Mullin

Status
Not open for further replies.
I

IDRAFT

Well-known member
2023 $upporter 2022 $upporter
I thought if I started this thread maybe we could not talk about the coach in every other thread. Seems worth a shot.

I'm more bottom line oriented with this stuff. Part of it is I don't know what I don't know. I don't know who recruits, except what Matt does because he has his own public relations department at the NY Post. And I can see some things during games, including how much St. Jean is relied on.

When it comes to the coaching end, personally I was impressed this year. Maybe Mullin had nothing to do with it, maybe it was all GSJ, but I thought the coaches got the most out of the roster.

Recruiting and retention is what keeps alarming me. From far away there doesn't appear to be a strategy. And to be clear since I already took a shot at Matt above, I don't expect him to be responsible for that, it is Mullins responsibility.

Having a coach that only recruits is odd to me and I can see how that can lead to the opposite issue, coaches who do not want to recruit. The staff design seems off and once again it's Mullins staff. Red flag for sure.

But overall I'm not in pitchfork mode. I don't like 9th place but it was year three. I know its pithy to quote Parcells "You are what your record says you are" but I thought this years team was better than last year. I saw improvement, especially on defense.

I have not seen enough to quantify whether Mullin will or will not work out. If we are playing on Wednesday night again in the BE tournament again next year a negative opinion from me will solidify. Not yet.

This is not a criticism of those already killing him. I surely have no concrete evidence he will succeed and I have already mentioned how I gave up on Roberts the day he was hired. So I get it, and you might very well be right.

If people need to vent this is certainly a proper place. Not hijacking every thread would be welcome, it's not difficult to open them.

A suggestion.
 
Should just make a thread called COACH. This way when Mullin does leave people can just go on there to continuously trash Will Brown or whoever.
 
I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post
 
As a group, we have been clamoring for continuity on the roster. I believe that can only come with some continuity on the coaching staff. I am tired of changing coaches every 5 years. Recruits don't want to come to a school if they don't know who they will be playing for by the end of their college career. Do I think Mullin is perfect, no, but he may be perfect for us because he loves the program. He is learning on the job what other head coaches learned by working their way up through the ranks, so it may take a little longer than we would like. If the administration and fans do not want to support Mullin, then who will they support? I am all in on Mullin and hope he will improve his coaching, and his staff but he is my ride or die and if he wants to stay and do the job for 20 years I will be happy, and think the program will be better for it.
 
IDRAFT, I like your suggestion, as it is beyond tiresome to read the constant Mullin/Lavin bashing and/or deifying on every thread. Unfortunately, I suspect it will be honored in the breach.

Like you, I saw progress on the preparation and in game coaching this year, but continue to believe our recruiting approach needs to change and perhaps staff makeup tweaked. I am also a Mullin supporter as (i) school needs continuity in staff, (ii) it is clear to me Chris really wants to turn things around (iii) there were signs of improvement this year including staff's ability to keep team believing despite lots of adversity/distractions and (iv) nothing would make NYC a college basketball town quicker than a winning program coached by the school's greatest player of all time. Hoping that a month or so from now , we have next year's squad in place and primed for a winning year. As Chicago Days would say "Let's go Johnnies!"
 
[quote="Anthony Mattia" post=279840]As a group, we have been clamoring for continuity on the roster. I believe that can only come with some continuity on the coaching staff. I am tired of changing coaches every 5 years. Recruits don't want to come to a school if they don't know who they will be playing for by the end of their college career. Do I think Mullin is perfect, no, but he may be perfect for us because he loves the program. He is learning on the job what other head coaches learned by working their way up through the ranks, so it may take a little longer than we would like. If the administration and fans do not want to support Mullin, then who will they support? I am all in on Mullin and hope he will improve his coaching, and his staff but he is my ride or die and if he wants to stay and do the job for 20 years I will be happy, and think the program will be better for it.[/quote]

