I would rather have the more offensively talented team. I love guys who can shoot and score the ball. Defense you can teach. I loved last years team. This year’s team to me looks like it will have much more upside because of their offensive ability. If Coach Pitino can get them to buy in defensively, this years team has a higher ceiling than last years team. I know that sounds crazy considering we were 31-5 last year but it’s true.
25-26 Season
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
Moose
Well-known member
So you're saying we see AJ Storr again?
From a rivalry standpoint Ole Miss isn't the most exciting, but they're an SEC team that made the Sweet 16 this year. Plus, I'll take any game at MSG.
Hopefully the Louisville MSG game still happens this year. In that case I'd be very happy with our OOC schedule.
Hopefully the Louisville MSG game still happens this year. In that case I'd be very happy with our OOC schedule.
Chris Beard is a really good coach too for Ole Miss.
College basketball rankings: St. John's climbs into top five, Duke slides amid NBA Draft declarations
The addition of Ian Jackson from UNC gives the Red Storm one of the best portal-heavy classes
www.cbssports.com
Forgot he's their coach, explains why they're pretty good now.
Moose
Well-known member
Pitino if you recall spoke highly of him for Indiana job.
He’s a monster
Preseason polls mean Jack. Who was No. 1 last year? It was Kansas. How did that work out? UConn was top 5. Where did they finish?
On paper we have picked up a nice haul of talent, and yes that should be celebrated. But we also lost 5 of our top 6 rotation players including one who was the BE POY and a 2nd team All American. So before I make such an exalted statement about being a better team, I need to see it first.
Lastly, weren’t you the one whom before the season began, proclaimed UConn to be a better team last year than the year before the season began and that they would win the National Championship for the third time in a row? You kept predicting they would win the Naty for the majority of the season? Based on that alone shouldn’t you temper your remarks and expectations unless you want to jink us too.
Moose
Well-known member
He plays chess. Others play checkers.Because he wanted a home game at MSG
He’s like Willy Wonka…nothing is ever as it seems.
Except with PG's
If he doesn’t de-commit and transfer somewhere else before the game….
Hopefully Mitchell will be on our side covering him and not on their team playing against us.
Defense will be a work in progress until the team gels. But, RP brought in guys with the traits to be great defenders. I have more confidence in RP turning this into a great defensive team than I did in him teaching Kadary to shoot a jump shot. The construction of the team is eerily similar to Houston, especially if we get Mitchell.
Mitchell would be a huge piece.
Ian at PG is an interesting development. I suspect he will be used as a combo and get about 20 minutes a game at the point. Plenty of minutes left for a solid, back up PG.
With all the recent great news, let’s not sleep on Sanon. I only watched a few of his games, but coming out of HS numerous writers categorized him as a combo guard. A few thought his best NBA position would be PG. Not that he will be PG on this team, but he should be a very versatile player. Bobby Hurley called him the best shooter he ever coached.
www.si.com
NBA Draft Scouting Report: Arizona State's Joson Sanon
Player Info Joson Sanon Guard | Arizona State Height: 6'5” | Weight: 185 lbs 2025 Draft Age: 19.49 Prospect Profile Coming Soon… Highlights Draft Projectio
www.si.com
For those expecting more cheerleading, I suggest you move on.
Obviously chemistry is the biggest question mark, especially in regards to the “one ball” truth on an offensive minded team which looks like it will possibly lack an experienced battle hardened PG. To think Jackson can learn to play the position at this level on the fly in a summer is a huge gamble to say the least. Last years had two who were experienced enough and selfless enough to co-exist, and multiple players not afraid of “the moment”; the posters and coaches who have forgotten how over the top valuable Luis was at crunch time notwithstanding.
Yeah, I know Pitino was going to get Soriano in the NBA and teach Richmond to shoot 3’s and how did that work out?
Everyone lauds talent, and obviously it starts and ends with that, but where is the leadership, not players willing to shoot at the end of games, but to repeat, real battle hardened leadership? That invariably must come from the backcourt, because they have the ball in their hands most of the time and need to make good, mature decisions on offense. On defense they are the first line and need to establish and set the tone with hard on the ball play. I don’t see any players brought in who have a defense minded background.
Not predicting at all, but none of these players come from teams that had any real success last year, are relatively inexperienced and it is NOT about 5 one on one matchups so the idea of “this guy is better that that guy” year to year means nothing.
The coaching staff really have their work cut out IMO and I see this team right now more comparable to year one, which had the talent to go toe to toe with UConn but got there “too late”, than year two, but we shall see.
Obviously chemistry is the biggest question mark, especially in regards to the “one ball” truth on an offensive minded team which looks like it will possibly lack an experienced battle hardened PG. To think Jackson can learn to play the position at this level on the fly in a summer is a huge gamble to say the least. Last years had two who were experienced enough and selfless enough to co-exist, and multiple players not afraid of “the moment”; the posters and coaches who have forgotten how over the top valuable Luis was at crunch time notwithstanding.
Yeah, I know Pitino was going to get Soriano in the NBA and teach Richmond to shoot 3’s and how did that work out?
Everyone lauds talent, and obviously it starts and ends with that, but where is the leadership, not players willing to shoot at the end of games, but to repeat, real battle hardened leadership? That invariably must come from the backcourt, because they have the ball in their hands most of the time and need to make good, mature decisions on offense. On defense they are the first line and need to establish and set the tone with hard on the ball play. I don’t see any players brought in who have a defense minded background.
Not predicting at all, but none of these players come from teams that had any real success last year, are relatively inexperienced and it is NOT about 5 one on one matchups so the idea of “this guy is better that that guy” year to year means nothing.
The coaching staff really have their work cut out IMO and I see this team right now more comparable to year one, which had the talent to go toe to toe with UConn but got there “too late”, than year two, but we shall see.
I know these are just early pre-season rankings but how is Creighton not in the Top 25?College basketball rankings: St. John's climbs into top five, Duke slides amid NBA Draft declarations
The addition of Ian Jackson from UNC gives the Red Storm one of the best portal-heavy classes
I agree Logen, this team will be more comparable year one in some aspects. But, this team will be much more talented than the year one team. That year one team had no one who was ever coached by Pitino previously. It was completely new to everyone on the team. We have five returning players, four of which come off the bench. That gives us a strong bench in case of foul trouble etc. You’re bringing in guys off the bench who know the system, not freshman out of high school. I think the biggest thing will be getting the new guys to buy in defensively. But, they will have the five returning players pushing them in that regard so my hope is that it comes together a lot sooner then that first year team.