2017-2018 Season

At Paultzman's suggestion.
ESPN RANK

4* Shamorie Ponds
4* Marcus LoVett, Jr.
4* Kassoum Yakwe
4* Sidney Wilson
4* Justin Simon
3* Marvin Clark
3* Tariq Owen
1* Brandon Lawrence
NR Bashir Ahmed
NR Federico Mussini
NR Amar Alibegovic
NR Elijah Holifield
NR Justin Cole
 
"Baldi Bowl"

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I hope this isn't another 11am game.
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If there is a Ranger game that evening you can count on it being at 11am.
If Knicks game that evening good chance at noon.
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Last couple of years, FOX (FS1) has only televised our Holiday Festival game, not the other one.

Apparently, because of this, they request us to be the first game of the doubleheader, that way they have a definitive starting time (as opposed to the second game, which starts 20-30 minutes after the first one ends). So, an 11am or Noon start is very likely.

As an aside, I used to be against the Noon starts at MSG, but I'm warming up to them. It does bring a lot of kids out, and if we're playing well, the kids make a lot of noise, and gives us a bit of an extra edge (the Seton Hall and Georgetown games from this past year would be two good examples of this).

OTOH, we blew out Marquette at MSG on a weeknight, and the place was silent. That was because the adults, who know the team better, didn't want to set themselves up for disappointment. I guess ignorance is bliss, sometimes.
 
I think this year is gonna be fun to watch. we have an athletic team that has proven scorers.This is my guess as starters, and the bench players will get tons of mins too. I think we will be running N gunnin this year.
Starters:
G- Ponds
G- LoVett
F- Ahmed
F- Clark
C-Owens

Bench:
G- Simon
G/F- Wilson
F- Yakwe
G- Moose
F/C- Alli
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This is lineup I would like to see. Would not be surprised if Yakwe starts over Owens however.
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I think this looks like the probably starting lineup in November. Then two variables come in.

First can Owens stay on the floor or are they going to be better off starting Yakwe so that the early foul for Owens doesn't come so early. That in itself has two variables. The first is can Owens control himself on the help just that little bit more to avoid the tick tack jump out foul. The second leads to the second primary variable. Can the guards stop looking like Gonzalo's favorite toreador every time a guard tries to blow by them.

This leads to one half of the second variable. Can Simon play like a top 30 player on either end and provide something that is of greater benefit than the scoring impacts of the top 3 and move into the starting lineup. That will either be that he is needed defensively to guard big or quick guards showing better defensive feet to the point where it is valuable enough to trade for the scoring impact of one of the guards, this probably won't happen but could. Other option is he shows great ball control and distribution skills and can lead the offense allowing Lovett and Ponds to find their shots off the ball. This is even less likely since Lovett's best game seems to require the ball in his hands most of the time.
 
Thought I'd put together a summary of the known OOC games to date. It's 8 of a possible 13 games. Please add or correct as necessary.

Nov. 16 vs. Nebraska at Carnesecca, Gavitt Games

Nov 23 vs. Long Beach State, Advocare Int’l Tournament, Disney World

Nov 24 & 26 2nd/3rd round Advocare Int’l Tournament at Disney World
vs. two of Marist, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon State, UCF and West Virginia

Dec 5 vs. Grand Canyon at Phoenix

Dec 8 vs. ASU at Staples

Dec 20 vs. St. Joes at Mohegan Sun

Feb 3 vs. Duke at MSG
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I do not believe Disney matchups were announced as of yet.

We do Owe Long Beach State a game at their place which is supposedly suppose to happen next year.
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There is no bracket but I saw one article which said the first round match up would be Long Beach, though they could have been guessing based on what you said about the Long Beach St game at the Pyramid I've been waiting for for three years.
 
9 of a possible 13 games. Please add or correct as necessary.

Nov. 16 vs. Nebraska at Carnesecca, Gavitt Games

Nov 23 vs. Long Beach State, Advocare Int’l Tournament, Disney World

Nov 24 & 26 2nd/3rd round Advocare Int’l Tournament at Disney World
vs. two of Marist, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon State, UCF and West Virginia

Dec 5 vs. Grand Canyon at Phoenix

Dec 8 vs. ASU at Staples

Dec 17 vs Iona at Holiday Festival, MSG

Dec 20 vs. St. Joes at Mohegan Sun

Feb 3 vs. Duke at MSG

Updated 5/22/17
 
Think the Long Beach St. game while technically part of the Advocare tournament is just a preliminary game, doesn't matter who wins because we then play 3 games as part of the tourney in Orlando. Sort of like the pre-season NIT where you play 2 preliminary designated games classified as NIT games but the 4 semi-finalists who play at the Garden are predetermined and are the 4 big name schools.
 
Game against Duke should be fun again. Happy to have that one back. Duke loses a lot in the offseason. Of course they are always loaded, and have excellent class coming in, but in this one we will have the speed and athleticism to hang I think. Still waiting too see whether the sociopath Grayson Allen is coming back. I'd prefer if he didn't, but if he is, he's gonna get lots of crowd heat.
 
