Ouch! CBS Sports writer picks St.John's to finish

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Ouch! CBS Sports writer Matt Norlander (whoever he is?) picks St.John's to finish "D.F.L.(Dead Focking Last) in the Big East this season.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...knesses-xavier-could-be-this-years-villanova/

St. John's Red Storm
Strength: Swatting shots. As a program, St. John's has been the best shot-blocking club in the Big East for most of the past five years. With Kassoum Yakwe and Yankuba Sima back in the mix, they'll be at the top or No. 2 yet again. If SJU can turn blocked shots into turnovers 75 percent of the time, then things change in a big way, because this team should be able to run often.
Weakness: There's many, but let's focus on what's fixable -- foul shooting. St. John's 63.6 free-throw shooting percentage was the worst in the league last season. Getting that average up to 70 will inevitably put St. John's in closer games more often. You do that, you can get more breaks, and from there, fall into a win or two.
 
DFL is not an unreasonable pick considering everything. I don't agree but I could see that as a reasonable conclusion to come to. Last year's youngest team in the country is still young with no leadership experience other than what they got last season and those of us who are optimistic are largely so based upon three players that haven't played a minute for us yet. Major minutes going to two frosh and a JUCO transfer. Most all the rest of the minutes going to sophs.

The only BE teams that you could argue took big hits are Providence and SHU and perhaps G'town. Personally I think SHU could potentially be better even with the loss of Whitehead. G'town and Marquette need to prove something this season.

Not being critical or pessimistic just saying that realistically a lot of things need to happen for this team to even be middle of the pack. The competition is really good and we have big question marks.
 
Let me see now CM was slow a foot couldn't jump over the phone book when he arrived at SJU. By the beginning of his sophomore the you could see had the makings of a great player. Well let us see if the same will apply as a coach I'm hoping.
 
Let me see now CM was slow a foot couldn't jump over the phone book when he arrived at SJU. By the beginning of his sophomore the you could see had the makings of a great player. Well let us see if the same will apply as a coach I'm hoping.
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WHAT?
Chris Mullin entered SJU as a McDonald's All-American and went on to average 17 points a game in freshman year!!!

What games were you watching?
 
Makes little difference if we are picked in last three spots to me. We don't deserve anything & have to earn it. Returnees definitely have promise. Our new guys are solid with good prognosis, but this is not "Fab Five" level. I would simply like to see the team take some lumps early, progress & beat a couple of quality teams, perhaps win a few road games & set the tone for a very positive 17.

Let's dispense with bulletin board nonsense re frustration with being picked low. We are a young, inexperienced team with a nucleus of quality players. Net of DePaul, everyone in the BE equals or surpasses that. Lastly, our staff is unproven, net of recruiting outcome to date. I am particularly interested in seeing how much our defense improves. Less highlight reel "fools gold" blocks & better defensive fundamentals works for me.
 
The prediction is not surprising to me. Based on the last ten years what can we expect? I would point out that I, myself feel good about what I perceive to be the improvements we are seeing in the upgrade of the overall talent level we will be putting on the court (Ponds, Lovett, Ahmed), RF and hoping for some improvement in the existing talent (Yakwe, Sima). Unfortunately, like many on this board, I confess I MYSELF have not even seen (or seen very little) of Ponds, Lovett or Ahmed. I do HOPE and believe that from what I have read and the little I have seen that these kids are more talented than what we have seen in the last few years.

Finally, I would add that my guess is the writer himself has NO IDEA what the new kids bring because there is no way he has seen them either. So until we start seeing game action no one knows what will happen. This is part of the reason I am excited/hopeful for the new season. Let's Go Redmen.
 
Makes little difference if we are picked in last three spots to me. We don't deserve anything & have to earn it. Returnees definitely have promise. Our new guys are solid with good prognosis, but this is not "Fab Five" level. I would simply like to see the team take some lumps early, progress & beat a couple of quality teams, perhaps win a few road games & set the tone for a very positive 17.

Let's dispense with bulletin board nonsense re frustration with being picked low. We are a young, inexperienced team with a nucleus of quality players. Net of DePaul, everyone in the BE equals or surpasses that. Lastly, our staff is unproven, net of recruiting outcome to date. I am particularly interested in seeing how much our defense improves. Less highlight reel "fools gold" blocks & better defensive fundamentals works for me.
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You are truly "the Maven" on this board! The reference to our unproven staff is the most important factor in determining any W-L record. I agree 100% about the defense issue. Last season Mullin's team played next to no defense and I am still not convinced this staff can teach it without a consulting experienced coach helping them develop some basic defensive strategy. There are a couple of inactive former head coaches that should be involved to build a defensive culture that is needed in the college game. We shall see what we shall see. ;)
 
Let me see now CM was slow a foot couldn't jump over the phone book when he arrived at SJU. By the beginning of his sophomore the you could see had the makings of a great player. Well let us see if the same will apply as a coach I'm hoping.
Click to expand...

