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The UNews

2013-14 MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

SCHEDULE & BIG GAMES

COPY EDITORS CASSIE BOEHM ANNALISE WILCOX

FRESHMEN

PHOTO EDITOR JOHN SCHULER

Exciting youngsters join veteran Billikens

A-10 PREVIEW

Expert predictions for the new-look Atlantic 10

AUSTIN MCBROOM

New face joins the Billiken backcourt

GLAZE AND MANNING

Big men provide stability for frontcourt

DWAYNE EVANS

Versatile forward leads defense of A-10 title

SENIORS

Loaded senior class paves the way

COACHING STAFF

Crews and co. lead team into new era

BILLIKENS ROSTER

Meet the 2013-14 men’s basketball team

SEASON PREVIEW

SPORTS EDITOR ALEX KOZICH

Breaking down the Billikens top challengers

13 15 6 8 1 1 12 14 7 10 4 Previewing the road to the NCAA tourney

DESIGN DIRECTOR ALLEGRA MERRIWEATHER

U

ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR RYAN GLOVER

unewsonline.com Editor-in-chief Brianna Radici

unewsonline.com

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

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Lofty expectations for Billikens SLU fans have reason to believe the basketball hype

On Friday night (Nov. 8), the Saint Louis University Men’s Basketball team will host Southeast Missouri State to tip off the regular season. A season ago, the Billikens fielded one of the most exciting and talented teams in school history. Despite the loss of three key players – Kwamain Mitchell, Cody Ellis and Cory Remekun – the Billikens are poised for another historic season under second year head coach Jim Crews.

Much of the (praise for the) team’s success last season must be reserved for Crews’ predecessor (and mentor), the legendary coach Rick Majerus. In 2007 Majerus accepted the head coaching job at SLU, and he brought much more to the school than a prized coaching resume.

What followed was a change to the culture of basketball at SLU and a commitment to academics and teamwork.

Last season promised to be Majerus’ most competitive team after their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2012. Before last season began, Majerus announced that he was taking a medical leave from coaching the team, and those health concerns lead to his death

on December 1, 2012. “He was really a season ago. Several exciting young playfather figure to me,” said 2013 graduate ers join the senior-laden team. This squad Kwamain Mitchell. The 2012-13 Billikwill be shooting for their third consecuens were unified by the memory of the tive NCAA tournament appearance and man that recruited them to SLU and they they will be defending their A-10 conferplayed inspired basketball that would ence title. Despite the lack of a strong trahave made Majerus proud. dition, expectations for the Billikens this What Rick Majerus had built was the season are at an all-time high. best team in school hisMany seniors can attory and Coach Crews test to the student body’s was responsible for change in perspective reI think SLU is every leading them to promigarding the men’s basketbit as good as last nence. The Billikens ball team over the years. year, and to be perwon a school-record 28 Three seasons ago people fectly honest, I think did not expect much from games last season and they were crowned regthe basketball team, and as that they are better. ular season and tournaa result overall interest in -Pietro Boffeli ment champions for the the program and student SLUnatics co-president attendance suffered. This Atlantic 10 conference.

It was the first time the year is an entirely different story. team had won a conference title since they were named co“I’m hoping that students will continue to attend home games and that we will champions of the Missouri Valley Conference in 1970-71, and it was only the go undefeated at home this year,” said senior Kyle Braun, co-president of the SLUthird ever outright conference championship for the school. The Billikens were natics. “We can definitely make Chaifetz an extremely tough place to play,” The awarded a four seed in the NCAA tournament – the best seed in school history other co-president, senior Pietro Boffeli – and they won an NCAA tournament had the following take, “The team is gogame for the second consecutive season. ing to be one of the most fun teams to Returning to the SLU men’s basketball watch in the country. I think that the fan team are many of the core players from a turnout is going to be the best in school

“

“

By RYAN GLOVER Associate Sports Editor

history, with unprecedented student section support.”

What are SLU students expecting from the team this season? The University News conducted a survey (n=141) to find out. The majority of respondents (43 percent) indicated they expect the team to fare about the same as last season. 23 percent think the team will regress, while 23 percent are expecting the team to improve. 11 percent of students remain unsure.

The results of the survey indicate that SLU students expect a similarly competitive team this year. The school recordsetting squad from last season has raised the bar to new heights. “The pundits and polls say that SLU is going to really hurt after losing Kwam and Cody, but I don’t buy it for a second,” said Boffeli. “I think SLU is every bit as good as last year, and to be perfectly honest, I think they are better.”

Time will tell for this promising team, but I tend to agree with these optimistic assessments. This is as well-rounded a team as SLU has fielded in recent memory, and they can stand toe-to-toe with any team in the country. The Bills are poised to approach 30 wins and make a run in the NCAA tournament. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a fun ride.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Defend and repeat: Bills hope to make this season ‘sweet’

By BRIAN HAENCHEN Staff Writer

It reads like the synopsis for a 30 for 30 documentary. Saint Louis University, led by interim coach Jim Crews and a group of battle-tested juniors and seniors, captured the imagination of college basketball fans everywhere when it overcame the tragic loss of beloved head coach Rick Majerus to win a school-record 28 games and claim the program’s first conference championship since the late 1950s.

“They were incredible this year,” Crews said following the team’s loss to Oregon in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. “In the midst of uncertainty and adversity...I think they made a very influential imprint on Saint Louis University and the community with how they handled it in tough times.”

