The book on the 2019 Billikens has essentially come to a close, all that waits to be written is professional outcomes of a handful of players. Javon Bess and Tramaine Isabell Jr. look to be the most likely to get opportunities in NBA systems over the summer, and if not, are essentially locks to be offered European professional contracts. While unlikely, Bess could hear his name called at the NBA draft in June, however, it is more likely that one or both of the Billikens are given G-League opportunities or signed to free-agent deals.

The other graduating seniors will have the opportunity to test their luck abroad, searching for professional opportunities should they continue to pursue basketball as a career. Both Dion Wiley and DJ Foreman have the skill to play professionally and it would really come down to where they are willing to go.

The odd man out of the five-man senior class is Elliott Welmer, who has been notably plagued with foot injuries in his time at SLU. His health concerns make his future in athletics hard to predict, but it seems clear that being a professional player is not in his future.

It is no secret that the Billikens face an uphill battle in their attempt to repeat their successes of  2019. Most power rankings and projections have the Billikens sitting between seventh and ninth in the conference. Considering they are graduating four of their seven primary players, the fall in the polls makes sense.

Coach Ford and the Billikens are a year behind the A-10 in terms of recruiting and rebuilding. Not to say they have done anything wrong, it’s just that the SLU timeline hasn’t yet matched that of the rest of the conference. The likes of St. Bonaventure, Davidson, Dayton, VCU and Rhode Island all had outstanding 2018/2019 seasons on the backs of freshmen. Now they look to dominate the conference with those players being another year older and more experienced. While some of the more notable freshmen for those programs have entered the NBA draft, it is unlikely they will be taken and thus will be returning to make a run at the A-10 Championship.

When head coach Ford was initially brought into the fold, a major selling point and asset he brought to the table was his recruiting ability. Up to this point there is no reason to doubt that ability. His first recruiting class brought in Jordan Goodwin and Hasahn French. His second class had Fred Thatch Jr. and Carte’Are Gordon. Three four-star recruits in two classes is very impressive. Not to mention the additions of Bess and others from the transfer market.

All that being said, the recruiting class Ford has collected for next year is the deepest and (by virtue of that depth) arguably most talented he has assembled in his time at SLU.

Depth was a necessity for the 2019/2020 season with so many key contributors graduating. The incoming class boasts four freshmen and two transfers, one transfer from another Division I program and the other from the JUCO ranks. The four freshmen include four-star recruit Terrence Hargrove Jr., three-star recruit Jimmy Bell and two-star recruits Yuri Collins and Gibson Jimerson. Mike Lewis II comes to SLU as a transfer by way of the Nevada Wolfpack and Javonte Perkins makes the jump to Division I after spending the last two years at South Western Illinois College.

A central theme of the class is how rooted this particular group is to the St. Louis area. Four of the six incoming players are from the greater St. Louis area, with only  Bell (Arizona) and Jimerson (Florida) being the exceptions. This indicates a dramatic shift away from the standard. SLU has historically had a really difficult time defending their hometown pipeline of talent. An absolute shame considering the immense amount of top tier talent coming out of the St. Louis high schools and Missouri as a whole. It’s clear from this class, and the acquisitions from the previous two years (despite the departure of  Gordon), that Ford looks to capitalize on St. Louis moving forward.

While the depth of the class is what truly stands out compared to the Ford classes of the past, the keynote individual additions of the class are Hargrove and  Lewis .

Lewis’ signing is the most recent commitment for the Billikens and is a sort of homecoming for the 6-foot-1-inch shooting guard. A Chaminade High School graduate who was part of the prolific team that included future NBA lottery pick Jayson Tatum and soon-to-be NBA draft pick Tyler Cook. Lewis has indicated his wish was always to be a Billiken, but he simply could not catch the eye of then SLU head coach Jim Crews. Lewis eventually received a scholarship from A-10 rival Duquesne and developed into a legitimate scorer at the Division I level, leading the Dukes in scoring in his freshman and sophomore seasons before having his minutes restricted in his junior year, sparking a transfer to Nevada. Due to NCAA transfer rules, the junior would be forced to sit out a year before playing for Nevada. However, with head coach Mike Musclemen leaving Nevada in the offseason, his eligibility is now less clear.

Players transferring out of programs where their head coach has left are allowed to transfer and play immediately, however, due to Lewis only spending a semester there it is unclear how that affects his case. He is currently awaiting a ruling from the NCAA as to when exactly he can play for the Bills, at semester or starting the season.

What the Billikens can expect from the guard, whenever he does play, is a scoring touch they were missing last season. Lewis averages 14 points and shoots the three at a 36 percent clip, which could provide some security on the offensive end that may be missing from a younger team.

Hargrove  is the highest touted freshman coming into SLU in the 2019/2020 season. A graduate of East St. Louis High School, the 6-foot-6-inch forward is one of the most highly touted high school players in Illinois. A four-star recruit, and the No. 5 recruit in the state, was one of the first to commit to SLU. The incredibly athletic forward wasn’t always as highly regarded as he is now. It was only after leading his East St. Louis Flyers to a 3A State Championship that scouts truly started to take notice of his game. But, by that time, he had already signed his letter of intent to play for SLU, again showing just how skilled a recruiting and talent evaluator Ford can be.

Hargrove is best when he is using his high energy motor and supreme athleticism to create opportunities at both ends of the floor. He has also begun to feature an improved shot from the perimeter, adding another tool to his offensive arsenal. Hargrove has the opportunity to be one of the most impactful SLU players next season despite being a freshman.

