When you think of tomorrow's game with Duke it really all comes down to respect and getting respect. For decades St Johns was a respected program, over the last 15 to 20 years we have been much less than that falling into a basketball abyss. Duke and Coach K have garnered respect all hyped up by media people like Dick Vitale. Any mention of St Johns is usually done with a backhanded slap in the face. That is why this game tomorrow is so important. The media wants Duke to win, the refs will want Duke to win (consiously or unconsiously) and maybe even our friends at MSG would like Coach K to get number 1000 in their building. St Johns is the afterthought. The St Johns team must "put it to Duke". They cant be crying over the fouls that will be called and the almost guaranteed offensive fouls that will be called against st johns when a Dukie pulls a famous "dukie flop" in front of the basket. They need to step up and be fearless. They need to deflate some of that Duke ego and run rings around them. I am hoping for a win, not because it means a better chance for the NCAA, not because I dont particularly like Duke, but because St Johns needs to be respected and this win will give St Johns respect and back on the college basketball map because the whole basketball world knows Coach K wants this number 1000 tomorrow at the Garden and we need to be the ones who snatch it away from him.
IT'S ALL ABOUT RESPECT
- Thread starter dee
- Start date
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
Agree about respect. We were basketball royalty, #4 all time wins. We're still royalty by the numbers, but over the last 20 years we've become that struggling-to-hang-onto-our-dignity kind of royalty from a Jane Austen novel. I blame the school's previous hierarchy for, as Darth Sidious put it, "lack of vision". Either they did not realize the importance of the basketball team, or they dismissed it. Either way, same result, here we are. Hopefully our new skipper will make sure the SS Redmen gets back on track for the long term. It is, IMHO, the face of the university.
Duke and Coach K have garnered their respect by winning. On the basketball court, winning also gets you favorability with the officials, both in college and the pros. It's male bovine manure, but that doesn't mean it's not also reality. Everybody loves a winner, that's why they get so much hype. I know everyone hammers Dickie V., but he always goes nuts for the hot team. I saw a Duke-UNC game, where Duke came out smokin', and he was going off the wall. Then Carolina heated up, and he was all about the Tar Heels. That's just his broadcasting style. I have heard him say positive things about SJU. During the Norm years, I heard him lament how we had fallen on hard times, and how the program needed to get back on track. He was practically imploring the administration to get their act together. Len Elmore, Digger Phelps, and Raf always say nice things about SJU. And, for the record, I am hyper-sensitive about comments made about SJU, so I know where you're coming from.
Spot on about what the good guys need to do tomorrow, and how they should handle themselves. It's going to be rough with a less than 100% 3'Lo. Their freshmen get a lot of PT, maybe our experience can help offset their talent. Regardless,
GO REDMEN!
Duke and Coach K have garnered their respect by winning. On the basketball court, winning also gets you favorability with the officials, both in college and the pros. It's male bovine manure, but that doesn't mean it's not also reality. Everybody loves a winner, that's why they get so much hype. I know everyone hammers Dickie V., but he always goes nuts for the hot team. I saw a Duke-UNC game, where Duke came out smokin', and he was going off the wall. Then Carolina heated up, and he was all about the Tar Heels. That's just his broadcasting style. I have heard him say positive things about SJU. During the Norm years, I heard him lament how we had fallen on hard times, and how the program needed to get back on track. He was practically imploring the administration to get their act together. Len Elmore, Digger Phelps, and Raf always say nice things about SJU. And, for the record, I am hyper-sensitive about comments made about SJU, so I know where you're coming from.
Spot on about what the good guys need to do tomorrow, and how they should handle themselves. It's going to be rough with a less than 100% 3'Lo. Their freshmen get a lot of PT, maybe our experience can help offset their talent. Regardless,
GO REDMEN!
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
We are currently eighth for all-time wins. I remember when we we fourth, behind Kentucky, UNC, and Kansas. Then Luigi retired.
ManHATTEN1
Member
Getting some respect. Line is -5.5!
ManHATTEN1
Member
Not saying we need moral victories just that we are getting respect.
We need to hire Dougherty
I think you spelt his name wrong (I think you meant Doherty) but hey whatever works. Whatever they have done in the last 15 plus years doesnt seem to be working. Personally I like Lavin (after Jarvis and Roberts, Lavin is a godsend) and want him to stay but I am frustrated with the losing. I spoke to a friend who was involved in coaching and he said he thought the st johns players need to play smarter, that they throw the ball away too much making poor decisions and are probably difficult to coach.