While Majerus’ legacy will live on through his former players and staff members, the excitement surrounding last season’s run has subsided and the Billikens’ attention has turned towards the 2013-14 season and the unique set of challenges it presents.

From a scheduling standpoint, the departure of perennial conference powerhouses Xavier and Temple, as well as Butler and Charlotte weakens the conference’s overall strength and makes it even more important to avoid slip-ups against teams like Rhode Island, which managed to knock off the Billikens last season in an upset.

In terms of personnel, SLU lost just three seniors to gradua-

tion: Cody Ellis, Kwamain Mitchell and Cory Remekun. With five seniors on the roster, including first team All-Atlantic 10 forward Dwayne Evans, there figures to be no shortage of leadership, but it appears that Evans and Jake Barnett are poised to step in as the team’s vocal leaders.

“The thing that we have great this year is we have five seniors who...know what it takes to win,” Barnett said. “Me personally, obviously I want to be a leader. Collectively, though, our leadership will be great in that all our guys will listen and listen to each other.”

With Mike McCall Jr. and Jordair Jett, Saint Louis boasts one of the best guard duos in the conference. Last season, the two players averaged 18.2 ppg on 45.4 percent shooting with 2.5 steals and 5.9 assists. As opposing defenses lock in on All-Conference forward Dwayne Evans inside, Saint Louis will rely on both players to consistently produce points and help spread the floor.

The Billiken backcourt is rounded out by Central Michigan transfer Austin McBroom. McBroom, a 6-0 sophomore out of North Hollywood, garnered Mid-American Conference All-Freshman honors in 2011-12 after he averaged nearly 11 points and a team-high three assists per game. He also emerged as a legitimate long-range threat, knocking down 56 treys on 42 percent shooting from behind the arc.

“Austin has a good feel offensively and is certainly more than capable defensively,” Crews explained. “In the last three weeks, he’s improved immensely defensively and it helps us. He gets up to guys

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

“As a staff, our philosophy is to continue to get better each and every day, on the court and off the court, and we continue to do that.”

-Head Coach Jim Crews

BILLIKENS BY THE NUMBERS

and extends us more than some of the other guys do.

There are five other guards on SLU’s roster, but none are likely to log significant minutes this season. Per NCAA regulations, Villanova transfer Achraf Yacoubou must sit out the 2013-14 season, while incoming freshman Mike Crawford will likely redshirt. Walk-ons Joey LePak, Royce Simpson and Austin Eagleton fill out the team’s roster.

Any analysis of SLU’s frontcourt should begin with Dwayne Evans. The 6-foot-6 forward notched career-highs in points (14 ppg) and rebounds (7.7 rpg) last season and enters his senior campaign as a serious contender for A-10 Player of the Year honors. Beyond Evans, Saint Louis boasts a balanced, talented rotation of upperclassmen and new recruits.

Rob Loe set career-highs in scoring and shooting percentage last season, but must become more consistent on the offensive end of the floor. To his credit, the New Zealand native became a more physical defender inside as the season progressed, a trend that will need to continue into 2013-14.

While Loe’s spot in the starting five seems fairly secure, John Manning, whose progress (and playing time) in 2012-13 was hindered by a series of mid-season injuries, will be battling for playing time with freshmen Tanner Lancona and Reggie Agbeko. Lancona, a 3-star recruit from California, offers SLU another outside scoring threat, while Agbeko, also 3-star prospect out of New York, has the size to immediately contribute in

the paint and on the glass.

“Reggie’s a beast. He’s really good,” Evans said following SLU’s exhibition against Fontbonne. “He’s coming along a lot just like all the other freshmen. So, you’ll see a lot more good things from him.”

Perhaps the summer’s most impressive development has been the maturation of Grandy Glaze. The junior forward lost 25 pounds and enters his third collegiate season with an enhanced work ethic and focus on becoming a regular contributor for the Bills.

“Grandy loves to play… He’s got that energy,” Crews said.

“It’s incredible--he really gets after it. The light-years he has come from the day he stepped on campus is off the charts.”

Jake Barnett closes out the Billikens’ frontcourt. The Toledo-transfer capitalized on his minutes off the bench last season, showing the ability to pull in rebounds and knock down outside jumpers. Barnett gives SLU extra depth at both guard and forward.

The Billikens have the pieces in place for another NCAA Tournament run, but it will be imperative for their guards to spread out opposing defenses and create space inside for Evans.

It’s time for another season of Billiken madness. It’s time to defend and repeat.

Coach Jim Crews career record: 378-356 (28-7 at SLU) Evans currently ranks ninth in SLU history in total rebounds (720) 2009-13 Record: 89-47 Dwayne Evans named to A-10 preseason First Team All-Conference 2013: Ranked 16th in Division I in scoring defense (allowed 58.2 ppg)

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2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

2013-14 Team Roster

1

2

GRANDY GLAZE Junior, Forward Toronto, Ontario

3 ACHRAF YACOUBOU Junior, Forward* Bronx, N.Y.

*will sit out 2013-14 season after transferring

10

22

Sophomore, Guard Cedarburg, Wis.

Senior, Guard St. Paul, Minn.

Senior, Guard Chicago, Ill.

21 DWAYNE EVANS

TANNER LANCONA Freshman, Forward Trabuco Canyon, Calif.

AUSTIN EAGLETON Freshman, Guard Springfield, Ill.

Freshman, Guard/ Forward Tipton, Ind.

