Top 144 items of intetest

[wgstl]

2 hours ago, MusicCityBilliken said:

I realize pre-season polls mean squat. Who do you believe will be #1?

Dayton's OOC schedule alone gives them a added boost in the NET rankings. All they have to do is be .500.

We are going to get killed with all the junk we are playing in OOC. It just comes down to the league with us.

Vcu and then SLU, but one could put the joeys somewhere in there too. 

[almaman]

if we match Coach's record from last season. including losing conference tournament final r we dancing?

I would hope would but if not pretty hopeless.

[slu72]

41 minutes ago, almaman said:

if we match Coach's record from last season. including losing conference tournament final r we dancing?

I would hope would but if not pretty hopeless.

I think it would depend on how the rest of A10 fares. If it’s ranked a top 7 conference and we go like 29-5 it might be hard to ignore us but no guarantee. 

[billiken_roy]

i loved the look of the billikens at the practice we were allowed to attend last month, but it was an intersquad event and we all have to realize there are a lot of new faces.   no idea how they will mesh as their friendships evolve.   myself, while i am extremely optimistic, no predictions from me until we get through the weak non conference and January is here.   i have lots of hope, but i will wait and see.  ive been burned a lot by the billikens in my 47 years of rooting for the billikens.  

[slu72]

1 hour ago, billiken_roy said:

i loved the look of the billikens at the practice we were allowed to attend last month, but it was an intersquad event and we all have to realize there are a lot of new faces.   no idea how they will mesh as their friendships evolve.   myself, while i am extremely optimistic, no predictions from me until we get through the weak non conference and January is here.   i have lots of hope, but i will wait and see.  ive been burned a lot by the billikens in my 47 years of rooting for the billikens.  

I’m with you, B’roy. After buying into the 22-23 hype it’s now Show Me time. Taj Mahal 79 is high on VCU mainly because they’ve got the fewest replacement parts to deal with this year. For the rest of the A10 it’s kind of a mystery as they deal with chemistry and fit issues. 

[HoosierPal]

I took a look at the Top 144 site today.  Ugh, Bradley at #86, 1st in the Valley.  As of a week ago they were still looking for two games.  I have zero reason to believe that Coach Schertz didn't communicate with Wardle and the game couldn't be worked out, but that would have been a nice game allowing SLU to dump one of the two non-D1's or one of the 300+ games.  Hopefully next season we can begin series with two Valley teams.

I"m with @billiken_roy, not too concerned with preseason rankings.  But I'm banking on Loyola will be better than 5th in the A10.  They have a very decent front court with Rubin, DeLoach and Nwaokanie, but their success or failure could rest with their Drexel transfer PG, Justin Moore.  Can he replicate what Braden Norris did over his two decades () at Loyola?  Des Watson returns.  He and Moore will be a solid backcourt.  They have 9 players with double digit minutes from last season, so they will be experienced.

[slu72]

San Francisco comes in at 81 and #3 in the WCC. Good road test for us. Bay Area’s gonna have to cheer us on to a W. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

25 minutes ago, slu72 said:

San Francisco comes in at 81 and #3 in the WCC. Good road test for us. Bay Area’s gonna have to cheer us on to a W. 

I’ll be there, expect the Billikens will be road underdogs. It’s usually good to be the underdog. 

[slu72]

2 teams on our sched; St Joes at 77 and 4th in A10. Look forward to Taj Mahal’s take on the Hawks. 

Grand Canyon at 76. Could be a toughie. But really not much to go on other than they return some double figure guys. Didn’t Grandy finish his hoops career there before he became a porn star? 

[Adman]

On 8/17/2024 at 12:39 PM, Bay Area Billiken said:

I’ll be there, expect the Billikens will be road underdogs. It’s usually good to be the underdog. 

I'll be there... after a quick trip to Sonoma.

[HoosierPal]

5 hours ago, slu72 said:

2 teams on our sched; St Joes at 77 and 4th in A10. Look forward to Taj Mahal’s take on the Hawks. 

Grand Canyon at 76. Could be a toughie. But really not much to go on other than they return some double figure guys. Didn’t Grandy finish his hoops career there before he became a porn star? 

