2024-2025 Season

[Lord Elrond]

29 minutes ago, BLIKNS said:

Idk, but Florida just updated Olivier Rioux, he is now listed at 7'9"

This is the time of year when the elastic rulers come out

[almaman]

Coach in paper cut & paste 2 avoid paywall;

The space occupied by St. Louis University basketball after three months of the Josh Schertz era could be described as limbo.It’s the stage where Schertz has finished building a roster with enough talent to raise eyebrows but accomplished nothing.Thus, in seeking opponents for the 2024-25 season, many prospective opponents have taken a wait-and-see approach to the Billikens with numerous coaches deciding not to play them this early in the transition.“We’re in a bit of purgatory in that people think we’ll be pretty good, but we haven’t shown it yet,” Schertz said. “They think we’re probably going to be better than 200 (NET rankings) but not 100% convinced we’re going to be top 50. In scheduling, if you’re a mid-major, you have to be exceptionally good or exceptionally bad to get the games you want.”Schertz and his staff have completed about half of the nonconference schedule and are close to completion. It is already clear that this will not look like any schedule from the recent past.There is a large focus on opponents west of the Continental Divide, a likely multi-team event at Chaifetz Arena and neutral court meetings against solid mid-majors.“It’s going to be a good schedule, it’s just not going to be a name schedule,” Schertz said.SLU has known home games against Loyola Marymount, Wofford and Jackson State as it builds toward the required 19 games at Chaifetz Arena. The Billikens will play at San Francisco and Illinois State and have reportedly agreed to a game at Grand Canyon. Neutral court games will be against Santa Clara, which is the season opener in South Dakota, and Wichita State in Kansas CityOnly the home nonconference schedule remains to be completed and several opponents are lined up and waiting for contracts to be finalized. All of it is done with the NET rankings and the NCAA’s quad system in mind.Schertz said a late start on the schedule kept SLU from getting into an MTE after the Jacksonville Classic fell apart. A long list of high majors and even mid majors declined games.The presence of Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope from his successful Indiana State team and the return of Gibson Jimerson have been enough to give coaches around the country pause about scheduling the Billikens.“We’re on the radar enough that high majors are a no,” Schertz said. “If you get to a point that you’re good enough and your name brand becomes strong, teams will want to play because they think it’s a quad 1 game at a neutral site. When Gibson came back and we got Robbie and Isaiah, people didn’t know where we’d be picked, but they saw people projecting us toward the top of the league.”Schertz said that analytics make him believe that San Francisco and Grand Canyon could be quad 1 road games. Santa Clara and Wichita State could be quad 2 neutral site opponents.Additionally, SLU found out this week that it will play Dayton, Loyola-Chicago, VCU and St. Joseph’s twice in the Atlantic 10. All four finished in the NET top 100 last season.Schertz said scheduling has been much harder than a year ago when he built an Indiana State schedule that included Michigan State and Alabama.“Scheduling is hard when you start in the middle of April with only one game on the schedule,” he said. “You’re building from scratch. We want a schedule that gives us a chance to be in the (NCAA) at-large conversation. One advantage of being in the middle of the country is it’s as easy to get to California as to the East Coast.”The SLU staff has conferred with college basketball analysts Ken Pomeroy and Bart Torvik, among others, to understand what the data says will help.The conclusion is that the current path could work, even without an Alabama or Michigan State on the schedule.The MTE being constructed at Chaifetz Arena could include two teams with more than 20 wins last season. Wofford will return its top seven scorers. “It’s hard because the high majors are in it for themselves,” Schertz said. “It’s human nature. They just try to close everybody else off. They want as many quad 4s as they can at home and to play neutrals against each other.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[almaman]

in case some paragraph freaks out there   

 

The space occupied by St. Louis University basketball after three months of the Josh Schertz era could be described as limbo.

It’s the stage where Schertz has finished building a roster with enough talent to raise eyebrows but accomplished nothing.

Thus, in seeking opponents for the 2024-25 season, many prospective opponents have taken a wait-and-see approach to the Billikens with numerous coaches deciding not to play them this early in the transition.

