March Madness means it is time to get invested in random faculties from locations you have by no means been, and after the bracket reveals on Sunday, I’d like to supply a possible rooting curiosity: the Saint Louis Billikens males’s workforce. Based certainly in Missouri and never some off-brand St. Louis (à la Oakland University), you could faintly recall the Billikens for his or her quirky mascot and their three straight first-round match wins within the 2010s. This is their first look since a loss as a 13 seed in 2019, nonetheless, so please enable me to acquaint you with this squad and provide you with 5 causes to care about them.
Reason No. 1: The Billikens simply performed two very thrilling video games.
Look, I’m not going to faux I was dwelling and dying with Saint Louis basketball this yr, however I did tune in for his or her pair of video games within the Atlantic 10 match, and I appreciated what I noticed. Saint Louis entered the week as the highest seed, however they have been sliding in sideways. They began the yr 24-1, with the lone loss coming by one level to Stanford, however they went simply 3-3 of their final six, with their remaining regular-season recreation a brutal 29-point blowout by George Mason.
Thursday’s recreation began like a sequel to that one, with the opposite George within the A-10 (Washington) pounding STL for a 28-4 run within the first half. The Revolutionaries led by as many as 21, however you’ll be able to by no means rely out the Billikens. Displaying the grit and toughness of their mascot—a stylish doll from over a century in the past—Saint Louis shot their method again into issues and ultimately pulled off an 88-81 comeback win.
Their semifinal, towards Dayton, delivered perhaps my favourite end of the season. Saint Louis had the higher hand into the second half, however they went ice chilly and surrendered an 18-2 run that allowed the Flyers a slim lead with 5 minutes to play. From that time on, this recreation grew to become a slugfest. When Saint Louis turned the ball over with beneath 30 seconds to play and Dayton down by one, we noticed three straight potential game-winners with nary a whistle to be heard.
I do not even care that Saint Louis misplaced. I simply see stars in my eyes each time the top of a basketball recreation flows like this.
Reason No. 2: This man is their finest participant.
That’s Robbie Avila. Fans have been getting their puns off since he was starring at Indiana State, however this senior middle is just now set to play in his first NCAA Tournament recreation. He’s an enormous man who can cross and shoot with the perfect of them on the school stage, and people abilities are magnified by the truth that he seems like he ought to be digging by way of file crates as an alternative of worrying about his help charge. He would be the most “Whoa, wait, who’s that dude?” of the entire tourney this yr. And you’ll already know.
Reason No. 3: They play a enjoyable fashion of basketball.
That end towards Dayton was a window into Saint Louis’s total strategy, which is breathless and overwhelming when finished proper. No workforce on this match took much less time on its possessions this yr, none shot higher from three-point vary, and no one took their common two-point shot nearer to the rim. Exemplified by Avila’s versatility, this can be a workforce with an incredible inside and outdoors recreation. The aptly named Trey Green is likely one of the most correct three-shooters within the nation, whereas Dion Brown is positively overflowing with dawg. They appear a fairly likable bunch.
Reason No. 4: Their first-round recreation seems as aggressive on paper because it will get.
Saint Louis, as a 9 seed, will get to play Georgia on a late Thursday evening in Buffalo for the presumed proper to problem Michigan within the second spherical, and like all good eight/9 recreation, it is a toss-up and a résumé distinction. Saint Louis is likely one of the most completed mid-majors; Georgia simply barely stored its head above water within the Poseidon Adventure that was the SEC. They went 10-8 in convention play and bought bounced within the first spherical of their tourney, so it is onerous to speak your self into the Bulldogs as an actual risk to go deep. But all of their losses, save perhaps the Ole Miss ones, are completely respectable. I am particularly to see how their powerhouse of an enormous man, Somto Cyril, matches up towards Avila.
I know this stuff are not possible to foretell with confidence, however when you had to make a guess at which recreation on Thursday would go right down to the wire, KenPom will inform you it is this one.
Reason No. 5: The Billiken stalks me regardless of the place I go.
I am not joking. Look atop this put up to see the lethal critical flip this mascot has taken since these happy-go-lucky match wins of the 2010s.
Help me.
