Rick Pitino - Head Coach at St John’s University!!!
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Good sign for anyone worried we might do away with the weave
Rocket
Well-known member
Same height as Ryan Kalkbrenner at 7'1 but 35 pounds lighter. Mo has a unique instinct for blocking shots as does Ryan. He is obviously WAY behind in his offense but it is reassuring that Rick Pitino sees potential in him.
Many African kids develop a little later than American kids because they lacked youth programs with good coaches but they are quick learners and good students.
On the opposite extreme is Posh Alexander who probably is 5'11 and 220. If he loses 30 pounds and improves his shooting form, he's an all conference player. Unfortunately, he was unwilling to prove his naysayers wrong.
Unwilling? You know that? Why do you think it's necessary to insult one of our former players. Do you know how much hard work it takes to be a Division I player? Why would anyone want to come here to be insulted?
Rocket
Well-known member
These St. John's players are getting the highest level of individualized tutelage in college basketball. I dare say "priceless"!
Yes, it would hard to win with just a starting center but a couple of his mates have bailed out on him. Their replacements are negotiating for deals with other coaches because players today don't just want to be in the show, they want to believe that they can be the star of the show.
Rocket
Well-known member
Stop it already! Go back to Johnny Jungle and spew your hate for Rick Pitino and continue to be embarrassed by FUN.
Everything I said is on point. If a player is short, overweight and is a .25 percent shooter, you tell him what is reality.......you need great coaching and you need to get in shape!
L J S A
Well-known member
Haven't stood next to him and peeked at the scale, but I'd bet 205 is more accurate. Though I agree with your 190 target.
Nothing to add about anyone's opinion here, but want to share the below painting by Salvador Dali. When some people look at this picture they see a nude, while others look at the picture and see a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. I think if you look long and hard enough you will see both images. Perspective is a very individual and unique thing and whatever one's perspective is they own that, and it does not need to be challenged by anyone who sees it differently.
BodyHarmer
Member
Solid BIG3 team. Call Ice Cube.
Rocket
Well-known member
Very interesting concept Ghost.
However, your last sentence is the antithesis of what observations of sports is all about. In fact, on a broader sociopolitical scale, it is a daily, minute by minute reality.
BTW, being an ass man, what I first see in the Dali portrait is obvious but we all have our cross to bear and the second thing I see is a crucifix.
I have always loved Dali because his work keeps my perspective in check and reminds me to not lose out on the fact that my point of view is not the only way to look at something. I agree with you that sports reality evolves minute by minute and perspective alters quickly and people love to argue about what they believe to be true. However the certitude about one being right and another being wrong depends from what angle you look at things.
Professionally I work in the mental health field and in this work I am constantly interacting with people, who for a variety of reasons see the world differently than I do. To be effective in what I do, I need to be open to alternative perspectives and to always try and look at things from the viewpoint of others.
I too , am a Dali admirer . I had a copy of one of his famous works “ The Sacrament of the Last Supper.” The original , I believe may still hang in the National Gallery of Art in Washington , DC
I was Awed by his Masterpiece and truly inspired by his presentation .
I don’t believe he is eligible for the Portal though . With Dali, you just never know …
The team does need a backup point guard. He played at umass. Are you sure he can handle the Big East?...is this one below. And that is all I am going to say:
I will go back on my word and add one more thing.
Pitino is the most accomplished coach to ever coach at SJU. A school with HOF coaches like Frank McGuire, Joe Lapchick and Lou Carnesecca and Rick is more accomplished then any of them. That is a fact.
He is EASILY the best coach SJU could have ever thought of hiring in the post-Carnesecca era at SJU. Not even close. By the way just about every high major school except for a few Blue Bloods would say the same thing if they had hired Pitino at their school in the last 30+ years.
Is he beyond criticism? Of course not. But he was not going to line the roster with 5 star kids this late for 2022-23. But his roster will be solid at the end of the day. He will do more with less than anyone and then when he gets even better players things really explode.
Again I always bring up the 2010-11 Louisville team and that Big East conference. He had 5 incoming recruits, 4 prep kids and a transfer . Gorgui Deng, Justin Coleman (his highest rated recruit), Elisha Justice, Russ Smith and transfer Roburt Sallie from Memphis.
