Around the Big East 19/20

Moose wrote: Everyone is getting better Eh? Talk about the perfect scenario.

Not trying to be a wise guy, but that is what one expects with good coaching which most feel we are fortunate enough to have. I certainly don't expect any of them to regress.
 
[quote="NCJohnnie" post=384685]Moose wrote: Everyone is getting better Eh? Talk about the perfect scenario.

Not trying to be a wise guy, but that is what one expects with good coaching which most feel we are fortunate enough to have. I certainly don't expect any of them to regress.[/quote]

Law of averages says its not going to happen. And I'm not trying to be a downer. Its just realism. Someone will regress. Someone will get hurt. Someone will be unhappy. Its just the nature of the beast.
 
Moose wrote: Law of averages says its not going to happen. And I'm not trying to be a downer. It's just realism. Someone will regress. Someone will get hurt. Someone will be unhappy. It's just the nature of the beast.

True, but that's an easier problem to face with an incredibly deep roster. And the player to regress could just as easily be LJ as the newer guys. Look what happened this year with LJ & Mustapha. The way that CMA emphasizes balance makes us a little less susceptible to that kind of thing imho.
 
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[quote="NCJohnnie" post=384690]Moose wrote: Law of averages says its not going to happen. And I'm not trying to be a downer. It's just realism. Someone will regress. Someone will get hurt. Someone will be unhappy. It's just the nature of the beast.

True, but that's an easier problem to face with an incredibly deep roster. And the player to regress could just as easily be LJ as the newer guys. Look what happened this year with LJ & Mustapha. The way that CMA emphasizes balance makes us a little less susceptible to that kind of thing imho.[/quote]

For sure. Depth is vital. Thats why it's important to me we know the status of our leading returning scorer. But I won't beat that dead horse.
 
[quote="Rob" post=384680]LJ should return and we should sit tight until he makes his decision. He is presumptively our best player going into next year. He is also our best scoring option going into next year. The returning cast will be benefit immeasurably from having LJ as a threat that other teams need to focus on. The flip side, and where LJ can benefit, is that by having a deeper roster with more scoring options around him, it will hopefully free him up some. You saw that happen as the season progressed when Earlington, Champ, etc started scoring more on opposing defenses.

LJ can get a degree and work on his game with good coaches in a positive setting, instead of dealing with the chaos going on in the world right now and what that might mean for purposes of him playing basketball professionally on some level.[/quote]

Excellent points. Especially the expected downturn in attendance on all levels of basketball worldwide. No one is dying to sign players that may be bench warmers at best and while I like LJ as a college player he just doesn't have the overall skills to play in the NBA. With what is going on in Europe where the bulk of players like LJ end up I'm not sure he will benefit from going pro until 2021 when the Corona virus is behind us.
 
Te Aiken to SH;

“After appearing in seven games this season due to a foot injury, he is expected to get a medical redshirt and will be eligible immediately. He’s a major addition, a high-scoring guard who will help offset the loss of Powell, the school’s first Associated Press first team All-American since 1953, and Quincy McKnight. The Pirates will also have Canisius sit-out transfer Takal Molson as part of the rotation this season. As long as versatile junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili returns as expected — he’s testing the NBA Draft 2020 waters — the Pirates should be a NCAA Tournament team again, and maybe even top-25 good as well”

https://nypost.com/2020/04/09/bryce...rom-harvard-to-seton-hall-in-key-pirates-add/
 
John Fanta;

As Seton Hall adds Bryce Aiken, the thought around the Pirates is that they are not done. Kevin Willard and his staff are seeking to make another addition. Buzz has increased around 4-star Patrick School center Adama Sanogo, who is looking to reclassify from 2021 to 2020. #shbb

A dominant force in the paint this past season for the Celtics, Sanogo is working on reclassifying to the Class of 2020 from 2021, but still must take the SAT or ACT. At this point, there are no more tests scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Without a test score, he could not officially reclass unless the NCAA somehow makes an exception this year.