Year 4 has just begun - "we've only just begun" (Karen Carpenter died much too early 1950-1983)
April2015- April 2018
I am also riding on Chris Mullin
difficult at this stage not to rehash facts, opinions and points of view
But I consider these factors:
1.ChrisMullin has been a winner and returned to his alma mater to WIN!
2.He inherited NOTHING in 2015
3.We have improved from year to year albeit not quantum leaps that some posters clamor for
4.Patience is a definite virtue and difficult for some to cultivate - one day (hopefully) we will sing that the "Time has Come Today" (Chambers Brothers I believe)
5.And the bottom line - who would replace him???
Talk, complaining and criticism is cheap; solutions and prudent encouragement take effort and true grit.

I trust CM's basketball knowledge and expertise and can only further trust that behind closed doors he more than realizes what SJU needs such as better staff and better recruiting.

We shall see but if and when we reach 20 Ws and make an NCAA appearance well then, because of the decades of disappointment, how sweet it will be.
all the best
 
[quote="Sherman, Sheridan & Grant" post=279846][quote="Anthony Mattia" post=279840]As a group, we have been clamoring for continuity on the roster. I believe that can only come with some continuity on the coaching staff. I am tired of changing coaches every 5 years. Recruits don't want to come to a school if they don't know who they will be playing for by the end of their college career. Do I think Mullin is perfect, no, but he may be perfect for us because he loves the program. He is learning on the job what other head coaches learned by working their way up through the ranks, so it may take a little longer than we would like. If the administration and fans do not want to support Mullin, then who will they support? I am all in on Mullin and hope he will improve his coaching, and his staff but he is my ride or die and if he wants to stay and do the job for 20 years I will be happy, and think the program will be better for it.[/quote]

Year 4 has just begun - "we've only just begun" (Karen Carpenter died much too early 1950-1983)
April2015- April 2018
I am also riding on Chris Mullin
difficult at this stage not to rehash facts, opinions and points of view
But I consider these factors:
1.ChrisMullin has been a winner and returned to his alma mater to WIN!
2.He inherited NOTHING in 2015
3.We have improved from year to year albeit not quantum leaps that some posters clamor for
4.Patience is a definite virtue and difficult for some to cultivate - one day (hopefully) we will sing that the "Time has Come Today" (Chambers Brothers I believe)
5.And the bottom line - who would replace him???
Talk, complaining and criticism is cheap; solutions and prudent encouragement take effort and true grit.

I trust CM's basketball knowledge and expertise and can only further trust that behind closed doors he more than realizes what SJU needs such as better staff and better recruiting.

We shall see but if and when we reach 20 Ws and make an NCAA appearance well then, because of the decades of disappointment, how sweet it will be.
all the best[/quote

Well said, I wish I had your patience.
 
[quote="Sherman, Sheridan & Grant" post=279846][quote="Anthony Mattia" post=279840]As a group, we have been clamoring for continuity on the roster. I believe that can only come with some continuity on the coaching staff. I am tired of changing coaches every 5 years. Recruits don't want to come to a school if they don't know who they will be playing for by the end of their college career. Do I think Mullin is perfect, no, but he may be perfect for us because he loves the program. He is learning on the job what other head coaches learned by working their way up through the ranks, so it may take a little longer than we would like. If the administration and fans do not want to support Mullin, then who will they support? I am all in on Mullin and hope he will improve his coaching, and his staff but he is my ride or die and if he wants to stay and do the job for 20 years I will be happy, and think the program will be better for it.[/quote]

Year 4 has just begun - "we've only just begun" (Karen Carpenter died much too early 1950-1983)
April2015- April 2018
I am also riding on Chris Mullin
difficult at this stage not to rehash facts, opinions and points of view
But I consider these factors:
1.ChrisMullin has been a winner and returned to his alma mater to WIN!
2.He inherited NOTHING in 2015
3.We have improved from year to year albeit not quantum leaps that some posters clamor for
4.Patience is a definite virtue and difficult for some to cultivate - one day (hopefully) we will sing that the "Time has Come Today" (Chambers Brothers I believe)
5.And the bottom line - who would replace him???
Talk, complaining and criticism is cheap; solutions and prudent encouragement take effort and true grit.

