Amar Has Returned
- Thread starter paultzman
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Class of 72
Active member
Amar actually never left. Apparently Kostas Antetokounmpo and Anthony Livingston were not going to be in the cards and Amar is a terrific teammate. I think he knows his playing minutes will be minimal compared to last season but playing against some very talented teammates in practices may be better than playing at Iona or elsewhere while he ponders playing in Europe as is Federico after next year. They will always have a roster shot in the Italian league. Jordan Tucker is the only 2017 recruit in the local area we seem to have a shot at so all sights are set for the 2018 class while we try to regain national respectability. In retrospect, I think we did well to grab the Arizona and Michigan state transfers for 2017 since they (a) not be inexperienced freshmen, (b) were coached by excellent coaches, and (c) are apparently very coachable and team oriented.
The staff have some very talented players next year. Yes, still young but a nice mix of talent and experience and with some hopefully rapid development, we will be middle of the pack Big East.
The staff have some very talented players next year. Yes, still young but a nice mix of talent and experience and with some hopefully rapid development, we will be middle of the pack Big East.
Thank you Mr. P...and...
Amar
If you do glance at these posts, welcome back!
I felt it was a " lose-lose" situation had you departed and it is certainly a "win- win" situation now!
Have a great few years on and off the court at St. John's. So many fans are so pleased that you are with the Red Storm.
all the best
Class of 72
Active member
Many here initially felt the same way Red but barring an outstanding graduate transfer next Spring there are really not that many 17 kids much higher in talent level than Amar in the 75-100 ranking range that could contribute right away as would Clark and Simon. They bring both talent and experience. A good 17 freshman ranked 125 would not. There seems to be a new paradigm in recruiting for better or worse. The top 25 kids in any class will look to be signed by Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona, etc. Until St. John's starts making national headlines and makes a run in NCAA tournament we will have to develop 3 and 4 star talent like Villanova and hope our coaching catches up to the talent. We were never going to get Mohamed Bamba or Hamidou Diallo so except for Tucker or a grad transfer we did the smart thing. At least we are not recruiting preferred walk ons like the last coach.
I'm not disagreeing. In fact I ve said numerous times I don't like him taking up a 17 scholy. But since he s returning, might as well welcome him back. No denying he has a great attitude. Like Moose said he might not be around for 17 anyway. I get the feeling between Williams, Mussini , Ellison and Amar, 2 of the 4 wont be returning for 17.
beast of the east
Active member
The thing about Amar is maybe he's like a cake that is missing one ingredient. As a Euro player, he is skilled for a big guy - he has range on his jumper, can handle the ball well for a kid his size, and even mix it up a little down low. Maybe it's being half a step too slow, maybe just not as strong as he should be, maybe not a killer mentality - maybe all three, I'm not sure. But I do believe there is a lot there that could develop. His wingspan is enormous, he gets off the floor okay, and when he raises his arms on defense reminds me a little of Ewing with that wingspan (okay - the comparison ends right there).
All in all, at the college level at least, I love having a kid that may be a little short in terms of production, but has a huge heart. Giving it his all, and rooting like hell for his teammates aren't shortcomings. After all, what makes college special is all the rah rah stuff that pros are too cool to display.
All in all, at the college level at least, I love having a kid that may be a little short in terms of production, but has a huge heart. Giving it his all, and rooting like hell for his teammates aren't shortcomings. After all, what makes college special is all the rah rah stuff that pros are too cool to display.
When we first saw him first thought for a lot of people was that he needed to develop physically. He's been doing that. IMHO his biggest issue is mental prep/decision making. He makes some otherwise stupid fouls that penalize instead of reward his aggressiveness. He then tends to think of himself as a 3pt shooter but hasn't hit the % to justify it. With the faster guards he may be more wide open at times where that can offset his lack of footspeed but shot selection on those with a good pass option (that gets used) would make him a better overall player.
The dramatic improvement in ball handling and guard SPEED will be the biggest factor in improvement on the W/L this season and everyone will look better because of it.
The dramatic improvement in ball handling and guard SPEED will be the biggest factor in improvement on the W/L this season and everyone will look better because of it.
guinness77
Well-known member
A team-first guy, with 2 years of experience who, from the stories I've read, is a nice guy and a great teammate decides to come back to St. John's and some of you chastise the move or reluctantly "welcome" him back with half-hearted arms....man, I just don't get some of you.
He just went through a terrible season, with a handful of wins, and now he's got a chance to lead some of these promising freshmen and transfers coming in, maybe go out a better note than this year and this is a bad thing? Smh. Who's coming in that's a better fit anyway?
He just went through a terrible season, with a handful of wins, and now he's got a chance to lead some of these promising freshmen and transfers coming in, maybe go out a better note than this year and this is a bad thing? Smh. Who's coming in that's a better fit anyway?
stjohnschris
Active member
Like everyone else on the team in 2016-17, he's going to have to earn his PT. I expect we see improvements physically and mentally. More banging down low, and better decision making. I'm hoping they have him on a path where he graduates early with one year left of immediate eligibility for another school where he can get serious PT and put himself in a good position for a Euro contract.
Class of 72
Active member
Well said! He is part of the redmen family and is 6'9 with 2 years experience. He's not a starter and can play 10-15 minutes as a sub, especially when we are in foul trouble. He is developing slowly but many big men take time. When we look at a much more talented player like Jermaine Lawrence who we courted, I think we should be happy to have a great ambassador like Amar.
Class of 72
Active member
Amar comes from good basketball stock and was a good pick up when he was in high school and playing for Stella Azzura. His bio included the following blurb on redstorm sports:
"Ranked as the No. 41 prospect of his age in Europe, Alibegovic helped Bosnia and Herzegovina post a perfect 8-0 mark to sweep the field and win the U20 European Championship Division B in mid-July. The forward had three double-figure scoring games and averaged 5.1 points to go with 2.8 rebounds in the tournament. Alibegovic also shot 54.8 percent from the floor, including a 35.3 percent clip from long range. Earlier in July, Alibegovic had been named to the preliminary 23-man roster for the Senior National Team.
The forward, who was born in Oregon, has also played in Italy with the Stella Azzurra junior squad. Alibegovic averaged 6.0 points and 3.3 boards, while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor during his stint with the Italian team."