SLU Billikens Hitting Bottom

Thank goodness for Fordham.

Without them, the Bills would find themselves on the bottom of the Atlantic 10. But, in a way, being second to last is worse than being dead last. SLU needs a wakeup call. Dropping to rock bottom could add that jolt into the locker room they’re seeking.

Not a call for a Knicks-esque tank. Unfortunately for the Bills, a poor season doesn’t increase the chances of a top prospect, as it does for the Knicks. Quite the opposite actually. During an important time to impress top recruits for 2015 and 2016 (*cough* Jayson Tatum *cough*), Coach Crews can’t afford to lose the recruiting momentum he created with last year’s class with a season that’s far below the average.

There’s a few weeks gap between our last articles on the Bills, so let’s recap. Since the beginning of the year, the Bills have only won 2 games, against fellow bottom-feeders St. Joseph’s and Duquesne. On the flip of that are 8 losses, 5 of which were decided by less than 10 points, and 2 of which they were leading within the last 3 minutes of regulation (George Washington, VCU). As for individual play, there are blemishes in the diamonds to go along with the diamonds in the rough.

“It’s never one play. For teams to get better, it’s 18-25 plays that make the difference.”- Coach Jim Crews

One such blemish comes in the form of Milik “The Freak” Yarbrough, who’s learning quickly he’s not a secret within the A-10 any more. Although still in the running for conference freshman of the year, his productivity is trending downwards. Over the last 6 contests, Milik Yarbrough is averaging just under 10 points per game, compared to near 17 points per game in the 6 games previous to that. His strength and length can only go so far without a honed skill element. “He’s gotta learn a shot fake, a reverse layup, [maybe] throw it out some,” said Jim Crews. That power matched up with a dream shake makes SLU fans drool, and A-10 foes shiver in their boots.

A couple diamonds of note over the last few weeks includes Marcus Bartley. Out of relatively nowhere, Bartley transformed from a solid back up to an essential starter. The stats aren’t staggering (5 ppg, 2 apg), yet his innate leadership abilities changes the flow of games positively. Alongside him, Mike Crawford continues to impress me as the most consistent Billiken. “Mike’s always doing the next right thing,” said Jim Crews. Lastly, Reggie Agbeko continues to put in work. Although averaging the least minutes per game among scholarship players, he’s 3^rd on the team in rebounding. A good amount of size, and a little bit of edge, Agbeko embodies what a big man should be.

Finally, neither a blemish, nor a diamond, is Austin Mcbroom. I criticized him harshly before the VCU game (saying he should spend more time on basketball, rather than Vine), and he came out and proved me wrong. He seems to understand his role better on the team, and isn’t afraid to take the big shot when they need it.

As a team, looking forward to a matchup with Dayton on Tuesday at Chaifetz, Coach Crews reminds his “Billikids” how to deal with losing, saying:

"“Part of the process is being able to deal with disappointment, and getting up on the horse the next day.”-Coach Jim Crews"

With the next week of play including all 3 teams atop the A-10, the Bills may be headed deeper into the hole. But as I said earlier, that’s what this team needs: to be at the lowest depth, so that one day they can rise to the greatest height. Stay easy Billiken fans, the struggle will make it all that much sweeter when we’re back on top.

(Also, thanks to Brett Jolly for letting us all know  how little the players are interested in our “solutions”)