People think this website is always negative and toxic but I think people are pretty tame here compared to what I’ve seen on social media. A lot of people are beginning to grow impatient.
My thing is, expectations need to be raised. SIU hasn’t competed for the Valley in 14 years and that’s far too long. I also think it’s way too early to be done with Mullins. He’s going to (and should) get 5 years to figure this thing out and that’s more than enough time to build a program even with all the COVID stuff and injuries. I gave B***y a lot longer of a leash than most here but it was clear by year 5 and through year 7 that he was never going to elevate SIU above average and couldn’t muster even a fluke run in Saint Louis.
Even with 5th year guys and Loyola leaving, I don’t expect SIU to win the Valley next year but they’ve really got to at least compete and finish in the top half of the Valley and start beating the top tier teams in the conference. SIU hasn’t beaten an above .500 Valley team since Mullins’ first season when they beat Loyola and Northern Iowa. Even bad teams are able to steal at least one at home in the Valley. Illinois State beat Northern Iowa and Bradley; Valpo beat Northern Iowa; Indiana State beat Missouri State and Bradley.
I have to agree that we are getting enough quality shots, we are just not making them. I think a lot of our troubles are related to the crazy (but necessary) make-up game scheduling. I think Marcus' legs are just not there. He has never gotten his shot blocked as many times as he has this season. He doesn't seem to have the bounce that he had earlier in the season. Bryan has been sitting him a little more lately, but he needs more rest. I agree that he and the team are trying to rely on backing the defender down too much. Especially the guards and small forwards. I think Jones has shown some of his jump and quickness in the last few games. I don't think we should be red shirting anyone because we need live bodies at this stage in the schedule. Especially from the guards and wing position. We will not be successful until we start hitting our outside shots.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we found out that Marcus had a bad hip injury like a hip flexor that probably should have kept him out of games but he toughed through it. He hasn’t looked 100% healthy to me all season and I know he missed practice in December with the hip injury.
Next year I think we have to be pushing for top 4… which is where I would have expected this year had the COVID seniors not come back. Made it really hard to pass Loyola, Drake, Missouri State… next year Murray, Bradley, Belmont, Missouri State, Drake, UNI… that’s the class we need to be in. I’m crossing my fingers Mosley and Green test the NBA waters.
I'm guessing you were trying to be kind, but just finishing in the top HALF of the MVC next year would be a huge disappointment in my opinion. Domask, Jones, Muila, Brown, Harvey, and Verplancken will all be seniors. I want to see them finish in the top 3, or 4 at worst, and have WINS against the other teams in the top 3-4 in the league.
I don’t think he was a huge impact guy last year but I’m confused by the development or lack thereof of Anthony D’Avanzo this season. Is his ankle injury still bothering him and that completely shot his season? He was an extremely usable player last year and was our best player down the stretch, especially in the Loyola games but now he’s barely getting minutes if he’s even playing at all.
With his athletic limitations, D’Avanzo needed to be a pick-and-pop guy who could stretch the floor. He hasn’t shown the outside shooting touch you’d hope for, and defensively, he’s a liability.
Might as well give those minutes to further develop guys who might be back next year.
I'm guessing you were trying to be kind, but just finishing in the top HALF of the MVC next year would be a huge disappointment in my opinion. Domask, Jones, Muila, Brown, Harvey, and Verplancken will all be seniors. I want to see them finish in the top 3, or 4 at worst, and have WINS against the other teams in the top 3-4 in the league.
Yeah I was being nice. Next year we should be going into Arch Madness with the feeling that we can win it, something we haven’t really had as a fanbase since 2008.
I'm guessing you were trying to be kind, but just finishing in the top HALF of the MVC next year would be a huge disappointment in my opinion. Domask, Jones, Muila, Brown, Harvey, and Verplancken will all be seniors. I want to see them finish in the top 3, or 4 at worst, and have WINS against the other teams in the top 3-4 in the league.
Yeah I was being nice. Next year we should be going into Arch Madness with the feeling that we can win it, something we haven’t really had as a fanbase since 2008.
I thought we could win it Fletchers seniors year, that’s the last time I thought it was possible. I believe this team can make a run as the 6/7 seed depending on match ups. Missouri State on the other side of the bracket.
I don’t think he was a huge impact guy last year but I’m confused by the development or lack thereof of Anthony D’Avanzo this season. Is his ankle injury still bothering him and that completely shot his season? He was an extremely usable player last year and was our best player down the stretch, especially in the Loyola games but now he’s barely getting minutes if he’s even playing at all.
With his athletic limitations, D’Avanzo needed to be a pick-and-pop guy who could stretch the floor. He hasn’t shown the outside shooting touch you’d hope for, and defensively, he’s a liability.
