For the casual Billiken basketball fan, it might appear as though a bunch of freshmen run on and off the court every game with no apparent plan in mind. Rest assured, however, a method to the madness has developed over the course of the season.
Although Head Coach Rick Majerus has frequently stated, “starting is for high school,” several players have proven their value as starters on this team.
Even if Majerus is correct about starting lineups being overhyped, there is a method for putting certain players on the floor to start a game. Majerus’ ability to match his team’s talent with the talent of other Atlantic 10 opponents has kept his team in the top half of the conference during a season in which teaching has been a main focus.
With that in mind, Majerus has developed the starting lineup as a way of imposing the style of play he would like to utilize instead of putting his five “best” players on the court every game.
Early on in the season, with eight freshmen and only a general idea of their strengths and weaknesses, the starting lineup changed with more frequency.
Ruben Cotto’s departure all but solidified Kwamain Mitchell into the permanent starting point guard role, a job which he has performed commendably. Mitchell continues to show he deserves his time at starting point guard with his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive by defenders. His defense isn’t too shabby either (although it has been poor at times).
As two of the best players in Saint Louis basketball history, seniors Tommie Liddell III and Kevin Lisch were in the starting lineups from the beginning of the season. Of course, there was one game when Majerus benched Liddell as punishment for a previously poor defensive effort.
That game notwithstanding, Liddell’s basketball intelligence, his ability to create on the offensive end and his rebounding prowess have made him a difficult matchup for most opposing teams and he has done a good job on the defensive end in most games as well.
Although Lisch for whatever reason has not had an “amazing” offensive season, his tendency to show up in clutch situations, his shooting ability and his lockdown defense have proven invaluable assets.
When I browse message boards about the team to get a sense of the fan pulse, I am often startled by the knee-jerk criticisms of Lisch’s game. I would of course love to hear any reasonable argument as to why he should be benched. With such a huge offensive threat and lockdown defender in the game, opposing teams are forced to plan for even the chance that Lisch will get hot from beyond the arc, as well as how he will defend their (often times) biggest offensive threat.
Lisch isn’t beyond criticism. His shot until recently has been off by his standards and he has been thrust into the difficult situation of playing point guard when Mitchell has been on the bench or injured. Forget starting lineups. After Lisch’s improbable buzzer-beater in the second overtime on Saturday against Richmond, Billiken fans probably wish he was on the court all the time.
The other spots in the lineup have seen a great deal of rotation. In the four and five spots, depending on how big or small Majerus wants to go, players such as freshmen Willie Reed, Brian Conklin, Kyle Cassity, Brett Thompson and senior Barry Eberhardt have seen starting time.
What fans must keep in mind is that Majerus tends to go with the players he feels present the best matchups depending on the opponent, which may or may not coincide with the most talented or athletic players. Either way, don’t expect Majerus to put much focus on the starting rotation.
