Saint Louis Billikens 2025-26 PREVIEW: Roster Breakdown

The 2025-26 Saint Louis Billikens have more motion than midtown has seen on the hardwood since a healthy Javonte Perkins was pulling up from 18 feet.

There is a Top-50 player in the nation leading the squad—and he’s hungry to finally get a taste of March Madness. Add to that a portal class that has completely changed the complexion of the roster and there’s plenty of reasons to get excited about Year 2 under Josh Schertz.

One of the few questions remaining is both a good one and a fun one: “What do you do with all of these talent?”

With a top nine group that Schertz says all “could start” and a group that was initially looking AT LEAST thirteen deep, questions about rotations and redshirts were starting to getting louder as the season countdown closed to two weeks.

And now one of those first questions has been answered. What started as a trickle of news when HC Josh Schertz joins STL Sports Central’s “Randy Karraker Show” and revealed that 4-start freshman Jax Kerr would NOT be redshirting this year. Six days later following a dominant exhibition win in Bradley, Schertz revealed the other half of that news: Senior Kalu Anya would be redshirting this season. 

It came as a surprise on the surface because of Kalu’s role last year: starter, leader in rebounds, blocks & field-goal percentage. But the big picture move made immediate sense—with both Avila & Paul Otieno leaving after this year the Billikens will be in need of frontcourt presence next year, and with Kerr showing out as the future of the program, it gives Anya a chance to contribute as a role-player again in ‘26-27. 

The rest of the redshirt news came out within the hour: Freshmen Luke Laczkowski & Badara Diakite will redshirt, while fellow freshman Cam Hutson is still to be decided. So that really leaves the main questions how to HOW Schertz & Co. work the rotations of a deep roster that all need to eat in one way or another. 

So every day until the Billikens tip off against SEMO on November 3rd, I will be dropping my scouting report on each player on the roster. 

These were originally written after the open scrimmages in August, but have been *slightly* updated with the news over the last month+. I decided to leave in my original thoughts on Kalu, as it illustrates both why this is an immediate surprise but also why it works so well in the longer term.

Kalu Anya - 6’8 225 - Sr - Worcester, MA (IMG Academy) - Brown

• Strengths
  • Rebounding
  • Defensive & positional versatility
  • Paint efficiency
• Weaknesses
  • While his stroke looks great, his motion takes too long & so he doesn’t provide much shooting/spacing
  • FT shooting last year fell off a cliff (.513 in two years at Brown, .316 last year), which hurts an extremely efficient paint player

Season Expectations: DEPTH —> This will seem like a knock to a player who has started in 81 of his career 83 games played, but when you bring in a guy like Paul Otieno and add the shooting the Billikens have, it puts Kalu Anya in a better position going forward. 

Schertz & company can now use Anya as the defensive swiss-army knife he’s best deployed. He can guard the 2 through 5, combine him with Otieno–who Schertz said can switch 1 through 5 himself– and any group of three guards/wings and Saint Louis will be able to switch all five spots defensively while still having 3-to-4 players who can shoot. That shooting will then open up space for Anya to do his best offensive game as well: clean up any missed shots (career 2.4 offensive rebounds per game) and absolutely EAT inside the paint (65.8% on two-pointers last year). Play him as a small-ball five and get ready to run in transition, because he’s good for a few big defensive plays a game as well. Roll him out with Robbie like last year and let Kalu’s passing game from the post & on the short-roll continue (1.7 assist per game at Brown increased to 2.5 last year, while DECREASING his turnovers by the same amount–2.3 down to 1.5). 

This new roster allows Kalu to save the Billikens in the case of foul trouble for either Avila or Otieno (their two most important players) & gives him situations built entirely to his strengths no matter the lineup–not a bad role

The question surrounding the new-look Billikens don’t end there. With a team full of newcomers both as freshman and transfers, there’s plenty to learn about Saint Louis. 

