Step back from the ledge
- Thread starter mjmaherjr
- Start date
redfan259999888
Active member
Vs Creighton, @ Butler, Vs. X.
They could be 0-11 through January. Maybe he sees himself as part of the solution, with the others coming in.
No bench this year, but next year they'll the bench that we need.
Tuesday interests me. I want to see how they come out and play after losing in 2OTs @G-Town.
Will they say screw it, we keep trying but end up losing anyway, or continue to fight.
Class of 72
Active member
Bam, you have been outed!
I had my suspicions when you told us of your interest in Broadway musicals, interior design, fashion, bodybuilding and ballet dancing. Of course the dead giveaway was your shared interest in cosmetology with Zach Brown, whose fault it is that we now have no inside game. You know you are an awful human being when Dr. Fun scolds you for being sarcastic, inconsiderate and annoying!
Just kidding of course! The Irish side of Fun's brain doesn't always check with the Italian side when discussing Chris Mullin. I sometimes worry about him and thinking he may be having side effects from drinking too much Kool Aid. Toxicological tests may be in order.
![URL]](http://[URL]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b8/65/65/b865650a62464143c3149a2d5628e212.jpg[/URL])
Class of 72
Active member
We will win the next game. You can take that to the bitcoin bank!
Still weirdly optimistic about this staff’s ability to have success, but it has to be next year. They are effectively playing with 6 guys and are in games that are surprising for them to be in and that deeper SJU teams have rarely been in of late. And despite coming up short Nova and @X they came back and played hard again on Saturday. Not sure if that’s talent or coaching or a combination but it’s impressive.
That optimism nothwithstanding there are at least 3 things that will hopefully be addressed:
1. No matter how hard the staff is working they are heading for a record in Year 3 that in the real world would likely mandate some sort of shake up on the staff. So either SJU is living in the real world or they are living in a world where a program legend as a player gets more leniency as a coach than a non-legend would. I like Goff quite a bit just from what I’ve seen from afar and others have said, and someone in athletic administration not affiliated with SJU has mentioned to me that Goff is thought of highly in the industry. But IMO this April/May will be a critical juncture for Goff with respect to this program. Don’t think anyone needs to be fired if it can be avoided, but there needs to be change and reassignment, and that should happen closer to the top than the bottom. We need a legitimate first assistant, not a third. Impact hire, not rearranging deck chairs.
2. To that end one of the main things I was hoping Mullin would bring was stability and limiting the bizarre drama that seems to so often surround SJU hoops. In certain ways I think he is moving towards stability generally (seems to be great kids on team, more balance in recruiting, etc.), but hasn’t had as much success limiting the latter. Getting a coach to come to SJU from Kentucky, only to have him leave after one year; losing a transfer before classes even start in freshman year; a potential all-conference caliber player being (apparently) medically cleared to play but the injury leading to him not just not playing but leaving the program. Without revisiting each situation specifically or assigning blame, collectively that’s just bizarre stuff. Even in today’s game of rampant transfers and roster turnover, we’re kidding ourselves if we think most other programs deal with this level of strange. Maybe a collection of others, but would think we are comfortably in the top 10% and probably higher in D1.
3. Likely the other main thing I hoped Mullin’s staff would change is the utter insanity around lack of strategic adjustments, both in-game but perhaps more importantly from game to game. This staff definitely seems to put individual players in a position to succeed more than prior regimes, but the ability to effectuate change related to glaring weaknesses over the course of the season just has not been there. SJU is 314/351 D1 teams in 3pt FG% defense. They have allowed opponents to collectively shoot 38.4% from 3, which is a good number for an individual player to shoot for a season, let alone a team, and let alone 19 different teams, especially when only 2 of those 19 teams are shooting better than 38.4% against the rest of their opponents. And yet there has been little if any change in fundamental approach. Team still plays extreme help defense leaving shooters wide open, which doesn't make a lot of sense given SJU's quick hands and shot blockers when offensive players are in traffic, and which is likely why teams shoot better against SJU than they do on average.
It’s frustrating to watch two far better teams like X and SHU play and mix defenses tactically based upon game situation and personnel. And they could probably get away with playing 100% man if they wanted to. By comparison what do we have to lose? Sat with a former D1 assistant coach at the Nova game, and he was fairly surprised by SJU lack of showing different looks defensively and expressed concern that when the NBA game is really what you know there can be certain approaches that just don’t translate to the college game. At this point, I really can’t think of any explanation for the defensive approach and the unwillingness to even try something else. Players deserve more here.