WHAT?
Chris Mullin entered SJU as a McDonald's All-American and went on to average 17 points a game in freshman year!!!

What games were you watching?
Click to expand...
S I list him as regional best of the rest!
 
Let me see now CM was slow a foot couldn't jump over the phone book when he arrived at SJU. By the beginning of his sophomore the you could see had the makings of a great player. Well let us see if the same will apply as a coach I'm hoping.
Click to expand...

WHAT?
Chris Mullin entered SJU as a McDonald's All-American and went on to average 17 points a game in freshman year!!!

What games were you watching?
Click to expand...
S I list him as regional best of the rest!
Click to expand...

Chris Mullin was a star before he ever played a game at St. John's. (Won "New York Mr. Basketball" award in senior year of high school)
Ask Coach K & Louie what they thought about Mullin when he saw him in high school.

He went on to set the school freshman record for points scored (498). Many juniors and seniors would do cartwheels to score nearly 500 points in one college season, let alone a freshman.

Your analogy was a bad one. Chris Mullin never was overmatched from the day he stepped on campus.That is all I'm saying. No harm
 
Let me see now CM was slow a foot couldn't jump over the phone book when he arrived at SJU. By the beginning of his sophomore the you could see had the makings of a great player. Well let us see if the same will apply as a coach I'm hoping.
Click to expand...

WHAT?
Chris Mullin entered SJU as a McDonald's All-American and went on to average 17 points a game in freshman year!!!

What games were you watching?
Click to expand...
S I list him as regional best of the rest!
Click to expand...

Chris Mullin was a star before he ever played a game at St. John's.
Ask Coach K & Louie what they thought about Mullin when he saw him in high school.

He went on to set the school freshman record for points scored (498). Many juniors and seniors would do cartwheels to score nearly 500 points in one college season, let alone a freshman.

Your analogy was a bad one. Chris Mullin never was overmatched from the day he stepped on campus.That is all I'm saying. No harm
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Accurate. Arrived with great fanfare and from the moment he stepped onto the court was our best player. I don't think Looie taught him a thing he already didn't know intuitively or otherwise. If being able to play the game automatically makes you a great coach, then we should have hired Jordan, Barkley, Jabbar, or anyone with an even better basketball resume.

If we have a season similar to last it will mean either our recruits aren't all that good, or our coaching staff cannot provide even minimal ability to coach them. I don't think we are in for a repeat, though.

However, even with returning players with some promise, this isn't exactly the nucleus of a winning team. Granted, Sima looked like an acceptable Big East center, Yakwe an athletic player with promise. Ellison and Mussini are question marks at this level still, and tbh Alib had to talk his way back here after being advised to go elsewhere. I wouldn't be shocked with 5 Big East wins, and I wouldn't be shocked with 7. Above that would be cause for elation, below that would show that we have a very long way to go.
 
Let me see now CM was slow a foot couldn't jump over the phone book when he arrived at SJU. By the beginning of his sophomore the you could see had the makings of a great player. Well let us see if the same will apply as a coach I'm hoping.
Click to expand...

WHAT?
Chris Mullin entered SJU as a McDonald's All-American and went on to average 17 points a game in freshman year!!!

What games were you watching?
Click to expand...
S I list him as regional best of the rest!
Click to expand...

Picked us over Duke and Carolina I believe. Or Duke and Maryland. Could have gone wherever he wanted. Became a ST John's fan when my dad took me to see Mullin as a frosh. David Russell became my favorite player but still even 9 year old WE ARE SJU had heard of Mullin.
 
I agree with the lack of defense at times. I don't think it was all the time, as a lot of opponents points came of all of the turnovers we committed.

With the addition of Ponds and Lovett we have dramatically improved our backcourt. Mussini hopefully gets more consistent with his 3 point shooting and Ellison being healthy is key as we need his height at times. The inproved backcourt should result in significant improvement as we should get more baskets off turnovers and turn it over less ourselves

It is our front court that concerns me more. I think Ahmed is a key player this year. If he is substantially better than Johnson/Mvouika that will go a long way to being more competitive. Yawke has a ton of talent but I still expect most of his points to come on tip ins and fast breakbdunks. Freudenberg gives us an option we did not have last year. Sima will hopefully improve a little and Owens as a backup might help. Anything from Amar or Darien would be bonus.

As for coaching, I think it's overrated. The best coaches will get a little more out of their teams and the worst ones a little less, while most teams will perform to the level of their talent. I do think it makes more of a difference when you get to a tournament situation.

We need to win at least six conference games to show real improvement. Of course how competitive we are in games matters almost as much as how many we win.
 
