March 15, 2004

St. Louis - Saint Louis (18-12 overall, 9-7 C-USA) will host Iowa in the 2004 Owens Corning National Invitation Tournament on Tue., Mar. 16. Tip-off at the Family Arena in St. Charles is set for 6 p.m. (CT). Should the Billikens advance, they would face the winner of the Notre Dame/Purdue game.

On the Air: The Billikens' NIT game with Iowa will be heard on KMOX AM 1120. Voice of the Billikens Bob Ramsey is in his 18th season calling the action. Analyst Earl Austin Jr. is in his 13th year.

TV Time: The Billikens' NIT game against Iowa will be telecast by ESPN2.

Last Week: Saint Louis advanced to the Conference USA Tournament semifinals at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena for the second consecutive year. No. 12 Cincinnati eliminated the Billikens 66-46 on Fri., Mar. 12, despite senior guard Josh Fisher's 14 points. In the quarterfinals on Thu., Mar. 11, the Bills knocked off #23 Memphis 72-61 behind Reggie Bryant's 18 points. SLU held off Southern Miss in a defensive struggle 52-46 Wednesday night. Senior guard Phillip Hunt scored a career-high 14 points to pace the Bills.

The Iowa Series: The Hawkeyes lead the series 9-6 and have won the last four meetings. The teams last met in Hawaii's Rainbow Classic during the 2000-01 season when the Hawks prevailed 68-56. This will be the Hawkeyes' first appearance in St. Louis since the 1962-63 season when the Bills topped Iowa 65-58, which was the last time SLU beat Iowa.

Scouting the Hawkeyes: Iowa (16-12 overall, 9-7 Big 10) finished fourth in the Big 10 standings, but lost to Michigan 79-70 in the opening round of the Big 10 postseason tournament. The Hawkeyes are led by guards Pierre Pierce (16.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Jeff Horner (12.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Brody Boyd (11.2 ppg). The Hawks average 71.5 ppg on 45.8 percent shooting from the field, 36.7 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. Iowa allows its opponents 68.9 ppg on 40.6 ppg marksmanship from the field and 33.5 percent from the arc. Head coach Steve Alford is in his fifth year at Iowa with an 89-70 (.560) mark and a 13-year career record of 245-147 (.625).

Brad Soderberg: Head coach Brad Soderberg is in his second year at the helm of the program with a 34-26 mark (.567). He has a 10-year career head coaching record of 165-99 (.625). Soderberg is the first Billiken coach to guide his club into the C-USA Tournament semifinals in back-to-back years. In his initial campaign, Soderberg guided the Bills through a late-season eight-game winning streak that resulted in an NIT bid. He led the Bills to a fourth-place finish overall in C-USA tying their previous best finish under Charlie Spoonhour in 1998. Soderberg became third Billiken head coach to guide SLU into the postseason in his first two seasons joining Eddie Hickey (1948 and 1949 NIT) and John Benington (1959 and 1960 NIT).

Sagarin Ratings: In Jeff Sagarin's NCAA ratings through games of Mar. 14, Saint Louis was 66th. The rest of C-USA is as follows: #14 Cincinnati, #20 Louisville, #29 Memphis, #31 Charlotte, #40 UAB, #48 DePaul, #90 Marquette, #117 East Carolina, #153 TCU, #155 Southern Miss, #200 Houston, #205 Tulane and #212 USF.

The RPI Report: In the RPI rankings through games of Mar. 14, Saint Louis was 58th. The rest of C-USA is as follows: #10 Cincinnati, #23 Louisville, #32 Charlotte, #33 UAB, #34 Memphis, #37 DePaul, #82 Marquette, #122 TCU, #124 Southern Miss, #150 East Carolina, #177 Houston, #178 Tulane and #215 USF.

That's a Winner: By posting a 9-7 record and tying Louisville for sixth place with in C-USA, the Billikens have recorded a .500 or better C-USA record in four straight seasons and six of the last seven seasons.