The group of St. Louis area natives coming to SLU is rounded out with soon-to-be freshman Collins and JUCO transfer Perkins.

Collins has garnered himself the nickname “Yuri the Magician.” The St. Mary’s High School graduate is widely considered the best true point guard in the St. Louis area. His “magical” passes seem to bend around defenders. He has shown in his young career the ability to be a floor general and a true point guard, with the basketball IQ and skill to back it up. He makes everyone around him better and will add a new dimension to the Billiken offense. While considered a tad undersized at just 5 feet 11 inches , some have called him the most underrated talent in Missouri.

Perkins is making the jump from the junior college ranks, having played the last two years at South Western Illinois College. Perkins brings versatility to the table. While playing at the power forward position at his junior college, he had the ability to guard multiple positions. He was the clear standout of his program, averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds a game for the SWIC Phoenix. He also brings a shooting touch, hitting 42 percent from the 3-point arc, something Billiken big men have lacked in previous seasons.

The freshmen class is rounded out by two out-of-state recruits to make six incoming players in total; Jimerson, a guard out of Florida and Bell , a towering center out of Arizona.

Jimerson is the true definition of a sharp shooter. The 6-foot-6-inch guard has been called “one of the five best shooters in the nation.” The three-star recruit certainly has places in his game where he can improve, but very few are as elite in a particular skill as he is with his jump shot. While playing AAU he shot 3-pointers at a staggering 44 percent on 99 attempts while also showing the ability to hit essentially every mid-range shot.

Bell  stands at a towering 6 feet 11 inches and looks to be the true center the Billikens have been missing. He adds to a front court that desperately needs depth, as French is the only remaining impact forward on the roster. The big man weighs in at 270 pounds and, despite this, rumors have indicated he has lost nearly 100 pounds in the last year. What Bell brings to the Billikens is a physical presence on the interior that very few teams in the A-10 can match. He is a true back-to-the-basket post player who uses his size to dominate at the rim.  While his athleticism and mobility will be a concern, Bell is an excellent passer with soft hands and good footwork. A clear trend Ford looks for in big men, as French and Foreman were both praised for their passing ability and solid footwork.

The Billikens have an extremely deep class compared to Ford’s years past. While both previous classes have featured extreme impact players, none can boast the sheer number of talented players this class has. What potentially makes this class even more exciting for Billikens fans is that the Bills have one more scholarship to offer.

Ford has indicated a desire to go into the transfer market again and find another big man to add to the fold, citing a desire to have another guy to support French in the paint, but there are no immediately obvious options in the transfer portal. If Ford and the Billikens were able to shock the nation and sign a forward like Kerry Blackshear Jr. (who Bills fans may remember shredding the Billikens in the NCAA Tournament last season for Virginia Tech) or Jayce Johnson (a 7-foot center out of Utah) that may skyrocket them into the upper tier of the A-10 rankings. However, it is more likely that another role player with immediate eligibility takes that final scholarship. Ford cannot be counted out in convincing players to come his way. Isabell  is an excellent example of how a single phone call from Ford can be enough to bring an unexpected talent SLU’s way.

An A-10 championship is an excellent start to the legacy of Ford at SLU, but what this recruiting class does for Ford is set up his program for future success in the conference, unlike what he has already done to this point. The recruiting staff at large has laid the groundwork for future success to a greater degree than they possibly could have in the past, and while Ford’s legacy already has a banner and a ring, the 2019/2020 season may be the beginning of a greater legacy at SLU and in college basketball for Ford.

Going into the Billikens late-night game in San Jose, luck favored the under seeded. Each of the previous three matches on the Friday had gone to the lower seed team. It started with UC Irvine taking down the Kansas State Wildcats, then the Oregon Ducks took down the Wisconsin Badgers before the session break in the day. When everyone repacked into SAP Center, it was the 12-seed Liberty University Flames taking down the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Upsets were thriving in San Jose.

The Billikens hoped to be that next upset, but in their way stood the best team in the location. The Virginia Tech Hokies. While on paper the matchup appeared to be one that may indicate potential success for the Billikens, they would need nearly everything to go their way to have a chance.

For the first four minutes, it did. They say defense travels and despite the brighter lights of March Madness, it did. On the first possession of the game the Hokies were forced into a bad shot at the end of the shot clock and the Billikens took that momentum and marched down for a Javon Bess score. Another defensive stop on the second series of the game and it felt like maybe the Billikens had a shot at pulling of the unlikely.

But that is where the magic stopped. The Virginia Tech defense settled into its game plan and packed the paint, forcing the poor-shooting Billikens to take three pointers instead of attacking the inside. Meanwhile on the offensive end, the Hokies moved away from their dominating shooting attack to instead confuse the Billiken defense with complex series of double picks and switches. Leading to seemingly unending mismatches in the paint for easy scores from Kerry Blackshear Jr. and the like.

The game began to slip away as the Billikens offense had no answer to keep them in the game, giving up a season high 40 points in the first half. It’s difficult to truly describe the despair felt as Virginia Tech continued to run up the score with no answer from Team Blue as the Billikens played their worst basketball of the season.

It’s hard to say what exactly went wrong in this first half given the circumstances. There has to be credit given to the Hokies as post game Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Buzz Williams explained the game plan as eliminating SLU box and paint touches to force the Bills out of their comfort zone. Alternatively, it’s easy to imagine that the Billikens simply shrank under the brighter lights. SLU coach Travis Ford said about his teams start, “They (VT) came out blazing, aggressively. And we were just sluggish and couldn’t get anything going. And just felt like we were just in quicksand.”

