2006-2007 scenarios/options/overall worries and hopes

[Hardball]

Pass the Kool-aid Mr Soderberg.

Who wants to talk about Ahearn? I am on record as saying Ahearn would have been nothing more than a good role player for SLU. Just a piece of the pie not the whole pie.

My comments that you did not respond to were on Galen Grimes. The only time I have even written about Ahearn was in the context of the recruiting errors over the last four years. This board as defended the current staff and maintained that SLU could not possibly beat out the "big" time schools for players. Then I named a player that Romar had locked up if he had stayed and he beat out Mizzou and Kansas. Now rather than responding to my Grimes reference you want to label me a Ahearn fanatic. How predictable. All I hear on here from the defenders of the status quo is how bad Romar was and what terribble shape he left the program in. Which is a outright fabrication. Romar had an NCAA appearance and committments from KERN and HOLLINS. Does this sound like a progrm in decline. Romars years were better than Soderbergs have been year to date. So why bash Romar? This is the staff that hadn't secured a four until this year and we had to have coach fired to get him. Where is the accountability?

My comments have little to do with SLU passing on Ahearn. I have been equally vocal regarding the Stemler and Shaw situation. Now if you want to send up the smokescreen and label me a Ahearn fanatic that is fine with me. I like some on this board, am just trying to hold this staff accountable and will no longer accept the current state of affairs. Your group would rather wash away the Ahearn/Clarke debacle, accept the Shaw mistake, put your heads in the sand regarding the inability to lock up Stemler when he was in your own back yard and then make false claims that SLU can't beat out big time schools for recruits.

The Stemler situation illustates a problem. For a team that needs shooting in the worse way, why any D1 coach would need seven evaluation periods to comphrehend the importance of a player of Stemlers caliber is inexcusable.

Should anyone be held accountable for this mistake? If so, who?

[tseugnekillib]

willie,

I thought it was mentioned at the bball banquet that VN and AD were graduating in May, plus a summer school course; while JJ, IV and

LM all would complete their required hours in December.....I'm not positive and may have some names reversed.

[Star Wisher]

Why don't you ask "Coach" (and i think "Coach" is generous in Campo's case who washes cars in his day job) Campo why Stemler turned against SLU? It is my understanding that Campo was the SWIC assistant that did all he could to campaign against SLU and Coach Soderberg from day one. When your assistant coach is telling you all the reasons not to go to a school, that is one tough obstacle for the recruiting school to overcome. Nevertheless, I am sure Camps will have a long list of what happened. At the very least though, maybe SLU should have just made more phone calls.

[tseugnekillib]

I heard from two excellent sources that Campo was anti-SLU, but in the end Campo is a no-body. The player made his own decision and only time will tell if he made a good choice or another Bradley-type decision.

If all he accomplishes is an accounting degree from Indiana....he did himself some good.

[slu72]

The notorious JJ debate rears it's ugly head in May....Whose to blame? JJ for being an airhead or UB for not being more patient with a talented, albeit unproven, player? Didn't UB recently say something positive about JJ? Of course I might have that confused with the many other times he's said something positive about JJ, then watch as his minutes get flushed down the toilet after the praise. It never fails to amaze to hear everyone say how good JJ looks in preseason and at unofficial scrimmages at WP. C'mon, UB unleash the enigma man.

[DoctorB]

in open gym that boy is a slashing animal -- a difference maker. big-time energy, very active.

time will tell. Go JJ!

Beach Boys; O wouldn't it be nice . . . .

[billikenmetz]

Yeah, Harry, the guy at the rec center is a slasher in open gym too. Give that guy a scholarship. At 30-something, he'd at least draw some sappy Tom Rinaldi story on ESPN, like the autistic kid in NY state that they showed 300 times.

