2024-25 Roster

[thetorch]

9 hours ago, willie said:

I think of Bonner as being more of a 4. 

True.

Bonner almost never started as the 5, we always had 2-4 other centers on the roster.  In crunch time he would play the 5 by default.  Usually it would take Grawer about 20 games to figure out the other centers stink and plug in Bonner there for most of the game.

[thetorch]

4 hours ago, Slufan10 said:

So if Jimerson breaks the all time scoring record, he’s for sure gotta have his jersey retired, right?

Incorrect.  We have only retired Jerseys of players who attain some sort of All America status and/or lead the nation in a major statistical category.

[gister]

4 hours ago, Slufan10 said:

So if Jimerson breaks the all time scoring record, he’s for sure gotta have his jersey retired, right?

I don't think SLU retires numbers, but they hang jerseys of special players.  Number 24 is already hanging at Chaifetz

[almaman]

Should be worn out if not retired.

 

 

[dlarry]

5 hours ago, Slufan10 said:

So if Jimerson breaks the all time scoring record, he’s for sure gotta have his jersey retired, right?

I w a talking about this earlier today. 
I love Jimerson as a Bill. One of my all time favorites, but I don’t consider him an all time great. 
Good….definitely, but not a top 5 or even 10 player.

Although a tourney run will change my opinion. 

[DOC]

1 hour ago, BuiltFordBills said:

Pick and pop with him and Avila, you can’t guard both 

After what we’ve had to put up with this offense will be pure joy to watch. 

[slu72]

For most of his career Gibby got stuck in the corner with no picks or screens to help him get open looks. He’d run the baseline and Yuri would hit him with the occasional pass for a layup. Ford just never schemed for him, or anyone else for that matter, and it was frustrating to watch. I expect with Schertz it’s a whole new game for him. Go Gibby! 

[JohnnyJumpUp]

On 4/12/2024 at 6:48 PM, dlarry said:

I w a talking about this earlier today. 
I love Jimerson as a Bill. One of my all time favorites, but I don’t consider him an all time great. 
Good….definitely, but not a top 5 or even 10 player.

Although a tourney run will change my opinion. 

With Jimerson starting the season at 25 years old,  is he the oldest or one of the oldest Billikens to ever play?

[Dr Bird]

57 minutes ago, JohnnyJumpUp said:

With Jimerson starting the season at 25 years old,  is he the oldest or one of the oldest Billikens to ever play?

Don't forget Abdur Raheem Al-Mateen.  I believe he played for Coach Grawer after time in the military service?

[brianstl]

55 minutes ago, JohnnyJumpUp said:

With Jimerson starting the season at 25 years old,  is he the oldest or one of the oldest Billikens to ever play?

I think Abdur Rahim Al Mattin who was a JUCO transfer early in the Grawer era was 30 in his final season.  I could be off on that because I was a kid then, but I have always remembered hearing that. I think he served 8 years in the Army before he decided to play college basketball.

[slu72]

One would have to think the NIL budget provided was big enough to bring 3-4 of the ISU players plus retain Gibby. With 2 or 3 of the ISU players gone hopefully it will mean more to offer Avila, Swope, and Turnbull. I’m assuming here Turnbull is a fit for Schertz’s system. 
Now, as for PG I’m a little confused as to who we are targeting. We need one preferably two. Any ideas who they are? 

[Bilzz]

21 minutes ago, slu72 said:

One would have to think the NIL budget provided was big enough to bring 3-4 of the ISU players plus retain Gibby. With 2 or 3 of the ISU players gone hopefully it will mean more to offer Avila, Swope, and Turnbull. I’m assuming here Turnbull is a fit for Schertz’s system. 
Now, as for PG I’m a little confused as to who we are targeting. We need one preferably two. Any ideas who they are? 

I could see Larry Hughes being the back-up PG. Did a decent job spelling Yuri in 22-23 and in Schertz's offense, the distributive aspect of the PG role isn't as important.

[billikenfan05]

4 minutes ago, Bilzz said:

I could see Larry Hughes being the back-up PG. Did a decent job spelling Yuri in 22-23 and in Schertz's offense, the distributive aspect of the PG role isn't as important.

There are no positions. 

[TheA_Bomb]

2 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

There are no positions. 

Mostly it's position-less but when bringing the ball up the floor vs the press, I think we need someone with the ball handling skills/passing of a traditional PG.  

It could be a "SG" with above avg ball handling and good passing.  

When you're in the half court set it's positionless

So less necessity for a traditional PG as long as everyone is a good passer

 

[Bilzz]

1 hour ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Mostly it's position-less but when bringing the ball up the floor vs the press, I think we need someone with the ball handling skills/passing of a traditional PG.  

It could be a "SG" with above avg ball handling and good passing.  

