WHAT’S ON TAP?
— Saint Louis hosts Missouri-St. Louis Tuesday night in the Billikens’ lone exhibition tilt. Game time at Chaifetz Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
THE OPENING TIP
— The Billikens are 17-0 in exhibition play since 2004, the year the NCAA mandated teams play other NCAA institutions in exhibition games.
— Saint Louis and UMSL played three consecutive years in exhibition play from 2004 to 2006. The next year, in 2007, the Tritons and Billikens met in the first regular-season game ever at Chaifetz Arena. Not including exhibition games, the Billikens own a 13-2 series lead against the Tritons.
— Saint Louis returns nine scholarship players from last year’s squad, which was one of the youngest in the country. The Billikens finished 11-21 overall and 3-15 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
— Among the returnees is sophomore forward Milik Yarbrough, an A-10 All-Rookie team selection a year ago. Yarbrough was one of five freshmen in the country to lead his team in scoring (10.0 ppg) and rebounding (4.8 rpg) average.
— First-year players Davell Roby and Marcus Bartley led the team in steals and assists, respectively. The Billikens were one of two teams nationally that featured freshmen team leaders in points, rebounds, steals and assists.
— Ash Yacoubou, the Billikens’ lone senior, was second on the team in scoring average (9.1 ppg) and total rebounds (83). Junior guard Mike Crawford scored 7.3 ppg and led all Billiken guards in shooting percentage.
— SLU welcomes four newcomers to the roster – guard Jermaine Bishop (Queens, N.Y.), centerMatt Neufeld (Victoria, British Columbia) and forward Elliott Welmer (Columbus, Ind.). Welmer will miss the year due to a foot injury. Junior guard Aaron Hines (St. Louis, Mo.) was awarded a scholarship in the offseason after joining the Billikens as a walk-on last year.
— Billiken head coach Jim Crews enters his fourth season at the helm. The two-time A-10 Coach of the Year is 66-35 in three seasons at Saint Louis, 420-383 in 27 years overall.
FOLLOWING THE BILLIKENS
— Billiken Hall of Famer Bob Ramsey and St. Louis American sports editor Earl Austin Jr.return as the radio voices of SLU Men’s Basketball. Sunday’s regular-season opener against Hartford will air on KMOX (1120 AM), but most of the remaining Billiken games can be found on the home of Billiken Men’s Basketball, 101 ESPN (101.1 FM).
— At least 25 Billiken men’s basketball games will be televised this year, including 14 on FOX Sports Midwest beginning with Sunday’s game against Hartford.
— There will be no live broadcasts of Tuesday’s exhibition game.
NEW #SLULOGOS TO BE UNVEILED FRIDAY
— Saint Louis University will unveil new logo marks for the University and Billiken Athletics at a special event at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Chaifetz Arena. All members of the SLU community, including alumni and Billiken fans, are invited to join SLU President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., at the event. Admission and parking is free.
— A new basketball court will debut at Friday’s event, meaning Tuesday’s game will be the final SLU basketball game played on the original Chaifetz Arena hardwood. Ironically, UMSL was the Billikens’ first regular-season opponent on the court when Chaifetz Arena opened in 2008.
ABOUT THE TRITONS
— UMSL returns seven players from last year’s team that went 19-11 overall and 10-8 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
— Brandon Marquardt is the Tritons’ top returning scorer after averaging 8.2 ppg last season. The transfer from Lindenwood set an UMSL single-season record last year with a .458 (54-118) shooting mark from 3-point range.
— UMSL welcomes seven newcomers, including six transfers. Among the transfers are five from the junior college ranks and Cortez Conners, who played at Cal State Bakersfield last season.
— The Tritons are directed by Bob Sundvold, who is in his third year with a 35-23 record. In 10 years as a collegiate head coach, Sundvold is 160-131.
Photo Credit: St. Louis Athletics