I don’t subscribe to the notion that if Mullin can’t win here then maybe nobody can. Mullin didn’t have coaching experience and was a higher risk/higher reward type hire, and that is sort of playing out. Of the 9 other teams in our 10 team conference, at least 7 are somewhere between hoping their current coach never leaves to very happy with the current returns from their coach. Those include different types of schools, in different areas of the country, with all different types and quality of facilities. SJU isn’t different from them, it’s largely about the hire. My understanding is if it wasn’t Mullin it may have been Danny Hurley, and while I doubt Danny would be interested now I’m sure the next coach that is where Danny was 3 years ago would be.
Which is why it’s critical in my view that some or all of the above get addressed and we win big next year. Massively underperforming expectations this year does not reset the shotclock on next year’s expectations. Needs to be 20+ wins and NCAA with quality outlook for 19-20, and regarding the latter even if (and hoping) Ponds/Clark/Owens are back next year, all will either have graduated or likely have moved on for 19-20, so quite a bit of reloading to do in short timeframe on top of just next year's performance. Rooting for them.
That optimism nothwithstanding there are at least 3 things that will hopefully be addressed:
1. No matter how hard the staff is working they are heading for a record in Year 3 that in the real world would likely mandate some sort of shake up on the staff. So either SJU is living in the real world or they are living in a world where a program legend as a player gets more leniency as a coach than a non-legend would. I like Goff quite a bit just from what I’ve seen from afar and others have said, and someone in athletic administration not affiliated with SJU has mentioned to me that Goff is thought of highly in the industry. But IMO this April/May will be a critical juncture for Goff with respect to this program. Don’t think anyone needs to be fired if it can be avoided, but there needs to be change and reassignment, and that should happen closer to the top than the bottom. We need a legitimate first assistant, not a third. Impact hire, not rearranging deck chairs.
2. To that end one of the main things I was hoping Mullin would bring was stability and limiting the bizarre drama that seems to so often surround SJU hoops. In certain ways I think he is moving towards stability generally (seems to be great kids on team, more balance in recruiting, etc.), but hasn’t had as much success limiting the latter. Getting a coach to come to SJU from Kentucky, only to have him leave after one year; losing a transfer before classes even start in freshman year; a potential all-conference caliber player being (apparently) medically cleared to play but the injury leading to him not just not playing but leaving the program. Without revisiting each situation specifically or assigning blame, collectively that’s just bizarre stuff. Even in today’s game of rampant transfers and roster turnover, we’re kidding ourselves if we think most other programs deal with this level of strange. Maybe a collection of others, but would think we are comfortably in the top 10% and probably higher in D1.
3. Likely the other main thing I hoped Mullin’s staff would change is the utter insanity around lack of strategic adjustments, both in-game but perhaps more importantly from game to game. This staff definitely seems to put individual players in a position to succeed more than prior regimes, but the ability to effectuate change related to glaring weaknesses over the course of the season just has not been there. SJU is 314/351 D1 teams in 3pt FG% defense. They have allowed opponents to collectively shoot 38.4% from 3, which is a good number for an individual player to shoot for a season, let alone a team, and let alone 19 different teams, especially when only 2 of those 19 teams are shooting better than 38.4% against the rest of their opponents. And yet there has been little if any change in fundamental approach. Team still plays extreme help defense leaving shooters wide open, which doesn't make a lot of sense given SJU's quick hands and shot blockers when offensive players are in traffic, and which is likely why teams shoot better against SJU than they do on average.
It’s frustrating to watch two far better teams like X and SHU play and mix defenses tactically based upon game situation and personnel. And they could probably get away with playing 100% man if they wanted to. By comparison what do we have to lose? Sat with a former D1 assistant coach at the Nova game, and he was fairly surprised by SJU lack of showing different looks defensively and expressed concern that when the NBA game is really what you know there can be certain approaches that just don’t translate to the college game. At this point, I really can’t think of any explanation for the defensive approach and the unwillingness to even try something else. Players deserve more here.
I don’t subscribe to the notion that if Mullin can’t win here then maybe nobody can. Mullin didn’t have coaching experience and was a higher risk/higher reward type hire, and that is sort of playing out. Of the 9 other teams in our 10 team conference, at least 7 are somewhere between hoping their current coach never leaves to very happy with the current returns from their coach. Those include different types of schools, in different areas of the country, with all different types and quality of facilities. SJU isn’t different from them, it’s largely about the hire. My understanding is if it wasn’t Mullin it may have been Danny Hurley, and while I doubt Danny would be interested now I’m sure the next coach that is where Danny was 3 years ago would be.
