Mike Anderson - Recruiting, Coaching, Etc.

SLYFOXX1968" post=414673 said:
In reply to those of Lawman , Mattia and the good  points they made , I offer this ., CMA 's job here is a different challenge than what he dealt with at Missouri and Arkansas. Those Programs , at large State Universities , weren't in the dismal Swamp for the last 20 years like we are . And , they have unlimited budgets for Athletics . Here, CMA is trying to build a Program that replicates his success at those schools ., the issue will be can he get the Talent Level of Players here that he was able to there .  Let's hope he is . We aren't near that level yet . He was competitive in the SEC at Arkansas but , usually finished mid pack . Tough League with Kentucky and the rest . BE is tough to get to top tier too . 
 

I don't know that you could say his teams at Arkasnas "usually" finished anwhere in particular.  In 8 years there his teams finished (non-consecutively) 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th (twice, his first and last years). 

I suppose you could say that the "average" finish was in the 5/6 area of what I believe (though not sure) was a 14 team conference for almost all of his tenure there.  But I'm not sure looking at the "average" would be the right approach given that range of finishes.  Also, 2 of his better 3 finishes (along with the tie for his worst) were in his last 3 years there so if he hit a ceiling it was more in the area of the top fifth of the league than the middle of the pack.

Also, by way of comparison about how any of that might translate to finishes in the Big East

Marquette under Wojo:  6, 9, 7, 3, 6, 2, 6
Providence under Cooley since 2013:  3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 8, 4
Xavier under Chris Mack and Travis Steele:  3, 6, 2, 7, 1, 4
Creighton:  2, 9, 6, 3, 3, 3, 1

IMHO unless the expectation is that SJU is supposed to suddenly become Villanova, if Anderson put SJU in a position where it routinely finished in the top half to top third of the league that would put it somewhere ahead of Marquette and behind Creighton.  (Of course you have to factor in the addition of UConn now, but in a league that is a 5-to-7 NCAA bid league every year, top half makes you a perennial NCAA team). 

I do agree that it's an open question whether he can get to another level after that.  I personally think that being a perennial contender in NYC will create a recruiting advantage that might open that door, but time will tell.



 
 
lawmanfan" post=414684 said:
SLYFOXX1968" post=414673 said:
In reply to those of Lawman , Mattia and the good  points they made , I offer this ., CMA 's job here is a different challenge than what he dealt with at Missouri and Arkansas. Those Programs , at large State Universities , weren't in the dismal Swamp for the last 20 years like we are . And , they have unlimited budgets for Athletics . Here, CMA is trying to build a Program that replicates his success at those schools ., the issue will be can he get the Talent Level of Players here that he was able to there .  Let's hope he is . We aren't near that level yet . He was competitive in the SEC at Arkansas but , usually finished mid pack . Tough League with Kentucky and the rest . BE is tough to get to top tier too . 

 

I don't know that you could say his teams at Arkasnas "usually" finished anwhere in particular.  In 8 years there his teams finished (non-consecutively) 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th (twice, his first and last years). 

I suppose you could say that the "average" finish was in the 5/6 area of what I believe (though not sure) was a 14 team conference for almost all of his tenure there.  But I'm not sure looking at the "average" would be the right approach given that range of finishes.  Also, 2 of his better 3 finishes (along with the tie for his worst) were in his last 3 years there so if he hit a ceiling it was more in the area of the top fifth of the league than the middle of the pack.

Also, by way of comparison about how any of that might translate to finishes in the Big East

Marquette under Wojo:  6, 9, 7, 3, 6, 2, 6
Providence under Cooley since 2013:  3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 8, 4
Xavier under Chris Mack and Travis Steele:  3, 6, 2, 7, 1, 4
Creighton:  2, 9, 6, 3, 3, 3, 1

IMHO unless the expectation is that SJU is supposed to suddenly become Villanova, if Anderson put SJU in a position where it routinely finished in the top half to top third of the league that would put it somewhere ahead of Marquette and behind Creighton.  (Of course you have to factor in the addition of UConn now, but in a league that is a 5-to-7 NCAA bid league every year, top half makes you a perennial NCAA team). 

I do agree that it's an open question whether he can get to another level after that.  I personally think that being a perennial contender in NYC will create a recruiting advantage that might open that door, but time will tell.




