Roster

[quote="QueensBall" post=359260]
SJUFAN2, I agree that the play (and hopefully eligibility) of Dunn & Steere are going to be a determining factor in our ability to surprise people. You're a little more optimistic than me (I'd be ecstatic and shocked if 4th place was in reach) but I also think that if Dunn can be a 3rd scorer and has the same motor he did at St Francis that would be huge. I know he's taking a big step up in competition but he also sat out a year. Hopefully he's been working on his game and comes in as an improved player to help offset the jump up to the Big East. If Steere can rebound and has some natural scoring ability (who was the last big we had with good hands?) he'll be our best front court player in some time. I'm optimistic but not confident about Steere only because we've been burned so often in recent seasons. I thought Yakwe was going to be the guy after his promising freshman season and I also thought Keita was going to be that guy so until I see it, I can't count on it. Hopefully that was just an issue of the previous staff's inability to develop front court players and Coach Anderson can turn that around. If I see more stat lines where our "big guy" plays 25-30 mins and finishes with 4 blocks but 2 pts, 2 rebounds and 5 fouls I'll lose my mind...[/quote]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we are going to finish 4th. That's going to require more good breaks than Dunn and Steere playing from jump street, but players get better and other teams have injuries. How many games did we lose last year with Heron or Ponds on the bench with a nagging injury?

I'm just saying that with decent PG play, good health for Heron and Figgy, and Dunn/Steere playing right away we are going to be in that 7-11 to 9-9 (10-8?) range in conference. That's not top 3 but its a bubble team going into March.

I'd be pleased with that in year 1.
 
[quote="oldschool Redmen" post=359263][quote="SJUFAN2" post=359233]If Steere and Dunn are eligible 1st semester then I think this team could finish as high as 4th and no lower than 7th.
That's an NCAA bubble team. 17+ wins, near .500 in conference.[/quote]

Careful, or you could someone say to you: " I want you're having." After predicting 8-10, 18-13.[/quote]

I always share...:p
 
[quote="MJDinkins" post=359276][quote="oldschool Redmen" post=359274][quote="SJU14" post=359270]Correct, between LJ averaging 23 PPG and the use of “worse case scenario 18-13” is what prompted that response.[/quote]

Ok my bad

Then lets try lj will have a disappointment season and avg12.5 this season. We'll be dead last in conf and go 4-14 and end up 14-17, and mikey will have his first losing season in 18 years. Welcome to sju mikey.

Well that should make you people happy so no bitching about my new prediction right?[/quote]

Frankly, I don't care what people predict. But I think the issue with SJU 14 and a couple others had to do with you saying 18-10 (overall) and 8-10 in the conference being the "worst case scenario."

If that's the worst case scenario, then the best case scenario would be anywhere from decent-to-pretty darn good. I think that is where some believe your scenario would likely be the "best case scenario" for us this upcoming season.

I don't know where we'll end up as there are too many new parts from players to the new coaching staff. I do believe we have one of the best, if not the best, 1-2 punch returning in the conference. We have a coach with a winning pedigree being he's never had a losing season. If we can get competent point guard play, steady play from a big or two, rebound and defend then ya never know what may transpire.

Otherwise, ask me in January, and I may have a better grasp. ;)[/quote]

This idea that Heron and LJ are the best returning duo in the conference is a bit of a myth. They are both very good players. But here are combos I'd rate higher if i am being honest with myself and not looking at our own players through rose colored glasses:

Powell and Cale
Howard and anyone really, but let's just say Theo John for fun
Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones
Alpha Diallo and A.J. Reeves
 
[quote="MJDinkins" post=359276][quote="oldschool Redmen" post=359274][quote="SJU14" post=359270]Correct, between LJ averaging 23 PPG and the use of “worse case scenario 18-13” is what prompted that response.[/quote]

Ok my bad

Then lets try lj will have a disappointment season and avg12.5 this season. We'll be dead last in conf and go 4-14 and end up 14-17, and mikey will have his first losing season in 18 years. Welcome to sju mikey.