Ishan Sharma - 6’5 192 - So - Milton, ON (Fort Erie International Academy) - Virginia

• Strengths
  • Shooting. My god the stroke is pure. If he squares his shoulders, it’s all but in. Hits them on the move as well. Just like Green you have to see it to believe right now, because the numbers haven’t shown it yet (33.3% on 72 shots for Virginia as a freshman). Did go off at Peach Jam ‘23 with a 16.6PPG & a 44.4% clip from deep while getting named to the All-Breakout Team
  • FT shooting. Like I said, stroke it pure. 93.8%
• Weaknesses
  • Doesn’t score other than shooting threes. Made SIX 2FGM compared to 24 from deep.
  • Doesn’t really fill up any other spots on the box score as a rebounds, playmaker or defender

Season Expectations: 6TH MAN CANDIDATE —> This decision highlights the interesting roster build, the intricacies of Schertz’s system & the Robbie of it all. Amari’s returning defense is going to be crucial this season, but shooting changes makes this system hum—and Ishan Sharma’s particular brand could make it purr. 

Much like Trey Green, you’re going to have to roll with me a little on eye test, word of mouth from Chaifetz & some now-year-old scouting. Much like Green, we can look at Sharma’s Peach Jam atomization (44.4% from deep as a breakout player in the tournament), hone into both open scrimmages (where fans were welcome to see Sharma knock down at least six at a very high clip, including a beautiful runner he hit from 24-feet going right-to-left) and/or buy into one of the many versions of “Have you seen this guy’s shot?!” that’s been uttered inside the practice gym this summer. 

Should any of that practice shine survive into the regular season it'll be hard for Schertz to hold that kind of shooting back from sharing the floor with Robbie Avila as often as possible.

Speaking of kids that definitely had U13 AAU coaches screaming “SHOOTER”…

Brady Dunlap - 6’7 190 - Rs So - Newhall, CA (Harvard-Westlake) - St. John’s

• Strengths
  • Shooting. Corner Merchant. The meme is perfect for him cause he’s an absolute gunner.
  • He’ll talk some shit
  • Size, length (if he uses it)
  • Coaches kid (Dad played with Reggie Miller at UCLA)
• Weaknesses
  • Physicality/rebounding/defense. Despite being 6’7 he’s only blocked 4 shots, has credit for 11 steals & currently sits with a career average of 1.7 rebounds a game through 35 career games played.
  • Non-three point scoring. Has 27 3PM to 23 2PM in his career.

Season Expectations: 6TH MAN CANDIDATE —> There’s a group of 3-5 players who will gets starts this year for the Billikens, but it might be too much to call them a starter. Dunlap works as both/either a starter or as a first man off the bench because he’ll shoot the lights out of the ball while potentially giving the Billikens the extra length & athleticism that Schertz seems to covet from his “wing” spot in the starting five. 

Much like Trey Green & the aforementioned Sharma, Dunlap is a big name recruit coming down from the Power 5 for a bigger role after playing sparingly, so this requires some more projection. He was also a Nike NYBL Circuit darling (for LeBron’s team in LA no less) & then went on to shoot 33.3% across a freshman & sophomore-shortened season. He took a big jump in those 10-games in 2024, shooting 38% before getting shut down and has since been on a tear for the Billikens this summer. 

Both scrimmages saw him go on scoring stretches that revolved around a barrage of corner 3s off the catch & a couple of plays off the drive (including one that led to some audible–and hilarious–trash talk). It’s because of that shooting that Brady has the chance to start but if he can make greater use of his frame & almost 7-foot wingspan, he could continue to push for more.

Speaking of those new addition, let’s move back from the pure wing shooting that Saint Louis added and look at the pair of combo guards that will help pace the Billiken’s offense & defense.

Dion Brown - 6’3 180 - Sr - Great Barrington, MA (Vermont Academy) - Boston College, UMBC

• Strengths
  • ++ positional rebounding – averaged a Jordan Goodwin-esque 7.6 rebounds (12.4% rate) as a Sophomore at UMBC before coming down to earth to 3.9 per game (8.9%) in the larger ACC while jumping to BC last season
  • Solid overall scoring, career 53.4% eFG% – the numbers won’t blow your doors off, but Dion’s propensity to get stuck in works just as well as a driver as it does as a rebounder–finished 2-pointers at a 56% clip at UMBC while taking over 11 shots per game inside the arc, but again struggled in the ACC, dropping to 48% on 5 attempts per game. Solid shooter from deeper, consistently at 35% across his career.
• Weaknesses
  • Doesn’t get to the line, just a career FT rate of 16% (for comparison sake, is 2022 Gibson levels of not-so-great)
  • Lack of playmaking for a 6’3 guard, with 154 career TOs and 145 career assists (He did have 45 helpers to 31 turnovers last year at BC, one of the things he improved on while making the jump.)

