all- time east side Billikens

[papal]

After reading about Kevin Lisch retirement started thinking about best Billikens from east side.  4 come to mind immediately:  Goodwin, Lisch, Clagget, Liddell.  I am not sure if Leuchtefelds qualify (Okawville is pretty close to east side). I think Joe Wiley would make the fifth. Take your pick as the best of the five-all were talented and different types of players.

[bauman]

Whether Okawville qualifies or not it doesn't matter.  No one from there is anywhere close to Joe Wiley, who is all over the Billikens record book.  A HOF Billiken, who like Lisch, was even more successful after graduating,  a bank VP.

Like Claggs, Joe continues to come around and support the program.  A CLASS guy.

[bauman]

Doing the same exercise for the Metro (non-east side).  could be interesting (with at least 2 yrs as a Bill). 

Bonner, Gray, Douglass, Rogers, Easy Ed and I'm probably forgetting someone.

[billiken_roy]

12 minutes ago, bauman said:

Whether Okawville qualifies or not it doesn't matter.  No one from there is anywhere close to Joe Wiley, who is all over the Billikens record book.  A HOF Billiken, who like Lisch, was even more successful after graduating,  a bank VP.

Like Claggs, Joe continues to come around and support the program.  A CLASS guy.

joe wiley was an executive for monsanto.   he now has his own business consulting.

[AGB91]

Joe Wiley is a great role model for any Billiken player.

[papal]

I agree.  The Leuchtefelds were not in Joe Wiley's class (as a basketball player).  As successful as Wiley has been in business, Stan ( I believe) was a state senator?

[billikenfan05]

1 minute ago, papal said:

I agree.  The Leuchtefelds were not in Joe Wiley's class (as a basketball player).  As successful as Wiley has been in business, Stan ( I believe) was a state senator?

Leuchtefelds should probably be considered the First Family of Billiken Athletics

[bauman]

15 minutes ago, papal said:

I agree.  The Leuchtefelds were not in Joe Wiley's class (as a basketball player).  As successful as Wiley has been in business, Stan ( I believe) was a state senator?

 

16 minutes ago, papal said:

 

Joe was the Ill. State Senator. not Stan.  I think Joe was the father of 2 or 3 Billiken BB players.

[DoctorB]

As for the eastsiders: Goodwin is the best I've seen along with KL;  & TJ Hargrove may be the next one -- he is going to be good, and he's got a terrific attitude.  I liked Liddell and felt like he would be a great player but for whatever reasons, I ended up feeling like his career was a bit of a disappointment.  Many of us had really high expectations for Tommie, but life is challenging, and sadly the exaggerated expectations did not pan out like I hoped. Sorry to say this out loud,  & just being honest; but he is not in the vicinity of the JG & KL.

[bauman]

35 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

joe wiley was an executive for monsanto.   he now has his own business consulting.

I seem to remember that Joe was also a Bank VP at one point., but you probably have better info on him.

[NH]

15 minutes ago, DoctorB said:

As for the eastsiders: Goodwin is the best I've seen along with KL;  & TJ Hargrove may be the next one -- he is going to be good, and he's got a terrific attitude.  I liked Liddell and felt like he would be a great player but for whatever reasons, I ended up feeling like his career was a bit of a disappointment.  Many of us had really high expectations for Tommie, but life is challenging, and sadly the exaggerated expectations did not pan out like I hoped. Sorry to say this out loud,  & just being honest; but he is not in the vicinity of the JG & KL.

The reason Tommie’s career feels like a bit of a disappointment is because he did not vibe with Majerus. Whether that was personality, scheme, or both, I’m not sure. But Tommie was undoubtedly on track to being an all-time Billiken before the coaching change. In his first season, he was the A-10 rookie of the year and a freshman all-American. In his second season he averaged 15.4 and 6.8, while shooting 45% from 3 and 47% overall (probably the best scoring season by a Billiken in the last 15 years). He trailed off noticeably in his last two years, which is a huge shame. It feels to me as though the disappointment in how his career ended now overshadows two seasons in which he was really good, even better than Lisch was during those years.

[slufan13]

Chris Braun was my next door neighbor. He used my driveway/basketball hoop sometimes. He wasn't any good but that puts him on my all-time east-side list.

[billiken_roy]

1 hour ago, papal said:

I agree.  The Leuchtefelds were not in Joe Wiley's class (as a basketball player).  As successful as Wiley has been in business, Stan ( I believe) was a state senator?

Dave Luck was the senator.

[slu72 fan]

Donell Reid was a banker. 

