billikenmetz Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Watching the Billikens for the last couple of years is like watching Mother Theresa and the Sisters of Charity out there. When we lost Sloan (the player, not the "Director of Basketball Operations), Drew Diener and Marquee Perry (Guys, I hate to bring up the past), we lost the fight. We lost Drejaj, who's a Jersey kid or a Bronx kid or whatever, but he'd run from a watergun fight. We aren't a "I got your back" kind of team. I don't think that if Tommie Liddell caught a cheapshot to the face that Kevin Lisch or Luke Meyer would absolutely blindside the guy who hit TL. We need players that would jump into a fire to rescue a teammate. Whatever coaching that Soderberg does is wrong. We don't play hard as a team. We play not to make mistakes, not to win. Winning is just a byproduct of not making mistakes. No, winning is a byproduct of good coaching, solid teamwork and consistency. We have none of that at Saint Louis University. Sloan (remember, the player, not the "Director of Basketball Operations" feel free to use "air quotes") would have thrown himself at a truck for Diener. Perry would have taken a bullet for Sloan (unfortunately)...these guys loved each other and their friendship on and off the court equated to hard-nosed basketball and not always winning, but I'd take 12 guys who would jump into the fire over winning anyday. I'm not asking for an undefeated season. Lord knows we'll NEVER see that. I'm asking for players who don't whine like TL, don't complain like AD and play hard for 40 if they have to. Soderberg needs a recruit that can come in and mesh and bring some fire into the program. So far, it hasn't happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 What Coach Soderberg needs is to bring in some athletes, preferably forwards. They are out there. Memphis has a whole stable of them, many of them sitting on the bench. It is past time to deep six all the excuses. We have heard the same thing, the same lame excuses for decades. It is hard for me to type this because the Billikens and SLU are #1 for me, my double alma mater, and always will be. SLU is obviously not Memphis. But SLU is bigger than Gonzaga and Xavier and comparable to Marquette. If Gonzaga can build a powerhouse in remote Spokane, Washington, of all places, playing in the WCC, then there is no reason that SLU cannot have a good basketball program. If Coach Soderberg is truthful about wanting to push the ball, it says here that the proof is in the pudding. We simply cannot tolerate any more 39 and 37 point performances. The good athletes, the ones with potential and hopes of playing at the next level, don't want to go to a team that milks the shot clock and plays the "pack" defense, which itself stymies the transition game that they want to play. Irrespective of the reasons, the rationale, the excuses (the lack of a power forward), that stuff has to go if SLU is going to be successful long term. I read posts from those who see the practices that Coach Soderberg tries to get the team to run. But it sure doesn't seem to translate into many of the games. SLU cannot revert to stallball, or whatever you want to call it, and we all know what it is, at the first sign of adversity. Coach Soderberg is to be complimented for landing Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch. To get SLU to the next level, he needs some quality forwards and some guys that can shoot the ball. It is really that simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 you graduated. How the f**k do you know what these guys are like off the court? Do you still hang out on campus? Go to Humphrey's twice a week? If coach just put you in there, you could have won state, eh? (a Napolean Dynamite reference, for our older members). Didn't Tommie get so emotional earlier in the season that coach had to literally yank him off the court? I've yet to see Kevin back down from anybody. Ian's attitude against Dunston was awesome (see bluecrewprez's signature). I don't know where you're coming from on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 i'm confused. are the billikens in the A-10 or the WWF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I don't think attitude is the problem, although the team didn't look very good in that last game against St. Joe's. The problem to me is that SLU needs more athletes, especially at forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I don't think we need gorillas or enforcers out there. We need hungry players who work hard. Just read about Villanova and how they are not the least bit intimidated by BC's front line. Foye will guard Smith. Villanova outrebounds their opponents by 2 a game and they are playing some of the tallest forests and highest mountains on the planet earth. This all has to do with the style of ball we play. What, we don't have quick guys? We do now. We don't have rebounders, TL's the point and he was the second leading guy on the team. 39 points in a tourney game is just downright embarassing, yet we played the whole game that way