2007-08 Saint Louis Billikens Basketball12

Assistant Coach Porter MoserAssistant Coach Porter Moser

Porter Moser

BornAugust 24, 1968

HometownNaperville, Ill.

High SchoolBenet Academy

Lisle, Ill.

CollegeCreighton, 1990

Assistant CoachingExperience

Creighton, 1990-91

Texas A&M, 1991-95, 1996-98

UW-Milwaukee, 1995-96

UALR, 1998-2000

Saint Louis, 2007-present

Head Coaching ExperienceArkansas-Little Rock, 2000-03

(Record: 54-34)

Illinois State, 2003-07

(Record: 51-67)

Porter Moser comes to Saint Louis

after four seasons as head coach at Illinois

State. He brings a tremendous blend of

coaching experience and local recruiting

knowlege and will be a valuable asset to

SLU and coach Rick Majerus.

“Porter is a former head coach

at two programs and is a rising star on

the college scene,” Majerus said. “He is

highly regarded by everyone in the game

because of his ability to teach the game

and his relentless recruiting. As a result, I

expect to give Porter more responsibility

than customary for an assistant coach.”

“I am truly excited about moving to

Saint Louis and helping build a championship

team,” Moser said. “Rick Majerus is a legend

in coaching and is regarded as one of the

best basketball minds in the country. It is

a great opportunity to work with him and

bring championship basketball to SLU.”

Moser led the Redbirds to a 51-67

record over his four seasons, pushing his

seven-year career head coaching record to

105-101, and left behind a championship-

caliber team. Last season, Illinois State

boasted the Missouri Valley Conference

Freshman of the Year in Osiris Eldridge

and two other players named to the

league’s All-Newcomer

team. After the 2003-

04 team fi nished 10-19,

Moser guided the program

to a 17-13 campaign in

his second season at the

helm. That 2004-05 club

also boasted the MVC

Newcomer of the Year in

Lorenzo Gordon. After

going 9-19 in his third year,

Moser brought a talent-

laden recruiting class into

his fi nal campaign, which

yielded a 15-16 record.

Moser earned his

fi rst head coaching

position when he was

promoted from assistant

coach at the University of

Arkansas-Little Rock. In

three seasons at UALR,

he posted a 54-34 record.

In his fi rst season at

UALR, Moser inherited a

team that had gone 4-24

the previous year. He was

the architect of the largest

turnaround in Sun Belt

Conference history by leading the 2000-

01 team to an 18-11 mark. Moser took the

Trojans from ranking among the Sun Belt’s

poorest defensive squads to one that led

the league in fi eld-goal percentage defense

and was second in scoring defense. After

losing four starters and the top three

scorers from that inaugural team, Moser

guided the Trojans to an 18-11 record in

his second season and an 18-12 mark in

2002-03 before moving to Illinois State.

Moser’s coaching career began in

1990-91 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Creighton University. He spent

four seasons as an assistant at Texas A&M

before moving on to the University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee during the 1995-96

campaign. Moser returned to Texas A&M

for two more seasons then served as an

assistant at UALR under Wimp Sanderson

for two years.

As a player at Creighton, Moser

was a two-year starter and helped the

Bluejays to the 1989 MVC championship.

He graduated with a degree in business

management in 1990. Moser and his wife,

the former Megan Lewis, have a daughter,

Jordan, and three sons, Jake, Ben and Max.

2007-08 Saint Louis Billikens Basketball 13

Assistant Coach Angres ThorpeAssistant Coach Angres Thorpe

Angres Thorpe

BornSeptember 1, 1968

HometownChicago, Ill.

High SchoolFenwick High School

Chicago, Ill.

CollegeSt. Leo, 1990

Coaching ExperienceGraduate assistant

Loras College, 1993-96

Assistant coach

Lewis University, 1996-2000

Assistant coach

Ball State, 2000-02

Assistant coach

Saint Louis, 2002-present

Angres Thorpe returns for his sixth

season as an assistant coach at Saint Louis.

He fi rst came to the University in May

2002 after completing two seasons as an

assistant at Ball State.

“Angres is a proven commodity with

the loyalty he has shown to the players

and the University,” Billiken head coach

Majerus said. “He is an excellent coach

and recruiter, and I’m ecstatic that he will

be staying with us. He has a passion for

basketball and a good feel for the game.

Angres will be an asset to our recruiting

because he has the respect of coaches

and teams well beyond a 100-mile radius

around the University.”

