Outsider Perspectives on Mike Anderson

[gtmoBlue]

Coach Mike Anderson is a Keeper. He will git the job done for St Johns.

If you've got $7M - $17M (buyout + Pitino) laying around (or borrow from flush with cash UConn) you can always hire Pappy Pitino.

[MullinMayhem]

I don't ever see him succeeding here unless he suddenly starts getting top 25 recruiting classes and he's not going to do that here. Lavin proved you can get 4 or even occasional 5 star guys here with the right approach. So can't blame the program for that one IMO. To be honest, these are my top candidates:

1. Rick Pitino
2. Drew Valentine (Loyola CHI)
3. Kyle Neptune (Fordham)
4. Shaheen Holloway (Saint Peter's)
5. King Rice (Monmouth)

I know it will never happen, but Rick Pitino would almost instantly make us relevant again. It's the easiest choice, because it's as close to a guarantee as you can get with a coach. He has to be clean after all the craziness and being at Iona he is completely dominating his conference. I know MAAC stinks, but regardless it shows he has real coaching talent. He only wins wherever he goes including Greece for crying out loud. Yes he is about 70 so he isn't young, but we could easily get 5 years out of him which is enough time to get back in the national spotlight, make tourneys, and when he retires he can hand the program off to a much better pool of coaching candidates.

I know the money is a concern too obviously because we'd need to buy Anderson out (again I know it won't happen until after next yr earliest), but I guarantee you if there was any little inkling that we may be in play for Pitino, the fanbase and boosters would find the money quickly. Only SJ can have the most obvious, stupid proof cure to make us elite again right over the Whitestone bridge...and not want to do it.

[hoops22]

Hard to be in Anderson's corner after another dismal showing today. Is he better than Mullin was, yes, but that's not saying much. What's made this season so tough is we all bought into the hype about how talented and versatile all the transfers coming in were. The truth turned out to be they're not nearly as good as the guys that left. In Anderson's defense, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh!t, but still he's the guy that assembled this roster. As a bench coach he's brutal, especially in the final two minutes of a game. We were beating a dreadful Pitt team all game, and coughed it up in the final two minutes, had a chance to steal a game from UCONN on the road, but he couldn't push the right buttons to protect the lead with three seconds to go, and them needing to go the length of the court with no timeouts. Even today we're leading by three with the ball, and fifteen seconds to go in the half before a turnover and then a three from the Hall. Couldn't even go into the locker room with the lead under those circumstances. You're not even surprised when it happens anymore. We don't play defense, we don't rebound, and nobody can shoot the ball. Not exactly a recipe for success.

Of course we're notorious for pissing money out the window, like the disastrous Slice contract, and now extending Anderson for six years. Although I like the guy, and his teams do play hard, though undisciplined, it's hard to see this situation improving in any significant way. There's a chance we'll sneak up on somebody that takes us too lightly and still steal a game or two this season. But we're not going anywhere.

My suggestion? Kiss and make up with Repole, and hopefully see him involved with buying out Anderson. And who do we get? We all know the answer, and I don't give a damn if we're diving deep into the cesspool of college basketball. HIRE PETINO! I'm sick of the anguish this team puts me through year after year. Before I die I want to see meaningful March basketball and sold out games at MSG again. Truth be told, you have to look away and hold your nose, when we all know the underbelly of this sport. So enough of the moral outrage. Hire Petino, and put an end to this fiasco.

[pc5151]

I think St Johns fans have an unrealistic view of their program. What is the draw to go there as a player or a coach? The basketball practice facilities are bottom barrel and carneseca is a dump. So its just ​the 5 games a year that you guys play at MSG where the crowd is at least 50% made up of the opposing teams fans? Hopefully your board listens to Fr Shanley and upgrades the facilities though without Repole and his money that may seem far fetched. To think someone is going to come in and turn this program around in 3 years is ridiculous. Its been a joke, not DePaul level, but pretty bad for years. I dont see St Johns as a place where a coach is going to come in and start immediately bringing in a 5 star and multiple 4 stars each recruiting class, St Johns needs to get kids who fit their system and have a core group of Jrs and Srs each year to be competitive. (Its also not a place where a coach who could land 5 star and 4 star players would go.) This takes time and is the same way PC and SH have become competitive, Cooley and Willard were not fired after 3 years. Anderson whiffed on Coburn and Smith, probably should have kept Williams, but everyone else who transferred out is not better than who they have now. My outside view is that I thought they would be a little better than the are right now but that they are on the right path. I never saw them as a top 4 team in the Big East this year so maybe thats why I dont view this year as a disappointment. They clearly need bigs that can play Andersons style, hopefully this offseason transfer market provides that. Seems like with Alexander, Wusu, Mathis, Pinzon and Storr they are building a nice group of guards.

[Wizard of Westroads]

An outsider's' perspective on the 3 coaches on the hot seat (Anderson, Jordan, Ewing):

I like all 3, their teams consistently play hard and you can tell what they're trying to do. Anderson and Ewing have been rebuilding while playing in a league that's dominated by upperclassmen right now. Lavar has a veteran team, but he's had a lot of injuries, covid breaks and other distractions (Scooby).

