Missourians are famously known for their stubbornness and their over-reliance on common sense. Promises and posturing get you nowhere–you must prove yourself. People in Missouri aren’t easily convinced.
When Rick Majerus was brought to Saint Louis University in 2007 to head the Billikens men’s basketball team, he was charged with one duty: play to the NCAA Tournament. For a man who has taken 11 teams to The Big Dance, the job seemed simple: build the program, win the games, win some more games and go dancing.
Five years into the Majerus era, SLU, 69-61 in that time, has played in the post-season only once.
This is the Show-Me State. For Majerus and his Billikens, this is the Show-Me Season.
Chaifetz Arena was not the only jewel SLU President Lawrence J. Biondi, S.J. wanted to build in Midtown. Majerus was hired in April 2007, signing a six-year, multi-million dollar contract. But he was given the keys to former Head Coach Brad Sodenberg’s program, not his own, delaying the rebirth of basketball at SLU. There was always an excuse – the players were not Majerus’, the team was young, the schedule was weak, the expectations were too high.
Five years later, the excuses have run out. For the first time, Majerus has all 13 scholarships filled–with players his staff recruited–and freshmen no longer will be running the team. This is the year Biondi dreamed of when he brought Majerus aboard. He’s about to find out if his dreams were based in reality.
For the Billikens, improvement over last year should come easy. The team won just 12 games and finished last in the A-10 in scoring offense. As is typical for a Majerus team, the defense was solid, allowing fewer than 2,000 points, and when discussing what needs to improve this year, the head coach focused mostly on that side of the ball.
“Last year, we’d play a great defensive possession, and one guy would let us down. He wouldn’t know his assignment, or he wouldn’t get his hand up on the shot, or he wouldn’t know his rotation,” Majerus said. “We have to be tighter on our defensive rotations and our coverage. We have to talk like a veteran, mature team. We have to really, really rebound the ball, on both ends. Last year, again, we’d get down to the end of the shot clock, we’d play great defense, and the guy would get his shot off anyway, or we wouldn’t block out.”
And perhaps the biggest questions going into the 2011-12 season lie with how the SLU big men wilperform. While senior Brian Conklin (8.7, 6.5 rpg) had a stand-out junior year and sophomore Dwayne Evans surprised with his quick maturation in the front court, the rest of the bigs have been largely untested and criticized for their lack of toughness.
The most important forward this season may be Cody Ellis. Ellis, highly touted out of Australia, has struggled to find his place on the court: He missed a semester his freshman year to the NCAA clearinghouse, part of summer shoot-arounds last year because of third-degree burns, and 10 games last season after dislocating his shoulder. When he’s playing regularly, though, Ellis is a difficult match-up because of his ability to shoot threes. Majerus also wants him to be a difficult match-up on the defensive end and backboards.
“For Ellis, defense has been a suggestion in the past,” Majerus said. “Now he’s got to step up, man up and rebound.”
Adding to the front court, and the unknowns, are the two freshmen – Grandy Glaze and John Manning. Glaze, according to Majerus, is struggling to adjust to the Billiken’s game plan, though Majerus constantly talks about his enthusiasm, athleticism and heart. Manning, on the other hand, may be a diamond in the rough. Majerus says he may be a “legit center,” though he may have to compete for minutes among an eight-man rotation.
Because there are 12 eligible players – freshman Emmanuel Tselentakis will redshirt–players will be forced to compete with each other in practice to prove they deserve time on the court, an intangible that should make the team better. “In practice, it’s more us going against each other instead of going against some of the walk-ons and coaches,” Senior Kyle Cassity said. “This is the most talented team I’ve played with. We’ve got just about anything you could ask for. We got a lot more players, we can run people in and out, and we can try and try to wear people out, and I think that will be one of our advantages throughout the year.”
But perhaps the single most important piece to the Billikens’ success in 2011 will be the return of Kwamain Mitchell.
Mitchell, who’s started every game of his career and averaged 15.9 points his sophomore year, including a team-leading 64 three-pointers, is on his way to earning All-A-10 second-team honors. This year, he was picked pre-season Second Team All-Conference.
If he can shake off the rust and ignite the offense, SLU may be lethal inside and outside the arc. His presence is also a boon for sophomore guard Mike McCall, Jr.“[Kwamain]’s been pushing us all year, and coach has been matching us up in practice to make each other better,” McCall said. “He pushes me to see my weaknesses. If I make a mistake, he comes up to me and tells me what to do”
The other factor playing into SLU’s hands is the schedule.The Bills will play at least 17 matchups against teams that advanced to the postseason last year. In addition, SLU will play up to 18 games against teams that posted a winning record a season ago. Among the highlights are a home-tilt against Washington, a New Year’s Eve match-up at New Mexico, and oh, conference play – featuring Xavier and Temple.
“We’ve got a tough schedule,” Majerus said. “It’s a terrific non-conference schedule. We also have the highest RPI in league play. I like playing a tough schedule, and I think it’s important to.”
It’s hard to be excited about a team that finished 12th in a 14-team league. Regardless of how SLU does, the road to the NCAAs comes through St. Louis in 2012. The question this year is: Can Majerus and the Billikens show they deserve a trip, too?