Well that should make you people happy so no bitching about my new prediction right?[/quote]

Frankly, I don't care what people predict. But I think the issue with SJU 14 and a couple others had to do with you saying 18-10 (overall) and 8-10 in the conference being the "worst case scenario."

If that's the worst case scenario, then the best case scenario would be anywhere from decent-to-pretty darn good. I think that is where some believe your scenario would likely be the "best case scenario" for us this upcoming season.

I don't know where we'll end up as there are too many new parts from players to the new coaching staff. I do believe we have one of the best, if not the best, 1-2 punch returning in the conference. We have a coach with a winning pedigree being he's never had a losing season. If we can get competent point guard play, steady play from a big or two, rebound and defend then ya never know what may transpire.

Otherwise, ask me in January, and I may have a better grasp. ;)[/quote]

LJ an Heron are returning, hoping Dunn is as good as people are saying.
People are saying Steere is our most talented big man in years.
And lets see what Williams has.

I don't know what we'll be getting from the bench but the starting 5 looks pretty strong.

Also, lets see where out defense is by January.

If we're more like 4-14 then 8-10 in leasgue play, with Heron leaving, LJ PROBABLY leaving, UConn would their first year back and probably smack us.

That would be a real disgrace.
 
Windy City Johnny Fan wrote: This idea that Heron and LJ are the best returning duo in the conference is a bit of a myth. They are both very good players. But here are combos I'd rate higher if i am being honest with myself and not looking at our own players through rose colored glasses:

Powell and Cale
Howard and anyone really, but let's just say Theo John for fun
Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones
Alpha Diallo and A.J. Reeves

Respectfully disagree WCJF. MJ Dinkins posted something on another thread (can't find it right now) from a non-SJU source that listed 10 best players in BE - LJ was 9th and Mustapha 6th and we were the only school with 2 in the top 10. I just don't see any of the pairs above as better than our two. Where we may well run into trouble is the dropoff from our top 2 to the 3rd and 4th best players.
 
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[quote="Amaseinyourface" post=359236][quote="AlexSTJ" post=359234][quote="SJUFAN2" post=359233]If Steere and Dunn are eligible 1st semester then I think this team could finish as high as 4th and no lower than 7th.
That's an NCAA bubble team. 17+ wins, near .500 in conference.[/quote]


Who are the three teams that are going to finish below us? Every team in the conference will be better this year except Marquette and possibly Nova (depending on their terrific freshman class).[/quote]

We’re we the 7th most talented team in the BE last year?[/quote]

Definitely top 4 and probably better with regard to talent on the roster. Top 5 were probably the most talented in the conference if you took positional balance out of the equation, obviously some issues with roster makeup and depth plus coaching.
 
Another point re OSR's OP, only 5 BE guys have averaged 23+ pts in the past 10 years so again let's just be a little rational. Those 5 are Markus Howard, Kemba, Doug McDermott, Marshon Brooks and Luke Harangoady, none of them did it more than once.
 
[quote="austour" post=359287]Another point re OSR's OP, only 5 BE guys have averaged 23+ pts in the past 10 years so again let's just be a little rational. Those 5 are Markus Howard, Kemba, Doug McDermott, Marshon Brooks and Luke Harangoady, none of them did it more than once.[/quote]

I think if we get 30 combined from Heron and Fggy each night we'll be fine.
 
I also think that Heron was a far cry from the real Heron under Mullin, even though he was solid. He was confused often and didn’t know his role. LJ was also a first year D1 player with limited coaching. He’s a hustler and a baller. These kids will be in much better shape this season and I doubt that confusion will be there. They’ll be at their best this year methinks.
 
I'd hope we get between 16-18 ppg. from LJ & Mustapha (both around 14.5 last year) and between 7-10 ppg from Steere, Dunn & Williams. That would put us in a good place so long as other guys chip in as our defense should be better than last year.
 