The Billikens had played poorly in the first halves of their four A10 tournament games, but never played themselves out of the game so quickly. Fortunately for the Bills second halves had been far kinder to them.

Opening on a six-point run, getting three buckets and three stops to start the half, the Bills had cut the deficit to 16 points and had gotten the crowd back into the game. By the ten-minute mark, two Tramaine Isabell Jr. three pointers had cut the lead to 10, but that is as far as they could get. The Hokies held tight over the final ten minutes and advanced to the second round for the first time in nine years, and the first in Buzz Williams tenure as Hokies head coach.

What took place in the second half is far closer to what was expected out of the Billikens coming into this game. Allowing just four field goals on nineteen attempts in the second half and outscoring VT by eight, Ford came away happier after the half time break saying, “I think the second half tonight was a true definition of who we are, and I told them I can go out that way. I can—I can sleep good (sic) tonight, because this is a team that doesn’t give up.”

While the Hokies will take on the Liberty Flames in their second-round matchup on Sunday evening, the Billikens now go into the offseason with a lot to think about. Graduating four seniors (Bess, Wiley, Foreman, Isabell), who played vital minutes all season, the Bills lineup will look to recruits and transfers to fill out the lineup. With the deepest high school class Travis Ford has had in his time at Saint Louis, the Billikens will look to compete with an A10 class that is projected to be one of the most talented and well-rounded in recent years. Jordan Goodwin, Hasahn French and Fred Thatch Jr. will be vital members of a Billikens lineup and future.

A Conference Championship is a feat that any program has a right to be proud of. For most, they are extremely rare and even one can be world changing for the future of a program. That being said, to do it in the fashion that the Saint Louis University Billikens did it to win the 2019 A10 championship is even more memorable. The Bills are tied with only the Oregon Ducks for being the highest seeded teams to earn automatic bids in the NCAA championship. Both did it as six seeds. The Bills won four games in four days, which, if you think you may be hearing about that a lot, that’s because of the unlikelihood and irregularity that actually happens.

Despite that feat where the extremely thin Billikens, who often ran only six man rotations, proved their physical ability to play consistent basketball with minimal rest, and yet the popular narrative is that this Billikens team is simply too tired to put up a fight. ESPN’s head bracketologist Joe Lunardi said “this team is out of gas,” and that has sparked the tag line for the rest of the country to say this team is “finished.”

The Billikens don’t feel that way. “This team is really well conditioned,” said Javon Bess. Coach Travis Ford indicated he’s not worried about the rest situation. From a health perspective this team may be the most well rested they’ve been all year. In fact, if you were to believe Billiken Director of Sports Performance Robb Hornett, this team is better off for having played the four-game championship.

“We practice these guys real hard, they probably got more rest playing the four games than if they had played two and practiced two,” Hornett said during the open practice session Thursday night. “We make these guys have worked all year to be ready to play high intensity minutes.”

Hornett comes to the Billikens with experience and accolades that very few have. He spent last season with the Golden State Warriors before he was recruited by SLU—making him an NBA Champion and yes, he does have a ring. Before that he worked at the University of Virginia, Hornett is as experienced in developing basketball players as they come.

He accredits much of the success of this team to its physical preparedness and commitment to the process. “All these guys are as healthy as they are and able to win games because they really buy in,” Hornett said. “I can only give you the path you have to drive it.” Though he does acknowledge that a big reason the Billikens was able to go on the championship run was the teams advanced age. He explained that being one of the older teams in the conference—playing with four seniors—the Billikens were able to rely on their “bigger engines” “It’s like a car right, we’ve had time to build really strong, fuel efficient engines for ourselves where as other,” he said. ”Younger programs don’t have that.”

What makes the Billikens sports science department unique is its attention to individual details and creating personal work plans for each player. When each player comes in, Hornett explained that they go through a series of tests to completely understand a player’s body. “We want to know how to best work with you, like, if you have a bad hip socket we know to not make you do ass to grass squats,” he said. “We want to create a program that works.”

In a year in which the Billikens have faced so many injury concerns, Hornett accredits Ford’s commitment to the program as a big reason for success. “It’s all collaborative, if a guys gotta (sic) sit out and take a rest day for an injury the coaching staff has no problem,” he said.

The Billikens will need all that physicality when they take on Virginia Tech in the first round, and other teams know it is coming. Virginia Tech Head Coach Buzz Williams said he expects a “Travis Ford” style team tomorrow. “Can’t be on court unless you bench 300 pounds,” he said. “Can’t be on the floor unless you’re really mean and really tough.”   

Regardless of how the Billikens play tomorrow, it’s safe to say “gas in the tank” will not be a problem the Bills will be facing.

The Virginia Tech Hokies are one of the nation’s most efficient offenses in the NCAA. Using an up-tempo, run and gun style, perimeter-oriented offense, the Hokies best compare to a “Golden State Warriors” lite. While the Hokies lack the interior presence that Draymond Green and Demarcus Cousin provide, they are lethal on the fast break and will punish those who give shooter space.

The Hokies come from the highly touted Atlantic Coast Conference, having notable wins over the likes of overall No. 1 seed in Duke. Virginia Tech finished fifth in the ACC with a 12-6 conference record and 24-8 overall. Coming into the tournament as No. 16 in the AP poll and No. 15 in the coaches poll, Virginia Tech represents one of the best teams the Billikens have faced this season.

Last Time Out

The Billikens beat the Hokies last season in their third game of the season in Madison Square Garden to the tune of 77-71. Virginia Tech returns four starters from last season and a total of seven players.

