Saint Louis Billikens Basketball

Saint Louis center Robbie Avila will be sidelined for the next few weeks due to a sprained ankle but is expected to return at the start of the regular season, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

The 6'10'' man was injured during Friday night's Billikens Basketball Night, a public showcase event where fans can meet the players after watching them participate in skills contests and scrimmages.

Avila transferred to Saint Louis from Indiana State during the spring after averaging 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists with the Sycamores.

The move came after Indiana State's head coach, Josh Schertz, left for Saint Louis at the end of last season, prompting Avila to join him along with fellow Sycamore teammate Isaiah Swope.

The Sycamores finished first in the Men's Missouri Valley Conference last season with a record of 32-7, making a strong case for the NCAA tournament before ultimately falling short.

The goggle-wearing big man was the centerpiece of an Indiana State offense that averaged 84.8 points per game a season ago, which was good for seventh in the country.

With the addition of the sophomore star, the Billikens look to turn the program around after a 13-20 finish last season.

Avila will aim to make his first appearance in blue and white at the team's regular season opener on Nov. 4.

Indiana State star Robbie Avila is transferring to Saint Louis, he announced Saturday. Avila will follow his head coach Josh Schertz, who was hired by Saint Louis following the end of the season.

Let’s work‼️3️⃣1️⃣4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/e0agSUd4eJ

— Robbie Avila (@Robbie_Avila30) April 20, 2024

NEWS: Indiana State star transfer Robbie Avila has committed to Saint Louis, following his coach Josh Schertz, he tells @On3sports.

The 6-10 sophomore averaged 17.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists this season. https://t.co/ZKK4PNXOH6 pic.twitter.com/DePJ7TWIeh

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 20, 2024

Avila, a sophomore, averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Sycamores last year, leading the team to a 32-7 record and an NIT championship game appearance.

The Billikens went 13-20 last year before firing head coach Travis Ford.

Coming out of high school, Avila was a 2-star prospect according to 247Sports, but his outstanding play during the 2023-24 season made him one of the top transfers. He was considered to be a 4-star transfer prospect and the No. 43 overall player in the portal by 247Sports.

While Avila likely had his choice of Power 6 schools, he said his relationship with Schertz ultimately led him to Saint Louis, per the St. Louis-Dispatch's Stu Durando.

"I believed in him when he recruited me to Indiana State and it went well there, so I didn't see a reason to change it up," Avila said. "I was convinced from the beginning to follow him here. The biggest thing that draws me to him is he's up front and honest and we've had a good deal the last few years."

The fan favorite among college basketball fans will be a big part of Saint Louis' rebuild. He was the runner-up for the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and will have a good chance to take home the A10 Player of the Year award in 2024.

The news of Avila's transfer comes after the Billikens' star player from last season, Gibson Jimerson, announced he would return for his final season after entering the transfer portal. Jimerson averaged 15.8 points per game last year.

With Jimerson returning and Avila joining, Saint Louis could make a run at the NCAA tournament next season.

Saint Louis University assistant men's basketball coach Ford Stuen died Tuesday at the age of 29.

The Saint Louis athletic department announced the news about Stuen, who was the team's director of player development for three years before being promoted to assistant coach. 

"Words cannot begin to express the pain and sorrow we are all experiencing right now," SLU Director of Athletics Chris May said. "Everyone associated with our program knew Ford as someone who was fully invested in working for the betterment of our student-athletes. His passion, positivity, and amazing outlook on life are things we will all take with us. Our hearts go out to Courtney, Lucy, and Ford's wonderful family. Please keep the Stuen family, as well as Travis Ford and the Ford family, in your thoughts and prayers."

Stuen is survived by his wife, Courtney and stepdaughter Lucy. Courtney Stuen is also due to give birth to their son in August.

The former Oklahoma State basketball player had been hospitalized since early April at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. 

"Late in the Billikens' 2020-2021 season, Stuen complained of pain in his stomach area," per Frank Cusumano and Corey Miller of KSDK. "He was diagnosed with an infection and never recovered, even after antibiotics and a medically-induced coma."

Condolences and remembrances poured in following the news of Stuen's death:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the @SaintLouisMBB. 29 year old assistant coach Ford Stuen has passed away. He was hospitalized since Easter with an infection. He was a wonderful young man who was rising star in the coaching world. Ford leaves behind a wife and child.