[quote="SJUFAN2" post=359289][quote="austour" post=359287]Another point re OSR's OP, only 5 BE guys have averaged 23+ pts in the past 10 years so again let's just be a little rational. Those 5 are Markus Howard, Kemba, Doug McDermott, Marshon Brooks and Luke Harangoady, none of them did it more than once.[/quote]

I think if we get 30 combined from Heron and Fggy each night we'll be fine.[/quote]

They gave us 29 last year. If they don’t give is closer to 35 we’ll be in trouble IMO.
 
[quote="MCNPA" post=359290]I also think that Heron was a far cry from the real Heron under Mullin, even though he was solid. He was confused often and didn’t know his role. LJ was also a first year D1 player with limited coaching. He’s a hustler and a baller. These kids will be in much better shape this season and I doubt that confusion will be there. They’ll be at their best this year methinks.[/quote] I agree w you. Also Heron was injured. The question is how will the rest of the roster perform. As I said in a previous post. 2 players don’t make a team.
 
I know hope springs eternal, but we've got exactly 2 players on the roster who we know can make an impact at this level. Everyone else is a huge question mark. And while both LJ and Must are very good basketball players, neither has shown the ability to carry the team the way, say, Shamorie was capable of doing when he got hot. If we don't finish near the bottom of the conference, I'll be pleasantly surprised.
 
[quote="Amaseinyourface" post=359293][quote="SJUFAN2" post=359289][quote="austour" post=359287]Another point re OSR's OP, only 5 BE guys have averaged 23+ pts in the past 10 years so again let's just be a little rational. Those 5 are Markus Howard, Kemba, Doug McDermott, Marshon Brooks and Luke Harangoady, none of them did it more than once.[/quote]

I think if we get 30 combined from Heron and Fggy each night we'll be fine.[/quote]

They gave us 29 last year. If they don’t give is closer to 35 we’ll be in trouble IMO.[/quote]

I'm hoping for 38 between them.
 
Heron and LJ averaging 38 points might actually be a bad sign for the team, as the rest of the team would probably be standing around watching them try to score their points. That would be just like last year when often the team was standing around watching Ponds try to score his points.
 
[quote="AlBovino" post=359313]Heron and LJ averaging 38 points might actually be a bad sign for the team, as the rest of the team would probably be standing around watching them try to score their points. That would be just like last year when often the team was standing around watching Ponds try to score his points.[/quote]

17/18 for each seems reasonable to me. They will be undoubtably the two best options and will both get as many minutes as possible. They gave us 30 last year and that was with Ponds and Clark.
 
I’m bullish on this season.
New coach with cast of b-ball castoffs but some with experience and toughness. So yeah I’m channeling Mahoney and Lavin’s first year and I’m sticking with it.
 
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[quote="Monte" post=359308]I know hope springs eternal, but we've got exactly 2 players on the roster who we know can make an impact at this level. Everyone else is a huge question mark. And while both LJ and Must are very good basketball players, neither has shown the ability to carry the team the way, say, Shamorie was capable of doing when he got hot. If we don't finish near the bottom of the conference, I'll be pleasantly surprised.[/quote]

Fair assessment. And, while this year is largely a question mark, it seems more likely that we will feel the heavy effects of our rebuild during the 2020-2021 season.
 
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[quote="SJUFAN2" post=359289][quote="austour" post=359287]Another point re OSR's OP, only 5 BE guys have averaged 23+ pts in the past 10 years so again let's just be a little rational. Those 5 are Markus Howard, Kemba, Doug McDermott, Marshon Brooks and Luke Harangoady, none of them did it more than once.[/quote]

I think if we get 30 combined from Heron and Fggy each night we'll be fine.[/quote]

We'll need more than avg of 15pnts per between those two.
I'd say 30 with heron and dunn
Heron with I'll LJ, 36.
 
This year depends on how well this team can run CMA's 40-minutes of Hell. Defense will make or break this season.
 
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