Coleman was declared academically ineligible and never made it to campus. Salllie also never enrolled as he had an issue with the timing of his acceptance as a grad transfer and thus never played for Louisville. And Deng was also declared academically ineligible, Louisville eventually won an appeal with the NCAA and he was allowed to play 2nd semester that year.
Remember that was a conference with Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Bob Huggins, Jay Wright, Mike Brey, Jamie Dixon. Heck Mick Cronin and Kevin Willard (now coaching at UCLA and Maryland) were literally NOBODIES in that conference it was so stacked.
He had a roster where 4 of his top 6 scorers were non top 100 kids (Preston Knowles, Mike Marra, Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith). They were picked to finish 8th. Pitino told his boosters before the season that it was going to be a transition year.
Well he went 25-10, finished 12-6 tied for 3rd in the BE. They lost the BET Championship to UCONN in a thriller. They got a 4 seed in the NCAA's got upset in the 1st round. That 4 seed would be a better seed then SJU has had in 23 years. And that was a "transition" year for Louisville.
That BE year was historic they sent 11 teams to the NCAA's, and UCONN who actually was seeded 11 in the BE Tourney at 9-9 went on to win the BE Tourney and the NCAA's. That is how stacked the BE was then both in programs and coaches.
And I would argue Pitino was the BEST of them all.
And that guy is coaching SJU right now. Just think about that.
Pitino is the most accomplished coach to ever coach at SJU. A school with HOF coaches like Frank McGuire, Joe Lapchick and Lou Carnesecca and Rick is more accomplished then any of them. That is a fact.
He is EASILY the best coach SJU could have ever thought of hiring in the post-Carnesecca era at SJU. Not even close. By the way just about every high major school except for a few Blue Bloods would say the same thing if they had hired Pitino at their school in the last 30+ years.
Is he beyond criticism? Of course not. But he was not going to line the roster with 5 star kids this late for 2022-23. But his roster will be solid at the end of the day. He will do more with less than anyone and then when he gets even better players things really explode.
Again I always bring up the 2010-11 Louisville team and that Big East conference. He had 5 incoming recruits, 4 prep kids and a transfer . Gorgui Deng, Justin Coleman (his highest rated recruit), Elisha Justice, Russ Smith and transfer Roburt Sallie from Memphis.
Coleman was declared academically ineligible and never made it to campus. Salllie also never enrolled as he had an issue with the timing of his acceptance as a grad transfer and thus never played for Louisville. And Deng was also declared academically ineligible, Louisville eventually won an appeal with the NCAA and he was allowed to play 2nd semester that year.
Remember that was a conference with Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Bob Huggins, Jay Wright, Mike Brey, Jamie Dixon. Heck Mick Cronin and Kevin Willard (now coaching at UCLA and Maryland) were literally NOBODIES in that conference it was so stacked.
He had a roster where 4 of his top 6 scorers were non top 100 kids (Preston Knowles, Mike Marra, Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith). They were picked to finish 8th. Pitino told his boosters before the season that it was going to be a transition year.
Well he went 25-10, finished 12-6 tied for 3rd in the BE. They lost the BET Championship to UCONN in a thriller. They got a 4 seed in the NCAA's got upset in the 1st round. That 4 seed would be a better seed then SJU has had in 23 years. And that was a "transition" year for Louisville.
That BE year was historic they sent 11 teams to the NCAA's, and UCONN who actually was seeded 11 in the BE Tourney at 9-9 went on to win the BE Tourney and the NCAA's. That is how stacked the BE was then both in programs and coaches.
And I would argue Pitino was the BEST of them all.
And that guy is coaching SJU right now. Just think about that.
I think everyone pretty much agrees that Pitino was the most important St. John's "recruit" this off-season, as has been stated many times, but he's still missed out on nearly all of his major targets thus far and we're anxious for Big East caliber starters to join. As soon as he lands a couple four stars (not even five stars) the hype will go back into overdrive. Hopefully that'll happen soon, though I'm glad we have Johnnies news to look forward to in late April / May.