With the SLU men’s basketball Billikens not having made the NCAA tournament since 2019, this season could be the one that puts coach Travis Ford in the hot seat. Ford is currently in his seventh season and has only made one appearance in March Madness. With 4-year point guard, Yuri Collins, joining the Golden State Warriors G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the Billikens need to rely more on senior shooting guard Gibson Jimmerson to make crucial shots if they want to make it out of the A-10 tournament.

Unfortunately, the season has not gone that well for the Billikens. Finishing fourth in the Myrtle Beach Invitational tournament, with double-digit losses to the University of Vermont and Wichita State. They did manage to scrape by with a 1-point win against Dartmouth. Even earlier in the season, they had a close call against Southern Indiana, a program that was in Division 2 just two seasons ago, winning by only 12 points. It is clear that the Billikens have some work to do if they want to be competitive in the coming weeks.

One of the reasons for these losses could be the Billikens’ shaky defense. Travis Ford’s defensive strategy has never been particularly strong, and losing their best defensive player, Fred Thatch Jr., who played with the Billikens for 5 years before getting injured, has certainly affected the team. Finding a way to improve their defense will be one of the biggest challenges for the Billikens. Ford’s coaching style focuses more on shooting and passing, likely influenced by his own experience as a 5-foot-9-inch point guard from Kentucky. He tends to recruit a lot of 6-foot point guards, such as Yuri Collins and former Saint Louis player Phill Forte, who played for Ford at Oklahoma State and is now an assistant coach for North Texas.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if coach Ford utilizes freshman 7-foot center Bruce Zhang more. Zhang, who returned from an injury in November is only averaging 2.7 points per game. 

In addition to Jimmerson, the Billikens have other options on the team. Fifth-year player Hargrove has been put in the power forward spot and scored a season-high 27 points against Southern Indiana. Hargrove has not always been consistent, but he has shown improvement in his 3-point shooting over the years, especially recently in a conference match at Duquesne. 

Before 2018, when college basketball players wanted to transfer colleges, they had to talk to their coach and administrators for their team. In 2018, it became much easier for players to transfer, though they would also have to sit out a year. 

         Now, the new “Transfer Portal” creates a more efficient way for current NCAA players to transfer. Players are able to inform the NCAA that they are going into the portal and ineligibility terms, they practically become a freshman again. Under the new ruling, they will not have to sit out a year and can play immediately. 

        This new transfer portal has a lot of athletes moving. Notable athletes are Baker Mayfield to Oklahoma, and Justin Field from Alabama to Oklahoma. This has brought about positive changes for many athletes who were unhappy at their current school. But this off-season has also brought about a lot of movement for the Billikens men’s basketball team. 

       Basketball season ended in March for the Billikens. They had made it to the NIT but suffered a first-round loss for the second year in a row. For some, this was to be expected. They would lose a tight game to Auburn (who would go on to have a 2-seed in the tournament); then, the Billikens lost to UMass who ended their season 15-17 after SLU blew a second half lead. The same story happened at a home game against St. Bonaventure, to whom the Billikens lost on the road. The Bonnies would go on to win in the A10 tournament. This also happened earlier in the season against Belmont and UAB. 

       After a season full of almosts, Rashad Williams, Andre Lortenson, Markhi Strickland and Jordan Nesbitt all entered the portal. The real twist came when assist leader Yuri Collins announced he would also be entering the portal. Thankfully, SLU was able to retain Collins.      On a positive note, the team will get Javonte Perkins back after an ACL injury at the beginning of the season last year. The team has lost Brandon Courtney and Marten Linssen due to graduation and DeAndre Jones to eligibility. That makes seven player losses and four to the portal after the transferring players have been at SLU for two years or less. Most of the players probably want to start next year with Perkins back as a small forward and Terrence Hargrove staying as power forward. Francis Okoro, the projected starting center has grown a lot this past year. Yuri Collins will man the helm of the Billiken offense as point guard, while Gibson Jimerson continues as shooting guard. Fred Thatch is a solid sixth man for Hargrove or Perkins, and Lassina Traore staying at SLU will give Okoro a sub. Other than that, the Billikens do not currently have a bench. Speculation abounds as to exactly why so many entered the portal in one year. One theory is that Coach Ford did not do enough development with his second string. 

As for incomings, there is hope. SLU has Javon Pickett, a Mizzou transfer, and Nick Kramer from SLU High, along with Larry Hughes from CBC, Pattonville’s Kellen Thames and junior-transfer Sincere Parker. Losing four people is scary though, especially since these players are young, have a lot of potential and could have been good for the Billikens in the future. Also, all the pickups are guards when SLU is lacking in size, only having two big men and in need of a couple more for Ford to develop his squad. Travis Ford himself was a 5-9 point guard so he tends to like guards; in fact a couple of his past point guards are on his coaching staff. 

