aj_arete Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 Let's take a deep breath and wait a bit. As some of you might have surmised, I have jumped on Brad's bandwagon and think SLU might be a regular NCAA tourney player in a couple of years. However, let's not toot our horns quite yet. For one, the recruitment of Brandon Morris was a waste. Brad should have known SLU's strict admission policies towards JUCO recruits and not wasted his time on recruiting a player, who I think will have a minimal impact at Wis-GB or wherever he ended up. As for Darren Clarke, it looks like he might have some potential with him showing more ballhandling skills than many of us thought. But HE HAS YET to play a game. As for Ohannon, we are expecting major improvement with him spending a year in the weight room. However as Thicks noted, Bonner isn't quite sold on him yet. We'll see if the Israeli gamble pays off big for Brad. As for Liddell, I think it's a great sign, BUT THAT'S ONLY IF HE GETS INTO SLU. He still needs to meet the ACT and grade point average requirements. I'm hoping he does, but let's not forget what happened with Nicholas Kern. Overall, I'm pleased so far, but SLU hasn't accomplished much yet. A lot of things can happen in the next 2 or 3 years. Let's wait until SLU makes it into the NCAA tourney a couple of years in a row before validating Brad Soderberg as the savior of Billiken basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 Who said he was the savior of Billiken basketball? All I've seen are posts expressing admiration for Brad's recruiting efforts and optimism about the future. We're pessimists compared to most college basketball message boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 >Let's take a deep breath and wait a bit. As some of you >might have surmised, I have jumped on Brad's bandwagon and >think SLU might be a regular NCAA tourney player in a couple >of years. However, let's not toot our horns quite yet. It looks to me that you're pretty much writing this to yourself, as a way of tempering your own enthusiasm. AJ, you appear to be a pessimist. Even if this post is just your "thinking out loud," I'd like to respond to some of your points. >For one, the recruitment of Brandon Morris was a waste. >Brad should have known SLU's strict admission policies >towards JUCO recruits and not wasted his time on recruiting >a player, who I think will have a minimal impact at Wis-GB >or wherever he ended up. Apparently, you still enjoy getting in a self-congratulating, critical "I-told-you-so" jab. I have no problem with Brad Soderberg's giving a young man on the academic borderline an opportunity to make it. It's Brandon's fault, not Brad's, that Morris didn't make it. And just because he didn't make the grade doesn't mean he's not a talented player. I'm sure he'll have more than "minimal impact" at Green Bay. >As for Darren Clarke, it looks like he might have some >potential with him showing more ballhandling skills than >many of us thought. But HE HAS YET to play a game. Hmph! AJ, do whatever it takes to make sure that you aren't, in fact, on the bandwagon. What you said about Darren can be said about EVERY freshman in the country. >As for Ohannon, we are expecting major improvement with him >spending a year in the weight room. However as Thicks >noted, Bonner isn't quite sold on him yet. We'll see if the >Israeli gamble pays off big for Brad. I think you need to take AB's analysis with a grain of salt. For one thing, Bonner is a physical monster and a seasoned pro. It's because of players like him that the USA Pan Am Games team didn't win this past summer. Bonner's point of reference is himself -- a pro -- not other Div. I players. For another thing, Bonner insists that the current Bills couldn't hang with the guys he played with 15 years ago. Okay, sure! >As for Liddell, I think it's a great sign, BUT THAT'S ONLY >IF HE GETS INTO SLU. He still needs to meet the ACT and >grade point average requirements. I'm hoping he does, but >let's not forget what happened with Nicholas Kern. SLU does accept partial qualifiers. I doubt there will ever be another Craig Upchurch scenario. If Tommie Liddell just misses qualifying (and I'm more confident that he'll qualify than I'm fearful that he won't), he can sit out a year. You say, "let's not forget what happened with Nick Kern," but others say, "remember what happened with Dwayne Wade." >Overall, I'm pleased so far, but SLU hasn't accomplished >much yet. A lot of things can happen in the next 2 or 3 >years. Let's wait until SLU makes it into the NCAA tourney >a couple of years in a row before validating Brad Soderberg >as the savior of Billiken basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 To rain on the parade even as he tries as hard as it is for him to give mild praise to the Billiken program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted October 6, 2003 Author Share Posted October 6, 2003 While it's true that SLU accepts partial qualifiers, Liddell must meet either the grade point average or ACT score requirement to be a partial qualifier. So it's not a certainty that Liddell is a Billiken next fall, therefore the analogy to Kern still applies. As for your statement that my analogy about Clarke would apply to every freshmen, I'd wholeheartedly agree. That was exactly my point. We DON'T KNOW what type of impact Clarke