“Working with Coach Majerus is

going to be a great experience for the

players, staff and the entire Saint Louis

University community,” Thorpe said. “I

look forward to learning from one of the

great basketball minds of our time and

being part of the next phase of building

the SLU basketball tradition.”

During his time with SLU, the Billikens

have been one of the top defensive teams

in both the Atlantic 10 and Conference

USA. The Billikens have ranked in the

top four in scoring defense the past two

seasons, and SLU led the

A-10 in scoring defense

in 2006-07. Thorpe has

helped coach four All-

Conference players and

two All-Rookie selections

during his time at SLU.

While at Ball State,

the Cardinals posted a

23-12 record in 2001-02

with a trip to the National

Invitation Tournament.

The season also included

upset wins over UCLA

and Kansas at the Maui

Invitational.

During his tenure

at Ball State, Thorpe’s

responsibilities included

recruiting and on-fl oor

coaching, where his

primary duties centered

on the post players.

He also served as the

academic liaison between

the basketball program

and academic services. His

primary recruiting area

included the Midwest and

junior colleges.

From 1996 to 2000, Thorpe helped

guide Lewis University to a 75-37 mark,

including two trips to the NCAA Division

II tournament. He was the Flyers’ recruiting

coordinator and was responsible for

recruiting Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa

and all junior colleges. During that time,

the Flyers produced two Division II All-

Americans.

Thorpe served as a graduate assistant

at Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa) from

1993-96. The Duhawks were three-time

runners-up in the prestigious National

Catholic Basketball Tournament. During

his tenure, the Duhawks produced a

Division III All-American.

A Chicago native, Thorpe was a two-

time All-Catholic League performer at

Fenwick High School. He went on to be

a four-year letterman at St. Leo College

(Fla.). He earned his bachelor’s degree

in business management from St. Leo in

1990.

2007-08 Saint Louis Billikens Basketball14

Assistant Coach Paul BiancardiAssistant Coach Paul Biancardi Paul Biancardi begins his fi rst season

as an assistant coach at Saint Louis. He

returns to the collegiate coaching scene

after working one year as recruiting

director for ESPN.com, college basketball

color analyst on ESPN 360 and ESPNU

high school recruiting analyst.

“Paul is an assistant coach who

has had success at an elite level such as

Boston College and Ohio State,” Majerus

said. “His passion for the game and his

ability to teach it are evident to everyone

who has watched him recruit a student-

athlete or conduct a practice. There is no

doubt that Paul will be a very successful

head coach again in the near future. I

look forward to having him on our staff

because of his dedication to the academic

agenda and graduation rate of which Saint

Louis University is so proud.”

“It is certainly a privilege to be working

with a future Hall of Famer like coach Rick

Majerus,” Biancardi said. “Coach Majerus

and I have the same vision and that is to

excel both academically and athletically.”

Biancardi, a Boston native, was the

head coach at Wright State from 2003-04

through the 2005-06 season. During his

three-year tenure, he led WSU to a 26-

22 mark in league play, 42-

44 overall. Biancardi was

voted the 2004 Horizon

League Coach of the

Year. In addition, Biancardi

recruited and coached

DaShaun Wood, who was

the 2007 Horizon League

Player of the Year.

Prior to Wright State,

Biancardi was an assistant

coach at Ohio State

for six years. During his

time with the Buckeyes,

he helped OSU to four

NCAA Tournament

appearances, including

reaching the 1999 Final

Four. Biancardi helped the

Buckeyes win Big Ten co-

Championships in 2000

and again in 2002 along

with winning the Big Ten

Tournament. In his fi nal

year at OSU, Biancardi

was named associate head

coach.

Hoop Scoop Online

named Biancardi the No.

Paul Biancardi

BornAugust 11, 1962

HometownBoston, Mass.

High SchoolPope John XXIII High School

CollegeSalem State (Mass.), 1985

Playing ExperienceSalem State, 1981-85

Assistant Coaching Experience

Salem State, 1985-86

Suffolk University, 1987-89

Boston University, 1989-90

Boston College, 1990-1997

Ohio State, 1997-2003

Saint Louis, 2007-present

Head Coaching Experience

Wright State, 2003-06

(Record 42-44)

1 assistant coach in the country in 2002,

while Sports Magazine and Lindy’s College Basketball Magazine both named him one

of the top fi ve assistants in the country.

