Saint Louis Basketball: Travis Ford has changed the dynamic of the Billikens
Saint Louis basketball’s stock is rising quickly in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
After finishing under .500 and near the bottom of the Atlantic 10 standings the last two seasons, the Billikens opted to fire head coach Jim Crews in early March.
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With the hiring of former Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford, the dynamic of the program changed instantly. Whether it’s transfers or recruits, the Billikens suddenly seem to be adding talent left-and-right.
They may not be successful immediately – they should be one of the worst teams in the league in 2016-17 – but they are clearly headed in the proper direction moving forward.
And Ford’s latest addition confirms that.
2018 five-star power forward Carte’Are Gordon decided to stay home, committing to Saint Louis over Kansas and Missouri, among others on Wednesday afternoon.
— Carteare Gordon (@CarteareGordon) October 26, 2016
The 6’8″, 257 pound Saint Louis native plays his high school basketball at Webster Groves and played on the Nike EYBL Circuit this summer with MoKan Elite. The power forward helped lead MoKan Elite to the Nike Peach Jam championship, as he dropped 10.3 points, grabbed 6.2 rebounds and blocked 0.5 shots per game.
He also impressed with the U-17 USA team that won gold medal in Spain this summer. Gordon averaged 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in the FIBA Tournament.
Gordon is ranked 9th in ESPN’s top 60 for the class of 2018 and is labeled as the 5th best power forward in the nation. He is also ranked as the top player in the state of Missouri in the class of 2018.
The high school junior has good mobility, can finish around the rim, plays with a high motor, blocks shots on defense and is a solid free throw shooter. He still has to work on his overall offensive game and could add even more strength, however, he clearly has the ceiling to be a potential NBA player down the road.
This commitment continues an incredible trend for Saint Louis. Gordon is the second highly recruited prospect to land with the Billikens since Ford took over.
Saint Louis hadn't had a ranked prospect since database started in 2007. Since Travis Ford took over, they've had two ranked players commit.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 26, 2016
ESPN top 100 four-star shooting guard Jordan Goodwin was the first recruiting pickup for Ford. He followed that up with the addition of Hasahn French earlier this week.
The Billikens also have been awfully active on the transfer market as former Rutgers forward D.J. Foreman, former Michigan State forward Javon Bess and UCF guard Adonys Henriquez will all be eligible starting in 2017-18.
Davell Roby, Jermaine Bishop, Aaron Hines and three-star (2016) freshman Jalen Johnson will also remain in the fold beyond this year, adding even more depth to the Billikens’ roster.
But Gordon is the biggest pickup of them all. You almost rarely see a mid-major program land a recruit as highly ranked as Gordon is.
Next: In-depth Big East preview
Saint Louis is officially joining Western Kentucky as one of the most dangerous, intriguing mid-majors in America. Rick Stansbury is doing massive damage in Bowling Green, while Ford is making his impact felt in St. Louis.