The Coach

Buzz Williams leads the Hokies—in his five seasons as head coach in Blacksburg he has a crewed an overall record of 98-68. This will be his eighth time leading a team to the NCAA tournament, his third in three years with the Hokies after five consecutive appearances as Head Coach at Marquette. The Hokies have yet to advance out of the first round in Williams tenure as head coach.

The Players

The Hokies are in many ways the polar opposite to the Bills. Beyond their style of play, Virginia Tech plays with a much deeper bench, going with nine guys regularly they will be able to comfortably roll fresh bodies of the bench to match SLU.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the Hokies offensively and has in many ways been the backbone of the VT offense. The 6-foot-5 guard from Toronto, Ontario, Canada launches the offense, averaging just over 16 points per game—the sophomore is a vital piece of the lethal VT offence.

The Hokies will also be getting senior Guard Justin Robinson back in time for their first-round game. Robinson missed the last twelve due to a left-foot injury. His absence was felt in the ACC tournament where 41 percent three-point shooting and outstanding playmaking ability forced the Hokies to an early exit. Robinson’s value as passer and senior presence cannot be overstated, with 551 assist, he is the all-time leader at Virginia Tech.

The Hokies are rounded out with a tandem of Kerry Blackshear and Ahmed Hill. Blackshear was named to the ACC First Team this year, and Hill is one of the most efficient shooters in the country shooting 44 percent as a guard. Both players are versatile defenders who can run and space the floor.

How they beat you   

If the Billikens get into a track meet with the Hokies, they will be in trouble. Virginia Tech prefers to get out in transition, to create open looks from three-point territory and will take advantage of teams not being able to keep up with their breakneck pace. They focus on shooting threes and finding easy looks, and they rarely take shots in the mid-range. Their defense similarly takes away the three-point shot, with five starters who are versatile on defense, and can switch at will and protect the perimeter they make it extremely hard to shoot effectively.

How SLU beats them

SLU is lucky in a sense in that their offence doesn’t particularly rely on hitting three-pointers at a consistent rate. The Billikens much prefer to get baskets from superior inside play and outstanding offensive rebounding. Fortunately, Virginia Tech is very weak at defending in the interior. Hasahn French, DJ Foreman and Jordan Goodwin will be vital in establishing a strong presence in the paint and punishing the Hokies for going small.

On defense, the Bills will look to slow the game down and force the action to the half court. The Billikens’ defense has been their calling card all season and was on full display in the A10 tournament. When the Billikens were able to defend in the half court, they were able to limit open looks of all kinds and stop runs. With the streakiness of the Billikens offence, who can oftentimes be feast or famine, limiting runs on the other end of the floor will be vital.

College basketball in March is a kind of magic. It’s the only sport that has consistent Cinderella stories where it seems that truly any team in the country has an opportunity to go on the perfect run and have a shot at glory.

This week, the Basketball Gods smiled down upon Coach Travis Ford and his Saint Louis University Billikens as they mounted an improbable tournament run all the way to an A-10 Championship, earning an automatic bid in the 2019 NCAA National Tournament. The Bills won four games in four days, upsetting three higher seeded teams—all of whom had beaten the Billikens in A-10 regular season play.

Tramaine Isabell Jr.’s performance as the Billikens offensive force earned him the honor of “Most Outstanding Player” of the tournament, as well as a spot on the A-10 All-Tournament Team. Javon Bess joined Isabell on the All-Tournament Team. The two proved to be an unstoppable force, each averaging over 37 minutes played a game.

The Bills’ unlikely run was only made more unlikely after a loss to St. Bonaventure on the final day of the regular season. The loss forced the Bills into the sixth seed in the tournament, missing out on the direct birth in the quarterfinals they would have earned with a win. Many critics had ruled out any team that had to win four games in four days to win the tournament. The odds seemed even lower for the Bills, especially considering SLU’s habit of only playing six or seven players in a game.

The Billikens didn’t seem to care what anyone thought.

In their opening game, the only game in which they were the higher seed, they were able to escape an early round scare from the Richmond Spiders to start the tournament. The Bills were able to push through and get their opening round win despite trailing by as many as 11 in the second half. Hasahn French was vital as his interior presence on both ends of the floor took all focus away from other Billikens, giving them the space to mount the comeback.

A date with the Dayton Flyers was the prize the Bills earned for their win. Splitting the regular season home and away series with the three seed, not only was a semi-final berth on the line, but so was the coveted “Arch Baron Cup,” the rivalry trophy awarded to the seasonal winner of the SLU-UD matchup. The issue they would now face is playing on less than 24 hours rest against a fully rested Flyers team.

Despite a poor opening half, a trend began that would become the signature feature of the Billikens tournament play. A break for the Bills came their way in the form of an injury to Dayton star, Obi Toppin. After making contact on a play under the basket with Bills forward D.J. Foreman, the first team all-conference player came up limp and left the game for the remainder of the half. When Toppin returned to the game, he was never quite the same, clearly being hampered by what looked to be an injured hip, a devastating blow to the Flyers. The Billikens locked down on defense in the second half, allowing just 25 points. That effort led to a 64-55 win, awarding the Bills the Arch Baron Cup and a rematch with the highly touted Davidson Wildcats.

It was after the Dayton game that Isabell tweeted out a simple thought that caught fire with the SLU fanbase, “Why not us?” Players all year long repeated their belief that this team was a championship level team, however, until the Dayton win, the supporter’s belief was moderate to none. When asked about the tweet, Isabell indicated that while the words used were not discussed or said, everyone in the locker room knew exactly what kind of opportunity they had in front of them.

