Seton Hall, Sun. Feb. 21, Noon, FS1 & 570 AM

[Section9]

I drove home thinking we got one of the worst ref jobs in sju history with that loose ball foul. I guess you guys saw differently on tv

1st have was beyond sickening. 2nd half was fun to watch. Very sloppy though

How is it that this late in the season we are so horrible at ft's ?

Also that last play we had one one of the worst I have ever seen

Yakwe was great today

If Sima catches it and passes back to Mvouika which is what I believe he was supposed to do we might think differently. Mvouika was open. I think we can all agree Sima trying to dribble and make a post move was horrendous in that situation.

Also, up 3 Ellison walked right into that trap on the sideline. I think he thought they were going to foul. Worst part is if he gives it put right away Mussini is wide open in the corner to kill some clock and get fouled.

I think the staff is now attempting to hammer home the need to be less careless with the ball to both Ellison and Mussini. I notice that both are getting quick hooks as soon as a blatant mental error is made...

And Chris has made wholesale 4 player substitutions a couple of times. I guess he's sending the message that lacksadasical unfocused play won't be tolerated.

 

[ccnobz]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

 

[PharmaJohnny]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

I have absolutely no problem with Chris working the refs while his coaches coach. Look at it this way, Would you rather have Chris in the huddle and Slice trying to work the refs? Of course not, that's not the way to handle things. The head coach needs to be making his points with the refs - whatever points need to be made couldn't possibly resonate the same way with the refs if they are coming from an assistant. On the other hand, the assistants are constantly working with the kids in practice - if they know the game plan and analyzed the opponent and know where Chris wants to go, they absolutely should be more than able to handle the kids in the huddle in most situations.

 

[we are sju]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Sits on a table, isn't involved in drawing up plays or making substitutions. Not long now before he brings a book to the bench with him or takes a nap I guess. We better win some games next year or going to get rough around here for Mullie lol

 

[logen]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Sits on a table, isn't involved in drawing up plays or making substitutions. Not long now before he brings a book to the bench with him or takes a nap I guess. We better win some games next year or going to get rough around here for Mullie lol

And I am sure he will lose a ton of sleep over criticism from a group of "fans" whose collective basketball knowledge might fit in a thimble. If anything, hopefully he is getting some good laughs out of this board. FWIW, which is nothing, there are people I know who have made basketball their life's' calling who think he should get COY votes; but in our "give me what I want now or I am going to start whining" world, let the criticism begin!! Redmannorth said it very well, everyone KNEW we were going to be bad and now that we are every Tom, Dick, and Harry could do it better.

 

[TonyinFairfield]

Was at the game yesterday but was actually too drained to think about posting before this.

There was so much in this game.Personally I wish that there was a full game replay available so that I could have watched it again to put some perspective from my immediate gut reaction. One thing that was clear to me watching live was that the game was horribly officiated. I thought we were especially jobbed in the last couple minutes of the game.

As for the critical last call I would like to defend Ron Mvouika a little bit here. He is a very emotional player, a seemingly great teammate and is very demonstrative out on the court. Now after watching the highlights (Thanks to Tom In Salem for posting them) I think he is pretty blameless on that last foul. If you isolate on Ron on that last sequence (starting at 2:20) you will see him hammered by Khadeem Carrington # 0 on that play. Carrington leaped on Mvouika and was clearly all over his back. It was by far the most egregious foul of the sequence on a play that was a total scrum for a critical rebound. After that, the call that was actually made on Ron was tame and somewhat lame by comparison.

That being said the call made on Ellison at the top of the key while guarding Whitehead was flat out absurd. Additionally on one of Seton Hall's few baskets down the stretch (a floater in the lane) there was an obvious push off by the shooter that was not called.

The crowd was big and emotional during the second half, but the booing which was exceedingly loud was directed solely at the refs for doing a terrible job. I believe they deserved it. The passionate Seton Hall fans sitting right behind me thought the refs did a terrible job (on both sides all game) and seemed almost guilty about the way they had won.

Of course no team that commits that many turnovers (21) and shoots that poorly from the line (41.7%) can look anywhere other than in the mirror when looking at the reasons for the loss. However that same group can be proud of the fire and heart they displayed coming back from a lackluster first half and a huge deficit in a game where few gave them a chance to win.

Personally I love this group. The results may not show in the win column and the losses may be frustrating to the team and the fans (yesterday's the most frustrating) but game to game they have fire, show improvement and play their guts out. I am sorry that there is only one more home game for me to go out and cheer these guys on because they deserve it.

