Questions/Concerns about this team..

[RedStormNC]

Maybe no chest bumping, but its not apathy either.

Wusu slaps hands / Soriano and Champ and Mathis both clapping.  That leaves only 1 other guy on floor not seen in the clip.

 

 

[terrificboss]

One thing our interior defense like last year is overrated. Its like Swiss cheese.....so all the pressing or pressure looks good and may force a few turnovers at best but when its beaten its an easy basket..........

 

[Eric]

I personally think everyone is way over reacting even though these last 3 games of course are concerning.   A win against Kansas will again change the narrative about the team.  

 

[Amaseinyourface]

One thing our interior defense like last year is overrated. Its like Swiss cheese.....so all the pressing or pressure looks good and may force a few turnovers at best but when its beaten its an easy basket..........

Right now teams are only shooting 43% from two vs us. That’s good enough for 40th best in the country. Competition of course being important. Opponents are also scoring 48% of their points inside the arc vs us which is better than average.

 

[lawmanfan]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 
 

First, I think that (as usual), many of our posters fall into the trap of "what I saw today is what I"m going to see every day from now until the end of the season."  Players and teams evolve and develop over time, and that has definitely been the case during Anderson's tenure.

Second, to Monte's questions:

1.  Smith will be fine.  He isn't a sharpshooter, but he can get buckets against any level of competition.  Coburn I suspect will be more of a specialist.  It remains be seen if Anderson runs plays for a spot-up shooter other than JC.  But I think Coburn will contribute with some big 3s in some big spots at various points during the season.

2.  Soriano will provide a needed interior presence against large bodies.  He will have trouble with quicker, more athletic opponents.  The good news is that there aren't a zillion skilled 7 footers out there.  He'll give you the minutes you need against Watson, hold his own just fine against Dixon, make some problems for Kalkbrenner, etc.  Just go around the league and look for yourself.  OK he got beat by an athletic All-American and he wouldn't be able to play with Drew Timme.  I can live with that.

3.  Wheeler just doesn't want to play inside.  He's hanging around to take Julian's spot next year.  Not a wonderful development.  I remain the president of the O'Mar Stanley fan club, he will improve and we'll need him to.  Hopefully we can also get something from Nyiwe in the post, which we will need also.

4.  Mathis and Wusu both come to play every night against every opponent.  Mathis isn't a jump shooter but he will get to the rim and give you points to go along with defense, rebounding, and hustle.  Wusu has the same game plus a better jump shot.  Those two are going to be essential cogs in the machine, especially since they can help rebound and we are going to need that.

5.  Wusu, Smith and Mathis can all advance the ball up the floor, but for decision-making over mid court the best bet is Pinzon.

My question/concern about this team is the following:

Are the underperformances against poor competition after the Indiana game (a) a sign of a chemistry issue; or (b) a sign of a motivation issue?  Because I think it may be one or the other and neither of those is great.  I suppose a third answer is "growing pains," but I don't think that's it.

 

[monte]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

 

First, I think that (as usual), many of our posters fall into the trap of "what I saw today is what I"m going to see every day from now until the end of the season."  Players and teams evolve and develop over time, and that has definitely been the case during Anderson's tenure.

Second, to Monte's questions:

1.  Smith will be fine.  He isn't a sharpshooter, but he can get buckets against any level of competition.  Coburn I suspect will be more of a specialist.  It remains be seen if Anderson runs plays for a spot-up shooter other than JC.  But I think Coburn will contribute with some big 3s in some big spots at various points during the season.

2.  Soriano will provide a needed interior presence against large bodies.  He will have trouble with quicker, more athletic opponents.  The good news is that there aren't a zillion skilled 7 footers out there.  He'll give you the minutes you need against Watson, hold his own just fine against Dixon, make some problems for Kalkbrenner, etc.  Just go around the league and look for yourself.  OK he got beat by an athletic All-American and he wouldn't be able to play with Drew Timme.  I can live with that.

3.  Wheeler just doesn't want to play inside.  He's hanging around to take Julian's spot next year.  Not a wonderful development.  I remain the president of the O'Mar Stanley fan club, he will improve and we'll need him to.  Hopefully we can also get something from Nyiwe in the post, which we will need also.

