I Miss Yuri

[3star_recruit]

5 minutes ago, CenHudDude said:

How do you explain though that the Billikens were up 3 at the half?  Did the guys go into the locker room and say “Ok, let’s quit on the coach”?

This team goes as its leaders go.  Specifically Jimerson.  When he doesn't bring it, there's a domino effect on the rest of the team.  Once the pressure is turned up in the 2nd half, the game is effectively over.

[VeniceMenace]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:49 PM, 3star_recruit said:

Agreed.  Basketball is a team game.  If Perkins doesn't get hurt, all the accolades you mentioned would have been in addition to an NCAA appearance.  But Perkins did get hurt.  That's life.

Agree Perkins was the best thing since Larry Legend, but even that team during his peak had a Pomeroy ranking around 60, not a surefire bid.

[Box and Won]

3 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

Agree Perkins was the best thing since Larry Legend, but even that team during his peak had a Pomeroy ranking around 60, not a surefire bid.

We were gonna win the conference tourney that year.

[SLUMedBilliken15]

4 minutes ago, Box and Won said:

We were gonna win the conference tourney that year.

Maybe.... if we beat Dayton in the A10 Tournament who was a top 5 team that year with Obi Toppin. Odds of that happening were not likely. 

[cgeldmacher]

So will it be an NCAA record when we win five games in our conference tournament to make the Big Dance?

[Lord Elrond]

12 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

So will it be an NCAA record when we win five games in our conference tournament to make the Big Dance?

It would be submitted to the Vatican to see if it was an actual miracle.

[TRN]

I miss Goodwin.

[wgstl]

I miss watching a team that held its own either on the road or against ranked teams.  Its been a long time. 

[slufan13]

I miss being excited for games

[ACE]

2 hours ago, VeniceMenace said:

Agree Perkins was the best thing since Larry Legend, but even that team during his peak had a Pomeroy ranking around 60, not a surefire bid.

The Perkins injury season perhaps, but the 2020-21 was the big what could have been. I think a lot of people forget that three years ago we were in the Top 25: https://slubillikens.com/news/2021/1/18/mens-basketball-billikens-ranked-no-25-in-ap-poll.aspx

 

[Lord Elrond]

15 minutes ago, ACE said:

The Perkins injury season perhaps, but the 2020-21 was the big what could have been. I think a lot of people forget that three years ago we were in the Top 25: https://slubillikens.com/news/2021/1/18/mens-basketball-billikens-ranked-no-25-in-ap-poll.aspx

 

And now we’re #240 in NET as of this morning. Shows just what a negative trajectory this program is on. Crash and burn is what it’s called.

[thetorch]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:26 AM, ACE said:

Some of the comments from last year that we would be better off without Yuri were ridiculous. I pointed out that life would be much more difficult this year for Gibby, who was heavily reliant on Yuri.

Also odd that Yuri caught so much crap, yet Gibby largely escapes criticism for poor performances.

Some posters just aren't smart enough to make a cogent argument so they play the race card.

I was hard on Yuri.  In retrospect too hard.  He walked away from HIS team and HIS city.  Then came crawling back.  His defense his Sr season took a massive drop.  I thought he dominated the ball too much.  He played too slow even though we were built to run, so he could run his two man game.  I blamed him too much because had to be the alpha dog on that team and he wasn't built for that.  His point production just couldn't hold up for that.  He needed another star to play off and his final two years he didn't have it.  He's a better player than Jimerson though so I expect more but he was a victim of Ford's lack of recruiting and Perkins injury.  On the other hand if you are going to dominate the ball as much as Yuri did you can't expect many 1 on 1 players who can get their own shot to want to play with you.  You have to score then and Yuri tried and couldn't.

Jimerson's shooting has stunk lately.  His defense has sank to freshman levels.  He is a real weapon on offense though.  On almost any other team that we've had I would have begged for him to be the 3rd option.  Imagine Jimerson replacing Barnett on the Majerus teams.  Jimerson's strengths are playing off ball, vs Yuri's playing on ball so its comparing apples to oranges.  Jimerson can't get his own shot, he's never tried to be that guy.  If the scheme can't get him looks than he either doesn't take any shots or he takes really bad shots.  For Jimerson to be a #1 guy the rest of the team has to buy all in on getting him open.  His teammates don't care and his coaches don't either. 

One of the few things they have in common is lack of postseason play and really high, ultimately useless counting stats.  Collins is in the conversation for best Billikens PG.  Jimerson is not in the conversation for best Billikens anything.  

[CenHudDude]

16 minutes ago, thetorch said:

Some posters just aren't smart enough to make a cogent argument so they play the race card.