I trust CM's basketball knowledge and expertise and can only further trust that behind closed doors he more than realizes what SJU needs such as better staff and better recruiting.

We shall see but if and when we reach 20 Ws and make an NCAA appearance well then, because of the decades of disappointment, how sweet it will be.
all the best[/quote]

1.ChrisMullin has been a winner and returned to his alma mater to WIN! -
I loved watching him play, I grew up watching up, and my eyes lit up everytime he'd shoot. He was the greatest and he gave us so many great seasons/game. I thank him for that, I hope things thing turn for the better real soon.
2.He inherited NOTHING in 2015 -
You vcan't use that excuse in year 10, it starts getting old.

3.We have improved from year to year albeit not quantum leaps that some posters clamor for -
How did we improve record-wise from year 2, no NCAA tourny or NIT. That's not improving to me.
4.Patience is a definite virtue and difficult for some to cultivate - one day (hopefully) we will sing that the "Time has Come Today" (Chambers Brothers I believe)
5.And the bottom line - who would replace him???
Maybe someone who understands that you need atleast 2 guys that can recruit, not just one. A guy that if he can't coach, will hire an experienced coach to help him, without Mullin's ego
Talk, complaining and criticism is cheap; solutions and prudent encouragement take effort and true grit.

Yeah Mullin could get SJU real good again, but he'll in my opinion will need 2 things.
An experienced coach and and recruiter. Matt way with 2/3 sit out transfers a year, after losing 2/3 transfers a year will no way happen.

So yeah I'm pissed. Not one single NCAA win since 01. With Mullin I figured that we're finally getting a coach that finally gave a crap about this school. Said all the right things at the presser.

Well why do only have one guys recruiting, wtf is Mullin? What happened to him going through the back doors of schools to see nyc top recruits? Tell me where is that? Maybe he doesn't care either, if he did wouldn't he be going all out???
 
[quote="OLV72" post=279838]I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post[/quote]

If you think 72 is alone then you must be the type of guy that feels very lonely in Times Square.
That said, this is a great thread idea and guys like you and SlyFox can be master debaters here.
As for not too much to post, I post on a wide variety of topics unlike some whose only mission is to blame Steve Lavin for everything wrong with the program even if those wrongs preceded Lavin by 16 years.

One thing is obvious and that is that Mullin needs to make a change in the staff structure. Real fans want to see him succeed because we want the team to succeed. None of us would be here if we looked for Mullin to crash and burn. This is a good place for coach stubbornness to see what fans think of the job he is doing. His most ardent and loyal supporters know and want him to reorganize his reporting lines. I am not sold on Matt being the head recruiter.

When asked about Mullin and making a change, his most loyal supporter, the Maven, stated on Twitter:

"I'd luv 2 c that. A seasoned coach who also can recruit. It would be an incredible asset to #coachchrismullin, not a liability, a mole, that one on #sjubb staff is. Chris & #MikeRice can get it done but @StJohnsBBall better move fast as other schools are also looking at him!

 #coachchrismullin is his own man & not my place to tell him the obvious."

What some see as criticism of coach Mullin is actually critical "advice" by fans. Mully can take it or leave it. He is a big boy with a big fat paycheck. He doesn't need anyone here to defend him.
 
Whether Chris Mullin succeeds or not will depend on the high school recruits he can sign. The rationale for signing someone who never coached at any level, if there was a rationale, had to be that his Dream Team and HOF credentials could even the recruiting playing field. So far, it has not. Whatever worked in the past, including the AAU connections and the stipend, is history. Every coach since Looie has failed. Not one is a head coach today. except for Mullin. Not a good sign.

Most local 4 and 5 star players want out of here. One thing this year's tourney showed us is that there is a ton of talent all over the country. Mullin needs to find them and sign them. I have no idea if he, like some suggest, is a lazy recruiter. All I know is that Mullin has to be the same gym rat he was famous for years ago, with this version of the gym rat all over the high schools searching for talent, as he promised when he signed on 3 seasons ago.
 
