Life without Marque Perry. With the Saint Louis Billikens, could there be another theme? "I wouldn't think so," Billikens coach Brad Soderberg said.

Last season, Saint Louis was slumbering along at 2-7 in league play through the first week of February. That's when Perry and the Billikens caught fire, eventually earning a first-round bye in the C-USA tournament and an NIT bid. Each time a last-second, game-winning shot was there to be had, Perry was there to step up.

"I think we'll be effective at crunch time," Soderberg said of the post-Perry era. "The thing I'm curious about is when the shot clock gets down to 10 seconds, what happens next? Before, there was never a question. I think we'll have several options."

FRONTCOURT

With all due respect to Perry, savvy Saint Louis fans are asking another question: Is there life after Kenny Brown? The answer might hold the key to the Billikens' season. Brown was not a dynamic offensive force, but he was a magnificent space-eater.

The Billikens have three players who could mix-and-match their way to a full-time pivot presence. Tom Frericks, a junior college transfer, has physical skill and offensive instincts. He also knows C-USA, having once played for UAB. Soderberg is intrigued by Ian Vouyoukas, who played on the 19-and-under Greek national team in the summer, and pleased with the potential of freshman 7-footer Bryce Husak.

Having addressed the middle with newcomers, the Billikens feel secure with frontcourt holdovers like senior Chris Sloan and junior Izik Ohanon. Sloan's defensive peskiness and his consistency at sticking the medium-range jumper have endeared him to Soderberg. "A big intangibles guy," Soderberg said of Sloan, who averaged 10 points in his last 15 games.

The ability of Ohanon is a lot more tangible to the naked eye. Some of his moves are startling for a 6-foot-9 player, whether it's a deep jumper or getting to the rim on one dribble. Clearly, the best is yet to come. Ohanon, from Israel, has provided only sneak previews.

"He does some things that you don't see from most American players," Soderberg said. "He's unlike any guy I have coached."

Soderberg says Ohanon primarily will be used in a perimeter offensive role and will shift inside on defense. Meanwhile, freshman Justin Johnson, who bulked up to 230 pounds in a redshirt season, and Floyd McClain, an often-injured athlete supreme, add quality depth to the frontcourt.

BACKCOURT

Reggie Bryant, who averaged 9.1 points in just 24 minutes as a sophomore at Villanova, is expected to fill a more formidable role for the Billikens. Bryant is more apt than Perry to pull up for a jumper. He's a career 36.6-percent 3-point shooter. "Reggie is very offensive-minded and very confident," Soderberg said. "He's a scorer. He's willing to assume a great amount of responsibility on the offensive end."

Steady senior Josh Fisher returns at point guard. He has shown flashes of offensive ability (16 points at Arizona and 21 points at Southern Illinois), but his strong suit is team play and defense. Marquette guard Dwyane Wade, an NBA Lottery pick, had just three single-digit scoring games as a college player. All three were against Saint Louis, when Fisher had primary responsibility for Wade. In last season's two Marquette-SLU matchups, Wade combined for just 13 points on 6-for-27 shooting.

Sophomore Anthony Drejaj might work into the rotation. Soderberg was pleasantly surprised at Drejaj's scoring ability, particularly after a 27-point effort against Southern Miss in the C-USA tournament. Junior college transfer Brandon Morris, an excellent on-ball defender, figures to be Fisher's backup at point guard.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Last season began on a tumultuous note. Soderberg, who took over when Lorenzo Romar accepted the job at Washington, immediately dealt with the defection of two key recruits. Saint Louis stumbled to an 8-12 start (2-7 in C-USA) before discovering its rhythm late in the season.

Soderberg is hoping for seasonlong consistency this time. Without Perry and Brown, the task will be difficult. But in some ways, Saint Louis might have a more well-rounded team, provided the interior play doesn't suffer a drop-off in production.

The Billikens might not be capable of winning the C-USA title, but they should be a factor in deciding the league's power structure. Another postseason appearance isn't out of the question.

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