X?

[billiken_roy]

slu offered a lot of players. and liddell and meyer grabbed it and price did not. it's a numbers game.

as to price's going to purdue, sure they are a big ten school, but they were a terrible big ten school last year as well. he was recruited by cuomzo martin, a native of e st louis and a family friend. conversly, the long time head coach is now out and likely so is martin. now price leaves. doesnt sound like painter wanted that faction around to me.

price is a nice player. one that i would have loved to become a billiken and see if that splendid talent might blossum here. however the fact he is apparently looking to go somewhere he can play and play a lot asap, doesnt sound like the right fit here. if we were in dire need of guards, i would be tremendously disappointed.

we should have been more disappointed that power forward, marcus white, who coincidentally went to purdue now after transferring at xmas from uconn didnt come here. now that would have been just the medicine for our symptoms imo.

[BillikenButch]

Is this what you are saying? If a player doesn't look like a white suburban kid then we don't want him?

How exactly was Clarke "run off"? Are you suggesting the coach had a motive for limiting his playing time that was anything other than for trying to win games/improve the team?

[BillikenButch]

If we are afraid to play Western Illinois, then we might as well pack up the program and go home.

[Billiken Rich]

Wasn't Rapp the guy that made the Cardinals lose the freaky 70's 'dos while coaching the Cardinals? Is Brad the SLU equivalent???? After all even Reggie lost his cornrows last year. What kind of 'do is X sporting these days?????

[Billiken Rich]

If X was a truely dominating player, isn't there a program a ways down highway 70 that always seems to need guard help and seems to have no concerns with team chemistry despite complete lack of it???????

[slubbfan]

I'm not suggesting we have a racist program. There are plenty of non-white Chris Sloan's in D1 basketball (E.g. Justin Love).

I like Brad as a coach I just want him to open up to the possibility that team chemistry is generated by the team and is not constructed like a play by the coach.

Whenever DC got minutes in a game he performed on the court. I don't live on campus so I can't attest to his studies, or practices, etc.

slubbfan

[aj_arete]

We don't need another guard here.

[kshoe]

on Billiken basketball, ever.

We don't need more guards.

That being said, if we don't use 1 or 2 of the 3 open scholarships this signing period then I don't understand why we didn't take him.

It has been 10-11 months since we last had a committment from any player...that is just too long. We'd better have the best relationships with the junior class if we get a big goose egg over the next month. Otherwise that is nothing but wasted time.

[slufanskip]

Maybe we didn't "not take him" maybe UB explained our situation and let him know that nothing would be handed to him ... he would have to work and play hard everyday in practice and the players that earn their time play. Maybe X wanted something more secure so he chose to continue looking. Nothing wrong with that ... everybody has their own thing, and if he goes to Western Il. I wish him the best of luck and as a St. Louis area kid, I will hope he does well except when playing us

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[tseugnekillib]

Team chemistry is definitely developed by the players, but with a little assistance from the coaching staff. I know Soderberg feels very good about his current group's team chemistry. While a head coach can't control team chemistry.....he could surely mess it up if he brought in a couple of "me-me-me" recruits. I'm not suggesting that XP would have messed up the current chemistry.....only the returning players know that.

[tseugnekillib]

You must be observing from 300 miles up in thin air.

DC was not run off.....he choose not to compete against the masses. In the first week of practice last season, DC was as good as any Billiken player. Then after couple of bumps, bruises and minor injuries, DC could never consistently get back at his top level. The kid has skills, but imo is lacking in mental and physical toughness to grind it out over a long season. DC almost appears as too nice, too soft a kid.

SLU's power forward spot has been waiting for JJ to earn it and keep it for three years. Soderberg doesn't bench JJ, JJ benches himself. Maybe, just maybe, next year JJ will reach that maturity level necessary to succeed. Like DC, JJ has tools and skills. If the head ever connects to the body.....we have a PF.

[SLUBALL]

I disagree. We need two but I settle for one at this point who can shoot the 3. With next years team we may have one. We will not win many games w/o guards who can consistantly shoot the 3.