REGGIE AGBEKO Freshman, Forward Buffalo, N.Y.

55

JORDAIR JETT

11 MIKE McCALL JR.

32 MIKE CRAWFORD

35

Sophomore, Guard North Hollywood, Calif.

5

*

JOEY LePAK

15

AUSTIN McBROOM

JOHN MANNING Junior, Center Chantilly, Va.

Senior, Forward Bollingbrook, Ill.

30

JAKE BARNETT Senior, Forward Wauwatosa, Wis.

33 ROYCE SIMPSON Freshman, Guard Chicago, Ill.

51 ROB LOE

Senior, Forward Auckland, New Zealand

COACH JIM CREWS Second season as SLU coach 28-7 record in first season

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

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Coaches Corner: Crews & Co.

By TONY TRAINA Managing Editor

Coach Head

e ws

r Jim C

After leading the 2012-13 Billikens to a school-record 28 wins, interim head coach Jim Crews was formally introduced as the permanent head coach on April 12

by SLU Director of Athletics Chris May and former University President Lawerence Biondi, S.J. “Jim embraces the goals of our department that we focus on daily- to educate, compete and build community. He showed all the skills necessary to succeed at SLU. He led the program with great class to the best season in school history, an he has a vision and plan to lead it successfully into the future,” May said of Crews.

What began as a favor to the late Rick Majerus, a close friend

of Crews’, abruptly turned into an interim head coaching position last August, when the program announced Majerus would be unable to lead his team throughout the 2012-13 season.

Then, on Dec. 1, Majerus passed away. Just two days later, Crews led the coach’s former squad to a spirited victory over Valparaiso.

“When Rick called me two years ago, one of the things he really emphasized was, ‘I think you’re really going to enjoy the people here at Saint Louis,’ ” Crews said. “People trump everything… All across the campus, the way people treat each other is incredible.”

“I’ve always thought that the best success is shared success.” Crews said. “I’m very, very humbled and honored that these guys were willing to accept and let us share their team, their program, their season with me and the other guys on the staff… They knew the system better than us and they taught us, which I thought was pretty cool.”

This is the third full-time head coaching position for Crews, who spent 12 seasons under legendary coach Bob Knight, four as a player and eight as an assistant. He won two National Championships at IU—first as a player in 1976 and again as an assistant in 1981. The 1976 win was on IU’s legendary undefeated squad, the last to remain unbeaten.

“Moving forward, nothing changes,” Crews said. “As a staff, our philosophy is to continue to get better each and every day, on the court and off the court, and we continue to do that.”

With an entire offseason to implement changes and grow the team together, Crews is excited for what this season will hold. With five seniors on the squad, all playing critical roles on last season’s historic season, expectations are high for Crews to build on last year’s success.

His teams at Army and especially Evansville were known for their gritty defense, much like Majerus’ squads.

“It’s been a pretty seamless transition because he’s been here for a few years now, and none of our goals have changed,” junior John Manning said of Crews. While Crews seems poised to repeat last season’s success, he and his staff also hit the recruiting trail hard this season, signing five top recruits for the 2014 class.

The most recent commitment, Miles Reynolds, a 6-foot-2 guard who turned down multiple Division I offers to play at Chaifetz Arena.

So far, Crews has shown he has what it takes to consistently have SLU atop the Atlantic 10, and he seems poised to help lead these season’s senior class to another NCAA tournament birth.

Assistant Coaches Calbert Cheaney joined the Billikens in August 2013 after former assistant Jim Whitesell left the program. “I have had a great appreciation for Calbert as a player and person ever since I met him during his sophomore year in high school,” Crews said of the hire. Cheaney played under Bob Knight from 1989-93, becoming the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer. He led the Hoosiers to a 105-27 record over his career, which included two Big Ten titles. He hoarded player of the year awards in his senior season, when he averaged 22.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg. He was the sixth overall draft pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and played 13 productive seasons before returning to coaching. Playing for five different teams, he averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 rebounds. He spent the last two years at IU as a Director of Operations and Player Development. “It is bittersweet to leave Indiana,” Cheaney said of his lifelong home, but he is looking forward to his first college coaching opportunity.

Jim Platt -Second year as SLU assistant -32 years of D1 coaching experience -2001 Big South coach of the year

Calbert Cheaney -13 seasons in the NBA -2 years with Indiana basketball -1993 Naismith Player of the Year

Like Bronson, Platt enters his second season as an assistant coach for the Billikens. He has 32 years of coaching experience, including nine as a head coach at Charleston Southern and the University of ArkansasLittle Rock.

His head-coaching career is highlighted by a 2001 Big South Conference Coach of the Year award. Often providing energy and passion on the bench, Platt’s in-game enthusiasm seems to offset Crews’ calm game-time demeanor well. He follows Crews from Army, where he also served as an assistant coach for five years, four of them with Crews.

Starting out as a senior graduate manager, Tanner Bronson quickly impressed former Billiken coach Rick Majerus and became an assistant coach in 2012. He’s proved a valuable, youthful asset to Crews in practice, during games, and especially recruiting. He showed a similar drive at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, where he began as a team manager and eventually earned a scholarship on legendary coach Bo Ryan’s team. He graduated from Wisconsin in 2008 and soon became a coach in the NBA’s D-League before joining

Tanner Bronson -Second year as SLU assistant -SLU has 54-15 record in that span -29 games played at Wisconsin -Former NBDL assistant coach

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2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

SENIORS READY TO END STRONG JAKE BARNETT Jake Barnett developed into a three-point specialist off the bench last season. Now as Saint Louis University loses two key bench players in Cody Ellis and Cory Remekun, Barnett will have to have a bigger role this season.

