An experienced and primarily home grown squad, led by Senior returning All-American Ed Macauley, was ready to make a splash in Conference USA.  Macauley had some beef around him up front and they were hoping that one of the highest sought after recruits in their programs history would help on the perimeter.  Coach Eddie Hickey knew he had the front court but he would need somebody to step up in the backcourt (at least until wunderkid Larry Hughes arrived) if this team was to survive the rugged league.  The Billikens did not have a successful year last year as the fell back into the pack in their last year in the Metro.  This is a whole, brave new world in the new league and they hope that behind the stellar play of hometown hero Macauley they will be able to compete for a conference title. This will be no easy task as C-USA has grabbed just about every major powerhouse independent that program that was left from the Indy World.  Kind of reminds you of the purge on talent by Sub-Pop in Seattle in the early nineties.  The impetus for this league was the old school Metro conference teams led by Louisville and Cincinnati (both top 15 national programs) and Memphis State.  This was all predicated, of course, when Georgia Tech and then Florida State left for the ACC quickly followed by

The aforementioned Macauley is the man that made the Billikens go.   Macauley led the team in scoring by a wide margin but that does not bely his unselfishness. Macauley not only led the team in scoring but he led the team in assists as well.  That’s right Easy Ed is one terrific all-around player who can score 20 a night and still sets up his teammates.  He was also a few rebounds from leading the team in that category as well which with the beef around him in St. Louis was quite an accomplishment since he goes at about a buck 85 soaking wet.  Macauley was named honorable mention All-American but really could have and probably should have been on the one of the first three teams as he was the two years before.  Macauley is a great inside outside scorer.  He is adept at strolling through the key totally unassuming and getting to the hoop or throwing up one of his assortment of hook shots.  His ability to pass and to hit open shots up to 17 feet make it almost impossible to guard him.  He was undoubtedly the leader of the team and you knew who was taking the last shot if the game was close.  The team captain always led the team out and started them on their drills though the first game of the year he started the layup line in the middle of the National Anthem.  He most definitely got over that and made the rest of the year look as casual as his nickname.  ‘Easy’ Ed may be a bit thin to be playing the post in today’s basketball but he more than made up for it with smarts and desire.  Still, the Billikens were going to go nowhere as a one-man team.  The plan is to move Macauley to the three on defense and still keep him as their primary low-post option on offense.  At 6’8 Macauley fits the profile of a stretch three and that is what he will try to become but he is not exactly a wing. The Billikens need more athleticism.  They are not quick enough especially at the wings and great as Macauley is he does not bring much quickness to the court. The biggest issue with switching Macauley down to the three is who he would be replacing.  Senior Joe Wiley is a terrific true small forward who can light it up from mid-range.  This 6’5 stud is the best player from right over the border in Bellville Illinois and has been a terrific sidekick to Macauley up front.  He will play but Hickey he is better suited as instant offense off the bench.  We are not so sure.  

Coach Eddie Hickey’s team might have been reliant on its superstar but he had some dang good role players especially up front and he was not afraid to use them.  And that means all of them at any time.  The Billikens would never be confused with Kansas up front but they did have a bunch of big, serviceable, corn fed boys who were ready, willing and able to bang with anybody underneath.  Seniors Bob Ferry, Gene Moore, Bevo Nordmann and Rich Niemanan are four huge bodies who use their size and their intelligence to their advantage.  None of them would be confused with Easy Ed for offensive prowess but they are big and they can rebound and play defense.  After Hickey kicked the Koch brothers to the curb before the season started the Billikens wanted to go in a different direction.  You have to have big bodies to compete in this league and the Billikens will play as many as anybody.  Ferry is probably the best offensive player of the group and is extremely smart with great basketball savvy.   At 6’8 230 Ferry may not have the optimum size for a center but he does have some tricks in his bag to get the job done in the paint.  Moore is a little more physical (though almost the exact same size at 6’8 6’9 225) than Ferry and is not afraid to bang with anybody.  He led the team in fouls (which is saying something for a guy who only averaged around 17 minutes a game) but his presence in the key was hugely instrumental to the team’s success.  He will not be intimidated by anyone and is a ferocious rebounder who as the year progressed was developing a more rounded offensive game.  He has a chance to play at the next level due to his big body and demeanor on the court and primarily due to the fact he is a hard-working man who is always improving his game on both ends of the court.  Nordmann was another big body (6’10 230) but he did not play much as the Billikens were loaded up front.  And Niemann is the biggest body on the team at seven foot 245 but this St. Louis product (all four actually are hometown kids) could hardly get on the court with Macauley around and Ferry and Moore developing solid roles. More importantly though this was due to the progress of a Sophomore stud who really loves to mix it up down low. 

