[quote="Paultzman" post=309940]Per Zach B
According to OddShark, Seton Hall is a 3.5-point favorite tomorrow over St. John's. Expected it to be lower, like 1.5-2. #sjubb #shbb
Expecting a war & game decided in last minute. Hit those FTs Shamorie! [/quote]
If we are fortunate to have the lead in the final minute, Simon MUST not touch the ball
Tomorrow is the kind of game we've been waiting for the last few years - let's enjoy it and hope the ball bounces our way. Sometimes that's all it takes.
[quote="espken" post=309978][quote="Paultzman" post=309940]Per Zach B
According to OddShark, Seton Hall is a 3.5-point favorite tomorrow over St. John's. Expected it to be lower, like 1.5-2. #sjubb #shbb
Expecting a war & game decided in last minute. Hit those FTs Shamorie! [/quote]
If we are fortunate to have the lead in the final minute, Simon MUST not touch the ball[/quote]
[quote="MCNPA" post=309980][quote="espken" post=309978][quote="Paultzman" post=309940]Per Zach B
According to OddShark, Seton Hall is a 3.5-point favorite tomorrow over St. John's. Expected it to be lower, like 1.5-2. #sjubb #shbb
Expecting a war & game decided in last minute. Hit those FTs Shamorie! [/quote]
If we are fortunate to have the lead in the final minute, Simon MUST not touch the ball[/quote]
Not even an alley-oop dunk from Shamorie?[/quote]
Nope, he might fumble it out of bounds B)
Ponds, Heron and Clark should be our closers from the line when nursing a lead in the final seconds
[quote="MCNPA" post=309955][quote="Class of 72" post=309951]Factoring in no Keita and a possible lesser performance by one of our key players (Clark or Heron) and I give the Pirates an 8 point victory. If all of our 5 starters are in sync then a 3 or 4 point win or loss.[/quote]
So you’re saying that SJU at our best, the most we are good for is a 3 point win at Seton Hall? That makes no sense. If that’s the case you shouldn’t expect a win from us the rest of the season, because we are undefeated and not really playing near our best most of the time.[/quote]
Why on earth would you think that we are at our best already? Whom have we defeated with our post player? He played a few minutes before injury. Hopefully we will be at our best by our 6th or 7th Big East game. In any game against any Big East team if Clark is relegated to the bench we can lose the game. No other team in the Big East suffers such a huge handicap from the loss of any one player who is not their top scoring option.
The lack of a bench with inside scoring and rebounding ability gives the Hall an advantage whether you see it or not. My prediction is pretty much in line with the Vegas line so if we win by 3 points or lose by 3 you must not have much confidence in this team or staff if you think I "shouldn’t expect a win from us the rest of the season".
Simply stated, we were at a disadvantage when the season began without a back up big. Now we are at a greater disadvantage by having our only big injured. Luckily our OOC schedule has helped us to a 12-0 start. The real season against better teams begins tomorrow. I would be thrilled with a 3 point victory.
Last season's opener was the pivotal game of the season for the Johnnies. It was at home and against an experienced, but struggling PC team. PC's experience came through sending the johnnies into a tailspin that we will refer to for years to come.
With all the local hoopla I'm not viewing tomorrow's game as a pivotal one. The home opener against Marquette is a key one. Win or lose tomorrow, this Johnny team has to win at home against a ranked Marquette team. A loss at CA would do damage with two road games to follow.
As for tomorrow...SHU is as tough a place as any for the Johnnies, but every season brings a clean slate with new faces like Fig. Normally, SHU has a chip on their shoulders. This year they are the self proclaimed top team in the region. Words like those have a tendency to bite you. Just keep the pressure on the self proclaimed world beaters from Jersey and shoot the ball well. Steal a win on the road and protect the home Tuesday night.
[quote="MCNPA" post=309963][quote="Eric" post=309962][quote="Paultzman" post=309960][quote="Eric" post=309958]I don’t get the uneasiness here. We are much better this year. No kidding we haven’t won much at seton hall over the last bunch of years. They’ve been much better than us. We hadn’t won much anywhere. . This year is different. I’m glad we are finally an underdog also here.[/quote]
Perhaps their recent wins over Kentucky at home and Maryland away have given them confidence and earned fan respect. I will be quite surprised if this is not a close game. This is not Rutgers.[/quote]
Right. But hammered by a good Nebraska team. Whom we beat last year and they have pretty much same pieces as last year when we beat them. Bad loss to St. Louis. Decent team but I’ll take our win over Vcu over that. And a bad loss to a Louisville team not expected to do much all that much this year. So yea Kentucky and more in my opinion is the Maryland win on road. They have losses to teams they shouldn’t have lost to if they are better than us. As Powell goes so goes seton hall. We have more to rely on my opinion. Ponds and Powell a wash possibly. Then I’ll take what we have over them. Just my opinion but I’m confident in this team to take care of business this year. I understand they have the better ooc schedule but I think we fare better with their schedule than they did.[/quote]
I hope they’re as overconfident as their fans and everybody else who chalks our record up to merely having a weak schedule. Hope our players enjoy the underdog role and take it personally. We get no respect. Time to earn it![/quote]
I'm glad we get no respect, it will get the team closer and united as a family.
Have that us against the world mentality.
Like we aren't begging for your respect, we demand your f'ing respect.
[quote="NCJohnnie" post=309979]Tomorrow is the kind of game we've been waiting for the last few years - let's enjoy it and hope the ball bounces our way. Sometimes that's all it takes.[/quote]
Enjoy it? If it's right with 3mins to go, I'll be a freaking lunatic. You kidding me.
[quote="Eric" post=309958]I don’t get the uneasiness here. We are much better this year. No kidding we haven’t won much at seton hall over the last bunch of years. They’ve been much better than us. We hadn’t won much anywhere. . This year is different. I’m glad we are finally an underdog also here.[/quote]
Think our weak OOC schedule is impacting our supporters’ perception of our team. We have more weapons than they do. Lot of talk about Powell who is good. ponds more than neutralizes him.
We have come a long way from last yr.Sh is a strong team just to be well thought of that the game should be close is great. It should be close but who knows but at least it is giving the fans hope.dont think we should get down on the team if they lose a close one considering our center who would have provided rebounds is not playing
We could have a good shooting game and win this thing
A lot being made of the Ponds/Powell showdown. I will say, if both players are held in check, I like our chances. Just think we have more scoring options beyond our number one.
Bottom line.....tomorrow's game will be won by the team that plays better defense.
[quote="Section3" post=310004][quote="Eric" post=309958]I don’t get the uneasiness here. We are much better this year. No kidding we haven’t won much at seton hall over the last bunch of years. They’ve been much better than us. We hadn’t won much anywhere. . This year is different. I’m glad we are finally an underdog also here.[/quote]
Think our weak OOC schedule is impacting our supporters’ perception of our team. We have more weapons than they do. Lot of talk about Powell who is good. ponds more than neutralizes him.[/quote]
[quote="Delaware" post=310012]Feeling like Heron needs to have a big game tonight in order for SJ to win.[/quote]
We have a better lineup. Complete team effort needed. I definitely would like to see a big one from Heron. We know Figueroa will come out to play. Simon also needs to step up and do what he does best which is attack for boards, transition ball and slashing to hoop.
Number 1 concern tonight is that we are ready to play against a quality Big East opponent. Last year our Big East opener versus UP was a stinker and some attributed it to the staff giving the team too many days off during the holidays. Hopefully a more experienced coaching staff and players are ready tonight.
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