@Creighton, Tue., Dec. 31, 4p, PEACOCK

[Jack Williams]

Well, UCONN and Marquette are both still more than a month away, so we're going to have to do damage, and win a lot of games in between.

You're going to have to find some other way (or maybe some other thing) to enjoy this season in between.

No one’s saying you can’t enjoy St. John’s seasons in the meantime. I certainly do. I love watching us play. I look forward to the days of the week where SJU has a game.

What I’m saying is there’s definitely a mentality amongst a lot of St. John’s fans that every year is “same ol St. John’s” that’s a sentiment that prevails after years and years of us being good enough to flirt with the bubble but never being good enough to win the games that send us clearly to the dance.

For St. John’s to start shedding that sentiment, they need to go swimming with the sharks and come out alive, one of these times

 

[Mean Gene]

No one’s saying you can’t enjoy St. John’s seasons in the meantime. I certainly do. I love watching us play. I look forward to the days of the week where SJU has a game.

What I’m saying is there’s definitely a mentality amongst a lot of St. John’s fans that every year is “same ol St. John’s” that’s a sentiment that prevails after years and years of us being good enough to flirt with the bubble but never being good enough to win the games that send us clearly to the dance.

For St. John’s to start shedding that sentiment, they need to go swimming with the sharks and come out alive, one of these times

Look. We’ve all seen this before. The only thing we can do is keep rooting and hope that this year there’s a different ending.

 

[fordham96]

Guys relax. Yes it sucks they lost and they struggled shooting it.

But they got outscored by 21 from the 3 pt line and they still only lost by 1 and had a legit shot to win the game on the road in a very difficult environment against a desperate Creighton team.

I get it they need to start winning some of these games but JFC people are acting like they just lost to a MAAC school at home.

The other team has good players, the other team is allowed to play defense. The other team has a really good coach.

The idea this is like similar seasons with the last 2 coaches is just absurd...

 

[MugCostanza]

Guys relax. Yes it sucks they lost and they struggled shooting it.

But they got outscored by 21 from the 3 pt line and they still only lost by 1 and had a legit shot to win the game on the road in a very difficult environment against a desperate Creighton team.

I get it they need to start winning some of these games but JFC people are acting like they just lost to a MAAC school at home.

The other team has good players, the other team is allowed to play defense. The other team has a really good coach.

The idea this is like similar seasons with the last 2 coaches is just absurd...

Your 2nd paragraph is all moral victories. Leave those with the last two coaches

 

[Mean Gene]

Guys relax. Yes it sucks they lost and they struggled shooting it.

But they got outscored by 21 from the 3 pt line and they still only lost by 1 and had a legit shot to win the game on the road in a very difficult environment against a desperate Creighton team.

I get it they need to start winning some of these games but JFC people are acting like they just lost to a MAAC school at home.

The other team has good players, the other team is allowed to play defense. The other team has a really good coach.

The idea this is like similar seasons with the last 2 coaches is just absurd...

Results are the same.

 

[RedStormNC]

Team at this point in season is slightly better than last year.

We are not playing to the levels this roster should be at.

We're back to debating if team can make tourney ovs. being considered a lock w/ potential for deep run.

Pitino holds the keys

 

[carmineabbatiello]

Now I have to go out for New Years Dinner ? F'ing bullshit new years is

Things even out.

Not for us they don't.

 

[Joedib]

This one hurt. Dashed expectations again. Every year at this time conference play begins and good coaches identify and exploit our weaknesses and the deluge begins. So many what ifs. Meanwhile Creighton did what it had to do. So discouraging.

 

[Section3]

I'll be in the minority here, but I am not overly concerned about the shooting. I think the poor shooting has a lot to do with the shots we are taking and, in some cases, not taking.

Deivon Smith
He is shooting 44% from three and only took one tonight.

Aaron Scott
Is shooting the three well this year when he is able to set himself. Not good off the dribble, which is the type of threes he has been taking over the past few games. Believe it or not, he is shooting 40% from three on the year. Problem is that he is shooting 16% over the past four games. This speaks to the type of threes he is taking.

Sim Wilcher
He is shooting 40% from three. We need to create shot opportunities for him. He also needs to be set.

Jaiden Glover
I think the current shooting woes have the door wide open for Glover to grab more minutes. I believe he will contribute more as the season goes on.

Brady Dunlap
It remains to be seen how much he can give us this season. But, when criticing the roster build, I think it's worth considering the vision was probably having Dunlap take 3-4 threes per game.

*Luis and Kadary should kill teams with the mid-range jumpers and drives to the basket.

Defenses have been closing out on Aaron Scott quickly…instead of passing he rushes the shot

 

[firestorm]

Not for us they don't.

Just wait...I feel a 40-year winning streak coming!

 

[RedStormNC]

Nm

 

[Section3]

This is not a particularly good Creighton team we played today (they’ll get better before we play them at MSG). Just can’t lose games like this.
Frankly more optimistic about the Knicks this year.

Game wont be close at MSG

 

[mjmaherjr]

Win 500 on the road and close every home game . We should do better then 500 but make no mistake this one hurts

Deep getting rejected junior prom hurt. Luckily I bounced back and our team will too

 

[jackfro]

I know this will perceived as one of those cliched sky is falling posts after a close loss on the road that could have gone either way and I don't think the season is over or anything like that but this game has shown that we may be a good team but are well short of being a really good team. This Creighton team is ok at best and this is a game we should win.

It'll be easy to say we should be somewhat optimistic because we had a chance to win despite literally all of our best players playing poorly but they didn't just have off games. Creighton figured out how to make it difficult on us and our guys just didn't or couldn't respond.

The worst part is, the biggest flaw we have is not fixable and it's something we knew about in the summer but kind of hoped it wouldn't be a big deal. We have no shooting. Teams can clog the lane on us with impunity because nobody on our roster is a legitimate threat from 3. That would be a major problem for anybody but especially when our best players - Kadary, Smith, and Luis thrive when attacking the basket. Just not easy to be second weekend threat in the tournament in 2025 without being a good shooting team let alone a literally nonexistent one like we are.

To this point, it's pretty inarguable that Kadary has been a MASSIVE disappointment. The supposed number 1 player in the portal and potential All American looks like pre senior year Dom Pointer. For me it's now gone from "He'll pick it up and look the part soon" to thinking that time is just not going to come. It's not completely his fault either as this roster doesn't really complement him.

Sim is just clearly not ready for big situations like this. He looks great against the Fordhams and Delawares of the world but shrinks physically and mentally in real games. When the margins in games like this are so thin you can't have a guy like him getting big minutes without performing.

Depth is also a problem. There's just nobody beyond the top 6 you can put in there and trust to give you decent minutes. Glover gets lost on D frequently, Vince is obviously a massive drop off from Zuby, and obviously Rick doesn't just Prey yet for whatever reason.

Again I think we'll be a good team that makes the tournament reasonably comfortably and finishes in tier 1 or 1B in a weak Big East. But hard to see this team reaching the achievable ceiling we had for them going into the season.

Gee, I wonder if we miss Brady? After all he plays decent defense and can shoot the three better than anyone else who presently plays big minutes for this team .

 

[Spocky Ramone]

Just wait...I feel a 40-year winning streak coming!

Give us credit…

 

[MugCostanza]

Gee, I wonder if we miss Brady? After all he plays decent defense and can shoot the three better than anyone else who presently plays big minutes for this team .

I think Brady would be a better option than Glover at this point yes but he’s been a very streaky shooter who looks completely uncomfortable shooting it in some games too

 

[paultzman]

 

[RedStormNC]

Frustrating that he's recruited and built a team that all he can state the identity is, is man to man defense. Intensity, his other identifier is subjective. We should be much more than this.

For a coach who stresses shooting, it's baffling that he's got few players who can get open for shots and make some.

 

[Mike Zaun Returns]

Guys relax. Yes it sucks they lost and they struggled shooting it.

But they got outscored by 21 from the 3 pt line and they still only lost by 1 and had a legit shot to win the game on the road in a very difficult environment against a desperate Creighton team.

I get it they need to start winning some of these games but JFC people are acting like they just lost to a MAAC school at home.

The other team has good players, the other team is allowed to play defense. The other team has a really good coach.

The idea this is like similar seasons with the last 2 coaches is just absurd...

Since I’ve been following during 10-11 season under Lav, that has been high water mark. To this day. Let that sink in.

Ceiling seems to be 21 wins, bit over .500 conf and if we barely make NCAAT we bow out right away. Or just miss it. Not exactly a great ceiling. Seems like we’re destined for more of same sadly until proven otherwise. That 25 win Sweet 16 or better top 15 ranked season never seems to materialize. I just don’t see such a flawed team rattling off huge winning streaks even vs. a down Big East. I don’t see the passion, the effort, or the ability to shoot 3’s. Our huge transfer splash is a mediocre player who can’t shoot. Even FT’s. Imagine Walter Clayton instead.

 

[Rocket]

Frustrating that he's recruited and built a team that all he can state the identity is, is man to man defense. Intensity, his other identifier is subjective. We should be much more than this.

For a coach who stresses shooting, it's baffling that he's got few players who can get open for shots and make some.

The problem is Pitino is not having his players play to their strengths. Rather, players like KD are playing to their weaknesses. Kadary Richmond simply is a terrible outside shooter and is no threat from the three. Wilcher is a good outside shooter but is poor at getting free for shots. Luis has all the talent but forces it too much.
Pitino has to get these guys on the same page but with NIL players they sometimes revert to their mercenary instincts to act independently.