Billikan Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 It is fascinating to me to look at this board and see the much diminished volume of posts at this time after we have won 4 games in a row vs. the time right after the SMS loss when the board was deluged with negative posts from all corners--and even some of the regulars like our SSGY were raising questions about Coach Brad--others were speculating about his future and whether he is the right coach for the Bills. Now we win 4 games in a row, including 2 tough games on the road, and the posts dribble in at a slow pace and those previous critics are silent-- no kudos for the coach! I guess it is human nature to be critical whenever possible and to take for granted the good things but it really bugs me that our fans are so fickle. This team has developed and advanced a lot even in the short time since the SMS game. Coach Brad reevaluated his talent and set a new rotation. It has produced nice results. The seniors are playing hard and the team defense is awesome. Let's hear from all of those critics. Do you see the great job that coach Brad has done? Let's hear a equal amount of praise for what he has done--equal to the amount of criticism that was put forward after the SMS game. We are not yet worldbeaters. If we shoot very badly we can lose any game. But if we shoot well we can win almost any game. It will be exciting to watch. Go Bills!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I think coach Brad is great. He gets the most out of his players and is a fabulous tactician. We are all excited about the great quality of play over the last week and a half. A Marquette win will be fabulous. On the negative side (you asked for it), I still think Ross is playing too much. Ross had back-to-back plays last night in which he gave up an easy basket on defense and then turned the ball over driving out of control to the basket (after he curiously passed up a wide open three). Late in the game, he also missed an easy rebound that resulted in a tie-up with posession going to TCU. His free poor free throw shooting helped cost us the SMS game and made last night's game a little closer than it had to be. For a guy who supposedly plays because he doesn't make mistakes, he sure makes a lot by my count. I guess your right: it is easier to ramble about the negative than the positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 as soon as frericks starts making his free throws at a better rate and is not in foul trouble, ross probably wont be in the game at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I noticed the same things you pointed out above and I am not the least bit surprised. Same thing happens on sports talk radio. It's interesting that the "whipping boy" comments after the last loss or two take a back seat when the Bills come out on top. This phenomenon will never change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 i agree with tseugnekillib that it is a reaction that will never change. so i am taking great joy in the silence. it gives me more time to read the comedy show at tigerboard.com. talk about hysterical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYBill Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Fair point! I have been very critical of some Billiken weak efforts in the past - especially after the SMS game (which still ranks as a great debacle!). Maybe I'm too strict! But I have continued to watch our Billikens since that game and have been very happy with what I've seen (really just heard via my $45 donation to real networks! I can't wait until the internet will allow me to watch games on my computer!!). Some of the recent wins haven't been pretty, but at the end of the day I'm a firm believer in the Al Davis philosophy - Just win baby! I think we're in a great spot right now - 4 Ws in a row, a tough game on Saturday night that will not kill us to lose (although it certainly is NOT an automatic L and I will still be saddened by a loss) and then get to come home for 3 in a row that we should almost certainly win. So way to go Brad and crew! The program is in a nice place - good season underway so far, really nice recruiting class coming in (still need that PF though!), new arena on the way (please God let that happen!). I would be very happy with this season if we make the NIT and win at least two games there. I think that is a reasonable expectation (one win is probably more likely). It will be a horrible season in my view if we don't make the NIT. KEEP GOING GUYS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Why was Varner in the game instead of Izik during the last two minutes? Izik is a much better ball handler and is shooting 81% from the line this year. Ross is only shooting 50% from the line this year (and zero percent in cluch situations). At 46%, Frericks isn't much worse than Ross from the line. You will never convince me that Ross should have more minutes than Izik or even Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 We've got a point guard with average handles and an erratic jump shot, a small forward that throws up finger rolls from five feet instead of finishing at the rim, a center who struggles with his health and rarely stays on the floor longer than 22 min, and a 6'7 Division 2 player playing 20 min a night. Maybe we should start calling our coach Houdini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 no way i have ian in the game before ross at games end. at least not at this time yet. ian looks completely lost and overwhelmed in the two games thus far. wont get an argument from me about izik. especially considering izik showed signs of putting together both ends last night. gotta beleive that with maquette using novak at sf so much, that izik will play more saturday. it seems that would be a natural matchup rather than fisher trying to guard the much taller novak. again, imo, the focus shouldnt be on ross' limitations, instead, the focus should be on why tom and izik havent stepped up their production on both ends and all aspects enough so brad has no other options. as long as it is close, brad has the tendency to let the player with the practice efforts play. whether we like it or not. so the push needs to be on frericks and izik to play all out all the time to take that option away. the first half last night, frericks was nothing. he comes out in the second half and dominates the first 5 minutes and imo that was the difference in the game. so let's question where that is the whole game rather than pick out 4 isolated plays by ross. we could pick out 4 bad plays by everyone if we wanted to, but the fact is, when we look at the final numbers, ross continues to be close enough that it gives brad reason to give him time. frericks has to step up all the time. same with izik. they are our difference makers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Frericks was working his tail off in the first half. If he was "nothing" it was because TCU played a zone defense and our guards couldn't find away to work the ball inside. A center is only as good as the guards who get him the ball. For whatever reason, Josh and Drejaj found ways to get Tom the ball at the start of the second half. Tom wasn't really in foul trouble last night. He didn't receive his third foul until relatively late in the second half, and at no point in the game was Brad's substitution pattern dictated by Tom's foul trouble. That is four games in a row that Tom has basically avoided fould trouble. Roy, when are you going to admit that Tom is a better overall player than Kenny Brown? IMHO, Tom has been one of the biggest reasons this team has had great success over the last four games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Ironically, UAB (Tom Frerick's former school) signed Marques Lewis, the juco center we were actively recruiting before we signed Tom. For those folks who like to look at what might have been statistics, Marques is averaging 3.9 ppg and 2.2 rpg for UAB. By contrast, Tom is averaging 6.