So after another unpredictable week of college hoops, here are five teams on the rise and five teams on the decline.

Bottoms Line: Stock Up

Alabama

After dropping three of four, the Tide have now won five straight.  The wins are nice, but the most encouraging sign for Alabama is that their offense has been significantly more efficient over that stretch, scoring at least 1.10 points per possession in each of the last five games.  To put that in context, they hit that mark just three times in their first 12 games.

Guard Travis Releford has been terrific during that stretch, averaging 17.2 points.  Backcourt mate Trevor Lacey has played well during their winning streak as well, and the team got a rather unexpected boost by getting Andrew Steele back after fears that concussions may have ended his career.  He’s not going to score a ton of points but gives them another experienced and capable player in the backcourt to go with the dynamic duo of JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell up front.

We’ll find out a lot more about this team over their next three games when the travel to Mississippi State, take on Vanderbilt at home, and head to Kentucky.

Baylor

As I wrote earlier this week at Run The Floor, it’s time to start talking about the Bears as one of the elite teams this season, and the tempo-free numbers back that up.  On Tuesday, they picked up arguably the best road win of the college basketball season when they pulled out a victory against Kansas State in the Octagon of Doom.  For all of their offensive talent, Baylor has been terrific on defense as well, allowing just three teams to score over 0.94 points per possession.

Pierre Jackson, who dished out 11 assists against the Wildcats, has been a difference maker at the point, and his ability to make shots and spectacular plays helps to offset his high turnover rate.  Brady Heslip gives the team an elite long-range shooter, and Perry Jones III is a sure-fire lottery pick.  But to me, Quincy Acy is the team’s most important player.  He is a phenomenal rebounder and shot-blocker, and he’s molded himself into one of the most efficient players in the country.  And he can still throw down some filthy dunks.

Baylor faces Oklahoma this weekend then takes on fellow Big 12 contenders Kansas and Missouri next week, both of which should be great matchups.

Illinois

It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Illini have a 4-1 record in the Big Ten after beating Minnesota in double OT, Northwestern by one, and Nebraska by five before Tuesday’s upset of Ohio State.

In that game, Brandon Paul went off for 43 points and hit a ridiculous three-pointer and subsequently swatted Jared Sullinger to put the dagger in the Buckeyes.  Given Paul’s efficiency numbers coming into that game, it’s unfair to significantly heighten expectations for him.

The team has been getting solid play from Joseph Bertrand to help pick up the scoring slack for starting guard Sam Maniscalco, who has missed the last three games due to injury.  With sophomore big man Meyers Leonard continuing to impress, Illinois needs to focus on getting him more touches inside.  Quality depth is still an issue due to their youth, but the Ohio State win gives them a much-needed shot of confidence they can build on.

Saint Mary’s

In what has become one of the more intense rivalries going, the Gaels pounded Gonzaga late Thursday night, winning by 21 points despite getting just two points from Rob Jones who led Saint Mary’s in scoring coming into the game.  Matthew Dellavedova was fantastic, scoring 26 points and dishing out six assists compared to just one turnover.

The Gaels have now won six straight and 14 of their last 15 with the lone loss during that stretch coming against Baylor.  Parts of that scheduled haven’t been particularly challenging, but they are now 5-0 in the WCC with wins over BYU and Gonzaga, who were expected to be the other squads at the top of the league.

Randy Bennett has nine players averaging at least 11 minutes, and while Jones and Dellavedova carry a lot of the scoring burden, there are a number of other able contributors on the roster.  Overall, the team ranks eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency, and for a team that takes over 40 percent of their shots from beyond the arc, they actually rank second in two-point shooting.  Defense is a potential concern, but teams with elite point guards are dangerous in March, and Dellavedova is one of the nation’s best.

Vanderbilt

After losing to Indiana State to fall to 6-4, the Commodores were universally considered the biggest flop in college basketball.  They have since won six straight games and have quietly re-established themselves as a contender to be the second-best team in the SEC behind Kentucky.

