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1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

No final information on that possible game.  As Stu said Friday, there are a lot of scenarios still possible. We are playing Boston College as scheduled.

Are we still going to Orlando? I realize the original tourney is blown to hell. 

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1 hour ago, slu72 said:

Are we still going to Orlando? I realize the original tourney is blown to hell. 

We can both guess, but my guess, right now, is yes.  That's based on reading the tea leaves.  Michigan State, Belmont and SLU are the only remaining - now homeless- of the original 8.  You know Izzo wants decent profile, yet winnable games and he is in the ear of ESPN. MSU is playing Duke on Dec 1 in Orlando in a stand alone.  MSU, I assume, is therefore staying in the Orlando Hoops festival.  

Now will they feed another team into these three or use these three as fill in's.  Per Rothstein, all events will be four teams, likely two games.

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Surprised to say the least.  I thought for sure the East Coast love woudl flow to the Spah-ders but I guess noty.  Still Top 30 so nothing to sneeze at.  Richmond is formidable, but both Francis and Sherrod have had major injuries and while I doubt any recurrence of such, a blown tire by the Richmond starting five does not bode well.  

I think if Mooney and Richmond succeed, he'll be off to greener pastures.  The last two years of heat in Richmond have to have hurt some. This will likely be his last chance ----- five seniors go and very little is on the bench.

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SLU comes in at #29 

 

 

Two years ago Saint Louis reached the NCAA Tournament. Last year they again won 23 games before the season was cut short. And nearly everybody from that deep squad is back. Coach Travis Ford’s team finally started shooting the ball better and continued to play their typical tough defense. The Atlantic 10 is going to be absolutely brutal this year, but this Billikens team has the depth and talent to find themselves on top of the standings when all is said and done.
 
2019-20 Record: 23-8, 12-6
Coach: Travis Ford
Coach Record: 75-58 at Saint Louis, 420-315 overall
 
Key Departed Players:
Tay Weaver, Guard, 4.5 ppg
 
Key Returning Players:
Jordan Goodwin, Senior, Guard, 15.5 ppg
Javonte Perkins, Senior, Guard/Forward, 15.0 ppg
Hasahn French, Senior, Forward, 12.4 ppg
Gibson Jimmerson, Sophomore, Guard, 10.8 ppg
Demarius Jacobs, Junior, Guard, 6.6 ppg
Yuri Collins, Sophomore, Guard, 5.4 ppg
Terrence Hargrove Jr, Sophomore, Forward, 5.4 ppg
Fred Thatch Jr, Junior, Guard, 4.8 ppg
Jimmy Bell Jr, Sophomore, Forward, 3.8 ppg
 
Key New Players:
Marten Linssen, Junior, Forward, Grad Transfer from UNC Wilmington
Andre Lorentsson, Freshman, Forward
Francis Okoro, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Oregon, not eligible
Phillip Russell, Freshman, Guard
Markhi Strickland, Freshman, Guard/Forward
 
Projection:
The best rebounding guard in the nation is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit, but for Jordan Goodwin it is actually true. He was the only player in the nation under 6-3 to rank in the top 100 in rebounding. On the year he averaged 10.4 per game. On top of that he added 15.5 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals. Nobody can quite fill up the stat sheet like Goodwin. Speaking of rebounders, Hasahn French is quite impressive in that regard too. The 6-7 senior averaged 12.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks last season. Those two will be All A-10 honorees in 2021. Javonte Perkins spent most of his junior season coming in off the bench, but the 6-6 wing averaged 15.0 points per game and was the most prolific shooter on the team. Gibson Jimerson only saw action in ten games before an injury cut his freshman campaign short, but he was averaging 10.8 points per game and should help boost Saint Louis’ outside shooting numbers even more in 2020-2021. Demarius Jacobs did not put up the big numbers of some of his teammates, but he started all 29 games in which he appeared and is a solid shooting threat as well. Yuri Collins will again run the point after dishing out 5.5 assists per game as a freshman. Fred Thatch is also in the hunt for major minutes this year after playing in just six games in 2019-2020. He can score in bunches if he stays healthy. At 6-10 Jimmy Bell is the tallest player on the roster. That size earned him 30 starts, but he averaged under 15 minutes per game. UNC Wilmington transfer Marten Linssen will give Coach Ford another experienced option up front. But even when playing smaller, the Billikens will get on the glass and play great defense. If their shots are falling too, this will be a tough team to beat.
 
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
 
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.7 (154th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.2 (57, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.4 (87, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.1 (39, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.4 (321, 14)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.0 (137, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 58.0 (350, 14)
Rebound Margin: 6.5 (19, 1)
Assists Per Game: 14.5 (64, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.8 (145, 9)
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Key item in that write up is A10 is gonna be a tough conference. Tougher than we thought last spring due to transfers suddenly getting waivers. We still should be at the top, but it’s not gonna be the day at the beach we might have been thinking. 

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No season is a day at the beach.  You are now top dog and are going to get everyone's best game no matter.  With us #29 and Richmond #30, that tells me the writers are essentially calling it a toss up for A10 title.  

