Looking forward to next season...

[provos528]

When Lidell and Lisch are in their sophomore years while IV is in his senior year with a much improve game... A young team for the A-10, it was a good run , they were expecting us to finish 13th. Signing off!!

[davidnark]

-Tommie needs to work on his outside shot and his upper body strength. He would have had another ten points today if had the strength to consistently finish in traffic.

-Brad needs to sign impact players at the 3 and the 4 spots. Anthony and Luke should be commended for their efforts this season, but we need better talent in the starting lineup at those positions. Stemler would be a start, but we need an athletic banger to pair with him.

-Ian needs to continue to maintain his improved conditioning.

-Lisch needs to try one of those strenuous jumping exercise routines. He is a good jumper, but if he developed explosive leaping ability his overall game would benefit.

-Brad needs to spend a lot of time reading some books on offensive strategy.

[courtside]

A little late in the year to be finding some talented players for 06-07.

[davidnark]

During his last radio show, Brad said he is very excited about his prospects of signing impact recruits this Spring.

[cheeseman]

What did you want him to say - gee I screwed up and there are no impact players available. I am sure the NCAA Clearing House mess will be cleaned up for next year so so much for that idea.

[Billiken Rich]

He was excited about VN too..........

We shall see. I hope there is some help coming be it Obi or elsewhere. Obi and Stemler??? Maybe one more???

[kshoe]

if Brad doesn't have some decent prospects lined up then he damn sure shouldn't be telling the fans on the radio that he feels confident he'll get some.

I don't expect him to get true TL or KL type impact players to play the PF spot but we've had 2 years since the day Lisch oralled to us to find some power forwards and at this point all we have brought in is Obi and DM. That is completely unnaceptable so he'd better pull the rabbit out of the hat this spring.

Its not like we had some great PF prospect in the program and then he had a crippling injury. At least then I could understand us being short at the position.

[courtside]

All I said was that it is getting late to find somebody who can contribute immediately for next year. SLU isn't going to get immediate impact recruits EVERY year. SLU needs to be able to find top 100 recruit or two for the 07-08 class. I think there is more pressure on that class.....to find a couple of top 100 kids.

[ILbillikenfan]

This team bought into what everyone said. We were 16-10 and all we could talk about was how good this team is going to be next year. Man this team can be great, they will be great soon.

We lost sight of THIS year. From my four years here at SLU, it has always been about next year and/or the future. Sometime this team is going to have to show up in the present when it matters.

[kappy96]

Fair or not, Brad and his staff must bring in multiple players who can, at the very least, give teams something to think about on our front line. Ian could average 18-19 points a game if their was any kind of a threat from the 4 position and a reliable back up (hope BH can fill this role). We have 3 spots left to fill and I heard the show where he said he was "excited" so as a fan, that gets me excited. Brad's standards must increase. If is still excited by the possibilty of another VN coming into the program, he has a fundamental problem evaluating talent.

[Slumn1]

Let's see.....hm....330 plus D-1 schools.....100 top 100 recruits = less than .3 per school but of course 1/2 may not qualify at SLU so 330 programs ....less than .15 per school and we expect coach to find 2 every year.

Of course we have what to offer that other schools don't?

THE BIGGEST BUNCH OF 2 FACED CRY BABIES FOR FANS IN ALL OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL.

One day we want him fired, the next we love him. One day we praise the players and the next they are worthless bums that don't work hard.

Here's a recruiting line Brad could use....Come to SLU and play for me, the Billiken board Fans said I could have one more year course if we don't make the dance you will have the opportunity to play for someone else because they will want me gone:).

That should get them to sign.

[courtside]

I agree with Illinois fan....accountability. The only way SLU gets better is if people get disappointed with results. SLU has never been a pressure to succeed gig.

And Kap...no one is saying SLU needs to get two top 100 kids each year. People know that is unrealistic...In order for SLU to turn a corner....they will need to add 1-2 good players in the 07-08 class. Every couple of years, SLU will need to find one player, regardless of position. If SLU hypothetically can't bring 1 or 2 kids in 07-08 who can be strong players...SLU will be still better as Lisch and Liddell get better...but how much better?

It is unrealistic to think SLU is at the point they can bring in studs each year. Gota build something first.