Season Expectations: STARTER/6TH MAN —> Fans caught a scare when they heard about Dion Brown’s knee surgery at the end of July, but the 6-8 week timeframe to return from his minor procedure didn’t change our answer here. And his practice time since returning has been impressive. (He also missed the Iowa scrimmage but “would’ve started” according to Schertz.)

The projection is tricky because of the up-and-down numbers from the jump from UMBC to BC, but dive in a little deeper and a few things jump out. 

Using Kenpom we can compare Dion’s full season numbers versus his numbers against top 100 teams. And using this comparison we see that Dion would step up in those big games (which is almost the whole ACC conference schedule, it should be noted): 7 of his 8 double-digit games came against Top 50 or Top 100 opponents. That includes 20 vs. SMU, 20 in Chapel Hill, and three straight double-digit games to close out the season against Cal, Clemson & Pitt. 

Need to throw in his numbers from the three Top 100 P6 opponents he faced with UMBC as a sophomore: 17.0 ppg on 14/35 (40%) 2P, 7/14 (50%) 3P to go with 9 rpg & an uncharacteristically good 2.6 apg. And a kicker: He dropped 28 on Louisville in that season’s opener. 

While the raw numbers may be overwhelming, there’s plenty of evidence to show that Dion could be a weapon first off the bench in the A10. (For a little more comparative fun, here are Dion’s three lines against 2024 Billikens opponent UMass-Lowell: 23-10-5-1-1, 28-9-2-1 & 18-5-8-2). 

He’ll be running with the best passing team in his college career: he’s never played with a single player who averaged more than Robbie Avila’s 4.0 the last two seasons. (Kalu Anya’s tally of 2.5 assists per game last year would represent the 4th highest number for a teammate in Dion’s career) Does that unlock his 35% career three-point percentage? Or just open up opportunities to drive the lane & get to his layup package? It certainly won’t hurt his game. And those underlying numbers hint at something more. 

He’s got something to prove as well. Summer injury. Second transfer. “Potential” starter. Prove all those wrong & the Billikens will be that much better.

Quentin Jones - 6’5 180 - Jr - Chicago, Ill (Marian Catholic) - N. Illinois, Cal Poly

• Strengths
  • Well-rounded game, filled the stat sheet at both of his previous stops
  • Shooting has jumped out in both scrimmages & practices (shot 40% on 2.9 per game as a freshman, then 35.5% last year on 4.9 per game)
    • Shot 31% on 5.4 per game in non-con & then 39% on 4.8 per game in conference
• Weaknesses
  • How much of his big sophomore season was “good stats-bad team” as he led N. Illinois in most categories & they won SIX total games?

Season Expectations: KEY STARTER —> Following an opening two seasons of starting at Cal Poly in the Big West & starring for N. Illinois in the MAC–where he led the team in points, assists & steals–Jones slots in as a perfect guard for Josh Schertz’s system. 

His dead-eye shooting from range (37.7% collegiately) has been apparent in practices & scrimmages. 

He has the size–6’5 with plus length (almost a Schertz-recruit requirement at this point)–to fight for steals in the larger A10. 

And it appears there will be ample opportunities as the primary & secondary ball-handler with this roster build. 

A big part of his scoring game will be adapting to a different role in the offense–he won’t need to take a dozen shots a game for this team–but can he find 8/10 a game from off-ball shots + pick-&-roll possessions + transition buckets? Because that will be there for him most nights. 

Don’t expect him to lead the Billikens in any category outright, but that won’t stop “Q” from filling up box scores for a second straight season.

So that’s a good chunk of the new additions—let’s step back and take a look at two of the few returning Billikens from last season.