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg for SLU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 david, i made that concession after frericks double double in the dayton game. i still dont think he is the defensive equal of kenny, but when he plays out of foul trouble, his increased offense and rebounding is well worth the trade off. sorry you missed it that concession post. that said, he still needs to play a more even game than he did last night. he was NOT working as hard last night to get open looks in the 1st half. he was coming to the ball with less intensity than what he showed at the beginning of the second half. until he is doing it night after night and all game long, he still is our difference maker. we play as tom frericks and izik play. it is no coincidence that we have a four game winning streak and tom is playing the best he has all year and izik is playing better as well. still, our lull's during the last four games have come when they arent playing at their highest levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 to be fair though, uab returned 7 out of their top 8 players and the one player that did not come back was one of their guards. so not only did lewis not need to step in right away, the returning inside players are still producing as uab is currently among the top 30 rpi teams in the country. not saying frericks isnt better than lewis, just pointing out that in all likelihood, frericks has had a better opportunity to show numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I'll never be happy with the NIT. If you don't make the NCAA's you have not had a good year. The Tournament should be our only yardstick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesycow Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 will always have something to complain about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 The reason we got the ball inside early in the second half is they went man. Good job of us to recognize it and take advantage. To get the ball inside against a zone ... the ball must move quicker from side to side, you will get space as the defense will not be able to keep up. When it gets there the inside player must get to the whole or swing it back out quickly. I am sure that as we begin to see more and more zones ... this is something Brad will work on. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Reduced posts due to reduced controversy. Biggest source of controversy--T&T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 That sports fans of any team seem to come out of the woodwork when things are going bad for a team. Heck, that is very noticeable after ANY Rams loss on the P-D websites. It's just fans nature to have more to complain about after a loss. Now even when things weren't going as well for our Bills, I was still supportive of Coach Soderberg. We are light years better with him as HC and the future is very bright. I also agree 110% with Willie's take that for me that NCAA Tourney is a very meaningful barometer/goal and I don't like the NIT either. Our goal each and every year should be to get to the dance. Having said that I would not consider this year a failure if we fall a tad short of the goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluSignGuy Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 My criticisms with Coach Brad I will still stand with for the SMS game: Ross played way too much in that game IMO. And I think Brad should have broken the 2 foul rule for Reggie in the first half for damage control. Those were my criticisms, but I love Coach Brad. I am honestly of the opinion that he is the best Coach that SLU has had in my lifetime, even better than Spoon. But doesn't mean I won't criticize. That is what sports are about for fans a lot of the times, debate. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcglotherirvin Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 i would hardly call chris sloan a division II player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I disagree. I can't speak for others, but I haven't had much time to piss much less post a lot here lately. I will always take shots at those who I feel deserve it and I will give kudos to where it is due. As I have said before, I am an equal opportunity basher and praiser. If any of you are shocked that the posts go down, that's a good sign. That means there is harmony in the world. 90% of all sports media is about commenting on things we are criticial of. I guess that's why it's fun. Everybody thinks they have solutions to things and everybody certainly has their opinions - myself included. When things are going well, there really isn't that much to say. It's kind of like watching the news. Why is 95% of the news negative? It just is, as that's what gets the most attention and talked about. I for one expect these players to play well, because they can. When they don't, I am critical, especially when I know they can. This board would be boring if everything is good. It would go something like this: Poster1: Great game last night Poster7: Yes it was Poster1: Reggie played well Poster7: Yes he did Poster5: Boy can he shoot Poster3: Go Bills Poster4: Yeah Brad Poster11: Boy, we looked good Poster3: We're number 1! Poster9: Great defense last night Poster7: You bet Poster6: Hey, who was the buxom blonde in the fifth row Poster12: That was my wife, you a##! Poster6: Sorry, lucky you! She have a sister? Poster3: Go Bills! Poster19: Did you see that dunk? Poster4: Yes, I did Poster15: Can't wait till next year MUPoster: Mizzou Rules! We can still beat you guys! Poster2: Go away! Poster3: SLU Rules One word - BORING! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I'm not positive, but I was taking him to mean Varner. I would consider him borderline D2.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 You've convinced me! Here's an extra post by me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenButch Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 ...we are collectively holding our breath. The team has not had a statement game yet this year. Beating TCU on the road is important, but not a statement. Beating Marquette on the road is a big deal and would get plenty of chat time. Except for the fact that most of the regular, in town chatters will be able to talk about the game instead of chat (see the get together at SportsZone). Steve, it has been a while since I thumbed through your paper, but in the event you take another sociology class and you plan on using this online community as a subject you may want to consider the possible effect of Saturday's collective get together. Part of the allure of online communities is relative anonymity. I wonder how actually meeting people, and heaven forbid, displaying cordial and unflinchingly friendly behavior will change the subsequent tone of discussion on the board. I pray that on Sunday morning the great questions and debates of the board have not been solved. Something will be lost if we no longer bicker about the value of soccer, the contributions of Varner, or if an actual pledge is made and fulfilled to not respond to the baitings of Missouri fans. Here is hoping for a statement victory and an unchanged board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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