(10-18-2013 04:45 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(10-18-2013 04:25 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(10-18-2013 01:50 PM)stever20 Wrote:  SLU was better than VCU last year.

however, that was the 1st year that SLU had been better than VCU in a long time. Which is probably why VCU is ranked where they are and SLU is where they are this year at the start.

In a long time? How could you even make that statement since SLU has been in vastly better conferences than VCU until last year, and even VCU's success is not really that old. Ten years ago most didn't even know who VCU was. (No offense Rams fans)

VCU has won tournament games in 4 of the last 7 years- and made the tourney in another of those years(as a 11 seed, so would have been on the bubble if they didn't win the conference). SLU only has made the tourney the last 2 years. So yes, VCU has done better. You have to remember in the last 7 years, SLU has had years of 11-19(175 RPI), 17-14(123 RPI), 15-15(137 RPI). 2 of the other years, they were only 19-11(87 RPI) and 19-13(74 RPI). VCU's WORST season the last 7 years is 66. VCU last 10 years has never been below 89. That takes into account EVERYTHING. So yes, VCU besides last year has been much better than SLU.

VCU has been in the tournament in each of the past 4 decades. Anyone who didn't know who they were simply wasn't paying attention.

Whittington as well.

No offense taken, but for information's sake the Sun Belt in the 80's was frequently a multi-bid conference (up to 4 bids in 1 year). VCU earned a 6-seed (1984), 2 5-seeds (1981 and 83), and a 2-seed (1985) out of that conference in the 80's just to put into context how well-regarded the teams at the top of those leagues were back then. The Sun Belt in those days had VCU, South Florida, ODU, Charlotte, UAB, and Western Kentucky among others.

We also played in the precursor to C-USA in the Metro in the early 90's with Louisville, South Florida, Virginia Tech, Charlotte, Southern Miss, Tulane etc.

From '95-'12 VCU was in an obviously weaker CAA, but before that VCU was playing in some pretty decent basketball leagues. VCU Basketball didn't start with the last 10 years, but I don't expect non-VCU fans to be too knowledgeable about that.

(10-18-2013 04:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Whittington as well.

Didn't they lose Whittington like December of last year? They tied for the be regular season title without him, I think the other 4 starters + the bench + the new recruits should be able to put together a very good team. There's a lot of talent on that team.

Consider that they're bringing in Josh Smith, a former 5-star recruit to replace Porter. They already have a long list of former 4-star recruits on the team:

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera
Nate Lubick
Markel Starks
Tyler Adams
Mikael Hopkins
Stephen Domingo
Reggie Cameron

the CAA was weaker, but they were always in the top half. In one of the years, they were actually #8 conference. 11-13 range a lot of the times...

A10 wasn't exactly a powerhouse either. they were in that 7-10 range. Last year of CUSA was #9.

The conference is important, but it's not the only part. How the team does matters a lot as well- more than just the conference rating.

Georgetown will be interesting to watch. We'll know a LOT early in the year quite frankly with the game with Oregon and then the Puerto Rico tourney where we could see Charlotte or Kansas St, then Michigan, Florida St, or VCU. Then Kansas in mid December.

I just hope we perform in the tourney this year. last few years have been awful!

The league argument is pretty interesting.

VCU and SLU were both left out of conference mergers (SLU was kicked out of CUSA, and VCU got left in the Metro). SLU was in top conferences until 2005. Then they were in the A-10, which VCU joined. I would love to see the Great Midwest days again...but we can't get everything in life.

The schools are more similar than they look. Most VCU fans know that I really like their program. In fact, even my A-10 hating friend has nothing but good things to say about the Rams.

Yep. Nothing but respect from most VCU fans towards SLU. We just don't like that we lost to you guys both times we played last year, but we can't do much about that.

The 2 VCU-SLU matchups this year will be on ESPN/ESPN2 for a reason.

Tyler Adams would probably be one of our key players this year. But he was diagnosed with a heart condition years ago and hasn't played in any games since.

(10-18-2013 05:13 PM)Melky Cabrera Wrote:  

(10-18-2013 04:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Whittington as well.

Didn't they lose Whittington like December of last year? They tied for the be regular season title without him, I think the other 4 starters + the bench + the new recruits should be able to put together a very good team. There's a lot of talent on that team.

Consider that they're bringing in Josh Smith, a former 5-star recruit to replace Porter. They already have a long list of former 4-star recruits on the team:

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera
Nate Lubick
Markel Starks
Tyler Adams
Mikael Hopkins
Stephen Domingo
Reggie Cameron

LouPower, what is your opinion of Jim Crews? Do you think he can maintain the momentum that Majerus started? Where do you see the Billikens in the A-10 standings in a couple of years? There have been some questions about his ability to recruit.