— Frank Cusumano (@Frank_Cusumano) May 11, 2021

Absolutely awful news. Saint Louis assistant coach Ford Stuen has passed away at the age of 29. Billikens head coach Travis Ford’s nephew. https://t.co/uIgqTTcYPw

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 11, 2021

Saint Louis is such a tight community in the sports world..we lose someone like Ford Stuen with such a bright future we all mourn the loss of someone special..My thoughts and prayers are with @SaintLouisMBB team, Courtney and the Stuen family during this difficult time.

— Pat Maroon (@patmaroon) May 12, 2021

@CoachTFord5 My sincere condolences to you, your family, staff, & players with the passing of Ford Stuen. He was always great to talk to & always excited about working @SaintLouisMBB
RIP Ford

— Chris Lowery (@CoachCLow) May 12, 2021

Stuen worked under his uncle, Billikens head coach Travis Ford. He played under Ford when the two were at Oklahoma State from 2012-16. The Cowboys made three NCAA tournament appearances during that time.

Ford and the Cowboys parted ways in 2016, but the coach landed the men's basketball head coaching job at Saint Louis and took Stuen under his coaching wing. The Billikens notably won 23 games apiece during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches recently named Stuen to its 2020 Under Armour 30-Under-30 Team, "representing 30 of the most outstanding men’s college basketball coaches under the age of 30."

The Saint Louis men's basketball team had a rough night on the court Wednesday against St. Bonaventure, and it got even worse when the Billikens tried to leave St. Bonaventure's Reilly Center.

According to Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the team bus left without the players and coaches after the game:

The SLU basketball bus driver decided to leave Olean with the team's equipment tonight without the Billikens.

— stu durando (@studurando) February 9, 2017

The bus driver and bus were found in Randolph, N.Y., about 40 miles west and the team has been transported to get its equipment.

— stu durando (@studurando) February 9, 2017

The location of the bus was tracked through coach Travis Ford's iPad, which he had left onboard.

— stu durando (@studurando) February 9, 2017

Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com reported that Linda Edmister, the driver, "had taken the bus 40 miles away to Randolph, New York, where she was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated." Edmister had a 0.22 blood alcohol content.

Senior guard Mike Crawford joked about the situation after the bus was found:

Thank god for find my iPhone

— Mike Crawford (@LikeMike32) February 9, 2017

St. Bonaventure beat Saint Louis 70-55, outscoring the Billikens 44-23 in the second half.

This has been a challenging season for Saint Louis, which is 8-16 with a 3-8 record in the Atlantic 10. Head coach Travis Ford is in his first year with the program after spending the previous eight campaigns with Oklahoma State.

The Billikens have posted back-to-back losing seasons and are headed toward a third straight unless they make a surprising run through the conference tournament.

Losing the bus adds to a tough year.

The Saint Louis Billikens won 24 of their first 26 games this season, but stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their last five games outright and covering the spread in just one of their last nine outings.

The North Carolina State Wolfpack, on the other hand, are riding an 11-2 against the spread run after beating Xavier in an NCAA tournament play-in game on Tuesday night. The Billikens—who were upset last year in this same position as a No. 5 seed—and the Wolfpack meet in the Midwest Region.

Spread and total points scored betting line

The Billikens opened as two-point favorites but it was -3 on Wednesday. The total was 132. (Compare lines and consensus on the Odds Shark matchup report)

Odds Shark computer pick

70.9-64.3 Billikens

Why pick N.C. State to cover the spread?

Not much was expected out of N.C. State this season—who had just one returning starter—but the Pack is back in the tournament for the third straight season with an at-large bid out of the ACC.

North Carolina State sat on the bubble a couple of weeks ago, but a quick four-game winning streak—which included victories over Pitt and Syracuse—was just enough to get in. The No. 12 Wolfpack are led by sophomore forward TJ Warren (24 points per game), who can get a hoop when it's really needed. And they've got some depth, with eight guys averaging at least 20 minutes.

They also know that Saint Louis was upset as a 5 seed last year, so why not two years in a row, especially when laying just a few points?

Why pick Saint Louis to cover the spread?

Four starters from a team that won 28 games last season returned to the Billikens this year, so it's no surprise that they're a No. 5 seed for the NCAA tournament. Saint Louis won the Atlantic 10's regular-season title for the second year in a row, although their upset loss to St. Bonaventure in the conference tournament might have cost them a better seed.