Their most impressive performance during that stretch was a dominant road win at Marquette where Vandy jumped out early and never looked back.  The offense has been fantastic, scoring at least 1.06 points per possession in all six games and scoring at least 1.12 ppp in five of them.  The defense has also improved, and the Commodores still haven’t gotten a ton out of big man Festus Ezeli who is still working through knee issues.  Sharpshooter John Jenkins has been on fire lately, averaging 19.5 points and hitting 28-of-52 (53.8 percent) of his three-pointers during the six-game winning streak.

After facing Georgia at home over the weekend, Vandy goes to Alabama next Thursday in a game that will pit their prolific offense against the Tide’s stifling defense.

Bottoms Line: Stock Down

Louisville

It’s hard to kill the Cardinals for losing to Georgetown and Kentucky, and even a double overtime loss to Notre Dame can be chalked up to an off night.  But losing by 31 points and essentially giving up against Providence is simply not something a Top 20 team does.

Most everyone would agree that Louisville was overrated when they were in the Top 10, but they have now dropped four of their last five heading into Saturday’s game against DePaul, who they will apparently face without Kyle Kuric, who has an ankle injury.

Outside of the Providence game, the Cardinals have been consistent on defense, but offensive efficiency is another matter.  The team doesn’t shoot well, particularly from three-point range, and they have struggled with turnovers at times.  And while injuries have certainly played a factor, Louisville needs to find answers on the offense end or the Providence game won’t be the last head-scratching loss.

LSU

After their surprising win over Marquette, the Tigers moved their way into the at-large discussion and had people thinking that maybe they had been overlooked.  Since that game, they have lost to Virginia and Alabama while not beating anyone of note.  Those losses aren’t even in the neighborhood of LSU’s earlier losses to Coastal Carolina and South Alabama, but at some point the Tigers have to prove the win over Marquette wasn’t a fluke if they are truly to be taken seriously, particularly with those bad losses already on their profile.

Over their next nine games, LSU faces Mississippi State twice, goes on the road to Florida and Vandy, plays Kentucky and Alabama at home, and heads to Arkansas this weekend, where the Hogs hung 98 on Mississippi State last Saturday night.

The Tigers have been relatively impressive on defense, but I’m not convince they can do enough on offense to win even two of those seven games.  And if I’m right, you can scratch them off the list of potential tournament teams.

North Carolina State

Heading into Wednesday night’s game with Georgia Tech, NC State’s chances at a potential NCAA bid were tenuous.  After losing to the Jackets by 11 at home, I can’t see anyone projecting them to be in the field.

With the ACC down this year, there just isn’t much margin for error for the teams in the middle of the pack.  To be fair, I don’t think anyone expected NC State to even be in the mix for a bid in Mark Gottfried’s first season at the helm, but the opportunity is definitely there.  However, their lone quality win came against a Texas team that is also on the bubble, and their defense has been poor at best against the better teams on their schedule.

There is definitely talent on the roster with guys like C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell among five players scoring at least 12 points per game, but there simply isn’t much depth on the roster.  They can’t afford to lose either of their next two games against Wake Forest and Boston College, which lead into road games against Miami and UNC before a home date with Virginia.  Their schedule down the stretch is also tough, but that won’t matter as much if they can’t add a couple quality wins over the next couple weeks.

Saint Louis

At 12-1, the Billikens were one of the pleasant surprises in college hoops, but they’ve since dropped three of their last four.  All three defeats came at the hands of potential tournament teams, and two of them were on the road.  That said, earlier wins against Washington and Villanova don’t look as impressive as they did at the time, and Saint Louis doesn’t have any wins against teams that would be in the field of 68 if the tournament started today.

Luckily for them, the A-10 is pretty deep this year and provides a number of opportunities to pick up quality wins.  Consequently, the Billikens need to hold serve against the lesser teams in the league and then play well in their two games against Xavier and also at home against Dayton and on the road versus Saint Joseph’s.  In fact, they may need to win three of those four games to make a more compelling case for a bid.

