Anderson - is he really the guy ?

[Amaseinyourface]

^ Very well said LMF!

 

[RedStormNC]

LMF - great post..

But will remain to be seen if Anderson's 2-3☆ approach will work.

We have that now w/ Champ, Posh, Wusu and this is our result. can't expect too often, that most will be around in their year 4's, so best we might see out of them if a great year 3 like Champ, but if rest of team is still not developed if younger, we'll be mediocre more often than not.

 

[Amaseinyourface]

For whatever reason, the team this season looks disjointed.  In his first 2 seasons, CMA's teams worked together well. Just like coaches don't become geniuses with 1 good win, they don't become bums because of 1 bad loss that comes with an asterisk because of Champ not playing.  Would this discussion be happening if the NCAA didn't liberalize the transfer rules? I doubt it.

I think since Wusu’s deployment as more of the lead guard, we’ve seen more cohesion from our top 4 (returners + Mathis). It’s still taking some time for the bigs and the bench guards to find their spots. But I’d agree we’re more disjointed than in the past.

 

[RedStormNC]

Make- what do you think is reason Wusu is being lead guard more than Posh?

 

[lawmanfan]

LMF - great post..

But will remain to be seen if Anderson's 2-3☆ approach will work.

We have that now w/ Champ, Posh, Wusu and this is our result. can't expect too often, that most will be around in their year 4's, so best we might see out of them if a great year 3 like Champ, but if rest of team is still not developed if younger, we'll be mediocre more often than not.
 

Totally true, and totally fair.  There's no guarantee of success and maybe Anderson's long-term approach in a short-term world won't work.  But then again, maybe it will. 

 

[Amaseinyourface]

Make- what do you think is reason Wusu is being lead guard more than Posh?

I think for starters our perimeter scoring needed a boost and Posh off the ball is a little bit better of a scorer than Wusu. %s might say different but if need be Posh has a better chance of “getting his” IMO.

Wusu does not have the handle you would hope for from a pg, but posh is rather loose himself. I would give Wusu the slight edge as a passer but if someone said it was Posh I’d hear them out. Posh does a great job making passes in tight spots but he doesn’t often drive and kick to guys on the perimeter. Wusu’s size gives him that ability and he’s got a little more touch in terms of pick and roll passes and leading guys to the basket. Both of them turn it over a bit too much.

I’d also say that some of it is Posh’s preference. Last year he often gave the ball up early and played off the ball with Dunn. He did the same his senior year playing with Wusu in HS. He also loves crashing the glass, hard to do that from the top of the key.

 

[L J S A]

If we do get rid of CMA whether it be this year or next I think that unless the school shells out a ton of money to the next coach then we are going to be looking at hiring an up and comer or at least someone pretty unproven. 

Cragg and Father Shanley talk a big game about the goal being “winning national titles”. So I’m pretty curious to see how much they’d be willing to spend to get us a coach who at least has a shot to deliver on their goal. 

 

Pitino was available and would have only cost $1 million. 

 

[SLYFOXX1968]

The reason for SJUs fall to mediocrity over the past 25 yrs is lack of attracting top recruits.We have had competent coaches who can’t make level 4 or 5 players out of threes. Making another coaching change is just a Hail Mary.
If the facilities are a major drawback in attracting top players and SJU would have to be aware of this thru coaches interviews there are 4 possible solutions.
1 Hire that rare coach like Pitino who can attract top players even with bad facilities. That didn’t work so that is out.
2 Conduct an alumni drive to raise the money to improve facilities. This is out because SJU alums don’t contribute.
3 Pinpoint extremely successful alums to contribute large amounts of money.That won’t work because the board of trustees  are unable to work with the possible donors.
4 Have Father Shanley direct money earmarked for other purposes to improve the facilities as an investment with the improvements resulting in better teams, more interest and more applications.
Otherwise give Anderson another year or two, then replace him with the current St Peters coach and hope for lightning in a bottle.
Not a pleasant future.