[URL]https://www.nj.com/setonhall/2...-help-seton-hall-on-the-recruiting-front.html[/URL]
 
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[quote="L J S A" post=384635][quote="PharmDJohnnie11" post=384632]Would be pretty cool if St. John's got involved with a top transfer or landed one 4 star recruit...[/quote]

Do you want him to be a walk on? Or do you propose that we yank a scholarship from one of our 13 currently filled slots?[/quote]

If this staff was able to land a top recruit I'm sure they'd be able to make room for them somehow. It doesn't stop top programs from recruiting over other players currently on the roster.
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=384723]John Fanta;

As Seton Hall adds Bryce Aiken, the thought around the Pirates is that they are not done. Kevin Willard and his staff are seeking to make another addition. Buzz has increased around 4-star Patrick School center Adama Sanogo, who is looking to reclassify from 2021 to 2020. #shbb

A dominant force in the paint this past season for the Celtics, Sanogo is working on reclassifying to the Class of 2020 from 2021, but still must take the SAT or ACT. At this point, there are no more tests scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Without a test score, he could not officially reclass unless the NCAA somehow makes an exception this year.

[URL]https://www.nj.com/setonhall/2...-help-seton-hall-on-the-recruiting-front.html[/URL][/quote]

One thing I was dead wrong about? I thought Seton Hall would rue the day they sold out for Whitehead. Clearly, he provided a great pipeline to players that Ponds, unfortunately, did not do here.

It's totally changed my opinion on selling out (legally) to get prospects. The Hall has gotten old, and stayed old.

One more year of transition under CMA, and then I think we can start to think big, fortunately.
 
Is this kid Aiken a stud like everyone is saying? I have never watch Harvard play. Looks like an often hurt small guard heading into a tough league.
 
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[quote="gman" post=384734]Is this kid Aiken a stuff like everyone is saying? I have never watch Harvard play. Looks like an often hurt small guard heading into a tough league.[/quote]

Won’t have Powell like impact at SH, but a solid pickup if healthy imo.
 
[quote="gman" post=384734]Is this kid Aiken a stuff like everyone is saying? I have never watch Harvard play. Looks like an often hurt small guard heading into a tough league.[/quote]

FWIW, ESPN ranks Aiken #5 for college transfers, their write-up:
Played only seven games this season before missing the rest due to injury. Former first-team All-Ivy guard averaged 16.7 points this season but put up 22.2 points last season in 18 games.
 
[quote="PharmDJohnnie11" post=384725][quote="L J S A" post=384635][quote="PharmDJohnnie11" post=384632]Would be pretty cool if St. John's got involved with a top transfer or landed one 4 star recruit...[/quote]

Do you want him to be a walk on? Or do you propose that we yank a scholarship from one of our 13 currently filled slots?[/quote]

If this staff was able to land a top recruit I'm sure they'd be able to make room for them somehow. It doesn't stop top programs from recruiting over other players currently on the roster.[/quote]

There is so much wrong with your post I don’t know where to start.
First off we are not a top program and have not been one for a very long time. So how you can compare us to «  top programs «  is beyond my comprehension. We have finally had two winning seasons in a row and each one was by a small margin.
Secondly, as was pointed out by LJSA we don’t have a ship to give.
Thirdly, we have a very nice and deep team set for next season. While we may not have studs at every position we have good solid players 10 deep and possibly 11 based upon Roberts recovery. Top players want playing time, whether it be at SJU or elsewhere. Even at the center position, which I would assume is our weakest position, we still have a few solid bodies. It would be exceptionally difficult to promise someone 25 minutes a game , which is what a top recruit would want.
Fourth, and I believe as pointed out by SJUfan2 a few weeks ago, CMA is trying to build a program, Instill a culture, with a true family atmosphere, with a great value on school and hard work. In my opinion he has done a great job of that these last 11 months, in fact and amazing job , and built up a ton of good will in the local coaching fraternity. Now you want him to toss a good kid off of the team in the hope that the transfer who wants to go to SJU will perform better than one of our players at the end of the bench ? Sorry but that just doesn’t fly in my books and more importantly for CMA.
There is a lot to be said for continuity and no drama. These last few seasons players were coming and players were going. I am thrilled those days are gone and believe we can look forward to a stable roster with improvement on a yearly basis and relatively little drama.
 
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[quote="Paultzman" post=384735][quote="gman" post=384734]Is this kid Aiken a stuff like everyone is saying? I have never watch Harvard play. Looks like an often hurt small guard heading into a tough league.[/quote]

Won’t have Powell like impact at SH, but a solid pickup if healthy imo.[/quote]

That was gonna my similar expounding on his pickup. They may still field a decent team but they're gonna greatly miss Powell, Gill and McKnight.
 