“We’re in a bit of purgatory in that people think we’ll be pretty good, but we haven’t shown it yet,” Schertz said. “They think we’re probably going to be better than 200 (NET rankings) but not 100% convinced we’re going to be top 50. In scheduling, if you’re a mid-major, you have to be exceptionally good or exceptionally bad to get the games you want.”

 

Schertz and his staff have completed about half of the nonconference schedule and are close to completion. It is already clear that this will not look like any schedule from the recent past.

 

There is a large focus on opponents west of the Continental Divide, a likely multi-team event at Chaifetz Arena and neutral court meetings against solid mid-majors.

“It’s going to be a good schedule, it’s just not going to be a name schedule,” Schertz said.

 

SLU has known home games against Loyola Marymount, Wofford and Jackson State as it builds toward the required 19 games at Chaifetz Arena. The Billikens will play at San Francisco and Illinois State and have reportedly agreed to a game at Grand Canyon. Neutral court games will be against Santa Clara, which is the season opener in South Dakota, and Wichita State in Kansas City.

 

 

Only the home nonconference schedule remains to be completed and several opponents are lined up and waiting for contracts to be finalized. All of it is done with the NET rankings and the NCAA’s quad system in mind.

Schertz said a late start on the schedule kept SLU from getting into an MTE after the Jacksonville Classic fell apart. A long list of high majors and even mid majors declined games.

 

The presence of Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope from his successful Indiana State team and the return of Gibson Jimerson have been enough to give coaches around the country pause about scheduling the Billikens.

 

“We’re on the radar enough that high majors are a no,” Schertz said. “If you get to a point that you’re good enough and your name brand becomes strong, teams will want to play because they think it’s a quad 1 game at a neutral site. When Gibson came back and we got Robbie and Isaiah, people didn’t know where we’d be picked, but they saw people projecting us toward the top of the league.”

 

 

Schertz said that analytics make him believe that San Francisco and Grand Canyon could be quad 1 road games. Santa Clara and Wichita State could be quad 2 neutral site opponents.

Additionally, SLU found out this week that it will play Dayton, Loyola-Chicago, VCU and St. Joseph’s twice in the Atlantic 10. All four finished in the NET top 100 last season.

Schertz said scheduling has been much harder than a year ago when he built an Indiana State schedule that included Michigan State and Alabama.

 

“Scheduling is hard when you start in the middle of April with only one game on the schedule,” he said. “You’re building from scratch. We want a schedule that gives us a chance to be in the (NCAA) at-large conversation. One advantage of being in the middle of the country is it’s as easy to get to California as to the East Coast.”

 

 

The SLU staff has conferred with college basketball analysts Ken Pomeroy and Bart Torvik, among others, to understand what the data says will help.

The conclusion is that the current path could work, even without an Alabama or Michigan State on the schedule.

The MTE being constructed at Chaifetz Arena could include two teams with more than 20 wins last season. Wofford will return its top seven scorers. 

“It’s hard because the high majors are in it for themselves,” Schertz said. “It’s human nature. They just try to close everybody else off. They want as many quad 4s as they can at home and to play neutrals against each other.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in case some paragraph freaks out there   

[Compton]

Sounds like it'll be a lackluster non-conference. However, if one season of no P5 opponents results in a recurring annual MTE in St. Louis, then I'm for it.

[Aquinas]

SLUbillikens.com posted players heights and weights. Roster by height:  

Max Pikaar 6’11” 200, FR, Power Forward, Double/Double, 3Pt% 40, FT% ?  Netherlands - Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas).  Schertz – Can handle, pass and shoot at the highest levels Defensively can guard 1 – 4.

Robbie Avila 6’10”240 Jr, Center, 31 Min, 17 Pts, 7 RB, 3Pt% 39m FT% 81, 4.1 Asst, .67 Stls, Indiana State– Missouri Valley,
Shertz: Makes everyone around him better.

Kilian Brockoff 6’9” 230, SO, Center, 8 Min, 3 Pts, 1.5 RB, 3pt% 38, FT% 57, .3 Asst, UC Santa Barbara – Big West, (From Germany)

A J Casey 6’9” 225, JR, Forward, 9 Min, 2 Pts, 2 RB, 3Pt% 0, FT% 59, .3 Asst, .1 Stls, Miami – ACC,
Schertz: Can play with a big and operate as small ball 5. Defensively can guard 1-5.