Social media continued to play a role in the Billikens march to glory. Just hours before the Billikens took on the Wildcats, sophomore guard Jordan Goodwin posted a picture on Instagram depicting the final moments of SLU’s loss to Davidson just two months earlier. The Billikens lost 64-63 to Davidson for their second and final loss at home on the season. In the final seconds of that game, Goodwin was fouled and given the opportunity to shoot free throws, one make sends the game to overtime, make both and they win. He missed both.

The picture made it clear that the Bills were going into their semi-final appearance looking for revenge.

Despite a rocky first 20 minutes, in the second half the Bills came out firing, playing some of their most efficient offense of the year, holding the A-10 player of the year Jon Axel Gudmundsson and the Wildcats to just 15 points. It was their best defensive half of basketball all season. The Bills were able to close the game out and secure the revenge win over the Wildcats, 67-44.

The loss for Davidson effectively killed their NCAA tournament hopes as the one time at-large bid contenders simply couldn’t afford an upset loss to the sixth seed team. The Billikens, on the other hand, were set to take on their fourth game in four days against another team that beat them in the regular season: the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, the very team that forced them into the sixth seed just eight days earlier.

In the final, it appeared that the stroke of midnight had come just a moment too soon, and the carriage had turned back into a pumpkin. The Billikens turned the ball over three consecutive possessions to open the game and looked slow on defense and uncreative on offense. Meanwhile, St. Louis native Courtney Stockard was completely unstoppable for the Bonnies, getting open looks anytime he wanted.  All considering, the nine-point deficit Saint Louis faced going into half seemed to be a blessing.

It wasn’t until the 11-minute mark of the second half that the signature Billiken defense took over and they were able to cut into the lead and get back into the ball game. The game changing coaching decision was Ford’s choice to sub out Foreman for guard Dion Wiley. Wiley had yet to play to that point, and after missing his first three-point shot he made two later in the game, one to take the lead and the second to extend it. Wiley’s spacing gave Isabell and Bess interior space to make plays in tight to the hoop.

The Billikens were able to open up an eight-point lead down the stretch, a lead they never relinquished despite the Bonnies eventually narrowing that lead to a meager two points. However, after St. Bonaventure missed a last second open three, which would have won them the tournament as the buzzer sounded, the Billikens were A-10 Champions.

This is SLU’s first conference championship since 2014 and head Coach Ford’s first as a Billiken. The tournament win grants them automatic entry to the NCAA Tournament. Only two hours after the Billikens cut down the ropes in Brooklyn they were informed they would have to fly to San Jose, Calif. to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies out of the fearsome ACC.

The Billikens will look to continue their Cinderella story as they enter as massive underdogs in the 13th seed spot in the East bracket against the fourth seeded Hokies. The current consensus odds in Las Vegas places the Billikens as 10-point underdogs, but we already know they can defy the odds.

The Billikens will be playing in the final game of the Round of 64 Friday night with a tentative start time of 9:55 p.m. CST. The game will be available for radio broadcast locally on 101.1 ESPN and streaming nationally on the Westwood One radio website. The game will also be nationally televised on TRUTV.

Captain Marvel is a near perfect introduction to one of the MCU’s most powerful and respected hero’s…oh and also a total win for women in film….4/5

The success of Marvel Studios is unprecedented—21 films over 10 years without a glaring failure.  A studio that sought out to create a massive shared universe—with mega stars populating their title heroes—Marvel’s product has been at worst, consistently quality, and at best, fantastic.

“Captain Marvel” is on the upper side of that equation.

The latest entry breaks new ground for the MCU which introduces its first solo film for a female hero. While female leads like Jessica Jones and Agent Carter have existed in the MCU, it’s hard to compare the impact and importance of a feature film compared to a Netflix and cable television series.

What Marvel Studios and the directing tandem of Anne Boden and Ryan Fleck ultimately produce is an exciting romp that combines all the action-packed fun of the superhero genre with Top Gun, adding in some of the best humor to date in the MCU, and all the heart and authenticity you can ask for. The titular Captain Marvel (aka Carol Danvers), portrayed by Oscar winner Brie Larson shines, being captivating from the start and dominating every scene she’s in. Larson brings an authenticity to the role that truly allows an audience to buy in to her superhero antics.

While the film is hardly perfect, with several tacky moments that I can already predict hardcore Marvel fans will lament over, what truly makes “Captain Marvel” shine is its ability to tell a story based around a superhero universe that feels grounded in a way that  every fan can relate to.

The core story of “Captain Marvel” follows Carol Danvers (Larson), a Kree warrior with a mysterious through an intergalactic war with the enemy, Skrulls—led by leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn)—an alien race who can shapeshift into any creature in the universe. After a mission gone astray Carol finds herself on earth in the year 1995. She is soon met with familiar faces Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), characters who are introduced to their first instance of supernatural abilities. What ensues is the tantum of Danvers and Fury slowly unraveling Captain Marvel’s mysterious past on planet Earth, as well as the truth behind the Kree-Skrull war.

“Captain Marvel” uses many of the tricks other marvel films use to create an enjoyable and exciting environment. While many have criticized the “Marvel Formula”, it’s hard to say that formula isn’t enjoyable. A roaring score accompanied with a slew of nostalgia filled with 90s hits underscore many of the most memorable moments in the film. Similarly, strong comedic performances from Larson, Jackson and Mendelsohn contribute to the familiar feel. A complaint many marvel fans have had in past MCU entries has been injecting comedic moments into unneeded scenes. “Captain Marvel’s” humor feels the most genuine and well ingrained of any film to date. A surprisingly refreshing take on humor in the MCU. But fair warning to adamant MCU haters, this is without a doubt a Marvel film.

