Felipe Lopez / ESPN 30 for 30
- Thread starter jerseyshorejohnny
- Start date
I loved t. Watched it with my wife and oldest (was too young to remember seeing him play). I always need what a kind hearted person he is and what a great personality. Learned soo much more.
Besides seeing several familiar faces during the documentary, I saw a few other familiar names in the credits at the end.
Besides seeing several familiar faces during the documentary, I saw a few other familiar names in the credits at the end.
stuck in conn
Member
Watching his career end against Detroit was tough to see again.
JohnnyFever
Active member
Last night was fun watching parts of our old games on ESPNU and then the 30 for 30 on one of our top former players. Being such a big SJ fan I always bring it up in conversation and I'd say 7/10 times the response is, "St. John's? Who cares haven't they sucked for 30 years?" or "the Big East is not a big deal anymore". There are many who mock us and roll their eyes. For just one night it was nice to see us front and center on ESPN with old games when the Big East was intact, our gear was sold nationally alongside Duke jerseys, we were routinely ranked, and we really were a big name in college hoops landing top recruits. These are the days I've never known unfortunately and dream of getting back to. The 2011 season lured me in as a fan and I fell for the program. We know we can lure more fans when we matter.
Back to Felipe, when's the last time we got a kid like him who is not only a major recruit but also locally developed and also had a personality of gold? The guy turned down 700k which was probably more like 1 mil back in the 90's to come to St. John's instead over the likes of Duke and their ilk. Hoops has changed a lot and with the advent of social media, it seems like egos run rampant and many players just want to show off their materialism so they just chase the money immediately. More instant gratification these days and a lot of it is promoted by hip hop which in modern times worships materialism and the idea of money over everything shamelessly. We need MA to get us players who understand the tradition of the program and 100% commit themselves to SJ on and off the court. High character guys who have chemistry and pride. How awesome would it be if we can snag a few solid recruits from DR as a result of this doc?! I bet DR gained a LOT of SJ fans because of Lopez!
Back to Felipe, when's the last time we got a kid like him who is not only a major recruit but also locally developed and also had a personality of gold? The guy turned down 700k which was probably more like 1 mil back in the 90's to come to St. John's instead over the likes of Duke and their ilk. Hoops has changed a lot and with the advent of social media, it seems like egos run rampant and many players just want to show off their materialism so they just chase the money immediately. More instant gratification these days and a lot of it is promoted by hip hop which in modern times worships materialism and the idea of money over everything shamelessly. We need MA to get us players who understand the tradition of the program and 100% commit themselves to SJ on and off the court. High character guys who have chemistry and pride. How awesome would it be if we can snag a few solid recruits from DR as a result of this doc?! I bet DR gained a LOT of SJ fans because of Lopez!
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
1994 N.Y. Times article:
[URL]https://www.nytimes.com/1994/0...ketball-everyone-wants-lopez-s-attention.html[/URL]
[URL]https://www.nytimes.com/1994/0...ketball-everyone-wants-lopez-s-attention.html[/URL]
[quote="Moose" post=347103]Who else was on his Rice teams? Did anyone else become good college players? Who was his PG?[/quote]
Gary Saunders who played at Georgia Tech and then Seton Hall was a solid college player. I believe he was the next best player but I can’t remember much from back then.
Gary Saunders who played at Georgia Tech and then Seton Hall was a solid college player. I believe he was the next best player but I can’t remember much from back then.
Moose
Well-known member
[quote="acrimony" post=347112]
Also Robert Johnson was on that team, I think Anthony Glover was a sophomore, maybe Scientific Map too? The team was loaded.[/quote]
Glover wasn't. He was more than 4 years separated from Felipe.
Was just curious who might have been dishing the ball in those clips last night. Maybe it was Mapp. PG play was good.
Also Robert Johnson was on that team, I think Anthony Glover was a sophomore, maybe Scientific Map too? The team was loaded.[/quote]
Glover wasn't. He was more than 4 years separated from Felipe.
Was just curious who might have been dishing the ball in those clips last night. Maybe it was Mapp. PG play was good.
beast of the east
Active member
I recall back when Lopez was hotly recruited a local CHSAA coach told me that he didn't think Lopez was the top player in the country. He gave a detailed assessment, and turned out to be right.
I kind of think that Lopez suffered from being so athletically gifted, heads and tails over his competition in HS, and to a lesser extent at SJU that parts of his game were deficient, and never matched his physical ability - much like Pearl Washington, who didn't have a jump shot and didn't need one till he got to the pros.