Grand Canyon was 30-5 last season and is running back 4 of their 5 starters.  They are replacing one the of their bigs, McGlothan's 12.8 ppg, with a transfer from TCU, Coles, who averaged 10 ppg.  Let's hope GC is slightly better than 76th, as Q1 away games are 1-75 in the NET.  The Lopes could be one of our few Q1 OOC opportunities (along with perhaps San Fran).

[Taj79]

@slu72:  St. Joe's is once again St. Joes --- guard-heavy but with one of those being Erik Reynolds.  All A10 first teamer I believe last year.  Derek SImpson, a transfer from Rutgers, joins Xzayvier Brown in the backcourt.  Simpson palys all 32 games at Rutgers and averaged 8.3 ppg in the Big Ten.  Not too shabby.  They also return Rasher Fleming to the front court and he rebounded well (leading the team) and can be a load at 6'9". 

The question will be their suspect front line.  Justice Ajogbor averaged about 8 ppg for Harvard but the rest are unknown freshmen in Kevin Kearney and Steve Sclano.  Kearney is 6'8" and Sclano is 6'11" and 235 pounds.  But Billy Lange is better known for playing guards in a five-out configuration than using a traditional inside game.  Reynolds might be all he needs going into the coming year.  Depth will be a problem however.  They had a better lineup last year and only went 9 and 9 in the league.

[slu72]

Mizzery in at 75. 

[cgeldmacher]

On 8/21/2024 at 4:59 PM, Adman said:

I'll be there... after a quick trip to Sonoma.

Sonoma or Sedona?

[Adman]

38 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

Sonoma or Sedona?

Hah!  Sedona! 

[bauman]

The 144 website must think pretty highly of the Bills with our new HC.  Who would have thought, at the end of last season, that we would be ranked higher than schools like Nova, Georgetown, Butler and NC St..  Even if you don't care much about this site, it is still nice so see the respect we are getting

[slu72]

44 minutes ago, bauman said:

The 144 website must think pretty highly of the Bills with our new HC.  Who would have thought, at the end of last season, that we would be ranked higher than schools like Nova, Georgetown, Butler and NC St..  Even if you don't care much about this site, it is still nice so see the respect we are getting

Best I can figure is those usual big name schools couldn’t come up with NIL funding. If you go thru the teams listed to date you’ll find some other past greats as well. 

[slu72]

Porter Missers Sooners at 61. Anyone else think his seat may be getting warm? 

[HoosierPal]

1 hour ago, slu72 said:

Porter Mossers Sooners at 61. Anyone else think his seat may be getting warm? 

Definitely.  54-45 at Norman with no NCAA appearances in his three seasons.  The SEC has been ranked in NET below the Big12 during his 3 years, so perhaps a slight movement down in competition could give him a thin lifeline.

[slu72]

There were whispers last year we might hire him away. I never put much stock in the rumor. He likely has a buyout and probably makes $3mm plus at OU. 

[wgstl]

18 hours ago, slu72 said:

There were whispers last year we might hire him away. I never put much stock in the rumor. He likely has a buyout and probably makes $3mm plus at OU. 

Its not much of a secret that he doesn't really want to be there.  The SLU job was probably a reach

[almaman]

12 hours ago, wgstl said:

Its not much of a secret that he doesn't really want to be there.  The SLU job was probably a reach

poor guy

[someoneelse]

He's depressed all the way to the bank.  

[HoosierPal]

49 minutes ago, someoneelse said:

He's depressed all the way to the bank.  

He was extended through 2028.  $2.8 million per year.  I could be unhappy if you paid me that coin.

https://www.oudaily.com/sports/ou-basketball-board-of-regents-approves-contract-extensions-for-jennie-baranczyk-porter-moser-raise-for/article_5720f710-a006-11ec-85fb-f3a563327a9c.html#:~:text=Moser’s contract%2C worth %242.8 million in total annual,2026 to 2028%2C with no changes in pay.

[slu72]

It’s not going to be any easier for Porter in the SEC. SEC hoops is on the rise.