New York Post's Mount Rushmore of SJU players and coaches

Andrew said:
To me it’s hard to compare coaches to players but I understand this exercise is for fun and clicks. I think it would be too easy to include Mark Jackson along with Berry and Mullin although Jackson is a deserving consideration.

I hope they opt for someone else and with Sealy, Artest and Lapchick out and having no recollection of players prior to the 1979 team and really when Mullin arrived, I read the posts and scoured history.
I would go with Sonny Dove.
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No mention of Tony Jackson, who I was told was set up as the fall guy in the '61 point shaving scandal because another Johnny was in fact truly dirty and was protected by ?
 
paultzman said:
Just ask Kent Benson of Indiana. That one at MSG was one of best Johnny games I ever attended. A valiant loss to # 1 Hoosiers with Beaver, Frank A & George giving their all.
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Turning point late in 76-69 loss was when John Farmer stole the ball and was heading in for an ahead of the field layup when a late whistle called him for a foul. Vivid memory.
PS G Johnson was great with 23 and 12. Benson said he was his toughest opponent of the season.
 
I’ll put my two cents in. If only their playing at SJU is to be considered and not the pros I think there are probably ten players I would select over Mark and if only one coach can be selected I would select Lapchick.
It’s been a long time since Joe coached but his accomplishments should not be forgotten. During his first stint at SJU he raised the program to a top five program nationally with two NIT championships when the NIT was equal to the NIT. He coached eleven years with eight years losing five or less games. Schedules were not as long but Joe never lost more than seven games.
In his second stint Joe took’ over a program wounded by the point shaving scandal of the early fifties.From playing in front of 15 thousand during his first stint SJU was now playing in front of 5 thousand at MSG .
SJU had three very good players on the roster in those days and two of them, were shaving points before Joe got back. The third player was Allen Seiden and Joe quickly recruited Tony Jackson a top five high school recruit and then followed that by signing Ellis , Hall and Loughery and changed the fortunes of SJU.
Joe won two watered down NITs and then SJU showed their appreciation and smarts by forcing Joe to retire when he had a chance at Alcindor, perhaps the dumbest decision in the history of college basketball
 
The Wonder Five but one would have to be cut. Hard to decide between Schlomo Friedman, Patty McGillicutty and Giuseppe Abatantuono.
 
I'm reserving my mount rushmore for Rick Pitino and the 3 best players on our national championship team next year. Zuby, Ian, Bryce leading candidates, but can change based on performance. Don't count out Reuben this year.
 
MainMan said:
The Wonder Five but one would have to be cut. Hard to decide between Schlomo Friedman, Patty McGillicutty and Giuseppe Abatantuono.
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Would not cut McGuillicutty but I’m biased because he graduated to become a character on probably my favorite show of all time The Honeymooners. He was a brother raccoon.
 
GardenCity62 said:
I’ll put my two cents in. If only their playing at SJU is to be considered and not the pros I think there are probably ten players I would select over Mark and if only one coach can be selected I would select Lapchick.
It’s been a long time since Joe coached but his accomplishments should not be forgotten. During his first stint at SJU he raised the program to a top five program nationally with two NIT championships when the NIT was equal to the NIT. He coached eleven years with eight years losing five or less games. Schedules were not as long but Joe never lost more than seven games.
In his second stint Joe took’ over a program wounded by the point shaving scandal of the early fifties.From playing in front of 15 thousand during his first stint SJU was now playing in front of 5 thousand at MSG .
SJU had three very good players on the roster in those days and two of them, were shaving points before Joe got back. The third player was Allen Seiden and Joe quickly recruited Tony Jackson a top five high school recruit and then followed that by signing Ellis , Hall and Loughery and changed the fortunes of SJU.
Joe won two watered down NITs and then SJU showed their appreciation and smarts by forcing Joe to retire when he had a chance at Alcindor, perhaps the dumbest decision in the history of college basketball
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Only at St Johns would Looie get the benefit of recency bias. ;)
 
As I recall , back in 1965 , Alcindor ( Jabbar) was pretty much a lock for St John’s as long as Joe Lapchick was Coach .
I do believe that Kareem has pretty much said so over the Years . Lou’s Dad and Mom basically wanted him to stay home and they trusted Coach Lapchick completely .

It’s really simplistic to select Coaches to sit on Mt Rushmore along with Players .

And , other than Chris Mullin , trying to squeeze all our great players over the Years into 3 slots is doing those players a disservice ..

It’s a fantasy exercise anyway . Berry , Dove , Mark Jackson are all deserving but , so are Mel Davis,George Johnson , Reggie Carter and Malik Sealy .

We have had. so many great players that 3 or 4 slots just doesn’t work for honors that more deserve .

Personally , Teddy Roosevelt has no legitimacy to be included with Washington , Jefferson and Lincoln . He’s not in their League to coin a phrase .
 
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