Saint Louis University is finally ranked in the national polls and people are starting to wonder if this is the best Billiken team of all time. While there is plenty of season left, the 17-1 Bills are threatening to be near the top of the all-time list.
Josh Schertz’s team has won eleven straight games and the SLU winning margins have not been close. Schertz’s legendary Division 2 records are impressive and now has launched two straight mid-major programs into the national conversation.
Staying committed to driving team success 📈
— Saint Louis Men's Basketball (@SaintLouisMBB) January 18, 2026
Saint Louis vs. Richmond: The Recap#RollBills pic.twitter.com/7eF9aeHwv4
At Lincoln Memorial (Kentucky) Schertz’s winning percentage was other-worldly (.830) and his teams played in eight NCAA tournaments in 12 years. His teams went to four Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours and were twice the national runners-up.
After leaving LMU to join Indiana State and turned the Sycamores into a Missouri Vallley Conference power culminating with the 2023-24 season’s 32-7 team that finished as the National Invitation Tournament runner-up. Indiana State won eleven games his first season, 23 in year two and then made that historic 2024 run.
After winning 19 games with Saint Louis last season, the Billikens are threatening to shatter all the Billiken norms. Saint Louis is 6-11 in the NCAA Tournament and haven’t gone dancing since 2019. The Billikens program’s greatest claim to fame is winning the 1948 NIT Title. Basketball fans realize that earlier generations saw the NIT as the national championship. That Eddie Hickey (coach) and Ed McCauley (all-American) led team is considered SLU’s greatest.
The Billikens played in last year’s NIT losing an opening round game to Arkansas State.
What Makes this team special?