The Billikens started 24-2 this season, with their only losses coming to Wisconsin and Wichita State. Saint Louis starts five seniors, has four guys averaging at least 10 PPG and plays pretty good defense, holding foes to less than 40 percent field goal shooting on the season.

Smart betting pick

Saint Louis has lost four of its last five games, but it's better than that. This team is smart, tough and experienced, playing in the tournament for the third season in a row. If the Billikens can keep Warren from going off for something crazy, they should win this game. Give the points and go with Saint Louis.

Power rankings

North Carolina State Wolfpack: No. 177

Saint Louis Billikens: No. 169 (per Odds Shark power ranks)

March Madness betting trends

• North Carolina State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
  Saint Louis 1-8 ATS past nine games
• NC State riding 10-2 ATS streak over its past dozen games
• Over is 8-1 in the past nine NC State games
• Under is 8-1 in the past nine NC State tournament games

Note: All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark - download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

It has now been 61 days since the St. Louis Billikens lost a game. Over that stretch they have won 16 straight games, started off A-10 play with a 9-0 record and have now climbed to No. 12 in the AP poll, their highest ranking since the 1964-65 season when they were ranked No. 4 in the country.

The run St. Louis has been on has been very impressive and as the wins have piled up, more and more people have begun to take notice of this mid-major from the Midwest.

St. Louis fans obviously know all about their team, but the rest of the country needs to familiarize themselves with the Billikens before they bust some brackets in March.

Certainly this is not your typical Cinderella team. After all, the Billikens moved to No. 12 in the AP poll today, but they still are not garnering the attention they deserve. By large portions of the country the Billikens are still looked at as that decent mid-major who just cannot compete with the top teams like Syracuse, Duke, Michigan State, Kansas and Kentucky.

Those people could not be more wrong, though.

The Billikens hang their hat on their defense. With only 58.8 points allowed per game, St. Louis ranks eighth in the country in points allowed per game. Every player on the court makes it his job to create as much pressure on the man he is guarding as he possibly can.

The team is led out front by a pair of stingy senior guards—Jordair Jett and Mike McCall Jr. Jett and McCall are veterans on this team and have both averaged well over 20 minutes per game in all four of their years at St. Louis. That gives them not only regular season experience but NCAA tournament experience as well, since the Billikens have won a game in each of the last two NCAA tournaments.

The experience does not stop there for St. Louis though. The front court is full of seniors as well.

Dwayne Evans, like Jett and McCall, has averaged over 20 minutes per game in each of his four years at St. Louis and is the team's leading scorer this season. Rob Loe has averaged over 20 minutes per game in each of the last two seasons as well as played significant minutes in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Forward Jake Barnett rounds out the starting five and is a senior. Barnett transferred from Toledo after his freshman year, where he averaged 34.9 minutes per game, and has been in the St. Louis rotation ever since.

The experience does not stop there, though. The St. Louis bench is loaded with talented underclassmen who provide the Billikens with a deep rotation of players they can go to in any situation.

Sophomore guard Austin McBroom, along with junior forwards Grandy Glaze and John Manning, get the bulk of the minutes off the bench for St. Louis and are the future of this team next season since so many key pieces will be lost to graduation. Right now all three are gaining quality experience and all of them can be trusted to make big plays in key situations.

There are lots of teams in the country who feature lots of seniors on their teams, however.

What makes this team so special?

The Billikens not only have the experience and the strong defense, but they have the offense as well. If you look at the stats, they certainly will not blow you away. St. Louis ranks 195th in points per game with 70.9 and ranks 197th in field goal percentage as they shoot the ball at 44 percent from the floor.

The numbers are very average, but if you watch their style of play you can see how clutch their offense is. The grind-it-out style of play on defense has been nothing new for the Billikens. Even under the late Rick Majerus, the Billikens were all about dedication to the defensive end of the floor.

Now when the key situations come around, the offense delivers. Just look at their last game. With the game tied in its final seconds, Jett calmly ran down the clock and then drove the lane for an easy game winning layup with only seconds remaining.

The Billikens still have their problems on offense and can go very cold from the floor at times like any team, but when that happens they fall back on their outstanding defense and allow that to frustrate opponents, which ultimately leads to easy buckets on the other side of the court.

Now that you have gotten to know the Billikens very briefly, you may think that this does not sound like much of a Cinderella story. After all, they are ranked No. 12 in the country and are one of the top defensive teams in all the land as well.

The reason St. Louis is a Cinderella team is because of where they came from and what lies ahead in their future.

