Rick Pitino - Head Coach at St John’s University!!!

MainMan said:
I hope you're right.
I think those two deserve to end their careers at St. John's if they want to.
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However if they think they deserve to end their careers as starters at St. John's I fully understand that RP may tell them the portal is their best option if he doesn't think they cut the mustard in his vision. Being on the team is a privelige, not a right. And both can play a fifth year at STJ or elsewhere if they want to as well, so they could still produce a legacy if they chos to go elsewhere.
 
Anthony Mattia said:
This is a huge and well known thing that happens down here. Not just for the structured stuff, but the pickup games where anyone can walk in the gym and say we got next and play against pros. It is amazing the names that come back.
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panther2 said:
Lavin did this also. Former players were around all summer. They worked his basketball camp and then played with and against the current playerts.
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i think having Rico on staff helped Lav quite a bit. Rico is known for his offseason workouts. He still runs them out of LA. High quality runs with current NBA players.
 
Rick has been told that there are 2 players on this team that truly love basketball and it is their #1 priority. That is Joel and Drissa. So matter how hard the other kids may seem to play on gameday, they are not giving it their all beyond that. Unfortuantley, that is on them.
 
Jack Williams said:
damn some yall are wild disrespectful about our school. Our campus is nice and has improved an absurd amount over the past 20 years.
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As a kid growing up in Bushwick, when I visited the campus I was blown away by how beautiful it was. Granted I hadn't been to many college campuses and wasn't being wooed by the likes of a UCLA, but still I don't think the campus is nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
 
monte said:
As a kid growing up in Bushwick, when I visited the campus I was blown away by how beautiful it was. Granted I hadn't been to many college campuses and wasn't being wooed by the likes of a UCLA, but still I don't think the campus is nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
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Felt the same way on my first campus visit. And still feel that way today about our campus. May not be the MOST beautiful, but it's not a dump either.
 
TonyinFairfield said:
Felt the same way on my first campus visit. And still feel that way today about our campus. May not be the MOST beautiful, but it's not a dump either.
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Agreed Tony. Whenever I visit the campus today, I think it's even nicer then I remember it being. And that's with me now having visited a slew of campuses accross the country. And the surrounding area is pretty nice as well. Certainly a lot nicer then the areas around Fordham, Seton Hall and many other schools.
 
monte said:
As a kid growing up in Bushwick, when I visited the campus I was blown away by how beautiful it was. Granted I hadn't been to many college campuses and wasn't being wooed by the likes of a UCLA, but still I don't think the campus is nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
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I grew up in a row house in Jackson Heights, not an inch of grass to be seen in the neighborhood. All concrete and asphalt.

When I went out to SJU as a kid with my dad to pick up my mom from night and weekend classes (she went to college part-time while working in her 40s), I felt like I was going out to the quiet countryside.
 
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I haven't visited the campus in 15 years. Dad (alumni) gave up his season tickets when I moved away so I usually try to catch games when they make it out to Ohio. Might be time to step back in time and travel to the city next year. Plus their is some Utopia Bagel shop somewhere down there that keeps popping up on some of my feeds and I must have some of their sandwiches.
 
monte said:
As a kid growing up in Bushwick, when I visited the campus I was blown away by how beautiful it was. Granted I hadn't been to many college campuses and wasn't being wooed by the likes of a UCLA, but still I don't think the campus is nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
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When I was a senior in high school, I wanted to visit the campus because I had been a fan all my life and also was considering going to college in NY.

My parents still had this dated idea that SJU was exclusively a commuter school so they were not into the idea of me going there.

We visited and I remember the feeling of walking down the strip and my parents being blown away by the progress of the campus since my Dad attended in the 80s. After that visit I knew I was going there and my parents supported it.

Also funny story from that visit my 18 year old self got starstruck when Kassoum Yakwe and Yankuba Sima walked past me. That didn't age so well lol
 
A couple of years ago I had a man I worked with taking his kid around to see the campus‘ of prospective schools. He called me in his office to say that St. John’s had an “unexpectedly“ nice campus. Him and his daughter seriously considered it AND it was close enough to home. I really don’t know if she attended (he changed) jobs but I know they liked the campus.

Now I personally have done the tours. My son attended Penn State so I have an idea. Frankly it (PSU) was huge but not for me. Most students live “off campus”. I paid significant money to rent. You can get lost. My son? He loved it. I have also been to University of Florida. Heck that’s where I would’ve gone. Weather, atmosphere, town …not sure I would have studied though. I also visited a few others. It’s not all location either. I would argue St. John’s has a nicer campus than South Florida. Not impressed. To each his own.

Point is they all have their good and bad points. This whole campus argument is overblown. No St. John’s is not on a California beach town or in Florida. We are where we are. Facilities “specifically” for basketball is another issue. Sounds like Fr. Shanley has this in his sights. Maybe Pitino turns this around and things can get more on “doing” than “talking” stage.
 
RP talks the talk and walks the walk to players of all calibers at all levels. They know the guy's for real and can make them better players. It's why so many want to play for him and why we're magically relevant once again. (Obviously higher Nil$$$'s help. Lol.)
And, again, I do hope Posh, Wusu, Storr (and a couple others) find traction with Rick and stay at St. John's.
 
I remember when I was a student one fellow student called the campus "a bunch of buildings and a patch of grass surrounded by a huge parking lot". I really didn't think much of the campus as far as aesthetics back then.

I like Monte and others have seen many campuses during my collegiate and work years. It was not uncommon for my family to drive around a college campus if we were on vacation out of town to just take a look. I have seen some that are breathtaking and some that are dumps, small and large. Did the college tours with my three kids.

All that being said, I look at St. John's campus now and can't believe all of the building they did and are still doing. It is not a dump or "a bunch of buildings and a patch of grass surrounded by a huge parking lot". I wish it had more land to do more building but they are making what they have work.

No if they could only do something with CA.
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
P

This comment by Rick is indicative of his brilliance . Why former Coaches never thought of this shows the elevated Plane the Pitino BB mind is on . Already a number of players we lived and died with are already raising their hands and saying I’m in . DLO being among the first . I think we forget that our former players were as upset with the on Court performance as we were . Pitino has Re energized our former players and wants them supporting the Program as they are part of the SJU family . Only an Elite mind would think of doing this .
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Those are SJU guys and want to see us win too. They bled on the courts to win. I’ve seen a ton of responses from former players after this tweet. They’re buying in because they wanna see SjU get to where they all wanted it. Awesome to see.
 
monte said:
As a kid growing up in Bushwick, when I visited the campus I was blown away by how beautiful it was. Granted I hadn't been to many college campuses and wasn't being wooed by the likes of a UCLA, but still I don't think the campus is nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
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For an urban setting the Campus IMO is fine. I think the school should have shuttle buses though to the local subway systems. If anyone ever followed pro-body building one of the best to ever do it worked out in a dirty dark gym with no special equipment; where he worked out was like a prison dungeon compared to Venice Beach body builders. If I was the coach I would build the culture around blue collar fight for your survival spirit type that doesn't need anything fancy.
 
ZanMan said:
Coach C would always say, "If you want to win the Kentucky Derby you need get thoroughbreds."

It really is that simple.

How many true thoroughbreds are currently on this team? Time will tell.
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Well, you, know, only thoroughbreds are allowed to run in the Kentucky Derby! Every winner of it is a thoroughbred1
 
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