Kellen Thames - 6’6 210 - Rs Jr - St. Louis, MO (Pattonville)

• Strengths
  • Offensive rebounding (averaged 1.0 per game over the last two seasons–leads the per 40 rate stat In ’24)
  • Defense, length on the perimeter (6’6 with + wingspan/length)
  • Drives/Crashes the rim from all angles on the offensive end (finished 2PA with a NR57th at 65% in 2024)
• Weaknesses
  • Offensive bag is unproven (has averaged under 5.0 FGA per game the last two years)
  • Shot 36% from deep in ‘23-24, but dropped off to 30% this past season while taking less
  • Availability

Season Expectations: ROLE PLAYER —> Based on multiple comments from HC Josh Schertz over the summer & into the fall, we can expect Thames to start out playing 20-25 minutes per game. He’s figured out a hydration plan to try & curb the sweating/cramping issue that shortened last season & Thames participated in multiple scrimmages—both secret & public. (Following a knock mid-month he was practicing on the side earlier in the week & did not participate in the 2nd scrimmage to end July.) 

Because of the coaching change following Year 2 & an injury-shortened Year 3 that saw him play under 300 minutes, it’s hard to even have fun with the per-40 numbers or the on/off differences with the lineup. 

But there are something we do know: they played faster, pulled down more rebounds & took more shots at the rim, in the paint & in the corners when Kellen Thames was on the floor–all good things. But the numbers also said the offense cratered in his 277 minutes last season, dropping from a 110.8 (good for 77th in the nation) to a pitiful 101.2 (T-356th). 

Those offensive rating numbers are much better in the previous year, but that’s a different coaching staff/system/roster/Kellen. 

When he plays, we know what he will bring: energy, hustle & the relentless urge to throw down a put-back dunk on some fool’s head. 

Digging deeper after watching Thames in practice+scrimmages the last few months, his playmaking against crashing defenses in a perfect fit for what this team needs and harkens back to expectations from last season: Josh Schertz has reiterated that Kellen is the Billikens’ most dangerous ball-handler in transition.

Schertz also wants fans to remember what Kellen Thames was doing to start last season (without Avila) before the cramping issues—30MPG, 14.7PPG (68/37/61), 7.5RPG (2.3ORPG), 1APG, 1SPG. Pull back the minutes but expect the same box-score stuffing stat lines. We even have a good place to start: the one time Kellen played 20+ minutes AFTER that opening stretch he put up 13-4-1, knocking down a pair of threes and pulling down a trio of offensive boards. 

Amari McCottry - 6’6 205 - So - Milwaukee, WI (St. Thomas More)

• Strengths
  • Athleticism, length, DEFENSE
  • Positional versatility/positionless
  • Secondary playmaking
• Weaknesses
  • Inconsistent shot that hasn’t really developed since last year
  • Turnovers, decision-making

Season Expectations: ROLE PLAYER —> Amari McCottry in the Billikens last eight games last year posted lines of 13-8-2-2 vs. Rhode Island, 10-1-1 vs. Loyola, 15-4-1-1-1 vs. Davidson & 20-10-3-2 @ Arkansas St–and that doesn’t even include his heroics in the UMass game a month earlier, posting 7-6-3-3 in a massive victory. The point is: do not count out the importance & role of Amari McCottry on this Billikens team. 

HC Josh Schertz has already mentioned him as the *center* in a potential 5-guard-2014-Warriors-esque “Lineup of Death”. 

The team added a lot of what Amari brought to last year’s lineup– athleticism, length, energy, positional versatility & raw talent–but Amari was seen as the highest potential player in the building last year (along with the now-transferred Max Pikaar) and began to find his niche. That niche has grown into confidence this offseason as he learns the system and his new teammates. 

Summer & fall have seen the same issues continue: the jumper isn’t consistent & the turnovers/mistakes are still happening. 

But the same things showed out in July & September that flashed in February & March: defensive plays, transition moments & a keen ability as a playmaker when getting downhill against a crashing defense. 

And every once in a while Amari does one of those things only the 6’6 freaks with 7-foot wingspans can do…Can I change my answer?

