slu72 Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Any rumors, gossip, facts on how Mr.Lidell's visit went this weekend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 He was suitably impressed and plans to sign early. This is not a second hand rumor. It is first hand - I made it up myself...:7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 There's a difference between a rumor and a fabrication, right? That said, I hope what you said becomes fact, despite your telling a fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalensdad2002 Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 >Any rumors, gossip, facts on how Mr.Lidell's visit went this >weekend? Apparently everything went pretty good. From my understanding it was an unofficial visit and the Coach explain to him were he would play. Rumor has it that Soderberg would play Liddell at the 1. As far as the academics and what Tom would need to qualify my understanding is that they are attainable. The only barrier at this point is the ACT which should not be a problem if he buckles down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 jalensdad, i am sure i have not seen tommie play near as much as you have, but i have seen tommie play a number of times. while he does a good job with the ball, i dont see him ever as a college point guard. the statement that coach brad wants him to be the point guard when we have polk coming in, drejaj already here and everyone knows that coach brad covets kevin lisch as well? no way he offered tommie as a point guard. now i would definitely bite on tommie as the future scorer as either of the two wings. hell i would paint the picture he could be the next duane wade. but i would just be shocked to find out coach brad told him he would be a point guard for the billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 your words on tommie's academic's are very encouraging! i hope he continues to "buckle down". regardless of what position he will play in the future, he would sure look good in billiken blue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 I could see him filling a ballhandler role, or maybe not nessacarily bring the ball up but maybe directing the offense in the halfcourt. Why should Polk handle the ball when he is so fast and can move around screens for 3s, drejaj is a decent ballhandler but I would maybe rather see Liddell directing traffic. I think that option is intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 you would want a slasher talent on par with the likes of hughes and jeffers standing 20 feet from the basket when pure point guards run around screens without the ball? that makes no sense whatsoever. like i said, tommie has talent galore. i say his skills will remind you of hughes and jeffers quite a bit. but if he is playing the point, we better have even better wings than what he would be. now if soderberg is saying he will have equal or even better talent on the wings, then bring it on! as much of an optimist that i am, i dont see that recruiting class coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Latsch Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 If you want to throw labels on Polk and Liddell, I think you'll take the focus away from what they do best. Polk can shoot and distribute. Liddell can slash, score and distribute. You put those two in the backcourt together, and they will get things done. Polk may be a better shooter than he is a true point guard, so the two players would probably work very well together. - Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Nate, Any word on Tommie's level of interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 The only way it makes sense is if Brad wants (and is infatuated with) size at all positions including the point so he intends to convert a wing to point thus allowing him to get both Liddell and Meyer on the floor at the same time. However, if this is the case, why in world would he offer Polk? To be the backup point guard or a fallback option should he not land a larger point? If we signed Lisch, then Tommie can move to the 2 guard and take over there when Reggie is gone. Finding minutes for Lisch, Tommie Liddell, Meyer, and Polk would be a nice problem to have. If all these players came to SLU, it would give us more skill and depth in the backcourt than I can ever remember a Billiken team possessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Tommie already plays point forward at East St. Louis. Having multiple people in the backcourt capable of triggering the offense is a good thing. It makes a team harder to guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Besides Anthony Drejaj, Dwayne Polk, Tommie Liddell (maybe, hopefully), and Kevin Lisch (probably, hopefully -- I guess), SLU will have Darren Clarke as a backcourt player who can handle, create, and score. It look very promising, provided Brad Soderberg can close the deal Liddell and Lisch, the bigs develop and improve, bolstered by a couple of additions, and Polk proves to be healthy. I can hardly wait. Why isn't it November yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 I think the motion offense lends itself to having gaurds and small forwards that handle the ball and distribute. I think Brad is looking for players with those skills, and expects to play with two or three in the game at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalensdad2002 Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Although Tommie has all the physical gifts of a Maurice Jeffers he is quite capable of playing the point. He is virtually the de-facto point guard for East Side. A lot of people confuse his talents with Wade but I don't think he has that scorer's mentality. When I project his play at SLU I often see a Jalen Rose type of a player. A person who can slash as well as distibute and be a threat from the outside. The beauty of his game is that he is highly adaptable and coachable. He