QUOTE BY IE 2002
SLU , and its freshman class, are a work in progress
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It's hard to talk about the St. Louis University basketball team without discussing the freshmen. They make up 55 percent of the active roster, have played 54 percent of the team's minutes, have scored 46 percent of the points and have gotten a good deal of the attention, even if zero percent of them are allowed to speak to reporters.
As SLU enters the start of Atlantic 10 play today against the conference favorite, 16th-ranked Xavier (7 p.m., CBS College Sports), the freshmen are gradually making their marks and settling into their roles. There are exciting flashes of potential ? Willie Reed sure can jump and Kwamain Mitchell sure can create ? counterbalanced by freshmen-type mistakes.
"I like the progress they're making," SLU coach Rick Majerus said. "If we could integrate one or two of them into the lineup, they'd really progress, but three start and five play, and they all play significant minutes at critical times. A lot of the time, we have four guys on the floor who are freshmen."
Today is when the real test begins, in Atlantic 10 play, where SLU will consistently face experienced teams with talented, veteran players. Xavier is most likely the best of the bunch. Majerus said he hadn't seen the rest of the conference to know if the Musketeers were the league's best team, but after watching film of Xavier, he's convinced they're a top 10 team.
There were seven players in SLU's freshman recruiting class. Femi John is redshirting, and Ruben Cotto left to find more playing time. That has sharpened the spotlight on the remaining five.
Two of them, Mitchell and Brian Conklin, have started every game this season ? the only SLU players to do that ? and are easily the furthest along. Mitchell, a point guard, is sixth in the A-10 in assist-turnover ratio and has 27 assists against nine turnovers in his past seven games. His ballhandling and creativity have been sharp, but his shooting is another matter: He's making 37 percent from the field and has not been shy about putting the ball up. Majerus, historically tough on point guards, likes Mitchell's grit but has been critical of him for taking shots rather than passing the ball.
Conklin, who carries a basketball with him wherever he goes ? to meals, on airplanes ? is a solid rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and has a good short-range jumper. He's adapting to a new role; in high school, he played with his back to the basket, at SLU, he plays facing the basket. He's prone to turnovers, especially in the form of offensive fouls, and needs to work on his vertical leap.
When the season began, Reed was behind SLU's other rookie big man, Brett Thompson, but the two have flopped roles. Majerus wanted Reed to redshirt while he gained some weight, but the center, who didn't play as a high school senior, didn't want to sit out a second straight season. His quickness in getting up for rebounds and dunks is impressive, and he's easily the team's most exciting player. Majerus likes his willingness to learn and his fearlessness but expects league play to be much tougher for Reed, who is beanpole-thin.
"Now, he has a decided height advantage," Majerus said. "Against the league, he's going to find everyone has size and is 20 or 30 pounds heavier." Reed needs to work on his free-throw shooting. He's nine for 22 in the past six games, and at a rate like that, he won't be on the court if SLU is protecting a lead.
Thompson's progress has been slower. He started four of SLU's first six games but has played fewer than 10 minutes in four of the past five. He's had matchup problems when SLU plays shorter, quicker teams. "We've had to tear Brett's body down and build it up," Majerus said. "He's accustomed to dominating because of his size; that's not the case anymore. I'd like Brett to be tougher. I wish he had Kwamain's toughness. Brett's cerebral, and I'd like Kwamain to be more like him on occasions."
Kyle Cassity has had to make his mark defensively because on offense, he's struggled, shooting a team-low 22.6 percent from the field and looking exceedingly tentative in the process. "He's doing better," Majerus said. "He has a lot of strength and stamina issues, but I think he's hitting the weights hard now. He may have been the biggest guy on his high school team and hasn't had to defend the 1 and 2 guards he has to defend now."
By the start of conference play next season, Majerus expects the freshmen to have put on the weight (or lost the weight) they needed and be more comfortable playing college ball. That's when the real measuring will begin. If they're not up to speed by then, Majerus said, "They won't be good players."
IN MY HUMBLE OPINION COLLEGE BASKETBALL IS ABOUT STUDENTS WHO HAVE PLAYED EARLIER AND WANT TO MAKE IT BIG WHEN THEY GET THE CHANCE. THIS IS THAT CHANCE , AND THEY KNOW IT. HOPE THEY WON'T BLOW IT. ST LOU HAS A LOT MORE TO PROVE THAN XAVIER AND THAT MAKES THEM MY PLAY OF THE DAY.
