Message from Coach Anderson

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paultzman

paultzman

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Greeting St. John’s Basketball Supporters,

What a great time to join the St. John’s family! My wife, Marcheita, and I are thrilled to begin this new journey in the greatest city in the world at one of the nation’s most storied institutions, especially one with such a tremendous basketball tradition.

I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU for the warm welcome we’ve received from our basketball supporters and the entire University community.

Over the past two months, we have worked hard to assemble one of the elite staffs in the country, one that features a blend of collegiate and NBA experience with individuals who have achieved success throughout their careers.

TJ Cleveland, a longtime member of my staff, signed on to serve as our associate head coach, Queens natives Van Macon and Steve DeMeo joined as assistant coaches and my former teammate and NBA veteran Paul Pressey recently came on as a special assistant. Collectively, we have hit the ground running and we are deeply committed to building a program of which the St. John’s faithful can be proud.

As we kick off summer, I want to assure you our team will be working hard this offseason as the countdown for the 2019-2020 campaign has already started. I mentioned during my introductory press conference that we are going to play an exciting brand of basketball, but in order to compete at the peak of our abilities, the preparation starts now.

Our goal is to build upon the successes of last year’s team that returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time in program history. We have a core group of guys who are committed to playing winning basketball and making noise in the BIG EAST, one of the nation’s premier basketball conferences.

I hope you enjoy the summer and thank you for all of your support. We look forward to seeing you next season.

Go Johnnies!

Sincerely,

Mike Anderson
Head Men’s Basketball Coach
St. John’s University
 
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[quote="Paultzman" post=351664]Refreshing & nice touch.[/quote]

That is exactly what first came to my mind--refreshing! This guy is a class act.
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=351664]Refreshing & nice touch.[/quote]

generic but appreciate the message from coach Anderson. He is definitely more open to communication then mullin. I was surprised chris never had a twitter account.
 
Very classy gesture. Seems like his rep is 'real'...that he communicates with the fan base, builds relationships, 'family', and a culture to believe in.
I'm very excited and appreciative to witness the Mike Anderson Era at St. John's.
Go Johnnies.
 
I received this too I thought it was a nice gesture. I like everything coach has done since taking over I really feel way better about the future of the program since he took over. Everything is more professional and I just like the way he goes about his business.
 
[quote="redstorm89" post=351670][quote="Paultzman" post=351664]Refreshing & nice touch.[/quote]

generic but appreciate the message from coach Anderson. He is definitely more open to communication then mullin. I was surprised chris never had a twitter account.[/quote]

Not to Mullin bash, but do you think he really cared to reach out to the fans?
CMA approach is refreshing.
 
[quote="oldschool Redmen" post=351706][quote="redstorm89" post=351670][quote="Paultzman" post=351664]Refreshing & nice touch.[/quote]

generic but appreciate the message from coach Anderson. He is definitely more open to communication then mullin. I was surprised chris never had a twitter account.[/quote]

Not to Mullin bash, but do you think he really cared to reach out to the fans?
CMA approach is refreshing.[/quote]

In his first year Mullin was all over NYC and local events. Then two things happened the following summer. He blackballed Slice and he sold his Long island home and his wife and daughter moved back to California.
The rest is history.
 
[quote="Class of 72" post=351710]In his first year Mullin was all over NYC and local events. Then two things happened the following summer. He blackballed Slice and he sold his Long island home and his wife and daughter moved back to California.[/quote]
And despite all that, he still had the balls to ask for an extension... :pinch:


[quote="Class of 72" post=351710]The rest is history.[/quote]

And so is he...
 
I guess this is another chance to take a shot at Mullin. To me, he was a great representative of what has been a long time mediocre program. He couldn't fix it. No one has been able to. Not him; not Lavin; not Jarvis. Coach Anderson has shown himself to be a class act...but if you think he can do better than these gentlemen, you're in for a rude awakening.

I watched Arkansas play a "classic" game last night against Mississippi State. It was from this past season. Arkansas was coming off a six game losing streak in conference. They eked out a win by a point. Here's what I saw...

Here's a universal...you need good players to win. His players were only okay...maybe two and three star types. I can't say they were coached up because I didn't know what their skill sets were when they got to Arkansas.