would fit no matter where you play him on the perimeter. Coach Soderberg is known as a defensive minded coach. I believe that is his main attraction to Liddell. A long lean guy such as Tom would be extremely bothersome to 3 point shooters in CUSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSmetBilliken Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 So, Jalensdad, do you think there is a good chance that Tommie will committ to SLU? You seem to be very close to the East St. Louis basketball program, so I thought you'd be as good of a resource on this as anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 TL sounds like the real deal and certainly a talent that we could certainly use. Here's hoping that he passes his entrance exam and commits to the Bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalensdad2002 Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 One can only hope. I'm a big fan and I don't think he wants to stray too far from home. Coach Soderberg and his staff have been real impressive in their recruitment of Tom and I hope their efforts will be rewarded. He is the type of talent that you could build a program around and unlike Larry Hughes I don't believe he will be ready for the NBA after one year. I think not only fans will gravitate to see him play but also other outstanding basketball talent in and out of the area will want to play along side him and Polk. This could be a special time for SLU but Tom must do his part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 jalensdad, those sure are encouraging words. i too hope tommie works hard in the classroom this year to make the grades regardless of where he chooses. again, i defer to you as i have only seen tom play 4x, but i never would have compared him to rose. rose always played somewhat straight up and used his height advantage and spectacular ball skills to outplay his opponent. i still say the best comparison is a rough larry hughes. hughes also had fine passing skills and floor vision, but he glided more and could go to the basket as good as anyone. but we agree on one thing, tom is a special player. i am glad the staff picked him as the choice to pursue between him, evans and price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalensdad2002 Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 You don't see Rose in Liddell, from the awkward looking left handed jump shot. Tommie is a spectacular ballhandler with ball skills that rivals players from that Mountain Dew/And1 video, but he is so fundamentally sound that you will never see it in a game unless it is necessary. You need to attend more of his games as I need to attend more of Lisch's games. I feel that I'm cheating myself by not seeing more of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 we need to get east side and althoff to play each other a couple of times. that would solve both our problems. :-) i will definitely catch east side vs west this year. what tourney's does east side play? they need to put them in the collinsville tourney and take out madison now that that good madison team is gone. i have heard that the flyers will be at the shootout this year, plus i think they will probably play at the martin luther king event again, so i promise i will see him more this year. you wont get any arguments from me about tom's game though. i am a fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Come on, Tommie, give Coach Brad a verbal committment and then make the committment in the classroom (as well as life and community in East St. Louis!). And I'll be cheering you on at Saint Louis University, and you'll be revered in this town like Erwin Claggett. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 thicks is right. if tommie liddell "stays home" he has a chance to be a hometown star beyond belief. st louis takes care of their own. and they tend to turn their backs on those that leave. take lafonso ellis and anthony bonner. ellis is still in the nba. bonner basically had a little more than a cup of coffee in the nba and has played the majority of his career overseas. yet it is bonner that is still revered in the area on a much higher plain. same with claggett vs ryan robertson. it would be easy to say robertson had a much better and higher profile college career than erwin had. my guess is that if both were introduced at the shootout, erwin would get a standing ovation and ryan would only get polite applause. so besides an outstanding education, a chance to be the star, there is also the probability that tommie could become a local legend by just staying home and becoming a billiken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Roy, although I certainly agree with your point about the town supporting players who stay to play locally for SLU, I would not say that 5 full seasons in the NBA constitutes a cup of coffee: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/anthony_bonner/?nav=page He was well liked by the fans in NYC his 2 years as a Knick. And at 35 the guy is still making a living as a professional baller. For an undersized PF, that is an impressive career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 while i dont want to downplay anthony's career, i would never use the word "impressive" when describing anthony bonner's nba career. in just over 5 seasons in the nba, he averaged 23 minutes per game and had 5 ppg and 6 rpg. nothing to be ashamed of true, but nothing that would make someone in say boise idaho to sit up and defend the honor of anthony bonner. i used ellis as a comparison because he had a much higher acclaimed career. all-rookie team, still playing in the nba after 11 seasons. has averaged 32 minutes per game and right at 7 rpg and 12 ppg. also a local. yet like i said, my bet is that if both were introduced at the shootout, bonner would get the standing o, not ellis who had twice the nba career that bonner had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.