What are you basing 3 on? And please don't say Repole. I don't blame the school at all for whatever the situation is with him. SJU has many large donors but just not enough with that capability as some other schools. And unfortunatley for out high middle income affluent alumni, most don't donate.

We are not firing Anderson this year. Not happening. Highly doubtful we would fire him next year either. He took over a wreck of a program and the rebuild will be slow and steady with ups and downs.                                 The Team that CMA took over from Mullin was hardly Wreck and much better than the Team that Lavin turned over to Chris .   CMA’s first year had Figgy , Herron , Caraher , GWill, Roberts , Earlington  to name a few .   That Group was hardly a wreck !      Dunn came on Board too . And ,, played the PG spot out of necessity .    So , using the term Wreck is not accurate .  

 

[beast of the east]

If we do get rid of CMA whether it be this year or next I think that unless the school shells out a ton of money to the next coach then we are going to be looking at hiring an up and comer or at least someone pretty unproven. 

Cragg and Father Shanley talk a big game about the goal being “winning national titles”. So I’m pretty curious to see how much they’d be willing to spend to get us a coach who at least has a shot to deliver on their goal. 





 

Let's presume for a second that you have a clue as to what's actually been said and not parroting one of my posts.

Let's say you are right and we need a new coach and pay him a ton of money.

Who the hell worth 2 cents would come here when we have the worst facilities in the league and quite possibly of any top 150 program?

What coach would come here knowing that recruits see the crappy facilities and go elsewhere where they are excellent.

The athletic department has a strategic plan that must be folded into the strategic plan for the university. Shanley started last february and is working in earnest to complete it and is in process of surveying select faculty, alumni, students and administrators.

Once that is complete be prepared to open your wallet to support university wide improvements and athletic dept improvements. I would suspect a capital giving campaign will follow the strategic plan,whose execution is bound to require significant cash.

Wheels are turning. The only lips that are moving are making noise.

 

[RedStormNC]

Beast - based on what you shared, it would sound like 1 year for all strat planning to conclude & present and get approvals.  Perhaps 2-5 years of campaigning and if anything remotely usable $ wise for basketball facilities at level needed then another 1-2 years in construction.

likely going to be a long 5-10 years.



 

 

[GardenCity62]

I am not basing my third point on Repole. I know nothing about Repole and his relationship with SJU. My point is based on a neighbor of mine who over ten years ago pledged ten million dollars for the basketball program and then took it back because he felt his input on hiring a new coach was not to be listened to.
Universities all very the country have very active organizations that solicit funds for many reasons and I would bet SJU is on the low end of the list because they can’t seem to agree with donors who all must have too many demands. Now it is sixty years since CA was built and when have a new scoreboard and a few more backs on seats. Hopefully Father Shanley can change things.

 

[beast of the east]

I am not basing my third point on Repole. I know nothing about Repole and his relationship with SJU. My point is based on a neighbor of mine who over ten years ago pledged ten million dollars for the basketball program and then took it back because he felt his input on hiring a new coach was not to be listened to.
Universities all very the country have very active organizations that solicit funds for many reasons and I would bet SJU is on the low end of the list because they can’t seem to agree with donors who all must have too many demands. Now it is sixty years since CA was built and when have a new scoreboard and a few more backs on seats. Hopefully Father Shanley can change things.

That neighbor didn't pull it back. He still gave his full pledge to st John's allocated I believe towards another specific area. He is a great university benefactor to this day.

 

[beast of the east]

Beast - based on what you shared, it would sound like 1 year for all strat planning to conclude & present and get approvals.  Perhaps 2-5 years of campaigning and if anything remotely usable $ wise for basketball facilities at level needed then another 1-2 years in construction.

likely going to be a long 5-10 years.




 

Unsure of timelines but I believe it will all come together faster than you suggest.