Tough C-USA Schedule: Saint Louis was the only C-USA team forced to make two three-game road swings this season, while only six other programs made three-game road trips once each. Louisville was the only school among the league leaders with a three-game road trip. None of the programs making three-game road trips faced three league contenders in a row as the Bills did in their first trip to Charlotte, UAB and Memphis, who were a combined 36-12 overall in league play and 22-2 on their home floors. The Bills' began their second three-game swing at DePaul and Cincinnati. Including those two games improved the opponents' records to 60-20 overall in league play and 35-5 on their home floors. Not surprisingly, the Bills went 1-4 in that five-game stretch. The winning percentage of the Bills' C-USA road opponents was .617, easily the highest in the league.

NIT History: The Billikens are 18-16 in their 17 NIT appearances after losing to Minnesota in last year's first round. It was their first appearance in the NIT since the 1995-96 season when SLU also was ousted by the Gophers. The Billikens won the 1948 NIT championship behind "Easy" Ed Macauley. The Bills were back-to-back runners-up in 1989 and '90 when Saint Louis lost to St. John's and Vanderbilt, respectively.

Home Sweet Home: The Billikens are usually tough to beat at Savvis Center where they are 116-40 (.744) in nine seasons. Combining the 1993-94 season at The St. Louis Arena and their three games at the Trans World Dome, the Billikens are 132-40 (.767) in their last 172 home games. The Bills are 56-15 (.789) against non-conference competition at Savvis.

Close Shaves: In head coach Brad Soderberg two-year tenure, the Billikens are 10-4 in games decided by three points or less.

MVP! MVP! Guards Josh Fisher's and Reggie Bryant's shared the team's Most Valuable Player award, which was presented at the annual awards banquet.

Double Team: Guard Josh Fisher's and forward Chris Sloan shared the team's Defensive Player of the Year award, which was presented at the annual awards banquet.

Honor Student: For the third straight season, forward Ross Varner received the team's Scholar Athlete Award. Varner has a 4.0 GPA with a double major in business and Russian.

Mr. Intensity: For the third straight season, forward Chris Sloan received the team's Most Inspirational Award, which was presented at the annual awards banquet.

Offense: The Billikens are averaging 62.3 ppg on 42.7 percent shooting from the field, 34.3 percent from three and 70.1 percent from the free throw line ... shot a season-low 27.5 percent vs. Cincinnati in the C-USA semifinal ... shot 53.3 percent from the field in the C-USA quarterfinal vs. Memphis ... 47.1 percent (8-17) shooting from the arc saved the Bills against Southern Miss in the C-USA first-round game.

Chart Buster: Senior guard Josh Fisher's is moving up on the Billikens' all-time lists for assists, steals and total three-point goals. "Fish" now tops SLU's assist list with 428, breaking the mark of 424 previously held by Charles Newberry (1987-90), is second all-time in steals with 175 and is seventh all-time in treys with 114.

Defense: Saint Louis tops C-USA by allowing only 59.1 ppg ... forces 12.9 turnovers per game ... limited Memphis to 35.7 percent shooting from the field ... held Southern Miss to 46 points in the C-USA quarterfinal, the eighth time a SLU opponent has scored 50 points or less, as the Eagles shot 36 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from three.

Just Joshin': Senior guard Josh Fisher's (Mercer Island, Wash. / Mercer Island) concluded the regular season ranked in C-USA's top 10 in assists (T-4th), steals (T-5th), free throw percentage (6th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th) ... leads the Bills in assists at 4.3 apg and steals at 1.7 spg and is the second-leading scorer at 11.5 ppg ... led the Bills with 14 points and five boards vs. Cincinnati in the C-USA semifinal ... had 12 points, six assists, four boards and two steals vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal, while also limiting C-USA Player of the Year Antonio Burks to six points ... collected 11 points, six boards and three assists vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round.

