No. 23 Saint Louis (6-0) vs. Loyola Marymount (3-2)

Tuesday, Nov. 29 • 9 p.m. (CT) • Gersten Pavilion (4,156)

TV: None

Radio: 101 ESPN (Bob Ramsey, Earl Austin Jr.)

Webcast: LMULions.com (free)

NOTABLES                                                                                                                    

• The Billikens are ranked No. 23 in the AP top 25 poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
• The Billikens are coming off the 76 Classic in Anaheim, which it won by beating Boston College, Villanova and Oklahoma.
• Junior forward Brian Conklin was named tournament MVP after averaging 17.3 ppg in the three tournament games.
• The Billikens return all five starters and seven additional players from last year's roster and are picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
• Head coach Rick Majerus is in his fifth season at SLU, 25th season overall. He is three wins shy of 500 for his career (497-208). His five-year record at SLU is 73-61.
• After playing five of their first seven games away from St. Louis, the Billikens return to Chaifetz Arena Saturday against Portland to open a six-game homestand that will keep SLU in St. Louis for the majority of December. The next road game is a New Year's Eve tilt at The Pit against New Mexico.

GETTING DEFENSIVE                                                                                                               

• Defense has been the key early on for the Billikens, as opponents have scored just 54.2 ppg against them this season.
• SLU ranks 12th nationally in scoring defense.
• The Billikens scored 24 points off 12 Villanova turnovers Friday.
• Saint Louis forced 20 Boston College turnovers Thursday.
• SLU held the potent Washington offense to 23 points under its average and limited the Huskies to 42 percent shooting in the win Nov. 20.
• The Billikens held Southern Illinois to 20.5 percent shooting Nov. 15 and tied a school record by limiting the Salukis to just eight field goals.
• In the season opener against Tennessee State, the Billikens held the Tigers to 37 points, the least amount of points allowed this season by an A-10 school.

ON THE OFFENSIVE                                                                                                                 

• The Billikens averaged 75 ppg during the 76 Classic. They shot 51 percent from the floor, 45 percent from 3-point range and 72 percent from the line.
• SLU's 83 points against Oklahoma in the 76 Classic title game was a season high.
• The Billikens drained 14 3-pointers last Friday against Villanova, a 76 Classic record. That total was one off the school record of 15, which was accomplished twice.
• Senior forward Brian Conklin leads the team with 17.0 ppg. He tied a career high with 25 points against Oklahoma in the 76 Classic championship game.
• Junior point guard Kwamain Mitchell averaged 13.0 ppg during the 76 Classic. For the season, he averages 12.5 ppg.
• Junior forward Cody Ellis has been a spark off the bench. He is third on the squad with 11.3 ppg, shooting 53 percent from the floor, 44 percent from long range and 78 percent from the charity stripe.

LAST TIME OUT                                                                                                                            

• Brian Conklin matched his career high with 25 points as the Billikens captured the 76 Classic title with an 83-63 victory against Oklahoma. Conklin's 25 points came on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-7 from the line.
• Cody Ellis hit 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and 4-5 from 3-point range versus the Sooners.
• The Billikens registered a season-best shooting percentage of 60.4 percent. They also shot 52.9 percent from 3-point range, a season best.
• The Billikens never trailed in the game and led by as much as 22 late.

IN THE RANKINGS                                                                                                                       

• SLU is ranked No. 23 in the latest AP poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
• The Billikens' last appearance in the AP poll came during the 1993-94 season. That team, directed by Charlie Spoonhour, regularly appeared in the polls and was ranked as high as 16th.

CONKLIN, MITCHELL HONORED AT 76 CLASSIC                                                 

Brian Conklin was voted MVP, and Kwamain Mitchell was named to the All-Tournament team at the 76 Classic in voting conducted by the media. Also receiving votes for consideration on the All-Tournament team was Cody Ellis and Jordair Jett. Also, Brian Conklin was tabbed A-10 co-Player of the Week for his efforts.

BILLIKENS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN A-10                                                           

Atlantic 10 Conference coaches have voted the Billikens to finish third in the league race, as announced at the A-10 Media Day in Brooklyn. SLU finished 12-19 overall and 12th in the A-10 last year, but the return of all five starters and several key additions have the Billikens poised for a successful run in 2011-12.

MITCHELL NEARING 1,000 POINTS

Junior point guard Kwamain Mitchell is 26 points shy of becoming the 25th Billiken to reach 1,000 for his career. He is SLU's active leading scorer with 974 points, or 13.5 ppg.

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT                                                           

• LMU is 3-2 on the season and has won two in a row. The Lions opened the year with an 11-point win against UCLA.
• Anthony Ireland leads the team with 15.8 ppg. Ashley Hamilton, who is injured and is not expected to play Tuesday, averages 15.3 ppg. Jarred DuBois also averages double figures with 11.8 ppg.
• The Lions earned an 81-61 win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 26 as six players reached double-figures in scoring. The Lions had a season-high 49 rebounds and 21 assists on 30 field goals.

SAINT LOUIS VS. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT • THE SERIES

This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

MAJERUS CLOSING IN ON 500 WINS                                              

Saint Louis head coach Rick Majerus, who is in his fifth season at SLU and 25th year overall, needs just three wins to reach 500 career victories. He enters the Loyola Marymount game with a career record of 497-208.

(M)BA POTENTIAL                                                                                                    

Saint Louis seniors Kyle Cassity and Brian Conklin graduated with their bachelor's degrees in May 2011. They are enrolled in SLU's MBA program as they finish their athletic eligibility.

UNPRECEDENTED EXPERIENCE ON COACHING STAFF

Majerus and new assistant coaches Jim Crews and Jim Whitesell have a remarkable 1,234 total victories in 73 years of head-coaching experience. Crews has 24 years of head-coaching experience at Evansville (17) and Army (seven) and won two national championships (one as a player, one as an assistant coach) at Indiana. Whitesell has seen success at every level and most recently served as head coach at Loyola Chicago.

SLU HOSTS NCAA REGIONAL

Saint Louis University will serve as the host institution for a 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Regional, to be played at the Edward Jones Dome March 23 and March 25. It is the 15th occasion that the city of St. Louis has held either a men's or women's NCAA basketball tournament, including five Final Fours.