 
Out of curiosity, when CMA was hired, what was your expected timeline for the rebuilt? I.E., what year into his tenure did you expect to make NIT, NCAA, etc
 
Knight" post=414651 said:
My biggest complaint about CMA has been his in game management, specifically the use of timeouts.  I have come to the conclusion that his failure to use TOs are his way of teaching the players to persevere and self correct, believing the solution to be evident and a timeout would be unnecessary.
His recruiting efforts get a 'B' thus far.  He gets an 'A' for changing the way local coaches view the program. 


 
John Wooden and plenty of his disciples always said "Timeouts are a sign of weakness".   Namely a well coached team doesn't need to be walked through every situation and should be prepared to react with taking a timeout to talk it over.

[URL]https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-09-la-sp-simers-20100609-story.html[/URL]]Lakers come up with all the surprises - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)[/url]They were home, they were on an early run with their delusional fans believing this was going to be the Celtics’ night, and then Phil Jackson shocked the world.He called a timeout.As everyone in Los Angeles knows, John Wooden, the greatest college basketball coach of all time, almost never did that, and the same can be said of Jackson, although for different reasons.Wooden maintained that his players knew what they were doing and there was no reason much of the time to call a timeout. It was a sign of weakness, he would say.
 
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Room112" post=414685 said:
Out of curiosity, when CMA was hired, what was your expected timeline for the rebuilt? I.E., what year into his tenure did you expect to make NIT, NCAA, etc
 

Honestly, I didn't have an expected timeline.  I figured if he caught a break with the returning players fitting into his system or he got lucky with a recruit it might be 2 years, and if not it might take 3 years to build a foundation to be good in year 4.  I assumed that either way we wouldn't be dealing with a 9-21 sort of season at any point because the man's track record says he can get you over .500 even in a down year - which I think is important from a recruiting standpoint, it's hard to recruit to a losing program. 

As it turns out he did get lucky with a recruit (Champagnie) though that luck was more of the "unearthing a diamond in the rough" variety than signing a known commodity.  But he didn't get much help from the high-end holdovers (hurt, didn't fit in, transferred), so now we're in program-buidling mode.  Champagnie Year 1, Posh and Wusu Year 2, Pinzon, Traore and Stanley Year 3.  Add in McGriff and whatever he's able to make of the transfers, JUCOs and holdovers and I think he should be on track for the NCAAs in Year 4 (not as a high seed), and then take it from there. 

In the meantime he'd have probably been in the NIT last year, and probably again this year (if there is one, I suspect there won't be).  Next year they might be an NCAA bubble team, it depends on who comes back in what's going to be a circus of an offseason.  He really didn't catch any breaks at all with COVID screwing up recruiting and pre-season this year and now the Wild West coming after the season.  If it weren't for that we might have been a little ahead of where we are, but everyone's in the same boat so there's no use crying about it.
 
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Staff has done a great job landing local players and very solid ones.  Mike Anderson has done the best job arguably already, of making local inroads ala Posh, Wusu, Champagnie, Pinzon, Traore etc... team is tough with a great local flavor.  
 
I'm on the fence with CMA recruiting so far. On the negative side of the ledger, Lavin and Mullin (Matt A), brought in significantly more talent on paper at similar points. And those players ended up being pretty darn good, even if the rosters lacked depth (Lavin) or a big (Mullin), or class balance (both). As a result of that talent, we won games. Additionally, he doesn't seem to be exploting the transfer and grad transfer market like other teams have.

However CMA has brought in the current BE leading scorer (Champagne) and a likely All-Freshman 1st teamer in Posh. And to MCNPA's point, the local inroads he's made should pay off. CMA and staff do seem to have an eye to mine talent.

But outside of Posh and Julian, the remaining players brought in seem to be more role player than 2nd or 3rd scoring option. I think we all hope that the Pinzon class exceed expectations, but on paper, it doesn't measure up to the rest of the BE. Overall, CMA hasn't brought in the same level of player as his predecessors in similar time frames and circumstances. 
 
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 
 
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Amaseinyourface" post=414709 said:
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 
I agree with mos tof what you said. I don't think Posh is a top guy yet though. Has he shown promise and upisde, yes, but hes also shows a lot of freshman woes as well. I do think he will be a very very solid player for us though. I like dunn and wusu but how much burn would they actualyl get on the other top 5-6 big east teams right now? I mean lets be honest here and fair. I think Moore is a solid bench piece and contributor but I am not impressed with cole at all. He is to slow, and unathletic for this level. He doesnt have a quick first step or much strength either. He is a 8-9th man on a good team. If you look at his stat lines he does most of his scoring agaisnt lower competition.
 
Back in the New York Groove 
 
“We’re getting better. We’re just getting better.” 
 