After finishing last season ranked No. 16 in the country, the Billikens were nowhere to be found in the rankings when this college basketball season started almost four months ago. In fact, St. Louis only had three votes in the AP poll when the preseason rankings came out. When Week 4 of the AP poll came around, the Billikens did not have any votes.

It wasn't until January 6 when we even saw St. Louis in the AP poll voting once again. That week they had 19 votes.

That is when the climb to the top began. The Billikens won their ninth game in a row at Dayton on January 11 and found themselves ranked No. 24 in the AP poll two days later. After extending their winning streak to 11 games, the Billikens climbed to No. 19 in the rankings. Four more wins shot the Billikens up to No. 13 in the rankings.

Then on Feb. 10 the Billikens moved up to No. 12 in the rankings, their highest ranking since the 1964-65 season.

After the death of head coach Majerus last season, Jim Crews had to take control of this program and has done an unbelievable job with this team from day one. He has taught them to battle through adversity by staying together and relying on hard work, which they exhibit in their tough grind-it-out style of defense.

This is not your typical March Madness underdog. The Billikens are using this season to prove that they are one of the top teams in the country and as the wins continue to pile up, the Billikens will only gain more and more respect.

Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Arizona can have their freshmen phenoms. The Billikens have five seniors who have all been to the NCAA tournament and know what it takes to win games at the highest level.

This is not just a feel good story of a team who rallied around the death of their head coach last season and is going to win a couple tournament games to feel good about themselves.

This team has the ability to take their Cinderella status not just into the Sweet Sixteen or the Elite Eight, but beyond that. Maybe even to a championship.

Do you think it sounds ridiculous?

Maybe, but that's what the Billikens want you to think.

This team has won 47 of their last 53 games for a reason.

They are 22-2 this season for a reason.

In St. Louis their fans use the hashtag #RiseOfTheBillikens after every win.

You can certainly expect to see a lot of those hashtags once March rolls around because the Billikens are ready to prove this year that they belong with the elite teams in the country.

Last week, we began our offseason checkup of the Atlantic 10 men’s basketball conference. We profiled the four teams St. Louis University will share home-and-home matchups with this season—Dayton, VCU, Duquesne and George Mason.

Now, let’s take a look at the other four A-10 squads coming to Chaifetz Arena as part of SLU’s home conference schedule.

Fordham

The Rams are in full-rebuilding mode. In fact, it seems they have been for a very long time. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

Over the last five seasons, the Rams have won exactly eight conference games. That’s not a per-season average. That’s eight total victories within the A-10.

Only two of those wins have been on the road (coincidentally, both at St. Bonaventure). On the road, the Rams haven’t defeated a conference team outside New York since 2008.

The team is also entering next season without their best player, having graduated forward Chris Gaston and his team-leading averages of 14.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, in an injury-shortened season.

One step forward, one step back.

Head coach Tom Pecora took over a Rams team in 2010 coming off a 2-26 season (0-16 in conference). He’s slowly been building the team back to respectability.

This is where the good news starts.

The Rams return their starting rotation (minus Gaston), including the team’s top scorers, rebounders and assist men (again, minus Gaston).

Senior guard Branden Frazier (6’3”, 170 pounds) will assume Gaston’s role as the team’s top threat. The Rams’ team MVP last season, Frazier was third in the A-10 in assists and ranked in the top 10 for free-throw percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Having averaged 14 points and five assists last year, Frazier shouldn’t have a problem handling such a heavy load.

Any SLU fan who watched last season’s game in the Bronx was undoubtedly impressed with the Rams’ big man, Travion Leonard. As a freshman last year, Leonard (6’8”, 275 pounds) was masterful down low against the Billikens, scoring 12 points in 26 minutes.

If Leonard keeps working on his low-post game, his strong legs and soft touch around the basket will always keep the Rams’ offense efficient.

We are certainly a couple seasons away from seeing it come to fruition, but the next wave of Fordham talent is coming.

The Rams’ incoming class for this season is led by guard Jon Severe. Last year’s Mr. Basketball in New York, Severe (6’3”, 180 pounds) brings a 21-point scoring average and 40 percent shooting from three-point range.

The only A-10 recruit named to the Parade All-American list in 2013, Severe has the hardware and the skills to make an impact on the court sooner rather than later.

George Washington

It was another mediocre year for the Colonials last season, finishing with a 13-17 overall record, including 7-9 record within the A-10. For the last three seasons, George Washington has averaged 13 wins per season (seven in conference).