[cheeseman]

Close only counts in horseshoes and dynamite. Pdiddy is right - if Romar had concentrated on the local talent then he would have done just fine here - it is the reason he is doing well in UW - learned his lesson. Romar knew that Kerns was never going to qualify so giving him credit for that is just silly. Hollins - I was never convinced that he was really coming to SLU - Romar leaving was just a convenient excuse. The kid bailed even before a new coach was named - usually the wait until they talk to or see who the new coach would be. Romar did not do well here and no sugar coating will ever change the facts.

[willie]

Frank C.had a mention last week that all 3 were graduating,but maybe he was trying to make a point that all 3 seniors would graduate.

[Hardball]

Pistol,

You one of the few who speak the truth when you talk about Romar. Why are there SLU supporters taking shots at him and the state he left the program?

Romar did have everyone wanting to play for SLU and thats where SLU needs to get back too. In my opinion the SLU coach has to be a recruiter first and a coach second. I will agree with some people SLU is not the easiet place to recruit to but it can be done. But it will not matter how good a coach you have if you can't get the players.

The whole SWIC coaching reference is a troubling reference. SWIC has had their share of players over the last several years and it should be in this staffs best interest to "work" those relationships to benefit SLU. Not saying they don't but if the negativity towards SLU still exists after four years someone is not doing their job.

[tseugnekillib]

cheese said,.... "Romar did not do well here......"

Romar went 19-14, 17-14 and 17-14, plus one NCAA bid in his three years at SLU.

imo, Romar would have been highly successful at SLU in time because he is a good recruiter and a good head coach.

the reason he is winning with local talent in Washington is because his local base is substantial in both talent and numbers.

[slufanskip]

I'm a big Romar fan also and think Romar would have gotten us to be consistently good, but he was never staying ... Also making the assumptions that Grimes and/or Taj were coming is silly. Neither had committed so they weren't coming anymore than Stemler was.

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[slufanskip]

I couldn't have said it better ... Pistol, maybe we will end up wrong ... in fact I hope so ... but if I was going to bet some cash, it would be on ... very little contribution from JJ. On the other hand I've spoken to JJ a few times, I think he seems to be a nice kid ... like I said I hope he proves me wrong

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman and loyal subject of Billsboy and all ex D1 players and coaches everywhere. You da man Billsboy

[Pistol]

Washington looked at other coaches before deciding to offer Romar. He had really become connected to SLU and the players here, and didn't see it as a temporary job. He talked it over with his family, and had planned on staying here. According to him, he went to call Washington and turn it down, but decided to sleep on it another night. Then he decided to go back to the west coast.

Grimes hadn't committed, but Romar had a good relationship with him. There wasn't an offer on the table yet, either. Gray was set to come here, but nothing was official, and as soon as Romar said he was leaving, Gray backed out. That whole situation was very quiet from the start.

[Pistol]

How can JJ be considered talented? Are we watching the same player? What could Brad have said about him that was a serious positive comment, not just something to appease the people who always wonder about him? And who is possibly saying that JJ looks so good in preseason scrimmages?

There is no need to "unleash the enigma." There should be no enigma- go to more practices, and see why he doesn't play. He hasn't learned anything since he got here. He hasn't gotten physically stronger by much at all. His shot isn't better. His defense is slightly better. He turns it over too much. He can't get on the same page as his teammates. There isn't much of a case for the kid at all.

If anything, he's gotten too many minutes. Keep him plugged on the bench and develop players who have something to offer the team.

[cheeseman]

That record is not much different then Brad's and some people are calling him a failure. People have to be fair to Brad and Romar. My point was that Romar did not show great progress during his 3 years and if he had stayed for a fourth, close to half of his team would have left or flunked out. Would he have picked up Izik or AD or RB? Who knows but Kerns was not coming and since he did not qualify and as far as Hollins is concerned who knows. Romar did not move the program farther than when he got here - holding pattern at best. His only NCAA trip was with Spoon's players.

[DoctorB]

Pistol, big guy -- whoa, slow down.