Those were the words of Mike Anderson on Saturday, as his St. John’s team won their third game in the last four with a 96-78 win over Utah Valley. 
 
The Red Storm are starting to show signs of the “40 minutes of hell” identity of Anderson’s teams. On the year as a whole, it’s been surprising to see the Johnnies at the bottom of the league’s scoring defense, having allowed 77.9 points per game. Yet, in the last four games, the Red Storm have decreased that average by eight points and the one loss was a two-point game against Marquette. 
 
St. John’s chaos-creating defense has been surging as well, as the Red Storm rank third in the country with 10.2 steals per game. 
 
For the offense, it’s been underclassmen who have taken it upon themselves to lead for this team. Sophomore Julian Champagnie leads the BIG EAST with 19.9 points per game. Freshman Posh Alexander has racked up multiple Rookie of the Week honors and in the last three games, he’s averaging 15.6 points and 5.3 assists per game. 
 
Up next for the Red Storm? They visit DePaul on Wednesday before going for a season sweep of UConn on Sunday. With a 3-6 record in the BIG EAST, the Johnnies are playing catchup, but are showing signs that they could be the best of the bunched up bottom four in the league, and perhaps a potential spoiler to the top teams going forward.

[URL]https://www.bigeast.com/news/2...five-thoughts-from-across-the-conference.aspx[/URL]
 
Amaseinyourface" post=414709 said:
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 

I agree with this, Mase.  Furthering your point, an important part of the formula that you note is retention.  Let's hope we can keep the core impact players around.    
 
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TheArtest15" post=414792 said:
Amaseinyourface" post=414709 said:
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 
I agree with mos tof what you said. I don't think Posh is a top guy yet though. Has he shown promise and upisde, yes, but hes also shows a lot of freshman woes as well. I do think he will be a very very solid player for us though. I like dunn and wusu but how much burn would they actualyl get on the other top 5-6 big east teams right now? I mean lets be honest here and fair. I think Moore is a solid bench piece and contributor but I am not impressed with cole at all. He is to slow, and unathletic for this level. He doesnt have a quick first step or much strength either. He is a 8-9th man on a good team. If you look at his stat lines he does most of his scoring agaisnt lower competition.


When I say posh is one of those top end guys I mean as he grows not as a freshmen. And I absolutely think he will be one of those guys soon. You asked if those guys would get minutes on top 5-6 teams, for starters I don’t think we are that far off from being a top half team. Dunn as an upperclassmen is a guy who would get minutes in most BE backcourts. I think wusu will be a starter/main contributor for 3 years and I don’t imagine us sucking for those years. The jucos this year people are very much torn on. Some like them some don’t. Some think they can help in the future and some think they were a waste. I definitely don’t think they are a waste and have seen enough from both to hope they are here next year. Let’s just say if those two are what CMA’s misses look like then we’ll be alright. I think he’s 2/2 so far. Doesn’t mean he can’t recruit better.
 
Amaseinyourface" post=414824 said:
TheArtest15" post=414792 said:
Amaseinyourface" post=414709 said:
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 
I agree with mos tof what you said. I don't think Posh is a top guy yet though. Has he shown promise and upisde, yes, but hes also shows a lot of freshman woes as well. I do think he will be a very very solid player for us though. I like dunn and wusu but how much burn would they actualyl get on the other top 5-6 big east teams right now? I mean lets be honest here and fair. I think Moore is a solid bench piece and contributor but I am not impressed with cole at all. He is to slow, and unathletic for this level. He doesnt have a quick first step or much strength either. He is a 8-9th man on a good team. If you look at his stat lines he does most of his scoring agaisnt lower competition.


When I say posh is one of those top end guys I mean as he grows not as a freshmen. And I absolutely think he will be one of those guys soon. You asked if those guys would get minutes on top 5-6 teams, for starters I don’t think we are that far off from being a top half team. Dunn as an upperclassmen is a guy who would get minutes in most BE backcourts. I think wusu will be a starter/main contributor for 3 years and I don’t imagine us sucking for those years. The jucos this year people are very much torn on. Some like them some don’t. Some think they can help in the future and some think they were a waste. I definitely don’t think they are a waste and have seen enough from both to hope they are here next year. Let’s just say if those two are what CMA’s misses look like then we’ll be alright. I think he’s 2/2 so far. Doesn’t mean he can’t recruit better.