Kalu Anya 6’8” 215, JR, Forward, 27 Min, 9.6 Pts, 7.4 RB, 3Pt% 27, FT% 51, 1.7 Asst, 1.2 Stls, Brown-Ivy League, Schertz: Can guard 1-5.

Kellen Thames 6’6” 210, SO, Guard, 19 Min, 6 Pts, 3.7 RB, 3 Pt% 36, FT% 55, .8 Asst, .9 Stls, 1.2 Stls, Billikens

Amari McCottry 6’6” 205, FR, Guard Wing, 22 Pts, 9 RB, St. Thomas More, 247 3 star, Schertz: His size, skill and explosiveness are all at the very highest level.

Gibson Jimerson 6’5” Sr, 215, Guard Wing, 36 Min, 16 Pts, 2.9 RB, 3Pt% 36, FT% 86, 2.1 Asst, .66 Stls, Billikens-A10

Dylan Warlick 6’5” 210, FR, Small Forward, 20 Pts, 11 RB, Edmond North High, Edmond OK, 247 Rivals 3 star, physical player

Larry Hughes II 6’4” 190 Jr, Guard, 23 Min, 7 Pts, 2.7 RB, 3 Pt% 35, FT% 77, 1.5 Asst, Billikens

Josiah Dotzler 6’3” 185, SO, Guard, 4Min, 1 Pts, 0 RB, 3Pt% 18, FT% 60, .2 Asst, .3 Stls, Creighton – Big East, Schertz: I recruited him out of high school.

Kobe Johnson 6’3”, SR, Guard, 26 Min 6 Pts, 2 RB, 3pt% 28, FT% 79, 2.2 Asst, .55 Stls, West Virginia

Isaiah Swope 5’10” 175, SR, Guard, 33 Min, 16 Pts, 3 RB, 3Pt% 36, FT% 74, 2.1 Asst, 1.3 Stls, Indiana State, Schertz His quickness and shooting are at elite levels and is one of the best scorers in all of college basketball.  

[Aquinas]

Kobe Johnson is listed 6'4" 200.

[WVBilliken]

8 hours ago, Aquinas said:

SLUbillikens.com posted players heights and weights. Roster by height:  

Max Pikaar 6’11” 200, FR, Power Forward, Double/Double, 3Pt% 40, FT% ?  Netherlands - Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas).  Schertz – Can handle, pass and shoot at the highest levels Defensively can guard 1 – 4.

Robbie Avila 6’10”240 Jr, Center, 31 Min, 17 Pts, 7 RB, 3Pt% 39m FT% 81, 4.1 Asst, .67 Stls, Indiana State– Missouri Valley,
Shertz: Makes everyone around him better.

Kilian Brockoff 6’9” 230, SO, Center, 8 Min, 3 Pts, 1.5 RB, 3pt% 38, FT% 57, .3 Asst, UC Santa Barbara – Big West, (From Germany)

A J Casey 6’9” 225, JR, Forward, 9 Min, 2 Pts, 2 RB, 3Pt% 0, FT% 59, .3 Asst, .1 Stls, Miami – ACC,
Schertz: Can play with a big and operate as small ball 5. Defensively can guard 1-5.

Kalu Anya 6’8” 215, JR, Forward, 27 Min, 9.6 Pts, 7.4 RB, 3Pt% 27, FT% 51, 1.7 Asst, 1.2 Stls, Brown-Ivy League, Schertz: Can guard 1-5.

Kellen Thames 6’6” 210, SO, Guard, 19 Min, 6 Pts, 3.7 RB, 3 Pt% 36, FT% 55, .8 Asst, .9 Stls, 1.2 Stls, Billikens

Amari McCottry 6’6” 205, FR, Guard Wing, 22 Pts, 9 RB, St. Thomas More, 247 3 star, Schertz: His size, skill and explosiveness are all at the very highest level.