knowing we were going to lose with that style. I'm afraid this argument of style is going to be with us all the way through the season opener when we see what UB and staff in store for us. If we can't come up with a decent 4, and Obi is still a question mark, I say UB goes to DB and DP and says boys get your games in shape, hit the weight room, because we're going 4 guard next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 keep in mind that as good as healthy reggie bryant was, he wasnt good enough apparently to play infront of the guards that now anchor villanova's lineup. i.e. anything is possible if you have very special players. second, you want to bet that if sumpter was healthy that wright would junk the 4 guard thing in a second to put sumpter back in the lineup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 You maybe right about Sumpter. However, the fact they've had success adjusting to his loss is pretty amazing. I think we've got two special guards in KL and TL, but am not so sure UB has figured out how to maximize their skills. Some of this antagonism against UB is out of pure frustration. Frustration we looked like a DIII team against St.Joes, frustration at no recruiting news, frustration we didn't have even the NIT to look forward to when we thought we had that iced, frustration when you look at schools like Bradley, Geo Mason, and Wichita State and see players we know would help us who weren't top 100 or even top 150's and wonder why get stuck with the VN's and JJ's of the world, frustration that some of our players don't play like D1 talent. What's scaring everyone right now is we're not going to get much in the spring and we're going into next year with the same frigging weaknesses we had this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 24, 2006 Author Share Posted March 24, 2006 SLU72- you are a wise sage...while most programs continue to climb, we continue to slide on the recruiting trail...we might have the Frosh of the Year in the A-10, the A-10 is losing it's grip on being a Mid-Major. The year the Valley had is killing us, and if WSU gets into the Final Four, forget it. Who cares about the Colonial. The Valley is 80 minutes away from elevating itself among the Big Tens and Big XII's of the world here in the midwest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 I think you are exagerating the Valley. Things run in cycles ... look at the A-10 a couple of years ago in St. Joe's big run. The Valley isn't or won't soon be on the level of the Big 12 or Big 10 ... regardless of this year. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 First, Nova's guards are spectacular players, and a joy to watch. Getting late for some others to see them in person, but they very quick, very skilled, can shoot it, can rebound, can defend, very physical....etc... Let's settle down a bit with the MVC. N. Iowa had the best non-conference record in the league by far and their coach just left for the Big 12 school in the same state. The MVC was able move its way to an inflated RPI with scheduling and taking advantage of N. Iowa' couple of nice non-conference wins. The NCAA's are about matchups. The facts still remain that Bradley was very very fortunate to even make the NCAA's....based on their resume. The MVC had a nice season, and is a nice conference. They have some teams who can play with the big boys in the NCAA's. That number of teams who could play in a rough and tumble night in and night out league like Big East ...even Big Ten etc...most years...is very very few. Sure if you have a good solid team, and get a favorable matchup you can win one or a couple of games in NCAA....but that is a lot different than playing on road night after night against certain teams. Louisville for example, not their best year, but I don't think too many teams want or can go in there and win a lot of ball games...even on a down year for them. I was down for SLU to be in A-10 over MVC, haven't budged on that thought. Not once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 25, 2006 Author Share Posted March 25, 2006 Well, in the almight media's eyes it is. Just ask Digger, Dickie, FudgePacker, Billy Raft, Jimmy Nantz, Seth Davis, Clark Kelloggs Cereal, Greg (and Bryant) Gumbel...the SJU run might have opened the door for the A-10, but that door has been deadbolted by the Valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 ok Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Metz, you are right. I personally saw the Bills roll over and give up in at least ten games this year. We had eight or nine games where we lost by at least twenty points. If we hadn't given the conference over two million bucks, we wouldn't have a single person on any all conference team. Brad has given up and will only recruit players from Peoria from now on. I heard he offered three players from Manual, two from Washington, one from Morton, and three from IVC. Wheeee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILLIDOC Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 hey metz... you are a as???????????????????????????????? a