How’s everybody feeling today after the most epic (tied for) collapse in Saluki Basketball history?
Pissed and embarrassed.
But lost in all that happened yesterday, I think AJ Ferguson could be a really good player next season in the Valley. I'm sure he'll have to do everything himself though as is tradition the last 5 years.
SIU is FAR from the only school who relies heavily on one or two players. Bradley looked horrible without Hickman, UNI struggled mightily while Born was injured and I assure you that Drake would struggle without DeVries. I watch a TON of college basketball and it's more the norm than the exception. Also, I prefer to look at XJ's dominance as a positive in development (a previous concern with this staff) than the point of view that we are too reliant on him. I almost guarantee that next year a couple players will standout and we will rely heavily on those players, I just don't know if it's worth worrying or complaining about next season now when we have plenty to go on for this season.
This year's transfer class looks more and more like the disaster I thought it was.
Miller: 2 points in 8 minutes
Hensley: 2 points in 6 minutes
Stulic: DNP
McGee: DNP
Not acceptable when you had to replace two Big Ten starters
That's what I thought too and nothing has changed my mind, although I think Hensley may turn out to be OK.
Rupert and XJ are our two good gets from the portal. Portal success this coming year is imperative, but I'm not holding my breath.
Wait... Would you consider AJ a net positive from the portal? The answer is yes. Some of you last year I am sure were saying what a waste though cause he didn't play... So, if that is the case how can we already say Hensley and Miller weren't?
Missed AJ - yes he's a good one! Really like how he's turned up the aggression on offense. Certainly should have played more last year, along with Hornecker and Rupert. And AJ did show some chops last year. Like I said elsewhere, BM's personnel decisions aren't great IMO, and the midget lineup he put out there last year cost us some wins.
Hensley's a maybe. He's been in college for 4 years - long enough to judge, but he needs more playing time - at the 4, not the 5.
A lot of folks rightly criticized Barbecue's recruiting, but I'd love to have a Mike Rodriguez or Eric McGill or Leo Vincent... compared to TM or RM.
Hinson gets criticized but he probably put together the two best teams that we’ve had in the last 15 years that had shots at winning at Arch Madness. They had multiple guys that could score and a dominant big in Pippen. BBQ wasn’t good enough to get them over the top though.
Hinson gets criticized but he probably put together the two best teams that we’ve had in the last 15 years that had shots at winning at Arch Madness. They had multiple guys that could score and a dominant big in Pippen. BBQ wasn’t good enough to get them over the top though.
It never once felt like Hinson's teams had a legitimate shot in St. Louis. His senior-loaded team with Pippen, Fletcher, etc., went one-and-done in St. Louis. There is nothing about his tenure that I miss in the slightest.
Hinson gets criticized but he probably put together the two best teams that we’ve had in the last 15 years that had shots at winning at Arch Madness. They had multiple guys that could score and a dominant big in Pippen. BBQ wasn’t good enough to get them over the top though.
It never once felt like Hinson's teams had a legitimate shot in St. Louis. His senior-loaded team with Pippen, Fletcher, etc., went one-and-done in St. Louis. There is nothing about his tenure that I miss in the slightest.
I don't miss him either - couldn't stand the soft scheduling and the bullshit that came out of his face.
But he had some very good recruits - Lance Jones, Pippen, Fletcher, O'Brien, etc., (but none quite as good as Kendall Brown-Surles! 😀 )
Hinson gets criticized but he probably put together the two best teams that we’ve had in the last 15 years that had shots at winning at Arch Madness. They had multiple guys that could score and a dominant big in Pippen. BBQ wasn’t good enough to get them over the top though.
It never once felt like Hinson's teams had a legitimate shot in St. Louis. His senior-loaded team with Pippen, Fletcher, etc., went one-and-done in St. Louis. There is nothing about his tenure that I miss in the slightest.
I felt his 6th year team was the closest when they lost on Saturday in OT to the Redturds but they would have ran into the Loyola team that went to the Final Four and gotten blown out on Sunday.
I still haven’t felt like a Mullins team has been built close to good enough to win in St. Louis. Last year felt like the inevitable Bradley/Drake Final and it played out that way. 2 years ago they were a distant 6th place for me.
This isn’t a “we shouldn’t have fired Hinson!” comment though. We should never settle for the mediocrity BBQ gave us.
@siu_2011 I think the fan base is long past "wake-up call" games like this. We've been waiting since 2007 for ANY team to wake up and work their way back to the promised land of the NCAA tourney, but it's just the same ol, same ol', yet again.
So let's just fast forward this season, finish around 6th or so in the Valley, win a Thursday game in the Lou before getting outcoached in the quarters, and watch some other MVC middle-of-the-pack team make a Cinderella run to the MVC finals with dreams of winning that auto-bid.
I just need to bump this, to show that I called this 6th place finish nearly two months ago. And no, I don't know tomorrow's lottery numbers. 😉
@siu_2011 I think the fan base is long past "wake-up call" games like this. We've been waiting since 2007 for ANY team to wake up and work their way back to the promised land of the NCAA tourney, but it's just the same ol, same ol', yet again.
So let's just fast forward this season, finish around 6th or so in the Valley, win a Thursday game in the Lou before getting outcoached in the quarters, and watch some other MVC middle-of-the-pack team make a Cinderella run to the MVC finals with dreams of winning that auto-bid.
I just need to bump this, to show that I called this 6th place finish nearly two months ago. And no, I don't know tomorrow's lottery numbers. 😉
You’re smart, of course you would call it.
