Villanova- Game 2

[simplyred]

Some wanted to sit our injured players and we are doing it. No complaining

Not bitching about sitting Branch and Obekpa, but if we had quality players on the bench to replace them...

At halftime I thought you were complaining about bench players not playing. Now you know why

Hey Beast, are these bench players not the ones that he recruited? wtf did he recruit them, to warm the bench? Oh nm, I guess Norm recruited them huh?

Come down off the ledge, Joe.

 

[paultzman]

Man, I'll say this. Nova's program and ours is still a tale of two cities, Students on break? Maybe - there didn't seem to be tons of them in building although there were a lot, BUT the place was jammed. Apparently a ton or alumni, lots of families, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 somethings - across the spectrum. Men and women - of all ages. Forget about them being a top 5 program right now just for a second. They have a following, a BIG following, a loyal following, and I'm jealous.

I know what we HAD - but had was a long time ago. I also know that a following is a function of winning. But I also know what IS, and what we have is a small, loyal, passionate following of mostly men in the 40-70 year range. We have a long way to go.

Good for Nova. They are what we can be if we stay the course and improve this program.

In my opinion Nova also does a much better job than SJU valuing & recognizing their past players.

 

[redfan259999888]

Jay Wright is a very classy guy and I know he didn't do it on purpose, but there was no need to leave his starters out there so long against the end of our bench up 25 with the tournament just a few days away considering the depth and size he had to choose from. The game was put away once they went up 16.

I think that will bite him in the ass big time if we get past Providence.

If this annihilation doesn't inspire us against Nova next week nothing will. Not only pressing us up 27 points but fast breaking as well. And that was with six and change left in the game.

Can we stop their post game next week??????????????????????

I think you've lost the right to use the word "we" when referring to this program. This many never be an easy team to root for again, but I've never seen such an all or nothing fan. You predicted an undefeated January, then two weeks later went off that Lavin should be fired and the season is over. Then you came back on board like you never left, and here you are again ready to run at any sign of a problem. May I suggest cheering for Kentucky? It's easier, I promise.

This very likely will be our best team in FIFTEEN YEARS. If you can't enjoy that...if you can't get behind that than you won't be happy as a fan of this program. We are on Sports Center top ten after every game...they play hard, fast, and exciting. Get with it, man, or get lost.

I'm being like you though, when Norm was coach, gues you forgot that.

 

[redfan259999888]

Some wanted to sit our injured players and we are doing it. No complaining

Not bitching about sitting Branch and Obekpa, but if we had quality players on the bench to replace them...

At halftime I thought you were complaining about bench players not playing. Now you know why

Hey Beast, are these bench players not the ones that he recruited? wtf did he recruit them, to warm the bench? Oh nm, I guess Norm recruited them huh?

Come down off the ledge, Joe.

realfan to joe alright who next?

 

[beast of the east]

Man, I'll say this. Nova's program and ours is still a tale of two cities, Students on break? Maybe - there didn't seem to be tons of them in building although there were a lot, BUT the place was jammed. Apparently a ton or alumni, lots of families, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 somethings - across the spectrum. Men and women - of all ages. Forget about them being a top 5 program right now just for a second. They have a following, a BIG following, a loyal following, and I'm jealous.

I know what we HAD - but had was a long time ago. I also know that a following is a function of winning. But I also know what IS, and what we have is a small, loyal, passionate following of mostly men in the 40-70 year range. We have a long way to go.

Good for Nova. They are what we can be if we stay the course and improve this program.

In my opinion Nova also does a much better job than SJU valuing & recognizing their past players.

sent you a PM

 

[boo haarvey]

Just got home. The ride down there was murder. Last minute decision to go. Figured if this was a dogfight, having a few fans in the building might help a little and as a fan I should make the effort.. Turns out it was a dogfight. They had fight in them, and we were dogs. That's harsh, though.

Truth is we had only 2/3 of our playing rotation on the floor. When that happens against a good team, Harrison is easy to key on, bottle up, and force into bad decisions. Jordan had a nice game. Pointer was overwhelmed - without a supporting cast, he wasn't himself.

Most disappointing thing is how we rolled over on defense. We had no spirit, no energy. Amar on defense looked like a mannequin. Completely porous defense, and while I wouldn't have been surprised with a depleted squad if we couldn't hit shots consistently the lack of effort on defense was atrocious.

If this was our full squad, I'd say that as soon as w erun into a good squad in the NCAA, we're done. But with our 6 fairly healthy and playing well, we are a different team. Only problem is that when Branch was inserted late he looked very hobbled.just walking. Edit: boxscore says he wasn't in the game, maybe i saw him hobbling in the huddle.

Obviously lavin didn't insert branch for the first with a few minutes to go on a 30 point blowout. He did warmup both before the game and at the half and I thought he looked good. Obekpa, however did not warmup.

 

[rawdognyc]

I think getting blown out like this might be the best thing to happen to happen to this team. It's hard to beat a top 25 team like Providence 3 times in a season but because of this awful and embarrassing loss this team will come out laser focused on Thursday. They will want another shot at Villanova along with payback for the loss to Providence last year.