On a separate note: At the beginning of the season I thought Sima had a nice stroke from the line. In November he shot 65% (13 for 20) and even when he missed his form looked pretty good. Since then (which started with him hurting his hand prior to his broken hand injury) he has been abysmal shooting free throws at 25% (11 for 44). I wonder how this can be addressed going forward. It clearly makes him a liability to be on the court when the game is close. If you consider that the last play went to him it would have been painful to see him go to the stripe with the game on the line and watch him brick two. I hope that Chris can work with him and restore his stroke to where it was before the hand injury.

Like most everyone here I see many positives going forward. Our freshman class is talented. Ellison has improved greatly and has proved that he is a Big East Talent. Mussini always lays it out on the floor, is a smart player, has a great shooting touch and will fill a valuable role for us next season and beyond. Sima is a defensive force, can put the ball in the basket, has a good feel for the game and will only get better with time. Yakwe was amazing yesterday. He has absurd athleticism, has improved more than anybody could have imagined and seems like he could definitely be a big star in the near future.

Of course you never know about recruits until they are here, but the reported talent level of next year's group added to our current group should get us to a place where St. John's is a force again in conference and beyond.

you made an excellent point about the booing. Hope the kids didn't think it was for them. We were all boing the refs and yelling at them as they ran off the court. If I wasn't worried about my phone getting traced I would have thrown my cell phone at them I was so pissed

Mike, I was also booing the Seton Hall players who were yelling at the fans and gesturing as they were running off the court. I thought they were pretty classless. I think the Seton Hall players were thinking we were originally booing them, and not the refs, but their response was totally inappropriate in any event.

 

[we are sju]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Sits on a table, isn't involved in drawing up plays or making substitutions. Not long now before he brings a book to the bench with him or takes a nap I guess. We better win some games next year or going to get rough around here for Mullie lol

And I am sure he will lose a ton of sleep over criticism from a group of "fans" whose collective basketball knowledge might fit in a thimble. If anything, hopefully he is getting some good laughs out of this board. FWIW, which is nothing, there are people I know who have made basketball their life's' calling who think he should get COY votes; but in our "give me what I want now or I am going to start whining" world, let the criticism begin!! Redmannorth said it very well, everyone KNEW we were going to be bad and now that we are every Tom, Dick, and Harry could do it better.

I was joking. But I do think next year he needs to appear more in charge of his huddle.

 

[ccnobz]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

I have absolutely no problem with Chris working the refs while his coaches coach. Look at it this way, Would you rather have Chris in the huddle and Slice trying to work the refs? Of course not, that's not the way to handle things. The head coach needs to be making his points with the refs - whatever points need to be made couldn't possibly resonate the same way with the refs if they are coming from an assistant. On the other hand, the assistants are constantly working with the kids in practice - if they know the game plan and analyzed the opponent and know where Chris wants to go, they absolutely should be more than able to handle the kids in the huddle in most situations.

I didn't say I had a problem with it, I was making an observation.

 

[paultzman]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Sits on a table, isn't involved in drawing up plays or making substitutions. Not long now before he brings a book to the bench with him or takes a nap I guess. We better win some games next year or going to get rough around here for Mullie lol

And I am sure he will lose a ton of sleep over criticism from a group of "fans" whose collective basketball knowledge might fit in a thimble. If anything, hopefully he is getting some good laughs out of this board. FWIW, which is nothing, there are people I know who have made basketball their life's' calling who think he should get COY votes; but in our "give me what I want now or I am going to start whining" world, let the criticism begin!! Redmannorth said it very well, everyone KNEW we were going to be bad and now that we are every Tom, Dick, and Harry could do it better.

Lighten up, the guy was joking. Would assume you exceed thimble capacity John Wooden. Oh well, keep thumping your chest man. Fwiw, I support CM but reserve the right to utilize a little humor during our transition year.

 

[Section9]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Do you think he's discussed the substitution pattern with the assistants before?

 

[redken]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Do you think he's discussed the substitution pattern with the assistants before?

Not directed to you personally, Section 9, but given that we have zero knowledge of what exchanges are made between Mullin and his assistants -- whether on the bench, in team huddles, during halftime, or in practices or staff meetings -- all our "insights" into what's going on and who's calling what, are meaningless. Besides, every coach has his own approach to the game, and in the end the only things that matter are winning, having the respect of your players and staff, and having high-quality recruits want to play for you. (Hell, in his later years at Marquette, Al McGuire didn't even show his face for days at a time; he'd show up just before game time. Didn't keep him from winning, including a national championship.)