It’s now a Billikens GAMEDAY as I write this, so let’s get the last of the starters & role players wrapped up…

Trey Green - 6’0 168 - Rs So - Charlotte, NC (Prolific Prep (Calif.)) - Xavier

• Strengths
  • Shooting. While the collegiate numbers don’t tell the story, his high school numbers spin a good yarn
    • Looking back at his Big East All-Freshman season, and overlooking last year’s injury shortened 9-game campaign, and you can see why his season stats are underwhelming
      • 18 GP with  <3 3PA → 13/33 39.2%
      • 15 GP with 4> 3PA → 25/85 29.4%
• Weaknesses
  • Efficiency. Clearly struggled as a freshman with his shot selection deeper into games.
  • Getting his shot off inside the arc–has taken less than 2 shots per game inside the arc, only converting at 43.2%
  • Playmaking. Unlike his shooting, Trey’s assist numbers were never eye-popping across his high school career & he has currently tallied more turnovers (48) than assists (46) as a college player.

Season Expectations: STARTER —> On the surface, on the quick view, the first google search, this expectation might surprise some. But do a little digging, speak to someone around the O’Laughlin Family Champions Center or catch a Billikens open practice & clarity will find you. 

The jumper is legit.(HC Josh Schertz said before the first scrimmage that Green had hit over 40% from deep in practice this summer) It helped Trey fill up his pre-college trophy case with awards like the Peach Jam MVP in 2022–a distinction he shares with the likes of NBA Stars Trae Young (‘16), Julius Randle (‘12) & recent #1 overall pick Cooper Flagg (‘23)--and built a recruiting profile that had him ranked as high as 55th nationally by ESPN. 

His freshman year at Xavier was up-and-down but he showed his microwave scoring off the bench on the way to Big East All-Freshman honors before being held to just 9 games by an undisclosed health matter last year. 

As a 6-foot lead guard playmaking needs to be a part of the equation. And that’s where things get tricky. With Green’s underwhelming shooting numbers we can lean on his profile before Xavier, but he wasn’t dropping more than an average amount of dimes on the EYBL circuit & has produced more collegiate turnovers than assists. 

Schertz was adamant last year that Isaiah Swope wasn’t a traditional point guard, so let’s use that as a guide. Green’s shooting will undoubtedly play–it can change how this entire system works. But will he find that magic touch again? For those that have already seen Trey him in blue & gray–it looks like he already has.

Paul Otieno - 6’8 225 - Sr - Nairobi, KN (Sunrise Christian Academy) - Quinnipiac

• Strengths
  • Paint efficiency–based on national rankings, this is the single greatest skill that a Billiken has on the roster, as Otieno ranks 37th in offensive rating, 78th in effective FG% & 39th in true-shooting%, not to mention finishing shots at almost 63% over the last two years.
    • Both sides of the ball-> finished just outside the top 25 in blocks & blocks per game, sits at 70th nationally in Blk% while on the court, plus a solid set of defensive rebounding numbers as well
  • Offensive rebounding. Well, actually, this is the one. Otieno has finished 30th & 35th, respectively, in all of CBB in offensive rebounding% the last two years & finished with the 9th highest total count last season with 125.
  • Spacing potential after going from 2/6 from deep in 2024 to 12/31 in 2025
• Weaknesses
  • Is there anything more to Otieno’s shooting jump from last year?
  • Speaking of jumps: last year saw a boost from 33 blocks in 2024 to exactly double that with 66, raising his block rate while on the floor from 3.8% to 7.1%--how much of that boost will carry over?

Season Expectations: KEY STARTER —>  Otieno is the marquee move of what is obviously a huge transfer class for the Billikens (Schertz just said they went 10/10 in the portal+freshman) and, when you look at his numbers, the classification is hard to argue.

Call it what you will–efficiency, dominance, effectiveness–Paul Otieno is one of the best paint players in the country. 

Pulls down offensive rebounds & blocks shots at a top 30-50 rate. Finishes inside the paint over 60%. Draws fouls & converted at the stripe 81% as well. 

