MICHAELSPAPPY Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Is this the year we turn the corner and win big? Do we dare be that optimistic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 By win big do you mean +20 wins, pull off an upset or two in non con play, make the dance? It's not a lock to pull all that off. This year is shaping up to be the most promising since the Legend's one and done. Factors in our favor: Even better play from IV, after his NBA lessons, improvement both from KL and TL, the A-10 is still not that strong. Major question marks: #4 are any of the 4 PF's gonna step up? JJ????? The other 3 are frosh, and one gets the idea Obi is still not recovered and may not even be the type of 4 we need...we may still be scratching our heads over this in March. Who is the other outside threat besides KL? DB,DM,LM? The two juniors have never really lit it up from beyond the arc...DM a frosh. Where does DP fit into all this? If his shot is still missing in action, he's a spot player at best. Bottom line: DP, DB, and LM have improved their games over the summer. If not, we're at best 17-18 wins... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorB Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 this is a question best left until around thanksgiving time. for now I am outwardly a bit cautious but inwardly pretty jazzed. power forward by committee looks like it has a real chance to work, and the solid competition should do for SLU what all those defensive backs should do for the Rams in a few weeks--i.e. produce some good game efforts and make everyone better. fighting for minutes is good for everyone. Meanwhile the guards improve and Ian remains Ian (maybe even a new and improved Ian, hungry to get drafted in the NBA). what's not to like?? I have been to some of the summer pick-ups but the real test is in practice starting mid-October. I may have some things to say later but very little is worth saying at this point. HD is not currently on campus, btw. AK and DM are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Doc, How do AK and DM look. I know you said JJ was looking good earlier ... do you still feel the same. How about Danny? Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman and loyal subject of Billsboy and all ex D1 players and coaches everywhere. You da man Billsboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 I'll bet anybody on this board that if we stay healthy as a team we win 20 games this year. A few weeks ago I said 19 and I would bet on that. I am adding a win because of HD. I have never seen this kid play and he may even redshirt, which I doubt. But, the fact that he is athletic and will fighting for the 4 spot makes me think somebody has to step up. We have more margin for error this year at the 4 since we have more players who can truly play the spot. The trio of TL, KL, and Ian is one hell of a trio. KL and TL will be better and they were looking pretty good at the end of last season. Ian has spent time playing with competition which were all better than him. Ian will be better this year. Assuming good health, I got a Savvis meal that says we win 20. Any takers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Look at how feasible 20 wins was last year- there's no reason we shouldn't do it this year, barring serious injuries. We have a shot to win the A-10, outright or conference tournament, and finally get back to the tournament. Anything short of 20 wins and a tournament berth would be a disappointment to me. I think a lot of other posters will be in agreement with you, Tonka, but good luck finding a taker on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volfan Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 According to VTIME, until we sign local talent we will not be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 20 should be doable with IV, KL, and TL alone....that said we still have ? marks...whose the 3 who can hit the 3 so everyone doesn't pack it in against IV and TL and work hard to stop KL on the permiter? This player must surface....Playing LM at the 4 is not the answer, despite Broy's assertion we improved with him in the line up, which we did, but at the end this all came crumbling down around us....the 4 is a glaring weakness. Can any of the 4's really play it a D-1 level is not the only key but it's a big part of it. We need an active rebounder, a slasher who can finish, some consistent production at that position...or we're not dancing. A good 4 changes everything for this team...it allows us to push, frees up TL for easy baskets, read slams, gets DP in the game with great speed, takes pressure of IV. Add another decent guy from the perimiter then we are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorB Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 can we do this year something like what GW did last year? stay tuned. I like what I see with the 2 new guys I have watched. they blend in well with our group. AK is a fighter, he is not timid about getting in there and butting heads. He has some jumps and dunks over someone every once in a while. Adding 20 lbs. of muscle and filling out over the next 2-3 years is really going to make him a very solid player, and I get the feeling he can contribute some right away. DM has a very nice stroke and he fits in very nicely with the team. he moves well without the ball and finds ways to contribute--seems to have good court sense. Runs the floor. He may be a pleasant surprise for some on the List. OI is moving better and has very soft hands and subtle moves. He is creating shots much more this year. He also has shown the ability to block or challenge shots--Getting scrappier around the bucket. And he makes a 3-pointer every now and then. that's all for now--not much, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I am very excited to see how these three guys step in and try to fill the gaps from last year. Without letting my expectations get too high, I think they all have the potential to be very nice role players on this team. I also know that we have a good group of personalities right now, and that everyone has managed to become good friends without any egos messing it up, and that the new guys fit in the mix well. Hopefully because of that, things will click and this team will go places. I would hope for a reasonable improvement from all returning guys, but the one guy I hope that really takes off (and who really has the potential to) is Dwayne Polk. I am holding on hope that this year will be his year to take off. He has it in him- we all saw what he was capable of in high school and in the local hoops events he played in, and he's also got the ability to be a great leader. If Dwayne really starts to get it together, he has the ability to make everyone else better, and we'd have a great squad this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Thanks for the report Doc. It's always nice for the out of town guys to hear what's happening on campus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FromGreeceWithLove Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I have seen no sign that Polk has the ability to play at a high level. He is a track athlete on a basketball court, he chose the wrong sport. He is so small and his shot is so broke that the only way it will ever be wet is if he is playing at the Lisch family pool. Plus, I think a guy like Tommie is a kid who really strives with the ball in his hand and truly does make others around him better. Tommie is the point and I think that leaves little need to look to Polk to provide a lot of minutes. I like seeing Polk come off the bench to push the tempo a little bit and hound the other team's point. I like your comment on the unity of the team. Do you think Ian may want to be the star now that he is looking to improve his stock in the draft and do you think he would get at all jealous or upset if Tommie and Kevin emerge as the prime time players on the team? I am not saying this will happen, just curious what people thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I agree with you on Polk ... I'm not saying he won't find his shot, but I will be surprised if he does. If he does he will be a very valuable part of the team, if he doesn't he will be a role player who can do good things in spots. As far as KL and TL are concerned, I would be surprised if much of our offense doesn't still run through Ian. I just hope not quite as much. I would like to see Ian step out once in awhile and open up some space for Tommie to create. Also we need another shooter besides Kevin to step up enabling Ian to move the ball around also. Ian is a very good passer, we just need people who can finish. Regardless of what happens I don't think Ian will be upset ... but realistically Ian will get his share or we won't be successful. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman and loyal subject of Billsboy and all ex D1 players and coaches everywhere. You da man Billsboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Polk's shot may be broke beyond repair, but if he can get it back even a little, it could help. You're right about his role to come in, push things uptempo and put some pressure on the other point, and I think at this point, regaining his shooting form would be a plus. I know high school is a different game, but the kid could score. Ian wants to be the star now: he's a senior and did all the pre-draft stuff, so that's going to be in his mind all year. Tommie and Kevin have a leg up in the sense that they're local kids and guards, who play a naturally more fan-friendly game. Ian should still lead the team in points, blocks, and FG percentage (and hopefully rebounds), and won't go under-appreciated for it. He might not be the fan favorite, though, even if he's your favorite, FGWL. It's going to be an interesting year as Ian finishes his career here while making a push for the NBA and Tommie and Kevin develop the next generation of SLU basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FromGreeceWithLove Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Who is your favorite Pistol, Teresa Lisch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlumniFan Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 When do the guys play? I assume they play in the rec center or is it West Pine? I would like to make a few trips down to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 It's actually Wendell Bennett, but that might change if Teresa Lisch is as good as everyone says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 This report is enough to really spice up things. If these young men continue to progress as reported they will fit in perfectly with our team and what we need for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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