“I see myself being more of a leader and contributing in ways that can help my team win,” said Barnett.

Barnett is not afraid to be bold, but recognizes that the team must take it one step at a time. He wants to be a bigger contributor to his ultimate goal of winning a championship.

“Our expectation is to win a championship,” said Barnett. “I think our focus right now though is to just win the game in front of us. If we collectively buy in to coming out every night and battling for wins then inevitably we will win a championship.”

After transferring from Toledo, Barnett

DWAYNE EVANS As a junior last year, Dwayne Evans emerged as the top player on the Billikens team as well as one of the three best players in the Atlantic-10 conference. He nearly doubled his scoring average from 7.9 points per game his sophomore season to 14.0 points per game last season while shooting 54.7 percent on the season. He also upped his rebounding totals from 7.3 to 7.7 rebounds per game, which once again led the team for the third straight season.

For his efforts last season, Evans was a First-team All-Conference selection,

named Most Outstanding player in the Atlantic-10 tournament and named to the All-tournament team in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in the beginning of the season.

Coming into this season, Evans sits 9th on SLU’s all-time rebounds list just, 61 rebounds shy of 5th place and 84 shy of 4th. Evans also holds the Chaifetz arena record for rebounds in a single game, 17, which he has accomplished twice.

See “NC” on Page 3

spent both of his summers playing basketball overseas. Summer of 2012, he played basketball in China with the USA Eagles. This past summer, he went to Jamaica to play against the national team.

“The trip was different in many ways,” said Barnett. “I just loved the opportunity to travel and grow in my game and in my faith” Now as a senior, Barnett realizes the opportunity that he has at hand and wants to make the most of it.

“Being a senior is awesome,” said Barnett.

“The big difference between all your other years is that you realize that this your last shot. No second chances.”

Barnett seems very excited for his upcoming season. He has set is high goals for the team this season and is ready to contribute in any way that he can to reach the ultimate goal of winning a championship at SLU.

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JORDAIR JETT After coming off a breakout year, Jordair Jett is set to lead the Billikens in his senior season. Jett, a guard from St. Paul, Minn. was an important member of the 2012-2013 campaign in which the Billikens stood alone atop the Atlantic 10 conference and ahead of powerhouses VCU and Butler. A key defensive stopper in 2012, Jett came off the bench in 26 of 35 games last year while starting only nine.

He recorded 40 steals over that span and will strive to make even more plays this season.

Although his defense was second to none in the A-10 conference, Jett’s offense will be a key for this team. Last season Jett averaged nine points per game and led the team with 112 assists. He also led all A-10 guards with a .511 shooting percentage thanks to his tendency to attack the basket.

Looking forward, Jett has a prime opportunity to shine even more consistently in the

Billiken’s backcourt. Jett faces a steep challenge in making up for the loss of Kwamain Mitchell’s consistent production and leadership. Last season he developed his game by bringing fierce aggressiveness to the offensive end of the floor. His style of play helped him notch a career-high 19 points against Butler despite coming off the bench. “I felt like my team needed me to be a little more aggressive, coach told me I need to be more aggressive, so I’m just doing what I have to do to make the team better,” said Jett. He will look to challenge his scoring record early this season by capitalizing on more playing time.

Billikens head coach Jim Crews decided to name Jett a starter to begin the 2013-2014 season. His leadership will be a key factor if the Bills hope to fend off strong challengers and repeat as A-10 conference champions.

ROB LOE In his junior year with the Billikens, Rob Loe, the 6-foot-11, 245 pound forward from Auckland, New Zealand, averaged seven points per game, along with 3.4 rebounds. He was one of only three players to start all 35 games for the Billikens last season and was tied for third on the team with 29 three-point makes. Loe also recorded his first career double-double last season with a 17 point, 11 rebound effort at Temple. With the loss of Kwamain Mitchell and Cody Ellis and their combined 20.7 points per game, the team is going to have to make up those points somehow.

“Kwam, Cody, Cory, they all took less shots so we have to step up and take some shots,” Loe said. Some of the freshmen are going to step in;

some of the sophomores that didn’t play much last year are going to step up.

As one of five seniors on the team, Loe is part of the leadership by committee dynamic on the team along with his fellow seniors.

“We’re all leaders now so we need to step up and take the leadership part,” Loe said.

Just because he is now a leader on the team doesn’t mean his role on the court will change.

“It’s just the same as it’s always been,” Loe said. “We’re such a team unit, we don’t really have certain roles we just have to participate and do what we have to, to win.”

Coming off his best season at SLU, Loe and the rest of the team are eager to recreate and expand on last season’s successes.

MIKE McCALL, JR. Mike McCall Jr. has seen a lot of success during his four years at Saint Louis University. He has gone to two NCAA tournaments, won an Atlantic 10 regular season and conference tournament title. However, for McCall Jr., he thinks that this season, he and the team can be better.

“My expectations of the season is to have a better season than I did last year,” said McCall Jr. “I’m looking to be a better leader on and off the court, be more aggressive on offense and defense and just win ball games and have another great year, not only as an individual but as a team as well.”