This will likely be a make-or-break season for Billikens basketball. It has been tough to watch the Billikens plateau after a lights-out 2019 season. Hopefully, later in the spring, Ford can get a big man from the portal. Without a bench, later-in-the-year injuries could hurt Ford’s chances of making it back. 

The loss of women’s basketball head coach Lisa Stone showed that the Billikens’ athletics administration is looking to the basketball programs to make a statement. After not making the women’s NIT tournament, administration deemed it time for a change. Athletic director Chris May has stated that he wants to make it to the tournament every year.  If Ford wants to do better this year, he needs to work on his end-game seniors and make sure he doesn’t make the same mistake twice. Hopefully, there is still time for Travis Ford to write a new chapter in the Billiken basketball’s story. 

The fall of 1994 was a sad year for baseball, with a player’s strike in August that would not resolve until right before 1995. Consequently, there was no World Series for the first time since 1904. Baseball had been played through multiple wars, but it couldn’t be played because of greed from both sides: players and owners. Because of this, the Montreal Expos moved out of Montreal and became the Washington Nationals. The owners couldn’t afford players due to the pay increase, which meant their fanbases also decreased by around 20%. 

Some people say baseball came back in 1998 with the home run race of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire and The Cubs’ Sammy Sosa. The two battled, racing to overtake Roger Maris’ home run record. Everyone was watching the Cubs and Cardinals game, with games selling out and fans claiming, “Baseball is back!”

Twenty-eight years have passed, and in that time, fans have learned that the home run race was basically fake, with steroids on both sides and MLB doing nothing about it. In 2022,  baseball finds itself in a similar situation, without a collective bargaining agreement (CBA): a contract to explain the luxury tax and players’ minimum and maximum salary. 

This means that the players can’t get paid, given that the contract expired at the beginning of December. This lockout is different from prior lockouts because, given the change in baseball, it was clear to fans that there were serious issues that needed to be addressed. For example. there needs to be a raised MLB minimum as well as expanded playoffs—and a final decision on whether the extra man on base and seven inning doubleheaders, which were experimental in the two COVID-19 seasons, should become permanent rules. 

The problem is that this CBA didn’t get signed before the end of 2021, or Feb. 14,which is when players were supposed to report for spring training. Then, the media reported that discussions were picking up, and a week after February, MLB said that their scheduled 162 games would be affected. When the deadline passed, I thought there would not be baseball until mid-June, with the potential for MLB officials and players not agreeing on a CBA until May. 

Then on March 9, out of nowhere, they reached an agreement. During the whole lockout we thought that both sides, players and owners, were far apart. Somehow it appears that the CBA favored the player’s wishes, which is surprising because the owners have the upper hand as billionaires. Once again, though, we can say Baseball is back!

Right after the CBA got signed, it went to a free agency freeze with Kris Bryant going to the Rockies and Freddie Freeman going to the Dodgers. The Dodgers also re-signed Clayton Kershaw. Trevor Story is going to Boston, while Anthony Rizzo signs another two years with the Yankees. Noah Syndergaard was sent to the Angels. 

But the biggest move that we learned Sunday night (if you are a Cardinals fan like me), is that Albert Pujols, who left the Cardinals for the Angels after winning a world series, is returning to St. Louis after 10 years. I thought after he signed that big Angels deal he would retire with his career, but he’s coming back to St. Louis with the Cardinals’ offer. 

The Cardinals didn’t do that well in free agency, though, only getting Pujols and an OK starting pitcher, Stephen Matz, after losing two of our starting pitchers from last year. Then, it was revealed that Jack Flattery—the Cardinals’ ace from the past two years—will probably not play in April. From the pitching standpoint, the Cardinals are not doing that well, as they lack a fifth pitcher. The Dodgers are absolutely stacked with four amazing pitchers: Bauer, Buller, Kershaw, and Urias. Now, they also have Freman on first and Chris Taylor on second, with Justin Turner and Trea Turner on the shortstop. Bellinger is in the center, with Betts on right, and their weakest link in left field with A.J Pollock. The Cardinals did struggle with the Dodgers last season after losing in the one-game wild card by pitching. Hopefully, the Cardinals can snag a playoff spot as there are six playoff spots instead of five. The Brewers will probably win the division as they are a great regular-season team. No matter if you are a Cardinal fan or A’s fan or even a Cubs fan, Baseball is Back! 

