(POST GAME) @Georgetown, Thu., Feb. 3, 6p, FS-1

[JohnnyFan]

I don't think we've looked like a great team for most of the season. But what's possibly most maddening is, if we could have found a way to pull out those close games that we lost, this would be a totally different season with much more enthusiasm here.

The losses to Indiana, Pittsburgh, UConn, and Providence all easily could have been wins. 

If we could have won two of those four games things could be different.

To be fair, we didn't have Pinzon.  
 

 

[monte]

I don't think we've looked like a great team for most of the season. But what's possibly most maddening is, if we could have found a way to pull out those close games that we lost, this would be a totally different season with much more enthusiasm here.

The losses to Indiana, Pittsburgh, UConn, and Providence all easily could have been wins. 

If we could have won two of those four games things could be different.

To be fair, we didn't have Pinzon.  /media/kunena/emoticons/tongue.png

 

Stop stealing my material!!!! /media/kunena/emoticons/wink.png

 

[monte]

Not getting ahead of ourselves but to salvage season must go 6-0 or at worst 5-1 against bottom 3 teams

Except we don't play ourselves /media/kunena/emoticons/wink.png

 

[otis]

The good news is our beloved StJohn’s men’s basketball team is 3 games out of the Big East Tournament  10 + 11 playin game.

 

[JohnnyFan]

I don't think we've looked like a great team for most of the season. But what's possibly most maddening is, if we could have found a way to pull out those close games that we lost, this would be a totally different season with much more enthusiasm here.

The losses to Indiana, Pittsburgh, UConn, and Providence all easily could have been wins. 

If we could have won two of those four games things could be different.

To be fair, we didn't have Pinzon.  /media/kunena/emoticons/tongue.png


 

Stop stealing my material!!!! /media/kunena/emoticons/wink.png

That's definitely yours....and it's been making me laugh!

 

[fordham96]

Don't forgot they had an OT win over NJIT and close win at home over Monmouth.

You can't just look at the close losses and assume they should all be wins and then discount the weak W's that could have been loses.  The fact is inconsistent mediocre teams play like inconsistent mediocre teams and they end up with mediocre records.

 

[NCJohnnie]

We deserved to lose the Pitt game, would have been very lucky to win the Indiana game and shot ourselves in the foot repeatedly in the PC game. The one game that really sticks in my craw is the UCONN game because it's one I thought we deserved to win and ref stole from us with that bogus foul call on Wheeler at the end of regulation when if anything Sanogo could have been called for over the back. Win that one and we are 5-5 in BE with 5 out of last 9 games at home and 11-8 conference record looks a lot more doable. I know it's coulda/shoulda/woulda but still was a hard one to swallow.

 

[paultzman]

We deserved to lose the Pitt game, would have been very lucky to win the Indiana game and shot ourselves in the foot repeatedly in the PC game. The one game that really sticks in my craw is the UCONN game because it's one I thought we deserved to win and ref stole from us with that bogus foul call on Wheeler at the end of regulation when if anything Sanogo could have been called for over the back. Win that one and we are 5-5 in BE with 5 out of last 9 games at home and 11-8 conference record looks a lot more doable. I know it's coulda/shoulda/woulda but still was a hard one to swallow.

Fair points, but we seem to have these discussions every season after we try to get out of deep holes, especially in BE play. Getting off to solid starts has not been the norm and as a result the team finds itself constantly scrambling.

 

[monte]

My feeling going in to the season was that we were middle of the pack team.
If things broke well, top of the middle of pack. If things didn't, bottom of the middle of pack. Based on our talent level and on how we've played, we are right where we belong. We can still salvage the season and wind up near the top, but it's going to take a hell of a finish. 

 

[NCJohnnie]

Otis wrote:

The good news is our beloved StJohn’s men’s basketball team is 3 games out of the Big East Tournament  10 + 11 playin game.

And 2 games out of 5th place. I'll continue to root for our guys and hope for the best ...