 

[SJU Double Alumn]

What are you basing 3 on? And please don't say Repole. I don't blame the school at all for whatever the situation is with him. SJU has many large donors but just not enough with that capability as some other schools. And unfortunatley for out high middle income affluent alumni, most don't donate.

We are not firing Anderson this year. Not happening. Highly doubtful we would fire him next year either. He took over a wreck of a program and the rebuild will be slow and steady with ups and downs.                                 The Team that CMA took over from Mullin was hardly Wreck and much better than the Team that Lavin turned over to Chris .   CMA’s first year had Figgy , Herron , Caraher , GWill, Roberts , Earlington  to name a few .   That Group was hardly a wreck !      Dunn came on Board too . And ,, played the PG spot out of necessity .    So , using the term Wreck is not accurate .  

Mullin couldn't keep Lavin's committed players. Anderson convinced players to stay. Half the players you mentioned that remained were marginal players and the others were ok, nothing great.

 

[SJU Double Alumn]

I am not basing my third point on Repole. I know nothing about Repole and his relationship with SJU. My point is based on a neighbor of mine who over ten years ago pledged ten million dollars for the basketball program and then took it back because he felt his input on hiring a new coach was not to be listened to.
Universities all very the country have very active organizations that solicit funds for many reasons and I would bet SJU is on the low end of the list because they can’t seem to agree with donors who all must have too many demands. Now it is sixty years since CA was built and when have a new scoreboard and a few more backs on seats. Hopefully Father Shanley can change things.

I would never support the school making a hiring decision based on someone buying the decision with a large donation. 

 

[GardenCity62]

It will take years to implement a facility improvement plan but this could be a pivotal year. Wall St is awash with money and SJU has its share of successful financiers. With Father Shanley at the helm and big bonuses all over Wall St maybe this is the year to start the ball rolling.
There probably won’t be another like it for many years.

 

[ras]

As a general rule the school has not made good hiring decisions over the last 20 years. They may have been better off listening to the accomplished donors.

 

[Spocky Ramone]

likely going to be a long 5-10 years.




 

Fortunately, we have experience in this area.

 

[19854ever]

Enright great post, where there is smoke there is fire.

Now we have 2 major alums who’s positive influence was not listened to by the BOT and the great Joe Olivia.

Which begs the question I have asked recently,  why is Joe Olivia held in such high regard? 

 

 

[boo haarvey]

It will take years to implement a facility improvement plan but this could be a pivotal year. Wall St is awash with money and SJU has its share of successful financiers. With Father Shanley at the helm and big bonuses all over Wall St maybe this is the year to start the ball rolling.
There probably won’t be another like it for many years.

My two cents — The talk about firing Anderson is premature.  Heading into the end of last season, we appeared to have a lot of positive momentum.  In two seasons, we overachieved each year and we appeared to have a strong nucleus returning.

Then the season ended and there were mass transfers.  Thus far this year, the new kids haven’t panned out.  There is still time to turn around the season, but all signs point to our finishing in the bottom half of the league, if not worse.

I don’t buy the argument that we are a few baskets away from being 11-2.  We’re also a few baskets away from being 7-6, notwithstanding a very weak schedule.  

I think any objective fan who has watched this team has seen the glaring flaws that portend a difficult season ahead.  Again, not impossible that we right the ship, but highly unlikely, particularly given the fact that we have to make up for a bad start and a poor out of conference schedule.

As for CMA, we are paying him a lot of $ to win in spite of  the lack of facilities and other issues that some have argued make it difficult for SJU to compete.  

CMA should be given a full four years to turn this around.  But as I said in an earlier post, recruiting is about momentum.  

We lose Champagnie after this season, and if we underachieve this year, it will likely be tougher for CMA to recruit.  He hasn’t exactly hit it out if the ball park so far with recruiting so unless we surprise the rest of the way this year and CMA pulls a few rabbits out if his hat in the Spring, next year is not projecting to be very good.

All this is to say, we should continue to be patient,.  But if by next year, things are not looking up dramatically, I think the university would be foolish to retain him.