For students of SLU, Ballpark Village is a short drive or even a walkable distance away. If you are interested in attending a game, the tickets are reasonably priced, with $20 being the going rate for games against harder opponents. An easier opponent can allow you to snag a ticket for $10. If you are a fan of baseball, the Cardinals’ ballpark is a staple of the MLB and the Cardinals hold one of the most storied and historic programs in baseball’s history. 

If you ask Google who SLU’s rival is, you’ll find a message board from 2012 telling you that it is Dayton. I didn’t take it seriously, but as it turns out, I was wrong. January’s game against Dayton was a big deal for the St. Louis and SLU community. SLU entered the matchup on a five game win streak that Dayton was looking to snap. SLU came into the game with a 15-6 record and Dayton entered the game with a record of 15-7. This game was the fight for second place in the A-10 tournament. What was even crazier was this was the third straight Dayton v. SLU game in St. Louis where it has snowed a couple of days before, nicknaming this game the “Billiken Blizzard.” 

          This series does bring back some bad memories, because in the 2020 game when Dayton was ranked thirteen and had future eighth pick Obi Topin, the game went to overtime and SLU lost to a buzzer-beater. That was a tough loss for a lot of people—even Coach Ford said it was one of the toughest losses as the Billiken coach. Two years later, SLU still has Yuri Collins, who made a clutch free throw with six seconds left in that game. Collins now leads the team, and SLU’s s Terrance Hargrove and Fred Thatch, Jr. also have experience against Dayton. This game wasn’t a nail-biter, but it sure felt like it, with SLU making a 6 point lead into a 10 point lead throughout the second half. Every time SLU went on a run, Dayton answered, with Dayton showing a fast-paced offense and strong defense. Collins was able to get six assists and eight rebounds. 

       Ford also switched back and forth from Okoro to Linssen, with Linssen only getting 20 minutes, though he was the leading scorer for the Bills with a solid 17 points. You could also tell this game was a rivalry by Collins yelling at a Dayton player at the end of the game. 

Also, something interesting in the game was Jordair Jett—who just was inducted to the Billiken Hall of Fame—was talking to the Dayton coach and got ejected from the game. After holding onto the ball after a Nesbitt dunk in order to take time off the clock for Dayton and fluster the Flyers, the Dayton coach and Jett exchanged words. After the exchange, Jett was escorted out of Chaifetz Arena, much to the dismay of fans. 

       The game ended well with SLU winning 72-61. One of the main things I was worried about when I was watching the game was that SLU would get the lead and Dayton would come back with a 6-0 run. Multiple times I thought SLU would blow a lead. In at least three of SLU’s losses, SLU blew a lead after being up at least 10 points, just as they did with the number one team in the country, Auburn. With five minutes left in that game, SLU was leading by 11 points and the downfall of their near win was the defense. SLU’s defensive end has been struggling for a while now. Though Thatch came in, some moments in the second half showed that he still has the best defense on the SLU team. If we could have Thatch come in these clutch moments with more offense, it might have changed the outcome of previous games. 

       SLU also played at La Salle Tuesday and beat them 75-57. This Dayton game showed that SLU does have a chance to win the A-10 tournament again. For fans watching at the beginning of conference play, it wasn’t looking good after losses to Dayton and UMass. Losing to Belmont and the University of Alabama at Birmingham back-to-back at home was a tough stint for the Billikens to end 2021.

       The Bills came up big with a win over coach Ford’s former coach, Rick Pinto’s Iona. That confidence helped the Bills escape a double OT against George Mason. The tail end of the season is fast approaching with back to back games coming with St. Bonaventure, La Salle, then Davidson (as the number 1 seed in the A-10). If SLU can win out, their chances of winning the A-10 would increase. The season has been a roller coaster, but the Billikens have consistently proven they can win when it matters. 

Hockey in the Olympics has been at a disadvantage compared to basketball. Basketball is in the summer, which means that as the NBA season gets over in mid-June and the Olympics are in July, the athletes are primed for peak international performance. The NHL season is from October to June and the Winter Olympics are in February. Because of this, the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has only authorized his athlete’s’ attendance at the Olympics five times from 1998 to 2018. Many NHL players were planning to go to the 2022 Olympics as there was a three week break originally allotted for their time to play overseas. However, COVID-19 remained a concern for Bettman. If a player became infected, they would have to stay in Beijing for three weeks,  affecting the NHL season. Therefore, Bettman prohibited his players from attending the 2022 Winter Games.

        When people hear about college players in the Olympics, they think of the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, when the Americans shocked the heavy favorites, the Soviet Union, to win. The American Olympic Team had just two months to put a team together. 