It appears the program’s time spent stuck in the mud is coming to a close. The program graduated four seniors last year. However, only one of the four (Lasan Kromah) was a productive player.

Isaiah Armwood (6’9”, 210 pounds) returns for his senior season. Armwood led the Colonials last year in minutes, points, rebounds and blocks. He’ll be expected to contribute more on the offensive end this coming season, after averaging less than nine shots per game last year.

The job of getting Armwood the ball will fall to sophomore point guard Joe McDonald. As a freshman last year, McDonald (6’1”, 181 pounds) impressed by leading the team in assists (3.2 per game), while playing the second-most minutes.

If McDonald’s game improves and Armwood becomes more aggressive with the ball down low, the Colonials have a chance to shock a few A-10 opponents.

Six new faces will be joining GW’s program this season, including three transfers. Colonial fans are most excited about senior guard Maurice Creek. Working on a fifth year of eligibility after graduating from Indiana, Creek (6’5”, 195 pounds) has the ability to score, as long as he can stay healthy.

Sophomore guard Domonique Bull will join the Colonials’ active roster after sitting out last year due to his transfer from Missouri. Bull (6’4”, 220 pounds) was a highly decorated high school athlete in Massachusetts. Bull can fill a stat sheet and should be able to find enough minutes on GW’s roster to make an impact.

The Colonials are a big team with a good mix of upper and lower-classmen. The team appears close to making a move up the A-10 standings.

Richmond

It's difficult to not pay close attention to the comings and goings of the Spiders. Maybe it’s the style of their play. Like a bad car crash, you can’t take your eyes off the slow, methodical motion offense head coach Chris Mooney has mastered over the years.

However, those celebrations after Sweet 16 NCAA tournament runs and 25-plus win seasons are distant memories.

The last two Spiders’ teams have finished a mediocre 16-16 and 19-15, respectively. Their place in the A-10 is of a similar nature, having gone 15-17 in the conference over the same period.

Team leader Darien Brothers is gone, having graduated. It’s now time for senior forward Derrick Williams and junior guard Kendall Anthony to finally perform up to their potential.

Anthony (5’8”, 140 pounds) has the ability to put the ball in the basket. He scored in double figures 23 times last season, topping 15 points eight times.

The only question left for Anthony is if he will ever improve his shot (42 percent last season). It has to be incredibly frustrating for Spiders fans to see Anthony shoot better from three-point range then he does from two-point range.

Williams (6’6”, 285 pounds) returns as the team’s leading rebounder. Despite an injury-plagued junior year last season, Williams managed to average a respectable 11 points and five rebounds per game. Williams’ health is probably one of the most important keys to Richmond’s success in 2013-14.

We would also be remiss not to mention the accomplishments of senior guard Cedrick Lindsay. The team leader last year in minutes and assists, while finishing second to Brothers in points, Lindsay (6’0”, 190 pounds) is the on-court captain who leads by example.

It’s always difficult to predict how an incoming freshman will fit into a Division I squad. My guess, however, is that Coach Mooney will find minutes for 6’4” guard Josh Jones. As a McDonald’s All-American last year, Jones averaged 22 points and six rebounds as a high school senior.

Jones’ frame has plenty of room for him to grow into over the next four years. A-10 teams would be perfectly happy to see Jones take as much time as he needs to enter the Spiders’ rotation.

St. Bonaventure

Can Andrew Nicholson find a hidden extra year of eligibility? Simply put, that’s the reality of the Bonnies’ program. The cupboard, you can say, is pretty bare.

The Bonnies first year “A.N.” (After Nicholson) was a respectable 14-15, with a 7-9 record in the A-10. It was probably unfair to expect much better.

Look for things to take an ever steeper nose dive this coming season. The Bonnies lost their top three players to graduation: Demitrius Conger, Eric Mosley and Chris Johnson.

Conger was the team’s leader in minutes, points, rebounds and assists. Mosley and Johnson were the Bonnies’ next leading scorers and defenders.

Where do the Bonnies go next season?

Senior guard Matthew Wright (6’4”, 190 pounds) assumes the helm as the team’s returning leader in minutes, points, assists and steals.

Big things will also be expected of junior center Youssou Ndoye. A true seven-footer, Ndoye must become more aggressive on the glass (4.9 rebounds per game last year) and on defense (1.4 blocks per game last year). That’s because there simply is no one else who can.