I love CM. The greatest, most gritty, high hoops IQ, no-quit St. John’s player of all time.
The man bleeds red and white and all things St. John’s.
My only puzzlement is the staff structure and the recruiting disconnect—running on 1 1/2 cylinders as it is.
Maybe CM remains disenchanted and disgruntled with the Slice debacle and—loyal as he is—highly reluctant to tell Mitch the ‘bad’ news? Dunno.
But, I do know that in this era of college hoops—where it is totally a ‘no-pisoners’ mentality and ‘anything goes’ mantra, we are operating at a grave disadvantage in the recruiting ‘wars’.
And they are ‘that’....
Let’s go Johnnies.
 
Last edited:
My biggest problem with the new regime is Mullin is, at the end of year 3, the same place Ewing is after year one. Granted Ewing had coaching experience as opposed to front office experience, but should that really have put Ewing that much ahead of him?
 
[quote="RedStormRising2" post=279963]My biggest problem with the new regime is Mullin is, at the end of year 3, the same place Ewing is after year one. Granted Ewing had coaching experience as opposed to front office experience, but should that really have put Ewing that much ahead of him?[/quote]

Ewing inherited more of a roster, including a guy, Govan, who beat us twice
 
[quote="Class of 72" post=279955][quote="OLV72" post=279838]I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post[/quote]

If you think 72 is alone then you must be the type of guy that feels very lonely in Times Square.
That said, this is a great thread idea and guys like you and SlyFox can be master debaters here.
As for not too much to post, I post on a wide variety of topics unlike some whose only mission is to blame Steve Lavin for everything wrong with the program even if those wrongs preceded Lavin by 16 years.

One thing is obvious and that is that Mullin needs to make a change in the staff structure. Real fans want to see him succeed because we want the team to succeed. None of us would be here if we looked for Mullin to crash and burn. This is a good place for coach stubbornness to see what fans think of the job he is doing. His most ardent and loyal supporters know and want him to reorganize his reporting lines. I am not sold on Matt being the head recruiter.

When asked about Mullin and making a change, his most loyal supporter, the Maven, stated on Twitter:

"I'd luv 2 c that. A seasoned coach who also can recruit. It would be an incredible asset to #coachchrismullin, not a liability, a mole, that one on #sjubb staff is. Chris & #MikeRice can get it done but @StJohnsBBall better move fast as other schools are also looking at him!

 #coachchrismullin is his own man & not my place to tell him the obvious."

What some see as criticism of coach Mullin is actually critical "advice" by fans. Mully can take it or leave it. He is a big boy with a big fat paycheck. He doesn't need anyone here to defend him.[/quote]

You are not the only one speculating away every day on this site. There's a handful of reactive and negative posters feeding off each other while others post good insight making it worth our time to check in on the board.

I don't think I'm defending Mullin - he doesn't need a fan to defend him. I probably do have more respect for him and more confidence in him.

Although if I ever find out that he reads this board to get "critical advice" I think I will lose hope and join you guys on the ledge.
 
Last edited:
[quote="OLV72" post=279965][quote="Class of 72" post=279955][quote="OLV72" post=279838]I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post[/quote]

If you think 72 is alone then you must be the type of guy that feels very lonely in Times Square.
That said, this is a great thread idea and guys like you and SlyFox can be master debaters here.
As for not too much to post, I post on a wide variety of topics unlike some whose only mission is to blame Steve Lavin for everything wrong with the program even if those wrongs preceded Lavin by 16 years.

One thing is obvious and that is that Mullin needs to make a change in the staff structure. Real fans want to see him succeed because we want the team to succeed. None of us would be here if we looked for Mullin to crash and burn. This is a good place for coach stubbornness to see what fans think of the job he is doing. His most ardent and loyal supporters know and want him to reorganize his reporting lines. I am not sold on Matt being the head recruiter.

