

Weaver takes over for Jimmmmerson and if KState and Bethune are any indication, that is better than 50/50 to happen.  He too is streaky but adds senior leadership and defensive savvy when on the floor.  A C+ with decent positives going forward.

Hargrove has seen the light and just adds intangibles when in there.  He's obviously a work in progress but we see him now more than not.  And he is far from one-dimensional.  He can go inside, has the potential to stop and pop and is quickly becoming our best FT shooter.  Looking forward to four years of him and Collins.  A C grade but trending upward.  He and the freshman Austin at Duquesne will be athletic matchups to watch for the next four years.

Jacobs blows hot and cold.  He can make the three but is slow on his release.  He's a decent defender and while I don't expect Tulane games night in and out, he needs to do more than what he did against Bethune and others.  He's a C- in my book but a nice piece to have.

Diarra and Thatch are unknowns and incomplete grades for different reasons.  I'd like to see Diarra end up giving us what Ipkeze does at Bonaventure and I'd just like to see Thatch return.  Soon. 

The hope train seems to have run out on Hankton for me.  Nothing against KState.  I get that.  But nothing against Maryville and Bethune is really poor.  He might ---- might should be capitalized --- have one game ala last year and Richmond in him but I expect nothing more.  Unless something happens soon, I'm looking at the door to the transfer portal for KC.  My only real F grade, given grudgingly due to the ongoing injuries.

So 18 conference games loom.  I can see defending the home fires and winning games against Geedubya, Duquesne, La Salle, Umass, Fordham, St. Joe's and the Bonnies (by the way, the 1/05 Umass game is not on our schedule on the main board).  That's seven wins.  Swing games will be Dayton and VCU with VCU being more winnable to me.  On the road, I like our chances as we stand right now against Umass, La Salle and St.Joe's.  That's 10/11 wins.  That makes road games against Duquesne, Richmond, Dayton, Rhode Island, Mason and Davidson as key.  So worst-case would be 10 and 8 with best case being 14 and 4 IF we can beat the Dukes, Mason, Davidson and Richmond on the road.  That could mean as high as 25 and 6 with another win or two in Brooklyn.  

Sipping the Kool-Aid but not chugging it.  Thursday starts us all over again.

Taj.

Well said.   Cannot argue with your grades.   As a prediction for the remainder of the season, here's a few thoughts:

Perkins had little to do with our first half of the OOC but then Perkins took charge, improved his defense and has become a reliable and key player for the second half of the OOC.  Believe Coach Ford was thinking about Perkins with his Bethune Cookman post-game comments: we played individually, not intending to be selfish but independently and not trusting the offense.  I have no problem with Perkins taking the quantity of shots he has been taking but I would prefer his same shots come more from the offense.  Set up on the 3 point line and wait for kick out from French, someone set an off-ball screen to get him an open look.  I expect his decision-making to only get better as the year goes on.

Hargrove went from not playing, to playing behind the walk on.   Talk surfaced of him redshirting/transferring to that of instant offense but clueless on defense, now to being an offensive weapon/contributor and a quick learner on defense.  We know that Hargrove can score, can dunk, can jump/rebound... but if he continues his defensive improvement and adds a shooting touch - he can bring out team up to an even higher level. 

Thatch provided essential offense and defense initially before our newbies could figure things out before playing only 10 minutes against Belmont, 6 minutes against BC and then not at all recently in the second half of our OOC - and yet we held our own with Auburn on the road, beat K State on the road and now are 11-2.  IMO, we are not yet capable of going 14-4 in conference play without the defense/offense of Thatch - especially after the loss of Jimerson.   As we now get ready for close conference games, high level talent... we can sure use Fred's defensive skills.

Jimerson started off 0-6 from 3 point with poor defense against Ky Wesleyan to 6-12 from 3 point with good defense against Tulane and  became invaluable until his injury, will be sorely missed but was not part of possibly our best win of the year - K State.  He will be missed as his minutes will be taken by Perkins, Weaver and Hargrove - 3 guys playing well recently.

Weaver has been solid all year.  Experienced and solid.   Not the PG Yuri is.  Not the 6'5" shooter Jimerson is.   But maybe our most efficient scorer all year.   2 for 2 from 3 point.   Key basket or two when needed. All that has been missing has been is another chance to shine -- which he has done since the loss of Jimerson.  Time to continue.

Bell is now averaging nearly 13 minutes per game - a far cry from the 4 minutes per game as a starter.   Now, we are ready for him to take the next step:   playing time of 15-20 minutes per game, staying out of foul trouble and a few more baskets and rebounds per game.

Yuri has gone from a backup PG, to a our new star PG, to a freshman with talent but a lot more to learn and back to an amazing PG playmaker.  Yuri has come a long way since Florida Gulf Coast with better decision-making and less turnovers.   Now, a few more points per game and we will have a veteran PG taking us to the post-season.

What's needed now?  Consistent leadership and production by French and Goodwin, offensive firepower of Perkins, Jacobs and Hargrove, stability from Bell and creativity from Yuri and return of Thatch to a member of the Big Three.  As much as we have improved from Florida Gulf Coast to the present, we have that much more room to improve before the A10 Tourney.