[3star_recruit]

And you have to recruit kids who actually have the skill set to do what you want done. Recruiting a athletic frontcourt player who excels in transition and struggles in the halfcourt makes no sense when your offense demands a back to the basket guy who can score in a halfcourt grind. After seeing what 6'6 235 lb Jamelle Cornley is doing at Penn State, I'm starting to get on the O'Rear bandwagon for 2007.

[jjray]

>And you have to recruit kids who actually have the skill set

>to do what you want done. Recruiting a athletic frontcourt

>player who excels in transition and struggles in the

>halfcourt makes no sense when your offense demands a back to

>the basket guy who can score in a halfcourt grind. After

>seeing what 6'6 235 lb Jamelle Cornley is doing at Penn

>State, I'm starting to get on the O'Rear bandwagon for 2007.

Watching the proficiency of Matt Shaw knocking down 3s this season, it's reminded me how much we could have used him at SLU. Not sure if O'Rear is in the caliber of player as Shaw but these somewhat undersized PFs can be effective in D1 ... or they can turn out as did V. Newborne. Hopeful our staff can prognosticate the difference.

[Billiken Rich]

Right. If you think we are the biggest cry babies you don't get out much. If you don't like that tag line for Brad how about, "Come play in our run and gun, motion offense" Sure those 14 and 19 point explosions both first halfs against St Joes were aberrations. Of course they were

[3star_recruit]

Well, with us getting bounced early, the staff has a chance to watch Knollmeyer, Calvin Walls and the recently qualified Otis Polk in action this weekend. Hopefully we get one of them. The time for 7'0 projects and 6'6 tweeners with no post game is over.

[slu72]

No one's calling for UB's head after this game. But somewhere down the line he's got to give us hope we are on our way to becoming a top 50 program. Recruiting is at least 70% of coaching. You look at what UB's brought in and you count 5 or 6 players that would have got +15 minutes at a top 50 program. (IV, KL, TL, Reggie, Tom F, maybe LM). Now KL and TL have proven to be a good start for the next 3 years, but if DM, even if he proves to be a dynamite perimiter player, is it for this year he didn't follow it up well. Which means he better have some decent, don't have to be top 100, talent lined up for 2007. Also, what needs to be assessed is the devlopment of our players. Who has really improved their games during UB's tenure? IV. Can anyone say AD, JJ, VN, LM, DP, DB are much improved over last year? AD and JJ are the real case studies. They've both been here 4 years. Did AD become more of a permiter threat, find a better handle, defend better, become more court savvy over the course of his career? I didn't see it today and haven't seen it in three years. If JJ could have become just 50% of a Curtis Whithers we would all be gushing like giddy little girls. Yes, this is a shared responsibility between coach and kid, but it's the coach's job to motivate the kid to want to get better and see to it he does. If you're an English major at SLU, don't you expect to be a better writer as a senior than you were as a freshman? I don't think it's unreasonable for a fan to expect to make the dance by a head coach's fifth year and look forward to being there in years 6,7,8 etc. That's what a top 50 program does. Competes every year for a spot in the dance. Hell, look at Tennessee, they did it in one year. Look at what Zo's done at UW. It might be harder to do at SLU, so add a few years and you come up with five years for a bid and a promising future. Bottom line, UB's coming up short in recruiting kids to SLU. When you see Missouri State, Creighton, SIU come up with kids that can get them to the dance, we should expect the same if not better.

[billikenmetz]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to not sucking as well. Here's to not sucking.

Coors Light, official beer of the Billikens.

[slufanskip]

I don't think you can do it Metz

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[kappy96]

I don't expect a KL TL dynamic duo recruiting class every year, that wasn't my intent. My point is that I am curious to see what Brad and his staff bring in this year because, right now, they seem to be behind in the recruiting game with only one signing (who may or may not make an impact next year). Brad says he is excited on the possibilities for the late signings, and like I said, that gets me excited, but if it turns out to be nothing more than a VN caliber player, then I think Brad's talent evaluation needs to be examined or he needs to curb his statements. Ultimately, the 07-08 class is the key to this program getting over the hump, but this spring class has to act as a spring board to keep the mojo rolling and help patch the holes that have become glaringly obvious in our last three losses; no compliment to IV, no shooting compliment to KL and no 4 who can match up with anyone of any size.