When asked about Mullin and making a change, his most loyal supporter, the Maven, stated on Twitter:

"I'd luv 2 c that. A seasoned coach who also can recruit. It would be an incredible asset to #coachchrismullin, not a liability, a mole, that one on #sjubb staff is. Chris & #MikeRice can get it done but @StJohnsBBall better move fast as other schools are also looking at him!

 #coachchrismullin is his own man & not my place to tell him the obvious."

What some see as criticism of coach Mullin is actually critical "advice" by fans. Mully can take it or leave it. He is a big boy with a big fat paycheck. He doesn't need anyone here to defend him.[/quote]

You are not the only one speculating away every day on this site. There's a handful of reactive and negative posters feeding off each other while others post good insight making it worth our time to check in on the board.

I don't think I'm defending Mullin - he doesn't need a fan to defend him. I probably do have more respect for him and more confidence in him.

Although if I ever find out that he reads this board to get "critical advice" I think I will lose hope and join you guys on the ledge.[/quote

You are one of the most positive and reasonable posters here.
 
Last edited:
[quote="OLV72" post=279965][quote="Class of 72" post=279955][quote="OLV72" post=279838]I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post[/quote]

If you think 72 is alone then you must be the type of guy that feels very lonely in Times Square.
That said, this is a great thread idea and guys like you and SlyFox can be master debaters here.
As for not too much to post, I post on a wide variety of topics unlike some whose only mission is to blame Steve Lavin for everything wrong with the program even if those wrongs preceded Lavin by 16 years.

One thing is obvious and that is that Mullin needs to make a change in the staff structure. Real fans want to see him succeed because we want the team to succeed. None of us would be here if we looked for Mullin to crash and burn. This is a good place for coach stubbornness to see what fans think of the job he is doing. His most ardent and loyal supporters know and want him to reorganize his reporting lines. I am not sold on Matt being the head recruiter.

When asked about Mullin and making a change, his most loyal supporter, the Maven, stated on Twitter:

"I'd luv 2 c that. A seasoned coach who also can recruit. It would be an incredible asset to #coachchrismullin, not a liability, a mole, that one on #sjubb staff is. Chris & #MikeRice can get it done but @StJohnsBBall better move fast as other schools are also looking at him!

 #coachchrismullin is his own man & not my place to tell him the obvious."

What some see as criticism of coach Mullin is actually critical "advice" by fans. Mully can take it or leave it. He is a big boy with a big fat paycheck. He doesn't need anyone here to defend him.[/quote]

You are not the only one speculating away every day on this site. There's a handful of reactive and negative posters feeding off each other while others post good insight making it worth our time to check in on the board.

I don't think I'm defending Mullin - he doesn't need a fan to defend him. I probably do have more respect for him and more confidence in him.

Although if I ever find out that he reads this board to get "critical advice" I think I will lose hope and join you guys on the ledge.[/quote]

