Saint Louis Billikens
Atlantic 10 (27-6, 13-3)
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The expectations for Saint Louis were extremely high heading into the 2012-2013 campaign. Those expectations took a backseat with the passing of Coach Rick Majerus. Interim coach Jim Crews was already on board, but one can only imagine the impact of the unfortunate loss of Coach Majerus. On the floor, the news was not good either with superstar guard Kwamain Mitchell missing the first semester.
Big Wins: 12/31 New Mexico (60-46), 2/19 VCU (76-62), 2/22 at Butler (65-61)
Bad Losses: 11/14 Santa Clara (62-74), 11/28 at Washington (61-66), 1/19 Rhode Island (80-82)
Coach: Jim Crews (1 season at Saint Louis)
Why They Can Surprise:
It took some time for the Billikens to get back into the swing of things, but once they did, the team took off. Mitchell returned, but did not take over the team as many expected. As a result, players like Mike McCall and Dwayne Evans did not have to completely change their game just because Mitchell came back. The Billikens remained a balanced scoring team and just added some quality depth. Mitchell, McCall and Jordair Jett are all very good playmakers and passers and can score inside and out. Dwayne Evans, a 6-5 junior, has emerged as the team’s most consistent scoring threat. Evans is not much of a shooter, but he is a great athlete who will attack the basket with ease. Evans, like the rest of the Saint Louis squad, plays solid defense and as long as the Billikens keep the game low scoring, they have a chance to win.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Evans is also, by far, the best rebounder on the team. It is nice to have a 6-5 wing help on the glass, but he does just about all of the heavy lifting in the rebounding department. Cody Ellis and Rob Loe have plenty of size, at 6-8 and 6-11, respectively, yet they spend a majority of their time offensively on the other side of the arc. Cory Remekun and Grandy Glaze have earned some starts to add a bit more toughness to the lineup. Remekun is the only major shot blocking threat on the team and Glaze can help out on the glass during his limited playing time. The good news is Coach Jim Crews has options in the frontcourt and can matchup defensively with the opposition no matter what they throw his way. Yet, playing Remekun and Glaze more would hurt the Billikens on the offensive end. Saint Louis will have to find the happy medium between offense and defense depending on the competition and the situation. They have done it all year long so do not be surprised if they do it successfully during the NCAA Tournament as well.
Probable Starters:
Kwamain Mitchell, Senior, Guard, 10.4 ppg, 3.0 apg
Mike McCall, Junior, Guard, 9.7 ppg, 2.8 apg
Dwayne Evans, Junior, Forward, 13.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg
Grandy Glaze, Sophomore, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Rob Loe, Junior, Forward, 7.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jake Barnett, Junior, Forward, 3.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Cody Ellis, Senior, Forward, 10.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Jordair Jett, Junior, Guard, 9.1 ppg, 3.2 apg
Corey Remekun, Senior, Forward, 4.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.9 (143rd in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 58.4 (20, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.0 (85, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.7 (121, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.2 (158, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.1 (105, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.8 (125, 7)
Rebound Margin: 1.0 (149, 7)
Assists Per Game: 12.9 (160, 11)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.3 (31, 2)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Second Round win over Memphis
2012 NCAA Third Round loss to Michigan State
2010 CBI First Round win over Indiana State
2010 CBI Second Round win over Green Bay
2010 CBI Semifinal win over Princeton
2010 CBI Final loss to Virginia Commonwealth
2004 NIT First Round win over Iowa
2004 NIT Second Round loss to Notre Dame
2003 NIT First Round loss to Minnesota
2000 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Utah
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