 

[NCJohnnie]

Monte wrote:
My feeling going in to the season was that we were middle of the pack team.
If things broke well, top of the middle of pack. If things didn't, bottom of the middle of pack. Based on our talent level and on how we've played, we are right where we belong. We can still salvage the season and wind up near the top, but it's going to take a hell of a finish. 

Monte, you were a lot more on target than I was. I thought we had a good shot at 4th behind Nova, UCONN & Xavier. Didn't see either Marquette or Creighton as threats (shame on me) and thought we'd fight out 4 through 6 with PC & Hall. But then again I'm generally more optimistic than I should be.     

 

[monte]

Monte wrote:
My feeling going in to the season was that we were middle of the pack team.
If things broke well, top of the middle of pack. If things didn't, bottom of the middle of pack. Based on our talent level and on how we've played, we are right where we belong. We can still salvage the season and wind up near the top, but it's going to take a hell of a finish. 

Monte, you were a lot more on target than I was. I thought we had a good shot at 4th behind Nova, UCONN & Xavier. Didn't see either Marquette or Creighton as threats (shame on me) and thought we'd fight out 4 through 6 with PC & Hall. But then again I'm generally more optimistic than I should be.     

...and I'm generally more pessimistic lol 

 

[Section9]

I’m surprised we haven’t gotten more from Stef Smith.  He’s gotten good looks this year and hasn’t been close on many.  It doesn’t look like the game is too fast for him.  It would be great if he could give us a lift.

If he’s not hitting shots, Anderson won’t stay very long with him considering he does not defend well is my read.

Same goes for Coburn, although he got some more burn last night.
 

 

[Section9]

Does anyone know what is wrong with Pinzon? Sorry if stated in another post,

Pinzon has not been cleared after covid. It appears he has lingering issues.

There's a young Canadian on Bayern Munich, Alphonso Davies, who has been out for quite a while with post covid issues which are related to inflamation of the heart.  I'm not saying that's the case with Raf, but I know that one of the tests they do post covid is heart related.
 

 

[Section9]

The negativity of this board the past few weeks is understandable given the pre-season expectations.  And, given what looked like underperformance by certain players.  But, I see nothing wrong with the "audacity of hope" to think we could have a better last third of the season than first 2/3.  The past 2 years have shown that coach's teams rend to play better toward the end of season than beginning. With guys like Wheeler, Soriano, Nywie et al filing their roles better than earlier in season, I do  not think it is silly to think we could make a decent run to close out the season.  Tough games ahead, especially those compressed into the next 2 weeks, but again, the last 2 years we won a bunch of games down the stretch that earlier in those seasons we did  not think we had a chanced to compete in.  So, here's hoping....
———
let’s not forget if Champ plays like hes capable of, like we saw last night. Wheeler and Soriano are becoming bona fide BE players.
The biggest problem we have now is we are short a good shooting guard.

We spend too much time playing Wusu and Mathis at the same time.  The guard rotation should be Mathis or Wusu and Coburn or Smith.  Wusu and Mathis should never be on the floor at the same time.  That gives u 3 guards who cant shoot on the floor.  Cant have that.

Maybe it's situational, different positions, but last night he had Stanley and Nywie on the floor together.
 

 

[beast of the east]

I don't think we've looked like a great team for most of the season. But what's possibly most maddening is, if we could have found a way to pull out those close games that we lost, this would be a totally different season with much more enthusiasm here.

The losses to Indiana, Pittsburgh, UConn, and Providence all easily could have been wins. 

Closing out games is what distinguishes teams that win consistently from teams that do not. It's not a random thing. Good teams make free throws down the stretch, don't turn the ball over in key situations. Knock down good looks, and stiffen on defense. Mediocre teams become good teams by executing late in games. Learning to win.

 

[otis]

....  I'll continue to root for our guys and hope for the best ...

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I believe that every regular poster on this site continues to hope that our beloved St. John's men's basketball team wins every game.