The final list looks like this:  Saint Louis #29, Richmond #30, St. Bonaventure #60, Dayton #65, UMass #72, Duquesne #80, Davidson #100, Virginia Commonwealth #116 and Rhode Island #138.  

I think outaide the top two, Bonaventure shoudl go up some.  Anthony Roberts is now eligible and he averaged 12.7 ppg in 30 games for Kent State last year. This should improve Lofton's passing options but the Bonnies still need to find an inside game above Osunniyi's putbacks. 

Given the rash of "easy" waivers, I am surprised Elijah Weaver didn't get on coming over to Dayton from USC.  Weaver played in all 31 USC games averaging about 6 ppg but even if added, he adds to the glut in the Dayton backcourt adding little to Dayton's front line weakness.

Umass should bump up slightly with the waiver of Noah Fernandez.  Fernandez didn't do much at Wichita State but was a supposed top recruit a year ago at the PG.  With Sean East gone to Bradley, someone has to run the Umass point and Fernandez should be an upgrade over Kolt Mitchell and allow TJ Weeks to focus on the 2G slot.

Finally, the real riser has to be Rhode Island what with a boatload of refugees getting eligible.  It will just remain to be seen if such a collection can be melded  into a cohesive unit and meshed with the star returning senior Fatts Russell.  Much like Richmond, they don't go very deep.  But they are improved since the write ups began.

 

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3 hours ago, wgstl said:

SLU comes in at #29 

 

 

Two years ago Saint Louis reached the NCAA Tournament. Last year they again won 23 games before the season was cut short. And nearly everybody from that deep squad is back. Coach Travis Ford’s team finally started shooting the ball better and continued to play their typical tough defense. The Atlantic 10 is going to be absolutely brutal this year, but this Billikens team has the depth and talent to find themselves on top of the standings when all is said and done.
 
2019-20 Record: 23-8, 12-6
Coach: Travis Ford
Coach Record: 75-58 at Saint Louis, 420-315 overall
 
Key Departed Players:
Tay Weaver, Guard, 4.5 ppg
 
Key Returning Players:
Jordan Goodwin, Senior, Guard, 15.5 ppg
Javonte Perkins, Senior, Guard/Forward, 15.0 ppg
Hasahn French, Senior, Forward, 12.4 ppg
Gibson Jimmerson, Sophomore, Guard, 10.8 ppg
Demarius Jacobs, Junior, Guard, 6.6 ppg
Yuri Collins, Sophomore, Guard, 5.4 ppg
Terrence Hargrove Jr, Sophomore, Forward, 5.4 ppg
Fred Thatch Jr, Junior, Guard, 4.8 ppg
Jimmy Bell Jr, Sophomore, Forward, 3.8 ppg
 
Key New Players:
Marten Linssen, Junior, Forward, Grad Transfer from UNC Wilmington
Andre Lorentsson, Freshman, Forward
Francis Okoro, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Oregon, not eligible
Phillip Russell, Freshman, Guard
Markhi Strickland, Freshman, Guard/Forward
 
Projection:
The best rebounding guard in the nation is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit, but for Jordan Goodwin it is actually true. He was the only player in the nation under 6-3 to rank in the top 100 in rebounding. On the year he averaged 10.4 per game. On top of that he added 15.5 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals. Nobody can quite fill up the stat sheet like Goodwin. Speaking of rebounders, Hasahn French is quite impressive in that regard too. The 6-7 senior averaged 12.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks last season. Those two will be All A-10 honorees in 2021. Javonte Perkins spent most of his junior season coming in off the bench, but the 6-6 wing averaged 15.0 points per game and was the most prolific shooter on the team. Gibson Jimerson only saw action in ten games before an injury cut his freshman campaign short, but he was averaging 10.8 points per game and should help boost Saint Louis’ outside shooting numbers even more in 2020-2021. Demarius Jacobs did not put up the big numbers of some of his teammates, but he started all 29 games in which he appeared and is a solid shooting threat as well. Yuri Collins will again run the point after dishing out 5.5 assists per game as a freshman. Fred Thatch is also in the hunt for major minutes this year after playing in just six games in 2019-2020. He can score in bunches if he stays healthy. At 6-10 Jimmy Bell is the tallest player on the roster. That size earned him 30 starts, but he averaged under 15 minutes per game. UNC Wilmington transfer Marten Linssen will give Coach Ford another experienced option up front. But even when playing smaller, the Billikens will get on the glass and play great defense. If their shots are falling too, this will be a tough team to beat.
 
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
 
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.7 (154th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.2 (57, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.4 (87, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.1 (39, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.4 (321, 14)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.0 (137, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 58.0 (350, 14)
Rebound Margin: 6.5 (19, 1)
Assists Per Game: 14.5 (64, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.8 (145, 9)

Disrespecting us

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3 hours ago, Taj79 said:

No season is a day at the beach.  You are now top dog and are going to get everyone's best game no matter.  With us #29 and Richmond #30, that tells me the writers are essentially calling it a toss up for A10 title.  

