Street & Smith's All Time Best College BB Programs
- Thread starter NYCRedmen
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Avon Barksdale
Member
of the Top 75 listed, only DePaul has a larger drop off in spots since 2004 (second to last column) than St. John's does.
The following facts give an indication of the decline;
Prior to the 77-78 season SJU stood
1) first in number of winning seasons 47
2) first in number of post season tourney invitations 32
3) third in all time win loss percentage 712
4) fourth in number of wins 1125
Prior to the 77-78 season SJU stood
1) first in number of winning seasons 47
2) first in number of post season tourney invitations 32
3) third in all time win loss percentage 712
4) fourth in number of wins 1125
Have a slight problem with teams like Western Kentucky, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Texas, Purdue, West Virginia, Kansas State being ranked ahead of us! In my opinion, they do not way the NIT championships high enough considering that most of our NIT Championships were considered by most to be national championships! There are only 16 programs who have more 1st round draft picks than us.
You could argue it...but you'd be wrong. Speaking of wrong, 1952 was the last year a college team could play in both the NIT and the NCAA tournaments. I wrote 1953 before looking it up. Dayton, St. Louis, St John's and Duquesne were the last to have that honor. As most of you know, we made it to the NCAA final four that year.
Avon Barksdale
Member
in the 1950s there were like 8 teams in the NCAA Tournament so if you won one game you made the Final 4...lol
This is why Looie was totally against joining the Big East. SJU had it all back then and was one of
the Eastern Schools top dogs. However the writing was on the wall for independents.I remember reading a Lexington report when St. John's went out to play Kentucky at Rupp back in the Seventies. Their was a lavish write up regarding St. John's great tradition and how they were one of the best Eastern teams. Naturally it all changed after the Big East , SJU hung on and had great early success. But the argument could be made that Georgetown, Syracuse and Connecticut all did much better by joining the Big East and exceeded their wildest expectations.
Class of 72
Active member
A VincentIan thing?
Of the top 50 schools, 7 are from the new ACC after adding the old Big East's best. However, the Big East has 6 teams after losing those teams and adding Butler, Creighton and Xavier.
St. John's decline post Louie were due to bad hiring decisions. By the 1990's the Big East was the top basketball conference yet inexplicably the Vincentions went cheap on coaches and facilities.
St. John's has been paying the price ever since.
westchesterjoe
Active member
You could probably throw Niagara into the mix for declining Vincentian Programs too. As Managers of SJU the Vincentians have presided over the loss of Frank McGuire to differences over money and family benefits. The forced retirement of Joe Lapchick arguably contributed to Alcindor not coming to SJU.. I said arguably because many feel equally that Alcindor was gone once he visited UCLA.
We got lucky with Louie staying all those years and Fr. Cahill was one of the few Presidents who liked BB. DePaul was equally lucky to have Ray Meyer all those years too. After those 2 HOF COACHES left the schools, it has pretty much downhill all the way..
But, this is all ancient history .. We have been on the slippery slope since FF LEFT.. Even the most fervent REDMEN fans have to admit it hasn't been good since. Our Coaching choices have been poor and results similar.
We are likely on the verge of another Coaching transition and step backward after this season. I believe most, not all, fans have had enough of Lavin and the underwhelming results he has overseen. He is a poor Coach but, great PR mouthpiece.
We got lucky with Louie staying all those years and Fr. Cahill was one of the few Presidents who liked BB. DePaul was equally lucky to have Ray Meyer all those years too. After those 2 HOF COACHES left the schools, it has pretty much downhill all the way..
But, this is all ancient history .. We have been on the slippery slope since FF LEFT.. Even the most fervent REDMEN fans have to admit it hasn't been good since. Our Coaching choices have been poor and results similar.
We are likely on the verge of another Coaching transition and step backward after this season. I believe most, not all, fans have had enough of Lavin and the underwhelming results he has overseen. He is a poor Coach but, great PR mouthpiece.