STL is the play tonight

[OhMyEli]

This team was a mess earlier this season missing their best offensive player and a coaching situation in disarray. They're 17-2 since the start of December and generally play better towards the end of the season. STL is 8-3 vs. the A10 and 5-0 this month ATS. They completely dismantled teams that came into their arena and I don't think theyre a heady team that gets rattled on the road, seeing as they run a simple, slow offense.

I've tailed Butler somewhat regularly and I feel they've been underwhelming against in 2013. I think STL has a tremendous shot to win this one SU, but at 3 with the public heavy on Butler this play is crystal clear. Let's be honest, the general public does not know much about this game, they see a household name, ranked, at home in a big conference game and bite, I doubt many people could name 2 players in this game, don't believe the hype take SLU +3 as those points are great in this spot. Tease it if you like but I feel SLU wins here and the points are in case the end of the game is crazy.

[Da Beer Guy]

bullshit. they are on the road. gonzaga couldnt even win in butler and neither
could Indiana.

[tony_come]

Butler beat Indiana

Not in butler

[OhMyEli]

bullshit. they are on the road. gonzaga couldnt even win in butler and neither
could Indiana.

Considering your rambling, non-correct statements, I'll just send you a cyber high five and disregard whatever it is youre trying to say West Coast (Zaga) teams rarely play well when they play teams in the east during the regular season, and I don't just mean because of the time/weather.

SLU has upperclassmen in a familiar system, I fail to see this being a rout since Butler doesnt blowout well coached teams

[chunk]

Certainly wouldn't say that St. Louis doesn't have the talent to win this game, but it is a tough spot and I would be hard pressed to back a team whose best win away from home ytd is @ Richmond. At some point that will turn, but I would be surprised if that would be tonight. Should be competitive, but I think Butler finds a way to win a close one.

[Beef_Supreme]

bullshit. they are on the road. gonzaga couldnt even win in butler and neither
could Indiana.

Charlotte could...

[SBRMAN23]

Like the under instead

[killawookie]

Over looks pretty obtainable. Both teams doing well shooting since their last game.. can't imagine them struggling to put up less than 60 in the first half.

[Beef_Supreme]

OhMyEli - I read your write-up for the last SLU game vs. VCU and you were dead on.
I'm a lifelong SLU fan and have followed this team very closely this year and started riding their hot streak about 5 games ago. With that said, I simply can't bet the Billikens tonight.

I was at the game where they absolutely dominated Butler from start to finish in Saint Louis. Stevens even said after the game a quote along the lines of "It was an absolute joy to watch one of the teams on the floor tonight, unfortunately that team was not us". Butler took their guys out with about 4 minutes left and SLU continued running the floor and looking to score with their starters in.
I remember talking to my brother at the game and saying Butler wouldn't forget that. I could not have predicted the absolute tear that the Billikens have been on in the games since then, but the thought of Stevens and Butler's starters watching the end of that game from the bench and seeing the student section storm the court has to be etched in their minds. I expect Butler to have one of their strongest performances of the season tonight, and I hope for my own rooting interest that SLU can counter and pull out with the W.

I'm going to enjoy watching this one, but won't be backing it up with any money tonight. BOL on your plays but just thought that should be mentioned as the emotion in this one is a difficult factor to handicap - not your typical Friday night college basketball game.

[Beef_Supreme]

Here are a few excerpts from the article after the game on 1/31 in Saint Louis:

Billikens Dismantle No. 9 Butler
Fans stormed the court after the Billikens posted a 75-58 victory Thursday night — the University's biggest upset in nine years.
.
.
.....Butler coach Brad Stevens had only admiration for the way his team was manhandled.
"I absolutely loved the way they moved the ball," Stevens said. "It was an absolute joy to watch one team play. The problem was, it wasn't the team I coached."

"We pretty much got punked," Clarke said. "End of story. There's not really much to say about it. We got outclassed and we got punked."

[chunk]

I miss Rick Majerus......always wished that I could have sat down and had a beer with that guy.

[Frisco]

Here are a few excerpts from the article after the game on 1/31 in Saint Louis:

Billikens Dismantle No. 9 Butler
Fans stormed the court after the Billikens posted a 75-58 victory Thursday night — the University's biggest upset in nine years.
.
.
.....Butler coach Brad Stevens had only admiration for the way his team was manhandled.
"I absolutely loved the way they moved the ball," Stevens said. "It was an absolute joy to watch one team play. The problem was, it wasn't the team I coached."

"We pretty much got punked," Clarke said. "End of story. There's not really much to say about it. We got outclassed and we got punked."

Nice quotes but it doesn't change SLU being the more talented team

[Beef_Supreme]

Nice quotes but it doesn't change SLU being the more talented team

True, but Butler has beaten plenty of teams more talented than them (and more talented than SLU) in the past. Betting would be pretty simple if the most talented team won every time...

[OhMyEli]

Who can I serve up crow to?

[Serbone]

Look.

• SLU has 3 top notch quick point guards who can also play the # 2 and score (Mitchell, Jett, McCall).
• And 3 diverse key bigs that can play, 6'11 Loe, 6'8" Ellis, and 6'5" but long armed slasher/scorer/rebounder Evans. And two more muscle bigs to contribute (Remekun 6'8" and Glaze 6'6" muscle-bulk but quick.
• And a # 3 that can shoot, 6'5" Barnett.
• And they play relenteless "D", wear the other team down. Send in waves of replacements to tire out the opponent.
• And they have all been recruited, develped by Rick Majerus, now guru Jim Crews has taken over. It took awhile after the death of Majerus, but the players like and respect Crews.

They have jelled. 9 wins in a row, all covering the spread by, I dunno, 7-18 pts. Not even close til Butler tonight.
Due for a letdown, they will be a big favorite against St. Joe but they are hungry and have a chip on their shoulders at being neglected by the national media (and tonight most every one picked Butler).
So ride them, they have a lot to prove. Deep, talented, veteran team, groomed by Majerus. They want to win for him, too. He was sick and could not coach in the fall and died Dec 1.
Vegas has them tied for 17th power ratings.
A few bad losses early in the seaon hurts their AP-USA type bs rankings, but they can play at the top 10-20 level.