The Myth Of NY's Demise

[BrookJersey Redmen]

Beast. I had fifth "winners" on the first court at Foster Park many times. Corner of Nostrand and Foster in Flatbush with classmate from Nazareth HS Mike Dunleavey who went to so Carolina instead of St. John's unfortunately

Nazareth had their way with Xaverian back in my day.

 

[beast of the east]

Beast. I had fifth "winners" on the first court at Foster Park many times. Corner of Nostrand and Foster in Flatbush with classmate from Nazareth HS Mike Dunleavey who went to so Carolina instead of St. John's unfortunately

Nazareth had their way with Xaverian back in my day.

If you were a Dunleavy, you rarely had to sit. Anybody with winners would pick you even if you lost and you'd stay on the court. Winners made scrubs better. You had to play your butt off to stay on the court. In one place I played in the first game of the evening (night center) the teams would be assembled by the first 6 guys making free throws. I was a crappy FT shooter, but learned to race in and make a ft to play right away. That was a lot more pressure than making a 1 and 1 in the Garden in crunch time - not really - but it was good training for incentive to become a good FT shooter.

We'd play all day in all kinds of heat in the summer, shovel off courts in the winter and play with one glove and one bare hand it was so cold. Your face would sting from the cold and your eyes would water, and your nose would run, but you kept playing. In the summer, we'd play all day, go home for dinner, and then race out to squeeze in a bunch of games till the sun went down. It was the absolute best, and kids today are missing on all that.

 

[MJDinkins]

One of the main story lines expressed again and again as Lavin was removed and the news broke about Mullin coming on board is the refrain that NY City basketball talent is not what it once was. This excuse has been used constantly, going all the way back to Jarvis. And let me tell you it is just that, an excuse. New York City may not be cranking out Lew Alcindors every year but it certainly producing NCAA champions, like every year, actually:

Omar Calhoun 2014
Russ Smith 2013
Doron lamb 2012
Kemba walker 2011
Lance Thomas 2010

The press may label St. Johns fans as a finicky bunch but it is exactly the kind of players listed above who should form the bedrock of St. Johns roster. They do exist, and they will stay provided the coach creates the conditions to make them do so.

(P.S. Lance Thomas is from Brooklyn he just went Jersey for High School.)

DustyJ,

I fall somewhere in the middle of the NYC in decline debate. This is the largest city in the country, of course we are going to have some great players. Omar Calhoun helped Uconn win that title only slightly more than either of us. He was nowhere to be found on the bench.

It wasn't long ago that we had Omar Cook, and Taliek Brown. They were coming off the heels of guys like Artest, Barkley, Brand, Grant, Glover, Odom, etc. They were followed by Yatta Gaines, Russell Robinson, Ronald Ramon, and Curtis Kelly on the same AAU team. DIdn't Mark Jackson, Earl the Pearl, and Kenny Smith all come out one year from NYC? Guys like Kenny Anderson. It's not the same anymore.

I do agree the demise is exaggerated and we'd be served getting two of the top three or four city kids every year, but I don't think we can survive on NY kids alone.

Earl the Pearl? Also don't forget Andre Barrett out of Rice. He was in same class as Cook and Brown and wound up at Seton Hall.

I believe he meant "Pearl" Washington.

 

[Eddyman11]

Beast. I had fifth "winners" on the first court at Foster Park many times. Corner of Nostrand and Foster in Flatbush with classmate from Nazareth HS Mike Dunleavey who went to so Carolina instead of St. John's unfortunately

Nazareth had their way with Xaverian back in my day.

That park is one of my old stomping grounds. Your brining me back!

 

[monte]

One of the main story lines expressed again and again as Lavin was removed and the news broke about Mullin coming on board is the refrain that NY City basketball talent is not what it once was. This excuse has been used constantly, going all the way back to Jarvis. And let me tell you it is just that, an excuse. New York City may not be cranking out Lew Alcindors every year but it certainly producing NCAA champions, like every year, actually:

Omar Calhoun 2014
Russ Smith 2013
Doron lamb 2012
Kemba walker 2011
Lance Thomas 2010

The press may label St. Johns fans as a finicky bunch but it is exactly the kind of players listed above who should form the bedrock of St. Johns roster. They do exist, and they will stay provided the coach creates the conditions to make them do so.

