St. Thomas Aquinas

The most disturbing element to me is that I didn't see Coach Mullin doing any coaching as the situation went from bad to worse.
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Could just be his style. Who knows what he did or didn't say at half time and after the game. Team is going to suck this year no doubt, but folks are making way too much of one game.
 
Wow, we stink. That is my only takeaway.

Honestly though, I'm ok with that. It's going to take Mullin and co. time to turn this around. And it will be fun to see if he can mold this into a cohesive and competitive unit this season.
eBut let's make no mistake about it ... We're going to be in the cellar.
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Perhaps the Big East coaches got it right but still feel we will very good , Its just going to take time.Now lets have less negativity and more support Still going to enjoy the season while watching staff improve our players and bring in top talent
 
Starting over is ugly in the beginning. Not sure what you guys expected? The roster is bare. What is the difference if we win 3 games, 7 games or 10?
Since some of you won't be able to help yourselves I am going to help you out. Have fun with this team. Make drinking games up. Every time the team does something well take a shot or shot gun a beer. I am sure team will be good enough to at least get you drunk enough so you won't come on here and bitch.
 
The most disturbing element to me is that I didn't see Coach Mullin doing any coaching as the situation went from bad to worse.
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Yeah would have been better if he pulled someone onto the court during a TO and taught him the proper defensive stance. LOL
 
In tried and true redmen.com form, an exhibition loss, with a brand new staff, roster overhaul, while implementing a new system, has already required Paul to add links with phone numbers to local crisis counselors.

If you took Mullin criticism and Veteran's Day, you lost.

Welcome Chris! Should be a fun place.
 
A D1 program should never lose to a D2 school, but it doesn't mean a heck of a lot. Syracuse lost to their local cross town LeMoyne, and survived.

Too bad SJU alum Dennis O'Donnell, the long time STA coach who was released two seasons ago, could not have been at the helm. He loves SJU, and would have relished this.

Loss doesn't change a thing except to adjust misappropriated expectations. This was going to be a rough season, and this just illustrates that we are beginning a program where out returning players won't step into starring roles, Mullin's staff did a really good job putting together a roster in short order after everyone was committed. Just think about it, though. Even if they were loaded with 3 star recruits and a 4 single star recruit, it would still be a largely inexperienced team.

Cheer hard, and root for bright spots. W-L record almost won't matter
 
Bobby G and the administration wanted to make a change, only time will tell how good it will be.
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Your guy got fired for multiple reasons, and it happened a while ago, so it may be time to let go.
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Don't slam Lavin - he left us with an NCAA team, which would have won it all it Mo and Sampson hadn't gone to the NBA early. :)
 
Although shocked at the loss to a Division II team, the loss puts things in its proper perspective. Some were pissed that we were picked dead last in the pre-season polls (really!). Some thought we had an outside shot of being a bubble team (really!!). Essentially, at this moment we have what amounts to a pick-up game team with decent talent but it will and should take time to gel. The only silver lining in this surprising loss is if we would have won, by let’s say 30 points; folks would have said that this team is better than last year's senior laden team and screaming to world that we deserve to be ranked in the top 25.

I for one am ready for the ride, which will be very bumpy, entertaining at times, embarrassing at times, with a whole lot of the WTF's, but I still see progress and then stability down the road, really.
 
In tried and true redmen.com form, an exhibition loss, with a brand new staff, roster overhaul, while implementing a new system, has already required Paul to add links with phone numbers to local crisis counselors.

If you took Mullin criticism and Veteran's Day, you lost.

Welcome Chris! Should be a fun place.
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Yeah even took three regular season losses, playing 4 on 5, hiring the town drunk as his asst and getting thrown out of a game for Hickory to turn on Coach Dale.
 
I agree with Docbutler, the display last night was puzzling. 7 Coaches sitting in a row barely interacting with players. WHen a player came out none of the coaches would walk over to them and tell them what was wrong. Nobody on the bench would stand up and clap for players coming off the court. The head coach needs to stand up and show the young guys he is in charge. Also, lack of hustle on some occasions was puzzling.

Finally, his wardrobe. Can you wear a tie, and not roll your slacks up to your knees!
 
Wow, we stink. That is my only takeaway.

Honestly though, I'm ok with that. It's going to take Mullin and co. time to turn this around. And it will be fun to see if he can mold this into a cohesive and competitive unit this season.
eBut let's make no mistake about it ... We're going to be in the cellar.
Click to expand...