big one at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 Hey, I love the sarcasm and I think that you guys are hilarious. I'm dead serious. I got a kick out of the Peoria comments. That makes me feel special inside. Really. I just got back from a late-night shootaround at the old Spalding Gym, knocking down threes with AJ Guyton, Mike Robinson and Sergio McClain. They all wished Spoon had recruited them to don the Billiken Blue... But seriously, calm down, chill out and let people rip our program. I can't stand how some of you can be satisfied at where we are at. What direction is SLU going? As someone who has a LOT of pride in Saint Louis University, I hate watching our team be so close to where we want to be, but don't get any media recognition outside the UNIVERSITY NEWS, we can't recruit, we have fairweather fans who turn out to watch Adam Morrison --- who makes a valid point--- and a student section that makes Peoria Notre Dame's student body look like the Cameron Crazies. We have a mediocre program and I'm sick of you people accepting that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaleJarr Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 "I don't think we need gorillas or enforcers out there. We need hungry players who work hard. Just read about Villanova and how they are not the least bit intimidated by BC's front line. Foye will guard Smith. Villanova outrebounds their opponents by 2 a game and they are playing some of the tallest forests and highest mountains on the planet earth. This all has to do with the style of ball we play. What, we don't have quick guys? We do now. We don't have rebounders, TL's the point and he was the second leading guy on the team. 39 points in a tourney game is just downright embarassing, yet we played the whole game that way knowing we were going to lose with that style". Those are great points, especially the Villanova comments in relation to SLU. Villanova has turned its negatives into positives. They spread the floor offensively and pressure you defensively. SLU tends to go into survivor mode and hopes to steal games as opposed to winning them outright. The point about staying with a particular style when it is obvious to everyone within the 1st 10 minutes of the St. Joe's game that its not working, is the most frustrating part about Brad's system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Criticism is fine, especially when it is constructive. Ripping open you zipper, whipping out your willie, and spraying everyone in the arena is bad form, and never gets anything done. When is the gym going to be closed to the public for good? I have to get junior up to walk the floor and shoot some hoops on the court his grandpa played at for years. It will be a "Field of Dreams" moment that will mean more to me than junior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 Well sitting around with your mouth open doesn't help, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Dave ... you gotta like that response. I'm not the biggest fan of Metz's negativity ... but that was funny Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Yep, Skip, the kid is hot tonight... Metz(again,) when is the Spaulding gym open for the public? I will come up to get photos of our three year old on the bball court if it is possible. For sentimental reasons, it is pretty important to do this if I can. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 27, 2006 Author Share Posted March 27, 2006 Wierd request, but just call Peoria Notre Dame High School or the Diocese of Peoria...309-691-8741 (PND) or The Diocesean Office of Communications 309-671-1550 ext. 238...I know a few people that have keys, but I can't divulge that information...the floor is brand new, and the old gym is in great shape. it's a shame their tearing it down. It deserves better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Thanks, Metz. It's not really weird, when I attended more Spaulding games than Richwoods games before I was twenty. Dad was on the team back in the fourties at Spaulding, so it runs in the blood. Feelings in Peoria ran so high when Spaulding/St. Mary's closed, that Bergen conceded and changed their name to Notre Dame so the students could transfer over in peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 27, 2006 Author Share Posted March 27, 2006 Well, that was Spalding and the Academy, not St. Mary's...you're thinking of St. Mary's Cathedral, where the Bishop of Peoria has a residence...1988 was a bad year for Peoria...we lost a lot of kids who went to the downtown campuses of Spalding Institute and Academy of our Lady from across the river and didn't want to make the drive north to our present Sheridan Rd. campus...enrollment has been on the decline since. The diocese isn't winning people over with their decisions on firing teachers, closing a Peoria landmark, etc, etc. But there is quite a legacy of Catholic secondary education in Peoria to be proud of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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