Virginia Tech

Everyone’s favorite bubble team is at it again.  First they dropped a road game against Wake Forest on Saturday to pick up their first bad loss of the season, and then they lost at home to Florida State in a game featuring two bubble teams.  At this point, their best wins are a pair of victories over an Oklahoma State team with virtually no shot of dancing in March.

The Hokies have struggled to get consistent production from their players inside, and their defensive efficiency has dropped off compared to last season.

Following Saturday’s game against Boston College, Va Tech faces a difficult stretch of games featuring home dates with North Carolina, BYU, and Duke along with road trips to Virginia and Maryland, who is playing better of late.  If they can’t pick up some signature wins during that stretch, they won’t have to worry about sweating things out on Selection Sunday.

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Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

Update: Thanks to Twitter, this post caught the attention of Gatorade president Sarah Robb O’Hagan (@SarahRobbOh). She enjoyed our rundown of the funniest Gatorade baths ever, and she also sent me the wall mural from Gatorade’s headquarters with some of their favorite Gatorade baths of all-time. It’s very cool. You’ll see it at the end of the post.

The Gatorade bath is a tradition like few others in sports.

After most monumental wins in football – specifically Super Bowls, national championship games, especially important and/or meaningful bowl games, or season-ending victories over hated rivals – such a celebration can be expected. The tradition began with the New York Giants in the mid-1980s and continues into today with no signs of slowing down.

While the sentimental among us enjoy the Gatorade bath because it symbolizes the triumph of a team of men on the field of athletic battle and the ultimate moment of shared jubilation and respect between coach and player, I enjoy Gatorade baths for a far different reason.

Pictures and videos of them can be laugh-lout-loud hilarious.

So here is my personal ode to the Gatorade bath, with the 28 funniest Gatorade baths of all-time, presented in no particular order other than saving the best ones for last.

Bob Stoops

Image source: AP Photo/LM Otero via Boston.com

Urban Meyer

Image source: SBNation

Nick Saban

Zombie Ken Whisenhunt

Image source: Revenge of the Birds

Kirk Ferentz

Image credit: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky via Boston.com

Jim Tressel

Image credit: Photo by Harry How/Getty Images via The Part Time Jock

Image source: Eleven Warriors

Gary Patterson

Joe Gibbs

Image source: Here

Tony Dungy

Image source: Stock Lemon Blog

Bill Parcells

Image credit: Peter Read Miller/SI via Hot Clicks

Greg Schiano

Image source: Today’s ACC Headlines

Image credit: Dill/AP via NY Daily News

Steve Spurrier

Image source: Eric Campos via GoGamecocks.com

Dave Doeren

Image credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE via Chicago Tribune

Some Confused Ohio Bobcats

Mike McCarthy

Image source: Here

Cito Gaston

Image source: The National Post

Bill Curry

Image source: MTV.com

Rick Stockstill

Image credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images via Boston.com

Frank Beamer

Image credit: Phil Coale/AP via Statesman.com

Image source: Boston.com

Eric Mangini

Les Miles

Image source: Here

Image credit: A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images via MTV.com

Image source: SECTalk.com

And I saved the best image last…

Marty Schottenheimer…like a boss

But no Gatorade shower can or will ever be quite as funny as the one in this video, all things considered.

Guy Morriss

Update: Actually, I was mistaken. I’m not quite sure how I forgot about one of my favorite Gatorade bath pictures of all time, but I did. Thankfully, loyal Tweeters like @jimkanicki are here to remind me of the error of my ways. For goodness sakes, this pic is the background of Spencer Hall’s Twitter page!

Here is the great Howard Schnellenberger (the man who laid the foundation at The U, for those too young to remember) being doused by his team at Florida Atlantic.

Random thought: I suppose I should change the number in the title to 29 considering that there are technically now 29 images and videos with the addition of the Schellenberger picture, but since one of the pics is an elephant peeing on Les Miles, we won’t count that as a Gatorade bath.

Update: And here is the picture of the mural at Gatorade HQ sent to me by Sarah Robb O’Hagan:

The ACC now has 13 losses, Cal got dumptrucked by Missouri, Long Beach State lost immediately following their signature win, and Memphis went 1-2 in Maui just to name a few.