Easy for me to say since I'm not a fan of any of their teams, but I'd give them one more year before pulling the plug. The league is going to look a lot different next year with Nova, SH, PC, UConn all losing key pieces. If StJ and GT can bring back their top players (other than Champ), they might be able to move up the standings. Butler might be tougher with all the seniors on its roster, but Lavar has a good core of young guards who are getting a lot of experience this year. I think it would be a mistake to let any of them go after this year, which isn't over btw.

[Omaha1]

I tend to agree that all three will return next year. Anderson was just coach of the year. Ewing and Jordan are alums so that makes it difficult unless they decide independently to leave for the best interest of the program.

[Xuperman]

Bonnies Mark Schmidt would be a good possibility.

[hoops22]

I think St Johns fans have an unrealistic view of their program. What is the draw to go there as a player or a coach? The basketball practice facilities are bottom barrel and carneseca is a dump. So its just ​the 5 games a year that you guys play at MSG where the crowd is at least 50% made up of the opposing teams fans? Hopefully your board listens to Fr Shanley and upgrades the facilities though without Repole and his money that may seem far fetched. To think someone is going to come in and turn this program around in 3 years is ridiculous. Its been a joke, not DePaul level, but pretty bad for years. I dont see St Johns as a place where a coach is going to come in and start immediately bringing in a 5 star and multiple 4 stars each recruiting class, St Johns needs to get kids who fit their system and have a core group of Jrs and Srs each year to be competitive. (Its also not a place where a coach who could land 5 star and 4 star players would go.) This takes time and is the same way PC and SH have become competitive, Cooley and Willard were not fired after 3 years. Anderson whiffed on Coburn and Smith, probably should have kept Williams, but everyone else who transferred out is not better than who they have now. My outside view is that I thought they would be a little better than the are right now but that they are on the right path. I never saw them as a top 4 team in the Big East this year so maybe thats why I dont view this year as a disappointment. They clearly need bigs that can play Andersons style, hopefully this offseason transfer market provides that. Seems like with Alexander, Wusu, Mathis, Pinzon and Storr they are building a nice group of guards.

You're missing the bigger picture. Yeah you're right, the facilities are terrible, but you're way underestimating the allure of bringing high level basketball to NYC. There is a total void in college athletics here, no football at all, and mostly mid major basketball, save for the Johnnies. Saying top level talent can't be brought in is flat out wrong. In Lavin's first year here he had the No 3 recruiting class in the country with multiple four stars and a five star (Pelle) who unfortunately never made it to campus. A couple years later he brought in another 5 star in Rasheed Jordan who was ranked 18th in the country. I get it, these guys were flawed, but I'm just saying it is possible to get high level recruits to sign on board. This town will go nuts for a St. John's team ranked in the top ten. And that will carry a lot more weight with recruits than being a top ten team in Providence and being the toast of the town there. No disrespect intended. Fox realizes this, why do you think a bad Johnnie team still gets showcased so often on Big Fox? Put us in the top ten and we'll be living on that network. Regarding your comparison to this year and last years team, there's no question last years group was better. Alexander and Wusu, play with so much heart but are totally out of control. I believe a coach like Pitino can channel that intensity and make them the force they can be, along with elevating players like Pinzon and Storr. ( Mathis gets edged out with that group) Anderson had a million spots to fill with last years transfer market and mostly struck out. Why the optimism he'll get it right this next year? And again, I disagree with you that a program can't be turned around in three years. Look what Iowa St. did this year with transfers. I'm sure Anderson is a good man, a guy you really want to root for. But I've seen enough bad, out of control, undisciplined basketball this year to see that he's not the guy to turn this around. Let's see what happens by bringing in a high profile coach from this area, who appreciates what winning around here will mean, and has accomplished it in the past. That's our best chance to see the Johnnies finally playing again in the second weekend of the NCAA tournamnet after a long long drought.

[MullinMayhem]

Another L for Anderson makes him 18-27 in Big East play in the middle of his 3rd year so far. Almost 10 games under .500 in conf play. I completely disagree with those who say top kids just won't come here, so don't expect 4 star kids regularly. Lavin literally had like 6 four star recruits playing here on the same team. Harkless dropped 30 on Duke and was a lottery pick. Jordan was a 5 star, Pointer was a Jordan Brand All American in HS which is borderline McDonald's AA. Yes there were character concerns, but the point is it can be done. They will come here if you have a great salesman like Lavin. Unfortunately he just could not coach well and most players stayed pretty raw which is why he got fired.

Anderson is not a good speaker...he does not get everyone pumped up, doesn't sound convincing at all, and comes off as a monotone robot. It also sounds weird with his strong southern accent at the helm of New York's Team. Just an odd fit like Jeff Goodman said when we hired him. He was right. His system is really stupid in 2022 when most teams have tons of shooters to make you pay from 3. It's all gambling on defense for turnovers...but when they beat the press, it's easy sailing and wide open 3's all day. Teams at this level are too good to regularly lose against that style. It's also a system where you need 4 year players who really get the system and perfect it. In this day in age with kids transferring all over, this cannot work with tons of kids coming and going every yr. Anyone who has given us the eye test knows he is not the answer whether or not he gets fired after next yr. Don't see how we can do any better than 8th next season at best with no Champ and who knows if Posh and others stay after this year. We need a change.

[MullinMayhem]

At this point he's gone after next year is another dumpster fire season. Time to seriously look at candidates.