Btw, a former esteemed poster with big horns living on Elba called me collect & noted after perceived best four teams listed, the rest are in alphabetical order. He's right. We're out of the basement! :)
 
Btw, a former esteemed poster with big horns living on Elba called me collect & noted after perceived best four teams listed, the rest are in alphabetical order. He's right. We're out of the basement! :)
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Boy this post came just in time. I was about to slit my wrists. :dry:
 
Thanks. Still don't think "ranking" matters. I am really eager to actually see this team, especially the new guys on the court! Let's get the party started.
 
I agree with the lack of defense at times. I don't think it was all the time, as a lot of opponents points came of all of the turnovers we committed.

With the addition of Ponds and Lovett we have dramatically improved our backcourt. Mussini hopefully gets more consistent with his 3 point shooting and Ellison being healthy is key as we need his height at times. The inproved backcourt should result in significant improvement as we should get more baskets off turnovers and turn it over less ourselves

It is our front court that concerns me more. I think Ahmed is a key player this year. If he is substantially better than Johnson/Mvouika that will go a long way to being more competitive. Yawke has a ton of talent but I still expect most of his points to come on tip ins and fast breakbdunks. Freudenberg gives us an option we did not have last year. Sima will hopefully improve a little and Owens as a backup might help. Anything from Amar or Darien would be bonus.

As for coaching, I think it's overrated. The best coaches will get a little more out of their teams and the worst ones a little less, while most teams will perform to the level of their talent. I do think it makes more of a difference when you get to a tournament situation.

We need to win at least six conference games to show real improvement. Of course how competitive we are in games matters almost as much as how many we win.
Click to expand...

Frankly, the defense thing is so taken out of context it is comical. A last minute literally thrown together, minus any point guard, undersized, unbelievably inexperienced, slow, turnover prone, poor shooting team hung at times with some of the best teams in the country; in several cases making comebacks to get back into games they had no business even competing in from a talent standpoint. That they did it while playing NO defense just boggles the mind. Surprised more aren't demanding a national championship or Mullin's head now that we have some talent. Again or still, this board disproves the myth of the sophisticated NY sports fan.
 
CHRIS MULLIN WAS RECRUITED BY VIRGINIA...LIKED THEIR HISTORIC CAMPUS.. IT WAS A CLOSE CALL...HE PLAYED IN THE ERA OF THE 2 POINT SHOT.. GOD KNOWS WHAT HIS AVERAGE WOULD BE ON LAST YEARS TEAM,OR THIS YEARS..
 
I agree with the lack of defense at times. I don't think it was all the time, as a lot of opponents points came of all of the turnovers we committed.

With the addition of Ponds and Lovett we have dramatically improved our backcourt. Mussini hopefully gets more consistent with his 3 point shooting and Ellison being healthy is key as we need his height at times. The inproved backcourt should result in significant improvement as we should get more baskets off turnovers and turn it over less ourselves

It is our front court that concerns me more. I think Ahmed is a key player this year. If he is substantially better than Johnson/Mvouika that will go a long way to being more competitive. Yawke has a ton of talent but I still expect most of his points to come on tip ins and fast breakbdunks. Freudenberg gives us an option we did not have last year. Sima will hopefully improve a little and Owens as a backup might help. Anything from Amar or Darien would be bonus.

As for coaching, I think it's overrated. The best coaches will get a little more out of their teams and the worst ones a little less, while most teams will perform to the level of their talent. I do think it makes more of a difference when you get to a tournament situation.

We need to win at least six conference games to show real improvement. Of course how competitive we are in games matters almost as much as how many we win.
Click to expand...

Frankly, the defense thing is so taken out of context it is comical. A last minute literally thrown together, minus any point guard, undersized, unbelievably inexperienced, slow, turnover prone, poor shooting team hung at times with some of the best teams in the country; in several cases making comebacks to get back into games they had no business even competing in from a talent standpoint. That they did it while playing NO defense just boggles the mind. Surprised more aren't demanding a national championship or Mullin's head now that we have some talent. Again or still, this board disproves the myth of the sophisticated NY sports fan.
Click to expand...

Anyone who pays attentions to the final score as a measure of how well a team performs really doesn't understand basketball. Good teams control the outcome more than they control the margin of victory, often playing down to an inferior opponent until it counts. Without fail (pun intended) last year's squad folded in the last couple of minutes in every close conference game they played, failing to make key stops, get key rebounds, or score key baskets. Except for catching lightning in a bottle at home vs. Syracuse, they collapsed every single game at the end, where basketball outcomes are established. You think they hung in because they played tough, I say it was because better teams toyed with them and played down to our level. Our own great SJU teams of the past routinely would be seemingly involved in close games in the final minutes against horrific opponents, only to pile it on in the last few minutes to safely escape with wins.
 
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