As you can imagine, it was a busy offseason of signings for St. Bonaventure. Five new faces will be joining the Bonnies this upcoming season.

The crème of the class appears to be 6’7” Denzel Gregg. A versatile, athletic forward, Gregg has superb length and can guard multiple positions.

Gregg will be joined by sophomore post-man Matthias Runs (7’0”, 220 pounds). Runs was forced to sit out last season due to an eligibility issue with the NCAA. His height makes him the obvious candidate to fill the shoes left by Nicholson and should give Gregg time to work his way into the Bonnies’ rotation.

St. Bonaventure will most likely have some hard times this season in the A-10, but come 2015, the Bonnies will have one of the most imposing front lines in the conference.

As fans of St. Louis University basketball know, it’s an understatement to suggest the Atlantic 10 conference has had its share of upheaval over the past few months. The A-10 has been victimized by a series of membership changes from many of the conference’s most prominent programs.

Butler pulled a “one-and-done” with the conference, joining for 2012-13 and then immediately bolting after one year to the Big East. John Calipari would be proud of the Bulldogs. 

Xavier followed Butler’s exit to the Big East, ending an 18-year marriage to the conference. Charlotte likewise left the A-10 for Conference USA, seeking success as a medium-sized fish in a small pond.

Arguably, the A-10’s biggest lost is Temple moving to the “old” Big East, now otherwise known as the American Athletic Conference. For more than 20 years, Temple and the A-10 went together as well as any school and conference in America.

I don’t particularly see why Temple would choose to affiliate in a conference with the likes of Southern Methodist, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati or South Florida. Oh wait, I remember. Football.

For Billiken fans, it’s just enough to know that the A-10 still exists, albeit in a slightly different form from what we saw only four months ago.

With that in mind, here is the first installment of our offseason checkup on the rest of the conference, starting with the four programs SLU will play in home-and-home conference matchups this season.

Dayton

SLU’s biggest conference rival, and geographically its closest A-10 competitor, Dayton has lately been on the wrong end of a south-bound spiral.

Since winning the NIT in 2010, the Flyers have seen their win totals decrease each subsequent year (from 25 wins in 2010 down to 17 last year). The team also failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2007.

The Flyers recently saw two of their best players (Kevin Dillard and Josh Benson) graduate, while another important piece (Matt Derenbecker) has transferred. It’s easy to say that Dayton is quickly entering a rebuilding mode.

That’s the pessimist’s view.

The optimist will say that Dayton’s immediate future is bright. The team’s field-goal percentage last year (47.5) was the best in nearly a quarter-century. The program’s three-point success rate (38.4 percent) was the best in school history.

The team’s top three rebounders are all returning, and the Flyers look to have a young star in the making. Rising sophomore forward Dyshawn Pierre was not only a beast on the boards as a freshman last season (5.1 per game), he was more than capable at shooting it from outside (24-of-52 from three-point range).

If Pierre (6’6”, 210 lbs) hits the weights (and the smoothie bar) enough this offseason, he should start to fill into his frame and become a dominating force down low for the Flyers.

After losing the team’s best ball-handler (Dillard) and best shot-blocker (Benson), the concern is that Pierre will not have as many easy chances to score inside and out. Rising seniors Vee Sanford and Devin Oliver will have to take over from the loss of Dillard and Benson.  

Sanford was second on the team to Dillard last year in points and assists per game. Oliver led the program in both rebounds and steals last year. Between Sanford’s passing and scoring, and Oliver’s defense, reality says there will be a nice fusion for Pierre’s skills to shine.

Virginia Commonwealth

Havoc. Mayhem. Chaos. All of these words entered the A-10’s lexicon with last year’s addition of VCU. The Rams run a full-court pressure-style defense that lends itself to many turnovers and easy baskets on the offensive end.

Everyone knows that. What everyone might not know is that this Rams team looks even better than last year’s 27-win campaign that culminated with a second-place conference finish.

The Rams pretty much return the same team from last year, including all of their top scorers, rebounders, ball-handlers and defenders.

VCU had four players average double figures last year, led by Treveon Graham (15.1 per game) and Juvonte Reddic (14.6). Six Rams averaged 20-plus minutes per game last year. A seventh averaged 17 minutes. All but one return this year.

The Rams, however, have added a piece to their impressive arsenal. Having recently graduated from Florida State, power forward Terrance Shannon has decided to take advantage of a medical redshirt from 2011-12 and enroll at VCU for one final season.