The last two seasons, Josh Schertz’s clubs have finished 1st & 3rd in the nation in 2P%--this is a match made in heaven. Schertz’s system creates space, players like Robbie Avila manipulate it & a big body like Otieno should feast inside against rotating defenses and 1v1 matchups. 

Speaking of Robbie–the combination of he & Paul might be the biggest thing to watch in the first month of the season. Both were used to playing in a majority one-big, four-out lineups last season–so can they still create & manipulate those aforementioned spaces while on the court together? Or will the Billikens end up being better in four-out lineups with each big man running solo? 

If Paul can answer just one specific question about his game this year all those spacing questions would get real quiet. Billikens fans know about the Nigerian big man’s *potential* from deep (let this be the one millionth & final time you’re reminded that he went 3-3 from deep on the way to a 19-10 line in Chaifetz for Quinnipiac last season) but thirty-one total attempts is a miniscule sample size. If he’s really a 35%+ shooter–or at least, if he can convince defenses to respect him like he is–then this offense has a chance to hit the highest of its ceilings. If not? He’s a paint monster who lets the best player on your team worry about just scoring & passing most of the game. Win-win. House money. Landing among the stars. All that.

Robbie Avila - 6’10 240 - Sr - Oak Forest, IL (Oak Forest) - Indiana State

• Strengths
  • Everything except for his vertical
• Weaknesses
  • Vertical
  • (Technically eyesight, I guess)

Season Expectations: STAR —> It would take so long to break down just how drastically, and in just how many stats, the Billikens change when Robbie isn’t on the floor. I’m not sure they technically are playing basketball at that point. Have you ever seen one of those documentaries about medieval soccer? Nevermind–Let’s try it. 

The way the Billikens fell off last year with Robbie on the bench was quite literally one of the biggest single player drop offs in the entire sport: 99th percentile drop offs in offensive rating, effective FG%, true shooting %, field goal %, 3-point %, above the break 3 FG%. Those are only stats in the 99th percentile. Bump the bar down to 90th and it’s practically the team’s entire profile: net rating (98th), ast/to ratio (92nd), points / 40 (97th), assists / 40 (95th), TOs / 40 (90th), fouls / 40 (97th), at rim FGA / 40 (91st). (It’s not as drastic but even the defense craters). 

And that just shows how good he was relative to last year’s Saint Louis roster–it gets crazier when you see his personal numbers while on the court. Let’s use that 90th percentile bar & see where the Billikens stack up nationally with Cream Abdul-Jabar. 

With Robbie they’re one of the most efficient offenses in the entire country: effective FG%, true shooting %, 3-point rate, 3-point %, 2P%, paint 2P%, Mid 2P%, above the break 3PA / 40 and above the break 3P% all in the top 12th percent. 

Take him away from the team numbers and the story only gets better (if you like to read that kind of stuff): another run in the upper echelons of personal numbers like PER (player efficiency rating), RAPM (regularized adjusted plus/minus) & Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP). And he does all of those while sporting a 27.3% usage rate, one of the highest in the sport. 

That’s why frontcourt reinforcements like Paul Otieno and extra weapons in Quentin Jones, Trey Green, Brady Dunlap & Ishan Sharma (plus incoming size & length that midtown has never seen) are so important for the Billikens. 

Because if they’re finally going to get back to the tournament–and get Steph Blurry his first run as well–Robbie can’t be the only one taking them there, and being able to hit the bench without every lead falling apart would be nice for everyone involved. Rob Wave will still be expected to lead the pack—that’s why he gets these kinds of expectations & labels—and also why he gets to wear the goofy pants.

That’s not all! We’ve already mentioned how Freshman Jax Kerr is going to be a part of the rotation this year—and that was followed by another announcement that fellow freshman Cam Hutson would also not redshirt—so let’s learn about the freshman and the rest of the bench for the 2025-26 season!