Though, the most powerful aspect of “Captain Marvel” isn’t its music, action or humor. It’s the hero’s journey we, as an audience, go on with Carol.

A central arc Carol Danvers faces is her ability to control her super-powered abilities, which appear to be tied to her ability to control her emotions. Throughout her early life we are shown flashes of Danvers being told “no” to opportunities because she is a girl. Weather it being told to go slow when go-karting or when she isn’t permitted to fly jets for the Air-Force, she is consistently rejected for opportunities. Even when she gets her super powers, she is told she cannot serve in the Kree special forces until she can control her emotions. This blight is one I know many women face every day. Beyond the obvious sexism of being denied opportunities because of gender, being criticized for being “emotional” while men are praised for being “passionate” is a battle I see the women in my life fight every day. To see a superhero fight these battles and succeed in such a powerful way is a part of the heart, authenticity and compassion that makes this film great for comic book fans and non-fans alike.

Marvel Studios has been clear about its intention for the future of MCU—Captain Marvel is going to be a pillar of the universe and a core member of the super hero team ups. The MCU higher ups have related the impact of Carol Danvers on the future of Marvel Studios to that of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. What this movie emphatically says about the future of the genre and the studio is that in Brie Larson/Carol Danver’s hands, the future is secure.

The Billikens faced an uphill battle going into the past weeks stretch of games, on the outside looking in on the double bye that is granted to the top four teams in the Atlantic 10. A bye that all but two teams have needed to win the conference tournament since its introduction. They did have an opportunity to make some noise and change their fate, going on the road to face two teams above them in the standings. First going to Dayton to finish the second half of a home-and-home series with the Flyers, then turning around to face Virginia Commonwealth just three nights later. The Billikens felt both games were winnable and had the potential to change their post season trajectory.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for the Bills, and they returned home with a disappointing 0-2 for the road trip dropping their conference record to a humble 8-7. An outcome that all but cemented the Billikens fate of landing outside the top four in the conference. However, what neither loss indicated was SLU’s inability to make a potential tournament run. Coach Fords Billikens looked like they belonged in both games and could have won ether with a friendly roll or call. What this team looks like isn’t ‘incapable’, it looks hampered.

Each member of this Billiken squad is nursing some kind of an injury or another, and when a few players get healthy someone else gets hurt. Just as KC Hankton and Demarius Jacobs appeared to be healthy, Dion Wiley came into practice with ice bags on his knees. Practices have often been run by skeleton crews of players and have included alumni, including Anthony Bonner and Aaron Hines, just to maintain a semblance of regularity. The losses to VCU and Dayton featured a team that primarily six players with Dion Wiley missing the entirety of the Dayton game, and only getting eight minutes at VCU.

Despite these problems, the Billikens had opportunities to win the game in ether matchup. SLU lead the Dayton Flyers for the majority of the first half, and never let the lead exceed ten on route to an eventual 70-62 loss. When they went to Virginia the Billikens trailed by as few as three in the final minute of the game overcoming a fifteen-point deficit earlier in the second half. The Bills consistently show the grit necessary to go on a potential run in Brooklyn.  

However, the tournament format will provide a challenge. The Billikens are all but assured to finish the year in the six through 10 seeds, a placement that will require winning four games in four nights to take home a championship. If health continues to be a problem for the Bills, playing games without rest will provide a challenge. That being said, even if they did reach the double-bye threshold, they would still have to win three games in three nights. So, the challenge in this case is only a variant on the expected.

Despite these challenges, the locker room still feels they are a force to be reckoned with. After the loss to the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, sophomore forward Hasahn French made that much clear “We know we can play with anybody,” French said. “This is the top team in the conference, and we know we can win these games. We know we can do certain things. Going into our next games, we know that we can play with anybody and if we come to play, we can get it done.”

The Billikens now return home for two games before finishing the season in New York at St. Bonaventure. They continue their run of facing teams above them in the standing, bringing in George Mason and Duquesne. They will now have to shift their sights in terms of seeding, with the schedule still affording them the opportunity to move up and potentially significantly lighten their load come tournament time.

Coming off their worst loss of the season, the SLU Men’s Basketball team now had their backs against the wall. After starting the season 5-0 in conference, the Billikens now sit with a 6-5 record and little momentum to speak of heading into the stretch of A-10 conference play.

The identity of the team has been challenged as their once nationally recognized defense had been shredded for ninety-one points at Saint Joseph’s on-route to a thirty-point loss. Despite that, Coach Ford and his Billikens were in high spirits we they came back to Chaifetz Arena for practice.

“I can’t remember the last time I ever coached that a team hit as many tough shots, as timely as they did,” Ford said. “We were in the game up until half time…and they just made timely shots, big shots.”

It seemed as though despite the loss, Ford came away from the game in brighter spirits than expected. Then again, that was a full three days since the loss, his attitude on Monday may not reflect his post-game feelings.

Regardless, the Billikens had another test to face, a test that at one point in the season may have been seen as an easier win, was now a must win matchup for the Bills. SLU travelled to Washington, D.C. to take on the George Washington University Colonials. The Colonials sat in 12th in the A-10 with a record of 3-7. If the Billikens were going to make a run at one of the four quarter-final bye’s available, they would need a win.

