The f-er from Minnesota

[Box and Won]

In case anyone is wondering what that phrase is from (it's my favorite Billiken-related quote, even after AB's "gasoline underwear" line from a few weeks ago), here it is - from The Riverfront Times, December 4, 2002:

By all accounts, the six-foot-two Ahearn, a teammate of Grimes' on the Eagles, would have signed with SLU in a heartbeat. Instead, he's headed to feisty in-state rival Southwest Missouri State -- which beat SLU in overtime at Savvis last Tuesday -- the result of a purported bait-and-switch by current SLU head coach Soderberg that has left a bitter taste in the DeSmet hoop community's mouth.

The way Steiner tells it, Soderberg, then an assistant to Romar, promised Ahearn a scholarship after seeing the then-junior guard drain jumper after jumper at an open gym in September 2001. Once he got the head job, Soderberg one-eightied.

The Ahearns and Soderberg refuse to comment on the situation. But Martin, the Gator coach and a former Billiken season-ticket-holder, doesn't mince words.

"I don't think the guy from SLU [soderberg] knows his ass from first base. How can that place not want one of those kids [on Ahearn's U-17 team]? Who the hell wants to watch some kid from Minnesota?" says Martin, referring to six-foot-four SLU recruit Darren Clarke, who plays alongside Duke recruit Kris Humphries at Hopkins High in Minnetonka, Minnesota. "I saw Ahearn and Clarke play straight up, and Ahearn outscored him 26-3.

"Had they signed Blake Ahearn, they'd have sold 100 season tickets. I'm not gonna go down there and watch some ###### from Minnesota who's average," says Martin. "The only way they're gonna get Grimes is to make SLU as local as possible and make it an extension of their AAU team."

[pakapablo]

Hilarious!

Who is this Martin guy and who are the Gators?

[kshoe]

but it was dead on in the analysis.

[Box and Won]

I know - I was thinking the same thing as I read it. I remember laughing his comments off at the time, but sadly, he was right.

[ACE]

True. It also sounds like not offering Ahearn may have had a ripple effect in not getting Grimes.

[Orange Julius]

Martin coached the Gators which was a really good team. They went to like 5 AAU Final Fours and he had a McDonald's All American in Ryan Robertson.

[kshoe]

if we had signed Ahearn we would have gotten Grimes but I do think the point made is valid that if you want to get the local studs the best way is to have a mostly local team. Then, it will be the case that their friends, teammates etc. are also going to SLU and its just one more reason that they would want to stay at home.

[bonwich]

...if we have success this year (i.e. make it to the tournament) with a team with starters Tommie, Kevin and Dwayne, that all this talk of woulda coulda shoulda with Ahearn et al will finally become moot?

[NashvilleBilliken]

Thanks. For as long as I've read this board, I had no idea where that came from.

[kshoe]

but its hard to argue that we wouldn't have had more success with him...(i.e get a higher seed, win a game, etc.).

[brianstl]

For Kshoe and some others it will never end.

[willie]

There is no question we missed on Ahern,but this board acts like we are the only program who misses. I don't know who watched the Tenn. Memphis game last night but Tenn. had a kid named Chris Lofton score 34 points on great long range shooting.He's from a small town in Kentucky. According to Jimmie Dikes[sp] he wanted to go to Ky. or Louisville and never got a sniff.I for one can't wait untill Ahern graduates.

[courtside]

Ahearn is just the symbol. It isn't imo so much about Ahearn to most people. He is a nice player, but he isn't a great player. He is a shoot first shooting guard in a point guard's body, known to have a shall we say difficult father too. He is the symbol because he wanted to go to SLU. Yes he would have helped SLU. He would have been better than some of the other stiffs.

I see no problem with people holding the program accountable for missing on local get-able players.

If anything, I have long thought SLU fans in general were way too complacent and soft. I have used the Rex Hudler analogy in the past. SLU fans like the nice guys who try hard and maximize their abilities most. Personally, having a stable winning program impresses me more. But to each their own.

Sure, every school in the country misses out on kids each and every year. That isn't the point. Accountability is the point.

I want to see a consistent winner built and that is why I am here. I don't need to bash or use foul language or attack. But I have concerns and reservations, if SLU doesn't upgrade recruiting. One good class so far. It is a legitimate concern for discussion.

[cheeseman]

Courtside - I could not agree more. Box - thanks for posting the article - I had not seen it before.

[Box and Won]

You bet - here's a link to the entire article. It's pretty interesting:

http://www.rftstl.com/Issues/2002-12-04/news/feature.html