I was hard on Yuri.  In retrospect too hard.  He walked away from HIS team and HIS city.  Then came crawling back.  His defense his Sr season took a massive drop.  I thought he dominated the ball too much.  He played too slow even though we were built to run, so he could run his two man game.  I blamed him too much because had to be the alpha dog on that team and he wasn't built for that.  His point production just couldn't hold up for that.  He needed another star to play off and his final two years he didn't have it.  He's a better player than Jimerson though so I expect more but he was a victim of Ford's lack of recruiting and Perkins injury.  On the other hand if you are going to dominate the ball as much as Yuri did you can't expect many 1 on 1 players who can get their own shot to want to play with you.  You have to score then and Yuri tried and couldn't.

Jimerson's shooting has stunk lately.  His defense has sank to freshman levels.  He is a real weapon on offense though.  On almost any other team that we've had I would have begged for him to be the 3rd option.  Imagine Jimerson replacing Barnett on the Majerus teams.  Jimerson's strengths are playing off ball, vs Yuri's playing on ball so its comparing apples to oranges.  Jimerson can't get his own shot, he's never tried to be that guy.  If the scheme can't get him looks than he either doesn't take any shots or he takes really bad shots.  For Jimerson to be a #1 guy the rest of the team has to buy all in on getting him open.  His teammates don't care and his coaches don't either. 

One of the few things they have in common is lack of postseason play and really high, ultimately useless counting stats.  Collins is in the conversation for best Billikens PG.  Jimerson is not in the conversation for best Billikens anything.  

Jimerson is definitely in the running for best all time student athlete. Top 10 anyway.

[majerus mojo]

45 minutes ago, thetorch said:

Some posters just aren't smart enough to make a cogent argument so they play the race card.

I was hard on Yuri.  In retrospect too hard.  He walked away from HIS team and HIS city.  Then came crawling back.  His defense his Sr season took a massive drop.  I thought he dominated the ball too much.  He played too slow even though we were built to run, so he could run his two man game.  I blamed him too much because had to be the alpha dog on that team and he wasn't built for that.  His point production just couldn't hold up for that.  He needed another star to play off and his final two years he didn't have it.  He's a better player than Jimerson though so I expect more but he was a victim of Ford's lack of recruiting and Perkins injury.  On the other hand if you are going to dominate the ball as much as Yuri did you can't expect many 1 on 1 players who can get their own shot to want to play with you.  You have to score then and Yuri tried and couldn't.

Jimerson's shooting has stunk lately.  His defense has sank to freshman levels.  He is a real weapon on offense though.  On almost any other team that we've had I would have begged for him to be the 3rd option.  Imagine Jimerson replacing Barnett on the Majerus teams.  Jimerson's strengths are playing off ball, vs Yuri's playing on ball so its comparing apples to oranges.  Jimerson can't get his own shot, he's never tried to be that guy.  If the scheme can't get him looks than he either doesn't take any shots or he takes really bad shots.  For Jimerson to be a #1 guy the rest of the team has to buy all in on getting him open.  His teammates don't care and his coaches don't either. 

One of the few things they have in common is lack of postseason play and really high, ultimately useless counting stats.  Collins is in the conversation for best Billikens PG.  Jimerson is not in the conversation for best Billikens anything.  

“I was hard on Yuri.  In retrospect too hard.” 

—proceeds to dump on Yuri all over again—

If you never posted about Yuri again it wouldn’t be soon enough 

[thetorch]

24 minutes ago, majerus mojo said:

“I was hard on Yuri.  In retrospect too hard.” 

—proceeds to dump on Yuri all over again—

If you never posted about Yuri again it wouldn’t be soon enough 

Your right. Nevermind the honest evaluation of Yuri's talent. I was hard on him because i'm a racist.

[Fraz]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:26 AM, ACE said:

Some of the comments from last year that we would be better off without Yuri were ridiculous. I pointed out that life would be much more difficult this year for Gibby, who was heavily reliant on Yuri.

Also odd that Yuri caught so much crap, yet Gibby largely escapes criticism for poor performances.

I was happy to see Yuri leave at the time because I believed we had reached our ceiling with him.

In reality, it was Ford’s ceiling we had reached

[Slowry]

7 hours ago, ACE said:

The Perkins injury season perhaps, but the 2020-21 was the big what could have been. I think a lot of people forget that three years ago we were in the Top 25: https://slubillikens.com/news/2021/1/18/mens-basketball-billikens-ranked-no-25-in-ap-poll.aspx

 

I wonder if we are the only team that was top 25 that hasn’t beaten a 25 team in 8yrs?

[Slu let the dogs out?]

1 hour ago, Fraz said:

I was happy to see Yuri leave at the time because I believed we had reached our ceiling with him.

