Elite 8 Call Tonight

J

jerseyshorejohnny

Well-known member
https://redstormsports.com/news/202...9-elite-eight-team-scheduled-for-sept-21.aspx





Please join St. John’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Anderson, Athletic Director Mike Cragg, and members of the 1998-99 Elite Eight Red Storm team today, September 21, at 8 p.m. for the next installment of the “Chat With” series sponsored by the Red White Club.

During that memorable season the Johnnies finished ranked No. 9 in the nation and with an overall record of 28-9 (14-4 BIG EAST) with a roster of Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace), Tyrone Grant, Erick Barkley, Lavor Postell, Chudney Gray, Bootsy Thornton, Reggie Jessie, Donald Emanuel, Albert Richardson, Collin Charles and Kareem Syed.
 
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[quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=398557]https://redstormsports.com/news/2020/9/15/mens-basketball-a-st-johns-basketball-chat-with-1999-elite-eight-team-scheduled-for-sept-21.aspx
Lead by Coach Mike Jarvis!





Please join St. John’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Anderson, Athletic Director Mike Cragg, and members of the 1998-99 Elite Eight Red Storm team today, September 21, at 8 p.m. for the next installment of the “Chat With” series sponsored by the Red White Club.

During that memorable season the Johnnies finished ranked No. 9 in the nation and with an overall record of 28-9 (14-4 BIG EAST) with a roster of Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace), Tyrone Grant, Erick Barkley, Lavor Postell, Chudney Gray, Bootsy Thornton, Reggie Jessie, Donald Emanuel, Albert Richardson, Collin Charles and Kareem Syed.[/quote]
 
Understand Ty Grant, Erick Barkley, Lavor Postell, Chudney Gray, Donald Emanuel and Albert Richardson will be on the call as well as Metta World Peace.
 
Metta World Peace (aka Ron Artest) "The reason so many of us stayed home and went to St. John's is we wanted to bring a championship to New York!"
 
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[quote="SJU85" post=398606]Metta World Peace (aka Ron Artest) "The reason so many of us stayed home and went to St. John's is we wanted to bring a championship to New York!"[/quote]
and they almost did. Thanks guys.
 
Donald Emmanuel, "Coach, take it from a guy from Houston, if you get your guys to play hard all of the time, the City will love you. They will eat you up. If you play hard and you will start winning and that City will love you like you would never believe."
 
These guys have great recollections for game details.

When Tyrone Grant spoke about his programs, he got serious which was pretty cool. Great work.

Very likeable group. Metta was great.

Great webex. Recruits should see it.
 
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1998/99 Elite Eight Roster

G 3 Chudney Gray 6 ft 3 in Jr Rice Bronx, NY
G 10 Kareem Syed 6 ft 5 in Jr Hillcrest Queens, NY
G 11 Collin Charles 5 ft 11 in Jr Eastern Commerce Toronto, Ontario
G 12 Erick Barkley 6 ft 1 in Fr Christ the King/Maine Central Queens, NY
G 14 Bootsy Thornton 6 ft 4 in Jr Tallahassee C.C./Dunbar Baltimore, MD
F 15 Ron Artest 6 ft 6 in So La Salle Queensbridge, NY
F 25 Lavor Postell 6 ft 5 in Jr Westover Albany, GA
F 32 Tyrone Grant 6 ft 7 Sr Grady Brooklyn, NY
F/C 33 Donald Emanuel 6 ft 9 in Fr Jones Houston, TX
G/F 41 Reggie Jessie 6 ft 7 in So Bishop Loughlin Queensbridge, NY
F/C 55 Albert Richardson 6 ft 9 in Jr McCook Junior College New Orleans, LA

Gray, Syed, Thornton and Postell were the only ones not on the call.
 
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[quote="Beast of the East" post=398614]These guys have great recollections for game details.

When Tyrone Grant spoke about his programs, he got serious which was pretty cool. Great work.

Very likeable group. Metta was great.

Great webex. Recruits should see it.[/quote]

Yes it was. Some good stories about a team that was mentally tough and had a chip on their shoulders. Fought like brothers was a theme as was the feeling if Tyrone doesn't get hurt, they win it all, a believe many on here had back then including me.
 
[quote="MainMan" post=398621]Missed this.
Is it archived?[/quote]

I saw the record light on during the call. I'm guessing yes, but not sure if the AD will make it public.

Those guys have a great recollection for game situations during their career, and have great affection for each other and especially for SJU. Kudos to Cragg and the AD for reeling these guys in and making them feel an important part of present St. John's basketball and to Anderson for getting to know these guys as well. Snippets of their comments could be woven into a recruiting video as to how much they loved playing for and being at St. John's.
 
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Just think of that roster and then think that we were just a few years away from recruiting the likes of Heath Orvis and Jack Wolffinger.
 
[quote="SJU85" post=398616][quote="Beast of the East" post=398614]These guys have great recollections for game details.

When Tyrone Grant spoke about his programs, he got serious which was pretty cool. Great work.

Very likeable group. Metta was great.

Great webex. Recruits should see it.[/quote]

Yes it was. Some good stories about a team that was mentally tough and had a chip on their shoulders. Fought like brothers was a theme as was the feeling if Tyrone doesn't get hurt, they win it all, a believe many on here had back then including me.[/quote]

But Grant came back and the team was at full strength during the tournament.
 
[quote="Boo Harvey" post=398683][quote="SJU85" post=398616][quote="Beast of the East" post=398614]These guys have great recollections for game details.

When Tyrone Grant spoke about his programs, he got serious which was pretty cool. Great work.

Very likeable group. Metta was great.

Great webex. Recruits should see it.[/quote]

Yes it was. Some good stories about a team that was mentally tough and had a chip on their shoulders. Fought like brothers was a theme as was the feeling if Tyrone doesn't get hurt, they win it all, a believe many on here had back then including me.[/quote]

But Grant came back and the team was at full strength during the tournament.[/quote]

The injury hadn't healed and became infected and he was a shell of himself. A healthy Grant and I like our chances as this team was rolling.
 
[quote="Boo Harvey" post=398683][quote="SJU85" post=398616][quote="Beast of the East" post=398614]These guys have great recollections for game details.

When Tyrone Grant spoke about his programs, he got serious which was pretty cool. Great work.

Very likeable group. Metta was great.

Great webex. Recruits should see it.[/quote]

Yes it was. Some good stories about a team that was mentally tough and had a chip on their shoulders. Fought like brothers was a theme as was the feeling if Tyrone doesn't get hurt, they win it all, a believe many on here had back then including me.[/quote]

But Grant came back and the team was at full strength during the tournament.[/quote]
Exactly
 
So disappointed I had to miss this. If it ever becomes available, someone please post.

How was Postell......what is he up to these days?
 
[quote="JohnnyFan" post=398724]So disappointed I had to miss this. If it ever becomes available, someone please post.

How was Postell......what is he up to these days?[/quote]

He wasn't on the call. What I recall from the Elite 8 game was that Artest played the first half like he was in a trance - airballs, etc. Totally not himself.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=398725][quote="JohnnyFan" post=398724]So disappointed I had to miss this. If it ever becomes available, someone please post.

How was Postell......what is he up to these days?[/quote]

He wasn't on the call. What I recall from the Elite 8 game was that Artest played the first half like he was in a trance - airballs, etc. Totally not himself.[/quote]


You recall correctly. It's not that he was just "off", it felt like he mentally didn't come to play that day.
 
[quote="Monte" post=398726][quote="Beast of the East" post=398725][quote="JohnnyFan" post=398724]So disappointed I had to miss this. If it ever becomes available, someone please post.

How was Postell......what is he up to these days?[/quote]

He wasn't on the call. What I recall from the Elite 8 game was that Artest played the first half like he was in a trance - airballs, etc. Totally not himself.[/quote]


You recall correctly. It's not that he was just "off", it felt like he mentally didn't come to play that day.[/quote]

Either the enormity of the moment got to him, or he was on some meds or substance, or something going on in his head and maybe body. I wouldn't speculate beyond that because he may just have been our 2nd or third best all time player. He's certainly way up there. I really enjoyed his comments during the elite 8 call. Seems like a really good guy
 
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