Georgetown (MSG), Tues. Jan. 9, 6:30p, FS1/570AM

The good thing about living in London is I just wake to the scores and don't have to watch these loses live...

I have always been in the thought process of we just need to get to 19 wins and make it to the NIT. I would have been happy with a 5 win improvement from last year and then the same next which which would put us in the NCAA> I think that died last night. Its tough to see another 9 wins on the schedule.

I think the staff looked at the long game and didn't want to just add bodies for this year. While I think that is the right call, they punted this year. Imagine how nice it would be have to have players like Dixon and Keita on the court this year. We would easily be 2-3 wins better just from the added depth. While I admire Amar's dedication, he should have been shown the door and his scholarship used more wisely this year.

The saddest part is how melancholy I am about the team. I went from as passionate a fan as you could find to barely caring about the outcomes of games. I have become the same way about the Mets. Its tough to care when you feel like the people who should really care (the school, coaches, owners, etc.) just don't seem to care that much.
 
There is so much wrong with this team right now it would take a book to write with specificity.

I will say this: it is infinitessimally harder for an inexperienced coach to coach a bad or flawed team than a good one. Right now, without Lovett, we are a bad team, and worse than that, we are rudderless.

With Lovett out, Amar gets minutes, a 6ft 10 perimeter player. Clark is a perimeter player. Owens is a perimeter player. A shot goes up. NO ONE CRASHES. The shooter doesn't follow his shot, and the other bigs stand glued to their position far from the basket, not even attempting to fight for position, no less actually rebound.

Simon doesn't have the heart of a finisher. I've never seen so many blown layups. What should a coach say? "Make the damned layup. This is D1, not middke school".

Ponds is driving against 2 and 3 people. He is a slasher, he draws plenty of contact, but gets no respect from refs. He ends up throwing up garbage. Again, no word from the coaches.

Around here, you can't mention a single former coach from the past 25 years without drawing someone's ire, but at least Jarvis' in game coaching was attentive and remedial. Make a mistake, you get yanked. I'm from the school that uses subs so you can grab a guy off the court, correct something, and send him right back in - a mini timeout. Here, we watch bad basketball, and no one corrects a thing.

About a dozen years ago I coached a 4th grade town league team, in a league where some coaches gamed the draft to load up on the best athletes. Crazy, right? I ended up with all scrubs, the worst of the lot. At the last minute they tossed me a 3rd grader who signed up late, whose dad was a hs coach.

Picture any sports movie about kids who were horrible. Bad news bears, I dunno. I couldn't even keep their attention at the first practice. The guy who is a coach was there watching patiently. Finally I said, "Coach, can you help me out?" Within about 3 minutes, he had their full attention, positioning and instructing them.

During the season, he helped when asked, but kept his distance. His kid was good, our best player. We won the championship, against a team who somehow had 5 CYO players, who still tried to cheat in the finals. It was my last coached game. I had it with the crap. The kid's dad became a D1 coach, maybe our next coach, I dunno. We could do far worse than a guy whose team has danced 4 of 6 years.

Not giving up on Mullin, just saying.
 
This is not the same team we saw in Florida this year. The bench is a horror , we did not use the bench in Florida. The rotation was only 7 players. Lovett out and Ponds questionable and with a horrible bench it is going to be a long season.
 

YES, That was my earlier prediction also but now I am seeing the possibility of 1 win because who can be beat?
 
Mullin may not be the answer, time will tell. Lavin definitely was not the answer. Lavin is where he belongs, off the sidelines and in the booth. Move on people.
 
No sympathy for Mullin whatsoever. What were the 2 chief concerns in the offseason? First, he did not have enough experience on his staff. Matt A is a recruiter, GSJ is very young, and Mitch basically just stands there. Everybody knew he needed to bring in a new game manager and he chose to stay loyal to his guys. Second, he did not have enough depth on the roster. I agree with all of you guys that I wouldn't have just handed out scholarships to undeserving players, but they needed to add at least 1 or 2 grad transfers to basically just be extra bodies for them. Maybe a 6'9 guy who was good for 5 fouls and a few boards. But no, he decided against that as well. So here we are, 0-5 in the Big East, with embarrassing coaching performances every game, and no depth on the roster. It's an absolute joke that year in and year what little is left of the fan base has to be subjected to such poor management.
 
It has already been a long season for the following reasons;
1 Being unable to secure a rebounder prior to season means a deficit of ten or more rebounds every big east game
2 Injury to LoVett took away pressure defense
3 Three point shooting differential has been mind boggling. Prior to Geo game opposition shoots 48 per cent and Ponds shoots in the teens. Mullin and Richmond can make baskets all day long and Simon will never be a shooter
The only remaining hope for the season will be the big east tournament. It will require four wins in four nights with a backcourt that is too fragile to play four games in two weeks
 
So, I understand all the frustration and rightly so but what can be done to save this season?? Do we just play out the rest of the games,try to win the BET and say what we all have heard many many yrs now ,wait until next yr..To be a supported fan is getting hard but we must remain fans.Perhaps, we just can not take the games to heart this yr because it is what it is a bad situation.When does the coach and staff take accountability for what they put on the court.When does the school say enough already. Can't be, every other team in the league finds better talent and coaches? Maybe, we should be Div 2 but I do not know how we would even fair at that Level. Keep the faith, as they say it get not get any worse.
 