The final list looks like this:  Saint Louis #29, Richmond #30, St. Bonaventure #60, Dayton #65, UMass #72, Duquesne #80, Davidson #100, Virginia Commonwealth #116 and Rhode Island #138.  

I think outaide the top two, Bonaventure shoudl go up some.  Anthony Roberts is now eligible and he averaged 121.7ppg in 30 games for Kent State last year. This should improve Lofton's passing options but the Bonnies still need to find an inside game above Osunniyi's putbacks. 

Given the rash of "easy" waivers, I am surprised Elijah Weaver didn't get on coming over to Dayton from USC.  Weaver played in all 31 USC games averaging about 6 ppg but even if added, he adds to the glut in the Dayton backcourt adding little to Dayton's front line weakness.

Umass should bump up slightly with the waiver of Noah Fernandez.  Fernandez didn't do much at Wichita State but was a supposed top recruit a year ago at the PG.  With Sean East gone to Bradley, someone has to run the Umass point and Fernandez should be an upgrade over Kolt Mitchell and allow TJ Weeks to focus on the 2G slot.

Finally, the real riser has to be Rhode Island what with a boatload of refugees getting eligible.  It will just remain to be seen if such a collection can be melded  into a cohesive unit and meshed with the star returning senior Fatts Russell.  Much like Richmond, they don't go very deep.  But they are improved since the write ups began.

 

Holy cow!!  You would think any player who averages 121.7 ppg would be playing pro but I guess Roberts wants to raise his stock.

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1 hour ago, Adman said:

I was going to post the same question. I cannot remember any pre-season prediction or poll that had us in the Top 30.

Your question made me curious so I did some quick digging:

  • We haven't been ranked in the pre-season AP top 25 since 1959
  • In 2012-2013 we were 28th in the preseason AP Poll, 26th in the coaches poll and top 25 in a couple of other various publications' pre-season polls (e.g., Sports Illustrated and Blue Ribbon)
  • In 2013-2014 we were 43rd in the preseason AP poll and 36th in the coaches poll
  • In 2006-2007 we received one vote in the preseason coaches poll
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By the way, once the Top 144 ranks you, they then place you in their projected NCAA bracket.  They have us listed as an eight seed playing nine seed Memphis.  Other 8 seeds are Arkansas, Florida and Richmond.

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9 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

By the way, once the Top 144 ranks you, they then place you in their projected NCAA bracket.  They have us listed as an eight seed playing nine seed Memphis.  Other 8 seeds are Arkansas, Florida and Richmond.

That matchup went well last time.

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Rutgers # 23 today and 6th in the Big 10.  That means 5 B10 teams in the top 22.  I'm not sure the league is that good.

I'd love to play Rutgers and show them what a top 25 team should look like!

P6 bias is alive and well.  This is the reason I think we should just go ahead and win the A-10, not leaving any decision in the hands of the Selection Committee.

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51 minutes ago, bauman said:

Rutgers # 23 today and 6th in the Big 10.  That means 5 B10 teams in the top 22.  I'm not sure the league is that good.

I'd love to play Rutgers and show them what a top 25 team should look like!

P6 bias is alive and well.  This is the reason I think we should just go ahead and win the A-10, not leaving any decision in the hands of the Selection Committee.

It's not much of a reach.  The Big 10 had 6 teams in the final top 30 NET rankings last year and most of those teams return at least 3 starters.  Rutgers finished last season at number 30.

Has there ever been a year where the A-10 had only one NCAA bid?  If it was, the league was really horrible.  

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24 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

Has there ever been a year where the A-10 had only one NCAA bid?  If it was, the league was really horrible.  

Since SLU joined:

2019 - 2 (would likely have been 1 if VCU had won the tournament instead of SLU)

2018 - 3

2017 - 3

2016 - 3

2015 - 3

2014 - 6

2013 - 5

2012 - 4

2011 - 3

2010 - 3

2009 - 3

2008 - 3

2007 - 2 (would have likely been 1 if X had won tournament instead of GW)

2006 - 2 (may have been 1 if GW had won the tournament instead of X)

2005 before SLU joined was the last time A-10 only had 1 bid (GW a 12 seed)

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2 hours ago, RUBillsFan said:

2005 before SLU joined was the last time A-10 only had 1 bid (GW a 12 seed)

That's pretty wild, given that the A-10 had an undefeated 1-seed (the Nelson-West St. Joe's team) in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The conference had three other teams that year, as well: Xavier (7), Dayton (10), and Richmond (11).

Just shows how fragile every season is for a non-power conference.

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49 minutes ago, Pistol said:

That's pretty wild, given that the A-10 had an undefeated 1-seed (the Nelson-West St. Joe's team) in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The conference had three other teams that year, as well: Xavier (7), Dayton (10), and Richmond (11).

Just shows how fragile every season is for a non-power conference.

The Pac-10 only got 2 teams in 2010 after getting 6 in 2009.  When you suck, you suck.

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