       In 1980, the tension between the U.S.A and Russia came because of their disagreements over the Cold War, and the two teams were therefore on strict lockdown. This year, the teams are in a lockdown of a different sort, but the teams still mostly stay inside their dorm, and leave only for practice and games. 

    Because there are no NHL players, many spectators may not recognize the college athletes they are watching, unless they are a University of Minnesota or Boston College hockey fan.        With those schools having the majority of the players, it would have been awesome to have Austin Matthews, who was projected to become captain of the USA team. Instead, we had Andy Miele as our captain. 

The team was ready to go. In the stage group they faced off against Canada, China, and Germany. First, they played China and won in an 8-0 blowout— – there wasn’t really a question about the team’s skill. Canada has won the Olympics for men’s ice hockey in 2002, 2010, and 2014. This game could have been a blowout because all of Canada’s players were juniors. It ended up being a thrilling game. The USA took the first goal and ended up winning the game 4-2. The USA faced Germany next, and had the lead for most of the game. A late surge was mounted by Germany, but a final goal gave the USA a 3-2 victory.   

       The USA needed three games to win it all. After seeing the USA win the group, there seemed to be high hopes for the Americans. The quarterfinal was against Slovakia, and USA once again held the lead for the whole game. In the last minute, Slovakia pulled their goalie and tied the game. Overtime had the teams neck and neck, and the game went to a shootout.  Each team gets five tries to score, and the first goals were blocked by the goalies. Then Slovakia got a goal off. So the USA needed this goal and then blocked the next one, so they lost. The real hope is for 2026, because the NHL says they want to have U.S. player in the Olympics. The return of NHL players to the Olympics in 2026 will be a boon for ratings, especially with TNT and ESPN owning the broadcasting rights. This extra boost might be needed,  as it stands this was the lowest-rated Olympics since 1988.

When the college football playoff bracket came out Sunday, madness ensued as the Cincinnati Bearcats, a  non-power team, made the playoffs after Georgia’s loss to Alabama. Arguably, a crazier story brewed as many NCAA coaches left shortly after the regular season. A common trend seems to be that if a coach’s team does not make it to the playoffs, they quit the day after their season ends. With Oklahoma being ranked tenth and Oklahoma State ranked seventh, the winner was set to play in the Big 12 conference championship. The winner could play in the playoffs if Alabama lost or if any other underdogs came out on top. Knowing this, it raised the stakes for the teams involved in the face-off. With an amazing 56-yard run from Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams (who started the year as the backup), the run got the Sooners to eight seconds left and a fourth and 10 on the 24-yard line. Then, Williams got sacked. While a devastating loss, the real madness started in the morning, with head coach Lincoln Riley announcing he was leaving. He has been the head coach for the Sooners since  2017, after Bob Stoops retired. His offense has been amazing, demonstrated by the fact that from 2017 to 2018 he had two quarterbacks who won the Heisman and got drafted as the first pick in the NFL draft. Then, Jalen Hurts, who is also a quarterback, got drafted in the first round after also coming through Oklahoma’s program. During Riley’s four years, he has won the Big 12 championship one and made the playoffs the three other years. Though, after Riley’s Sooners did not get into the Big 12 championship, Riley said he got a call on Saturday night from University of Southern California (USC). They offered him a job as the new head coach for the Spartans. The next morning, Riley took the gig, but the move left many with a question: why would Riley leave if there is still football to be played? 

Oklahoma will still play in a bowl with a 10-2 record, but put simply, Riley wanted more money. According to a tweet from Robert Hefner V., Riley gets $110 million and additionally, USC has agreed to buy both Riley’s homes at $500,000 over market value, and a 6$ million home for him in USC. The most unique  aspect includes 24/7 private plane access. 

Riley was not the only coach to abandon his team on that very day, interestingly. Brian Kelly of Notre Dame called for a 7 a.m. meeting with his players to tell them the news that he would be leaving South Bend. Kelly holds the most wins in Irish history, but he left for the Louisiana State University (LSU) position after Ed Organ was disgracefully turned out earlier this year. Kelly is supposed to get a $100 million contract over 10 years. Kelly was forced to send his team a group text message after the move was released by various other news outlets. The 7 a.m. meeting, he claimed, was to give them the respect they deserved in owning his position face to face with his team.