If I didnt mention it last night OLV72 said once the game started that Trimble would hit his first 3 3pointers. He is picking my lottery numbers for now on
 
Very disappointing to lose :
A.to Georgetown
b. Patrick Ewing coached
C. At the Garden
D. to start the Big East season 0-5
E. to DePaul at CA
F. to Providence/Cooley and at CA getting blown out.

This is depressing. My wife says to me why do you go to these games, you come home all upset and unhappy.
 
Lavin's 5 years he took us to two NCAA tourneys and 2 NITs. He was unable to recruit in the end because he was a lame duck coach. What kid would want to commit to a coach when he has only 1 or 2 years left on his contract. That is why the school should have fired him after year 4 or given him a contract extension. This hurt with the Briscoe recruit. He always proved he could recruit and if we had a strong AD at the time he could have pushed Lavin to clean a few things up that were causing problems.This is all on Bobby and Oliva because they thought they were being smart.

This team has a ton of talent but the coaching staff treats them like they are NBA players they have absolutely no structure at all. I've watched 5th grade CYO that is better than the product i've seen the last two games. Seems like Mullin is very stubborn and arrogant and that mindset is not going to help things turn around.
 
Really hope the conference record is salvaged, even moderately, so that there isn’t negative momentum on multiple levels heading into the offseason. Year 4 is likely going to be challenging enough as it is, without a 4-14 last place finish in conference, current players feeling worn down mentally and physically, and poor perception of the state of the program in general and recruiting. Even finding a way to 5-6 wins can help alleviate some pressure and put a positive spin late on what would still be an ugly season and lack of a step forward overall.

On that point the main thing this changes in my view is the lack of any real margin for error in Year 4. Was always likely to be the critical year, but thought Mullin/staff could buy themselves some breathing room with a strong/exceed expectations year this year. They were on their way in the OOC but with the wheels coming off now, Year 4 basically has to be a massive improvement in total results and the NCAA. When you look at what other coaches in the same league as us are doing and have done, difficult to rationalize how anything short of that can be viewed as a success at that stage.

Still think this staff has at least the potential to get it done. This year’s shortcomings notwithstanding, they’ve improved the balance and depth of recruiting. There has at times been a noticeable improvement in tactical gameplanning, especially defensively, with ASU, SHU, and Creighton as standout examples. Although this is a double-edged sword in some ways, there does seem to be a lack of panic and an ability to take the long view, probably at least partially a result of job security Mullin has at SJU that others with his results to date might not, which can eliminate some of the rollercoaster, provide stability, and minimize rash decision-making.

The concerns not only remain but pretty much remain the same, which is a concern unto itself. Don’t understand why Mullin has been allowed to maintain this particular staff structure without change, specifically as it pertains to (1) game experience, and (2) recruiting. 2018 was marked as the year in terms of having the time to build a major HS class, and while I think it’s very solid and hopefully compliments a premier returning core of upperclassmen, I don’t know that it’s that. You can see looking at the team on the floor the way Ponds and Simon and Lovett (when healthy) impact the game, and I’m not sure we’ve added a player on that level, at least on paper, in close to 2 years now. And I really don’t understand the pro-style offense without pro personnel. SJU is one of if not the worst offensive teams in the league, driven in part by the fact that SJU is the worst 3pt shooting team in the conference and yet that seems to be a focal point of the offense (22 attempts per game, which is probably around 1/3 of total possessions). It's almost like they want to play like the Warriors without the ability to play like the Warriors, which I don't think makes a lot of sense.

At this point not sure those concerns are going anywhere, so question is likely going to be whether Mullin/staff can overcome those shortcomings in the aggregate and win. If they can great. Think we are going to find out next year.
 
Well, the sick joke continues. The staff keeping Marvin Clark in on defense with 4 fouls inside the final 15 seconds, and not only not doing offense-defense subbing with him but putting him towards the front of the press to give the foul and thus foul him out of the game, shows the total embarrassment that they have become and where the lack of experience absolutely kills us. Patrick Ewing came into his job with markedly more sideline experience than Mullin, and yet he had the wherewithal to hire former coach Louis Orr to have someone with head coaching reps. We hired 24 year old Greg St Jean with absolutely no coaching experience to his name (and this is not to blame St. Jean. Blame the guy who hired him.)

Hope everyone that is fed up with this lack of experience on the bench reaches out and tweets/emails Anton Goff and Bobby Gempesaw
 
Also at this point there has to at least be a question about individual player development. Tough to really get a read because we don't know where Simon and Clark - who have both been outstanding, exceeding expectations - were when they got here. Owens has definitely gotten better. Ponds, Ahmed, and Lovett when playing seem substantially similar to last year. Which is obviously varying degrees of very good, but not sure any of them added anything big to their game, at least offensively. I would have projected this as a strength of this staff, and frankly it probably needs to be for them to sell the program they way I assume they'd like to.
 