In reality, it was Ford’s ceiling we had reached

All I can think about is how much better those Goodwin teams would’ve been with an actual coach. 

[TRN]

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

All I can think about is how much better those Goodwin teams would’ve been with an actual coach. 

And all I can think about is how our weak President suspended/expelled Jordan his freshman year as part of incident #2, when he wasn’t a participant.  That guy is just squishy all around.    
 

He’s 71 now, shouldn’t he be retiring soon?

[TheOne]

33 minutes ago, TRN said:

And all I can think about is how our weak President suspended/expelled Jordan his freshman year as part of incident #2, when he wasn’t a participant.  That guy is just squishy all around.    
 

He’s 71 now, shouldn’t he be retiring soon?

Yes

[TheA_Bomb]

21 hours ago, 3star_recruit said:

This team goes as its leaders go.  Specifically Jimerson.  When he doesn't bring it, there's a domino effect on the rest of the team.  Once the pressure is turned up in the 2nd half, the game is effectively over.

The best teams are player led teams. I think the most telling comment by Ford last season was one about how the team was uncharacteristically quiet.  He mentioned that outside people he invited in to observe noticed it. Just a guess but Goodwin was a leader on and off the court. We seem to lack that now. That's part of recruiting getting those personality "culture" fits.

Also consider that a coaches' team usually takes on the Identity of the coach. Maybe we'll see this less often in the portal era but I don't feel there's been a Ford identity.

[Fraz]

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

All I can think about is how much better those Goodwin teams would’ve been with an actual coach. 

A fair thought, but the hypothetical coach would’ve had to land him on the recruiting trail in the 1st place.

Ford was punching above his weight class with that commitment and does deserve some credit.  Not every day we beat out the likes of Texas, Michigan State, Purdue, Bama whether it’s a local kid or not

[3star_recruit]

15 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

The best teams are player led teams. I think the most telling comment by Ford last season was one about how the team was uncharacteristically quiet.  He mentioned that outside people he invited in to observe noticed it. Just a guess but Goodwin was a leader on and off the court. We seem to lack that now. That's part of recruiting getting those personality "culture" fits.

Also consider that a coaches' team usually takes on the Identity of the coach. Maybe we'll see this less often in the portal era but I don't feel there's been a Ford identity.

I really do believe that recruiting is 75% of the job.  Brian Conklin and Dwayne Evans didn't suddenly become leaders because Majerus recruited them.  Their leadership qualities were part of the reason why they were recruited.  You need players on your team that other players naturally follow.  When those players are also the best players on your team there's a multiplier effect.

If Coach recruited fiery undersized perfectionists like himself he would be better off.  At least his teams would have a consistent identity.

[brianstl]

16 hours ago, thetorch said:

Some posters just aren't smart enough to make a cogent argument so they play the race card.

I was hard on Yuri.  In retrospect too hard.  He walked away from HIS team and HIS city.  Then came crawling back.  His defense his Sr season took a massive drop.  I thought he dominated the ball too much.  He played too slow even though we were built to run, so he could run his two man game.  I blamed him too much because had to be the alpha dog on that team and he wasn't built for that.  His point production just couldn't hold up for that.  He needed another star to play off and his final two years he didn't have it.  He's a better player than Jimerson though so I expect more but he was a victim of Ford's lack of recruiting and Perkins injury.  On the other hand if you are going to dominate the ball as much as Yuri did you can't expect many 1 on 1 players who can get their own shot to want to play with you.  You have to score then and Yuri tried and couldn't.

Jimerson's shooting has stunk lately.  His defense has sank to freshman levels.  He is a real weapon on offense though.  On almost any other team that we've had I would have begged for him to be the 3rd option.  Imagine Jimerson replacing Barnett on the Majerus teams.  Jimerson's strengths are playing off ball, vs Yuri's playing on ball so its comparing apples to oranges.  Jimerson can't get his own shot, he's never tried to be that guy.  If the scheme can't get him looks than he either doesn't take any shots or he takes really bad shots.  For Jimerson to be a #1 guy the rest of the team has to buy all in on getting him open.  His teammates don't care and his coaches don't either. 

One of the few things they have in common is lack of postseason play and really high, ultimately useless counting stats.  Collins is in the conversation for best Billikens PG.  Jimerson is not in the conversation for best Billikens anything.  

Jimerson is what Scott Highmark would have been if Highmark wasn’t playing alongside H and Clagget.

[HoosierPal]

3 hours ago, TRN said:

And all I can think about is how our weak President suspended/expelled Jordan his freshman year as part of incident #2, when he wasn’t a participant.  That guy is just squishy all around.    
 

He’s 71 now, shouldn’t he be retiring soon?

He’s almost old enough to run for President of the US.