Fans who visit this site are here, and have been here for years, because they love St. John's basketball. Every coach has had fans sing their praises and, when they became disillusioned, turned on that coach. At St. John's what separates us from other basketball factory schools is the most amateurish management of what should have been the showcase program in the Big East. Maybe I expect more than your average Joe, Sal or Bob here but I'm not going to hide my frustration with the way St. John's has managed it's bread and butter sports franchise. That frustration goes back to the Brian Mahoney debacle. Brian was the nicest guy one could meet and still is but that didn't stop me from saying from day one he was a mistake and couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag. Like Mullin, there were a few that say those criticisms as blasphemous against a favorite son. As some say this is business and nothing personal. I felt the same way with the Norm Roberts hire. I was skeptical about the Steve Lavin hire because if he lived and breathed coaching basketball he would not have stayed away for 7 years. Other than Mullin being a playing legend there was nothing, nada, absolutely zero that gave me and MOST fans I associate with the confidence to think he was the right choice. Most of that uncertainty came from the fact that he never showed any interest in coaching at any level but also because when I vetted his post playing history I noticed he was characterized as intransigent and impulsive in his management style. He seldom was in synch with the owners in player decisions and was let go by the club where he was as legendary as St. John's. His stint in Sacramento ended in similar fashion with similar evaluations.
If you take your rose colored glasses off for a minute you can see the same pattern evolving at St. John's. He came in through the back door as a favorite son but with conditions. We had a dunce as an A.D. and he refused to report to him. So, he created his own reporting line out of the oversight eyes of the person who would be responsible at 99% of other schools. That other 1% are THE PROGRAM like coach K and John Calipari.
When the Slice debacle happened it didn't surprise some of us. That he was replaced by Mitch Richmond didn't surprise some of us. That he put all his marbles with Matt was not a surprise because he and Mitch and Greg know squat shit about recruiting and the amount of time and effort needed.
I was, and still am, hopeful that he gets the players he needs to cover up his coaching deficiencies because without the players he stands ZERO CHANCE of being successful because coaching and management are not in his DNA.
Therefore my current pet peeve with the Matt Abdelmassih situation.
As I've said 1000 times I go to the games to support my team regardless of who was, or is, the coach.
Being an armchair critic is part of being a fan whether you are a baseball, football or soccer fan. You and everyone else here come to voice opinions. Some, who have nothing nice to say any longer, don't say anything. You should be glad that fans keep coming back here at all after the mediocrity that has led us to the current conundrum.
As Doc Butler famously said with the hiring of Chris Mullin "You should never hire someone you can't fire".
That my friend is a classic!
Hopefully it will never come to that with Chris Mullin.
I hope I have explained my position for the last time.;)
 
Last edited:
[quote="Beast of the East" post=279966][quote="OLV72" post=279965][quote="Class of 72" post=279955][quote="OLV72" post=279838]I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post[/quote]

If you think 72 is alone then you must be the type of guy that feels very lonely in Times Square.
That said, this is a great thread idea and guys like you and SlyFox can be master debaters here.
As for not too much to post, I post on a wide variety of topics unlike some whose only mission is to blame Steve Lavin for everything wrong with the program even if those wrongs preceded Lavin by 16 years.

One thing is obvious and that is that Mullin needs to make a change in the staff structure. Real fans want to see him succeed because we want the team to succeed. None of us would be here if we looked for Mullin to crash and burn. This is a good place for coach stubbornness to see what fans think of the job he is doing. His most ardent and loyal supporters know and want him to reorganize his reporting lines. I am not sold on Matt being the head recruiter.

When asked about Mullin and making a change, his most loyal supporter, the Maven, stated on Twitter:

"I'd luv 2 c that. A seasoned coach who also can recruit. It would be an incredible asset to #coachchrismullin, not a liability, a mole, that one on #sjubb staff is. Chris & #MikeRice can get it done but @StJohnsBBall better move fast as other schools are also looking at him!

 #coachchrismullin is his own man & not my place to tell him the obvious."

What some see as criticism of coach Mullin is actually critical "advice" by fans. Mully can take it or leave it. He is a big boy with a big fat paycheck. He doesn't need anyone here to defend him.[/quote]

You are not the only one speculating away every day on this site. There's a handful of reactive and negative posters feeding off each other while others post good insight making it worth our time to check in on the board.

I don't think I'm defending Mullin - he doesn't need a fan to defend him. I probably do have more respect for him and more confidence in him.

Although if I ever find out that he reads this board to get "critical advice" I think I will lose hope and join you guys on the ledge.[/quote

You are one of the most positive and reasonable posters here.[/quote] OLV Is one of the most positive people in life. That's his nature. That's why is such a great dude
 
