# 2021–22 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team represented Saint Louis University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach is Travis Ford in his sixth season at Saint Louis. The team played their home games at Chaifetz Arena as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 23–12, 12–6 in A-10 Play to finish in fifth place. They defeated La Salle and St. Bonaventure to advance to the semifinals of the A-10 tournament where they lost to Davidson. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Northern Iowa.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Billikens finished the 2020–21 season 14–7, 6–4 in A-10 play to finish in a tie fourth place. They defeated UMass in the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament before losing to St. Bonaventure in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid of the National Invitation Tournament where they lost to Mississippi State in the first round.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Jordan Goodwin | 0 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Senior | Centreville, IL | Graduated/went undrafted in 2021 NBA draft |
| Phillip Russell | 4 | G | 5'10" | 165 | Freshman | St. Louis, MO | Walk-on; transferred to Southeast Missouri State |
| Joshua Hightower | 10 | G | 6'3" | 175 | Senior | Cooksville, MD | Walk-on; graduated |
| Hasahn French | 11 | F | 6'7" | 240 | Senior | Middletown, NY | Graduated/went undrafted in 2021 NBA draft |
| Demarius Jacobs | 15 | G | 6'2" | 185 | Junior | Chicago, IL | Transferred to Ball State |
| Jimmy Bell Jr. | 32 | F | 6'10" | 270 | Sophomore | Saginaw, MI | Transferred to Moberly Area CC |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Rashad Williams | 11 | G | 6'2" | 184 | Senior | Detroit, MI | Oakland |
| Jordan Nesbitt | 15 | G | 6'6" | 185 | Freshman | St. Louis, MO | Memphis |
| DeAndre Jones | 55 | G | 5'11" | 160 | Senior | Boise, ID | Central Arkansas |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2021 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Lassina Traore F | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | Victory Rock Prep | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Aug 10, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: n/a ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: ||||||

#### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2022 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Nick Kramer SG | Saint Louis, MO | Saint Louis University High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 22, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Kellen Thames SG | Maryland Heights, MO | Pattonville High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jul 8, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Sincere Parker SG | Rockford, IL | AZ Compass Prep/Moberly Area Community College | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Aug 20, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Larry Hughes Jr. SG | Saint Louis, MO | Christian Brothers College High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Apr 12, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Mouhamadou Cisse C | Dakar, Senegal | Putnam Science Academy | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | May 19, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: |||||||