Perhaps the Big East coaches got it right but still feel we will very good , Its just going to take time.Now lets have less negativity and more support Still going to enjoy the season while watching staff improve our players and bring in top talent
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Support and optimism aren't one and the same, and I fear this is going to become a recurring conversation.
I support the team and the coach, and I want them to do well.
But it's obvious we are not very good. And it's not based on just one scrimmage. A new coach, little returning talent, undersized, no experience or chemistry together. There's a long list of reasons why were unlikely to be a good team.


But again, that's ok. I have next to zero expectations for this team, so there can be no let down. Just pleasant surprises if they improve.
 
I agree with Docbutler, the display last night was puzzling. 7 Coaches sitting in a row barely interacting with players. WHen a player came out none of the coaches would walk over to them and tell them what was wrong. Nobody on the bench would stand up and clap for players coming off the court. The head coach needs to stand up and show the young guys he is in charge. Also, lack of hustle on some occasions was puzzling.

Finally, his wardrobe. Can you wear a tie, and not roll your slacks up to your knees!
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I think you should follow the great advice Senator Blutarsky gave to Flounder: "Start drinking heavily" Although judging by your post you might already be there
 
Experience at this level also shouldn't be overlooked.
We've been spoiled to some extent with the number of physically mature players with a ton of experience under their belts that we've had over the past two seasons.

Guys like Dom, Harrison, Phil etc were 4 year starters. They learned the tricks of the trade so to speak. How to draw a foul, what it takes to box out and rebound.. etc

Let's not lose sight of that. We lost a lot of not just skilled, but also very experienced players.
 
You cannot overstate how damaging this game is to SJU's reputation and recruiting. .
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HYSTERICAL MUCH? MAYBE GO HAVE A LIE DOWN ON THE DIVAN, FAN YOURSELF UNTIL THE VAPORS SUBSIDE. ALSO, LOSE THE BOLD FACE, IT DOESN'T MAKE YOUR PEDESTRIAN OBSERVATIONS EPIPHANIC, JUST HARD TO READ. TRY TYPING IN ALL CAPS INSTEAD AND MAYBE ADD SOME ITALICS AND UNDERLINE STUFF FOR EMPHASIS. LIKE WHEN YOU'RE RIFFING ALONG THERE ABOUT HOW SAINT JOHN'S WOULD HAVE WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 50 YEARS AGO IF ONLY LOU'D TAKEN YOUR ADVICE AND PLAYED THE TRIANGLE AND TWO OR PENTAGRAM AND NONE OR WHATEVER AGAINST GEORGETOWN AND YOU STATE BOLDLY ESCHEWING THE SPLIT INFINITIVE THAT LAST NIGHT'S EXHIBITION GAME WAS THE DEFINING LOSS OF THE MULLIN ERA AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN NEW YORK SPORTS SINCE HARRY FRAZEE SOLD BABE RUTH YOU SLAM THE READER WITH THE BOLD AND [strike]KNOCK THEM OVER[/strike] BLOW THEM AWAY!!!!!!!!
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Very much looking forward to FUN's posts this year. Something is going to have to be enjoyable..
 
I agree with Docbutler, the display last night was puzzling. 7 Coaches sitting in a row barely interacting with players. WHen a player came out none of the coaches would walk over to them and tell them what was wrong. Nobody on the bench would stand up and clap for players coming off the court. The head coach needs to stand up and show the young guys he is in charge. Also, lack of hustle on some occasions was puzzling.

Finally, his wardrobe. Can you wear a tie, and not roll your slacks up to your knees!
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I hope this is a really bad comparison, but coaching your very first game can be a little daunting. The very first AAU game I coached with a brand new squad of mostly lower talent HS varsity girls, we played a scrimmage against a team of mostly college aged girls from the UK. We're American, right, no problem? They pressed us, and without any defined roles or a top ball handler, they blew our doors off. We did have a girl who went on to start at the D1 level, so we weren't completely empty. In any event, I suffered my first case of deer in the headlights, and a friend of mine who was a college coach who set up the game and kept the clock started saying to me louder and louder "Time out!" "TIME OUT" "T-I-M-E O-U-T" I was frozen, and maybe Chris had a little bit of that, I don't know. Of course he is an NBA HOF'er, but being a head coach in your first game is a lot different. I'm sure he will get more comfortable, and adjust. It's one reason why we play exhibitions that don't count for anything.
 
Wow, we stink. That is my only takeaway.