Dylan Warlick - 6’5 210 - So - Edmund, OK (Edmond North)

• Strengths
  • Hustle, physicality
  • Rebounding tenacity from the wing
  • Good shooting stroke (not a lot of chances to back it up yet)
• Weaknesses
  • Has to play UP a position at 6’5, as his best spot is probably as a nominal “4”

Season Expectations: DEPTH —> Wolverine. Teen Wolf. Mitch Hedburg. Dylan Warlick picked up a few nicknames last year & picked up more than a few fans. True freshman who shed the red pinny mid-December to jump into an injured team that just needed bodies, and played well! 

Knocked down threes at a 38.5% clip, hit some free throws & pulled down boards well for a true freshman who has to play UP a position (or two). 6’5 “4s” are a thing in basketball, but doing it when you’ve only been on campus for ~six months and the plan was to redshirt (partially because you tore your effing hip earlier that year!) is flat-out impressive.

 For Warlick to be called on for a similar role this year injuries would have to hit the team again, but having him as the 11th or 12th guy is extremely valuable for this team. At practice, he’s always drenched in sweat and his reps are the kind that make his teammates better between games. He’s physical in the post with Robbie, he challenges Amari on the perimeter, he’s (one of a few) constantly diving for loose balls. 

If healthy, Schertz & Co. will have a tricky decision every game picking the 10 guys who get most of the minutes and, one way or another, Dylan Warlick is going to be a factor in that decision-making process. I know it’s useless to project even a year into the future now with the portal, but a year of development seems perfect for Warlick. And the roster construction going forward is tailormade for his tweener build. 

With all the young players coming in being, conservatively, tall as shit (while also having guard skills), there’s a perfect niche developing for Warlick’s Barkley-esque under-sized 4 profile. Let Lacz & Badara play the wing at 6’8+ while pulling those taller matchups defensively, that way Dylan is just crashing boards and posting up skinny wings. I see the 2026 vision already.

Jax Kerr - 6’11 190 - Fr - Muskogee, OK (Owasso)

• Strengths
  • Size, length
  • Plus positional shooting/spacing, good release
  • Rim running/protection
  • Potential, only 4* in this freshman class
  • Front court versatility
• Weaknesses
  • Needs to add to the frame (there’s room for it!)

Season Expectations: BENCH ROTATION —> This is a perfect spot for both Jax & the Billikens. Just like Anya, he’s a depth piece that provides you a ton of positional & lineup versatility in the front court (should they need it). 

He can slide in next to Avila to provide rim running/protection, pair with Paul in the frontcourt (while conceivably switching almost everything defensively and still having 3+ shooters on the floor) or run a four-out offense with him as the lone big (probably not this year, but you see the vision). 

The Billikens lost their ‘24 7-foot unicorn to the transfer portal, so credit Schertz for immediately re-loading. Kerr’s ceiling is the ultimate five-out center, able to block shots on one end & knock down threes on the other. The floor looks like a solid stretch four who is at least a menace defensively on the weak-side. Anything within that delta would be a useful depth piece for the Billikens this season and would set the table for Jax Kerr to step in next season, as both Avila & Otieno are in their final year of eligibility.

Next year’s #1 portal priority could very well be an impact frontcourt player—even with the move for Kalu to redshirt & be a part of the team next season—but it makes sense for Schertz to see what he has in-house at certain times this season.

Badara Diakite - 6’9 200 - Fr - Bamako, Mali (South Kent School (Conn.))

• Strengths
  • Size, athleticism, LENGTH
  • Potential positional versatility (positionless?)
• Weaknesses
  • Skinny frame
  • Tweener
  • Mentality/physicality needs to adjust to the A10: July’s scrimmage showed multiple plays where Badara went to a finesse layup instead of taking off & hammering a dunk home with authority

Season Expectations: REDSHIRT —> Diakite is the last arriving of the freshman class, pulling his commitment to Iowa following the Hawkeyes coaching change & arriving at Saint Louis in June. That doesn’t put him too far behind the rest of the class, but it does limit our view of him so far. Despite that, the early reviews are glowing. 

Listed as a center by most scouting services online, Josh Schertz immediately remarked on the current logjam in the Billikens frontcourt– “I explained we’ve got three seniors who can play the ‘5’ and others who can play the ‘4.’ It’s going to be crowded down there,” Schertz explained to ‘Stu on Slu’, and it appears the solution is for Badara to start honing his skills on the wing. 