McCall Jr. started every game last season for the Billikens averaging 9.3 points per game and 2.7 assists per game. He was an important presence on defense as well last season leading the team with 46 steals.

McCall Jr., a senior, sees his role much differ-

ently than he did last season.

“Being a senior on a basketball team, is like being another coach on the team as well,” said McCall Jr. “You know the system as much as anyone on the team, and you have to share that with everyone so you have to lead, you have to make sure the younger guys are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and doing it the right way.”

Last season, the team was playing in memory of their recently deceased Head Coach Rick Majerus. McCall Jr. claims that the team can play with that same motivation and determination for this season.

“If we want the same results we have to work hard as a team to get there, so we just have to keep getting better,” said McCall Jr. “We need to bring it to the court when it’s game time and do the things we need to do to win, and we will be fine.”

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2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Evans among nation’s elite Senior forward takes Billikens to new heights

By RYAN GLOVER Associate Sports Editor

The face of Billiken basketball in 2013, Dwayne Evans had a monster season last year in which he taught the Atlantic 10 and NCAA to respect his speed, aggressive style of play and shooting precision. Evans is a senior forward from Bolingbrook, Ill. He grabbed the national spotlight by leading the Bills to the A-10 regular season and tournament championships a season ago.

Evans’ importance to the Saint Louis University basketball team cannot be understated. Like a V8 in a sports car, Evans is the engine that makes the wheels turn for the Billikens.

What makes him so dangerous is his versatility on both ends of the floor, which makes everyone around him better. While the Bills feature a well-rounded team, Evans is certainly the centerpiece.

Now, as a senior, he must once again show that he can lead this team through adversity as he did last season.

A captain and team leader last season, Kwamain Mitchell’s departure leaves the Billikens with a void that Evans will presumably fill. As a freshman, Evans was mentored by older players. Mitchell, along with Brian Conklin and Cody Ellis, were key in that regard.

“Those guys were consistent,” said Evans. “[Conklin] would probably be the guy I looked up to most, especially coming in my freshman and sophomore years.

He was consistent, always brought energy to the court and to the game. He was always willing to lend a helping hand, so that’s definitely something I like to carry on.”

Evans led the team with 14.0 points per game along with a 54.7 percent shooting percentage and nearly eight boards per game. He has led the Bills in rebounding each of his first three seasons with the team. Evans is a cornerstone of the Billikens’ frontcourt defense as indicated by his 186 defensive rebounds, 25 blocked shots and 44 steals a season ago.

Through the first six games last

season, the Billikens limped to a 3-3 overall record. They rebounded by rattling off nine straight victories before back-to-back conference defeats derailed their momentum.

After a shocking overtime loss at home against Rhode Island left them dazed and confused, Evans stepped up and took control.

Evans put the team on his back after that point. In the 18 games that followed, Evans scored 319 points and snatched 159 boards, easily leading the team in each category. These numbers boil down to averages of 17.72 points and 8.83 rebounds per game during that stretch. If Evans had been able to sustain those averages all season he would have ranked second in the A-10 for both scoring and rebounding.

If you ask Evans, stats were the least meaningful of his accomplishments during the historic stretch. His performance helped the Billikens beat VCU and Butler a combined five-times in that span and vaulted SLU into the top-25 rankings. The Billikens won the A-10 tournament shortly after securing the regular season conference championship, which was the first for the school in more than four decades.

You can bet that opponents will go to great lengths to slow down Evans this year. His challenge will be to continue providing stability to the team as he grows as a leader.

“It’s really just being more accountable, more vocal on the court. I mean, you have to worry about everyone, that they know their positions, you have to know every spot on the court…I mean, I’m not a point guard, but I have to know where everyone needs to be as a senior leader.”

With Evans in the driver’s seat and a strong supporting cast, the sky is the limit for the Billikens. All eyes will be on Evans as a candidate for the senior CLASS award as he and the Bills take aim at defending their conference title and making a run in their third-consecutive NCAA tournament.

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

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Manning the frontcourt Big men with a big-time presence in the post Grandy Glaze

12.0

GRANDY GLAZE

By ALEX KOZICH Sports Editor

minutes/ game

3.1

points/ game

2.6

rebounds/ game

20 games started

John Manning

27

games played

1.7

points/ game

In his sophomore season, Grandy Glaze averaged 3.1 points per game and 2.6 rebounds while starting 20 games for the Billikens. While the numbers seem relatively pedestrian, numbers don’t tell the whole story about how Glaze affects the game for the Billikens.

After hardly playing his freshman year, Glaze found his niche on the team last season as an energy and defensive guy.

“It’s exactly the reason I started playing last year.” Glaze said. “I just want to be a spark for these guys. It’s contagious.

When I do that, run the floor, do the little things, it helps everyone out.”

With the loss of big men Cory Remuken and Cody Ellis, Glaze seems more poised then ever to have a big impact on the game

this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball, having lost almost thirty pounds in the offseason. The extra work was definitely noticeable in the first exhibition game of the season.

“It’s something I worked for in the offseason. I paid close attention to my conditioning and my nutrition, so what I did today was pretty much what I worked for,” Glaze said after the Billikens’ exhibition game against Fontbonne on Oct. 31.

While he may not be a flashy player, Glaze does the dirty work: diving on the ground, fighting for rebounds and playing hard-nosed defense as well as anyone. Every team needs a “glue guy” who is willing to sacrifice personal statistics and accolades for the team, and for the Billikens, Glaze fits that to a “T”.

