Also Receiving Votes Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 After making the trek down to God-forsaken Carbondale, IL and watching far and away, Ian Voyoukas' worst performance as a Billiken, the NBA scouts and GMs that watched Ian play over the summer wasted their precious time on this earth. If Ian is NBA material, so are about 10 guys who play at the rec center on a daily basis. I mean, he was absolutely horrible against F(al)ucker and even the little guy (No. 10) scooted around him and went in for easy layups. He didn't crash the boards, he didn't set screens, he didn't move around and look like the force he did last year. I've been patient with Ian throughout the years, but if there's an award for most-improved player, there should be an award for most-disappointing player, and right now, Ian is No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on my list. What's wrong? Is he hurt? Is he going through personal problems? When Luke Meyer is the only kid, in my opinion, giving everything he can on both ends of the ball, that is sad. To lose against Southern Illinois, and I don't care if they are a Valley team or not, is unacceptable. We looked awful out there tonight. It's time to clean house and it starts at the basics of college athletics -- recruiting. We can't compete with teams who have athletes. We might have basketball players -- so does Quincy, so does Loras College and Depauw. Teams succeed when there's a mix of basketball players and pure athletes --- guys who pound in the paint, who foul guys hard, who play with intensity. We have no athletes on our team. We are soft, we are playing without emotion. If we lose against Western Illinois, it's over for Brad Soderberg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenexpress Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Losing to SIU is easier to stomach than losing to a Loyola or DePaul. It's easier to lose to one of the top teams in the nation than to a tier 100 or so. So what's your beef? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Also Receiving Votes Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 No, it's not easy to stomach. We should never lose to those convicts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 >>We have no athletes on our team.<< I imagine the above was written several beers into the evening. I'm with the rant in the first two paragraphs but then you fell off the deep end. Tommy Liddell is not an athlete? Kevin Lisch is not an athlete? Danny Brown is not an athlete? Dwayne Polk is not an athlete? Horace Dixon is not an athlete? This is the most athletic team SLU has fielded in years. Granted, that ain't saying a whole heck of a lot but I submit that we can compete with the personnel we have. Somebody said Poyeroy predicted the Bills to go 19-11 this season. I'll be pleased if it happens and think we are good enough to make that happen. Do we need to build on this season and upgrade our overall talent level? Absolutely and expect Brad to do so ... but Brad's job is not in jeopardy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenexpress Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 >No, it's not easy to stomach. We should never lose to those >convicts. Convicts? Are you referring to the amount of steals they had during the game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 after a tough loss. Guys, you need to recognize how good a team SIUC is. A win at SIUC would have been HUGE. There is no shame losing to this team. SIUC isn't flashy, but they're tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I'm with you aj. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H Waldman Official Sponser of the Stemmler and Ahearn could and would have helped club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 SLU will be 9-3 nonconference? If that's the case, that's a big deal. Now if SLU loses at home to Missouri State, then maybe I'll reconsider how good this team really is. I didn't see the game, but from the stats, I was impressed that they shot 47% from the field. As for the turnovers, I'd be curious where they came from. Does anyone have an idea? I do wonder about Lisch's ballhandling and I would think Polk is exceptional in that area. Liddell, on the other hand, can make mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I only see one idiot poster named Also Receiving Votes that has a total of 75 posts truly ranting. The only other rants came in a game-thread post which should never be considered as a thought process but rather an expression of the many emotions experienced during the game. Anybody that doesn't realize that SIU is a good program obviously doesn't understand basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 No, Kshoe, I don't think you're irrational. I have no problems with you being critical of the Billikens. I just simply disagree with you on the direction of the program. Now if SLU loses to Missouri State at home and then lays an egg against a lowly opponent, then maybe I'll switch to your camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I just didn't see anybody else making dumb posts besides Also Receiving so I don't want people to think there was some sort of melt-down on the message board. My concern with the direction has much more to with the years after this one when our big-men are gone and its unclear to me who will successfully step-in with similar production. I still think we are in fine shape for this season and have about the same probability at the NCAAs (50%) that we did at the beginning of the season. On another subject, AJ, do you no longer work at Missouri St.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 However, I just can't get into MO State basketball. They're a strong team and I think they're better than they were last year, but I just have too much of an emotional tie to SLU basketball. I've been watching them for too long. Plus, I'm really excited about the direction of the Billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Ian had 4 or 5 Tl had 4 but at least one was a "carry". I hate the rules they are going to enforce this year......it seems they enforce them ealy in the season, and then never in the tourney. Make up your minds because for bubble teams the early games are just as important as the late games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 BMetz, in your tenure as a sportswriter for the UNews, how many times have you interviewed Brad, and how often did you tell him how bad he was, face to face? Also, it is somewhat illegal to state you are going to crucify Brad publicly, and on someone else's website, which exposes Steve to possible legal action. You may consider removing ALL of that ######. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Also Receiving Votes Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 Are you going to bill me for that bit of legal counsel, Dave? Besides, it's a somewhat sarcastic comment that you should have picked up on early. Missouri hasn't had a public execution since Roscoe Jackson in 1937, and I don't think I have enough clout in this state to bring it back. Plus, I'm not good with a hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheltiedave Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 The legal counsel wasn't for you, BMetz, it was for Steve. After going through a lengthy period of Catholic, and then Jesuit higher education, I'd hope you would also know the higher likelihood of historically using ropes, rather than nails, for the act you propose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 That's why it's important that SLU beats MO State, and beating UNC would be nice. Just wouldn't hit the panic button until SLU drops one to a patsy at home. Given the problems of the A-10, it looks SLU will have to finish in the top 2 anyway. However, that should be easier given how weaker the conference appears to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 >>>We have no athletes on our team.<< > >I imagine the above was written several beers into the >evening. I'm with the rant in the first two paragraphs but >then you fell off the deep end. Tommy Liddell is not an >athlete? Kevin Lisch is not an athlete? Danny Brown is not >an athlete? Dwayne Polk is not an athlete? Horace Dixon is >not an athlete? This is the most athletic team SLU has >fielded in years. Granted, that ain't saying a whole heck >of a lot but I submit that we can compete with the personnel >we have. Somebody said Poyeroy predicted the Bills to go >19-11 this season. I'll be pleased if it happens and think >we are good enough to make that happen. Do we need to build >on this season and upgrade our overall talent level? >Absolutely and expect Brad to do so ... but Brad's job is >not in jeopardy. Tommie is an athlete, HD is an athlete and maybe you can call Danny Brown an athlete. Polk and Lisch, nah. Kevin's a very good player, but he's not that athletic. He's not gonna get many tip slams. Polk can dunk, but if you look at a guy his size like Dominic James of Marquette, he puts Polk's hops to shame. Polk is fast though, but as his size if you aren't, you probably arent at a division 1 school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenbooster Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 What are you talking about? I thought you actually had knowledge of basketball, pal. Athletic does not equal dunks! the TEAM gets the same number of points for a dunk as a jumper. Athleticism means, speed, quickness, strength, jumping ability. Lisch, Polk are there pal. Please leave this board and post somewhere else, if this is the kind of garbage you are going to leave. Our program is at a crossroads this year, and your knowledge of the local scene is far superior to many on the board. But your evaluations are so one sided that your cred is zero in my book. Get ready for the tennis season. Good luck in the spring. mhg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 >What are you talking about? I thought you actually had >knowledge of basketball, pal. > >Athletic does not equal dunks! the TEAM gets the same >number of points for a dunk as a jumper. Athleticism means, >speed, quickness, strength, jumping ability. Lisch, Polk >are there pal. > >Please leave this board and post somewhere else, if this is >the kind of garbage you are going to leave. > >Our program is at a crossroads this year, and your knowledge >of the local scene is far superior to many on the board. >But your evaluations are so one sided that your cred is zero >in my book. > >Get ready for the tennis season. Good luck in the spring. > >mhg Of the categories you listed they may have 4 or 5 categories combined. Compared to teams with athletes, they are not athletic. You still think SLU is better than Mizzou. Lets SLU go against those athletes and you'll see what I'm talking about. As far as speed, SLU has Polk and that's about it. The team is slow and that's fine because our team is built for halfcourt. Look at the athletes on Arkansas, a team that beat SIUC, but lost by 20+ to Mizzou. The only player in the caliber of a Sonny Weems or Patrick Beverly or even Ervin is Tommie. In the frontcourt Thomas and Townes would make mincemeat of our bigs. Steven Hill isnt bad either. Lets not pretend like SLU is athletic now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealisticBilliken Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 I think Also has disagreed with me before, but I am going to defend him here. He was right on with his entire rant on the first post. You just have to realize some on this board are satisfied with a program equal to that of a low-mid mid-major who are consistantly around .500. SIU is not one of the top teams in the nation, come on, lets get serious here. They are a very good team, Top 50, but isn't that where we all thought SLU would be this year? I sure did. We have had two good chances to show we are worthy of even a sniff of the NCAA tourny, and not only have we lost those, we were blown out of the water in one and completely and utterly domianted in the other. - Realistic Billiken Looking forward to tongue lashing I'm going to get from all you blue kool-aid drinking folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_arete Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 It's about looking at it from a proper perspective. If SLU lays an egg against Western Illinois, then you can come on here and rip away. However, there's a reason why high major teams don't want to come to Carbondale and SLU experienced it this weekend. SLU hasn't had a bad loss yet. With Texas A&M, they were on the road with Big 12 officials and were mugged. That happens. Now if SLU loses to MO State at HOME, that would be more of a concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealisticBilliken Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 I agree that we haven't lost a game we were supposed to, but the bigger issue is that we haven't WON a game that we weren't supposed to yet. If we want to be considered a Tourny team, we need a big win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 so the sole criteria to be considered an athlete is slam dunks? thanks. because i mistakenly always thought that there was more to it than high jumping. the greatest athlete ever.....hands down, dwight stones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaginCajun Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 "With Texas A&M, they were on the road with Big 12 officials and were mugged. That happens." Texas A&M dominated us in all facets of the game. We did not belong on the court with that caliber of a team, they out-classed us big time. Make no excuses, we had no chance and 10 out of 10 times they beat us convincingly regardless of who the officials are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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