Mike Anderson - Recruiting, Coaching, Etc.
- Thread starter JohnnyFever
- Start date
We definitely caught some lighting in a bottle with Champ landing here. Can't imagine what our team would look like without him. Also can't bank on catching lighting in a bottle twice. I'm still not even sure what CMA's recruiting strategy is? Is he going after "best available", or targeting kids for their athleticism and willingness to play his style of game?
As Fordham says, I was hoping for more from Cole. . .So far, I've seen some glimpses of shooting, finishing and passing but certainly very limited. So, ability appears to be there but consistency is not there and I don't see the toughness. Hopefully, fire gets lit.
We needed his skills with Bashir Ahmed's toughness.
We needed his skills with Bashir Ahmed's toughness.
This really should have been our year. We returned most starters and the Big East is down with a very clear bottom half. Unfortunately we're not only in the bottom half, but likely at the bottom of the bottom half. Until we start recruiting like a Big East school we aren't going to compete.
I liked the CMA hire because he recruited well and won at Arkansas, but so far he isn't delivering the minimum expected (4 star recruits). Would love to be wrong and see things turn around.
I liked the CMA hire because he recruited well and won at Arkansas, but so far he isn't delivering the minimum expected (4 star recruits). Would love to be wrong and see things turn around.
No doubt we are not playing well and do not have the prerequisite talent for this league. That said, I'll offer a slightly different outlook on the season. I remember it was around this time last year (early in the conference schedule) that I thought we had maybe one or two wins left in us. At the time, I saw a lousy shooting team with head scratching substitution patterns, playing sloppy ball. Somehow, by the end of the season, there was cohesion and we were a threat to opponents.
I do think Mike Anderson is a good coach and I am confident we will look better in a few weeks. Regarding the roster, knowing the offseason will be a free-for-all, I agree wilth Paultz that retaining Champ, Greg and Posh is the priority. I will throw Moore in there as well.
As far as Cole, I think he can be a weapon. This kid will shoot 40% from three if we can consistently get him good looks. He doesn't move well, but when you have a shooter, you have to find a way to get him shots.
I do think Mike Anderson is a good coach and I am confident we will look better in a few weeks. Regarding the roster, knowing the offseason will be a free-for-all, I agree wilth Paultz that retaining Champ, Greg and Posh is the priority. I will throw Moore in there as well.
As far as Cole, I think he can be a weapon. This kid will shoot 40% from three if we can consistently get him good looks. He doesn't move well, but when you have a shooter, you have to find a way to get him shots.
MarkRedman
Well-known member
Johnny, I do agree that retaining Champ, Greg and Posh are critically important for the future of the program. I also hope that Dunn comes back for an extra season. Moore has some potential as does Cole but I don't like Cole's body language on the court and he often seems to disappear for stretches of time.
I am disturbed by Duke's regression this season. I also expected a veteran like Toro to make a bigger impact than he has to date. Wusu has been a pleasant surprise and seems to have some promise. I don't know what the deal is with Roberts. Is he still recovering from an inury or is he in CMA's doghouse? Caraher and McGriff have really been non-factors and you have to wonder about their future at St. John's.
We have some critical needs - outside shooting and rebounding are at the top of the list. I hope that the kids coming in next season can help us address these deficiencies.
I am disturbed by Duke's regression this season. I also expected a veteran like Toro to make a bigger impact than he has to date. Wusu has been a pleasant surprise and seems to have some promise. I don't know what the deal is with Roberts. Is he still recovering from an inury or is he in CMA's doghouse? Caraher and McGriff have really been non-factors and you have to wonder about their future at St. John's.
We have some critical needs - outside shooting and rebounding are at the top of the list. I hope that the kids coming in next season can help us address these deficiencies.
JackofVirginia
Active member
austour" post=411797 said:
Mike Anderson is a very good coach. He's got near 400 wins in major conferences. That's said, right now we aren't playing like a well-coached team. Yes we are young but should be further along. We do need more talent for sure but the results thus far are a bit of all of the above. Mike Anderson is a stalwart defensive coach but our kids play absolutely awful defense. Whatever the problem is, I don't know.
I do know we both need better coaching and better talent. Our recruiting has been poor compared to the rest of the lleague. Our rankings are dead last, and that would be fine if we were at least middle of the pack. No excuses.
Mike Anderson is the CEO of this operation, paid handsomely and needs to rectify the talent situation sooner rather than later. Also needs to figure out why we are the worst defensive team in the league. These facts can't be denied.
With all that said, I'm a Mike Anderson fan. I think he's a good coach, genuinely good person and wants to win. Doesn't means he gets a free pass though. We are not getting it done right now and as fans we should all be concerned. Yes we need to be patient, but we also need to start landing better talent because we are overmatched. I just don't believe that some turmoil at sju over past few years is why we can't land some better talent. Time to start getting it done. A few more losses and we are out of any picture for this season which ain't good.
I do know we both need better coaching and better talent. Our recruiting has been poor compared to the rest of the lleague. Our rankings are dead last, and that would be fine if we were at least middle of the pack. No excuses.