(P.S. Lance Thomas is from Brooklyn he just went Jersey for High School.)

DustyJ,

I fall somewhere in the middle of the NYC in decline debate. This is the largest city in the country, of course we are going to have some great players. Omar Calhoun helped Uconn win that title only slightly more than either of us. He was nowhere to be found on the bench.

It wasn't long ago that we had Omar Cook, and Taliek Brown. They were coming off the heels of guys like Artest, Barkley, Brand, Grant, Glover, Odom, etc. They were followed by Yatta Gaines, Russell Robinson, Ronald Ramon, and Curtis Kelly on the same AAU team. DIdn't Mark Jackson, Earl the Pearl, and Kenny Smith all come out one year from NYC? Guys like Kenny Anderson. It's not the same anymore.

I do agree the demise is exaggerated and we'd be served getting two of the top three or four city kids every year, but I don't think we can survive on NY kids alone.

Earl the Pearl? Also don't forget Andre Barrett out of Rice. He was in same class as Cook and Brown and wound up at Seton Hall.

I believe he meant "Pearl" Washington.

I knew who he meant, just busting his chops

 

[BrookJersey Redmen]

Foster Park in the heart of Flatbush right by the Junction and not far from Brooklyn College.

There was an older guy (Rodney) there who steered kids to colleges, and a Sports Illustrated writer Rick Telander did a book about it called Heaven is a Playground.Years later Rodney was scalping bb tickets outside MSG for a SJU game and said he remembered me (I wonder).

Mack was the "parkie" who kept the basketballs locked up in the park house.

There were ice cream trucks right outside the front gate on Foster Ave. and the Vanderveer Estates (housing projects) were just across the street.

Fly Williams. There was a tall guy named Earl who played at Erasmus, the local public high school.

Great memories, playing there all day into the night going home for lunch and dinner only. Moving off the first court when the college players would come through.

Hugh McMann (Marquette), George Bruns (Manhattan) Tommy McNeice (UConn) in the late 60's and early 70"s.

 

[beast of the east]

One of the main story lines expressed again and again as Lavin was removed and the news broke about Mullin coming on board is the refrain that NY City basketball talent is not what it once was. This excuse has been used constantly, going all the way back to Jarvis. And let me tell you it is just that, an excuse. New York City may not be cranking out Lew Alcindors every year but it certainly producing NCAA champions, like every year, actually:

Omar Calhoun 2014
Russ Smith 2013
Doron lamb 2012
Kemba walker 2011
Lance Thomas 2010

The press may label St. Johns fans as a finicky bunch but it is exactly the kind of players listed above who should form the bedrock of St. Johns roster. They do exist, and they will stay provided the coach creates the conditions to make them do so.

(P.S. Lance Thomas is from Brooklyn he just went Jersey for High School.)

DustyJ,

I fall somewhere in the middle of the NYC in decline debate. This is the largest city in the country, of course we are going to have some great players. Omar Calhoun helped Uconn win that title only slightly more than either of us. He was nowhere to be found on the bench.

It wasn't long ago that we had Omar Cook, and Taliek Brown. They were coming off the heels of guys like Artest, Barkley, Brand, Grant, Glover, Odom, etc. They were followed by Yatta Gaines, Russell Robinson, Ronald Ramon, and Curtis Kelly on the same AAU team. DIdn't Mark Jackson, Earl the Pearl, and Kenny Smith all come out one year from NYC? Guys like Kenny Anderson. It's not the same anymore.

I do agree the demise is exaggerated and we'd be served getting two of the top three or four city kids every year, but I don't think we can survive on NY kids alone.

Earl the Pearl? Also don't forget Andre Barrett out of Rice. He was in same class as Cook and Brown and wound up at Seton Hall.

I believe he meant "Pearl" Washington.

I knew who he meant, just busting his chops

Much better known as Pac-man in the schoolyards.