Monte post=445653 said:
Beast of the East post=445650 said:
Monte post=445643 said:
Beast of the East post=445636 said:
Monte post=445623 said:
Ray Morgan post=445622 said:
Monte post=445438 said:
Knight post=445436 said:
If the coach doesn’t have the players to work in his system, then he has to change his plans. At this level you don’t have the luxury of being stubborn.
I may be wrong, but my sense is that this team was assembled quickly with the best available options, once last year's kids started departing. Unlike others, I have a hard time believing that all of these kids were hand chosen by CMA because they fit his style of play. Let's face facts, this year's newcomers feature 3 low ranked recruits, one mystery man, 2 players who were bench players at mediocre high majors, and 3 kids who were decent contributors at a much lower level. All the newcomers except for Wheeler and Mathis came with big question marks about whether or not they could contribute at this level. There was not one kid who we knew could be plugged in and would be a significant contributor from day 1. That is not recruiting with a plan, that is recruiting on a wing and a prayer.
Desperate times require desperate measures. CMA had a ton of sports to fill and did what he could to fill them. Filling minutes was accomplished, filling needs not so sure.
Agreed Ray, but coaches don't get rewarded for effort, they get rewarded for results. Oh wait, except at SJU where you get rewarded with an extension without even dancing once.
Monte, I didn't hear of the terms of the extension. Do you think maybe the extended years are not guaranteed right away, and were granted to assure recruits that he is here for the duration?
That's entirely possible Beast, but I believe the extension came with a raise for CMA and the entire staff. Knowing full well the school's history of poor financial decisions when it comes to the basketball program(and other things), I really have to question the wisdom and timing of the raises, more so then the extension. Besides, there's something seriously wrong iif CMA needs an extension in order to attract top 300 level kids, which is more less what he seems to targeting right now. I could buy in to the extension more if we were in the mix with a bunch of top 100 kids. In any event, it's not like CMA is on the hot seat, and recruits are wondering whether or not he'll be around in 2022 or 2023. The whole thing makes zero sense to me from a business standpoint, and from basketball program standpoint. What's next, a statue if we make the tournament?
Again, I'm not familiar with the terms of the contract, but let's assume that the raise is for the tacked on years only. If that's the case, three years from now the going rate for a power conference may be closer to $3 million than two million. I hear where you are coming from, but consider that in baseball, what Wheeler got paid 2 years ago looks like a tremendous bargain.
In terms of what ranking you are recruiting, I also hear you regarding top 100, but just because a kid is 3 star doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot of options and the stability of a program doesn't affect his choice. Those kids don't select us because they have nowhere else to go.
Honestly, if I were a recruit I'd be much more concerned about our shitty attendance. I didn't do an exhaustive search, but Seton Hall season tickets are sold out, and for Creighton home games there are only limited seats in the upper tier (they seat 17,500). I guarantee you Villanova sells out nearly every game (when I went to the SJU Nova game on campus they were jam packed and the crowd cheered like we were a top 25 opponent). I saw those numbers and thought that had to affect Sanders decision (plus the success of the program)
We have never drawn well when there's no buzz around the team, and that didn't stop any other SJU coach from recruiting at a
very high level. Norm's recruiting issues were a different story. Bottom line, whether we agree with it or not, we will not draw big crowds unless there's a buzz. And as of now, there is no buzz around this team.
Which is why we have to build a fan base. We finished 4th, are in the most densely populated metro area in the US, and our attendance looks like a 9 place Big East team in the sticks. The problem with our fan base is that they are old enough to remember the "glory days" where honestly we were mostly one and done in the NCAA tourney, and get angry because no matter who we hire, the best we've done is two bids in five seasons. I would say the team that finished last season would have beaten Mullin's last team down the stretch. His team had the best attendance since 1992.
We have to face it. What we call our fans make every excuse not to attend games. It's too expensive, not worth it, too hard to get to, too hot at CA, games start too early, games start too late, we haven't won enough, we don't spend enough, we aren't Repoleed. That probably are the chief complaints.
Fact of the matter, it's a college sport. It's a great opportunity to connect with alumni and fans at home games. We have an extremely approachable staff and former players. I constantly invite family and friends to come with me, and that's fun too. Try getting the GM of the Knicks to reply to an email, or be able to attend events where the coaching staff is easy to chat with.
I get it though. The disappointment of not winning 90% of games and not seeing our team in the top 25 is just too much for our base. I would guess that many fans on here spend hours every single day here but have been to only a handful of games over the past 4 years, if that. But the reality is it IS a chicken and egg thing, but it doesn't have to be.
