GETTING INSIDE
St. Louis got some good news for Christmas when freshman forward Cody Ellis was ruled eligible by the NCAA, a move that should bolster the Billikens’ depth once they get into Atlantic 10 play.
Ellis spent the first semester at home in his native Australia waiting for a ruling from the NCAA. After re-taking the SAT, the NCAA cleared him to play.
Ellis is expected to be on campus by the beginning of January, though he will have a lot of catching up to do after missing the first 12 games.
St. Louis tentatively hopes he might be ready to contribute on Jan. 9 in its conference opener against Richmond.
Ellis was considered one of the best amateur players in Australia last season, when he averaged 14 points and eight rebounds for the Australian Institute of Sports while shooting 42 percent from three-point range.
St. Louis coach Rick Majerus has said Ellis should be one of the three best players on his roster.
The Billikens have gone 8-4 without Ellis thanks in large part to the strong play of sophomores Kwamain Mitchell and Willie Reed. Mitchell, a guard, is averaging 16.0 points a game and Reed, a forward, has averages of 13.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots.
Freshman guard Christian Salecich has been solid with an 8.3 scoring average. The hope is that Salecich will be more settled now that he has a semester under his belt and will be joined soon by Ellis, his best friend and teammate in Australia.
NOTES, QUOTES
• St. Louis is 16-2 in non-conference games at home since Chaifetz Arena opened in 2007.
• When St. Louis lost, 73-63, to Missouri State on Dec. 19, it marked the most points allowed by the Billikens in regulation time since Duquesne scored 73 in the final regular-season game of 2007-08.
January At A Glance: St. Louis has made steady progress this season with a roster consisting of sophomores and freshmen. Part of the reason is that the Billikens scheduled soft out of conference to give their young players a chance to build confidence. The key will be if St. Louis can build on that confidence and surprise some people when Atlantic 10 play starts.
Quote To Note: “There’s no column on the stat sheet for defense, leadership, poise or composure.”—Coach Rick Majerus on why G Kwamain Mitchell’s career-best 33-point performance on Dec. 22 in a 61-54 victory over Missouri-Kansas City was more than only about his scoring.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: St. Louis has gotten off to a good start against relatively weak opposition, and forward Willie Reed and guard Kwamain Mitchell have taken steps toward stardom in their sophomore seasons. The Billikens should get a boost when Atlantic 10 play begins, now that freshman forward Cody Ellis from Australia has been cleared to play by the NCAA.
Player Rotation: Usual starters—F Willie Reed, F Cory Remekun, G Christian Salecich, G Femi John, G Kwamain Mitchell. Key subs—G Kyle Cassity, F Brian Conklin, G Justin Jordan, F Tom Smith.
Game Review:
St. Louis 75, Belmont 67
Missouri State 73, St. Louis 63
St. Louis 61, Missouri-Kansas City 54
Game Preview:
Vs. Eastern Illinois, Tuesday, Dec. 29
At Bowling Green, Saturday, Jan. 2
Vs. Richmond, Saturday, Jan. 9
At Duquesne, Wednesday, Jan. 13
At Charlotte, Sunday, Jan. 17
In Foucs: St. Louis has played a relatively easy schedule but should get a good test at Bowling Green in its final non-conference game. The Falcons are 5-4, but had won four games in a row until losing at Detroit on Dec. 19.
Roster Report:
• G Kwamain Mitchell scored a career-high 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting in a 61-54 victory over Missouri-Kansas City on Dec. 22 after sitting out the previous game while recovering from minor eye surgery. He was selected Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. Mitchell was inadvertently poked in the eye Dec. 16 during a 66-53 victory over Belmont. It was the first 30-point game by a St. Louis player since Justin Love had 31 against Kansas State in 1999 and the most points by a Billikens player since Larry Hughes had 37 against Alabama-Birmingham in the 1998 Conference USA tournament.
• F Cory Remekun made his first career start against Missouri-Kansas City and the freshman had two points and a team-high six rebounds in 22 minutes. It was the first time all season that F Willie Reed did not at least share the team lead in rebounding.
• F Brian Conklin, who has found himself in coach Rick Majerus’ doghouse in recent weeks, was benched in favor of Cory Remekun against Missouri-Kansas City. It marked only the fourth time that Conklin, a sophomore, has not started in two seasons. He played 21 minutes as a reserve and scored only one point.