The announcers said Anderson... much as anyone else these days...was unable to hold on to his players with many of the good ones leaving early. It's a trend he hasn't been able to buck.

Anderson was far from animated. He was glued to his seat for most of the game.

Coach ran the huddle. The players were into the game.

Anderson seemed to use most of his bench. I couldn't really tell because I don't know the players.

There was no "40 minutes of hell" unless you count what the fans were going through.

Here's hoping..
 
The performance of CMA and staff, thus far, is running rings around the previous staff.
 
[quote="newsman13" post=351766]I guess this is another chance to take a shot at Mullin. To me, he was a great representative of what has been a long time mediocre program. He couldn't fix it. No one has been able to. Not him; not Lavin; not Jarvis. Coach Anderson has shown himself to be a class act...but if you think he can do better than these gentlemen, you're in for a rude awakening.

I watched Arkansas play a "classic" game last night against Mississippi State. It was from this past season. Arkansas was coming off a six game losing streak in conference. They eked out a win by a point. Here's what I saw...

Here's a universal...you need good players to win. His players were only okay...maybe two and three star types. I can't say they were coached up because I didn't know what their skill sets were when they got to Arkansas.

The announcers said Anderson... much as anyone else these days...was unable to hold on to his players with many of the good ones leaving early. It's a trend he hasn't been able to buck.

Anderson was far from animated. He was glued to his seat for most of the game.

Coach ran the huddle. The players were into the game.

Anderson seemed to use most of his bench. I couldn't really tell because I don't know the players.

There was no "40 minutes of hell" unless you count what the fans were going through.

Here's hoping..[/quote]

Well, most open minded people will give MA a reasonable chance to succeed or fail on his merits. Not judging him on the merits of previous coaches or from watching one game on television while acknowledging your ignorance of almost everything about the team. As far as 40 MOH, I think MA was quite candid in the podcast yesterday that he will coach to the strengths and weaknesses of his team; it seems obvious that is his preferred style but he strikes me as a pro’s pro, which is a breath of fresh air to me. To you and others, you are more than entitled to give your opinion but why not give the man a chance?
 
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[quote="Logen" post=351773][quote="newsman13" post=351766]I guess this is another chance to take a shot at Mullin. To me, he was a great representative of what has been a long time mediocre program. He couldn't fix it. No one has been able to. Not him; not Lavin; not Jarvis. Coach Anderson has shown himself to be a class act...but if you think he can do better than these gentlemen, you're in for a rude awakening.

I watched Arkansas play a "classic" game last night against Mississippi State. It was from this past season. Arkansas was coming off a six game losing streak in conference. They eked out a win by a point. Here's what I saw...

Here's a universal...you need good players to win. His players were only okay...maybe two and three star types. I can't say they were coached up because I didn't know what their skill sets were when they got to Arkansas.

The announcers said Anderson... much as anyone else these days...was unable to hold on to his players with many of the good ones leaving early. It's a trend he hasn't been able to buck.

Anderson was far from animated. He was glued to his seat for most of the game.

Coach ran the huddle. The players were into the game.

Anderson seemed to use most of his bench. I couldn't really tell because I don't know the players.

There was no "40 minutes of hell" unless you count what the fans were going through.

Here's hoping..[/quote]

Well, most open minded people will give MA a reasonable chance to succeed or fail on his merits. Not judging him on the merits of previous coaches or from watching one game on television while acknowledging your ignorance of almost everything about the team. As far as 40 MOH, I think MA was quite candid in the podcast yesterday that he will coach to the strengths and weaknesses of his team; it seems obvious that is his preferred style but he strikes me as a pro’s pro, which is a breath of fresh air to me. To you and others, you are more than entitled to give your opinion but why not give the man a chance?[/quote]

I'm giving him a chance...but I'm tempering expectations.
 
[quote="newsman13" post=351778]...but I'm tempering expectations.[/quote]

Is that really necessary? I mean, who's left in this fan base that has absurd expectations for this program at this point? Anyone who has lived through the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years of this program has ZERO reason to have unrealistic expectations. If anything you should be trying to lift their spirits, not tamp them down. Lord knows we could use the optimism.

