I feel bad.

I really do.

A great many fans and listeners have approached over the last 18 hours or so to congratulate me for an unpleasant exchange with a guest on The Fastlane.  I think folks felt like I was representing them in the Cy Young discussion with ESPN.com analyst Keith Law.  The reason I feel bad about the conversation was that we couldn't get to a point where both sides exchanged ideas and debated the merits of those ideas.

What Mr. Law didn't take the time to learn was that I have great respect for numbers.  Guys around the station consider me a numbers guy.  I like the sabrmetric analysis of baseball. 

What I don't like is the sanctimonious attitude spewed forth from an Ivy leaguer who thinks that his is the only way.  He also didn't get that I like HIS numbers I just didn't agree with his conclusion.  So what?!  This overly defensive hillbilly didn't care for Law's   dismissive tone toward my partner Randy and to a lesser degree me.  Just because we're not Haavad material doesn't mean we have no idea about baseball.  He MAY be smarter than me.  But between the last Yale/Harvard man...you know the guy, he was in all the papers for about eight years...and this guy Law, the Ivy League has slipped.  And by the way I did go to the Harvard of St. Charles.

The point is, winning is important.  Consistency is important.  Coming up big when the team needs it most is important.  And despite what some numbers people want to tell you, if your club screwed up early it puts more value on the later games.  There are clutch hitters...there are clutch pitchers.  And I'm sure much to the consternation of Mr. Law and his ilk, I will close with a quote from a Mr. James Bouton who once said,"Tell your statistics to shut up."

Wednesday night's contest against Nebraska will be a nice, tough, early season test for Rick Majerus and the Billikens.  It was last year in Lincoln that the Cornhuskers veteran guard play ran SLU out of the great plains.  One bright spot in that game was the career high 18 scored by Brian Conklin.

It won't be as easy for the sophomre this time around as Nebraska has added size to the roster.  Almost as inexperienced as SLU, the Huskers will use size and a new point guard.  At 6-3, juco transfer Lance Jeter may be a real load.  He showed in the Cornhuskers debut that he can score and distrbute.

So, for tonight, Willie Reed and Conklin will get the aforementioned test but I think we already know what we'll get from them on most nights.  It's the backup forwards that will get eye opening welcome to college.  Both Corey Remekun and Jon Smith will have to perform, especially if either starter has foul trouble.

In addition, watching the evolution of the guard rotation after Kwamaine Mitchell will be intriguing. 

And my God....CAN WE HIT SOME FREE THROWS!

Just a thought.

Tipping off the new season Saturday, it felt as if the Billikens were stepping into the void.  It's the unkown...finding out what you have versus what you thought you had.  The first game for the youngest team in division I...all sophomores and freshmen...what could such a young team achieve?

Out of the gate SLU presented a spirited, if flawed, product.  In a 59-41 victory over visiting SEMO the Billikens jumped out early, were reeled back in during a second half lull, and eventually put the Red Hawks away with an extended 16-3 run.  A run that was sparked by a transition three from Kyle Cassity.

The co-stars of the game were Billiken big men, Willie Reed and Brian Conklin.  The first half was all Eugene Enforcer and the second half was dominated by Big Willie.  The two combined for 30 points (15 each) and 20 rebounds on 11 of 15 shooting.   Reed netted the first double-double of his career and if the Bills are to win with any kind of consistency the big boys will have to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor.

You would figure that St. Louis U.'s strength is in the backcourt.  So far there have been flashes.  Kwamaine Mitchell will be a constant.  But after that one of the stories to watch is the development of the guards and the rotation that Rick Majerus will take into league play. Reid, John, Jordan and Salecich will get their opportunities.  Who will take advantage and get the minutes?  It's going to be fun and entertaining to watch.

SLU-Nebraska preview comes your way on Wednesday.

Signing day for the early period has come and the Billikens are delighted with two recruits who they have inked out of the Chicago area.

The first is a 6-5 !/2 forward from Naperville.  Dwayne Evans is an athletic wing  SLU has needed forever.  Matching up with true three-men has always been a nightmare with a few exceptions.  Mo Jeffers became a stalwart at the three but was only here for two seasons.  Anyway, they hope Evans will continue to put on muscle and strength and maybe be able to help all over the front line with his athleticism.  Evans is an outstanding student who's sister played at Wash U.

The other early signing is 6-1 combo guard Mike McCall from Forman high school.  McCall has tremendous speed and a great handle.  He should be able to help right away at both guard spots. 

Spring signings on the horizon, you ask?  Now we're getting greedy.  It's too hard to  say at this point.  The Billikens should have one scholarship left and depending on which way the Cody Ellis boomarang flies, maybe one more.

The season opener versus SEMO is on Saturday.  I'll have a preview tomorrow.  And I hope to see you at the "Jewel of Midtown" Saturday evening.

For those of you who saw Saturday's Billiken game (or those who listened on 101 espn) you saw some good things and some not so good things.  But you were certainly concerned about Brian Conklin.  Not the fact that in the two exhibitions Brian keeps getting into foul trouble but that he had to leave the game with an ankle. 

On our post game show Associate Head Coach Porter Moser told us that Conklin went to the hospital for x-rays and that there was concern that the ankle was pretty serioud.

Word from the "Jewel of Mid-town" is that Conklin's ankle is not broken and that there does not appear to be any major damage to ligaments.  However, more will be known after the swelling goes down and Brian can have a more thorough examination.  But the hope is that it's a badly sprianed ankle and nothing worse.

I would say the same thing now to Brian as I would have before the injury.  "Son, you gotta stay outta foul trouble.  We need you on the floor."  Likewise, "Son, you gotta get well.  We need on the floor."

It was good to see Kwamain Mitchell's shot back in order and to see the reigning Mr. Kansas Basketball, Jeff Reid get involved.  His floor game was terriffic and he shoots it with the confidence of a real shooter.

The season opens for real Saturday against SEMO.