4.  Mathis and Wusu both come to play every night against every opponent.  Mathis isn't a jump shooter but he will get to the rim and give you points to go along with defense, rebounding, and hustle.  Wusu has the same game plus a better jump shot.  Those two are going to be essential cogs in the machine, especially since they can help rebound and we are going to need that.

5.  Wusu, Smith and Mathis can all advance the ball up the floor, but for decision-making over mid court the best bet is Pinzon.

My question/concern about this team is the following:

Are the underperformances against poor competition after the Indiana game (a) a sign of a chemistry issue; or (b) a sign of a motivation issue?  Because I think it may be one or the other and neither of those is great.  I suppose a third answer is "growing pains," but I don't think that's it.

Naturally we would expect "growing pains" for the freshman and Nyiwe, but not for the upperclassmen. Certainly not to this degree. I think we were all expecting a smoother transition right off the bat. Not perfectly smooth, but definitely smoother. i believe it could be some of both chemistry and motivation. We should have the answer to "motivation" question this Friday. If we don't come out highly motivated  for this game, then  we have a major problem. 

 

[Ray Morgan]

The main problem right now is turnovers and poor shooting by our supposed 3 best 3 point shooters. That is fixable. So are defensive breakdowns. More familiarity with the system will help with that.  Champ shot 38% from 3 last season, and was at 40% for most of it. Mid 80s from the line.  He will soon heat up from 3 and the line. The due/owe theory says so.  

 

[jr49]

Something I have noticed a couple times - and I really hope I’m being paranoid, but for as much as coaches/players preached “we are a family” in the preseason….I don’t know what families they have, but not seeing what I consider “family” actions. A couple times when players hit the floor after a fouls, I would expect guys to rush over to said player and help him up- haven’t seen that. 

a couple posters mentioned, at this juncture, seems more a collection of individuals than a true team.

this clip SJU Twitter just posted I think speaks volumes… Joel makes a huge and1 hook shot at a critical point of the game…why is no one chest bumping him?

https://twitter.com/stjohnsbball/status/1464975726088753155?s=21

tell me I’m seeing something that isn’t there…
High 5 after win is enough of that crap for me.

 

[beast of the east]

Just was thinking that back in the 70s,  (not the age, the decade), I went to a ton of games where our very talented teams were locked in these games against inferior teams that were 1 or 2 possession games with 5 or 6 minutes to play.   Invariably they would step on the gas and pull out a win, sometimes by 8-12 points, but the first 35 minutes was the same sort of crap that we've seen the past few games.   

We've lost just one game, away, to a national program by one possession, where if our last shot went in, we'd be sort of giddy right now.

Playing poorly against lesser competition I think is more common because nearly every single D1 starter has played AAU against top players and just aren't intimidated by playing a more talented opponent.   They can be overwhelmed talent wise, but they won't play scared.   Plus we basically have an entirely new team learning how to play with each other and for a new coaching staff.  

I'm not worried.    At this point.   Lol

 

[ras]

The 85 final four team lost to Niagara.

 

[fordham96]

Definitely an apples to apples comparison.

richard A Steinfeld post=444620
The 85 final four team lost to Niagara.

 

[Ray Morgan]

Just was thinking that back in the 70s,  (not the age, the decade), I went to a ton of games where our very talented teams were locked in these games against inferior teams that were 1 or 2 possession games with 5 or 6 minutes to play.   Invariably they would step on the gas and pull out a win, sometimes by 8-12 points, but the first 35 minutes was the same sort of crap that we've seen the past few games.   

We've lost just one game, away, to a national program by one possession, where if our last shot went in, we'd be sort of giddy right now.

Playing poorly against lesser competition I think is more common because nearly every single D1 starter has played AAU against top players and just aren't intimidated by playing a more talented opponent.   They can be overwhelmed talent wise, but they won't play scared.   Plus we basically have an entirely new team learning how to play with each other and for a new coaching staff.  

I'm not worried.    At this point.   Lol

Really excellent point about the lack of intimidation. NJIT looked comfortable from the start. The longer the mid or low majors stay in the game, the more confident they get. There are players on NJIT that can compete at a higher level. O'Hearn looked like one of them. In recent years, we have seen unknowns like Loyola of Chicago and FGCU  do very well in the NCAA tournament. Virginia lost to 16 seed UMBC a few years ago. 