My expectations at this point are:
1- That we employ a staff that works its collective ass off to recruit
2- That staff can build and sustain a program to a level that is competitive in the BE.
3- They run a clean program I can take pride in.
4- They don't do anything, or allow players to do things, that will embarrass the program (further).

If I temper them any more I'm going to have to start rooting for a high school program.
 
[quote="newsman13" post=351778][quote="Logen" post=351773][quote="newsman13" post=351766]I guess this is another chance to take a shot at Mullin. To me, he was a great representative of what has been a long time mediocre program. He couldn't fix it. No one has been able to. Not him; not Lavin; not Jarvis. Coach Anderson has shown himself to be a class act...but if you think he can do better than these gentlemen, you're in for a rude awakening.

I watched Arkansas play a "classic" game last night against Mississippi State. It was from this past season. Arkansas was coming off a six game losing streak in conference. They eked out a win by a point. Here's what I saw...

Here's a universal...you need good players to win. His players were only okay...maybe two and three star types. I can't say they were coached up because I didn't know what their skill sets were when they got to Arkansas.

The announcers said Anderson... much as anyone else these days...was unable to hold on to his players with many of the good ones leaving early. It's a trend he hasn't been able to buck.

Anderson was far from animated. He was glued to his seat for most of the game.

Coach ran the huddle. The players were into the game.

Anderson seemed to use most of his bench. I couldn't really tell because I don't know the players.

There was no "40 minutes of hell" unless you count what the fans were going through.

Here's hoping..[/quote]

Well, most open minded people will give MA a reasonable chance to succeed or fail on his merits. Not judging him on the merits of previous coaches or from watching one game on television while acknowledging your ignorance of almost everything about the team. As far as 40 MOH, I think MA was quite candid in the podcast yesterday that he will coach to the strengths and weaknesses of his team; it seems obvious that is his preferred style but he strikes me as a pro’s pro, which is a breath of fresh air to me. To you and others, you are more than entitled to give your opinion but why not give the man a chance?[/quote]

I'm giving him a chance...but I'm tempering expectations.[/quote]

So, paraphrasing, you start by stating that Mullin, Lavin and Jarvis couldn’t fix a mediocre program. Then you state,and I quote-“but if you think he can do better than these gentlemen, you’re in for a rude awakening.” Sorry that is a definitive conclusion and is about as far as you can get from merely “tempering expectations.”
 
I'm tempering expectations for the gee whizzers who under the mistaken belief that Nolan Richardson is in the house. Coach Anderson is bringing in two and three star recruits and already there are dozens of you humping his leg. Can we at least wait until next season?

It's nothing against Coach Anderson. There's a line in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" that goes "It's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody". St John's by staying in the Big East is that fake somebody. This has nothing to do with Coach Anderson, who seems to be an extremely hard worker who's doing his best. More often than not, St John's has proven to be a real nobody.
 
[quote="newsman13" post=351793]I'm tempering expectations for the gee whizzers who under the mistaken belief that Nolan Richardson is in the house. Coach Anderson is bringing in two and three star recruits and already there are dozens of you humping his leg. Can we at least wait until next season?

It's nothing against Coach Anderson. There's a line in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" that goes "It's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody". St John's by staying in the Big East is that fake somebody. This has nothing to do with Coach Anderson, who seems to be an extremely hard worker who's doing his best. More often than not, St John's has proven to be a real nobody.[/quote]

Absolutely no one, including me is humping his leg. Suggesting you give him a chance a bit longer than two months is humping his leg? You can quote dopey movies all you want but you really take take bitter, unreasonableness and negativity to art forms!!!
 
I don’t know how but this thread went from a nice gesture from our new Coach to tempering expectations that don’t exist.
I won’t speak (or pretend to) for everyone but most posts I read have been a debate about if we can get to .500 and possibly 6 or 7 BE wins. I have no delusions that next year isn’t going to be tough. I think that was true even if nothing changed from last season. I don’t recall any big recruits coming in to save the day.
I will say that I hope to be pleasantly surprised. Then again I say that every year. I am also hoping that Coach MA is given a fair shake. Lord knows he had nothing to do with the 30 fruitless years since I graduated from SJU (give or take a surprise or two). Maybe it’s me but he deserves are support until he proves otherwise. It’s all I got.
 
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