GDT: @ Richmond

[cheeseman]

14 minutes ago, ThreeTimeBilliken said:

But we missed about 8 shots in the last 90 seconds not because we can’t shoot but because our offense design does not get us in good shooting situations. 
Ford is a great coach when all goes well. But he crumbles under pressure by having poorly designed plays and zero control over players - they have no confidence and play scared when pressured. 
 

The last minute was pure chaos with out any design. 
 

Ford has been routinely overmatched this year. 

I said I did not see tonight's game so my comments are not about tonight.

[glazedandconfused]

4 minutes ago, BillsBeliever!!! said:

Worst part of the C2D is how Davidson is never mentioned despite being the best team in the A10 and a near lock for the tournament so long as they don’t lose in the first round of the A10 tourney

What the heck don’t be mean to Wiz. If i were him i would just stop so i didn’t have to deal with all the hate 

[BillsBeliever!!!]

In order to have a chance to win the A10 tournament we need to go back to what we were doing during our win streak: LIMITING TURNOVERS

during that win streak we were averaging only about 10 per game, recently we’re getting back to 15-20 

[wgstl]

1 minute ago, BillsBeliever!!! said:

In order to have a chance to win the A10 tournament we need to go back to what we were doing during our win streak: LIMITING TURNOVERS

during that win streak we were averaging only about 10 per game, recently we’re getting back to 15-20 

We shot 18% from 3. Agreed on TO tho 

[TheA_Bomb]

Been a lot of games this month,  the doldrums of the season and making up games missed.   That's a challenge.  It's a challenge that we've yet to overcome.  I didn't expect a win.  How many big games has Ford won at SLU?

A10 Tournament Champions 1/5 chances.  That's ok. No teams good enough for at large bids with 11, 5, 6, 4, 4 place finishes. No wins over ranked opponents right?

He is who he is, and this is the ceiling.

That's what I was resigned to since the beginning.   I was hoping for better but it's not looking good. 

Maybe Porter will under achieve with the Land Thieves and they'll push him out in 2 years and we can have an opening for him. 

[Marlow]

Ford keeps playing Jimmerson hoping he gets hot. That’s never a good thought. He can’t even get around a pick because his legs are gone. He was dead tonight. Not fair to him or the team. Hargrove should play more.

[Schasz]

22 minutes ago, wgstl said:

Take away being bias, can someone give me one reason why I should believe this team is good enough to win the A10T?

im trying to be logical, but I can’t any more. Yes I’m gonna put money on slu to win it, yes I think they win it, but I have ZERO reasons as to why they will. My closest reason is because at one point, weeks ago, we were pretty good. I won’t even say great bc we treat our victory against GMu as something greater than it ever was. 
 

I’m all ears, does someone here think, “this is still the best team in the conference”?

Nope! Not even close to being the best!

[billikenbill]

14 minutes ago, glazedandconfused said:

What the heck don’t be mean to Wiz. If i were him i would just stop so i didn’t have to deal with all the hate 

I appreciate The Wiz’s efforts and look forward to his predictions. That chance to dance thing has got to go though. Please, The Wiz, nuke that from your posts. It’s not helpful.

[dlarry]

18 minutes ago, glazedandconfused said:

Counterpoint: We are like 2-6 vs the top 5. We can’t beat anyone. Our big combo is the like 4th best big combo in the A10. Gotta deal in reality here. Other teams exist and are better than we are

 

17 minutes ago, wgstl said:

I’m with you. But every team in the top 6 could put a list of if’s and have a case.  The biggest issue being anyone in the top 4 could have these ifs, on top of playing well down the stretch. 

I don’t disagree but you asked for some reasons and I gave some.

Will it happen? I doubt it but if it does it will be because of these reasons.

[dlarry]

25 minutes ago, ThreeTimeBilliken said:

This is ridiculous. Did he not know they were going to graduate? Was it a surprise? Did he show up this year and think, “Where are those guys.?”

And sure, the injury hurt. But you have to expect injuries. You have to be able to adjust your game plan when they happen. Ford hasn’t. It’s been the same all year. His plan doesn’t match his players. 

Not many teams in the A10 can lose 3 starters and still finish in the top half of the league. Richmond and Bonaventure are going to feel that pain next year.

 

I think Ford made great adjustments in the non-con after losing Perkins. 
The problem is that the conference foes have adjusted to the Bills adjustments and Ford hasn’t been able to counter.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

I don’t expect this program to win the A10 regular reason every year. I don’t expect this program to win the A10 tourney every year. That would be silly. But not finishing in the top 4 on a consistent basis in a league that is trending away from a 3 bid league is unacceptable. 
Perhaps my expectations are just too high given this program is at or near the top of the A10 in terms of facilities, resources, the school’s commitment to basketball, booster support, and head coach compensation. We are the highest level of hoops in a metro of almost 3M. The ingredients are all there to cook on helluva meal. Heck if we continue to successfully recruit locally The talent in STL metro alone should keep us competitive. 
 

Honest question: I know I’m an idiot but am I also delusional for thinking there is no reason why this program shouldn’t be able to consistently finish top 4 in the A10?

[BillsBeliever!!!]

48 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Been a lot of games this month,  the doldrums of the season and making up games missed.   That's a challenge.  It's a challenge that we've yet to overcome.  I didn't expect a win.  How many big games has Ford won at SLU?

A10 Tournament Champions 1/5 chances.  That's ok. No teams good enough for at large bids with 11, 5, 6, 4, 4 place finishes. No wins over ranked opponents right?

