Saint Louis takes care of the defending A-10 champs in style. Saint Louis (21-5) took care of business on their home floor Wednesday night as they thrash the Richmond Spiders (13-14) 64-50. Cody Ellis led the Billikens with 14 points and Kwamain Mitchell added a clutch 11.
Kwamain Mitchell finished with 11 points
The Richmond Spiders won the A-10 title and advanced to the Sweet 16 last year. The 2011 season has not treated them as well though. They are 13-14 overall and 4-8 in conference play.
The Spiders were within three, 44-41, with five minutes to play when Kwamain Mitchell hit two huge threes to extend the lead. The Bills never looked back.
This Bills team has an uncanny way of making their opponents victims to their style of play, which consists of a knock down drag ‘em out style. Their foes are able to stay in the game deep into the 2nd half, until SLU’s defense eventually wears them down.
Some might call it “ugly”, just don’t tell Rick Majerus that.
Majerus and the Bills play incredible defense. They rank 6th in the nation in scoring defense, giving up a mere 56.6 points per game.
Majerus credits Cody Ellis and Cory Remekun:
Recently Bills fans have been called out for not providing a true home court advantage. That was not the case Wednesday night. As the Bills pulled away late, the crowd was loud, clearly understanding this team could be headed to post-season play.
The Bills remain a half game behind the Temple Owls, the Owls hold the tie-breaker. The 72-67 loss last month to Temple at Chaifetz was bad.
But, after last week’s sweep of the ‘Philadelphia tour’ (St. Joseph’s and La Salle), SLU was able to pick up two more votes in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, bringing the total to four. In the writers’ poll they went from zero to five votes.
The NCAA RPI rating system has SLU at No. 23, which is the only ranking that matters in deciding at-large berths for the NCAA tournament.
SLU would be a tough draw for any foe come March. Of their 20 wins this season, 16 have been by double digits, and nine of them by 20 points.
Cody Ellis on what the Bills need to do more consistently:
Daily Grind Sports 
The NCAA actually uses more than just the RPI to decide at large bids, they have said that they have even used ratings systems such as kenpom.com. If Slu wins out, they could be as high as a 4 seed.
The RPI ranking is the only factor in determining a teams seed in the tourney. Kenpom.com has SLU ranked at #10. Kenpom factors in margin of victory and defeated, whereas the RPI ranking system treats a 1 point win the same as a 20 point win. Both have their pros and cons and realistically SLU is somewhere in-between those two rankings. To use kenpom in seeding would require a lot of $$$ to be exhanged, which they aren’t doing, its a private ranking system, like the BCS.
You guys sound like you’re arguing @ Duffys or something …