Smith is not why we lost, mediocre performance and except for Zub 9and Scott's hustle), the rest were below mediocre.
Rick Pitino - Head Coach at St John’s University!!!
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He was also forced to play huge minutes and never stopped battling.
I thought Smith was very good in first half playing with 2 fouls but still being aggressive; he tired in the second half as he has not been playing those kind of minutes (32).
+1000
The star player up to that point did not acquit himself well. He plated a selfish game and did not listen to the coach or follow the game plan. Even his teammates could not talk sense into him as witnessed by the video of Zuby shaking him and he and Scott trying to talk to him. By the way, looking at that video RJ looked completely Zoned out.
!000% correct
There’s something under the surface going on here.
In what universe is the guy who won you half the close games the team won with his grabs of vital rebounds and crucial shotmaking “not good enough to live with”?
If he’s pulled after a 2 point first half in a recent game, you never get his 27 point second half.
Some of these posts are pure garbage.
Agree
Rocket
Well-known member
I hate to stereotype but RJ has that Latino sensitivity when not playing well. He gets very emotional and temperamental. It is correctable with maturity and why he needs another year with a better shooting complement of players. His numbers may go down but his overall game will improve. Not to mention, we would have a more balanced offense.
Other than the end of the Creighton game and the Arkansas game , can you point out where luis was playing like that and not following instructions. I can't. Saturdays exhibition by Luis of selfish play was egregious. The only pure garbage was the last line of your post. Just becauseyou don't agree with other posters replies to your post does not justify your respone. Seems to me that that is a thin skinned and defensive respone.
Some of the things written about RJ being selfish and lazy are bullshit -:stinking pile of garbage. Have these posters met him? Chatted even a minute? Gone to more than 1-2 games? Drove their asses to Providence without tix with the hope of scoring tix st $400 for starters of just be in the same city if they couldn't. Gone to NIL events whete rj is generous with his time snd gracious, holding babies, taking hundreds of pics with fans and signing tons of autographs.
Now as far as Rick's decision to bench his best player, having two days to think about it, if we win Rick's a genius. If we lose, well, he's going to take well deserved heat.
Still a great coach, but msybe this L is on him for taking a gamble and losing.
Look at it this way - do you think Cal was worried that rj got yanked or glad to see him on the bench. Yes. You have your answer.
Now as far as Rick's decision to bench his best player, having two days to think about it, if we win Rick's a genius. If we lose, well, he's going to take well deserved heat.
Still a great coach, but msybe this L is on him for taking a gamble and losing.
Look at it this way - do you think Cal was worried that rj got yanked or glad to see him on the bench. Yes. You have your answer.
Redenbacher
Well-known member
I just watched Pitino's press conference and the thing that astounds me the most is that not one reporter in that room called Pitino out on his non-answer to why he sat RJ. "You already know the answer." What?? I mean, I get why the Zach, Roger Rubin and the local guys feel the need to suck up to him for future access purposes. But it shocks me that no one in that room pressed him on it. Journalism is dead!
It was obvious RJ just didn't have it at all and wasn't helping anywhere. Rick doesn't want to talk badly of his players, so why force him to?
Redenbacher
Well-known member
The only thing that was obvious was that no one (outside of Zuby) was playing well. So why sit RJ specifically? It is a totally legitimate question and of course, Pitino doesn't want to talk badly about his players, but there are a lot of diplomatic ways he could have answered it. For the reporters to let him get away with "You know the answer" is just pathetic.
By the way, this isn't a critique of Pitino's decision- it's a critique of the obviously cowed reporters!
SJUWillRockNYC
Well-known member
Did Cal love RJ trying to be a one man show, making it easy for his defense, just knowing that he wouldn't pass? You bet he loved that.
I'm done about the Luis benching.
"honestly, that was really the plan"
Rocket
Well-known member
We win a national championship with Walt.........to dream....
I was listening to the fan late nite on Saturday and the host was complaining about pitino making a rookie mistake taking rj out. He was upset that his bracket was broken and he was parroting what Steve Lappas was saying, someone who could not hold RE s jock. Lewis was having a bad and frustrating game in which he made many poor decisions. Many times he drove in one on 3 often with someone open on the wing. He wanted to be the hero. When Rick asked him to stop he continued till rick was fed up. Disobey the rules and suffer he consequences.
Also just because the put rj back does not ensure better results
Also just because the put rj back does not ensure better results