Local Boy Makes Good: Senior swingman Chris Sloan (St. Charles, Mo. / Howell North) finished the regular season ranked in C-USA's top 15 in free throw percentage (15th), steals (8th) and field goal percentage (T-7th) ... ranks second among the Bills in rebounding at 4.7 rpg and in steals at 1.6 spg ... is third in scoring at 9.7 ppg while shooting a career-high 48.4 percent from the floor ... has a career-high 64 assists easily surpassing the total of 31 from his sophomore year ... is tied for eighth all-time on the SLU steals list with 123 ... his five boards tied for the club lead vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal and added three assists and three steals ... tied for the team lead in rebounds with six vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round.

Boss Ross: Senior forward Ross Varner (Holladay, Utah / Skyline) is averaging 2.4 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 15.9 minutes per game ... snagged four boards in 11 minutes vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal.

Good Phil Hunting: Senior guard Phillip Hunt (St. Louis, Mo. / Clayton) is averaging 2.0 ppg in 22 appearances ... in his first career postseason start vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round, set career highs with 14 points and four treys.

Reggie Bars: Junior guard Reggie Bryant's (Baltimore, Md. / Calvert Hall) finished the regular season as C-USA's third-leading scorer at 16.5 ppg and was named second-team All-Conference ... tops the club in threes made with 63 ... tied for the club lead with five boards and added 11 points in the C-USA semifinal vs. Cincinnati ... topped the Bills with 18 points vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal ... after missing the Houston game to spend time with his ill father, returned with 13 points and three assists vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round.

Tom Terrific: Junior college transfer center Tom Frericks (Bowling Green, Ky. / Greenwood) finished the regular season as C-USA's leading percentage shooter at 57.3 percent ... is the Bills' leading rebounder at 6.2 rpg in just 20.5 minutes per game ... missed the remainder of the C-USA Tournament with a sprained shoulder after turning in 10 minutes vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round ... is expected to be available against Iowa.

Little Anthony: Sophomore guard Anthony Drejaj (West Orange, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) is second on the Bills in assists at 2.2 apg and third in steals at 1.2 spg ... popped in 10 points along with three assists and three steals vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal ... tossed in six points and added two assists vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round.

Mideast Marvel: Junior forward Izik Ohanon (Tel Aviv, Israel) is averaging 7.5 ppg and 2.9 rpg ... matched his career high with two steals and added six points vs. Cincinnati in the C-USA semifinal ... collected 14 points vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal ... tied for the club lead with six boards and added five points vs. Southern Miss in the C-USA first round.

Grecian Formula: Freshman center Ian Vouyoukas (Athens, Greece) has appeared in 19 games and started six, averaging 2.3 ppg and 1.7 rpg in 10.8 minutes per game ... made his first career postseason start vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal and matched his career highs with 14 points and five boards along with his first two career dunks.

JJ: Redshirt freshman forward Justin Johnson (Merrillville, Ind. / Merrillville) is averaging 9.1 minutes per game in 20 appearances, averaging 1.8 ppg and 1.2 rpg ... made his first career postseason appearance vs. Memphis in the C-USA quarterfinal and knocked in a jumper.

Daring Darren: Freshman guard Darren Clarke (Minnetonka, Minn. / Hopkins) has appeared in 14 games, averaging 1.9 ppg, but missed seven games after the Memphis game with jumper's knee ... knocked down his first career postseason trey vs. Cincinnati ... made his first postseason appearance against Southern Miss.

Mr. Wendell: Freshman walk-on guard Wendell Bennett (Brooklyn, N.Y. / St. Anthony's) has appeared in six games and is still looking for his first career point ... made his first career postseason appearance vs. Cincinnati in the C-USA semifinal.

Moonies: Freshman walk-on guard Ian Mooney (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's Academy) has appeared in nine games averaging 2.4 minutes ... made his first postseason appearance vs. Cincinnati in the C-USA semifinal and netted a career-high three points.

Soderberg's Sound Bites: "Our seniors have a right to be proud with the fact that they became the first group to go to the C-USA semifinals in back-to-back years. They're disappointed that they didn't reach their goal of getting to the NCAA Tournament, but we're excited to go to the NIT and try to get to New York."