That's no knock on Felipe, who still was good enough to play 5 NBA years and likely would have had at least a 10 year career, was improving, and could score at the NBA level. Not bad at all, but of course, not the next Michael Jordan. With that as a standard, not many NBA'ers would even come close.
I kind of think that Lopez suffered from being so athletically gifted, heads and tails over his competition in HS, and to a lesser extent at SJU that parts of his game were deficient, and never matched his physical ability - much like Pearl Washington, who didn't have a jump shot and didn't need one till he got to the pros.
That's no knock on Felipe, who still was good enough to play 5 NBA years and likely would have had at least a 10 year career, was improving, and could score at the NBA level. Not bad at all, but of course, not the next Michael Jordan. With that as a standard, not many NBA'ers would even come close.
[quote="Moose" post=347113][quote="acrimony" post=347112]
Also Robert Johnson was on that team, I think Anthony Glover was a sophomore, maybe Scientific Map too? The team was loaded.[/quote]
Glover wasn't. He was more than 4 years separated from Felipe.
Was just curious who might have been dishing the ball in those clips last night. Maybe it was Mapp. PG play was good.[/quote]
The St. Ray's backcourt though was off the charts with Kareem Reid and Charlton Clarke, who would end up playing for Cal at UMass.
Also Robert Johnson was on that team, I think Anthony Glover was a sophomore, maybe Scientific Map too? The team was loaded.[/quote]
Glover wasn't. He was more than 4 years separated from Felipe.
Was just curious who might have been dishing the ball in those clips last night. Maybe it was Mapp. PG play was good.[/quote]
The St. Ray's backcourt though was off the charts with Kareem Reid and Charlton Clarke, who would end up playing for Cal at UMass.
gonzalo
Well-known member
[quote="Moose" post=347103]Who else was on his Rice teams? Did anyone else become good college players? Who was his PG?[/quote]
Reggie Freeman played at Texas.
https://news.wp.missouristate.edu/2...tandout-named-new-assistant-basketball-coach/
A graduate of Rice High School in Manhattan in New York City, Freeman joined the Longhorns in 1993, where he had a prolific four-year collegiate career. He helped Texas earn two Southwest Conference Championships and four berths to the NCAA tournament, where they reached the Sweet 16 in 1997 during his senior season.
Freeman’s name can be found scattered throughout the list of individual records for the Longhorns in various categories. He led the Longhorns in scoring and assists his junior and senior seasons, averaging 22.4 and 21.8 points per game and 3.9 and 4.2 assists, respectively, and he led the team in rebounding his senior season with 7.6 grabs per game. He earned first team All-Southwest Conference honors his junior year and first team All-Big 12 Conference and NCAA All-American honors his senior season. His 22 point, 10 rebound and 10 assist performance against Texas Christian University on Feb. 11, 1996, is the only triple-double in Longhorns basketball history, and he was included in the Longhorns’ All-Decade Team for the 1990s.
Reggie Freeman played at Texas.
https://news.wp.missouristate.edu/2...tandout-named-new-assistant-basketball-coach/
A graduate of Rice High School in Manhattan in New York City, Freeman joined the Longhorns in 1993, where he had a prolific four-year collegiate career. He helped Texas earn two Southwest Conference Championships and four berths to the NCAA tournament, where they reached the Sweet 16 in 1997 during his senior season.
Freeman’s name can be found scattered throughout the list of individual records for the Longhorns in various categories. He led the Longhorns in scoring and assists his junior and senior seasons, averaging 22.4 and 21.8 points per game and 3.9 and 4.2 assists, respectively, and he led the team in rebounding his senior season with 7.6 grabs per game. He earned first team All-Southwest Conference honors his junior year and first team All-Big 12 Conference and NCAA All-American honors his senior season. His 22 point, 10 rebound and 10 assist performance against Texas Christian University on Feb. 11, 1996, is the only triple-double in Longhorns basketball history, and he was included in the Longhorns’ All-Decade Team for the 1990s.
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[quote="Mike Zaun" post=347074]Watched...great insight as a younger guy (now 30 so not sure how long I can use that word lol) who was under 10 at the time and didn't really pay attention yet. It made me proud...it also made me sad. Sad to see that such a pure human like Felipe just never got it together and then got hurt badly. Nice appearances by Lou, Fraschilla, Mahoney, Mullin, etc. It makes me sad also to think that I missed the absolute peak of my favorite team. I was watching ESPNU since they had the marathon of our games with Felipe before the documentary and saw one year we were ranked 9th in the nation playing a ranked Miami team on ESPN. This is what I could only dream about these days with the state of the program.