He also served seven seasons as an

assistant coach at Boston College. The

Eagles qualifi ed for postseason play on

fi ve occasions and made three trips to the

NCAA Tournament. The Eagles reached

the Elite Eight in 1994 and claimed the Big

East Championship in 1997.

During the 1989-90 season, Biancardi

was an assistant coach at Boston University

and helped the Terriers win the North

Atlantic Conference title and an NCAA

Tournament bid. He has also served as an

assistant at Suffolk University and Salem

State College.

Biancardi is a 1985 graduate of Salem

State and earned a degree in physical

education. He played four years and

was voted team captain as a senior. As

a senior, he was selected for the “James

Twohig Award” for outstanding character,

sportsmanship and dedication. Biancardi

was inducted into the Athletics Hall of

Fame at Pope John XXIII High School.

Biancardi and his wife, Theresa, have

two daughters, Katerina and Alyssa.

2007-08 Saint Louis Billikens Basketball 15

Basketball StaffBasketball StaffALEX JENSEN, Senior Graduate Manager

After a professional playing career that took him from Ankara, Turkey to Yakima,

Wash., Alex Jensen begins his career working under his college coach Rick Majerus.

Jensen was one of the best all-around players in Utah history while playing for

Majerus. Jensen still ranks 20th on Utah’s all-time scoring list with 1,279 points and is

sixth on the school’s career rebounding list with 896, including second all-time with 329

offensive boards. In addition, he is eighth on Utah’s 3-point fi eld goals made list with 102,

and he is 10th on the assist list with 348.

Jensen helped the Utes reach the NCAA Championship game in 1998. As a senior,

he was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after averaging 13.1 ppg and

7.5 rpg while shooting 54.2 percent from the fi eld. Jensen played for the Utes in 1994-95

and 1997-98 through 1999-2000. He earned his bachelor’s degree in fi nance from Utah.

After his collegiate career, Jensen played seven seasons professionally in Turkey and also

had a stint with the Yakama Sun Kings in 2002-03 and won a CBA title.

Jensen was the 1994 Utah Mr. Basketball after a standout career at Viewmont High

School. He was honorable mention All-America and selected the Utah Gatorade Player

of the Year by USA Today. Jensen was named fi rst-team All-State and the 5A Player of the

Year by the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune as a senior.

SEAN HARRINGTON, Director of Basketball Operations

Sean Harrington has joined the Billiken staff as director of basketball operations

after three seasons at Northern Illinois University.

Harrington spent one year as a Northern Illinois assistant coach after serving as

NIU’s director of basketball operations for two seasons. During his tenure at Northern

Illinois, the Huskies won their fi rst Mid-American Conference West Division title in

2005-06. Harrington was the administrative assistant/video coordinator at Kansas as the

Jayhawks advanced to the 2004 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

Harrington played for four seasons at Illinois, three under coach Bill Self, and

graduated in 2003 with a degree in advertising. He tallied 750 points and fi nished his

Uof I career tied for fi rst all-time with 99 wins. Harrington nailed 191 3-pointers and

distributed 222 assists during his Illini playing days and was a three-time Academic All-Big

Ten selection. A native of Bartlett, Ill., Harrington played in 11 NCAA Tournament games

at Illinois. He played for his father at Elgin High School and led the team to a 20-10 mark

his senior season. Harrington fi nished his career as Elgin’s all-time leading scorer with

2,119 points.

RACHEL DIENER, Administrative Assistant

After a playing career at Saint Louis University that ended in the spring of 2007, Rachel

Diener begins her fi rst season as the administrative assistant for men’s basketball.

Diener closed out her SLU career ranking fi fth on the school’s all-time 3-pointers

made list with 112 while shooting at a .304 clip from beyond the arc. She scored 525

points during her three-year career. She originally signed with the Billikens in the spring

of 2002, but knee injures derailed the start of her career. Diener made 58 starts and

appeared in 80 games. She tallied a career-high 24 points in a game at Duquesne in 2006

when she drilled seven 3-pointers.

Diener earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from the University in 2006

and is currently working on her master’s degree.

A native of Fond du Lac, Wis., Diener was a three-time All-State selection at Fond

du Lac High School. She fi nished as the school’s second-leading scorer with 1,411 points.

Her brother, Travis, played at Marquette and is now with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. Her

sister, Brittney, played at Lewis Univeristy. Her cousin, Drew, played basketball for the

Billikens, while cousin, Drake, played basketball at DePaul.