JOHN MANNING

By ALEX KOZICH Sports Editor

Listed at 6-foot-11, 240 lbs, John Manning is one of the two biggest players on this year’s Billikens squad. After not playing much in his freshman year, Manning’s sophomore season got off to a slow start thanks to an early-season concussion.

Even so, Manning appeared in 25 games for the Billikens, averaging 5.7 minutes per game and shooting 45 percent from the field. The departure of Cory Remekun would seem to open up an opportunity for Manning this season as the first big man off the bench, an opportunity he seems ready for.

“I’m just going to do whatever I can to help us win.” Manning

said. “I just work hard every day and try to get better every day.”

On a team that has only three players listed above 6-foot-8, John Manning adds an element of size on both the offensive and defensive ends that would be sorely lacking otherwise.

Since the defensive end of the floor is what the team prides themselves on, a change in the hand-checking rules affects everyone on the team, but especially the big men like Manning.

“It’s going to affect everyone.

We just have to be really careful, obviously me especially; I have to be really careful down low because there is a lot of physical play.” Manning said.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Transfer to the backcourt After sitting out, McBroom stands ready to win

By ALEX KOZICH Sports Editor

“

I think I can just bring energy and be a sparkplug and the offense will come.

Moving can be difficult. As a college athlete, with all of the various NCAA rules, changing teams is not all that easy. For SLU guard Austin McBroom, who transferred last season from Central Michigan and had to sit out the entire year, the transition, fortunately, has been fairly smooth.

“To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to be as easy as it was,” McBroom said. “It’s kind of a tough change for me to bounce from one school to the next, especially when the coach that recruited you isn’t here anymore. This school made it a lot easier and I think the kids and the coaches were the reason for that.”

For a player who puts in all the time and effort into getting better, having to sit out an entire year can be tough. But, McBroom was excited to put in the work to get better for this season.

“Putting all the hard work I put in and having to just sit there and watch my team play without me being able to help or anything is kind of frustrating,” McBroom said. “But they did their own thing and I was happy for them and I just have to prepare to help them this year.”

It wasn’t a lost year for McBroom by any stretch, though. By just being around them, McBroom was able to learn from guards Kwamain Mitchell, Mike McCall Jr. and Jordair Jett about what is expected of a player at Saint Louis University.

“I was able to learn a lot,” McBroom said. “Watching [Mitchell], watching [McCall Jr.], watching [Jett], I had three guards I was able to look up to and learn a lot from, just being able to talk to them about the game.”

As a transfer player, McBroom is sort of an unknown to many SLU basketball fans. As a freshman at Central Michigan, McBroom averaged 10.9 points per game while shooting 42 percent from the three-point line.

While the competition level at Central Michigan may not be the same as it is here at Saint Louis and in the Atlantic-10, that accuracy from beyond the arc should be a welcome site for a Billiken team that had only one player shoot above 33 percent from behind the three last season.

“The coaches are telling me to look for my shot; I can shoot it from the outside, just be aggressive offensively.

For me, because we’re more of a defensive team, I think I can just bring energy and be a sparkplug and the offense will come,” McBroom said about his role on the team this year.

While his ability to knock down shots adds a nice offensive punch off the bench, the calling card of the team is the ability to lock down an opponent on the defensive side of the ball and that is where McBroom says he has worked on and improved the most since transferring to SLU. “The biggest thing is probably my defense. I have had to really focus on my defense because this school is really known for our defense. We win games with our defense,” McBroom said.

With the first game of the season just around the corner, McBroom is ready to get out on the court and show Billiken fans just what he can do to help this team reach even further than it did last year.

“

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

ATLANTIC 10 PREVIEW

13

Key departures, additions make for exciting season 1. VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (27-9; 12-4 A-10) Key Returners: Juvonte Reddic, Treaveon Graham, Brionte Weber While the Rams lost sharpshooter Troy Daniels and Darius Theus, they return two A-10 first-team All-Conference players in Juvonte Reddic (14.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Treveon Graham. Reddic averaged almost a double-double last year, and coach Shaka Smart’s HAVOC game plans will continue to overwhelm many of VCU’s opponents.

In addition, First Team All-Defensive guard Brionte Weber will continued to harass opposing backcourts.

7. DAYTON (17-14; 7-9 A-10) Key Returners: Vee Sanford, Devin Oliver Coach Archie Miller’s Flyers squad has fallen from the top of the A-10 the past five years, peaking at 27 wins in 2008. Georgetown transfer Vee Sanford (12 ppg) will be a scoring threat for Dayton.

The Flyers test themselves early, heading to the Maui Invitational to face a traditionally powerhouse-heavy field, including Gonzaga in the first round.

8. GEORGE MASON (22-16; 10-8 CAA) 2. SAINT LOUIS (28-7, 13-3 A-10) Key Returners: Dwanye Evans, Mike McCall Jr., Jordair Jett The defending A-10 regular season and tournament champions come into the 2013-14 season looking to clean up some unfinished business. While they lose star point guard Kwamain Mitchell and sixth man Cody Ellis (10 ppg), the senior class is laden with talent and will look to lead the Bills to a third consecutive NCAA tournament for the first time.

Key Returners: Sherrod Wright, Jonathan Alredge The A-10 newcomers struggled in the CAA last season before making a run to the CBI finals (as SLU did in 2010). Sherrod Wright (17 ppg) is the Patriots’ main scoring threat, but almost the entirety of George Mason’s rotation returns from last year.

