The college basketball careers of Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddlell III at Saint Louis University could be viewed in a number of ways.
When former SLU coach Brad “Lost In Space” Soderberg recruited the heralded local backcourt from across the river, most basketball fans and supporters were anticipating one of the best backcourt combinations in years for the Billikens.
Sure, the Billikens have had good players at that position before with All- Conference performer Marque Perry and the three studs who put the program on the map recently in Scott Highmark, Erwin Claggett and H Waldman. And who can forget the one year that All-American Larry Hughes gave us in 1998.
But the program had fallen on hard times, especially during the 2004 season when the Billikens finished 9-24. But help was on the way in the form of two heralded freshman from the “618” area code, who were being recruited by Big Ten and Big 12 conference schools, among others.
Soderburg won 16 games in the duo’s first season together, with Liddell being named to the Freshman All-American Team. In year two, the duo led SLU to a 20-13 record. With the addition of junior college forward Barry Eberhardt coming, the SLU basketball program seemed to be finally on the upswing. Not since current Washington Huskies head coach Lorenzo Romar was at the helm here had fans been enthused.
But something happened. Soderberg was suddenly fired after a season when the star Ian Vouyoukas didn’t wake up his senior season until his girlfreind told him it was MARCH! Soderberg was fired abruptly and replaced by the savior of college basketball, “SLICK” Rick Majerus.
Sporting his new million-dollar contract, Majerus promised that he will change the culture of basketball here in St. Louis. And boy has he. That million-dollar contract has produced a 34-28 record in his two season as SLU men’s coach. In addition, in the opinion of many SLU fans and supporters, he has ruined the careers of two of the most heralded recruits to stay home and play for the Billikens since Larry Hughes and Justin Tatum.
Majerus has also acted as though he is the John Wooden of hoops. Give me a break! He is still bragging about his former players in Utah and how he turned them into NBA players.
In addition to insulting anyone locally that questions his antics, he blows off radio shows and post- game shows after Billiken losses. And after the few wins he’s had here, he opts to send former Billiken assistant Angres Thorpe (now at Wisconsin-Green Bay) and Associate Head Coach Porter Moser.
Majerus spent much of his first year at SLU telling local fans and supportors that “they didn’t ask for me, and I didn’t ask for them,” referring to Lisch and TL3.
Lisch finished his career with 1,673 points, which was sixth on the school’s all-time list, while being one of the top defensive players in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Meanwhile, Liddell finished his career as the only Billiken in history to finish in the top 10 career list in scoring, rebounding and assists.
They did all this with Majerus not putting the ball into the hands of these talented players on many nights!
When you inherit two student-athletes who are obviously talented and accomplished, how did they get progressively worse on your watch? Why did other players in the A-10 develop into stars as seniors, while Lisch and Liddell regressed under your million-dollar watch? Players such as Dionte Christmas at Temple and Aaron Jackson of Duquesne became All-Atlantic 10 players while playing for head coaches who did not recruit them, but inherited them. I guess when you embrace those players you inherit instead of browbeating them in the media, you are likely to get better production.
If you look at game after game of quotes and notes, A-10 coaches on most nights referred to Lisch and Liddell III as the two they worried the most about in preparing for the Billikens. You would think John Chaney, among others, knows a bit about basketball.
Majerus and his million-dollar contract have done nothing but produce 34 wins in two seasons. Heck, Soderberg won 20 games the year before Majerus got here when both Lisch and Liddell performed at an All- Conference level.
You talk about Saint Louis University is a better fit for the Missouri Valley Conference than the A-10. Well when you look at the players like Christmas of Temple, Derrick Brown of Xavier and Chris Wright of Dayton, you can see why the A-10 got three bids in the NCAA Tournament. And as the A-10 teams continue to recruit more young and athletic talent, it’s no wonder you want the Billikens in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Do you think Slick Rick watched U-Conn, Pitt, Xavier, or even Mike Anderson’s Missouri Tigers this past week? People seem to be on Missouri’s bandwagon now not only because of the team’s great run to the Elite Eight. People have also embraced Mike Anderson because he is a good person as well as a good coach. He developed players he inherited such as Matt Lawrence and Leo Lyons into top performers.
Majerus does have one of the best young point guards in Kwamain Mitchell, but he was so worried Mitchell was going to transfer, he ran off another heralded local talent in Rueben Cotto, who will probably end up at LaSalle. Another reason you want out of the A-10 before he lights your ballclub up in a year.
The final two years of Lisch and Liddell can be best summed up by Senior Night, when Majerus and SLU Athletic Director Chris May came up with the brilliant idea of having the seniors honored after the game against LaSalle, a game in which the Billikens lost.
So, here’s two of our favorite sons getting honored in a half-empty building after a heartbreaking loss.
Thanks, Coach.
