Transfers SJU May Get Involved With
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
Unfortunately, without the addition of a big man I don't see us competing for a NCAA bid or even a NIT (if I am being honest). The Big East is just to physical . I think we will be fighting for the middle of the pack at best. I love our team especially our gritty guards but size will be our downfall just like last season +/- 3 additional wins. I really hope I an wrong!!
Some of the expectations on this board are just so unrealistic! At this point, we are not a preferred destination for anyone and why should we be considering the track record of the program over the past nearly 2 decades? It's a wonder Mullin and Matt have been able to piece together what they have so far, and I applaud them for that.
As for 2017 transfers or recruits (I say mostly transfers, because prior to a couple of weeks ago, we didn't even have any scholarships open and were loading up for 2018) did we realistically miss on that we can be upset about? It would appear to me the staff is doing everything in their power to bring the coveted 5th year big man in here, but we've got to be realistic about our chances. Other programs have a lot more to offer right now than we do. Once we get sustained success, then we can be disappointed when we miss out.
As for 2017 transfers or recruits (I say mostly transfers, because prior to a couple of weeks ago, we didn't even have any scholarships open and were loading up for 2018) did we realistically miss on that we can be upset about? It would appear to me the staff is doing everything in their power to bring the coveted 5th year big man in here, but we've got to be realistic about our chances. Other programs have a lot more to offer right now than we do. Once we get sustained success, then we can be disappointed when we miss out.
boo haarvey
Active member
Respectfully disagree. Staff is getting paid a lot of money. This is year three of the rebuild and we are not a mid-major. No excuse for not having a decent big man. We've known for months that we needed a big man and it was hardly a surprise that several kids transferred.
So the staff being paid alot of money, does that change any of the points I made? Kids don't care about how much a staff is getting paid. They care about going to winning programs (especially 5th year transfers), they care about pipelines to the NBA, they care about top notch facilities. You and others may hold the staff to a higher standard because of their salary, but it was the school's decision to pay them that much money. I still don't see how we could expect more than what we have right now.
SMU primarily relied on 5 players last season and made the NCAA tournament
If Clarke and Simon are as good as advertised we still look good for next year.
The team is legit with:
Ponds
LoVett
Simon
Clarke
Owens
A rebound season for Yakwe
Ahmed playing under control
Musinni just catching and shooting
How many teams go deeper than 8 solid players?
If Clarke and Simon are as good as advertised we still look good for next year.
The team is legit with:
Ponds
LoVett
Simon
Clarke
Owens
A rebound season for Yakwe
Ahmed playing under control
Musinni just catching and shooting
How many teams go deeper than 8 solid players?
8 seems to be the magic number for a regular rotation however there needs to be some balance and always good to have options beyond that when surprises come up. Xavier lost one of their best players to begin the season with no time to recover then lost their best player and still had a great season and NCAA run.
Year one biggest problem was ball handling. It was addressed very nicely going into both year 2 and three. Year two exposed our immaturity both physically and play (defense/rebounding/ 50/50). Simon and Clark are helpful in our overall lack of size and physical maturity as does the team being a year older. But we still need some interior toughness. So no doubt in my mind year three is going to be good. Add some real interior presence and IMHO we'd be at the top of the Big East - top 3. If we completely whiffed I think we'd still be incrementally better with both the addition and subtraction but still borderline post season as I doubt we'll see those early season flubs. Add a real, mature big and we be having a lot of fun next season.
Yakwe I give a WTF for this past season. I hope it was an aberration and that he's got some very specific goals and regimen off season. Bashir overall good numbers an x-fact with him I think will be how effectively we rebound and get into transition. Don't love him in 1/2 court even though the numbers were good. I'd like to see him training by a stop watch where he's only got max 3 seconds to complete an offensive possession with either a shot or pass. If he can get that down with a purpose (not just rushed) the offense would look better when he's in the 1/2 court. Both those guys could help us with that added maturity.
Good thoughts on those two. As frustrated as I was with Yakwe, he should get benefit of doubt. Adjusting to college game as a young guy with little basketball experience, compounded by a guard dominated offense may have made him tentative as Fun noted. Hopefully he gathers himself and surprises this year. Rooting for him, obviously a good kid to boot.