While the scrimmage & practice lineups are fluid, the freshman from Mali found himself slotting into lineups with multiple other big men & operating most of his game from above-the-break perimeter areas. From those areas he likes to head fake & then get downhill, using his Mr. Fantastic-like appendages to weave around & through the defense. In his high school tape, he ended those drives with plenty of ferocious dunks, but we saw him pass on two chances to put his new teammates on posters in the late July scrimmage. 

This is the A10 and that’s not gonna fly. But, give him time & Badara most likely will.

Luke Laczkowski - 6’8 200 - Fr - Dallas, TX (St. Mark’s)

• Strengths
  • Pedigree, if you believe in that sort of thing. And why shouldn't you? Both of Luke’s parents played collegiately at Wash U AND both of his older brothers play(ed) D1 basketball as well.
  • Shooting
  • Size. Listed as a SF on recruiting sites, Schertz called him a guard. Both agree either way he is 6’8.
• Weaknesses
  • I’m sure we’ll find something…Inexperience?

Season Expectations: REDSHIRT —> It’s hard not to get caught up watching Luke’s high school tape. So you just have to remind yourself there’s going to be a wall somewhere. It’s just hard to find out where. 6’8, tight dribbles with both hands, lights out shooter, has a bag to go to inside the arc. 

It’s usually the athleticism or the physicality, especially the latter in the A10, but those haven’t hampered his game in summer practices. 

And there’s another point to be made: Luke Laczkowski isn’t a run-of-the-mill freshman at a mid-major, especially if familiar pedigree means anything to you. Both of Luke’s parents played in college down the road at Wash U, his dad on the basketball team & his mom as one of the most decorated volleyball players in school history, and both of Luke’s older brothers are D1 basketball players. The oldest, Andrew, played 64 games across three seasons at Penn and Tate (also 6’8 with a clean shooting stroke) is headed into his third season at West Point. Luke’s been put through the ringer by, at least, four D1 athletes before middle school. 

The A10 is notoriously tough but it sounds like the Laszkowski house could be tougher…

Cam Hutson - 6’5 190 - Fr - East Lansing, MI (East Lansing)

• Strengths
  • There’s that P word again…Cam’s dad Andre was a key part of the 2000 Michigan St. NCAA Title
    • Has been around the game since he was little
    • Played varsity at East Lansing HS as a freshman, HC called him “Coach Cam” because he would coach all his teammates up, led team to first state title since ‘58
  • Defensive chops: High school coach says they played a “college defense” & emphasized that, plus he was raised by a Tom Izzo guy so lets roll with it
• Weaknesses
  • FT shooting. MaxPreps shows very solid shooting numbers from deep–43% on 4.2 3PA/game–and from inside the arc–52% on 8.3 2PA/game–but just a 75% clip from the line. And only 3.5 attempts per game. 

Season Expectations: REDSHIRT —> I’ll be honest this designation is being put on the two freshmen we’ve seen the least, as Cam had to sit out the second scrimmage with an unknown knock from practice. But there’s more than a few reasons he could prove us wrong. His high school numbers show a well-rounded scorer at all three levels. 

He’s listed at 6’5-6’6 and looks to have a plus wingspan, and was reportedly a stud defender at East Lansing. His rebounding numbers would make Jordan Goodwin proud. And there’s that pedigree, which means some second-generation Tom Izzo coaching rattling around up there. What’s not to like? 

What else does the freshman need to ward off the redshirt? He’ll have heard about the importance of defending a lot before he ever left Michigan and if there’s any niche he could find, being a bulldog against opposing 1s & 2s could be Cam’s early on. 

There is a lot of size on this roster already but the offense can always use an extra shooter off the bench…This is one of those things where having a hard problem is actually a good thing, you know? And hell, it’s not even your problem. Unless you’re Josh Schertz.

UPDATE: And now we now that Cam made that decision tough, because he will not redshirt. Josh Schertz recently talked about his plus shooting while acknowledging his maturity already as a freshman. Worst case scenario he’s playing soldi three-and-D minutes deep on the Billikens bench.