Sophomore Anthony Bonner is another banger inside who is a little more athletic than the four (five if you count Macauley) seniors.  Bonner is only six foot eight but he is strong and tough as nails and loves to rebound.   Maybe the most important asset Bonner has is his ability to guard smaller more athletic forwards.  He is developing a mid-range game which includes a nifty 18 foot jump shot and all kinds of ways to dunk the ball from the wing.  Bonner can also score in the paint and gives the team a rough and tough option underneath opposite of the finesse of Easy Ed.  His value cannot be understated on a team that needed this type of threat.  AB is nowhere near Macauley for offensive prowess but he can finish and he does know how to use his rather large behind to get position for his shot.  The biggest attribute he picked up from his teammates is a swagger and a willingness to mix it up anytime, anywhere!  The one thing all of these kids have in common is that they all come from St. Louis and if you grew up in St. Louis you better be tough.  Ferry and Moore may be the toughest but all of them will not back down from anyone 

The biggest issue for the Billikens and Hickey was finding some talent in the backcourt.  The best candidates from the returning players include Seniors Danny Miller, Barry Orms, Robert Cole, Ray Steiner, Harold Alcorn, Tom ‘Nobody’s Fool’ Kiefer, junior Jim Irving and Lewis McKinney and Sophomores Luther Burden, Charles Newberry and Monroe Douglass.   That’s a bunch of people for only two spots as you can see the desperation that Hickey had last year trying to find some answers.  Most of these kids were getting their minutes on the JV but the veteran coach had no problem yo yoing his contenders back and forth.  Miller was the team captain and did start most of the year at the point guard but he has hard time keeping up with those cat quick point guards that dot the basketball map.  He is a terrific leader though.  Orms is a 6’3 combo guard that had some games but needs to be more consistent.  Cole is also 6’3 but much more athletic and will get some minutes on the wing though he needs to improve his shooting and ballhandling to get real minutes.  Steiner has only been here a year and at 5’10 barely played and Alcorn is 6’1 and can score but neither can guard athletic guards.  Kiefer was playing well early on and got hurt and the Billikens did not know what they had got until he was gone but this 6’3 hometown (isn’t everybody on this roster from the Arch city) but after taking a walk down the road he sure would like to come home.  Irving played well and this 6’1 hometown kid will challenge Miller for the starting PG unless someone else comes along that is better.  Mckinney is a a 6’5 stud from St. Louis that dominated the JV until a late season call up but is more a small forward and at best will be a backup for Macauley. Douglass is 6’4 and yes from St. Louis but he is a shooting guard all the way.  He started the last ten games and played well and will be the starter this year and gives Hickey some athleticism they need on the wing.  Burden and Newberry were stuck on the JV and have much room from improvement but at this point every one has a chance in this crowded back court as no one is really as White Goodman would do by ‘grabbing the bull by the horns.’  Hickey is bringing in as many recruits in the backcourt as he can to try and help this position because if they don’t there is no way the Billikens are going to hang in a league that has the likes of the Big O, Butch Lee and Darrell Griffith

Hickey had some other slid contributors off the bench up front though they were all stuck behind Macauley and company.  Senior Dick Boushka came into the season as the starter next to Macauley and stayed there most of the year but it meant having two smallish forwards on the court at the same time.  He is a solid forward but was too small (6’5) for the competition the Billikens were playing and eventually came off the bench behind Easy Ed.  Fellow senior Jerry Koch is only 6’4 and worse yet plays the post exclusively.  His time is done here almost assuredly except for mop up duty.   Fellow seniors Jack Mimlitz and Rich Parks are also in the mix.  Mimlitz is a 6’1 forward who like Koch his time has come and went but was big here once but Parks at 6’7 230 fits right into the Billiken mold up front.  Who he is going to play in front is another story.  Juniors Harry Rogers and Robin Jones should battle for minutes up front though neither really got much of a chance to shine this year except on JV.  Both are good passing big men who can guard and eat up space though neither is at the level of Moore or Ferry.  Sophomore Roland Gray was a solid contributor in limited minutes and can really shoot from the perimeter.  This 6’6 natural three has a good chance of replacing Macauley next year.  Speaking of Bonner he has a clone on the roster .  He is a banger who loves to board and should provide good depth next season up front. 

Coach Eddie Hickey’s made themselves known for more than just having a funny mascot and a great low post player.  Hickey surrounded Senior Ed Macauley with some talent and some great role players to gain some respect for the team under the arches in the like the Billikens so underrated Conference USA.   As Coach Hickey would say respect is one thing but wins are better.  This team has some depth inside and will bring it in droves down low.  Their lack of perimeter play will hurt and Hickey has recruited almost entirely back court players but will it be enough against the likes of DePaul, Louisville, Memphis and Cincinnati?  We shall soon find out but at least it looks like this team filled with home town St. Louis kids has finally found a home in C-USA.