Deep down I wonder if I will ever see this program become a real factor in my lifetime. The best I've witnessed is 2011 with Lavin's team getting all those top 5 wins but nothing in the tourney. At this point I'd take a Sweet 16 appearance and landing 1 McDonald's AA before I die. Hoping MA can build a respectable consistent winner who can get some wild success every so often.[/quote]
You will, Mike. Keep the faith.
I expect Iron Mike to bust his gut the next couple years to assemble the right mix for his team and think we will be 'relevant' again, which I define as more than just making the NCAA but winning at least 1 game most times in the door and getting to the Sweet Sixteen and Elite 8 in multiple years across a decade.
Que sera sera, but we can hope.
Deep down I wonder if I will ever see this program become a real factor in my lifetime. The best I've witnessed is 2011 with Lavin's team getting all those top 5 wins but nothing in the tourney. At this point I'd take a Sweet 16 appearance and landing 1 McDonald's AA before I die. Hoping MA can build a respectable consistent winner who can get some wild success every so often.[/quote]
You will, Mike. Keep the faith.
I expect Iron Mike to bust his gut the next couple years to assemble the right mix for his team and think we will be 'relevant' again, which I define as more than just making the NCAA but winning at least 1 game most times in the door and getting to the Sweet Sixteen and Elite 8 in multiple years across a decade.
Que sera sera, but we can hope.
[quote="kred" post=347136][quote="Andrew" post=347120]Yes Scientific Mapp was the point guard. I can’t believe I forgot that name.[/quote]
Can't believe you forgot the older member of the All Brother Name Team who along with Scientific was a very good player. Yes it was Majestic and Scientific Maap.[/quote]
I met both Mapps. My oldest son worked at the NY Merc for awhile in the late 90s - early 00s and I think Scientific also worked there.
They became buddies with my son and I met them a few times.
Good guys.
And I met Felipe a few teams after games at 'then' Alumni Hall.
A very gracious kid.
Fabulous documentary.
Can't believe you forgot the older member of the All Brother Name Team who along with Scientific was a very good player. Yes it was Majestic and Scientific Maap.[/quote]
I met both Mapps. My oldest son worked at the NY Merc for awhile in the late 90s - early 00s and I think Scientific also worked there.
They became buddies with my son and I met them a few times.
Good guys.
And I met Felipe a few teams after games at 'then' Alumni Hall.
A very gracious kid.
Fabulous documentary.
[quote="Redman#13" post=347149]Saw Bootsy on the bench in that game against Detroit in full warm up gear. Why didn't he play on that team?
Was barkley already red shirting that year?[/quote]
Thornton graduated from JUCO in December of that particular season, and Fraschilla didn't want Thornton to waste a half a season, and only have him for 1 1/2 seasons. So, he redshirted Thornton, as he'd have two full seasons. Unfortunately, for Fraschilla's sake, he never had the chance to coach Thornton, and Bootsy (like basically most of the roster) became a treasure for Jarvis.
Barkley never redshirted. Barkley was spending a prep season at MCI (Maine Central Institute), and came in as a freshman the following season (1998-1999 season).
Was barkley already red shirting that year?[/quote]
Thornton graduated from JUCO in December of that particular season, and Fraschilla didn't want Thornton to waste a half a season, and only have him for 1 1/2 seasons. So, he redshirted Thornton, as he'd have two full seasons. Unfortunately, for Fraschilla's sake, he never had the chance to coach Thornton, and Bootsy (like basically most of the roster) became a treasure for Jarvis.
Barkley never redshirted. Barkley was spending a prep season at MCI (Maine Central Institute), and came in as a freshman the following season (1998-1999 season).
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[quote="acrimony" post=347112]
Also Robert Johnson was on that team, I think Anthony Glover was a sophomore, maybe Scientific Map too? The team was loaded.[/quote]
Rice during the Felipe years and afterwards until its closing in 2011 was a city and normally a national power with a slew of good D1 players.
Also Robert Johnson was on that team, I think Anthony Glover was a sophomore, maybe Scientific Map too? The team was loaded.[/quote]
Rice during the Felipe years and afterwards until its closing in 2011 was a city and normally a national power with a slew of good D1 players.