I also don't believe that the last 13+ minutes of this game were a premonition as to what the team will be like next year. CO, ADR, Sampson and Doughty were not out there. I too believe that Amar will be very much improved next year, he will be stronger also. Lavin will bring in a 6 or 7 player recruiting class depending if Jones leaves or not. We don not yet know who those other 4 or 5 players will be.

Let's just all relax, have drink and get ready for Thursday. Let's go Storm!!!

Wow... Did you go to the seminar that Class of 72 put on Friday night?

 

[22057]

Administration cares !!

 

[NYCRedmen]

Some shots from today

 

[montyaloofah]

As far as I'm concerned, this game was a big who cares. Play us next week and we are a different looking team. Nova is solid. They deserve a 1 seed. I knew they would storm back after being up 11. The speed of our offense gives teams a chance to make runs on us. We need to be full on to beat providence. Let's go!

 

[Marillac]

Jay Wright is a very classy guy and I know he didn't do it on purpose, but there was no need to leave his starters out there so long against the end of our bench up 25 with the tournament just a few days away considering the depth and size he had to choose from. The game was put away once they went up 16.

I think that will bite him in the ass big time if we get past Providence.

If this annihilation doesn't inspire us against Nova next week nothing will. Not only pressing us up 27 points but fast breaking as well. And that was with six and change left in the game.

Can we stop their post game next week??????????????????????

I think you've lost the right to use the word "we" when referring to this program. This many never be an easy team to root for again, but I've never seen such an all or nothing fan. You predicted an undefeated January, then two weeks later went off that Lavin should be fired and the season is over. Then you came back on board like you never left, and here you are again ready to run at any sign of a problem. May I suggest cheering for Kentucky? It's easier, I promise.

This very likely will be our best team in FIFTEEN YEARS. If you can't enjoy that...if you can't get behind that than you won't be happy as a fan of this program. We are on Sports Center top ten after every game...they play hard, fast, and exciting. Get with it, man, or get lost.

I'm being like you though, when Norm was coach, gues you forgot that.

Joe3, if you can't see the difference between the program then and now, you are a lost cause. Norm was a born loser. Look at his record at Queens College. He lost 80% of his games. There was no hope with him. He couldn't coach and he couldn't get top recruits to seriously consider him.

Lavin has won in the past--not as much as the demanding and unreasonable UCLA fans wanted, but he won. He won 65% of his games as coach.

We never danced with Norm in SIX years. He inherited a soph Showtime and soph Lamont Hamilton and we never sniffed the dance. We were 6-12 in the Big East with the same roster Lavin had ranked in the top 25 minus Norm's highest ranked recruit ever and 5th year senior. Lavin won the same amount of conference games Norm did in the two year prior combined. Lavin was 8-10 with a group of sophs, coming off a missed season with cancer, and after losing his best player to the NBA draft.

Norm was a good man, but he had no business being a head coach. It's a travesty that anyone hired him as such with his QC head coaching record.

Six years of hopelessness. Six years of losing young fans to other programs. Six years of irrelevancy.

Lavin landed a top 100 recruit in 3 weeks on the job. We are dancing. Get with the program and grow the hell up.

 

[boo haarvey]

Jay Wright is a very classy guy and I know he didn't do it on purpose, but there was no need to leave his starters out there so long against the end of our bench up 25 with the tournament just a few days away considering the depth and size he had to choose from. The game was put away once they went up 16.

I think that will bite him in the ass big time if we get past Providence.

If this annihilation doesn't inspire us against Nova next week nothing will. Not only pressing us up 27 points but fast breaking as well. And that was with six and change left in the game.

Can we stop their post game next week??????????????????????

I think you've lost the right to use the word "we" when referring to this program. This many never be an easy team to root for again, but I've never seen such an all or nothing fan. You predicted an undefeated January, then two weeks later went off that Lavin should be fired and the season is over. Then you came back on board like you never left, and here you are again ready to run at any sign of a problem. May I suggest cheering for Kentucky? It's easier, I promise.

This very likely will be our best team in FIFTEEN YEARS. If you can't enjoy that...if you can't get behind that than you won't be happy as a fan of this program. We are on Sports Center top ten after every game...they play hard, fast, and exciting. Get with it, man, or get lost.

I'm being like you though, when Norm was coach, gues you forgot that.

Joe3, if you can't see the difference between the program then and now, you are a lost cause. Norm was a born loser. Look at his record at Queens College. He lost 80% of his games. There was no hope with him. He couldn't coach and he couldn't get top recruits to seriously consider him.

Lavin has won in the past--not as much as the demanding and unreasonable UCLA fans wanted, but he won. He won 65% of his games as coach.

We never danced with Norm in SIX years. He inherited a soph Showtime and soph Lamont Hamilton and we never sniffed the dance. We were 6-12 in the Big East with the same roster Lavin had ranked in the top 25 minus Norm's highest ranked recruit ever and 5th year senior. Lavin won the same amount of conference games Norm did in the two year prior combined. Lavin was 8-10 with a group of sophs, coming off a missed season with cancer, and after losing his best player to the NBA draft.

Norm was a good man, but he had no business being a head coach. It's a travesty that anyone hired him as such with his QC head coaching record.