Mike Anderson is the CEO of this operation, paid handsomely and needs to rectify the talent situation sooner rather than later. Also needs to figure out why we are the worst defensive team in the league. These facts can't be denied.
With all that said, I'm a Mike Anderson fan. I think he's a good coach, genuinely good person and wants to win. Doesn't means he gets a free pass though. We are not getting it done right now and as fans we should all be concerned. Yes we need to be patient, but we also need to start landing better talent because we are overmatched. I just don't believe that some turmoil at sju over past few years is why we can't land some better talent. Time to start getting it done. A few more losses and we are out of any picture for this season which ain't good.
L J S A
Well-known member
PoshPaultzman" post=411717 said:
Williams
Wusu
Pinzon
Moore
Nyiwe
Champagnie
Traore
Stanley
Subject to change of course, but these are the guys I'm 100 percent confident will be here. This is why I'm not shocked at all that we are still recruiting and not worried at all that Nyiwe was taking some other mystery transfer's place. I usually like what our team looks like on paper, but as someone like Fordham would point out, does that look like a top half-of-the-conference roster?
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Knight" post=411793 said:
He has a demonstrated track record of getting players to play the style he wants and to win games while doing it. I don't think he's had enough time here yet or has enough of his players yet, but he has a proven ability to get his teams to play high-pressure defense and to create opportunities for transition offense.
I'm generally of the opinion that a coach who can get his team to play the way he wants and to get results doing it is a good coach.
Having said that, I'm on record that I don't love every aspect of the style and I would agree that the jury is out on what its ceiling might be. My preference is for a more structured offense, or at least one that can execute better in the halfcourt. The defensive approach I don't have a problem with, though obviously so far this year has been far below expectations in that department.
But if Anderson is in fact a good coach, then by the end of the season the defense will improve. I guess we will see.
Discomfort comes from the fact that many, if not most, of his returning StJ's players do not look like they have improved their skills since last season (see: Robert's, Williams, Earlington, Caraher). Perhaps the non improvement is related to a more limited practice schedule, maybe not.
Talent-wise StJ is seemingly competing in the competitive Big East with a roster of players you would finish in the middle of the Atlantic 10 standings. We need an upturn in Big East talent on the roster.
Talent-wise StJ is seemingly competing in the competitive Big East with a roster of players you would finish in the middle of the Atlantic 10 standings. We need an upturn in Big East talent on the roster.
A few facts
1)Mike Anderson is a solid coach if not a good one. With a good track record. It is also true he was fired at Arkansas for simply not winning enough.
2)He is not getting fired anytime soon nor should he. Not this year not next year either for that matter.
3)If SJU is going to reach a level that Lavin promised (but did not deliver on) then recruiting needs to be taken to a much higher level. Or quite frankly we are not even going to reach the Lavin level. Remember for all the "bad basketball" we were told we played under Lavin he won 20 games 3 times in 5 years and went to 2 NCAA's and 2 NIT's in that time period. And I think he underachieved. Guys we are not even CLOSE to that level. Think about that.
4)If we are going to do an autopsy on recent SJU coaching searches first thing is SJU screwed up in 2015 in retrospect. The man they should have hired was Danny Hurley of Rhode Island. Major league f up. And if people are going to demand imediate results then the answer in 2019 was to hire Rick Pitino. This is not an endorsement of that hire (althought I was personally in favor of it). He would have come with baggage no doubt but that was the answer if you wanted a quick turnaround. One of the 3-4 greatest coaches of his generation who could win 20 games with 5 walk ons and 3 cheerleaders was available when under normal circumstances he would never be available for SJU. But look they chose a different path. And it is certainly understandable. But again if you wanted a quick fix that was the ONE guy who could do it.
1)Mike Anderson is a solid coach if not a good one. With a good track record. It is also true he was fired at Arkansas for simply not winning enough.
2)He is not getting fired anytime soon nor should he. Not this year not next year either for that matter.
3)If SJU is going to reach a level that Lavin promised (but did not deliver on) then recruiting needs to be taken to a much higher level. Or quite frankly we are not even going to reach the Lavin level. Remember for all the "bad basketball" we were told we played under Lavin he won 20 games 3 times in 5 years and went to 2 NCAA's and 2 NIT's in that time period. And I think he underachieved. Guys we are not even CLOSE to that level. Think about that.
4)If we are going to do an autopsy on recent SJU coaching searches first thing is SJU screwed up in 2015 in retrospect. The man they should have hired was Danny Hurley of Rhode Island. Major league f up. And if people are going to demand imediate results then the answer in 2019 was to hire Rick Pitino. This is not an endorsement of that hire (althought I was personally in favor of it). He would have come with baggage no doubt but that was the answer if you wanted a quick turnaround. One of the 3-4 greatest coaches of his generation who could win 20 games with 5 walk ons and 3 cheerleaders was available when under normal circumstances he would never be available for SJU. But look they chose a different path. And it is certainly understandable. But again if you wanted a quick fix that was the ONE guy who could do it.
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I am in agreement with Fordham 96;post with one major exception. It wouldn't be Pitinos player development skills that would have provided a quick fix but more so his ability to attract top recruits.i