Yes well, most staffs get paid a lot of money. Anyway this is something of a non sequitur but I'm willing to play along.
Mullin was hired in March of 2015. This is April of 2017. So this is somewhere between year two and year infinity. What has Mullin not accomplished in 25 months since he's been hired that you think he should have accomplished. Be specific, bearing in mind that he's recruited just about the best freshman I've ever seen, and just about the best back courts that St Johns's has ever had going back to Reggie Carter. Be specific about what he hasn't done in 25 months that you thought he should have done.
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We have a couple of decent big men. Owens is a decent big man, as is Yakwe, as is Clark, allegedly. What we don't have is a really good big man, which we haven't had since Lamont Hamilton, and he was awful.
We have known for months that we need help up front. For one reason or another help up front has not as yet been forthcoming. The absurd conclusion to draw from that is that the staff doesn't realize that they need help up front. The rational conclusion is that there are no quality big men who want to come play for a losing program on a shitty campus in front of the worst fan base in the world - despite the hall of fame staff that's available to teach them about basketball and the allure of Madison Square Garden and all the other things that people like you think players who should come to play at St John's should think are important.
It was hardly a surprise that several kids transfer because kids always transfer, so to that extent you're saying nothing of value. But you weren't surprised when Ellison transferred? I was. Because he was getting more minutes than he deserved in a league he's barely good enough to play in. And Williams is made of tissue paper, so I'm surprised another program would take a chance on him, and he had minutes available so that surprised me as well. Freudenbyurch signed a pro contract, if you weren't surprised by that you're Nostradamus. Sima's transfer was surprising but only because he wasn't very good and had an open path to lots of playing time. If your point is that the staff did not plan for every contingency in the case of every worst case scenario, then you have a point. Shurg.
boo haarvey
Active member
Again, beneath all the sarcasm it's difficult to decipher your point. For my part, I do not claim to be able to divine the future. I could not have predicted who would have transferred, although I'd like to think the staff would have had some idea. Irrespective of who ultimately transferred, my point was that presumably the staff knew they would have a few ships to fill and I would have hoped they would have done a better job filling the needs. Thankfully Lovett decided to return or we really would be in trouble.
I'm rooting very hard for Mullin and we definitely have some good pieces. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but I'm frustrated by the staff's apparent inability to recruit solid big men to compliment our talented backcourt.
Sorry, my point is that yes, everyone knows they need a big man and haven't signed one and is disappointed by that. I know it, you know it, they know it. Everyone knows they need help up front and everyone knows there doesn't seem to be any. I find the constant incessant plodding repetition of that fact exhausting. If we were on a desert island and there were no ice cubes would you keep repeating that we really could use some ice cubes and then some other guy writes I WANT SOME ICE CUBES in all cap WHY AREN'T THERE ANY ICE CUBES and then moron number three posts a picture of an ice berg and then someone else says that there must be ice cubes out there some where because he once visited Bali and they had ice cubes in the mai tais so it's not like all islands lack ice and then some other dunce notes that they have must have ICE in ICELAND because ICE is in the name and then moron number three posts a jpeg of a lutefisk and then someone mentions the possibility that some Serbian ice might become available and everyone complains that Serbian ice isn't cold enough and it makes me want to blow my brains out. That was my point.
Coaster1955
Member
I CE your point
boo haarvey
Active member
Fun, if you're looking for highbrow intilectual banter replete with original thought, I'm not sure Redmen.com is your best bet. And all this time, I thought you reveled in our simple posts, which seem to provide you with such wonderful fodder to swoop in and dazzle us with thiose witty retorts.
I'm afraid that if we limited posts to new and original thought, we'd have a rather barren message board. Does it also bother you to read multiple posts expressing a similar sentiment when the sentiment is positive or one that is more well-suited to your agenda?
I could be mistaken, but I seem to recall your posting all the obvious criticisms of Lavin cloaked in your infamous sarcasm. Perhaps your sensitivity to the lack of originalism here is attributed to your apparent unflinching support of Mullin. Nothing wrong with being a supporter -- Mullin is an all time great and the jury is still out on him. But if you are going to take that position, I suggest you grow some thicker skin.