The Billikens dominated for most of the first half, building a lead to as many as 10 points and looking like the defensively keen ball club they were billed to be. That was until the final four minutes of the half when the Colonials went on a 9-0 run to tie the game up going into halftime, continuing a subtle trend that the Billikens achilles heel is ending halves. Especially considering the Billikens string of frustrating play, a 9-0 run to make a close game out of one that felt to be in the Bills wheel house was nerve racking to say the least.

However, that nerve came to a quick end in the second half as the dominant Bills reappeared. Strong performance from de facto team MVP Javon Bess (who played all 40 minutes) and freshmen standout Fred Thatch Jr. led the team to opening up a double-digit lead that they refused to yield, eventually winning 73-58. Hasahn French, who was vocal in practice this week about upping defensive intensity, lead the way with a team high 13 rebounds, adding two blocks and a steal.

The Billikens improved their conference record to 7-5, moving into fifth place in the conference. They play next when La Salle comes to Chaifetz Arena on Saturday before embarking on a three-game road trip in which they face three of the top four teams in the conference, an ample opportunity to move up in conference standings. The last time SLU played La Salle the Billikens won 71-64 when they visited Philadelphia earlier this season.   

Heartbreaking is an apt word to use when describing the Billiken loss Sunday to conference rival Davidson, especially for Jordan Goodwin. Having taken the lead with only 11.3 seconds left, Goodwin fouled Davidson star Jon Axel Gudmundsson who made both free throws to reclaim the lead. In a last second heave to retake the lead, it had looked as if the Basketball gods had smiled down on the Bills when the sophomore starter was fouled with just 0.4 seconds remaining. A potentially poetic ending as Goodwin would be able to make up for his previous foul, needing to only hit one of two shots to send the game into overtime.

He missed both.

Both shots bounced off the right side back rim and out and the Billikens had dropped their second straight A-10 game of the young season.  

Postgame, the disappointment was palpable. The typically jovial Travis Ford delivered his shortest post game statement of the year with a simple “We didn’t win the game today” with his entire press availability last less than two and a half minutes.

“I didn’t feel any pressure. Nothing was going through my head. I just hit the two before. I was going up there trusting my shot,” said Goodwin about his missed free throws. “It hurts right now. I had the game in my hands and didn’t get it for my teammates, so I’m going through it now.” Despite the disappointment Goodwin says he knows he has the support of the Billikens. “I know my teammates are here for me. The city is here for me, the fans. Chaifetz is always behind me,” he said. “So, I know I’m in a good spot. There was no criticism. Everyone told me to keep my head up.”

The loss to Davidson shifted the national focus away from the Bills, who up until that loss were receiving votes in the AP and Coaches national ranking polls. However, considering the depth of unexpected talent appearing in the A-10, like the success of Duquesne and George Mason along with perennially talented teams like VCU, Davidson and Dayton, the A-10 is still very much up for grabs, and a string of wins in conference play would return the spotlight to SLU.

Richmond may have been the perfect opponent for the situation as the underachieving Spiders entered Chaifetz Arena sporting a 1-6 record with underwhelming advanced stats for both their offense and defense.

Despite the bitter cold outside that limited the general attendance and the student crowd to approximately 4597—its lowest of the year—the Billikens were as hot as could be inside Chaifetz Arena opening the game with four consecutive made shots. The hot hand quickly faded though when Richmond adjusted its scheming to a zone defense.

The zone has been a difficult puzzle for Bills to solve this season. Its lack of multiple consistent knock down shooters makes navigating the space-oriented defense difficult. Head Coach Travis Ford emphasized how important it is his team learn how to handle that defense by saying “8 conference game, only one of them wasn’t zone, so no excuses there, we know what we’re running. We have to rise up and play better.”

Meanwhile, the Spiders offense was taking advantage of the Billikens stalled play. Specifically, one Spider, Grant Golden. The 6-foot-10 redshirt sophomore was an unstoppable force for most of the first half, scoring nineteen points on seven of eleven shooting. Ford had to tip his hat to the player saying, “Give him credit, we couldn’t stop it…we’ve watched that spin move 500 times and couldn’t stop it.”

The Billikens also struggled with its foul situation throughout the half, with big men Hasahn French and DJ Foremen each finding themselves sitting for extended periods to avoid further fouls. On the other side of the coin, only one foul was called in favor of the Bills all first half—a point the Billiken home crowd was acutely aware of. The foul came on a Javon Bess mid-range jump shot with 4 minutes to play in the half.

With a lead that grew to as many as 10 for Richmond the Billikens began to keep pace as their shooting improved, Javon Bess lead the charge making four of five three pointers in the half. The Billikens were able to narrow the lead to as few as four and would have gone into half time with that had Richmond guard Jacob Gilyard not heaved a half-court buzzer beating prayer and sunk it to extend the half-time lead to 7.  

The half-time message expressed by Ford implied he didn’t feel his team had started on time, and that they need to be ready to compete in the second half.

And they were.

The Billikens stormed out of locker room to go on a 9-2 run and tie the game up. The run was partially motivated by the defensive adjustment to switch to a zone defense of their own. However, despite the strong performance they maintained through the opening minutes of the half, they couldn’t break through and take the lead, only matching the Spider lead. The elusive lead would remain just that for nearly the entirety of the second half. Tying the game 5 times down the stretch. But the Billikens simply couldn’t get over the hump.

The challenge appeared too difficult to overcome until the Billikens began to run their full-court press defense. The Spiders struggled mightily with it, allowing the Billikens to score quick points before their offense could find a way to break it. The press also allowed the Billikens to stay in contention long enough to have an opportunity to win the final seconds.