I totally agree with you on posh. I think dunn would be an energy 7th-8th man on top teams. Hes a solid bench guy but problem is we need to rely on him and his streakiness way to much. That just my opinion. How do you think Wusu will be a starter and main contributor? I like hima nd think he will be a solid 4 year guy but lets not get carried away yet. He defintely could be but his numbersarent wowing anyone this year. Ultimately many of us are overrating the roster because we ar eplaying a little bit better now. I like these players too but they have shown to be very streaky and some one trick ponys. I do like the energy we have played with lately and hope it continues. Not only does bringing in better talent and recruits makethe team better, but it helps everoyne in practice as they are playing against better talent day in and day out getting better
 
TheArtest15" post=414846 said:
Amaseinyourface" post=414824 said:
TheArtest15" post=414792 said:
Amaseinyourface" post=414709 said:
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 
I agree with mos tof what you said. I don't think Posh is a top guy yet though. Has he shown promise and upisde, yes, but hes also shows a lot of freshman woes as well. I do think he will be a very very solid player for us though. I like dunn and wusu but how much burn would they actualyl get on the other top 5-6 big east teams right now? I mean lets be honest here and fair. I think Moore is a solid bench piece and contributor but I am not impressed with cole at all. He is to slow, and unathletic for this level. He doesnt have a quick first step or much strength either. He is a 8-9th man on a good team. If you look at his stat lines he does most of his scoring agaisnt lower competition.


When I say posh is one of those top end guys I mean as he grows not as a freshmen. And I absolutely think he will be one of those guys soon. You asked if those guys would get minutes on top 5-6 teams, for starters I don’t think we are that far off from being a top half team. Dunn as an upperclassmen is a guy who would get minutes in most BE backcourts. I think wusu will be a starter/main contributor for 3 years and I don’t imagine us sucking for those years. The jucos this year people are very much torn on. Some like them some don’t. Some think they can help in the future and some think they were a waste. I definitely don’t think they are a waste and have seen enough from both to hope they are here next year. Let’s just say if those two are what CMA’s misses look like then we’ll be alright. I think he’s 2/2 so far. Doesn’t mean he can’t recruit better.

I totally agree with you on posh. I think dunn would be an energy 7th-8th man on top teams. Hes a solid bench guy but problem is we need to rely on him and his streakiness way to much. That just my opinion. How do you think Wusu will be a starter and main contributor? I like hima nd think he will be a solid 4 year guy but lets not get carried away yet. He defintely could be but his numbersarent wowing anyone this year. Ultimately many of us are overrating the roster because we ar eplaying a little bit better now. I like these players too but they have shown to be very streaky and some one trick ponys. I do like the energy we have played with lately and hope it continues. Not only does bringing in better talent and recruits makethe team better, but it helps everoyne in practice as they are playing against better talent day in and day out getting better

What holes do you see in wusu’s game? Certainly possible he doesn’t progress and his immediate impact could have more to do with his already BE body, but I see a player. And watching him junior and senior year at Our Savior it is obvious he is a worker (there’s a clip of him as a soph before he got to OSL, and wooow, he has improved by leaps and bounds). He’s got one of those college games where he can handle and distribute enough to be a backcourt guy but his strength and toughness allow you to play him pretty much anywhere other than guarding legitimate posts. I’ve always been partial to passers and wusu has struck me from the get go as someone both willing and capable of finding his teammates. So much so that I don’t think it will be rare to have Posh play a little bit off the ball alongside of him.
 
Kind of agree, when he fist came aboard ,I was expecting big things of him . Thought he would have been a double digit scorer but it's true he stands around too much ,seems unable to create his own shots  and rarely see him go to the rim with authority and for his size he should be a much better rebounder.Think he does  not like to go under and  tough it out or dive after loose balls. Look I could be all wrong just  an opinion . Thought when he was in JC that coming here he would have been very special so so much for my opinion lol


 
 
Amaseinyourface" post=414849 said:

What holes do you see in wusu’s game? Certainly possible he doesn’t progress and his immediate impact could have more to do with his already BE body, but I see a player. And watching him junior and senior year at Our Savior it is obvious he is a worker (there’s a clip of him as a soph before he got to OSL, and wooow, he has improved by leaps and bounds). He’s got one of those college games where he can handle and distribute enough to be a backcourt guy but his strength and toughness allow you to play him pretty much anywhere other than guarding legitimate posts. I’ve always been partial to passers and wusu has struck me from the get go as someone both willing and capable of finding his teammates. So much so that I don’t think it will be rare to have Posh play a little bit off the ball alongside of him.

Agree.  Wusu has all the tools.  He just needs to keep moving forward.  If he does, the kid is going to be really, really good.
 