or any freshman is going to make, therefore we'll have to wait until December or January to draw any valid conclusions. I hardly consider my initial post as being pessimistic. I think you're reaching with that one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 thicks wrote, "Bonner insists that the current Bills couldn't hang with the guys he played with 15 years ago." i have been thinking about this statement. other than bonner and possibly gray, i think the current billikens are better than the rest of the roster. fisher would shut down monroe douglas. drejaj would have made newberry nuts. sloan is a better all around player than jeff luechtifeld. i agree the current roster has no one to match up with bonner. and gray might present a problem as well with his inside strength coupled with his ability to step out and hit the three as well. but overall, i think the rest of our roster is better than that late 80's version of the billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 i will be shocked if tommie doesnt make the gpa requirements to be a partial qualifier. the act test will be the hill to climb. if only we had that act test taker like spumac uses in detroit occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 >fisher would shut down monroe douglas. Monroe is one of the top all-time Billiken scorers and one of best ever athletes to play for the Billikens. Josh is a good player, but he is no Monroe Douglas. The biggest difference between this year's Billikens and Bonner's best Billiken team is depth. There was a huge dropoff in talent after Douglas, Gray, and Bonner; this year's team will have better depth at every position except power forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 B-Roy wasn't saying that Fisher was a better player than Douglas but that Fisher would shut Douglas down. For example Dwayne Wade is a better player than Fisher and Douglas put together but Fisher shut him down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 i didnt say he was a better player i said he would shut down douglas. my post was in thinking a fantasy game of the late 80's billiken team vs the current roster. if josh can shut down wade, douglas would be a piece of cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 I am not convinced that Fisher would shut Monroe down. Monroe was a few inches taller than Fisher and could probably jump at least half a foot higher than Fisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 yes monroe was extremely athletic. could run and jump. but he never really mastered that dribbling or creating his own shot off the dribble did he? i would question if he would even get a shot if fisher guarded him. it would take a series of complicated picks to get him that alley oop look he did so well, not sure grawer would draw that one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted October 6, 2003 Author Share Posted October 6, 2003 because there have been a few posters here who want Charlie Tuna and Bernie Miklasz to grovel on their knees and beg for forgiveness for having the gall to say that Brad isn't a good recruiter. There have been other posters on here talking about how great Brad is. He might end up being great, but we don't know how good Brad is at recruiting. It's too early to make that call. The best analogy I can come up with Brad is Mizzou's Gary Pinkel. The Mizzou football fans, including me, thought he was on the brink of returning Mizzou to prominence. He made great inroads to local recruiting and everyone had bright hopes for this year. We thought Damien Nash would be the next Tony Dorsett and Brad Smith would be the next Michael Vick. But look what happened last week at Kansas... As Pinkel would tell the Mizzou faithful in the preseason, don't praise me now, I haven't accomplished anything. Let's wait until we get into a bowl game before handing out accolades. I think it's also fair to say we have to wait until the Billikens make the NCAA tournament before we start lavishing Brad with praise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 You know, it seems to me Brad's getting the guys he wants to get. We are excited on this board. Zo didn't get the guys he wanted very often. So, in my book, Brad is a big success. Nobody is dissing his recruits. Yes, we still have to play the games, but in whatever way you can measure success for Brad so far, he has achieved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 AJ Arete wrote: >>I think it's also fair to say we have to wait until the Billikens make the NCAA tournament before we start lavishing Brad with praise. I don't think most of us are praising Brad Soderberg for "being the savior of the SLU program," as you suggest. Rather, we're praising him for landing his recruiting targets and upgrading the team's athleticism and skill level. I'm also certain that Brad isn't resting on his laurels, either. His goals are to graduate players while winning championships, not just to get a few local recruits to placate boosters. In other words, he expects much more from himself, and we also expect more of him. However, because of his recruiting successes (on paper, at least), we are more confident and optimistic that he will accomplish much more before all is said and done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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