SLU vs. Harris Stowe (exhibition): Quick Thoughts, Start Time, and Live Stream

Billiken fans, rejoice! Basketball is back upon us tonight as Harris Stowe will travel across the street to give SLU its first action of the season. Although only an exhibition, it’s an opportunity for Coach Crews and his staff to learn a lot. The Hornets of Harris-Stowe actually enter this game 0-1, having already lost to the University of Saint Francis on November 1st. Not a lot of  match-up analysis here, SLU should run away with this one, as it is only an exhibition.

A few more quick thoughts and questions to be answered for tonight’s game:

• Who else can run the point? Coach Crews came out the other day and said that, basically, Austin McBroom (Jr.) is the only true point guard on this team. They’ll need a backup, so it will be interesting to see who gets inserted there. Miles Reynolds (Fr.) seems like the best next option, but don’t be surprised if Marcus Bartley (Fr.) steps in and earns the spot.
• Everyone’s healthy: A few weeks ago, this didn’t seem likely. Grandy Glaze missed 3 weeks with a shoulder injury, while John Manning and Reggie Agbeko both sat out practices with ankle issues. All three have now been given a clean bill of health, and are expected to be in the starting lineup.
• Could we see 5 freshmen on the floor at once? There’s a high probability that 3 or even 4 could be on at once, but 5 is unlikely. Coach Crews would like at least McBroom, Manning, Agbeko, or Glaze out there to be the glue. Nothing can replace experience. But, it would be very intriguing to see this talented freshmen class give a glimpse of the future.
• SLU could go REALLY big with their lineup: At least once tonight, I’d like to see the length of this team out there at the same time. Marcus Bartley (6’4″) at the point, bump Milik Yarbrough (6’7″) to shooting guard, Grandy Glaze (6’7″) at small forward, Brett Jolly (6’9″) at forward, and John Manning (6’11”) or Austin Gillman (6’10”) at center. That’s a HUGE lineup. It also means 3-4 freshmen on the floor, and bumping players like Yarbrough up a position, which realistically might not work. But, it’s worth testing.
• 30 second shot clock: The A-10 will implement the shorter clock for tonight’s game, as they consider whether to implement it fully in the seasons to come.
• The secret scrimmage: The schedule will only say that this is the only preseason game for the Bills, but in reality, it’s not. SLU will travel to Memphis for a closed-door scrimmage against the talented Tigers. That game would teach us more about this team’s development, but the results of it are not usually released.

Start time: 7:00 p.m. CST

Where: Saint Louis University-Chaifetz Arena

Live stream: Atlantic10.com (Click on the link, select “Saint Louis University” from list of schools, and then “Live events”)