They’ll need veterans like Jonathan Alredge (9 ppg) and Bryon Allen to step up to provide a well-rounded attack.

9. RHODE ISLAND (7-24, 4-12 A-10) 3. LA SALLE (21-13, 9-7 A-10) Key Returners: Tyron Garland, Tyreek Duren, Jerrell Wright La Salle surprised everyone last year, as coach Dr. John Gianni led the Explorers to the Sweet 16. Only Ramon Galloway departs the starting five for La Salle, and Tyreek Duren (14 ppg) and Tyron Garland anchor one of the best backcourts in the country. The Explorer’s athleticism plays well come postseason, and can overwhelm weaker A-10 opponents.

Key Returners: Xavier Munford, Mike Powell Xavier Munford (17 ppg) is an offensive threat for the Rams, and a trio of talented transfers will attempt to bring Rhode Island out of the A-10 cellar. The Rams certainly have the talent to compete, as they displayed at Chaifetz last year, but it will need to gel consistently to compete in a tough A-10.

10. GEORGE WASHINGTON (13-17; 7-9 A-10) Key Returners: Isaiah Armwood, Patricio Garino 4. MASSACHUSETTS (25-12, 9-7 A-10) Key Returners: Chaz Williams Though only 5-foot-9, Chaz Williams (16 ppg) is perhaps the most exciting scorer in the A-10. The All-Conference guard will need some help from big man Raphiael Putney and Western Kentucky transfer Derrick Gordon if the Minutemen hope to make it past the NIT this season and make some noise in the A-10.

Four freshmen contributed to new head coach Mike Mergan’s squad last year, and their back this year to build on last season’s moderate successes. Senior Isaiah Armwood was named to the A-10’s All-Defensive team, and his 12 points per game show he has skills on both ends of the court. In addition, oft-injured Indiana transfer Maurice Creek will hope to contribute for the Colonials.

11. FORDHAM (7-24; 3-13 A-10) Key Returners: Brendan Frazier, Mandell Thomas

5. SAINT JOSEPH’S (2010: 20-14, 9-7 A-10) Key Returners: Langston Galloway, Ronald Roberts Leading scorers Carl Jones and CJ Aiken left the Hawks after last season, so frontcourt men Halil Kanacevic and Ronald Roberts, in addition to Langston Galloway (14 ppg) will look to lead the Hawks after a disappointing 2012-13. season. The Minutemen and Hawks will be fighting for one of the last mid-major NCAA tournament births come March.

Third Team All-Conference selection Branden Frazier (14 ppg) is a lonely bright spot for the Rams. He’ll get company this year, as freshman Bryan Smith, who turned down multiple Division I from Wake Forest and Pittsburgh to play in Brooklyn.

12. ST. BONAVENTURE (14-15; 7-9 A-10) Key Returners: Matthew Wright The Bonnies lost most of their talent from last year, returning just 6-foot-4 guard Matthew Wright (7 ppg). After a surprising run to the NCAA tournament in 2012, the Bonnies may have a long rebuilding year ahead.

6. RICHMOND (16-16, 7-9 A-10) 13. Duquesne (8-22; 1-15 A-10) Key Returners: Derrick Williams, Cedrick Lindsay, Kendall Anthony The Spiders’ 2012-13 season eded in a wild 4.7 seconds with Charlotte sinking 8 foul shots to knock them out of the A-10 tournament.

They open at a new arena this year, and pure point guard Cedrick Lindsay (12 ppg, 3 apg) will be looking to lead the Spiders to another NCAA tournament birth after an off year in 2012-13.

Key Returners: Derrick Colter Well, the Dukes can’t finish sixteenth again this year, at least.

Last year, one player even began to play soccer while staying enrolled at Duquesne while leaving the basketball team.

By TONY TRAINA

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Young guns bolster Billikens’ attack Freshmen bring youth to senior-laden roster

Mike Crawford Mike Crawford is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard and small forward combination player hailing from a small town of about 5,000 people in Indiana called Tipton. Crawford was the first of the three freshmen to officially commit to play basketball at SLU as he signed his Official National Letter of Intent last November, nearly six months before Agbeko and Lancona.

Crawford committed confidently to SLU in a time of mild turmoil. At the time of his signing, Crawford was being recruited by Jim Crews who was the interim head coach, in place of ailing Rick Majerus. While so many were unsure of the future of Billiken basketball, Crawford was sure of his place at SLU. In high school, Crawford set a school record with 2,104 points over his four years. In his senior season, he averaged 27 points per game. Crawford also fits in academically with SLU, as he maintained a 4.2 GPA in high school earning him Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Academic First Team honors. Crawford also finished third in Indiana’s Mr. Basketball contest, an award that recognizes athletes for performance on the court, in the classroom, and their overall character. At SLU, Crawford plans to major in accounting. He cites reasons like the coaching staff and overall atmosphere for choosing SLU over other schools, like Yale.

“I’m getting comfortable and I’m enjoying it,” Crawford said. “My goal for this year is for the team to win games and then we’ll see what happens.”

Aside from playing basketball in high school, Crawford spent a fair amount of time on the golf course, which was adjacent from his house and built by his father.

Photo courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

By CASEY WAUGHN Staff Writer

Reggie Agbeko

Tanner Lancona

Reggie Agbeko was the second of the three freshmen to commit, his commitment coming in April of 2013.