I go to as many practices as just about anyone on here, would be my guess. I think I know what I am looking at. I think you are sort of on the right track about certain things -- he makes mainly what I would call defensive mistakes in practice sometimes -- like not blocking out. But I have seen some marked improvement in many things over the past year or so and I have also spoken with JJ about this. I believe we will see a different JJ this year.

I may be wrong about this, but I hope I am correct. Not so I can say I told you so -- for the tem's sake, and for JJ's sake.

[Pistol]

Why would we see a different JJ this year? We've seen the same JJ for four years already- nothing will change with him. I hope you're right, but every time he shows a nice move or play or something, it disappears.

[tseugnekillib]

cheese.... fyi, I'm not in that group who is calling Brad a failure. imo, going 19-14, 17-14 and 17-14 (and one NCAA bid) in a new coach's first 3 years is an above average preformance. (btw, that would be an interesting stat to research....where's my apprentice.)

cheese said...."Romar did not show great progress during his 3 years"..... when colleges transition from former coach to new coach, again, I would think only a minority of new coaches show "great" progress in 3 years.

We could debate this issue until the keg is dry.....and probably wouldn't change each other's opinion. I have always been of the opinion that if Romar would have accepted Fr. B's contract extension, that he would have been highly successful at SLU.....but, we will never know! (btw, Romar's success at Washington only re-inforces my belief that in time he would have been successful at SLU as well.)

[cheeseman]

Tbill - I suggest that many coaches show progress in their first 3 years - not all but many - particularily if they are taking over a program that has leveled off or has been down. Grawer and Spoon both showed progress. Brad did in his first 2 years with a dip in his third but back up again in year 4 - by the way I am not calling for Brad's head nor am I in the total support camp. So, of SLU's last 4 coaches - 3 have shown some progress with Romar at best holding serve. If Romar had stayed then maybe you are correct, he might have been very successful but not in his 4th year - close to half his team disappeared on him. We have not even talked about attendance under these coaches - Grawer, Spoon, and Brad have all increased attendance in their tenure, only Romar had a dip in every year he was here. One more sign of his weak showing at SLU. I am happy for him at UW but he was not successful here.

[jjray]

>I don't know how any SLU fans could still be high on JJ. He

>has been here for four years, including the redshirt season

>when he practiced everyday, and has given us virtually

>NOTHING. He's soft, can't get his mind right, has been

>suspended multiple times for off-the-court reasons, and

>still has that baby-giraffe-like awkwardness that should

>disappear after freshman (or redshirt) season. There is no

>possible argument that JJ could make for any pt this or any

>other year. What has he done?

>

>This is an example of a recruit that we took in desperation,

>and has turned out to be a waste of a scholarship that Brad

>has too much principle to drop.

>

>The play that sums up JJ's career for me was his freshman

>year: first attempt at a dunk during garbage time vs.

>Louisville at the Savvis Center. JJ goes up uncontested,

>rejected by the rim. SLU was down about 26 at the time, but

>players on the bench, as well as a couple assistants, still

>managed to laugh.

You have too long of a memory. JJ is not the baby giraffe of 4 years ago. He's put on 25 pounds of muscle. Think back to the North Carolina or Gonzaga games last year rather than Louisville of 3 years ago. He had 8 boards and we absolutely had to have his size on the floor against Gonzaga. He's a long 6'8" with quick feet. Is he hyper at times? Yep. But he brings energy and athleticism we need in the front court. This isn't the sort of kid you can throw out on the floor for 5 minute bursts and expect production. He's needs time to calm down and get his head into the game.

Would I prefer a kid with JJ's physical tools and Drejaj's heart / focus? Of course but we don't have a kid like that on the team. If Obi or Knollmeyer steps up this coming year right out of the gate, I'll be pleased as punch but it is more likely they'll need adjustment time to D1. If so, I think coach should give JJ the opportunity early in the year to show that he can give us 20-25 solid minutes a game.