When you're in the half court set it's positionless

So less necessity for a traditional PG as long as everyone is a good passer

 

Yeah, pretty much what I meant. Julian wasn't a protypical PG. Mainly need to make sure you've got guys capable of breaking the press, if necessary.

[Old guy]

3 hours ago, brianstl said:

I think Abdur Rahim Al Mattin who was a JUCO transfer early in the Grawer era was 30 in his final season.  I could be off on that because I was a kid then, but I have always remembered hearing that. I think he served 8 years in the Army before he decided to play college basketball.

Stats for Al Mattin here:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/abdurrahim-almattin-1.html

[Aquinas]

2 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

There are no positions. 

I will take issue with this. Sorry Zack this takes some reading: 

You can't have 5 guys who can't bring the ball up the floor, or 5 guys who are short and can't defend the rim.  Identifying positions and players to those positions, helps in identifying team needs. For example, every team needs a player who can bring the ball up the floor under heavy, on ball pressure. That's a 1 or point guard. Every team has a second best ball handler who can bring the ball up the floor under moderate pressure and assist against full court pressure. That's a 2 guard or shooting guard. 3 guard or small forward is generally an offensive player who does not handle the ball under pressure. The  4 or power forward, is generally the second tallest player on the floor who can hold his ground near the basket, rebound and protect the rim. The 5 is generally  the tallest player who protects the post on defense. There are over lapping skills, like 4s compared to 5s.

Schertz 5 out offense reduces the significance of height in the half-court, because players can all hit 3s and pull defenders away from the basket. Though on defense, you are still looking at a conventional man to man or zone. Someone has to stop the apposing 6'9" and 6'11" post players. 

Numbering the positions makes it easier to analyze and talk about. If it were truly positionless, just take your 5 best players and put them on the floor without regard to their positions.

 

[cgeldmacher]

16 minutes ago, Aquinas said:

I will take issue with this. Sorry Zack this takes some reading: 

You can't have 5 guys who can't bring the ball up the floor, or 5 guys who are short and can't defend the rim.  Identifying positions and players to those positions, helps in identifying team needs. For example, every team needs a player who can bring the ball up the floor under heavy, on ball pressure. That's a 1 or point guard. Every team has a second best ball handler who can bring the ball up the floor under moderate pressure and assist against full court pressure. That's a 2 guard or shooting guard. 3 guard or small forward is generally an offensive player who does not handle the ball under pressure. The  4 or power forward, is generally the second tallest player on the floor who can hold his ground near the basket, rebound and protect the rim. The 5 is generally  the tallest player who protects the post on defense. There are over lapping skills, like 4s compared to 5s.

Schertz 5 out offense reduces the significance of height in the half-court, because players can all hit 3s and pull defenders away from the basket. Though on defense, you are still looking at a conventional man to man or zone. Someone has to stop the apposing 6'9" and 6'11" post players. 

Numbering the positions makes it easier to analyze and talk about. If it were truly positionless, just take your 5 best players and put them on the floor without regard to their positions.

 

I think the reference was to handling the press.  Majerus proved that you don't need an elite ball handler to break the press.  He beat it with proper positioning and passing.  When Majerus's guys executed his system to break the press, the ball didn't hit the floor until it was comfortably in our possession in the other team's half court.

[billikenfan05]

16 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I think the reference was to handling the press.  Majerus proved that you don't need an elite ball handler to break the press.  He beat it with proper positioning and passing.  When Majerus's guys executed his system to break the press, the ball didn't hit the floor until it was comfortably in our possession in the other team's half court.

This and pushing the ball up the court. I can’t stand watching the rebounding player look around for the “point guard”. All the guards should be outlets up the court and be able to advance the ball. Schertz teams play fast and don’t rely on a single ball handler to initiate sets. 

[BLIKNS]

Slubillikens lists the 24-25 roster.

Has Thames, Hughes, and Jimmerson

Williford is not listed, thought he signed LOI in the fall... what does this mean??? Is he coming??

[Taj79]

It doesn't list Max Pikaar either.  I think you have to be officially enrolled in school to get the listing.  

[BLIKNS]

Is today the start of the Spring Signing Period?

[Pistol]

9 minutes ago, BLIKNS said:

Slubillikens lists the 24-25 roster.

Has Thames, Hughes, and Jimmerson

Williford is not listed, thought he signed LOI in the fall... what does this mean??? Is he coming??

We don't know yet. Enough people are following closely enough that when we have any information on Williford, it will be shared here.

3 minutes ago, BLIKNS said:

Is today the start of the Spring Signing Period?

Yes. It goes through May 15. It will be more of a trickle than the week-long period in the fall.

[BLIKNS]

Thanks ..

Just anxious

[Pistol]

Some big announcements in the next couple days should calm your nerves.