Top Ten Reasons SJU Struggles With Mid-Majors

R

Ray Morgan

Well-known member
It's getting difficult to track all the excuses raised on the board explaining our struggles with NJIT and Fordham, and losses to S.F. and UNC Asheville.
So here are the top ten excuses that I recall reading. If there are others, please advise.

1. We are too young.
2. We just need a point guard.
3. We have three guys trying to block the same shot.
4. We miss the experience Sanchez would have brought.
5. We play the wrong defense.
6. We don't run plays on offense.
7. We miss Dunlap.
8. Lavin is more recruiter than x and o guy.
9. We miss Gift's rebounding.
10. We take mid-majors lightly.

My take is this-If you struggle with your sparring partners, chances are you are going to get knocked out when you step in the ring with the heavyweight champ. The only hope is that there are enough pretenders in the Big East to make a winning record possible. NCAA? Not unless there is a lot of improvement, and a big run late in the season.
 
It's getting difficult to track all the excuses raised on the board explaining our struggles with NJIT and Fordham, and losses to S.F. and UNC Asheville.
So here are the top ten excuses that I recall reading. If there are others, please advise.

1. We are too young.
2. We just need a point guard.
3. We have three guys trying to block the same shot.
4. We miss the experience Sanchez would have brought.
5. We play the wrong defense.
6. We don't run plays on offense.
7. We miss Dunlap.
8. Lavin is more recruiter than x and o guy.
9. We miss Gift's rebounding.
10. We take mid-majors lightly.

My take is this-If you struggle with your sparring partners, chances are you are going to get knocked out when you step in the ring with the heavyweight champ. The only hope is that there are enough pretenders in the Big East to make a winning record possible. NCAA? Not unless there is a lot of improvement, and a big run late in the season.
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Maybe it's because we are one
 
The last time St. John's won a game in the NCAA Tournament was March 16, 2000

Let's not disrespect mid-majors considering we haven't been relevant in over a decade
 
#2 is/was a legit excuse. #3 and #6 are legit criticisms. All of the rest are BS excuses that are either irrelevant or we should be able to overcome.
 
I have a feeling lavin knows we are not going to flourish playing his style but refuses to admit it and will not change.... I've been around the game a long time Ang coached as well, given our group I'd the following..... Run 2-3 zone, but aggressive and switch off to full man..... Start branch, Harrison, Amir, Sampson an obekpa.... Only sub Marco green dom and jones, but my starting five need to play the lions share!
We are so under prepared.... And Lav needs a right hand man like Dunlop to make decisions
 
Accountability.

Priorities.

I've seen mid-majors this year that stepped onto the court with a purpose. Not just trying to make Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays or hoping to maintain their scoring average or weekly conference accolades.
 
Because we are a mid major program, and playing other good mid major programs proving difficult.

Also, and what's most disheartening for me is our smallish fan base. While I wouldn't expect us to have a rabbit fan base some other schools (Syracuse, uconn, etc) our fan base even compared to, for example, Seton Hall, is poor. While us fans on this site support our team we are not enough. As I watch the Syracuse and temple game their are more temple fans in the garden then their would be SJU fans/support- Friggin maddening. And by the way, I am cheering for Temple.

Our school needs to figure out how to get our students and alumni more passionate about school spirit. We could do much better!

Also when we play home games there is not much home court advantage, which generates energy in the building and energy for the players to feed off from. There isn't much energy to feed off. Too few fans for passion for the program.

Lets go Temple!
 
I'm watching the Syracuse vs Temple game also. Pray4change is right. Also, Temple is playing with such intensity with regard to hitting the offensive and defensive boards. Defensively also, their effort has been outstanding. Our team can learn by watching Temple play. They don't have a huge front line either but there positioning, effort and itensity underneath is to be commended. There has been amazing effort from them. They're playing Syracuse even with about 2 minutes left. St. Johns needs to play with this type of effort and intensity for 40 minutes. Lets go Temple!!!
 
Temple has 19 offensive rebounds in this game, 19!!! It's all about their effort and intensity.
 
I'm sure Rysheed Jordan is loving this.

Wonderful..
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From what I heard a couple days ago, he may not be loving what you think he loves. He's still a teenager, so you never know.
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His "don't believe everything you hear" quote.

Pretty sure beating Cuse at MSG paints them in a much better light regardless of what people want to believe.
 
Temple won because they played like they just wanted it more. Our guys don't play like they want it more than the other team. i'm not saying that they don't want to win or are lazy. I just think that their whole careers their talent has carried them and at this level that's not enough. You have to want it more and I don't think that our guys realize that yet.
 
Because we are a mid major program, and playing other good mid major programs proving difficult.

Also, and what's most disheartening for me is our smallish fan base. While I wouldn't expect us to have a rabbit fan base some other schools (Syracuse, uconn, etc) our fan base even compared to, for example, Seton Hall, is poor. While us fans on this site support our team we are not enough. As I watch the Syracuse and temple game their are more temple fans in the garden then their would be SJU fans/support- Friggin maddening. And by the way, I am cheering for Temple.

Our school needs to figure out how to get our students and alumni more passionate about school spirit. We could do much better!

Also when we play home games there is not much home court advantage, which generates energy in the building and energy for the players to feed off from. There isn't much energy to feed off. Too few fans for passion for the program.

Lets go Temple!
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Losing to San Francisco and UNC Asheville is not helping our already small fanbase
 
WE NEED LEADERSHIP ON THE COURT!!! I scream this because, as much as I love DLo's heart and his offensive production, he is not a leader. He will not carry the team through on court struggles. He looks to do it by himself when the rest of the team is not producing. I am really hoping that Branch will provide the leadership. That is why I am so perplexed as to why he was not in the game when the lead was slipping.

Branch came in and made two great passes almost immediately. He was directing the offense. And then he sat...and sat...and sat. As cr said, he should have played as close to minutes as his body would allow in his first game.
 
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