If this SJU team was projected to be a top 20 or better powerhouse, I would say the team was overrated.  No realistic person saw us that way before the season began.  There have to a bunch of upsets already, and some near upsets. Creighton barely survived the other day, and their team is filled with highly rated recruits.

Maybe we are all in panic mode a bit prematurely. The team has not jelled. The star is in a shooting slump and the team leader is banged up.  The backup PG has not played recently.  Our early season growing pains is  nothing new.  Let's give the team some more time before hitting the panic button.

 

 

[monte]

Just was thinking that back in the 70s,  (not the age, the decade), I went to a ton of games where our very talented teams were locked in these games against inferior teams that were 1 or 2 possession games with 5 or 6 minutes to play.   Invariably they would step on the gas and pull out a win, sometimes by 8-12 points, but the first 35 minutes was the same sort of crap that we've seen the past few games.   

We've lost just one game, away, to a national program by one possession, where if our last shot went in, we'd be sort of giddy right now.

Playing poorly against lesser competition I think is more common because nearly every single D1 starter has played AAU against top players and just aren't intimidated by playing a more talented opponent.   They can be overwhelmed talent wise, but they won't play scared.   Plus we basically have an entirely new team learning how to play with each other and for a new coaching staff.  

I'm not worried.    At this point.   Lol

Really excellent point about the lack of intimidation. NJIT looked comfortable from the start. The longer the mid or low majors stay in the game, the more confident they get. There are players on NJIT that can compete at a higher level. O'Hearn looked like one of them. In recent years, we have seen unknowns like Loyola of Chicago and FGCU  do very well in the NCAA tournament. Virginia lost to 16 seed UMBC a few years ago. 

If this SJU team was projected to be a top 20 or better powerhouse, I would say the team was overrated.  No realistic person saw us that way before the season began.  There have to a bunch of upsets already, and some near upsets. Creighton barely survived the other day, and their team is filled with highly rated recruits.

Maybe we are all in panic mode a bit prematurely. The team has not jelled. The star is in a shooting slump and the team leader is banged up.  The backup PG has not played recently.  Our early season growing pains is  nothing new.  Let's give the team some more time before hitting the panic button.


 

Agree, no cause for panic, but plenty of cause for concern. Maybe because my expectations weren't nearly as lofty as others on here, there will not be any panic from me no matter what happens. Think we'll improve, but still a lot of questions marks. They'll be answered soon enough. 

 

[Porgyman]

Did everyone around here swallow some “logic” pills last night? The last few posts give me reason for optimism. Honestly, I almost walked away after reading posts calling for the coach to be fired! Huh? The same guy that posted winning records here with a chicken crap roster?

Or the posts that were viciously attacking Champ.  One day after discussion of placing him on the St. John’s Mt. Rushmore.
Folks…it’s a long season. Teams don’t jell overnight. Especially teams with lots of new faces. I’d rather see these struggles now, as opposed to February.

 

[mjmaherjr]

Did everyone around here swallow some “logic” pills last night? The last few posts give me reason for optimism. 
 

Probably just posters swallowing some Xanax

 

[room112]

Did everyone around here swallow some “logic” pills last night? The last few posts give me reason for optimism. Honestly, I almost walked away after reading posts calling for the coach to be fired! Huh? The same guy that posted winning records here with a chicken crap roster?

Or the posts that were viciously attacking Champ.  One day after discussion of placing him on the St. John’s Mt. Rushmore.
Folks…it’s a long season. Teams don’t jell overnight. Especially teams with lots of new faces. I’d rather see these struggles now, as opposed to February.

Who was "viciously attacking" Champ? Unless I missed something, all I saw was fair critique of his game so far this year, but nothing raising to the level of an attack.

 

[fuchsia]

Did everyone around here swallow some “logic” pills last night? The last few posts give me reason for optimism. 

 

Probably just posters swallowing some Xanax

Some of the recovering people I worked with had Xanax as their drug of choice.

 

[monte]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1. I have serious doubts 
2. See #1
3. No
4. What he gave Rutgers 
5. Pinzon, I guess 

I talk to myself a lot, especially when I drink. 

 

[dee]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

You forgot one question. Is Anderson the right coach? Answer NO
HEY CMA ITS TIME TO GO!!
 

 

[dee]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

You forgot one question. Is Anderson the right coach? Answer NO
HEY CMA ITS TIME TO GO!!