[quote="redmannorth" post=384739][quote="PharmDJohnnie11" post=384725][quote="L J S A" post=384635][quote="PharmDJohnnie11" post=384632]Would be pretty cool if St. John's got involved with a top transfer or landed one 4 star recruit...[/quote]

Do you want him to be a walk on? Or do you propose that we yank a scholarship from one of our 13 currently filled slots?[/quote]

If this staff was able to land a top recruit I'm sure they'd be able to make room for them somehow. It doesn't stop top programs from recruiting over other players currently on the roster.[/quote]

There is so much wrong with your post I don’t know where to start.
First off we are not a top program and have not been one for a very long time. So how you can compare us to «  top programs «  is beyond my comprehension. We have finally had two winning seasons in a row and each one was by a small margin.
Secondly, as was pointed out by LJSA we don’t have a ship to give.
Thirdly, we have a very nice and deep team set for next season. While we may not have studs at every position we have good solid players 10 deep and possibly 11 based upon Roberts recovery. Top players want playing time, whether it be at SJU or elsewhere. Even at the center position, which I would assume is our weakest position, we still have a few solid bodies. It would be exceptionally difficult to promise someone 25 minutes a game , which is what a top recruit would want.
Fourth, and I believe as pointed out by SJUfan2 a few weeks ago, CMA is trying to build a program, Instill a culture, with a true family atmosphere, with a great value on school and hard work. In my opinion he has done a great job of that these last 11 months, in fact and amazing job , and built up a ton of good will in the local coaching fraternity. Now you want him to toss a good kid off of the team in the hope that the transfer who wants to go to SJU will perform better than one of our players at the end of the bench ? Sorry but that just doesn’t fly in my books and more importantly for CMA.
There is a lot to be said for continuity and no drama. These last few seasons players were coming and players were going. I am thrilled those days are gone and believe we can look forward to a stable roster with improvement on a yearly basis and relatively little drama.[/quote]

^^^^
This!

I still believe Figueroa will return, and I have a hunch he and Cole will play well off one another.
 
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[quote="gman" post=384734]Is this kid Aiken a stud like everyone is saying? I have never watch Harvard play. Looks like an often hurt small guard heading into a tough league.[/quote]

I've seen him play about two or three times, and albeit a quality land by the Hall, your sight unseen observation is about right. He's more of a two guard trapped into a point guard's body.
 
[quote="fuchsia" post=384743]Who else is deeply offended when RMN thinks like a grown-up?[/quote]

Ha! Ya know, I appreciate your witty and, oft-times, intellectual responses.
 
[quote="MCNPA" post=384652][quote="L J S A" post=384649][quote="MCNPA" post=384643][quote="Paultzman" post=384642]Sense LJ decision wait will be a long one.[/quote]

If that’s the case, we should go out and land a grad transfer ASAP. Can’t be waiting on our refining leading scorer forever.[/quote]

How does it look to others if we move on prematurely from non-troublemaking kids who aren't ready to be moved on from, though? I could see it if we were hammered by sanctions or decimated by injury and he was dilly-dallying with one of only nine or 10 spots, but we have 12 guys presumably ready to go.[/quote]

This isn’t premature. We are in April and LJ our number 1 potential returning player. We have depth but we aren’t loaded with front end talent and LJ is likely our most experienced and best talent overall. It doesn’t seem to be effecting others because we aren’t at the stage where we are landing top talent. Losing LJ would be a big loss. Not replacing him with any talent a bigger loss. We’d be entering the season with one juco wing scorer only which we are hanging our hat on. Teams like uconn have 3-4 of them.[/quote]

Two things. First there's no scenario, virus or not, where LJ gets drafted. So that's obviously not what he's waiting for. More likely he's wondering if it's worth it to look for other basketball employment overseas at this point given the virus situation. Here's a hint for him. It's not. There are going to be limitations to society that hamper his prospects for 12 months or more. Waiting another year and potentially improving your stock value is the prudent decision. In any other year I would not agree with that last statement.

Second, is there really any "front end" talent for 20/21 out there to be had at this point? Yeah, there's some guys who might be productive off the bench on a good team, but one thing I feel confident in is that the present roster has guys who might be productive off the bench already? There's certainly no one out there who can replace what LJ gave the team last year, much less what we hoped he would actually give the team. The players on the roster now, based on skills and/or experience, are going to be the best options regardless of what JCs, frosh or grad transfers the staff might replace LJ with should he choose to leave.
 
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