Saint Louis entered the AP top 10 this week for the first time since 1964. The Billikens nearly squandered the opportunity, needing overtime to knock off George Mason Wednesday night. But 25 points from Jordair Jett and two huge threes from Rob Loe to start overtime sealed the 89-85 win.
Saint Louis is college basketball’s most unlikely force
The Billikens are a program on the rise, on their way to a third straight NCAA Tournament berth.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Both games between Saint Louis and George Mason have gone to overtime, with Saint Louis prevailing each time.
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The high-scoring affair wasn’t typical of Saint Louis’ success this season. The BIllikens are renowned for their defense, listed at No. 2 on that side of the ball in an adjusted metric tracked by Ken Pomeroy. As far as raw numbers go, Saint Louis gives up just 58.9 points per game on 38.9 percent shooting, good for ninth and seventeenth in the nation in those respective categories.
Road to the Title
The Billikens’ 11-0 start in Atlantic 10 play is coupled with a 24-2 overall record that comes with no bad losses. The only Saint Louis defeats came in non-conference play, a 63-57 loss to Wisconsin in Cancun and a 70-65 loss to undefeated Wichita State. The Atlantic 10 doesn’t play like a major conference, but an unblemished mark makes up for the weaker schedule.
While its their defense that carries them, the Billies get efficient offensive production from leading scorers Dwayne Evans and Jordair Jett. Evans (14.8 ppg) shoots an even 50 percent, while Jett (13.2 ppg) hits a tick over 48 percent of his shots. Saint Louis doesn't rely on the three-pointer, hitting fewer than a third of its attempts on the season. Compare that to Duke, a high-octane offense that hits over 41 percent of its hoists.
Playing a style of ball similar to how the team plays now, Saint Louis has been bounced from the second round of the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons. Finishing sixth in Pomeroy's defensive rankings last season, the Billikens were one of four Top 6 defenses to not make the Sweet Sixteen. Only Kansas and eventual-champion Louisville rode their defense-first squads deep into the Tourney, with Kansas bounced by runner-up Michigan. Wisconsin and Georgetown -- ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on defense last year -- were bounced in the first round.
While a good defense certainly helps in post-season play, the Billikens will have to be able to score down the stretch to survive tournament-style play. If Jett and Evans can get the basket as efficiently as they have this season, Saint Louis could make the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1957.
The most fascinating thing about Saint Louis’ ascension made the rounds on the web the other day. Before former head coach Rick Majerus stepped down and eventually passed away in late 2012, he predicted that the Billikens would be a Top 10 team in another few years. Majerus was right, as second-year head coach Jim Crews has built on the success of his predecessor.
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