 

[JackofVirginia]

How about Mullin pulling a Jim Calhoun quick substitution after Ellison opened the second half with a careless pass.

 

[redmannorth]

How about Mullin pulling a Jim Calhoun quick substitution after Ellison opened the second half with a careless pass.

Personally I think it is great. He looks relaxed sitting on the scorer' stable etc but deep down the guy is burning. He just controls his emotions well. The fact that he has been yanking players and benching others shows he expects the team to do their best every night out and sloppiness or not listening will not be tolerated. Look for a big improvement next year. Players will work like hell from March 15-November 15 or they will sit. The yanking of Ellison is proof of what will be in the future.
Hated Calhoun's antics but he was the best coach around for 30 odd years.

 

[Section9]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Do you think he's discussed the substitution pattern with the assistants before?

Not directed to you personally, Section 9, but given that we have zero knowledge of what exchanges are made between Mullin and his assistants -- whether on the bench, in team huddles, during halftime, or in practices or staff meetings -- all our "insights" into what's going on and who's calling what, are meaningless. Besides, every coach has his own approach to the game, and in the end the only things that matter are winning, having the respect of your players and staff, and having high-quality recruits want to play for you. (Hell, in his later years at Marquette, Al McGuire didn't even show his face for days at a time; he'd show up just before game time. Didn't keep him from winning, including a national championship.)

I was being sarcastic and your post goes to my point exactly.

 

[Section9]

How about Mullin pulling a Jim Calhoun quick substitution after Ellison opened the second half with a careless pass.

Personally I think it is great. He looks relaxed sitting on the scorer' stable etc but deep down the guy is burning. He just controls his emotions well. The fact that he has been yanking players and benching others shows he expects the team to do their best every night out and sloppiness or not listening will not be tolerated. Look for a big improvement next year. Players will work like hell from March 15-November 15 or they will sit. The yanking of Ellison is proof of what will be in the future.
Hated Calhoun's antics but he was the best coach around for 30 odd years.

When Chris came out for the start of the second half he pointed at Lou and Killer and said "I could use some help."
He had a wry smile on his face. Of course he kidding (sorta) but it shows how he's balancing things. When he comes out just before the second half start he often walks by the stands and interacts with fans he also did that Sunday.

 

[redken]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Do you think he's discussed the substitution pattern with the assistants before?

Not directed to you personally, Section 9, but given that we have zero knowledge of what exchanges are made between Mullin and his assistants -- whether on the bench, in team huddles, during halftime, or in practices or staff meetings -- all our "insights" into what's going on and who's calling what, are meaningless. Besides, every coach has his own approach to the game, and in the end the only things that matter are winning, having the respect of your players and staff, and having high-quality recruits want to play for you. (Hell, in his later years at Marquette, Al McGuire didn't even show his face for days at a time; he'd show up just before game time. Didn't keep him from winning, including a national championship.)

I was being sarcastic and your post goes to my point exactly.

There's so much sarcasm on this board this days -- including a lot from myself -- that sometimes it's hard to tell (especially without emoticons). But sarcasm aside, it seems like every little thing Mullin does on the sidelines is analyzed to death. I have no problem with posters critiquing the moves he's made, but so much of it is unsubstantiated conjecture.

 

[redken]

How about Mullin pulling a Jim Calhoun quick substitution after Ellison opened the second half with a careless pass.

Personally I think it is great. He looks relaxed sitting on the scorer' stable etc but deep down the guy is burning. He just controls his emotions well. The fact that he has been yanking players and benching others shows he expects the team to do their best every night out and sloppiness or not listening will not be tolerated. Look for a big improvement next year. Players will work like hell from March 15-November 15 or they will sit. The yanking of Ellison is proof of what will be in the future.
Hated Calhoun's antics but he was the best coach around for 30 odd years.

When Chris came out for the start of the second half he pointed at Lou and Killer and said "I could use some help."
He had a wry smile on his face. Of course he kidding (sorta) but it shows how he's balancing things. When he comes out just before the second half start he often walks by the stands and interacts with fans he also did that Sunday.

Fortunately, help is on the way.

 

[ccnobz]

There are times when subs come in the game and Mullin is at half-court talking to the refs. He seems to have let the assistants handle the subs at times.

Do you think he's discussed the substitution pattern with the assistants before?

Yes, I hope so.