Gibson Jimerson 6’5” Sr, 215, Guard Wing, 36 Min, 16 Pts, 2.9 RB, 3Pt% 36, FT% 86, 2.1 Asst, .66 Stls, Billikens-A10

Dylan Warlick 6’5” 210, FR, Small Forward, 20 Pts, 11 RB, Edmond North High, Edmond OK, 247 Rivals 3 star, physical player

Larry Hughes II 6’4” 190 Jr, Guard, 23 Min, 7 Pts, 2.7 RB, 3 Pt% 35, FT% 77, 1.5 Asst, Billikens

Josiah Dotzler 6’3” 185, SO, Guard, 4Min, 1 Pts, 0 RB, 3Pt% 18, FT% 60, .2 Asst, .3 Stls, Creighton – Big East, Schertz: I recruited him out of high school.

Kobe Johnson 6’3”, SR, Guard, 26 Min 6 Pts, 2 RB, 3pt% 28, FT% 79, 2.2 Asst, .55 Stls, West Virginia

Isaiah Swope 5’10” 175, SR, Guard, 33 Min, 16 Pts, 3 RB, 3Pt% 36, FT% 74, 2.1 Asst, 1.3 Stls, Indiana State, Schertz His quickness and shooting are at elite levels and is one of the best scorers in all of college basketball.  

That's a P5 sized team ...... like it.

[thetorch]

2 hours ago, WVBilliken said:

That's a P5 sized team ...... like it.

Hope we have someone who can guard the 6 5'9 scoring guards in the A10.

[SLUMS81]

13 hours ago, thetorch said:

Hope we have someone who can guard the 6 5'9 scoring guards in the A10.

I would prefer to think that the 5’9 scoring guards in the A10 should be more worried about how they can guard us.

[MusicCityBilliken]

2 minutes ago, SLUMS81 said:

I would prefer to think that the 5’9 scoring guards in the A10 should be more worried about how they can guard us.

remember Chaz Williams?

[ACE]

34 minutes ago, SLUMS81 said:

I would prefer to think that the 5’9 scoring guards in the A10 should be more worried about how they can guard us.

We have a 5-10 scoring guard who other teams will be worried about.

[Aquinas]

14 hours ago, thetorch said:

Hope we have someone who can guard the 6 5'9 scoring guards in the A10.

I have rewatched the Indiana State NIT run. I noticed that Indiana State played a lot of man-to-man defense and generally Swope guarded the smallest player on the other team. As a senior, he knows where he is supposed to be on both ends of the floor. 

[Taj79]

Starting point guards in the A10:

Davidson:  Unknown.  Zach Coval, 6'1" Freshman.

Dayton: Malachi Smith, 6'0" Junior; Javon Bennett, 5'11" Sophomore.  While listed as a PG, Posh Alexander, 6'0" Senior, might be hard-pressed to take over for the first two who have really no other position.

Duquesne: Trey Dinkins, 6'2" Senior transfer from Canisius; Kareem Rozier, 5'8" Sophomore.

Fordham: Japhet Medor, 5'11" Senior; Jackie Johnson, 5'11" transfer from UNLV/Duquesne; Will Richardson, 6'2" Junior.

Mason: KD Johnson, 6'0" Senior transfer from Auburn; Jeremiah Quigley, 6'0" Freshman.

Geedubya:  Trey Moss, 6'3" Senior transfer from William and Mary.

La Salle: Corey McKeithan, 6'1" transfer from Rider.

Loyola: Jalen Quinn, 6'3" Junior,

Umass: Rashool Diggins, 6'2" Senior.

Rhode Island: Sebastien Thomas, 6'1" Senior.

Richmond: DeLonnie Hunt, 6'0" Senior.

St. Joes: Erik Reynolds, 6'2" Senior.

St. Bonaventure: Dasonte Brown, 6'3" transfer from Iowa.

Swope should be smart enough to do what he has to do but we also have 6'3" Kobe Johnson and 6'4" Isiah Dotzler gto counter on defense.  Which makes us just as tall as if not taller than anyone we meet in conference.  But defense is desire so we shall see.

VCU: Zeb jackson, 6'5" Senior.

 

[VeniceMenace]

7 hours ago, SLUMS81 said:

I would prefer to think that the 5’9 scoring guards in the A10 should be more worried about how they can guard us.

Exactly. Johnson at 6-4, 200 is among the biggest and most experienced point guards in the league. 

The rest of the lineup: Avila, Swope and Jimmer should get the most playing time.