The break Ford and his team were looking for seemed to finally come with 15 seconds remaining. After Richmond missed their free throw, Javon Bess had the opportunity to take the lead. A drive to the key was thwarted by Richmond defenders descending on Bess and not allowing a clear look. Ford was visibly angry at the lack of call for his star player, a boiling point after clear frustration with the officiating throughout the game.

A couple of Richmond free throws, and a buzzer beating heave later, the Billikens dropped their third straight conference game 84-81.

Post-game, Ford emphasized his concern on the team’s mentality and not its physical play. “We’re not in a good spot right now, we have to dig deep, reevaluate some things and play better, we have to player smarter,” he said. “I was concerned about the carryover from last game, mentally, I could see it in practice. We tried some things to loosen things up, but that was something I was concerned about…we have to buckle down.”

Senior Guard and defacto team leader Javon Bess echoed Ford’s thoughts as to the Bills mental struggles, “We need to get back to playing as hard as we did last year…I want to see some hunger, more locked in, hungry, everyone, including myself.”    

Despite the concern, Coach Ford reiterated his belief that the Billikens are still ok going forward, “Lots of really good teams in this league sitting at 5-3, I wish we’re 8-0 or 7-1, but that’s just league play.”

The Billikens have an opportunity to break their longest losing streak of the year on Saturday when they visit the Rhode Island Rams. Earlier this year, the Billikens beat the Rams 60-53 when they visited St. Louis.  

Travis Ford’s Billikens entered conference play with something new this season, expectations. Being named the preseason favorite to win the A-10 in the media day coaches’ poll, the Billikens would have a name to live up to for the first time since Coach Ford came to St. Louis. With a strong non-conference performance to back up the name they’ve made for themselves, they knew they would have a target on their back.

Yet, the Billikens faced their first test when freshman forward Carte’Are Gordon opted to withdraw from SLU in order to pursue other basketball opportunities. The departure forced the Billikens to reevaluate the way in which they go about utilizing their roster, as Gordon’s presence was key to the two big sets they would often go with.

Gordon was not the only freshman who chose to withdraw early in the new year. Freshman guard Ingvi Gudmundsson opted to return home to Iceland. Gudmundsson had an extraordinarily difficult first semester at SLU. Aside from the difficulties of being an international student, Gudmundsson suffered appendicitis and was forced to have his appendix removed in an emergency surgery. Having only appeared in two games this season, it makes the decision to return home understandable.

The newly shortened Billikens roster have not led to many new problems on the court though, as the Bills have stormed out to a 5-1 record in A-10 play, including remaining undefeated in Chaifetz Arena, winning their first five conference tilts before losing to Duquesne.

The Billikens have proven themselves to be top notch competitors, not only in the conference but on the national scale. The Billikens boast a top-15 defense in the country, and their progressing offense has garnered them respect.  In the week of the Jan. 21 AP Media Poll, SLU began receiving votes. The Billikens are, in many ways, living up to their expectations. In addition to their receiving votes status, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi (who runs ESPN’s bracket projections for the national tournament in March) has the Billikens seated as a 12 seed in the tournament.

Their early season success can in many ways be attributed to the stand-out performances of a select few Billikens, namely Javon Bess and Hasahn French. Bess has been the backbone of the Billikens, averaging 37 minutes a game and a team high 16 points per game. In addition to his output, he is Coach Ford’s go-to man in regard to defense, consistently being asked to guard the opposing team’s top scorer. French has taken advantage of his increased role due to Gordon’s absence. French has been a double-double machine averaging 16.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, recently scoring a career high 25 points in a win against UMass.

The Billikens are poised to make a deep run in the A-10, and potentially the national tournament. But they are consistently haunted by a few team problems that may ultimately get in their way.

An anemic offense, despite showing spirits of extraordinary potential, is still holding the Billikens back. Averaging a meager 67 points per game, the Billikens are often playing in close games against teams they should be dominating. Case in point, their three-point wins against UMass and Fordham (both games in which they should have been able to dominate), a meager win against LaSalle and their most recent  four-point loss to Duquesne. While the loss may look better at the end of the season, as Duquesne has been the surprise of the A-10, the Billikens are making games against bad opponents look difficult. They could make their lives a lot easier come March when they may be looking for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament if they dominated the games they are supposed to dominate.

Fortunately, many of these offensive problems may be fixable. Their primary issues appear to be a lack of movement in the half court, and terrible free-throw shooting. Both of which have seemed to be getting better in recent weeks. The Bills dominated Saint Joseph’s, a win that included a 23-0 run in the second half, and in the loss to Duquesne the Bills put up 73 points (despite a 2-19 three-point shooting performance), including a much improved 19-22 from the free-throw line. So, while they may not be perfect, they may be peaking at the right time.

           An additional problem the Bills may face going forward is their health. The Billikens currently only have nine scholarship athletes available and are running a solid eight-man rotation. With players like Bess, French, Jordan Goodwin and Tramaine Isabell Jr all averaging 30 minutes a game, it will be important to manage the impact and pressure to their physical. These starters are key to the short and long-term success of the Billikens.

The Billikens face a difficult road ahead. The A-10 is very competitive at the top this season with VCU, Dayton and Davidson all with legitimate shots at the A-10 Championship and all looking to hedge their bets with competitive at-large bid resumes. Fortunately, they control their own destiny.

The Billikens will invite Davidson into Chaifetz Arena on Saturday, Jan. 26, looking for their 12th straight win at home, a would-be record for consecutive games won at Chaifetz.