The possibility also exists that I am the kiss of death, so to fans of this week’s “stock up” teams, consider yourselves warned.

Stocks Up

Alabama

The Tide rolled through the Puerto Rico Tipoff, beating Maryland, Wichita State, and Purdue by an average of 13 points.  With Tony Mitchell (14.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 41.2 3P%) and JaMychal Green (14.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg), Alabama boasts one of the top frontcourt duos in the nation, and point guard Trevor Releford (12.0 ppg, 2.7 apg) is showing no signs of a sophomore slump.  Coach Anthony Grant is also getting decent contributions from his bench, but the Tide is really getting things done on the defensive end with the fifth-ranked defensive efficiency according to the Pomeroy Ratings.

On the most recent addition of the Bottoms Line podcast, Troy Machir made the case that Alabama is the second-best team in the SEC, and based on how they have played so far, it’s hard to disagree.

Kansas

It was tough to know what to expect from the Jayhawks this season based on the amount of roster turnover, but so far they have been better than I expected.

The one thing that isn’t shocking is the play of Thomas Robinson (16.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg), who has logged a double-double in each of KU’s five games.  Outside of his 11 turnover performance in the Maui final, Tyshawn Taylor (16.0 ppg, 3.8 apg) has been a consistent contributor, and backcourt mate Elijah Johnson (11.6 ppg, 3.8 apg) has shown flashes as well.  The Jayhawks have also received solid contributions from Travis Releford and Jeff Withey, both of whom have played sparingly over the course of their careers.

With essentially a seven-man rotation, depth will be a concern, but Kansas should be right in the thick of things in the Big 12 once again.

Marquette

With Pitt struggling, Louisville sustaining injuries at an alarming rate, and Cincinnati losing to the likes of Presbyterian, the door is open for the Golden Eagles to rise to the top of the second tier of the Big East behind UConn and Syracuse.

Marquette won the Paradise Jam and currently ranks 11th in offensive efficiency and 24th on defense in the Pomeroy Ratings.  Seven players are averaging at least 7.0 points, and 10 players are logging double-digit minutes.  Darius Johnson-Odom (20.0 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.4 spg, 56.9 FG%, 44.0 3P%) and Jae Crowder (17.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 spg, 58.6 FG%, 40.0 3P%) are leading the way, but sophomore Vander Blue has bounced back from a disappointing freshman season with 12.2 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.  Big men Davante Gardner and Chris Otule have combined to average 15.4 points and 9.6 rebounds to provide an additional presence inside, and Junior Cadougan is dishing out 6.4 assists.

The Golden Eagles have another huge test at Wisconsin on December 3rd, and a win there would further validate their early season success.

Mississippi State

I have to give credit where credit is due.  After a disappointing home loss to Akron, the Bulldogs bounced back with two solid wins at Madison Square Garden against Texas A&M and Arizona.  There are still going to be some ups and downs from MSU this season, but the roster isn’t short on talent.

Arnett Moultrie (15.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg) is a relentless rebounder, and point guard Dee Bost (16.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.3 spg) has done a decent job cutting back on his turnovers in the past couple games.  Freshman Rodney Hood (12.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 41.7 3P%) has been impressive as well, and his 20 points helped the team to a win over Louisiana-Monroe with Moultrie and the much-maligned Renardo Sidney out with injuries.

Again, consistency will never be the calling card of this team, but they have a chance to make some noise in the SEC.

Missouri

I was very skeptical of the Frank Haith hire, but after beating Notre Dame and Missouri by a combined 68 points, he deserves some credit.

Without Laurence Bowers, the team is relying heavily on Ricardo Ratliffe (11.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) inside, while a slew of talented guards and wings are pouring in points and leading a team shooting over 46 percent from beyond the arc.  Marcus Denmon (19.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 44.4 3P%), Kim English (16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 60.0 3P%), and Flip Pressey (12.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.0 spg, 41.7 3P%) have all been superb, propelling the Tigers to Top 10 rankings in effective field goal percentage and turnover rate.