Lavin's 5 years he took us to two NCAA tourneys and 2 NITs. He was unable to recruit in the end because he was a lame duck coach. What kid would want to commit to a coach when he has only 1 or 2 years left on his contract. That is why the school should have fired him after year 4 or given him a contract extension. This hurt with the Briscoe recruit. He always proved he could recruit and if we had a strong AD at the time he could have pushed Lavin to clean a few things up that were causing problems.This is all on Bobby and Oliva because they thought they were being smart.

This team has a ton of talent but the coaching staff treats them like they are NBA players they have absolutely no structure at all. I've watched 5th grade CYO that is better than the product i've seen the last two games. Seems like Mullin is very stubborn and arrogant and that mindset is not going to help things turn around.
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You have basically said the same things I have been saying without the accusations of excessive negativity which was personal and pompous by a few fans very far removed from Union Turnpike. I was also accused of mocking Mullin as a 24 year old with problems when some tried to denigrate JT3's record and coaching acumen while I was pointing to the fact that Mullin had "other issues" that needed to be addressed 30 years ago.
When you state " Seems like Mullin is very stubborn and arrogant and that mindset is not going to help things turn around.", that is one of his flaws I was referring to. His entire college career was full of enablers with Lou Carnesecca being one that never recognized his stubbornness and it took Don Nelson to take away the only thing that mattered to him, the basketball in his hands, to finally turn his life around. Unfortunately, while he conquered his demons his personality has not changed much and those traits have dogged him in his post pro career. From his management gigs with Golden State to Sacramento he was known to be obstinate to making smart changes needed to those organizations. That personality flaw is now present in his coaching role at St. John's where he insisted on having control over all facets of decision making, his least amiable trait. The first sign that he could not take a difference of opinion was when he ostracized Slice from the coaching staff. Losing players who did not see a role on the team going forward was another indicator with the loss of his center, the departure of Ellison and the decommittment of Sid Wilson. That he now needs help and support is not surprising but I am not sure a retired 93 year old coach and a magic feather duster will be enough. While year three is shaping up to be a disaster due to some unforseen events it remains to be seen if his staffing decision making will turn the corner before he is forced to take responsibility for his intransigent personality traits.
 
Uconn did that on the way to winning the BE and NCAA in Kevin Ollie’s first year but, mostly with Calhoun players . I think the Huskies finished 9-9 in the Conference that year . I can’t believe how negative many of the Posters here are being in terms of faulting Mullin , Bobby G, etc for the results this year . The number one reason our Season has fallen off the cliff is the injury to Lovett ! Period ! Take 14 points a game away from any team and see how much they win . Many here are almost blaming Mullin, Lovett , maybe even Pope Francis for the injury and why isn’t he back yet ? Has anyone considered the injury was a serious one and perhaps not requiring Surgery but, a lengthy healing period ? MLB teams often place Players on 60 Day Disabled lists to allow for injuries to heal of their own accord . Lovett is still short of 60 Days . Many, Many Posters here insisted the addition of Simon and Clark was going to lead us to anywhere from a Final 4 , BE Contending status or, beating Nova and Xavier like drums . All this , without ever seeing either of these players in Competition . While Simon and Clark are nice players , the reality is they weren’t going to be in the Mix at the schools they transferred from . Now, Halfway through the Season , we are seeing that their contributions are mostly good but, their games are not at a All Star level . Simon has been awful in the last 2 games with turnovers and missed dunks , bunnies and exhibiting poor judgment playing the point . Clark , like Owens gets in foul trouble nearly every game and it limits his on Court performance . Plus , we were expecting a inside dimension to his game , that isn’t there . He is a outside Wing and Corner shooter , not a Banger or rebounder . His handle is also suspect . Ponds, without Lovett is like Abbott without Costello , Laurel without Hardy , Oliver not Dwight . The loss of Mussini primarily , Ellison to some extent and Williams from last year ‘s team have thinned our Squad to a bare bones level. We have No legitimate BE Sized Center . Owens by his thin frame is a Forward , not a inside bull . He blocks shots but, isn’t able to muscle very many front court players in the BE . Govan, last night was too big and too skilled for him. With Lovett back and performing at a pre injury level , we are possibly a .500 BE Team. Without him we are , what we are seeing . Next year looks promising , with a broader blend of different sized players that better fit a BE Roster than this year’s team . Keep the faith and wait a little longer . We are all disappointed with results to date but, all is not lost . With a healthy Lovett we are again a competitive Team . Let’s hope he is on the way back to playing soon .
 
I was at the game last night and it was very tough to watch. As bad as Georgetown is we are worse. Bryan Trimble was our best player last night that should tell you everything you need to know. What was completely unfathomable was the number of layups that we missed. This team just has a very poor basketball IQ. Fouling three point shooters, driving into the lane with nowhere to go and then trying to make some impossible pass, still not being in good position to rebound, not capitalizing on all those Georgetown turnovers. Just really tough to see.

On a positive note, I met BrookJersey Redmen for the first time at Stout before the game. Great guy!!
 
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