As a coach, it is expected that one is supposed to be a leader, to be e with the team through good or bad and set a good example to the players. A lot of coaches like to make their team a family, and trust is an important element. By facilitating a familial environment and encouraging honesty among teammates, coaches expect teams will play for each other, reducing mistakes on the football field and reducing tension off the field. With coaches leaving before the end of the season and demonstrating a lack of accountability in terms of media discretion, this shows that coaches are not all about the family; they care more about money and the 24/7 private plane access. 

There are also problems outside of the coaches in the colleges and athletic departments. LSU made a shocking decision to part with Coach O after a 6-6 season, but more shockingly, only two years after a national championship. It has been argued that LSU’s talent (or lack thereof) is not because Coach O, but because all of their offensive starters went to the NFL. Why did LSU fire their coach after two bad seasons? Boosters expect the teams to go to the conference championship. College football is known as the Front Porch, where people see the college and look at their football record and not academics. This can affect the students attending the school and affects the profit a school can bring in. Unfortunately, for someone like Coach O, they become a disposable utility, as the boosters expect better results. 

All of this shows that the NCAA is flawed. As the organization has finally ruled college athletics can make money, it has invited a plethora of problems. This helps add to the political problems of college football. Because they have a good coach and a good practice facility and they perform well every year, those are the teams that continue to see an increase of funding and the best recruits. The NFL attempts to force equality by creating a draft plan that will put some of the best draft picks on the league’s worst teams. But college football does not have the same ability. That’s why Nick Saban and Alabama are so good. That’s why coaches get paid so much: because colleges know when they get Lincoln Riley there, they are also getting an amazing quarterback. That’s why right after Riley signed, he got the second-best quarterback in the country to sign with USC. This shows there needs to be some change in how college football works. Part of why the best teams are the best is because they have the money to be the best. They draw in the best recruits, the best coaches, the best trainers with the best facilities, the best benefits, the best of whatever they have to offer.  It sends a general message that with money comes wins. And this message negates what sport is all about. At least, that is what many believe. A win comes through hard work, not easy money.

Billikens basketball season is heating up with the first couple of games under the belt followed by  big out-of-conference games. If you don’t know much about the team or are new to the team like myself, allow me to give a quick rundown of my knowledge as team manager.  Celebrating his fifth year as Head Coach at SLU, Travis Ford spent the early days of his career as traditional point guard at the University of Kentucky and former Head Coach at Oklahoma State.  This season, the Bills must push through their loss of Redshirt Senior and St. Louis local Jevonte Perkins due to his season-ending ACL injury. Perkins averaged 17.1 points last year. Nonetheless, the Bills do have help from junior Yuri Collins as point guard. Collins is Coach Ford’s guy; with the most assists at the Billiken home opener, he is the one to make calls on plays for the Bills. However, Ford still has choices for big men, with Terrance Hardgrove Jr. as the likely pick for his Power Forward. Other picks for shooting guard include Rashad Willams, Andre Lorenson, and Gibson Jimerson. Jimerson provided good shots during practice, highlighting that he deserves his spot on the lineup. Willams, on the other hand, will do shooting drills after practices. One of his drills includes  making 20 shots in a row.If he misses two in a row, that means he must restart. 

After losing Hasan French last year, the center spot is one to watch. Ford will probably start Senior Martin Linssen, a redshirt who played for Valprasio and UNC Wilmington, as he will likely  fill the gap French left behind. Linssen knows the playbook and has more experience than Francis Okoro, a transfer from Oregon, and Lassina Traore, the only true freshman on the team. The main issue is going to be filling in for Perkins. However, there is help from small forward Jordon Nesbit, who is a Redshirt Freshman transfer from Memphis. During the Harris-Stowe game, Nesbit only played 18 minutes, yet made 19 points and 9 rebounds. Despite his young age, he   has potential to aid in filling in the mid-range paint shots the Billikens are missing without Perkins.

Upon the passing of coach Ford Stuen, there have also been changes within the Billikens coaching staff. Ford’s banner will stay in the rafters in his commemoration In his place, Graduate assistant Phill Forte has been added to the arsenal. He once played for Coach Ford at Oklahoma State. 

The Billikens had three good out of conference games with wins against  Central Arkansas,Harris Stowe and Eastern Illinois as they beat each team by at least 4o points. If you are looking for a fun challenging home game that should be on people’s minds,  SLU’s Dec. 18 game against Auburn will be a good treat. If you are looking for more fun players to look out for, Marhiki Strickland is on the list. His one-handed dunk brought the crowd to their feet during the Harris-Stowe game. Strickland currently sits behind Fred Thatch and Hargrove but played 7 games while averaging 2.7 points. 

 Aside from this, games always present opportunities for free gear and a good time. The next time the team plays at home is Saturday, November 20, at 4 o’clock.