Interesting, entertaining matchup nightmare:

PG: 6-4 Johnson

SG: 6-11 Pikaar*

C : 6-10 Avila

F: 6-8 Anya**

F 6-9 Casey**

* Doubt a frosh gets much PT on this team, but CJS called him a guard, likely because he's too thin to guard forwards.

** CJS said the 6-9 Casey and 6-8 Anya can guard positions 1-5.

[HoosierPal]

10 hours ago, Aquinas said:

I have rewatched the Indiana State NIT run. I noticed that Indiana State played a lot of man-to-man defense and generally Swope guarded the smallest player on the other team. As a senior, he knows where he is supposed to be on both ends of the floor. 

I watched a bunch of the Sycamore games also, including being present at the MVC Champ game.  In the games I saw, Schertz played a good amount of zone last season  

As we all know, defense wasn't how they won games, finishing 218th in ppg allowed, 342nd in blocks and 222nd in steals.

[Old guy]

1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

I watched a bunch of the Sycamore games also, including being present at the MVC Champ game.  In the games I saw, Schertz played a good amount of zone last season  

As we all know, defense wasn't how they won games, finishing 218th in ppg allowed, 342nd in blocks and 222nd in steals.

I know this is against Majerus dogma, but if Schertz can win with our team the number of games he won with the Sycamores it is entirely OK with me if he favors offense and uses a weak defense.

[slu72]

10 hours ago, Old guy said:

I know this is against Majerus dogma, but if Schertz can win with our team the number of games he won with the Sycamores it is entirely OK with me if he favors offense and uses a weak defense.

We shall see, but I still believe in the old hoops axiom that offenses are skittish but defense is your brick wall. So, when you’re having a bad night on O your D will keep u in the game. 

[TheChosenOne]

I looked it up, so I’ll share what I wasted the past 15 minutes looking at. Based on Pomeroy, Indiana State’s defense was in a range (ranked 114th) where you saw some elite teams that feature top offenses paired with meh defenses. I was expecting it to be worse, but somewhat similar teams would include Illinois (#3 offense with the #80 defense, #10 overall) and Alabama (#2 offense with the #111 defense, #14 overall). I enjoyed watching both of those teams this past season (and as a Mizzou fan that’s not easy to say haha). If you were to continue down there were some other teams built in that same mold last season including Baylor (#15 overall, #6 offense, #72 defense), Kentucky (#23 overall, #7 offense, #109 defense), and Florida (#26 overall, #12 offense, #94 defense). For comparison, based on Pomeroy, Indiana State was #38 overall, #13 offense, and #114 defense. This is all based on last season, I think if I went back I’d see some programs that fit that more regularly like Gonzaga and presumably some of the programs that have more frequently relied upon the freshmen blue chippers like Duke, Kentucky, Alabama and Baylor of late, etc. After 5 more minutes of digging, I’m not sure that assumption is correct as Gonzaga has had better defenses than I remembered, but lowa is a program that has fit that elite offense with mediocre defense multiple times in the recent past which surprised me (Oregon as well).

[Taj79]

I would think that if you outscore just about everybody you play, defense is a minor afterthought.

[Old guy]

11 hours ago, Taj79 said:

I would think that if you outscore just about everybody you play, defense is a minor afterthought.

That is correct Taj, but the premise is based upon a very big and very hard to achieve IF. I think Schertz is capable of getting us past this IF condition, we will see.

[CenHudDude]

This year’s team would appear capable (on paper) of out scoring the vast majority of A-10 teams.  Can they outscore top level P5 teams?  That remains to be seen, and based upon our schedule will not be answered until the post season.  Stay tuned.

[almaman]

10 minutes ago, CenHudDude said:

This year’s team would appear capable (on paper) of out scoring the vast majority of A-10 teams.  Can they outscore top level P5 teams?  That remains to be seen, and based upon our schedule will not be answered until the post season.  Stay tuned.

true, system sucks, there should be more balanced schedule or handicaps, or something

[Crewsorlose]

This team is way more athletic than last year's Indiana St. team, which was also thin and couldn't afford foul trouble. Thames, Casey, and Keon Johnson, among others, raise the defensive floor. 

[dlarry]

Score quickly on offense you are going to allow more points on defense. 

Basic math. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

Marquette and Dayton agree to a home and home, starting on 12/14/24 at Dayton, then date in ‘25-‘26 at Marquette.