## Preseason

In a poll of the league's head coaches and select media members at the conference's media day, the Billikens were picked to finish in third place in the A-10. Javonte Perkins was selected Preseason First Team All-Conference selection while Yuri Collins is a Third Team Preseason honoree. In the preseason game against Rockhurst, Perkins suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2021–22 season.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 26, 2021* 7:00 p.m. | | Rockhurst | W 84–42 | | 14 – Jimerson | 8 – Hargrove Jr. | 7 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena St. Louis, MO |
| October 31, 2021* 3:00 p.m. | | Lindenwood | W 89–66 | | 17 – Collins | 8 – Hargrove Jr. | 11 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena St. Louis, MO |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BSMW+ | | Central Arkansas | W 96–61 | 1–0 | 17 – Jimerson | 7 – Tied | 12 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,805) St. Louis, MO |
| November 10, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BSMW | | Harris–Stowe | W 127–54 | 2–0 | 21 – Jimerson | 9 – Nesbitt | 10 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (3,574) St. Louis, MO |
| November 12, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BSMW | | Eastern Illinois | W 86–44 | 3–0 | 18 – Jimerson | 12 – Okoro | 6 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (5,433) St. Louis, MO |
| November 16, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at No. 11 Memphis | L 74–90 | 3–1 | 20 – Hargrove Jr. | 13 – Okoro | 7 – Collins | FedExForum (13,302) Memphis, TN |
| November 20, 2021* 4:00 p.m., BSMW | | Mercer Cancún Challenge campus site game | W 75–58 | 4–1 | 20 – Thatch Jr. | 11 – Hargrove Jr. | 7 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,725) St. Louis, MO |
| November 23, 2021* 7:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Illinois State Cancún Challenge Riviera semifinal | W 82–76 | 5–1 | 19 – Jimerson | 10 – Okoro | 8 – Collins | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera (103) Cancún, Mexico |
| November 24, 2021* 7:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Stephen F. Austin Cancún Challenge Riviera championship | W 79–68 | 6–1 | 19 – Tied | 8 – Linssen | 4 – Collins | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera (461) Cancún, Mexico |
| November 30, 2021* 8:00 p.m., Stadium | | at Boise State | W 86–82 $^{OT}$ | 7–1 | 21 – Jimerson | 8 – Nesbitt | 3 – Jimerson | ExtraMile Arena (6,765) Boise, ID |
| December 4, 2021* 5:30 p.m., BSMW | | UAB | L 72–77 | 7–2 | 17 – Jones | 6 – Hargrove Jr. | 7 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (5,743) St. Louis, MO |
| December 7, 2021* 7:00 p.m., NBC Digital | | Belmont | L 59–64 | 7–3 | 21 – Jimerson | 7 – Linssen | 6 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,521) St. Louis, MO |
| December 11, 2021* 4:00 p.m., NBCSN | | Boston College | W 79–68 | 8–3 | 19 – Jimerson | 6 – Tied | 19 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (6,123) St. Louis, MO |
| December 18, 2021* 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | No. 13 Auburn | L 70–74 | 8–4 | 17 – Hargrove Jr. | 12 – Collins | 8 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (8,012) St. Louis, MO |
| December 22, 2021* 2:00 p.m., FloHoops | | vs. Drake Las Vegas Showcase | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | South Point Arena Enterprise, NV |
| January 2, 2022 1:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Richmond | W 76–69 | 9–4 (1–0) | 24 – Collins | 8 – Okoro | 8 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,825) St. Louis, MO |
| January 8, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Iona | W 68–67 | 10–4 | 15 – Nesbitt | 14 – Okoro | 3 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,107) St. Louis, MO |
| January 11, 2022 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Dayton | L 63–68 | 10–5 (1–1) | 23 – Jimerson | 8 – Okoro | 9 – Collins | UD Arena (13,407) Dayton, OH |
| January 15, 2022 1:30 p.m., USA | | Fordham | W 63–45 | 11–5 (2–1) | 19 – Jimerson | 10 – Tied | 9 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,486) St. Louis, MO |
| January 20, 2022 7:00 p.m., BSMW/ESPN+ | | at UMass Rescheduled from December 30 | L 85–91 | 11–6 (2–2) | 23 – Jimerson | 7 – Okoro | 9 – Collins | Mullins Center (1,665) Amherst, MA |
| January 23, 2022 1:30 p.m., USA | | UMass | W 90–59 | 12–6 (3–2) | 31 – Jimerson | 12 – Nesbitt | 12 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (5,136) St. Louis, MO |
| January 26, 2022 7:00 p.m., BSMW/ESPN+ | | George Washington | W 80–67 | 13–6 (4–2) | 28 – Jimerson | 11 – Okoro | 12 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,238) St. Louis, MO |
| January 29, 2022 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Duquesne | W 77–53 | 14–6 (5–2) | 14 – Okoro | 8 – Okoro | 10 – Collins | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (2,421) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 2, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at George Mason | W 92-90 $^{2OT}$ | 15–6 (6–2) | 35 – Collins | 9 – Okoro | 13 – Collins | EagleBank Arena (2,664) Fairfax, VA |
| February 5, 2022 1:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Dayton Arch Baron Cup | W 72–61 | 16–6 (7–2) | 17 – Linssen | 8 – Collins | 6 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (9,411) St. Louis, MO |
| February 8, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at La Salle | W 75–57 | 17–6 (8–2) | 19 – Okoro | 10 – Thatch Jr. | 8 – Collins | Tom Gola Arena (1,121) Philadelphia, PA |
| February 11, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | St. Bonaventure | L 61–68 | 17–7 (8–3) | 18 – Collins | 7 – Thatch Jr. | 7 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (7,924) St. Louis, MO |
| February 14, 2022 4:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at St. Bonaventure Rescheduled from January 8 | L 79–83 | 17–8 (8–4) | 18 – Nesbitt | 13 – Thatch Jr. | 10 – Collins | Reilly Center (3,418) Olean, NY |
| February 16, 2022 7:00 p.m., BSMW+/ESPN+ | | La Salle Rescheduled from January 5 | W 90–64 | 18–8 (9–4) | 21 – Thatch Jr. | 7 – Thatch Jr. | 6 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,671) St. Louis, MO |
| February 19, 2022 2:30 p.m., CBSSN | | at Davidson | L 58–79 | 18–9 (9–5) | 10 – Collins | 11 – Okoro | 6 – Thatch Jr. | John M. Belk Arena (4,039) Davidson, NC |
| February 22, 2022 7:00 p.m., BSMW | | Saint Joseph's | W 72–61 | 19–9 (10–5) | 17 – Collins | 10 – Okoro | 6 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (4,435) St. Louis, MO |
| February 25, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Richmond | L 66–68 | 19–10 (10–6) | 23 – Okoro | 15 – Okoro | 4 – Collins | Robins Center (6,750) Richmond, VA |
| March 2, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Rhode Island | W 80–74 | 20–10 (11–6) | 22 – Jimerson | 13 – Thatch Jr. | 9 – Collins | Ryan Center (4,611) Kingston, RI |
| March 5, 2022 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | VCU | W 69–65 | 21–10 (12–6) | 19 – Jimerson | 6 – Okoro | 7 – Collins | Chaifetz Arena (9,125) St. Louis, MO |
| A-10 tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 2:30 p.m., USA | (5) | vs. (12) La Salle Second Round | W 71–51 | 22–10 | 19 – Jimerson | 13 – Okoro | 4 – Thatch Jr. | Capital One Arena (4,309) Washington, D.C. |
| March 11, 2022 2:30 p.m., USA | (5) | vs. (4) St. Bonaventure Quarterfinals | W 57–56 | 23–10 | 20 – Jimerson | 12 – Okoro | 9 – Collins | Capital One Arena Washington, D.C. |
| March 12, 2022 1:00 p.m., CBSSN | (5) | vs. (1) Davidson Semifinals | L 69–84 | 23–11 | 14 – Hargrove Jr. | 6 – Hargrove Jr. | 7 – Collins | Capital One Arena Washington, D.C. |
| NIT |||||||||
| March 16, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (3) | Northern Iowa First Round – SMU Bracket | L 68–80 | 23–12 | 20 – Jimmerson | 13 – Okoro | 5 – Thatch Jr. | Chaifetz Arena (3,521) St. Louis, MO |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | — | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
| Coaches | — | | | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings