Back in November, I was all but certain one phrase would permeate the entire season of Billiken basketball: “If only Kevin were still here.” After all, we have the youngest team in the nation and, until January, we were missing one major piece of the team in Cody Ellis. Things looked dire.

Therefore, I am shocked, and pleasantly surprised, to say that I have only spoken of Kevin Lisch twice since January of this year. The first time was comparing Kwamain Mitchell’s offensive and defensive maneuvers to Lisch’s highly successful styling. The second was last week, when I learned that the former Saint Louis University guard led his team to a national championship in Australia.

Can you blame me for wondering how this team would survive without the sixth-highest scorer in SLU basketball history? Lisch was, for the most part, the heart and soul of the squad. He was the glue that held the team together over the Soderberg-Majerus transition; he ran both the offense and the defense. Who could forget the buzzer-beater against Richmond to send the game into triple overtime? Lisch’s graduation was supposed to present a gaping hole in the Billiken lineup.

So it’s a testament to both Lisch and the current squad that we haven’t brought his name up much. Mitchell, along with Kyle Cassity, has filled the guard spot in nicely, while Brian Conklin and Willie Reed, plus late-edition Ellis, have held down the post on most occasions. Though not one person has filled Lisch’s shoes, progress by the sophomores has averted disaster in the wake of No. 21’s absence.

And the Belleville, Ill., native has gone on to superstardom in the land Down Under. I’m sure Ellis found little humor in the situation, but while SLU was waiting on its hoops star export, the Perth Wildcats imported the leading scorer from the Billikens. To add more irony to the situation, Ellis resides in Perth, and his father Mike Ellis, played for the Wildcats for 10 years, was an assistant and head coach for Perth and won four championships with the club. His jersey, No. 6, is retired.

Now the Wildcats have found renewed success with Lisch. Last week, the former Billiken led the Cats to their fifth National Basketball League title and was named MVP of the championship tournament. Lisch hit five of nine three-pointers on his way to 29 points in a 96-72 win over the Wollongong Hawks. He averaged 12.1 points and 2.3 assists in his rookie year in the NBL.
There was never any doubt that Lisch could play good ball, but the latest achievement further solidifies his place in Billiken basketball lore. There’s no doubt that Fran Dunphy (head coach at Temple) and Chris Mack (head coach at Xavier) are glad Lisch wasn’t allowed to play six years with SLU. But now Lisch, 23, is taking his Jesuit-schooled basketball skills on the road and improving the University’s image abroad, as well.

“D’Lisch,” as his coach calls him, says he’s having fun with this new phase of his life. The Australia media is going ga-ga over its American superstar. He’s already been deemed a hero and national sports star, and is on his way to a plump contract with the Wildcats, should he choose to take it.

“It’s a great situation, and I could not really ask for anything better for my first year out of college,” Lisch said.
Of course, as a fan of the Billikens, I’d expect nothing less than thrilling basketball and quick success from the down-to-earth Lisch.

One media outlet called the championship game “The Kevin Lisch Show.” Looks like nothing’s changed.