Shannon (6’8”, 240 lbs) will be eligible to play immediately. He joins the Rams after his final season at Florida State where he was the Seminoles’ third-leading scorer (7.9 points per game), second-leading rebounder (5.9 per game) and team leader in steals.

Toughness and aggressiveness; more of just what VCU’s havoc needs.

Duquesne

The Dukes will go as far as rising sophomore guard Derrick Colter takes them. As a freshman last year, Colter was at the top of many of the team’s offensive categories, leading the team in points per game (13.5) and assists (5.2 per game) last season.

Colter (5’11”, 175 lbs) needs to improve his shot (38 percent from the field last year) and cut down on his turnovers (3.6 per game). His free-throw success rate (67 percent) could also use a bump. However, you could say all of that about almost any freshman point guard.

The problem for the Dukes is that Colter is the only known commodity on the team. Only three players return for this coming season for Duquesne. Nine scholarship players left the team last year–including five transfers and one player switched sports.

The Dukes expect immediate impact from senior Ovie Soko. The transfer from UAB, Soko (6’8”, 220 lbs) will be asked to provide double-doubles in large quantities, and quickly.

Also coming on board for Duquesne is Tra’Vaughn White, who led the nation in junior college scoring (25.9 points per game) last year.

White and Soko should alleviate the pressure on Colter to do everything, but it’s safe to ask whether White can perform similarly well against Division I talent, and whether Soko has a learning curve after a year away from game action.

It’s virtually impossible to predict with any certainty how the Dukes will do this coming year. Randomness suggests they cannot do any worse than last year (8-22 overall record, including 1-15 in conference).

I would expect the Dukes to begin to move into the middle of the A-10’s standings next year. Duquesne is, however, at least one more year away from serious contention in the A-10. But I would expect that the team will spoil several rivals’ plans this year for an easy road win in Pittsburgh.

George Mason

The Patriots are the newest member of the A-10, joining the league after 27 years in the Colonial Athletic Association. Being the new kid on the block, George Mason will be the unknown variable for the rest of the league. 

George Mason is riding a three-season streak of 20-plus wins, after finishing last year 22-16 (10-8 in conference), including a runner-up finish in the CBI tournament. 

The Patriots are an experienced team, returning all five starters this season. Playing on a comparably larger stage in the A-10 should not faze this senior-laden team.

The Patriots offense revolves around rising senior guard Sherrod Wright. As the team leader last year in points, minutes and three-pointers, Wright (6’4”, 196 lbs) will be asked for a repeat performance this coming season.

Wright averaged 16.6 points per game last year, topping the 20-point mark 17 times. He is a versatile scorer who can get his own shot, while grabbing a fair amount of rebounds (4.9 per game last year).

Opponents will also have to pay attention to rising senior guard Byron Allen. As the team’s primary ball-handler, Allen’s size (6’3”, 205 lbs) often creates mismatches for opposing teams. 

Allen led the Patriots last year in assists (4.0) and steals (1.3) per game, while sporting a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Also, keep your eyes on senior forward Jonathan Arledge. While averaging only 19 minutes of game action last year, Arledge (6’9”, 223 lbs) averaged 9.0 points and nearly five rebounds per game. Expand those numbers out over a game’s full 40 minutes, and it’s safe to expect Arledge to become a double-double type player in his senior year.

We are less than 100 days away from the beginning of "Midnight Madness" and the opening of NCAA college basketball. The NBA and NHL seasons are finished. The dog days of the MLB season are upon us.

It's the end of June. What better topic to discuss than college basketball?

The St. Louis University Billikens are in uncharted waters. They are looking to improve upon the team's best season ever. 

Last year's team won the most games in a season in its history (28). Last year's team won a conference title for the first time in 56 years, and for the first time in 65 years, won both the conference regular season and tournament titles. 

It was a banner year for SLU in more ways than one.

After losing only one starter (PG Kwamain Mitchell) along with sixth-man Cody Ellis, the Billikens are primed for a repeat run in the Atlantic 10 and NCAA tournament.

Here's a mid-offseason check-up for your reigning A-10 champions:

The Good

Jim Crews

SLU did the obvious by removing the "interim" tag from Crews and making him the team's head coach for the foreseeable future.

After dragging its feet for nearly a month, SLU signed Crews to a five-year deal in April. While the terms of the deal have not yet been made public, the expectations surely are. The Billikens will have five seniors on next year's roster. Anything short of an NCAA tournament berth, and near first-place conference finish, will be a failure.