Might as well give those minutes to further develop guys who might be back next year.
Oh yeah, at this point just focus on development. And again, this is why I’m not thrilled with the Ebube/Wonders redshirts. You’re not pulling those now but sure would have been nice to get them some run this season. And I fully understand their redshirts might benefit us greatly in 2026, but who knows what this program even looks like by then.
I'm guessing you were trying to be kind, but just finishing in the top HALF of the MVC next year would be a huge disappointment in my opinion. Domask, Jones, Muila, Brown, Harvey, and Verplancken will all be seniors. I want to see them finish in the top 3, or 4 at worst, and have WINS against the other teams in the top 3-4 in the league.
Yeah I was being nice. Next year we should be going into Arch Madness with the feeling that we can win it, something we haven’t really had as a fanbase since 2008.
I thought we could win it Fletchers seniors year, that’s the last time I thought it was possible. I believe this team can make a run as the 6/7 seed depending on match ups. Missouri State on the other side of the bracket.
At that point in B***y’s 7th year, I think we all knew they were going to flame out despite the talent. They were talented but like every BBQ team, they couldn’t beat anyone good. They had a home and home with Buffalo and lost them both and lost to Ja Morant’s Racer team at home by 28 (and that margin looks good compared to how they played)
I can't say anything about Ebube, and I sure HOPE that his redshirt decision was based on #'s, but as far as Wonders is concerned, he himself said he simply wasn't ready. In an interview he mentioned that in the summer he was somewhat surprised at the speed of the game, especially defensively, and knew he needed a year to develop.
I don’t think he was a huge impact guy last year but I’m confused by the development or lack thereof of Anthony D’Avanzo this season. Is his ankle injury still bothering him and that completely shot his season? He was an extremely usable player last year and was our best player down the stretch, especially in the Loyola games but now he’s barely getting minutes if he’s even playing at all.
With his athletic limitations, D’Avanzo needed to be a pick-and-pop guy who could stretch the floor. He hasn’t shown the outside shooting touch you’d hope for, and defensively, he’s a liability.
Might as well give those minutes to further develop guys who might be back next year.
Oh yeah, at this point just focus on development. And again, this is why I’m not thrilled with the Ebube/Wonders redshirts. You’re not pulling those now but sure would have been nice to get them some run this season. And I fully understand their redshirts might benefit us greatly in 2026, but who knows what this program even looks like by then.
That’s why you make these decisions with conviction about where you’re headed. The fact is it doesn’t matter what you or me or anyone think about the program, what matters is Bryan Mullins and the players and their ideas of where it’s headed. I’m sure they’re extremely confident that 2026 this thing will be rolling, if they didn’t believe that I wouldn’t want them here.
i don't understand why we aren't going a bit bigger.
5 Mulia/Filliwich
4 Dvanzo/D'amico
3 Domask/Coupet
2 Verplanken/Brown
1 Jones/Banks
can Dvanzo and D'Amico guard 4's? and is Domask athletic enough to guard 3's?
I don’t think he was a huge impact guy last year but I’m confused by the development or lack thereof of Anthony D’Avanzo this season. Is his ankle injury still bothering him and that completely shot his season? He was an extremely usable player last year and was our best player down the stretch, especially in the Loyola games but now he’s barely getting minutes if he’s even playing at all.
With his athletic limitations, D’Avanzo needed to be a pick-and-pop guy who could stretch the floor. He hasn’t shown the outside shooting touch you’d hope for, and defensively, he’s a liability.
Might as well give those minutes to further develop guys who might be back next year.
Oh yeah, at this point just focus on development. And again, this is why I’m not thrilled with the Ebube/Wonders redshirts. You’re not pulling those now but sure would have been nice to get them some run this season. And I fully understand their redshirts might benefit us greatly in 2026, but who knows what this program even looks like by then.
That’s why you make these decisions with conviction about where you’re headed. The fact is it doesn’t matter what you or me or anyone think about the program, what matters is Bryan Mullins and the players and their ideas of where it’s headed. I’m sure they’re extremely confident that 2026 this thing will be rolling, if they didn’t believe that I wouldn’t want them here.
Conviction is fine but if this thing doesn’t get rolling soon, they’re not even going to be here in 2026.
I don’t think Ebube/Wonders sitting affects this year at all but it might affect next year. If SIU plays Hornecker as a true Freshman, this team is going to be younger next year than this year by experience. And Ebube/Wonders will likely go through some growing pains that might not have gone through had they played this year.
At this point in the season, I would start D'amico and give him the green light. No point in riding the pine watching everyone else get stage fright when it comes to shooting the ball.