Agbeko is a 6-foot-8 power forward from Buffalo, NY. Originally from Ghana, Agbeko has only played three years of organized basketball in the United States.

He played two years at St. Joseph’s College Institute and finished his pre-collegiate play at South Kent School, a prep school in Connecticut. South Kent is part of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council, one of the most competitive basketball prep school circuits in the U.S. According to Scout.com, Agbeko is a 3 star recruit who many regard as a “sleeper” or late bloomer recruit with lots of potential. In his final season at South Kent, Agbeko averaged a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds per game. He was Western New York Catholic League Player of the Year in 2012 and a 2012 Gatorade New York State Player of the Year Finalist.

On the Billikens, with a solid 240-pound frame, Agbeko is expected to be an inside presence, and was recruited largely for his skills on the block and within the post. Aside from SLU, Agbeko garnered interest from schools like Missouri State, Kent State, Miami of Ohio, VCU, UMass and there were even rumors late in the recruiting process that he was gaining interest from Duke.

Agbeko is currently undecided on his major at SLU, but he is leaning toward Communication.

Tanner Lancona was the last of the three freshmen to commit, and he had perhaps the most exciting recruiting experience of any of the three. In November of 2012, Lancona signed with Washington State, but reached a mutual decision and was released from his scholarship and NCAA obligations in April of 2013. He signed with SLU on May 5, just 10 days before the end of the official signing period.

Lancona is a 6-foot-9 power forward from Tesoro High School in Las Flores, Calif. At Tesoro in his senior season, Lancona averaged 19 points and eight rebounds. Despite his height, Lancona is regarded as a stretch 4 player, someone who can shoot from outside and is more of a presence as a shooter than as a post player.

If anyone is slated to fill the role of graduate Cody Ellis, it is Lancona in terms of his style of play. Aside from SLU, the final colleges Lancona was deciding between were BYU, Kansas State and Colorado State. “[I chose SLU] because it’s a great environment overall; the basketball is great, I loved the school and the academics are great,” Lancona said.

Despite coming from the very different climate of California, Lancona says he is enjoying the Midwest so far since reporting to campus in July and that his adjustment to college has been smooth.

“The adjustment has been easy so far and practices have been good,” Lancona said. “I want to help the team in any way I can and be someone who gives their all, all the time.”

Though he has not declared an official major, Lancona is leaning toward something in business.

2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

2013-2014 Schedule Nov. 08 vs. Southeast Missouri Nov. 13 @ SIUE Nov. 16 @ Southern Illinois Nov. 21 vs. Oral Roberts^ Nov. 23 vs. Bowling Green^ Nov. 26 vs. Wisconsin^ Nov. 27 vs. Old Dominion/WVU^ Dec. 01 vs. Wichita State Dec. 03 vs. Rockhurst Dec. 07 @ Valparaiso Dec. 14 vs. Wofford Dec. 18 vs. Indiana State Dec. 21 vs. North Carolina A&T Dec. 30 @ Vanderbilt Jan. 04 vs. Yale Jan. 07 @ Rhode Island* Jan. 11 @ Dayton* Jan. 15 vs. St. Bonaventure* Jan. 18 vs. Fordham* Jan. 22 @ Duquesne* Jan. 29 vs. Richmond* Feb. 01 vs. George Mason* Feb. 05 @ Saint Joseph’s* Feb. 08 @ La Salle* Feb. 15 vs. VCU* Feb. 19 @ George Mason* Feb. 22 vs. George Washington* Feb. 27 vs. Duquesne* Mar. 01 @ VCU* Mar. 05 vs. Dayton* Mar. 09 @ Massachusetts*

15

Three key games

By ALEX KOZICH

Tuesday, Nov. 26 vs. Wisconsin >> In a matchup of similar styles, the Billikens will play the Badgers Nov. 26 as part of the Cancun Challenge in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Other than Wisconsin being a “name” school from a major conference, this game gives the Billikens their first real test of the season. One matchup to watch in the game will be Dwayne Evans vs.

Wisconsin’s Sam Drekker. Drekker was ranked as the 13th overall recruit in the nation his senior year in high school and averaged 9.6 points per game as a freshman last year, earning him honorable mention All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman team.

Sunday, Dec. 01 vs. Wichita State >>When the Wichita State Shockers and their “Play Angry” mantra take the floor against the Billikens on Dec.1, it will mark the first time that a final four participant from the previous season will play against the Billikens in Chaiftetz arena since it was opened back in 2008. Although the Shockers, ranked No. 17 in the first preseason poll, lost big man Carl Hall and point guard Malcolm Armstead, they return forward Cleanthony Early, who showed in the tournament just how explosive he can be. This game will be a great test early in the season for the Billikens.

Saturday, Mar. 01 @ VCU* >> When VCU visited Chaifetz last year the atmosphere was absolutely incredible. When the Billikens jumped out to an early 28-8 lead, the crowd exploded. The reason I have the away game at VCU listed as opposed to the home game is because that will be the first time the Billikens travel to VCU and play in front of their own sureto-be-raucous crowd. The Billikens showed last year that they can handle high intensity crowds when they went into Butler and won, but this year’s VCU team is better than last year’s Butler team.

This is also the last of the four Billiken games that will be televised on ESPN/ESPN2. * Atlantic 10 Conference game ^ Cancun Challenge game

Atlantic 10 Conference Championship Wednesday, Mar. 12 - Sunday, Mar. 16 Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY