Expectations
- Thread starter Marillac
- Start date
Frankly I don't think that the team doesn't play hard.
I disagree with that assessment. I've grown weary of the team's poor performance where after the game the players sheepishly announce "we came out flat" or "we weren't ready to play." That has happened far too often for me. That is one of the reasons I think Diallo is such an important recruit, because he has a high motor and never takes a play off..........he is an effort guy. The current team is comprised of too many lollipops. I always wondered how the whole team could come out flat or were not ready to play?? Sit their asses down.
All excuses fall under two headings: being unable or unwilling. If they're unwilling, sit them down until they are no longer feeling flat or not ready to play.
I disagree with that assessment. I've grown weary of the team's poor performance where after the game the players sheepishly announce "we came out flat" or "we weren't ready to play." That has happened far too often for me. That is one of the reasons I think Diallo is such an important recruit, because he has a high motor and never takes a play off..........he is an effort guy. The current team is comprised of too many lollipops. I always wondered how the whole team could come out flat or were not ready to play?? Sit their asses down.
All excuses fall under two headings: being unable or unwilling. If they're unwilling, sit them down until they are no longer feeling flat or not ready to play.
As usual we're sadly out-gunned sizewise and that will have a lot to do with our performance. No the other hand we have some talented kids who seem ready to play together which can overcome a lot. When bigs get hot against us we have few answers and fouls become a problem. I agree that we have to take it to 'em early and stay out of chess matches. My guess is a year on the bubble with our fate being decided by a bounce of the ball or a call. Any major injuries and all bets, including Lavin's job will be off.
Agree with all except that any major injuries and Lavin will be gone. IMO any major injuries and Lavin convinces he admin to give him a reprieve. Especially if he gets another couple of other recruits to commit, regardless of the level of the recruits.
southernjohnny2
Member
I think this team need to go back to basics like hot potato, and really excel at passing the ball...we may be small but we are quick and have the ability to get to the rack. Stop with all these three pt shots, we are not a 3 ball team..We are a scrappy bunch, who can create allot of chaos and that's the identity they need to have. If they pass the ball better this team could be really good
Coming out flat is one thing, coming out not ready to play is whole other. We've gone against teams that have come out flat, but most of the teams we go against seem ready to play. Good coaches, at any level of ball, always have their kids ready to play. And good coaches, when their kids come out flat, consistently figure out ways to make in-game adjustments to get their kids back on track.
In a nutshell, his group needs to live up their self proclaimed "Unfinished Business" mantra...Right now its just a nice, but empty catchphrase.
Absolutely will be challenged from size persepctive....so, they will have to fully commit to team concept - both on defense and offense
Marillac, I agree with your comments about fans being so negative after a 3-0 start. We all watched the games and are fully aware that the team did not look that great. But the fact remains this group is currently 3-0. It's not uncommon for traditional powerhouse teams to have early season struggles. Memphis lost to Christian Brothers. Syracuse had a close call with Carleton University. Buffalo was beating Kentucky at halftime. Sometimes the better team just thinks all they have to do is show up and the W is theirs. And then they get punched in the stomach and have to regroup. It's a little disturbing that St. John's has already had 3 games like that thus far, but I don't want to overanalyze.
Wednesday will be a great first test. Minnesota is a very good team coming off an NIT Championship. But St. John's is a veteran team and is basically playing a home game. So it should be a battle from start to end. I'm not saying it's a game the Redmen should win, but it's definitely a winnable game if the team plays hard for 40 minutes.
Wednesday will be a great first test. Minnesota is a very good team coming off an NIT Championship. But St. John's is a veteran team and is basically playing a home game. So it should be a battle from start to end. I'm not saying it's a game the Redmen should win, but it's definitely a winnable game if the team plays hard for 40 minutes.
If a team comes out flat IMO they either think they are better than their opponent or they are just not prepared.
Think of Mike Tyson's punched in the mouth comment.
SJU came out flat against Wisconsin last year. Not because it wasn't a big game.
They just had no idea what to do.
Diallo isn't coming here from all that I've read. But even if he did, his motor has nothing to do with the results on the scoreboard.
The team is simply undisciplined.
Minnesota is an important game to build confidence that SJU can win. Granted that will be tough. Like PSU last year, it is an early opportunity that hopefully has a better result. I would rather beat Minny & lose to Zags in final than splitting the other way, beating Ga in consolation game. Beat Little Rick & give Zags a tussle & I will feel we have set the right tone moving forward.
Not sure what team you are watching but we are not quick. Our PG is tall, our SG is strong, our 3rd G is either a crafty but slow orchestrater or a somewhat quick scorer, our PF is athletic with great hops but not laterally quick and the same for our C. We need to use our strengths strategically to beat other teams, bigger or not. Minn appears to have big but less athletic bigs and smaller quicker guards. Jordan will need to post up the smaller guards, DLo may be able to muscle their guards into the lane and may also be able to draw fouls on their bigs when he gets there, Phil will need to get open looks by out quicking their larger SF. Jamal needs to use his ball skills to handle their guard quickness and ball pressure. Dom may be able to drive on their bigger slower PF if he can draw him far enough away from the basket (altho he'll have to hit a jump shot or two first to make that happen). On D Chris and Dom will have to try to overcome weak areas by trying to keep their bigs as far away from the basket as possible and then make up for weaknesses in that area by getting some blocks off of weak side help (using their hops). And our three guards are going to have to move their feet and keep their quicker guards from getting in the lane all game long. To me those matchups are what we ought to be building our game plan around.
So lets get past the fiction that although we are small, we are quick. We're not, and not understanding that doesn't help focus on what we really need to do to beat the teams we are playing.
BTW I can't help but wonder to what extent our coaching staff is able to convey and our players are able to fully appreciate the strategic interplay of their strengths and weaknesses and of their opponents' in a way that helps them understand what they should be focusing on in a given game. It usually does not look like it.
And by the way to some other posters' points on this thread I think our guys do play hard. What comes across as flat and what they may even experience as a lack of energy I believe is simply an inability to be focused and aggressive because they do not have a clear strategy and direction at the beginning of the game. Often they come out in the second half and they seem to be playing with a purpose. Seems to me the staff has made adjustments and been clear with the team what they want them to do at that point and the kids come out and execute. They no longer seem flat but its not about lack of effort just lack of clarity about what they are supposed to be trying to accomplish.
Class of 72
Active member
I hope you are correct but 0-2 is a very distinct possibility after seeing us struggle at home. If Franklin Pierce were a yard stick then we have a slim to no chance of beating Minnesota. Hey, but this is the Garden, our home court, site of the Big East championship, and the place where Minnesota gets into championship games. Miracles can happen but I see a Minnesota - Gonzaga final. We just do not have the front court to compete at this level. Thank you Mensa members Keith Thomas and ADR.
Can't argue with that possibility 72. I give them a chance of beating Minny, but certainly wouldn't bet on it for reason you cited. Can win & will win are obviously different animals. Critics, like me, & optimists will have a better sense of what this team can do come Friday.
Unrelated to the title of the thread but to me what hurts more than Briscoe which I don't even fault Lavin for is losing Mcullough and him going for 20 and 9 last night. That hurts and thats a position we had such a need for and for a while people were saying he was a lock for us
Thought same thing while watching him the other night, Not sure what happened between this article and when he decided to commit:
http://nypost.com/2011/07/08/hoop-g...spect-mccullough-calls-st-johns-dream-school/
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
I was at The Garden last night and all I could think of was that CM would have looked great in a St. John's uniform, particularly this season.