Game against Duke should be fun again. Happy to have that one back. Duke loses a lot in the offseason. Of course they are always loaded, and have excellent class coming in, but in this one we will have the speed and athleticism to hang I think. Still waiting too see whether the sociopath Grayson Allen is coming back. I'd prefer if he didn't, but if he is, he's gonna get lots of crowd heat.
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Grayson Allen is supposed to play for Duke next season.
 
Game against Duke should be fun again. Happy to have that one back. Duke loses a lot in the offseason. Of course they are always loaded, and have excellent class coming in, but in this one we will have the speed and athleticism to hang I think. Still waiting too see whether the sociopath Grayson Allen is coming back. I'd prefer if he didn't, but if he is, he's gonna get lots of crowd heat.
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Grayson Allen is supposed to play for Duke next season.
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Thought it was still up in the air. Too bad, he's a very good player as well as a total A-hole..
 
Here is a guess at the distribution of minutes for a typical game.
We all have imperfect information, because we can't know how much players improve in the off-season, but guessing is fun!

(I'm assuming Yakwe has not made a massive improvement in the off-season.)

Ponds 30
LoVett 30
Ahmed 27
Simon 25
Clark 23
Owens 23
Yakwe 17
Wilson 15
Mussini 10

Total: 200
 
Think the Long Beach St. game while technically part of the Advocare tournament is just a preliminary game, doesn't matter who wins because we then play 3 games as part of the tourney in Orlando. Sort of like the pre-season NIT where you play 2 preliminary designated games classified as NIT games but the 4 semi-finalists who play at the Garden are predetermined and are the 4 big name schools.
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Not the case. LB St is one of the 8 teams playing in the 3 round single elimination in Orlando. Whether they are actually STJ 1st round opponent is yet to be absolutely confirmed. Also don't believe this tourney has prelim games.
 
Here is a guess at the distribution of minutes for a typical game.
We all have imperfect information, because we can't know how much players improve in the off-season, but guessing is fun!

(I'm assuming Yakwe has not made a massive improvement in the off-season.)

Ponds 30
LoVett 30
Ahmed 27
Simon 25
Clark 23
Owens 23
Yakwe 17
Wilson 15
Mussini 10

Total: 200
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No love for Ali B? ;)
 
I hope Ali B uses his size to get down low, create some space and get some boards. If he does that there should be plenty of minutes for him He hasn't done it in 3 years so doubt he will in year 4
 
First time in Mullin era when pre-season predictions from people paid to write about this stuff are worth checking out.

With player movement close to lock down when do they start?
 
I hope Ali B uses his size to get down low, create some space and get some boards. If he does that there should be plenty of minutes for him He hasn't done it in 3 years so doubt he will in year 4
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Don't expect to see this. I stood next to him two weeks ago. He gives 100%, is enthusiastic, but he's not a banger. Really like the guy and hope he has a senior season he deserves by contributing here and there and playing his last game in the NCAA.
 
I hope Ali B uses his size to get down low, create some space and get some boards. If he does that there should be plenty of minutes for him He hasn't done it in 3 years so doubt he will in year 4
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Don't expect to see this. I stood next to him two weeks ago. He gives 100%, is enthusiastic, but he's not a banger. Really like the guy and hope he has a senior season he deserves by contributing here and there and playing his last game in the NCAA.
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Maybe a teammate or someone on the staff should be in his ear everyday, and piss him off about being to soft to being a man and rebounding. Sometimes motivation to shut others the hell up does wonders.
Maybe someone could take credit for turning Ali into a freaking rebounding beast, but on a serious note I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT.
 
It shouldn't be necessary but worth a try to sit Ali down and explain to him that the one glaring weakness this team has is a player who has the height and strength to bang in the paint for ten or fifteen min a game. Onth
 
I hope Ali B uses his size to get down low, create some space and get some boards. If he does that there should be plenty of minutes for him He hasn't done it in 3 years so doubt he will in year 4
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Don't expect to see this. I stood next to him two weeks ago. He gives 100%, is enthusiastic, but he's not a banger. Really like the guy and hope he has a senior season he deserves by contributing here and there and playing his last game in the NCAA.
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Maybe a teammate or someone on the staff should be in his ear everyday, and piss him off about being to soft to being a man and rebounding. Sometimes motivation to shut others the hell up does wonders.
Maybe someone could take credit for turning Ali into a freaking rebounding beast, but on a serious note I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT.
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I would be very surprised if the staff has not done that one more than one occasion. While our roster may not be perfect the staff is anything but stupid.
Unfortunately today's kids do what they want to do as opposed to what they need to do , what is truly required of them or what is necessary for them to succeed. Amar is unfortunately a typical young adult and is missing out on pt at SJU by being the player he wants to be as opposed to the player the team requires. I too hope he has an epiphany or sees the light or whatever you want to call it but I am not optimistic. He certainly can board which we have seen on occasion and it would be wonderful if he would commit himself to accepting that role his senior season. Lord knows we would be a better team for it.
 
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