Beast , thanks for addressing the issue of what Ewing inherited vs Mullin . Like the Geico commercial of a few months ago with the 2 guys working out in the Gym and the last guy quoted says, “Wow, that’s a lot more Brotato Chip.” In addition to Govan , there was also Derreckson , the other Gtownguy , a Senior also like Govan , always killed us . Yakwe fouling Derreckson shooting the 3 Lost us a game already won . Mullin had less than nothing his first year but, only us Mullin supporters don’t hold that against him . JT3 Left more in the Cupboard for Ewing than Mullin got . . I also think Richmond gets unfair Criticism from some here . We , are all Amateurs here, despite the views to the contrary . Mitch is a HOF player that likely can communicate what’s necessary to play the game . He had extraordinary skills as a Player . I think the resurgence Play of Clarke and Ahmed from February onward might be a result of Mitch being the hands on catalyst to generate that . Of course , this is all speculation on my part but, who is to say otherwise ? The few here make Mitch out to be a Empty Suit and that is wrong . As far as anything on a Basketball Court , you can’t deny , either Mitch or Chris’s credentials . Assimilating Simon and Clarke as transfers into this line up , isn’t as easy to accomplish as just putting them out there for the Center jump . And , Beast , you have astutely commented time and time again , that this Year’s Team was to be Ponds and Lovett and pray for Rain ! Both, Simon and Clarke were thrust into much larger scoring responsibilities when Lovett defected . But, of course , Mullin is to blame for that too .
 
Last edited:
[quote="SLYFOXX1968" post=279986]Beast , thanks for addressing the issue of what Ewing inherited vs Mullin . Like the Geico commercial of a few months ago with the 2 guys working out in the Gym and the last guy quoted says, “Wow, that’s a lot more Brotato Chip.” In addition to Govan , there was also Derreckson , the other Gtownguy , a Senior also like Govan , always killed us . Yakwe fouling Derreckson shooting the 3 Lost us a game already won . Mullin had less than nothing his first year but, only us Mullin supporters don’t hold that against him . JT3 Left more in the Cupboard for Ewing than Mullin got . . I also think Richmond gets unfair Criticism from some here . We , are all Amateurs here, despite the views to the contrary . Mitch is a HOF player that likely can communicate what’s necessary to play the game . He had extraordinary skills as a Player . I think the resurgence Play of Clarke and Ahmed from February onward might be a result of Mitch being the hands on catalyst to generate that . Of course , this is all speculation on my part but, who is to say otherwise ? The few here make Mitch out to be a Empty Suit and that is wrong . As far as anything on a Basketball Court , you can’t deny , either Mitch or Chris’s credentials . Assimilating Simon and Clarke as transfers into this line up , isn’t as easy to accomplish as just putting them out there for the Center jump . And , Beast , you have astutely commented time and time again , that this Year’s Team was to be Ponds and Lovett and pray for Rain ! Both, Simon and Clarke were thrust into much larger scoring responsibilities when Lovett defected . But, of course , Mullin is to blame for that too .[/quote]

The lifeblood of college basketball is recruiting. I don't see a successful program that relies almost exclusively on transfers. While important, skill development takes a back seat. I don't know how valuable Richmond is to player development, but I would rather have an assistant that signs 4 and 5 star players than an assistant that doesn't recruit and tries to turn 3 star players into 4 star talent. The expected pop from having 2 HOFs hasn't translated into a recruiting windfall. I am not sure why, other than other factors weigh more, such as modern facilities, a more traditional campus life, and a winning program. It's the staff's job to find a way to overcome that, and sell the program's strengths: media exposure, playing in the Garden, and the Big East. If they can't, then we have a problem.
 
[quote="Class of 72" post=279973][quote="OLV72" post=279965][quote="Class of 72" post=279955][quote="OLV72" post=279838]I think Mullin was the greatest to play in the Big East and will soon win from his seat on the bench rendering 72 with not too much to post[/quote]

If you think 72 is alone then you must be the type of guy that feels very lonely in Times Square.
That said, this is a great thread idea and guys like you and SlyFox can be master debaters here.
As for not too much to post, I post on a wide variety of topics unlike some whose only mission is to blame Steve Lavin for everything wrong with the program even if those wrongs preceded Lavin by 16 years.

