Mike Anderson

I firmly believe by far the majority of posters are CMA fans as he is our coach, came with a proven track record, better than any of his predecessors, is a great family man with upstanding values, and other than the exodus at the end of his second season has done a very good job so far. He clearly learned from that 1 time aberration, fixed or improved his staff, did not lose 1 player after the 2022 season to transfer, did very well on the transfer route and has hit the ground , together with his entire staff, running at 100 miles per hour. Recruits which are rated far superior than past classes are coming to visit months earlier than in the past. One has to be blind not to see the vast improvement which hopefully will turn into a strong 3-4 man recruiting class.
As for Mike Cragg I hope he is doing all he can, together with the marketing department, to sign NIL deals that will allow us to go after the higher level recruit.
John Calipari and Nick Saban are not the recruiters they have been at Kentucky and Alabama without the extra benefits they can bestow upon recruits at their respective schools, we should never forget that.
NYC has more businesses I would imagine than anywhere else in the US other than LA and there is a huge potential market from which to get sponsorships. Now is the time to get it done.
All that being said (I agree with all of it) it needs to translate on the Court with WINS. We will need to make the Tournament soon.
 
In speaking with the group at Novita the other night, the general feeling was that we not only needed to make the dance, but win at least one game in order for them to consider the season a success. I set the bar at least making the dance. Depending on how the team performs during the regular season, and the Big East tournament, will determine whether just making the dance is enough for me to consider the season a success. Of course it is possible to consider the regular season a success and not feel the same about the post season, depending on how we perform in the post season. But at the bare minimum, we gotta dance.
Amen Monte!
 
Hopefully the experienced guys can find a way to win games early in conference play. That way, when the team gels down the stretch, we are talking about securing a dance spot instead of hoping to get in.
Have to avoid our tradition of having a poor start to BE play and trying to dig out of a big hole and failing. Must also have a good out of conference record to build momentum and put some solid wins on our NCAA T consideration resume.
 
Have to avoid our tradition of having a poor start to BE play and trying to dig out of a big hole and failing. Must also have a good out of conference record to build momentum and put some solid wins on our NCAA T consideration resume.
With so many returning kids, and with every kid on the roster being a CMA recruited kid, there are no more excuses for getting off to a slow start. I don't want to hear how difficult his system is to learn. If it's that difficult that's it's going to cost us an NCAA bid, then he needs to change his system.
 
We need to make the NCAA Tournament for the program to keep moving in the right direction. Recruits will eventually sour on a program that can't get that done. From a fan perspective we need to win a tournament game. 22 years is a long time and we aren't getting any younger.
 
In speaking with the group at Novita the other night, the general feeling was that we not only needed to make the dance, but win at least one game in order for them to consider the season a success. I set the bar at least making the dance. Depending on how the team performs during the regular season, and the Big East tournament, will determine whether just making the dance is enough for me to consider the season a success. Of course it is possible to consider the regular season a success and not feel the same about the post season, depending on how we perform in the post season. But at the bare minimum, we gotta dance.
I think the group at Novita set the bar at ordering another drink :)
 
It is not much longer than a year ago the consensus of the posters was that SJU because of its inferior facilities was fighting a losing battle in recruiting. The staffs utilization of the transfer portal and its hard work recruiting at the high school level seems to have proven that incorrect.
Hopefully Craggs efforts to improve facilities will work out of and make recruiting even more successful.
 
With so many returning kids, and with every kid on the roster being a CMA recruited kid, there are no more excuses for getting off to a slow start. I don't want to hear how difficult his system is to learn. If it's that difficult that's it's going to cost us an NCAA bid, then he needs to change his system.
I agree about the slow start, especially in conference play. His system has worked reasonably well for him in the past and you're on point about him now having his own recruits to carry it out. Let's hope the trip the DR gets the new guys up to speed quicker. But, regardless, he's not going to change his system despite what we think.
 
I agree about the slow start, especially in conference play. His system has worked reasonably well for him in the past and you're on point about him now having his own recruits to carry it out. Let's hope the trip the DR gets the new guys up to speed quicker. But, regardless, he's not going to change his system despite what we think.
I know he's probably not going to change his system, I also don't think it's quite as complicated as some fans/excuse makers make it out to be. But in this new age of college basketball, coaches need to not only reload every year, but they need to have a system in place that the new kids can adapt to quickly. If CMA wants to win, he's going to have to learn how to blend the new kids in as seamlessly as possible.
 