The Tigers have also maintained their reputation as a tough defensive squad, and the top tier of the Big 12 is shaping up to be a real slugfest.

Oregon State

With the bulk of the Pac-12 struggling, the Beavers have one of the league’s few solid wins thanks to an overtime victory over Texas.  Sure the Longhorns are down, but Oregon State followed that up with a last-second loss to Vanderbilt, proving they will be a tough out this year.

Jared Cunningham (22.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.2 spg) is an electrifying player who is starting to get his due on a national level.  He’s already shot a staggering 62 free throws this season and is due for another highlight reel dunk anyday now.  Forward Devon Collier is also contributing 16.6 points per game, and four other players are chipping in better than seven points per contest.

The remainder of the non-conference schedule is manageable, so the Beavers could enter Pac-12 play with just one loss.

Saint Louis

The Billikens are doing their best to prove the A-10 isn’t just a two-team race between Xavier and Temple.  They beat Washington by 13 and won their opening game in the 76 Classic.  If they can beat Villanova in the semi-finals, they have a decent shot to win the whole thing.

The inside-outside duo of Brian Conklin (17.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 63.2 FG%) and Kwamain Mitchell (14.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.8 apg, 43.5 3P%) is leading the team offensively, while a stingy defense has been shutting down opponents with regularity.  This is easily Rick Majerus’ best team since taking the helm, and if they can get another player or two to become consistent contributors on offense, look out.

San Diego State

Without Kawhi Leonard, Malcom Thomas, D.J. Gay, and Billy White, it was natural to predict a down year for the depleted Aztecs, but after a home victory against Long Beach State and a road win over Arizona, they are going to be a factor in the Mountain West after all.

Guards Chase Tapley (16.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3.1 spg, 55.6 3P%) and Jamaal Franklin (16.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg) have led the way for the Aztecs, but a defense ranked 20th in the Pomeroy Ratings has helped to offset some of their offensive shortcomings.  Upcoming games against Cal and Creighton will provide additional opportunities to pick up impressive non-conference wins, but the MWC is shaping up to be a three-team race among SDSU, UNLV, and New Mexico.

Stock Down

Cincinnati

For a team that didn’t go out of its way to construct a challenging non-conference schedule, the loss to Presbyterian looks that much worse.

The Bearcats blew a double-digit lead in the second half against the Blue Hose in what is the season’s biggest upset to date.  The lack of bench production is a huge concern for Mick Cronin with no one outside of the starting five scoring better than 4.0 points per game.

UC’s two toughest games left in the non-conference are at home against Marshall and at Xavier, so remaining opportunities for marquee wins outside of the Big East are limited to say the least.

Fairfield

Early losses to Providence and Minnesota, coupled with impressive play from Iona, aren’t great signs for the Stags’ at-large chances come March. Fairfield won their opener in the Old Spice Classic, and a rematch with the Gophers may await them if they make the finals, but it is imperative the Stags pick up some decent victories in the remainder of their non-conference slate which features games with Old Dominion, Connecticut, and Drexel.

While the team has maintained their level of play on the defensive end, there is still work to be done offensively.  The quartet of Rakim Sanders (17.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 52.9 FG%), Ryan Olander (13.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg), Maurice Barrow (12.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 55.6 FG%), and Derek Needham (9.2 ppg, 2.8 apg) is doing nearly all of the team’s scoring, but as a team they’re doing a very poor job of getting to the free throw line.  Fairfield also needs to take better care of the ball, because their offense simply has to become more efficient if they want to challenge Iona for the MAAC title.

CAA

Traditionally one of the top non-BCS leagues, the CAA has been brutal so far this year.

Drexel was picked as one of the favorites to win the league, but they lost to Norfolk State and then were held to 35 points against Virginia.  Once Chris Fouch and Tavon Austin are back from injury, their offense should improve.  Quite frankly, it can’t get much worse.

George Mason was expected to be one of the other top teams, but they have lost to Florida International and Florida Atlantic so far, fueling the argument that Paul Hewitt simply isn’t a great coach.