Six years of hopelessness. Six years of losing young fans to other programs. Six years of irrelevancy.

Lavin landed a top 100 recruit in 3 weeks on the job. We are dancing. Get with the program and grow the hell up.

Plus 1. I just can't fathom the negativity given where we were before and where we 're at now.

 

[Class of 72]

[/quote]


When I heard that both Obekpa and Branch were unavailable for the Villanova game I decided to cancel recording the game since even an armchair coach like me realized this could have the potential of being a game I would want to forget quickly and never see again. Besides, my DVR capacity was at 90% after recording the entire Twilight Zone marathon on News Years eve , the Monk marathon and every episode of Portlandia.  None which I have watched as yet.
The game was the proverbial tale of two halves. Our starting 4 (yes, we only had 4 real basketball players on the court at any given time in this game) ran like a well oiled machine in the first half.  Unfortunately, the defensive lapses in the last minute of play was a harbinger to come of the worst 2nd half we have played all year.  Harrison and Greene IV decided to forgo playing defense and started to throw up bricks, Dom lost his groove and the various players that were in the game impersonating the 5th basketball player on the court looked not like part of the well oiled machine of the first half but an empty shell of a bus without a motor with no gas.  The combination of Joey D, Amar and Christian were so overmatched and vulnerable on defense it was as if their size, while impressive on paper, was an optical illusion and they were actually dwarfs playing in wheelchairs against NBA level  players.  In short, St. John's has no bench worthy of playing time after Obekpa and Branch disappeared from the lineup.  Again, take an academic bow Adonis and Mr. Thomas. 
There were positives to be found in the rubble of this disaster in that coach Lavin gave his walk ons major national air time minutes for their hard work during the year in practices. All the players learned a valuable lesson about maintaining tenacity and composure in big games.  Eating some humble pie may inspire our seniors to play smarter in the tourney.  The team finished with 21 wins in spite of injuries and players being ruled ineligible.  The staff improved their bench performance from last season and did more with less than most teams in the nation at full player capacity. Recruiting is picking up and our top recruits are still on the team.  Lavin has a good track record of re-recruiting players so his biggest recruiting challenge may be in convincing Jordan and Obekpa to stay. 
The second part of the season now begins with the Big East tourney and the final treat for us long suffering redmen fans will be the NCAA tournament. If we have a healthy 6 players, winning 1 or 2 games will be nice.  Seeing Kentucky get upset and Villanova advancing for the Big East would be nicer.
I have that hope for Nova even though today coach blue suede shoes and his players showed a little unsportsmanlike attitude by keeping starters pressing and fist pumping when they were up 30 against our walk ons as Lavin had conceded the game at the 8 minute mark.  May karma be kind to them.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

We went from up 11 to down 4 in the first half and the best Lavin can do was come out for the second half with his hair styled.

Maybe some halftime adjustments would've Made this less of and embarrassment instead of playing with his gel and comb?

 

[rawdognyc]

We went from up 11 to down 4 in the first half and the best Lavin can do was come out for the second half with his hair styled.

Maybe some halftime adjustments would've Made this less of and embarrassment instead of playing with his gel and comb?

No motives though....

 

[TonyinFairfield]

We went from up 11 to down 4 in the first half and the best Lavin can do was come out for the second half with his hair styled.

Maybe some halftime adjustments would've Made this less of and embarrassment instead of playing with his gel and comb?

I heard from sources, who of course I cannot reveal, that during half-time he also went to one of Philly's finest restaurants for lunch and had a quick yoga session to de-stress a bit. :blink:

 

[redfan259999888]

I know I'm looking ahead a game, but if we meet them on Friday night. I want to see what kind of heart they have. Branch and Chris both will play, so no excuses there.
I will want them to have some balls and play a f'ing 40minute in your face type of game.
Play with some heart all 40minutes FFS.

 

[Marillac]

I know I'm looking ahead a game, but if we meet them on Friday night. I want to see what kind of heart they have. Branch and Chris both will play, so no excuses there.
I will want them to have some balls and play a f'ing 40minute in your face type of game.
Play with some heart all 40minutes FFS.

It's all about what you want. I'm sure they don't want to let you down.

 

[redfan259999888]

I know I'm looking ahead a game, but if we meet them on Friday night. I want to see what kind of heart they have. Branch and Chris both will play, so no excuses there.
I will want them to have some balls and play a f'ing 40minute in your face type of game.
Play with some heart all 40minutes FFS.

It's all about what you want. I'm sure they don't want to let you down.

KEWL BEANS!!!!!

 

[Marillac]

I know I'm looking ahead a game, but if we meet them on Friday night. I want to see what kind of heart they have. Branch and Chris both will play, so no excuses there.
I will want them to have some balls and play a f'ing 40minute in your face type of game.
Play with some heart all 40minutes FFS.

It's all about what you want. I'm sure they don't want to let you down.

KEWL BEANS!!!!!

I could probably handle you in person and have a good time, but you make me want to snap my own neck via message board. I am going to have to ignore you going forward. Please f*cking relax and consolidate your responses to make this task easier on me and the countless others you ruin these boards for.