Maher and Guinness77Need to bring in at least 2 big man studs (unless Tamba gets an extra year).
Iowa St., Mon., Nov. 24, 4:30p, TruTV / 1050 AM
- Thread starter Knight
- Start date
Stop with this stuff--it triggers ptst in most of our fans. Some of us dont have med plans covering therapy. Cubelo and Posh! Neither would be a walk on on this team.
Why cant it just be the right think to do? Compensatory signifies transactional. I dont think the honor was transactional at all. It was just deserved and had to be recognized. Ayo is a captain. Was that compensatory?
Darling? Coach said he was 5-11.
Pitino did not assemble this roster to beat 31-5 , or go undefeated at home, or even to win the big east or BET. it was assembled with the big prize in mind, and is another roster overhaul. We didn't "lose" Wilcher or Brady; the new era of NIL and unlimited transfers allowed us to upgrade significantly and both would have reduced roles had they stayed.
We are playing with the toughest OOC schedule that we've ever had in order to get better, to lose some early if necessary in order to work to improve. Last year despite all the success, we had not played enough big, fast, athletic teams to really be ready for what happened in Providence. I hate to say this but we got exposed and a reality check by an Arkansas team that wasn't championship caliber.
Las Vegas is a great test, a really GREAT test. If these kids are going to be a great March team, each kid will have to play Pitino basketball. There is only one irreplaceable guy on the depth chart and he's been here and is 1000% on board and head screwed on. Anyone else will sit if they don't play 2 way ball, or think they are bigger than the team.
We are playing for all the marbles, period. We may all want a buzzsaw season, but given the schedule may have to take a few hard punches in November to learn how to win in March.
For us fans, put on your seatbelts. We got hit with 30% ticket increases which is nothing compared to the cost of this roster. Sponsors have jumped in big time. MR is gambling on winning everything, and like his companies and horses is spending big to win big.
This won't be easy. Think of Iwo Jima, Normandy, Ali Frazier. Everything is in place for this team to win big, but plenty of question marks right now.
Be excited but ready for war. Our fans are doing their part, hitting the road, showing up at the Garden and CA. We won't surprise anyone this year.
This season is shaping up to be everything we've wished for but didn't think possible 2.5 years ago. Be careful what you wish for because one thing we are going to be is battle tested. Playing real teams. Top 15 teams. Before TG dinner we will have played at least 4 of them. Jesus, my stomach is churning.
We are playing with the toughest OOC schedule that we've ever had in order to get better, to lose some early if necessary in order to work to improve. Last year despite all the success, we had not played enough big, fast, athletic teams to really be ready for what happened in Providence. I hate to say this but we got exposed and a reality check by an Arkansas team that wasn't championship caliber.
Las Vegas is a great test, a really GREAT test. If these kids are going to be a great March team, each kid will have to play Pitino basketball. There is only one irreplaceable guy on the depth chart and he's been here and is 1000% on board and head screwed on. Anyone else will sit if they don't play 2 way ball, or think they are bigger than the team.
We are playing for all the marbles, period. We may all want a buzzsaw season, but given the schedule may have to take a few hard punches in November to learn how to win in March.
For us fans, put on your seatbelts. We got hit with 30% ticket increases which is nothing compared to the cost of this roster. Sponsors have jumped in big time. MR is gambling on winning everything, and like his companies and horses is spending big to win big.
This won't be easy. Think of Iwo Jima, Normandy, Ali Frazier. Everything is in place for this team to win big, but plenty of question marks right now.
Be excited but ready for war. Our fans are doing their part, hitting the road, showing up at the Garden and CA. We won't surprise anyone this year.
This season is shaping up to be everything we've wished for but didn't think possible 2.5 years ago. Be careful what you wish for because one thing we are going to be is battle tested. Playing real teams. Top 15 teams. Before TG dinner we will have played at least 4 of them. Jesus, my stomach is churning.
SJUDave
Well-known member
Two blow out wins don’t move the needle, but gaining confidence is important. Especially when you have a monster week coming up. #16 Iowa State is on the horizon plus Baylor and another good team that St. John’s needs to bolster their non conference resume. With the loss to Alabama, the need to beat Iowa State intensifies. We give takeaways from the two buy game wins and preview the Players Era Festival, how it’s going to work and preview Iowa State with Jackson Pence who covers the Cyclones for CycloneFanatic
(YouTube video being edited while on the plane later)
(YouTube video being edited while on the plane later)
Known TJ since his college days and he’s a good coach and better man. Saw Iowa St in person this yr and they are really good. When I mentioned STJ he knows how good they are but thinks they match up well. PG is a big issue..kid is elite on both ends..Euro( Mamo) can shoot and Jefferson they hope can overpower Mitchell and draw fouls on Zuby. Biggest concern is controlling tempo and keep wings out of lane( they have a lot of respect for Joson/Ian). Overall SJ has better depth and talent but ISU is tough, smart and will be prepared. Should be a great chess match… I’ll be on the road until after the New Year so wishing everyone a peaceful safe holiday season. Keep supporting the team but also during these difficult world times each other as you always have. God bless.
Beautiful post. Wise. Well written. Agree entirely.
dk423
Well-known member
I just think it was a bit of a tell that Mitchell said he never saw it coming. It's not like it was a formal vote by the players. I think Rick understands that with a guy like him who's started basically every college game they've participated in, you can't just have him off the bench on a more permanent basis despite great leadership/hustle/practice stuff, without making a serious declaration of leadership somewhere else. He said earlier in the week that managing minutes would be the toughest challenge all year, I think he saw making Mitchell captain has one way to ease the internal pressure of his minutes a little bit.
And, to be clear, Mitchell 100% seems like an A++ leader and worthy captain. I just think its both.
In terms of Ayo, he became captain after the Bahamas episode when the team was spiraling a bit with chemistry. It wasn't compensatory, it was raising up a leader of the team and making guys focus on the right traits.
SJUWillRockNYC
Well-known member
Yeah, we all know what he did last year, and it was fun.
This year it's just us and UConn, and no else (here's to hoping G-Town, Nova, and Butler surprise this year for B.E. sake, because Creighton and Marquette are down this year). We'll need big OOC wins with the B.E being down.
5-1 and I'll be on cloud 9
4-2 I'll be happy
3-3 not happy but I guess with being just good enough, can't bitch
2-4 or less, bust
Freshman year Posh with Pitino coaching would be just what this team needed. Guaranteed Final 4. Ain't no doubt about it.
Agree that Posh had an upside to a great freshman campaign that we never saw. I think Pitino would have slammed him for gaining 10-15 lbs that most kids that age can carry but for a basketball player robbed him of Sonic the Hedgehog speed.
A lot of Posh's regression is on Posh though. He kinda let it go up in smoke. His defense and stealth was other worldly.
Coach Panther: is there anyone on the roster now, that can take us to the Final Four as the PG? Thanks.
Just looking around and found the ESPN matchup predictor that basically is favoring Iowa State to win 62%.
No idea what that is based on.
St. John's vs. Iowa State (Nov 24, 2025) Live Score - ESPN
Live coverage of the St. John's Red Storm vs. Iowa State Cyclones NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats.www.espn.com
Must be that big win over Mississippi State.
Maybe it's based on "they are better than we are?". I mean other than playing in a better conference, being more highly ranked, having a better OOC win thus far than we do, probably having the best player on the court in the game, and being more together as a team at this point than we are, I can't think of a reason.
A lot of St John's ranking is Pitino, hype, and potential at this point IMO.
I think that Pitino plus development may eventually get closer to the hype (despite obvious flaws with the roster). And we might win this game. But totally reasonable for any given metric to favor Iowa State.
Still there's a reason they play the games, but to me the game is a coin flip at best
I believe that Darling can get the job done.
Thanks Coach. Much appreciated. Now I’m confident.
Projected win probability is as meaningless as it gets. Even more meaningless in November.
Thoughts I’ve got for Iowa state
- How do we fare vs a defensive minded team?
- We’re 0/1 vs top lead guards. Can we go 1/2?
- Josh Jefferson is not being talked about nearly enough. 19,8, and 4 assists at 6’9 240.
- Milan Momcilovic - Can we avoid the "of course that guys killing us" routine St. John's fans know and love? 6'8 shooting 43% from 3.
- How do we handle their blitzing of the ball screens and hard hedges?
- How do we fare vs a defensive minded team?
- We’re 0/1 vs top lead guards. Can we go 1/2?
- Josh Jefferson is not being talked about nearly enough. 19,8, and 4 assists at 6’9 240.
- Milan Momcilovic - Can we avoid the "of course that guys killing us" routine St. John's fans know and love? 6'8 shooting 43% from 3.
- How do we handle their blitzing of the ball screens and hard hedges?
We don’t know how to do these things, however, CRP certainly does.