[papal]

Donell Reid went to Beaumont.  He was a heck of a rebounder.  Don't think he was from east side

[3star_recruit]

1 hour ago, NH said:

The reason Tommie’s career feels like a bit of a disappointment is because he did not vibe with Majerus. Whether that was personality, scheme, or both, I’m not sure. But Tommie was undoubtedly on track to being an all-time Billiken before the coaching change. In his first season, he was the A-10 rookie of the year and a freshman all-American. In his second season he averaged 15.4 and 6.8, while shooting 45% from 3 and 47% overall (probably the best scoring season by a Billiken in the last 15 years). He trailed off noticeably in his last two years, which is a huge shame. It feels to me as though the disappointment in how his career ended now overshadows two seasons in which he was really good, even better than Lisch was during those years.

Agree with all of this.  Tommie was a monster as a sophomore.  He was almost as good as Javonte Perkins offensively, but rebounded, passed and handled the ball better.  If Ford would have been coach the last two years, Tommie would have been the most statistically dominant Billiken since Bonner.

[HoosierPal]

Today Mr. Wiley ranks 13th in points and 9th in rebounds.  And he did this is three seasons.  Freshmen weren't eligible in his days. If you extrapolate his numbers out to four years, he could have been  top 5 in scoring and rebounds.  He is in the conversation for BEST EVER from the east side.

[papal]

Claggett's numbers are impressive: 2nd in points (1910);  .412 3-point field goal %; 295 3-pointers; 347 assists; 145 steals.  

[bauman]

2 hours ago, slu72 fan said:

Donell Reid was a banker. 

Correct, he went to Beaumont, which used to be an excellent sports school, including a couple of major league players.  I think they also won the coveted American Legion National Championship representing Thomann-Booth Chapter.  American Legion baseball back then was like AAU basketball is today as far as quality of play.

I think Bob Miller (Cards pitcher), Roy Sievers (Browns great ) and Earl Weaver (Baltimore manager) all went there as did Ken Iman, All-Pro NFL Center, and I'm sure there are more.

Edit:  this was meant to reply to papal.  Also the correct name of the Amer. Leg. Post was Fred Stockham Post, not Thomann-Booth

Edited June 9, 2020 by bauman
correction

[willie]

3 hours ago, bauman said:

I seem to remember that Joe was also a Bank VP at one point., but you probably have better info on him.

You may be thinking of his wife who was a vp at Bankamerica. 

[almaman]

1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

Today Mr. Wiley ranks 13th in points and 9th in rebounds.  And he did this is three seasons.  Freshmen weren't eligible in his days. If you extrapolate his numbers out to four years, he could have been  top 5 in scoring and rebounds.  He is in the conversation for BEST EVER from the east side.

NTM way before 3 point era.

[Littlebill]

18 minutes ago, almaman said:

NTM way before 3 point era.

I think recency bias kind of kills anyone pre-Bonner era, outide of a Macauley who had to be a HOFer and NPOY to get mentioned in with guys like Bonner, Claggs, etc

[3star_recruit]

36 minutes ago, almaman said:

NTM way before 3 point era.

The biggest knock against Wiley is that 2 of the 3 years he played, the Bills finished well below .500.  Claggett's stats + mulitple tournament appearances make him the best East Side Billiken by default.

[GMan Alum]

2 hours ago, bauman said:

Correct, he went to Beaumont, which used to be an excellent sports school, including a couple of major league players.  I think they also won the coveted American Legion National Championship representing Thomann-Booth Chapter.  American Legion baseball back then was like AAU basketball is today as far as quality of play.

I think Bob Miller (Cards pitcher), Roy Sievers (Browns great ) and Earl Weaver (Baltimore manager) all went there as did Ken Iman, All-Pro NFL Center, and I'm sure there are more.

Edit:  this was meant to reply to papal.  Also the correct name of the Amer. Leg. Post was Fred Stockham Post, not Thomann-Booth

Beaumont actually had 14 guys go on to play MLB, plus about 5 guys go to the NFL (including Mizzou's Joe Moore, an absolute stud of a running back).  At one time Beaumont had the most students play in the Major Leagues than any other high school.  Besides feeding Stockham Post 245 with most of the players on the 1956 national championship team, Beaumont also won 2 state baseball championships.  No, I did not go to Beaumont (I went to the old McBride H.S.), but coach Ray Elliott was a legend.

[VeniceMenace]

Best east sider ever in Billiken history is Brett Thompson. If I recall correctly his mom got on the board and went off on everybody & that’s priceless, so he earns my vote.