In St. Louis, Missouri, major excitement is building as the Billikens look to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. After finishing the past season with a record of 13-20, the team is turning a new leaf with new head coach Josh Schertz, who brings two star players in Isaiah Swope (15.9 ppg, 3.0 rebs, 36.2% 3pt pct) and Robbie Avila (17.4 ppg, 6.6 rebs, 4.1 ast) from Indiana St.
Add in a couple of key returnees in Gibson Jimmerson (15.8 ppg, 2.9 rebs, 35.9% 3pt pct) and Larry Hughes Jr (7.4ppg, 1.5 ast, 35.5% 3pct pct), and it seems as if the Billikens are positioning themselves well for a trip to the Big Dance.
However, they will also need some help from other newcomers. Below are three players who aren’t Swope or Avila who must step up to give Saint Louis a chance to compete.
AJ Casey, 6-9, Forward
After being largely underutilized at Miami due to being behind quality forwards Norchad Omier and Keyonte George, Casey transferred to the Billikens, where he has a great chance of cracking the starting lineup. A former top-100 prospect, the junior forward’s physical gifts and lateral quickness will be an advantage during non-conference and Atlantic 10 play this season.
Kalu Anya, 6-8, Forward
Coming over from Brown University, Anya provides a lot of great traits for the Billikens. One look at him and the first player that comes to mind is former Saint Louis basketball player Dwayne Evans, who has a similar frame to the junior newcomer. Now, after leading the Bears to the final of the Ivy League Tournament while averaging 12.5 points and nine rebounds per game during the two-game stretch last season, Anya seeks to take his game to new heights with the Billikens.
Kobe Johnson, 6-4, Guard
After three seasons with West Virginia, Johnson makes his way to St. Louis, where he’ll be a vital part of the second unit. Averaging six points a game last season while making 26 starts, Johnson gives the Billikens another physical guard with a nose for both sides of the ball. And if there’s one thing about college hoops, you can never have enough good guards.
[…] Saint Louis brings a fresh approach to the season, drawing comparisons to last year’s surprise team, Indiana State. After finishing the past season with a record of 13-20, the team is turning a new leaf with new head coach Josh Schertz, who brings two star players in Isaiah Swope (15.9 ppg, 3.0 rebs, 36.2% 3pt pct) and Robbie Avila (17.4 ppg, 6.6 rebs, 4.1 ast) from Indiana State. […]