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I know he's probably not going to change his system, I also don't think it's quite as complicated as some fans/excuse makers make it out to be. But in this new age of college basketball, coaches need to not only reload every year, but they need to have a system in place that the new kids can adapt to quickly. If CMA wants to win, he's going to have to learn how to blend the new kids in as seamlessly as possible.
Don't you think he's doing that? It's Anderson's job to get kids that fit his system, if you listen to potential recruits comments about SJU they all talk about liking how we play and how their style fits our profile. In the past, playing with inherited players and scrambling to bring in late recruits to fill the roster didn't really allow him to do that. Now it seems he's ahead on the recruiting cycle and hopefully builds momentum going forward.
 
Don't you think he's doing that? It's Anderson's job to get kids that fit his system, if you listen to potential recruits comments about SJU they all talk about liking how we play and how their style fits our profile. In the past, playing with inherited players and scrambling to bring in late recruits to fill the roster didn't really allow him to do that. Now it seems he's ahead on the recruiting cycle and hopefully builds momentum going forward.
I sure hope so and expect so, that's why I said I don't want to hear any excuses if we get off to a slow start next season. He's got the players, his players, so there should be no excuses.
 
In speaking with the group at Novita the other night, the general feeling was that we not only needed to make the dance, but win at least one game in order for them to consider the season a success. I set the bar at least making the dance. Depending on how the team performs during the regular season, and the Big East tournament, will determine whether just making the dance is enough for me to consider the season a success. Of course it is possible to consider the regular season a success and not feel the same about the post season, depending on how we perform in the post season. But at the bare minimum, we gotta dance.
I completely agree Monte but as I recall that was the minimum standard expressed by many of those same fans at the Novita fest this past season. However, after the season the excuses for a failed season among many of them, by their own standard, were plentiful. I hope you took an account of each fan’s standard for success for the upcoming season so if the season tanks, the excuses would be minimal.
 
I sure hope so and expect so, that's why I said I don't want to hear any excuses if we get off to a slow start next season. He's got the players, his players, so there should be no excuses.
I hear you, but barring a total collapse or scandal associated with Anderson, I don't think the administration is going to make any changes within the next two years. And barring the scenarios I described above, that's fine with me. We've gone through almost as many 4-5 year plans as the USSR, with about as much success. I'm ready for a good season and continued success on the recruiting trail. :)
 
I hear you, but barring a total collapse or scandal associated with Anderson, I don't think the administration is going to make any changes within the next two years. And barring the scenarios I described above, that's fine with me. We've gone through almost as many 4-5 year plans as the USSR, with about as much success. I'm ready for a good season and continued success on the recruiting trail. :)
This. He gets two more years, even if expectations on the court aren't totally met this year. As you said only a total collapse w/ recruiting falling apart would the school make a change.
 
If there is one thing I have learned in my 74 years on this earth, it is to take life "A Day At A Time". In sports, it can be said to take it "A Game At A Time". Right now, at St Johns, the team is in Summer School and Workouts. In August is a trip to the Dominican republic, a week off, and then back to school for pre-season workouts and conditioning.

At the present time, the staff is hard at work on the recruiting trail, hosting official visits and evaluating prospects during AAU tournaments. Hopefully, their efforts will result in landing some impact players.

Rebuilding a program like St Johns is a process. To be fair, when Coach Anderson arrived, our program was in shambles. After three years, we appear to be heading in the right direction. We did not lose any players to the transfer portal and I would consider the players coming in capable of making a difference.

For those of you who feel that we should have been able to turn it around sooner, here is my advice. Attend some AAU tournaments this summer, pick out a player that you feel will put St Johns over the top, find that players Handler, then offer him $100,000.00 for every year that player remains at St Johns. Oops, I just remembered that 100 thou, was 2007 money, I would have to ask our resident financial genius, MJ Maher to let us know what today's price is, lol.

There is one last point that I would like to address. Some on here seem to confuse the terms "excuses" and "reasons". Julian getting Covid right before the Pitt game, is a "reason", not an "excuse" for the loss. Pinzon getting injured then having long term Covid is a "reason" his development was stunted, not an "excuse". The team not being able to practice while trying to have seven new players adapt to the system, is a "reason", not an "excuse". For example, Wheeler proved to be one of our best players as the season went on, who is to say that if practice had not been interrupted, he would have began to make a difference a lot sooner.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, I am living for TODAY. Let's Go St Johns.
 
Lets wait until he has his first 3 game losing streak.

I have a feeling the board will have something new to say.

My opinion is that we need to stick with someone who recruits well and if he gets the Brandon twosome he'll be here for a while.
 
Lets wait until he has his first 3 game losing streak.

I have a feeling the board will have something new to say.

My opinion is that we need to stick with someone who recruits well and if he gets the Brandon twosome he'll be here for a while.
Are you usguard?
 
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