Gibson Jimerson and the new look SLU Billikens will open the new men’s basketball season on Monday against Santa Clara. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

SLU Basketball – Gameday Info
Game No. 1 – Santa Clara (0-0) vs. Saint Louis University (0-0)
Date/Time – November 4, 2024 – 2 pm
Location – Sanford Pentagon — Sioux Falls, SD
Broadcast – YouTubeTV
Radio – KMOX 1120AM
Live Stats – Pentagon Sidearm Stats

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

SIOUX FALLS, SD — The new era of Saint Louis University men’s basketball will begin on Monday, when the Billikens play their first game under new head coach Josh Schertz, who took over following the resignation of former coach Travis Ford last spring.

Schertz came to Saint Louis after spending three seasons coaching Indiana State, which he led to a 32-7 record last year, which included a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship and an appearance in the NIT championship game.

“I am thrilled to welcome Josh, his wife Natalia, and sons Jordan and Jaden to the Billiken family,” SLU Director of Athletics Chris May said, when Schertz was hired back in April. “Coach Schertz has had considerable success throughout his career in the areas connected to our strategic objectives and values. He Educates, Competes and Builds Community at championship levels.

“The expectations at SLU are to compete for championships and to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Josh’s teams win at a high level and compete for championships while performing at an elite level of offensive and defensive efficiencies. They compete with a disciplined focus and toughness that elite teams possess. Josh is a dynamic leader who will build a championship basketball program that the entire Billiken community will be proud of.”

Schertz also spoke of his excitement for taking over the SLU hoops program.

“I could not be more excited to be named the head coach at Saint Louis University,” Schertz said. “From the top-down leadership of President Dr. Fred Pestello, Chairman Joe Conran, Trustee Dr. Richard Chaifetz and Athletics Director Chris May – to the elite facilities, infrastructure, academics and resources – this is a place where you can build a sustainable championship-level program.

“On top of that, the opportunity to work, recruit and live in the great sports city of St. Louis was incredibly appealing. I can’t wait to get to work building and developing a program everyone involved with can be proud of.”

New SLU men’s basketball coach Josh Schertz will make his debut in the Billikens’ season opener on Monday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

SLU will meet Santa Clara as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase, a trio of games that will be played at the Sanford Pentagon. The first game of the day will be Southern Illinois versus the College of Charleston.

SLU and Santa Clara will meet in the middle game, with the evening to be concluded by a matchup between McNeese State and South Dakota State.

Santa Clara went 20-13 last year and was picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference this year. The Broncos bring back eight key rotation players from last year and are just one of a handful of teams that didn’t have any players transfer out.

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between SLU and Santa Clara. The Broncos lead the all-time series three wins to one.

New SLU center Robbie Avila led Indiana State in scoring (17.4 ppg) last season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Players to Watch: Monday will serve as the long-awaited debut for several Billiken newcomers, including Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope who transferred to SLU from Indiana State.

Avila, a 6-10 center who led Indiana State in scoring (17.4 ppg) last season, was a preseason AP All-American (honorable mention) and was tabbed on several preseason Watch Lists, including the Naismith National Player of the Year award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, which goes to the nation’s top center.

SLU’s top returning player is 6-5 guard Gibson Jimerson, the NCAA’s active leader in three-pointers made — 312 in his career — who also enters this season fifth all-time in scoring at Saint Louis. Jimerson has 1,825 career points points and enters this season 148 points away from surpassing Anthony Bonner’s career points record of 1,972.

Santa Clara is one of the nation’s tallest teams. The Broncos have six players 6-9 or taller, including 7-footers Bukky Oboye and Christoph Tilly.

Most notable among the returners are First Team All-WCC senior guard Adama-Alpha Bal (14.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg), All-WCC Honorable Mention junior center Christoph Tilly (9.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.9 apg), and All-WCC Freshman Team selection sophomore forward Jake Ensminger (4.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg).

The Billikens and Broncos last played in 2013, when Santa Clara came to Saint Louis and defeated the Billikens 74-62. That was one of just seven losses the Atlantic 10 Conference champion Billikens suffered that season.

Redshirt senior guard Gibson Jimerson is SLU’s top returning scorer from last season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Up Next: After its trip to the Badlands, SLU will return home for its 2024-25 home opener on Sunday, November 10 against Avila. That game at Chaifetz Arena will tip off at 3 p.m.

2024-25 SLU BILLIKENS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTV
November 4, 2024 (Monday)2 pmNeutralSanta ClaraSioux Falls, S.D.YouTubeTV
November 10, 2024 (Sunday)3 pmHomeAvilaChaifetz Arena
November 16, 2024 (Saturday)7 pmHomeLoyola MarymountChaifetz Arena
November 22, 2024 (Friday)9:30 pmNeutralWichita StateKansas City, Mo. (T-Mobile Center)Peacock
November 25, 2024 (Monday)7 pmHomeQuinnipiacChaifetz Arena
November 27, 2024 (Wednesday)7 pmHomeUMass LowellChaifetz Arena
December 2, 2024 (Monday)7 pmHomeJackson StateChaifetz Arena
December 5, 2024 (Thursday)9 pmAwaySan FranciscoSan Francisco, Calif. (War Memorial)
December 8, 2024 (Sunday)2 pmHomeChicago StateChaifetz Arena
December 15, 2024 (Sunday)4 pmAwayIllinois StateNormal, Ill. (CEFCU Arena)
December 18, 2024 (Wednesday)7 pmHomeWoffordChaifetz Arena
December 22, 2024 (Sunday)3 p.m.AwayGrand CanyonPhoenix, Ariz. (Global Credit Union Arena)
December 28, 2024 (Saturday)7 pmHomeWilliam WoodsChaifetz Arena
December 31, 2024 (Tuesday)1 pmAwayFordhamNew York, N.Y. (Rose Hill Gym)
January 3, 2025 (Friday)8 pmHomeSaint Joseph’sChaifetz Arena
January 8, 2025 (Wednesday)7 pmHomeSt. BonaventureChaifetz ArenaPeacock
January 14, 2025 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayVCURichmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
January 18, 2025 (Saturday)1:30 pmAwayRichmondRichmond, Va. (Robins Center)USA Network
January 22, 2025 (Wednesday)7 pmHomeLa SalleChaifetz Arena
January 25, 2025 (Saturday)1 pmAwayGeorge WashingtonWashington, D.C (Smith Center)
January 28, 2025 (Tuesday)7 pmHomeVCUChaifetz ArenaCBS Sports Network
January 31, 2025 (Friday)6 pmHomeDaytonChaifetz Arena
February 4, 2025 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayMassachusettsAmherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
February 7, 2025 (Friday)8 pmAwaySaint Joseph’sPhiladelphia, Pa. (Hagan Arena)ESPN Networks
February 11, 2025 (Tuesday)7 pmHomeGeorge MasonChaifetz Arena
February 14, 2025 (Friday)6 pmAwayLoyola ChicagoChicago, Ill. (Gentile Arena)
February 22, 2025 (Saturday)1:30 pmHomeRhode IslandChaifetz ArenaUSA Network
February 25, 2025 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayDavidsonDavidson, N.C. (Belk Arena)
March 1, 2025 (Saturday)3 pmHomeLoyola ChicagoChaifetz ArenaCBS Sports Network
March 4, 2025 (Tuesday)TBAAwayDaytonDayton, Ohio (UD Arena)
March 8, 2025 (Saturday)7 pmHomeDuquesneChaifetz Arena
March 12-16TBANeutralAtlantic 10 Conference TournamentWashington, D.C. (Capital One Arena)