SLURadioBoy Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 For you long time Billiken fanatics, I was wondering where you thought a class of Polk, Liddell, Meyer, Shaw/Polk would rate compared to other classes in SLU history? Would it be as good as the Hughes or Claggett classes, potentially better, or solid but not quite to the caliber of those classes? I was just curious what everyone thought. Also, do you think an all Stl class would increase attendance at games? I could definitely see that happening, but you all might not agree. "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 The Hughes class had a top 10 player in Larry, and the Claggett classs had a top 50 player in Winfield. None of the current group of recruits has cracked any top 100 lists (that may change by the spring). From top to bottom, this class may be as good as the other two (particularly in light of the fact that both Larry and Julian left after one year), but this class does not have the national star power that the other two had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLURadioBoy Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 Very good point Nark. Let's say Tommie has the breakout senior year some people expect and Polk completely recovers from his injury from last year. Don't you think that might bolster the quality of this recruiting class? I would think they might have a chance to crack the top 100...or at least Tommie does. Wouldn't it be great if Tommie was the Illinois player of the year and Polk was named Mr. Show-Me basketball this year? I know the chances of that happening are quite slim, but isn't it fun to dream? What a great day to be a Billiken!!! "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdog Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 This class is right up there with the Gray-Douglass class of about 1986. When Anthony Bonner signed on to play with those two, I fell in love with the Billikens and have been going to the games ever since. With the new arena on plan and the local recruiting by Coach Brad so strong, I am really excited about our future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLIKNS Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 I think maybe similar to the Jeffers,Perry,and V.Hart class.Perry and Liddell seem to be ranked fairly close nationally then,Jeffers was kind of a sleeper recovering from injury,like Polk.Hart never arrived,so Meyer would be an addition,hoping for a diamond in the rough.What a great week to be a Billiken fan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Vincent Hart is a really sad story. After failing to qualify at SLU, he was shot at a party and ended up paralyzed for two years before he died from a related blood clot. Centre Daily Times Saturday, January 18, 2003 Penn State's Cameron keeps tabs on Purdue's Lowe and vice versa By Marc Weiszer It would be easy for Penn State freshman basketball guard Brandon Cameron to get down on himself when his minutes are fewer than he might like or all those shots that found the net in high school are finding the rim now. Good thing for Cameron, it's easy to dial up Kenneth Lowe's cell phone and talk to a guy who knows where Cameron is coming from. "He's my mentor," Cameron said. "Me and Kenny are very tight. If I've got any questions about college or anything I talk to him and ask him about anything."... ...Lowe and Cameron were both crushed this summer when Vincent Hart, a close friend of Lowe's since childhood and a teammate of both at West Side, died a year after being shot at a party. Cameron gushes that Hart was NBA material. The power forward signed with St. Louis University before heading to junior college. The shooting left him paralyzed and he died from a blood clot. "It's still tough on me but I know he's in a better place now," Lowe said by phone Friday morning after Purdue's 7 .a.m practice. "That's the only thing that can make me smile about it or even bring a bright spot about the situation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Latsch Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Not only do we get some Penn State hoops on this board but also my old newspaper, The Centre Daily Times. Rock on! I think Tommie Liddell and Dwayne Polk are both Top 100-type players. Those are two players who would have been ranked much higher had they not had problems -- Polk with his injury; Liddell with his grades. SLU is getting two steals, in my opinion, that might not have gone to SLU if not for those issues. I think the Liddell commitment could help the Bills land Matt Shaw. The two have been teammates on the Eagles for the last three years (at least). Shaw would be the perfect player to come in with that fourth scholarship. And he is being recruited as a power forward. - Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 By who comes in? If so, having Hughes, who I remember seeing in some charts and services as the #3 player in the country that year, is the top class ..... By who stays and does what? Then I think its a toss-up between the Douglas/Gray year and the Claggett/Highmark year. On further review, I'd say it was the former as opposed to the latter. Douglas and Gray came at a time when deliverance was desperately needed. And in hindsight, I say it was achieved. We're still here. The otehr class arguably produced the greatest times here in SLU land but how much credit to you also give to HWaldman and DDobbs in all that? Same goes for the former as when you add Bonner and the return of Jim Roder, then it gets all the better. By potential? That is always hard to judge and always scares the crap out of me. Remember Tyrone Caswell. Tony Manuel. Johnnie Parker. Justin Tatum. Matt Baniak. If one wants to rank the Hughes class as the greatest ever ... I'll give that .... for the one year Hughes was here. After that, it proceeds to the top of another list ... "greatest class that never realized its potential." Right now, I am very happy with the course Sodes has charted. I think Nate is right on when he says the injuries and grades may have played in our favor. And hopes again springs eternal. But, much like we used to debate over a coach's success, I don't think you can measure a class totally until its results are in and completely anaylzed. Right now .. I'm extremely elated ... but let's get the signed letters of intent, let's get all the NCAA clearinghouse junk cleared up, let's play this season, and let what may come next year come. I think this time next yeaar, this board will be buzzing with unmatched anxiety waiting for the practice season to begin. If all are in the fold as hoped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Injuries and grades...Hmmmmm! We're back to the same thing when we are saying the only freakin reason the Legend stayed is because his brother needed a new heart. No, this guy isn't going there again...I'm giving our HC the lion share of the kudos for these recruits. He worked his tail off and his hard work paid off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Schasz ... you expressed my same sentiments ... I didn't hear it out of Tommie's mouth but saw the statement somewhere ... that Brad had become like part of the family. The first time you meet Brad ... he may not make the impression on a young kid as some other coaches ... say Quinn ... but how about the 5th time and the 10th time ... as we all know the more you talk to and listen to Brad the more he grows on you. I say Brad got Tommie because he worked his butt off and got his man. There is always a reason ... a kid goes here or there. for example a few years back I talked with Jahidi White numerous times ... he liked SLU a lot ... but his deciding factor was that he didn't want to stay at home ... he personally told me that he liked SLU alot and if it wasn't for his desire to leave there was a good chance he would have been at SLU. Grades, Injuries, whatever ... Crean gets credit for Dwayne Wade ... if he had qualified right away ... would he have went somewhere else Kansas, Duke, OU ... who knows ... bottom line is he went to Marquette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLURadioBoy Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 Hopefully Liddell and Shaw were friends on the Eagles and we can land Matt too. What kind of numbers did Shaw put up last year? Also, what do the scouting reports say about him? I know all this has been mentioned in the past, but I can't remember right now. Any help would be great! "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLURadioBoy Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 Nevermind, I found it...18 pts, 9 rebs, and 2 asts per game. Not bad, I think I would take that. Plus if he's as much of a "banger" as everyone here says he is, I don't think the lack of height will matter at all. Go get him Brad and make this one heck of a class! "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSmetBilliken Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Bernie Miklasz had Frank Cusumano on Sports Open Line last night, and Frank said that Brad would write send Tommie hand written notes almost every day. It was also said that while Tommie got mail from schools all over the country, no coach sent him more than Brad did. As to Shaw, Frank said that he does think that SLU does have a really good chance at picking him up too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLURadioBoy Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 What a great recruting tactic by Brad! I heard he did the same with Grimes. I remember Bernie mentioning that in one of his articles, that Brad would send Grimes a hand written note almost every day. I guess it didn't work with him, but I don't know if we want a player with his work ethic on the team anyway. I hope he does the same with Shaw, not to mention Lisch. If that doesn't make a player feel wanted, I don't know what would? "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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