(10-18-2013 07:09 PM)Burrito Wrote:  LouPower, what is your opinion of Jim Crews? Do you think he can maintain the momentum that Majerus started? Where do you see the Billikens in the A-10 standings in a couple of years? There have been some questions about his ability to recruit.

I don't look at the A-10 past this year. Crews has done better than I thought with his first few recruits, but the real tests are coming over the next 2 years.

I don't care about Jim Crews' past at Army and Evansville in the least. I think he's as good as we were going to get at the time the job was available. I think this team will continue making NCAAs. There's too much on the line not to.

I'd venture a guess about Crews that he will be on an extremely short leash- where if they don't do well this year, a change could happen a lot quicker than maybe would normally be the case.

(10-18-2013 05:25 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Georgetown will be interesting to watch. We'll know a LOT early in the year quite frankly with the game with Oregon and then the Puerto Rico tourney where we could see Charlotte or Kansas St, then Michigan, Florida St, or VCU. Then Kansas in mid December.

I just hope we perform in the tourney this year. last few years have been awful!

Frankly I think that Georgetown is loaded and is being badly underrated. I agree that the key for them is the tournament.

I always loved the Princeton offense and wondered why more teams didn't use it, thinking how much better the results would be with better players. However, I've come to the conclusion that it's too confining and takes too much initiative away from the players. I'd also like to see their defense be more aggressive so they could score points off it.

It seems to me that they don't play we'll in the tournament because they are so structured that they seem to play without emotion and as a result lack the killer instinct to put teams away when they have them down. I hate to be so critical because I really like JT III. The guy is a class act and I hope they get out of the postseason rut they've been in.

(10-18-2013 07:05 PM)Burrito Wrote:  Tyler Adams would probably be one of our key players this year. But he was diagnosed with a heart condition years ago and hasn't played in any games since.

(10-18-2013 05:13 PM)Melky Cabrera Wrote:  

(10-18-2013 04:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Whittington as well.

Didn't they lose Whittington like December of last year? They tied for the be regular season title without him, I think the other 4 starters + the bench + the new recruits should be able to put together a very good team. There's a lot of talent on that team.

Consider that they're bringing in Josh Smith, a former 5-star recruit to replace Porter. They already have a long list of former 4-star recruits on the team:

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera
Nate Lubick
Markel Starks
Tyler Adams
Mikael Hopkins
Stephen Domingo
Reggie Cameron

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that. But I'm sure you get my point. Even without Adams, they've got a 5-star and 6 4-stars. And I'm sure that some of the 3-stars they have ate pretty good players too. That's a heck of a roster.

When I saw Smith-Ribera last year, he really looked like he can replace Porter as the go-to guy who can take big shots in big spots and make them. Lubick's solid. Starks can score. Hopkins should step up with more playing time. If Smith can be the star everyone is predicting, the sky's the limit for this team.

I think part of the problem with the tourney problems are that they are so structured it just goes to really help their should be outmatched opponents stay in the game. I mean, look at last year what VCU did with Ohio U. I know part of it was their PG being out, and that's awful for going up with Havoc. But just as much is they forced the issue against the overmatched team. I don't see JT3 doing that.

And yes, I see the same thing about the defense. I'd love to have us get after opponents similar to what VCU does in Havoc.

(10-18-2013 07:57 PM)stever20 Wrote:  I think part of the problem with the tourney problems are that they are so structured it just goes to really help their should be outmatched opponents stay in the game. I mean, look at last year what VCU did with Ohio U. I know part of it was their PG being out, and that's awful for going up with Havoc. But just as much is they forced the issue against the overmatched team. I don't see JT3 doing that.

And yes, I see the same thing about the defense. I'd love to have us get after opponents similar to what VCU does in Havoc.

Completely agree on a,l points.

Not that it really matters, but it was Akron, not Ohio U that we faced in the first-round.

(10-18-2013 09:03 PM)VCUfan Wrote:  Not that it really matters, but it was Akron, not Ohio U that we faced in the first-round.

lol, oops. knew it was one of those Ohio schools that you guys schooled....

(10-18-2013 09:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(10-18-2013 09:03 PM)VCUfan Wrote:  Not that it really matters, but it was Akron, not Ohio U that we faced in the first-round.

lol, oops. knew it was one of those Ohio schools that you guys schooled....

Yeah it was Akron. Biggest ass-whooping of a 12-seed by a 5-seed in NCAA history.

That was nice until Trey Burke and Michigan gave us the business in the next round. McGary was a different beast in March last year. Tough game.

man so weird watching ESPN U tonight and Syracuse Midnight Madness with ACC logo on their floor. it's going to be so weird this year. Saw a column earlier this week on CBS sports.com saying how this years media day was just weird not having all the regulars there. I don't think folks even now realize just how weird this year is gonna be in general... going to take a lot to get used to....