Which is why it’s critical in my view that some or all of the above get addressed and we win big next year. Massively underperforming expectations this year does not reset the shotclock on next year’s expectations. Needs to be 20+ wins and NCAA with quality outlook for 19-20, and regarding the latter even if (and hoping) Ponds/Clark/Owens are back next year, all will either have graduated or likely have moved on for 19-20, so quite a bit of reloading to do in short timeframe on top of just next year's performance. Rooting for them.
Excellent post by SJU1512. Mullin is absolutely entrenched for next year but a disappointing year next year will be another story. The history of SJU basketball is filled with head coaches utilizing their assistants for help. McGuire/Freeman, Lapchick/ Looie, Looie/ LoBalbo and so on.
Without any prior coaching experience it was a sure thing that Chris was going to need help in many areas and he better not let friendship influence his thinking going forward.
Without any prior coaching experience it was a sure thing that Chris was going to need help in many areas and he better not let friendship influence his thinking going forward.
Class of 72
Active member
One of the best summaries about the current state of the Mullin era!
You are on target when you say "quality outlook for 19-20, and regarding the latter even if (and hoping) Ponds/Clark/Owens are back next year, all will either have graduated or likely have moved on for 19-20, so quite a bit of reloading to do in short timeframe on top of just next year's performance."
There is NOT as much balance as some people think other than on an ideal paper forecast sheet. If next year's recruiting does not include a couple of local studs and an impact freshman in 19-20 Mullin will likely throw in the towel. Hopefully it will not come to that.
we are sju
Active member
Mullin was def the guy against Temple. Who says Mullin is not coaching. He def has taught he best player how to miss crucial one and ones. See I can criticize Mullin
TRabinowitz
Member
A reminder for all of you sympathizing with a very well compensated coaching staff:
Remember that Mike Dunlap won 6 conference games with 6 scholarship players, all freshmen (and Malik Stith) in what was a tougher conference at the time.
I agree that minus Lovett that our expectations needed to be lowered. If we were 3-5 or even 2-6 right now it would be understandable, but 0-8 is beyond unacceptable. I agree it's generally not a good idea to boo the players but the coaches are absolutely fair game. They are the ones being paid good money to do this. I do think Mullin deserves (and will realistically get) more time but we as a fan base need to let our voices be heard regarding accountability. I would encourage everyone to e-mail President Gempesaw, Joe Oliva and Anton Goff. I have season tickets, but I have told them that I will not be buying any concessions, merch, or season tickets for next year until and unless there is a veteran assistant coach brought in here. Make your voices heard and make a statement with your wallet.
Remember that Mike Dunlap won 6 conference games with 6 scholarship players, all freshmen (and Malik Stith) in what was a tougher conference at the time.
I agree that minus Lovett that our expectations needed to be lowered. If we were 3-5 or even 2-6 right now it would be understandable, but 0-8 is beyond unacceptable. I agree it's generally not a good idea to boo the players but the coaches are absolutely fair game. They are the ones being paid good money to do this. I do think Mullin deserves (and will realistically get) more time but we as a fan base need to let our voices be heard regarding accountability. I would encourage everyone to e-mail President Gempesaw, Joe Oliva and Anton Goff. I have season tickets, but I have told them that I will not be buying any concessions, merch, or season tickets for next year until and unless there is a veteran assistant coach brought in here. Make your voices heard and make a statement with your wallet.
Dunlap's conference was tougher at the top, but there was a lot of dead weight at the bottom of that league. They put 9 of 16 teams in the ncaa's, which is 56%, and you only played a few teams twice (which they usually based on preseason expectations).
Big East is getting 6 minimum this year, which is a better percentage, and you have to play everyone twice. Not that that's an excuse for what's going on, but I'm not sure that the schedule is easier in this conference.
20 nor any of the other Men's Basketball Numbered Jersey Banners hanging from the ceiling are officially retired. They represent those players who have been inducted into the Basketball Legacy Club. Hence Clark is wearing 13 while Freudenberg and Lovett have won 20.
I'm not as optimistic as stated at the beginning of your post (I'm typically an optimistic dude), but I'm lockstep with the rest of your post. Those are things I've mentioned at some point during Mullin's tenure.
Next year isn't a reset, as a handful believe the NIT would be fine next season. Hogwash! NCAA or bust, next season! Otherwise, hit the road Jack!
Solid post.
You realize that sympathize means to feel compassion for those suffering or in trouble? I'll put you down as against that. What if Mullin started self-identifying as a gay black woman, would that help?
Next time I see someone suffering I'm going to refuse to buy a hot dog. That'll show 'em.
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
English majors need not apply
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
I get most of my Redmen news from this board, and not from the NY newspapers. Has Mullin even been asked by any writer as to why he chose this staff, and whether he was concerned about not having more college coaching experience on the staff?