Amaseinyourface" post=414849 said:
TheArtest15" post=414846 said:
Amaseinyourface" post=414824 said:
TheArtest15" post=414792 said:
Amaseinyourface" post=414709 said:
If each class you get 1 top end guy, 1 starter/rotation peice, and are able to fill in the rest to always have 10 guys who were recruited and coached for your system, then you can win and IMO win big. Especially considering what "big" would be at sju. Something along the lines of reaching NCAAs more often than not and sweet 16 potential every few years. Sure we gotta walk before we can jog but I'm sure CMA and any coach who comes to SJU sees it as no less. 

So far both of CMA's classes do that for me. Champ and Posh are top level guys. Dunn and Wusu are solid starter/rotation guys. I think Cole and Moore can be contributors and at worst capable bench guys. Won't shock me if Pinzon looks like that top end guy this time next year and either of the freshmen bigs look like solid gets. 

Where would Posh be ranked if they reevaluated now? How many BE teams would receuit Wusu knowing what they know now. A guy like him could have been the difference on some of Lavin's and Mullin's teams. 
I agree with mos tof what you said. I don't think Posh is a top guy yet though. Has he shown promise and upisde, yes, but hes also shows a lot of freshman woes as well. I do think he will be a very very solid player for us though. I like dunn and wusu but how much burn would they actualyl get on the other top 5-6 big east teams right now? I mean lets be honest here and fair. I think Moore is a solid bench piece and contributor but I am not impressed with cole at all. He is to slow, and unathletic for this level. He doesnt have a quick first step or much strength either. He is a 8-9th man on a good team. If you look at his stat lines he does most of his scoring agaisnt lower competition.


When I say posh is one of those top end guys I mean as he grows not as a freshmen. And I absolutely think he will be one of those guys soon. You asked if those guys would get minutes on top 5-6 teams, for starters I don’t think we are that far off from being a top half team. Dunn as an upperclassmen is a guy who would get minutes in most BE backcourts. I think wusu will be a starter/main contributor for 3 years and I don’t imagine us sucking for those years. The jucos this year people are very much torn on. Some like them some don’t. Some think they can help in the future and some think they were a waste. I definitely don’t think they are a waste and have seen enough from both to hope they are here next year. Let’s just say if those two are what CMA’s misses look like then we’ll be alright. I think he’s 2/2 so far. Doesn’t mean he can’t recruit better.

I totally agree with you on posh. I think dunn would be an energy 7th-8th man on top teams. Hes a solid bench guy but problem is we need to rely on him and his streakiness way to much. That just my opinion. How do you think Wusu will be a starter and main contributor? I like hima nd think he will be a solid 4 year guy but lets not get carried away yet. He defintely could be but his numbersarent wowing anyone this year. Ultimately many of us are overrating the roster because we ar eplaying a little bit better now. I like these players too but they have shown to be very streaky and some one trick ponys. I do like the energy we have played with lately and hope it continues. Not only does bringing in better talent and recruits makethe team better, but it helps everoyne in practice as they are playing against better talent day in and day out getting better

What holes do you see in wusu’s game? Certainly possible he doesn’t progress and his immediate impact could have more to do with his already BE body, but I see a player. And watching him junior and senior year at Our Savior it is obvious he is a worker (there’s a clip of him as a soph before he got to OSL, and wooow, he has improved by leaps and bounds). He’s got one of those college games where he can handle and distribute enough to be a backcourt guy but his strength and toughness allow you to play him pretty much anywhere other than guarding legitimate posts. I’ve always been partial to passers and wusu has struck me from the get go as someone both willing and capable of finding his teammates. So much so that I don’t think it will be rare to have Posh play a little bit off the ball alongside of him.
I totally see Wusu as a grinder that junior year he will have impact. I saw GWill as that the bigger difference is I think Wusu is more agressive
 
I was definitely puzzled by the Wusu commit, but then the more I read/saw, I thought he could be an interesting X factor later in his career, sort of like Dane Bradshaw was for Tennessee. But halfway through his freshman year, I think he's already as good as Bradshaw was by his junior year. Excited to see his continued progress here.
 
Not getting giddy about recent wins and still expect some ups and downs this year, but Anderson has shown ability to keep the team together in hard times. Kids respond to his leadership and keep their heads up. Kudos Mike!
 