The other top teams in the league haven’t fared well either.  Old Dominion lost at home to Northern Iowa and Vermont, while VCU lost by double digits to Seton Hall and Georgia, both of whom are expected to finish toward the bottom of their respective conferences.

It’s too early to know for sure, but the CAA has the early look of a one-bid league.

Memphis

The Tigers came dangerously close to leaving Maui with three losses, but they managed to hang on for an overtime win against Tennessee.

With the exception of a woeful offensive rebounding percentage, Memphis is playing relatively well on the offensive end.  However, their defense has been abysmal, making stars out of guys like Jeronne Maymon and Henry Sims in the process.  Sophomore big man Tarik Black has been unable to stay out of foul trouble, and that’s one area where the Tigers just don’t have much depth.

Overall though, seven players are scoring at least 7.8 points per game, and Josh Pastner is trying to work out his rotation.  Still, the Tigers can’t rely on simply outscoring their opponents every game, so they need to make strides on defense over the next few games, all of which are winnable.

New Mexico

As I mentioned above with San Diego State, the Lobos were projected as one of the league’s top teams, but they have now lost two of their first four games, at home against in-state rival New Mexico State and in the 76 Classic against Santa Clara.  New Mexico State has emerged as the favorite in the WAC and Santa Clara is better than many people realize, but it’s still not a reassuring start for Steve Alford’s squad.

Soph Tony Snell (14.3 ppg, 42.9 3P%) has played well, but the team’s two stars, Drew Gordon (10.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg) and Kendall Williams (9.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, 1.8 spg), have struggled with their shooting.  Nine players are averaging at least 14 minutes, but ultimately the team will go as far as Gordon and Williams can take them.  I’ll be interested to see how they respond over the remainder of the 76 Classic.

Pac-12

UCLA’s struggles both on and off the court have been well publicized, and while they have been an unmitigated disaster, the Bruins aren’t the only Pac-12 team off to a rough start.  Arizona dropped two games and has some issues with its talented freshman class, Cal got smoked by Missouri, Oregon’s top newcomer Jabari Brown has elected to transfer, and Washington lost by double digits to Saint Louis in its first real test.  In all, the conference has 23 losses, 14 of which have come against non-BCS teams.

Other than that, things are great.

Virginia

Many people (myself included) touted the Cavs as a potential sleeper team in the ACC.  And then they went and lost to TCU in their first game of the Paradise Jam.  They rebounded to beat Drexel and Drake but missed out on the chance to prove their mettle against Marquette in the finals.

Virginia plays at one of the slowest paces in all of college hoops, and while their defensive efficiency numbers have been solid, it’s another story on offense.  After hitting nearly 39 percent from deep last season, the Cavs have made just 33 percent from beyond the arc while seeing a drastic increase in their turnover rate.

Even though Tony Bennett is playing a number of guys, just two of them are scoring over 6.6 points per game.  Mike Scott (14.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg) looks healthy again and soph Joe Harris (12.4 ppg, 2.4 apg) has been fairly consistent in the backcourt, but other players have to step up and make outside shots based on how this team is constructed.

Wichita State

The Shockers didn’t necessarily play poorly in Puerto Rico, losing by 10 to Alabama and in overtime to Temple, but it could be deja vu for Wichita State fans.

Last season they endured a couple near misses in Maui, but in the end, their lack of quality non-conference wins was their undoing in terms of at-large consideration.  The Shockers did beat Colorado and they have games remaining against UAB, UNLV, and Utah State at home with a road trip to Tulsa mixed in.  Three players are scoring in double figures, but the team could stand to get to the line more often after attempting just 17 free throws per game so far.

So far, Creighton looks like the MVC team with the best chance to earn an at-large bid, but the Shockers’ play over the next month could change that.

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Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

–Congratulations are in order for Blues forward Keith Tkachuk, who scored career NHL point 1,000 with a goal in the Blues’ 4-2 win at Atlanta on Sunday.