He is who he is, and this is the ceiling.

That's what I was resigned to since the beginning.   I was hoping for better but it's not looking good. 

Maybe Porter will under achieve with the Land Thieves and they'll push him out in 2 years and we can have an opening for him. 

I still believe that last year’s team would’ve stayed in the top 25 and made the tournament had we not been crushed by COVID

[NoCoBillsFan]

Another rough night to be a bills fan. Barring a full-blown breakout from Nesbitt that’s similar what Isabell did in 2019, we’re not winning the tourney. I know it’s all doom and gloom and fire Ford right now, but we got a lot of things to give us hope. This season, we competed in every game we played with the exception of Davidson and Memphis. Our losses didn’t come from a lack of talent, but instead a lack of consistency. We should be bringing mostly everyone back next season. And what should get better with more experience? Consistency. This team will be fine. Just give it time. 

[Lando Griffin]

1 hour ago, BillsBeliever!!! said:

Worst part of the C2D is how Davidson is never mentioned despite being the best team in the A10 and a near lock for the tournament so long as they don’t lose in the first round of the A10 tourney

+1

I, like Glazed, have been at a complete loss. 

[Lando Griffin]

Can anyone tell me if they ran Linssen and Okoro out at the same time?
 

Still don’t know why they haven’t done that yet. 

[NoCoBillsFan]

Love these guys. 

[wgstl]

3 minutes ago, Lando Griffin said:

Can anyone tell me if they ran Linssen and Okoro out at the same time?
 

Still don’t know why they haven’t done that yet. 

Foul trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or fords keeping this one in back pocket 

[billikenblue]

2 hours ago, glazedandconfused said:

Bad shot jimerson. Bad look Yuri not seeing Fred right before that. 

Fred had a layup ..Yuri went for the dagger 3 . Just tie the game . It drives me crazy how teams pass up a sure 2 pts . Time and score matters . 

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

1 hour ago, NoCoBillsFan said:

Love these guys. 

Love it

[Old guy]

Back home and just found the bad news. It was close but it was a loss. Too bad, now onto the next one.

[gister]

3 hours ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

Honest question: I know I’m an idiot but am I also delusional for thinking there is no reason why this program shouldn’t be able to consistently finish top 4 in the A10?

When you lose your top scorer before the season starts, expecting a top 4 finish is pretty far fetched.  The team is finishing about where it should.  I am still optimistic that the tournament will present some good opportunities.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

8 hours ago, gister said:

When you lose your top scorer before the season starts, expecting a top 4 finish is pretty far fetched.  The team is finishing about where it should.  I am still optimistic that the tournament will present some good opportunities.

Yes I’ve heard this one a lot. I’d argue this team could be in roughly the same position if Perkins would’ve played this year. Relying on one player to carry the entire offensive load can be pretty dangerous. A lot of players were forced to grow up this year which was a huge plus. It’s not like this team is anemic on offensive either.  Higher PPG, FT%, FG%, and 3P% than any of the last 4 teams. Imagine how even more efficient they would be if they ran an actual offense (Yuri dribbling for 20 seconds while Jimerson runs around like a chicken with his head cut off while the other 3 on the court just stand there and watch isn’t much of an offensive strategy).  But speculating on where we’d currently be with a healthy Perkins is pointless. Hopefully JP comes back next year to help these guys out. 
And this is all beside the point as I wasn’t really referring to a Specific year but rather in general. I’m not saying I expect SLU to finish top 4 every single season. That would be insane. All good programs have a bad year or two. But given the things I stated in my prior post I expect this program to finish near the top in the Atlantic 10 conference more years than not. Again, perhaps my expectations are unrealistic but that’s how I feel. 

[CenHudDude]

11 hours ago, billiken_roy said:

Another game of Collins trying to be the man and he's just not.  He's a point guard.  On Ford for not having a plan B goto player when Perkins got hurt

Who would your plan B go to player be B’Roy?

[glazedandconfused]

4 minutes ago, CenHudDude said:

Who would your plan B go to player be B’Roy?

An offensive plan that can generate good looks. Not just Collins pick n roll and offensive rebounds 

[Taj79]

Some thoughts from da' couch ..... now that I've calmed down .....

1) Playing the way we did play ---- go back and look at that six game winning streak.  Umass.  Geedubya.  Duquesne.  Mason.  Dayton (at home).  La Salle.  Collectively, They are 33 - 52 and if you throw out Dayton, 21 and 49.  We beat the dregs.  We know we can do that.  We can't beat above average teams.

2) Loss of Perkins.  Maybe we don't have another go to player.  Maybe we've overestimated the depth on this team.  Still, why not create a collective effort?  I don't see anything being designed for anyone else outside of the Curly Neal exhibit.  Yesterday, Gilyard neutralized Collins in the second half and Golden forced Okoro out of the paint.  

3) Second half meltdowns.  Lost double digit leads.  We always talk about Ford's second half adjustments but we have been schooled enough times in the second half to legitimately question these.

4) Real lack of a bench.  Jones played lost last night.  Hargrove leads the team in yanks.  Linssen got five minutes.  I can only imagine we are puckering way too tightly in those situations.

5) Ford.  Love him or hate him, he is certainly not apt to change his spots.  Tight games seem to lead to brain lock coming down the stretch.  I don't know why but it does.  We still had a chance at  the end but played like a grade school team.

Bottom line:  we are who we are with the loss of Perkins.  The development of Nesbitt is disconcerting to say the least.