The roster is still mostly made up of the late Rick Majerus' recruits. Crews understands and executes the system perfectly. There should be no hiccups on (or off) the court that Crews' staff cannot handle.

New Recruits

The Billikens have added three commitments over the offseason. All are powerful players ready to make an immediate impact.

SLU first added a low-post presence by signing Reggie Agbeko, a 6'8" power forward from Buffalo, New York. Originally from Ghana, Agbeko will potentially fill the PF slot left by Dwayne Evans after this coming season.

Agbeko is a solid rebounder and defender, which fits the Billiken mold perfectly.

The Billikens then added 6'8" forward Tanner Lancona from Orange County, California, as well as guard Ash Yacoubou from Villanova.

Yacoubou (6'4") is a former New York State Player of the Year, where he shot nearly 40 percent on three-point attempts. As a transfer, Yacoubou will not be eligible to play until the 2014-15 season. That means he will be asked to replace the soon-to-depart Jordair Jett and Mike McCall, Jr., in the Billikens' backcourt.

Lancona is the obvious replacement for the recently graduated Cody Ellis. Like Ellis, according to Crews, Lancona will serve as a "stretch-four who can shoot from the outside." Unlike Ellis, Lancona can reportedly handle the ball and rebound, averaging eight rebounds per game in high school.

Here are some video highlights of Agbeko and Lancona.

The Bad

Losing Mitchell and Ellis are tough enough for the Billikens. Their points, assists and leadership will surely be missed.

However, for the first time in maybe forever, the Billikens have no rising sophomores on the team who played last year. Both of Majerus' last two recruits, Keith Carter and Jared Drew, have left the team.

Carter went AWOL during the early portion of the season last year and has transferred to Valparaiso. Drew announced his intention to leave SLU in May.

Drew took a shot at Crews on the way out, claiming he was blindsided when the coaching staff informed him he was not a part of the team's plans moving forward.

That being said, Carter played minimally for SLU before suffering an ankle injury early last season. Drew did not play at all last year. So, it's not like they will leave big shoes to fill for this coming season.

The Billikens will, however, be graduating five players after this season, including four starters. Two more will graduate after the 2014-15 season. 

Looking down the line, there are no SLU scholarship players who played last season for the Billikens that will be on the team in two seasons. There will be a complete turnover of the Billikens' roster in less than two years.

If expectations are not met by more than one from the group of Agbeko, Lancona, Yacoubou or the team's fourth recruit, Mike Crawford, there will be serious holes on the Billikens roster in the very near future.

That also assumes current Billikens Grandy Glaze, John Manning, as well as last year's redshirt guard Austin McBroom, continue to improve and make an impact in the box score.

The Ugly

Call me a pessimist, but something does not sit right with me on the "new" Big East and SLU's place in college basketball's ever-shifting conference realignment.

We all know the story: the schools making up the so called "Catholic 7" split from the rest of the Big East and added Creighton, Butler and Xavier to form a 10-team basketball super conference.

Reports are that the Billikens are on the short list for one of two additional spots in the Big East for 2014-15. But right now, SLU is on the outside looking in.

I do not like that position for SLU. The team has too much recent and future success coming its way to be sitting on the outside waiting for an invitation to the "cool kids" table. St. Louis is too big a television market (21st in nation) for conference and media executives to ignore.

Yet, things change too quickly in the mishmash that makes up conference loyalty in today's world of college basketball.

One minute, Butler joins the A-10 to help make the conference the largest and deepest in the nation. The next, they cash in their chips for a trip to the VIP room that is the Big East.

Maybe SLU will be a part of the Big East this time next year. Maybe SLU leaves the A-10 after this season, along with Dayton or Richmond, to join the Big East. If that happens, then this discussion and any worry about the future of Billiken basketball is forgotten.

As we sit here today, that is, however, not the case. SLU went from dominating a very challenging A-10 conference to being one of the only legitimate teams left (along with VCU).

Temple is gone back to the now "old" Big East, otherwise known as the American Athletic Conference. Charlotte left the A-10 to rejoin their old rivals in Conference USA. Butler and Xavier are gone. New members George Mason and Davidson are set to join in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Like I said, it's ugly. Who knows what the A-10 will look like in six, 12 or 18 months? SLU deserves a place among college basketball's elite. They can't get that sitting on the outside.