We keep waiting for the 36-year-old Tkachuk to fade into the background and for his days as a top-six forward to come to an end, but “Walt” keeps coming back for more and despite a recent scoring slump, has 16 points in 22 games. He will be a free agent after this season.

Speaking of the Blues, goaltender Chris Mason may be aligning himself for more playing time in the future. Mason got the win on Sunday and has won his last three starts. He has stopped 106 of the last 109 shots he has faced. His goals against average this season is 2.29, compared to Manny Legace’s 3.19.

–Things were looking rosy for the Saint Louis University Billikens when they upset then-ranked Boston College by a 53-50 score at home on Nov. 22. But since then, SLU has dropped a pair of road games at Nebraska (71-57) and Detroit Mercy (62-57). Next up is a date at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Tuesday. While SIUC’s 2-3 record doesn’t look too glitzy, keep in mind that two of the Salukis’ losses came against Duke and UCLA. Simply put, if SLU wants to put key wins on its resume in order to entertain NCAA Tournament hopes, a triumph in Carbondale is paramount.

–The St. Louis Rams have been just plain offensive on offense this season. The Rams rank dead last in the NFL in touchdowns scored (12) on offense and overall (13). It was more of the same on Sunday in a 16-12 defeat at the hands of Miami. All of the Rams points came off the foot of Josh Brown via field goals. The Male Sheep have gone eight straight quarters without a touchdown.

–Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, who suffered a concussion the week before against Chicago, had a passer rating of 22.2 and threw three interceptions. The Rams picked a bad year to have a bad year — Detroit and Cincinnati seem to have dibs on the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Bulger is clearly on the downside of his career. He was exposed way too much in Mike Martz’s system and the hits are starting to take their toll. Despite already giving big money to Bulger in 2007, the Rams have to draft a quarterback next spring.

–Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel will apparently have a void to fill on his coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Dave Christensen has reportedly accepted the head coaching job at Wyoming. He’s expected to stay on board as the Tigers prepare for Saturday’s Big 12 title game date with Oklahoma in Kansas City.

The Billikens never could get on a roll last season and finished their maiden voyage under Majerus with a pedestrian 16-15 record, good for a ninth-place finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference (Note: There are 14 teams in the league).

Granted, Majerus should be given a pass for last season. For the most part, the former Utah, Marquette and Ball State coach, and ESPN analyst, inherited the roster from outgoing coach Brad Soderberg; and that roster wasn’t exactly chock full with highly-touted recruits. Never was that more evident than when the Billkens shot blanks in a miserable 49-20 loss at George Washington on Jan. 10. The Billikens made the highlight shows that night — for all the wrong reasons.

The 2008-09 season brings hope for SLU fans. The biggest reason for hope is in the form of Chaifetz Arena, the school’s new $80.5 million, 10,600-seat on-campus facility just off Highway 40 and less than two miles west of their old home, the Scottrade Center.

Chaifetz Arena gives the Billikens — predicted to finish seventh this season by A-10 coaches and media members — a place of their own after they’ve shared digs with other tenants at the old St. Louis Arena and Scottrade Center. The intimate yet state-of-the-art facility should give the university a boost in recruiting and provide more of a college atmosphere to help make life tough on visiting A-10 foes.

While things are looking up for SLU off the court, two familiar faces return to give the Billikens viable scoring options as linchpins Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell III are back for their senior seasons.

Lisch, a 6-foot-2 guard, scored 14.6 points per game as a junior and was a third-team A-10 selection. In the league preseason voting, Lisch was tabbed a first-team pick. Liddell, a 6-4 senior guard, was second in scoring (12.3 ppg) and rebounding (4.3 rpg). And while he and Rick Majerus clashed at times last season, one would think player and coach should have a better idea on how to strengthen their relationship and put aside their differences. The coaches and media made Liddell a third-term selection in the league this week.

We’ll take a closer look at the Billikens prospects and this season as we close in on their opener Nov. 14 with Missouri-St. Louis at Chaifetz Arena.

[tags]rick majerus, college basketball, atlantic 10, saint louis billikens[/tags]