Honestly though, I'm ok with that. It's going to take Mullin and co. time to turn this around. And it will be fun to see if he can mold this into a cohesive and competitive unit this season.
eBut let's make no mistake about it ... We're going to be in the cellar.
Click to expand...

Perhaps the Big East coaches got it right but still feel we will very good , Its just going to take time.Now lets have less negativity and more support Still going to enjoy the season while watching staff improve our players and bring in top talent
Click to expand...

Support and optimism aren't one and the same, and I fear this is going to become a recurring conversation.
I support the team and the coach, and I want them to do well.
But it's obvious we are not very good. And it's not based on just one scrimmage. A new coach, little returning talent, undersized, no experience or chemistry together. There's a long list of reasons why were unlikely to be a good team.


But again, that's ok. I have next to zero expectations for this team, so there can be no let down. Just pleasant surprises if they improve.
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I admire your optimism. However, what also should not be overlooked is the fact that embarrassing losses like this do not help whatsoever with your efforts to recruit top talent. Chasing kids who are being recruited by Kentucky, L'ville, etc. and you cannot even beat some no name D-2 school? This is not good. I regret paying more for season tickets even more so now, what a scam. They did not even look like a cohesive CYO team.
 
I really regret saying anything negative about my favorite SJU player in the 53 years that I've been watching this program. However, tonight's debacle was the single worst display of basketball by any St. John's team ever. It is hard to imagine how St. John's roundball has come to this, but one can only shiver to think that this team still has to face some of the best programs in America. This display tonight was embarrassing on so many levels. You can find blame for it on so many things...not the least is the abject failure of Steve Lavin to recruit any noteworthy players in two years.Yes, Chris entered with little to work with and most of the national talent headed elsewhere. But in all fairness... his coaching tonight...or lack thereof it...was noticeable and disturbing. St. John's looked like a confused team tonight. Chris was definitively uninvolved. He never spoke to a player....never sat one down next to him...he never got up off the bench...he never questioned a call....and he never rallied a soul. It was most puzzling. But even worse, he never recognized the single most significant single factor in this game. It was something I wondered about, and hoped wouldn't be an obstacle to his success as a coach. In this I refer to defensive flexability. Chris learned his defense under Louieball, and then re-enforced it with an NBA career. Or in other words= man to man....absolutelty no zone. It was clear very early in this game that our opponent was quicker and more athletic almost at every position. We had three front court players who were noticeably sluggish compared with STTA, who were smaller, but active and athletic. Both our guards were also slower (that's saying a lot because Mussini is pretty quick). Our opponents went around us and penetrated with ease while our coach watched this go on without adjustment. It was an awesome display of superior shooting and athleticism...very little from real range. At some point early, a zone was mandated here. We needed to push them out of the lanes, where they were having a field day driving to the basket. Yes, I know this is our adored Chris Mullin, but I call it like I see it. Lou Carnesecca never understood against Georgetown that you cannot play man to man against a much quicker and athletic team. It cost him a National Championship. One can only hope that Chris will go on to understand that his defensive bag MUST contain more options to address the multitude of circumstances he will face as a Div. I coach. This team has so many liabilities. His big men totally and completely lack finesse...on both sides of the court. Mussini is talented but small and slight. Ellison is relatively slow for a Div. I guard. You cannot overstate how damaging this game is to SJU's reputation and recruiting. I haven't seen Lovett play. Is he part of an answer? I would at least expect that to change the pitiful display of lost inbounds passes...something completely inexcusable for any quality Div. I team. But as things stand at the moment, there is hardly reason for optimism. I can only hope that tonight was a learning process for he team, as well as Coach Mullin.
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have to agree, love Mully but i saw the same thing in him as a coach. He needs to be active and continue to COACH. If we dont get LoVett or Yakwe we MUST play a zone. There is no way this inexperienced team with lack of depth can go man to man all game. I liked Mussini and Jones tonight, other than those two, Very disappointed in the other guys game. They all looked lost and slow. They need to establish the inside game with high % shots before chucking 3s every possession. I know Mully encourages the open shot, but NOT when a better shot can be made inside. Seems like common sense to me. Mully reminded me more like Mike Jarvis tonight than Louie, at least Louie was active on the sidelines. Grades:
Coaching: F
Man to man defense: F
Free Throws: F
Passing: F
Shot selection: D
Blocks: D
Individual play
Mussini: C+
Jones: B-
everyone else: F
 
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