There were definitely some malcontents, but IMO he should have been able to salvage at least 6 kids. Had that happened, there would be a lot less restlessness on this board right now.
Rick’s Targets
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
Rocket
Well-known member
You are definitely in the top 5 of Pitino haters here!
A couple of morally superior fans no longer post here because RP was hired. Get a freaking grip on reality Newsie!
On March 20, 2023, Pitino was named the head coach. That's THREE weeks ago.
Reality is most of the mean girls here on A list of posters weren't going to be happy with a Walt Clayton and Daniss Jenkins (Iona) backcourt. They still wanted a backcourt of Posh and Wusu, if they had a choice. The fact that our backcourt sucked and was near the bottom of the Big East meant nothing. So much for the expert observers here.
Personally, I always thought Walt would jump at the chance to go back and play for Florida, who incidentally, didn't see him as a starting basketball player, and bypassed him under the previous coach. He had the benefit of two years of Rick Pitino's tutelage and the new coach at Florida will have to be as good a tutor as Pitino was with him or all the warm weather will turn frosty. Heck, some fan who just crawled out of his closet wondered why Clayton would play in his own home state given the "political" atmosphere...... whatever the hell that means. Apologies to our many redmen fans who now call Florida home. BTW, Florida has also lost 8 players.
St. John's lost two players to the portal (Storr and Posh) who didn't have to leave but are gambling that they can do better elsewhere. All the other players that departed will be replaced. None were game changers and I couldn't care less where they end up.
Every back seat coach here is going to second guess Pitino for as long as he is at St. John's. I'm going to mute those guys for my own enjoyment of the game.
Rocket
Well-known member
How about 5 kids??
Storr and Posh were not asked to leave.
A new coach has a right to ask players to a work out session for evaluation.
If they found that intimidating image their openness to deal with a more demanding coaching experience.
All the other players that chose to put themselves up for availability in the portal are replaceable.
They are not "cast-aways" as some like to identify them.
They are on year-to-year scholarship and as far as RP (and many fans here) were concerned, their basketball scholarship did not meet his grading expectations.
RedStormRising
Well-known member
Shoot your shot TNice. That’s my advice to everyone, except Sean Evan’s I recommended he pass it.
SJUhoopNUT
Well-known member
Wasn’t Mahoney a Xaverian kid?
Someone stuck a plug in the open floodgates
Unbelievable! One recruit says no and RP is accused of failing miserably? And the answer is he failed because he didn’t bring back an 8th Place teams players? What a joke !
Boo Harvey
Well-known member
That’s where you and I differ. As a general matter I think scholarship athletes should be given the option to come back unless there are significant disciplinary issues or some material change in circumstances. The idea that an entire group of players can be disposed of in favor of “upgrades” strikes me as unseemly and antithetical to college sports.
By all appearances Pitino made it clear that he wasn’t prioritizing any of the returnees with the exception of Soriano and Traore. While he may have given Posh and Storr the opportunity to return, indications are that he did not leave them with the “warm and fuzzies.”
There is still time for Pitino to bring in a strong class but there are a fair amount of indications to date that he may have overplayed his hand. That combined with the fact that likeable Johnnies such as Posh and Storr appear to have been given short shrift relative to targets that have spurned us is concerning to some of us.
Look, I'm all for a demanding coach, but these kids aren't of your generation or mine. Todays coaches have to be able to kiss some butts. I don't like it one bit, but that's the way it is today. If Rick can fill out the roster with kids who butts he doesn't have to kiss a little, good for him. Or maybe he needs his assistants to act as the go between with these kids. That's kinda what I was hoping Van would do with some of last year's kids, but that didn't pan out. I've said it before about Rick and the other coaches we've had, I don't care how they get the job done so long as they get the job done. And while I know it's still very early on, so far his "take no prisoners" approach does not seem to be working.
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To be fair, Clayton was supposed to be our prized recruit. Someone who can shoot and know RP's system.
Boo Harvey
Well-known member
I don’t think anybody is saying that Pitino has failed miserably. I do think it’s fair to express some concern that Pitino jettisoned nearly every player on the team, several of whom were indisputably talented, given the apparent difficulties Pitino has encountered on the recruiting trail to date.
And the fact we finished eighth in the conference this year does not detract from the fact that some of the kids have talent. Look at Champagnie who has been thriving at San Antonio this past month despite the fact that SJU fared poorly his final year. Indeed, the current staff is presently recruiting kids from schools that suffered poor seasons. The Niagara kid is visiting later this month and Niagara was not a good team this year.
Yes
Rocket
Well-known member
WHO is Mahoney?
If you are referring to Brian, he was a St. Agnes kid.
Mullin spent his last year at Xaverian.
Spencer played at Xaverian and left
Have to agree so far Monte
That's as bad as those who say " It's not bragging if it is true". Bragging is bragging whether what you are saying is true or not. Jjust like a lie is a lie whether you believe it or not.
Rocket
Well-known member
Today's coaches? Do you mean coaches like 73 year old Jim Larranaga or the young Houston coach Kelvin Sampson or Brian Dutcher of SD State?
Those are over age 60 coaches whose teams were in the Sweet 16.
Don't join the few malcontents here who, after 3 weeks, are already questioning Rick Pitino's judgment without knowing what has, or is, going on with players.
The University of Florida saw 8 players depart with 5 entering the portal. Did Todd Golden jettison those 5 players? Who cares? Kids look out for themselves and the NIL has nothing to do with kissing ass but negotiating a salary to play for a college.
What makes it so hard to accept that Van Macon, who recruited these kids, may have had an influence in the departure of players?
If Rick Pitino had never mentioned the "need to replace 6-8 players" and Pinzon, Curbelo, Posh, Wusu, Jones and King entered the portal, as did the 5 at Florida,
what would your opinion be on those players???
Do you think the hundreds of players should be held harmless if they transfer from a school that gave them a scholarship, an NIL, and an educational opportunity?
According to the current modus operandi, the answer is YES.
But in St. John's case we seem to be conditioned to have to kiss ass to retain "average" college players, almost none of whom, will ever play for an NBA team.
How ironic that some who demanded radical change are now back peddling to try to convince themselves that just because Rick Pitino was hired that Posh, Jones, Wusu, Curbelo would miraculously meld into a sweet 16 team.
It was all Mike Anderson!
Hogwash!
Fans should delay drawing preliminary judgment on any Coach, including CRP, until the conclusion of their first year, and should not make final judgment on a Coach until (at least) completion of year 3. I would be cautious about premature judgments of CRP whether or not he had successfully completed his 2023 portal class.
Please remember that this is the first time that Coach Pitino has competed in the P6 open portal/ N$L arena. The good news is that he is a quick learner. From all accounts Pitino has a big ego so he will not be content with disappointing results. Hopefully there is sufficient N$L money available to him to be competitive.
Count me among those that remain optimistic that CRP will move the program in the correct direction.
Please remember that this is the first time that Coach Pitino has competed in the P6 open portal/ N$L arena. The good news is that he is a quick learner. From all accounts Pitino has a big ego so he will not be content with disappointing results. Hopefully there is sufficient N$L money available to him to be competitive.
Count me among those that remain optimistic that CRP will move the program in the correct direction.
Red_StormRevival
Active member
I think if we had Storr, Gardner and either Posh or King still on the roster for next year, a lot of us would be still be on cloud nine.
Its the combination of losing all of those guys AND having no one (yet) that's bringing down the energy.
Its the combination of losing all of those guys AND having no one (yet) that's bringing down the energy.
He played hurt last year.