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Zach B piece today 

It’s funny how this works. During difficult times, it’s always the coach’s fault. When the wins pile up, the focus turns to the players.When St. John’s was 1-5 in the Big East, Mike Anderson was getting criticized. But now that his team has picked itself off the mat, has won three straight games and four of its last five to stabilize its season, I’m hearing all about Julian Champagnie and Posh Alexander, but not Anderson.The reality is, Anderson and his staff should be first in line. I always say a true judge of a coach is how he handles adverse situations.The Johnnies were coming off a blowout loss at Creighton.

Optimism was only a rumor. Instead of this season cratering as so many have over the last two decades in Queens, he kept his team believing in itself. Now it is just a game out of sixth place in the 11-team league, looking like an NIT team with a realistic chance to extend Anderson’s streak of winning seasons as a head coach to 19.

He suspended mercurial forward Isiah Moore one game for his inability to meet team standards, and Moore has responded, scoring 28 points in the last two games. He remained confident in Vince Cole despite his struggles and Cole is repaying that faith, producing a team-high 18 points in Wednesday night’s win at DePaul. He stayed on Alexander, believing the freshman had more to give offensively, and Alexander has been the team’s best player during this run. Second-leading scorer Greg Williams Jr. has missed the better part of the last three games with a back injury, and other players have emerged, in part due to Anderson’s affinity for going so deep into his bench.

That’s not to say Anderson is without blame. I felt he waited too long to go to big man Josh Roberts, who has keyed the team’s defensive improvements. His substitution patterns have at times been curious. I would still like to see freshman Dylan Addae-Wusu get more minutes.But at a time everything was pointed in the wrong direction, Anderson was able to navigate this ship to steadier waters. Players clearly respond to him. Right now, this team feels a lot like it did at the end of last year. It’s out-working opponents and finding ways to win. The coach has a lot to do with that.

Below are a few other takeaways from St. John’s recent hot stretch:St. John’s fans have made a lot of noise about this coaching staff’s recruiting, the inability up to this point to land a top-100 recruit. I think some of it is warranted. Recruiting does need to improve. But by the same token, Champagnie was clearly undervalued. So was Alexander. Both clearly should’ve been top-100 kids. Think about this: in Anderson’s first two classes, he landed the Big East’s current leading scorer in Champagnie and potentially this year’s Freshman of the Year in Alexander. Alexander’s unheralded high school teammate, Addae-Wusu, has been impressive, too. And next year’s class included another potential underrated prospect in Long Island Lutheran guard Rafael Pinzon, a three-star recruit. Rankings don’t always tell the entire story.
Posh AlexanderRobert SaboThere are so many things Alexander does that impresses you on a game-by-game basis. His motor never stops. He’s always looking to make the extra pass. His jumpshot has improved, having hit three-pointers in three straight games now and four of five. But what stands out the most to me is his ability to mix it up in the paint. At a listed 6-foot — he’s really 5-foot-11 or 5-foot-10 — Alexander has an uncanny ability to finish among the trees. He’s also an adept offensive rebounder. His 26 offensive boards are tied for the second most on the team, and he has 10 in the last four games. Just ask Seton Hall junior Jared Rhoden, Alexander’s high school teammate, who recently tweeted: “DIDNT know what passion was until I met this man when I was 15!”

Alexander’s exceptional play has overshadowed the strides Rasheem Dunn has made, but they shouldn’t go unnoticed. He’s playing under control, smart and selfless. With Alexander scoring at a much higher rate, Dunn has maturely taken a back seat, but his production has not been forgotten. The senior has 13 assists and just two turnovers in the last two games. He was a team-high plus-12 against DePaul. In this five-game stretch, Dunn is averaging 8.6 points, 4.8 assists and 2.0 turnovers, and has improved at the free-throw line, making 18-of-19. Also, as Anderson has pointed out, Alexander’s progression doesn’t happen without the tutelage and leadership Dunn has provided.

Here is some cold water for this improved stretch. Three of the wins have come over an underwhelming non-conference opponent (Utah Valley) and two of the weaker teams in the league in DePaul and Butler. UConn was without star James Bouknight. Shot selection was at times poor against DePaul, with the Johnnies attempting 26 three-pointers and making just seven. They were killed on the glass, allowing 20 offensive rebounds, and DePaul did cut a 15-point lead in half. Of course, the Blue Demons were able to win at Marquette and have nearly stolen games from Providence and UConn. Still, the schedule gets tougher, with a trip to Marquette on Sunday followed by Villanova and Providence on the docket next week. St. John’s has to play better if it intends to continue winning.
https://nypost.com/2021/01/28/mike-anderson-the-positive-force-behind-st-johns-turnaround/
 
 
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