One thing is obvious and that is that Mullin needs to make a change in the staff structure. Real fans want to see him succeed because we want the team to succeed. None of us would be here if we looked for Mullin to crash and burn. This is a good place for coach stubbornness to see what fans think of the job he is doing. His most ardent and loyal supporters know and want him to reorganize his reporting lines. I am not sold on Matt being the head recruiter.

When asked about Mullin and making a change, his most loyal supporter, the Maven, stated on Twitter:

"I'd luv 2 c that. A seasoned coach who also can recruit. It would be an incredible asset to #coachchrismullin, not a liability, a mole, that one on #sjubb staff is. Chris & #MikeRice can get it done but @StJohnsBBall better move fast as other schools are also looking at him!

 #coachchrismullin is his own man & not my place to tell him the obvious."

What some see as criticism of coach Mullin is actually critical "advice" by fans. Mully can take it or leave it. He is a big boy with a big fat paycheck. He doesn't need anyone here to defend him.[/quote]

You are not the only one speculating away every day on this site. There's a handful of reactive and negative posters feeding off each other while others post good insight making it worth our time to check in on the board.

I don't think I'm defending Mullin - he doesn't need a fan to defend him. I probably do have more respect for him and more confidence in him.

Although if I ever find out that he reads this board to get "critical advice" I think I will lose hope and join you guys on the ledge.[/quote]

Fans who visit this site are here, and have been here for years, because they love St. John's basketball. Every coach has had fans sing their praises and, when they became disillusioned, turned on that coach. At St. John's what separates us from other basketball factory schools is the most amateurish management of what should have been the showcase program in the Big East. Maybe I expect more than your average Joe, Sal or Bob here but I'm not going to hide my frustration with the way St. John's has managed it's bread and butter sports franchise. That frustration goes back to the Brian Mahoney debacle. Brian was the nicest guy one could meet and still is but that didn't stop me from saying from day one he was a mistake and couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag. Like Mullin, there were a few that say those criticisms as blasphemous against a favorite son. As some say this is business and nothing personal. I felt the same way with the Norm Roberts hire. I was skeptical about the Steve Lavin hire because if he lived and breathed coaching basketball he would not have stayed away for 7 years. Other than Mullin being a playing legend there was nothing, nada, absolutely zero that gave me and MOST fans I associate with the confidence to think he was the right choice. Most of that uncertainty came from the fact that he never showed any interest in coaching at any level but also because when I vetted his post playing history I noticed he was characterized as intransigent and impulsive in his management style. He seldom was in synch with the owners in player decisions and was let go by the club where he was as legendary as St. John's. His stint in Sacramento ended in similar fashion with similar evaluations.
If you take your rose colored glasses off for a minute you can see the same pattern evolving at St. John's. He came in through the back door as a favorite son but with conditions. We had a dunce as an A.D. and he refused to report to him. So, he created his own reporting line out of the oversight eyes of the person who would be responsible at 99% of other schools. That other 1% are THE PROGRAM like coach K and John Calipari.
When the Slice debacle happened it didn't surprise some of us. That he was replaced by Mitch Richmond didn't surprise some of us. That he put all his marbles with Matt was not a surprise because he and Mitch and Greg know squat shit about recruiting and the amount of time and effort needed.
I was, and still am, hopeful that he gets the players he needs to cover up his coaching deficiencies because without the players he stands ZERO CHANCE of being successful because coaching and management are not in his DNA.
Therefore my current pet peeve with the Matt Abdelmassih situation.
As I've said 1000 times I go to the games to support my team regardless of who was, or is, the coach.
Being an armchair critic is part of being a fan whether you are a baseball, football or soccer fan. You and everyone else here come to voice opinions. Some, who have nothing nice to say any longer, don't say anything. You should be glad that fans keep coming back here at all after the mediocrity that has led us to the current conundrum.
As Doc Butler famously said with the hiring of Chris Mullin "You should never hire someone you can't fire".
That my friend is a classic!
Hopefully it will never come to that with Chris Mullin.
I hope I have explained my position for the last time.;)[/quote]
Promise? :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top