(7) Saturday BE Games 12/10/16

[REDMEN1415]

I'm sorry but I just cannot except the platitudes anymore. Wait until next year. They are young! The year after next will be great! The truth is that we are told to wait and wait and wait and nothing every actually materializes. If this was a truly untalented team like last year, I could understand the lumps. It just wasn't there. But the talent was upgraded significantly...and somehow we have found a way to do WORSE to this point than we were last year. Let me repeat that for those still drinking their coffee...we are actually worse record wise right now than at this point last year. That was the worst team ever in our 100+ year history. And we are doing worse than that this year so far. Who do you blame for that other than the coach? As you get more talent and more experience, you are supposed to clearly improve. If that does not happen it suggests some level of incompetence. Like I've said and others have said...whatever "it" is....SJ just doesn't have it. You can feel it in your gut. You just know something's not right and I got the same feeling early on with Lavin. We hear time and time again about our youth and that once they are seniors they will magically turn into butterflies instead of remaining caterpillars. The standard for success in this program is now this: making the tourney once every 4 years (because remember they shouldn't be expected to win until they are seniors) and MAYBE winning a game. That is atrocious. Other teams have young players and they win every single year no matter how many of the players graduate, leave early for the NBA, or transfer. It's a myth that you can only expect teams to be good once every 4 years. Darien Williams is not a freshman, nor is Mussini, Yakwe, nor was Sima, nor is Owens, or Ahmed, or Amar. When you add much more talent and get another year of experience, you are expected to improve and that is not happening. What is so controversial about that? I get losing to MSU, Minny, even VCU. But man, to lose to Delaware State (with LoVett), barely get by CSUN, and now lose to LIU which is close to #300 Kenpom, the proof is in the pudding. Mullin looks overwhelmed and in way over his head, because he is.

Just curious. Didn't you want Lavin fired? Who are you replacing Mullin with?

I was excited with Lovett and Ponds in the backcourt. They are as good as advertised. I was expecting the guys from last year to be much improved, but not hardly.
Oh well.
I can't bitch in Mullins 2nd year and with the second youngest team in the ncaa. Hopefully we see improvement by February.

If you want to bitch, then atleast wait till next year when they'll be juniors and sophmores, Clark and Simon will be playing, and hopefully Zack can suit up.
I expect at the least the NIT next year.
Until then, bite your tongue

[stever20]

I think the one red flag for Mullin would be if there's more transfers than just Sima.

Like I've said here before, the question IMO is does Mullin get sick of it and leave after even this year himself? Like if they go 1-17 again in conference play, and finish 7-25- a game worse than last year.

[REDMEN1415]

I think the one red flag for Mullin would be if there's more transfers than just Sima.

Like I've said here before, the question IMO is does Mullin get sick of it and leave after even this year himself? Like if they go 1-17 again in conference play, and finish 7-25- a game worse than last year.

He's here for these garbage years, why not stay when his team gets experience.
You'd think as they get experience that they'll get better.

He loves SJU and Louie, and wants to right the ships. I Don't think he's going anywhere.

[SJHooper]

It's still shocking to me that people so easily gloss over the fact that we have a worse record so far than last year. Is that not a big indictment? To me that is very, very telling. That along with players doing worse than last year. The Sima transfer also may not be the only one. You never know how much of that was over PT and if his bad coaching had anything to do with it. It's really a shame we didn't get Livingston. He would be a PERFECT fit right now. Also, enough with Brown. From what I'm hearing I'd be shocked if he ever plays for us. Too much legal trouble and too many different schools. Players have been ineligible for much, much less than Brown's situation. We have to treat it as if he won't qualify.

[Bill Marsh]

I think the one red flag for Mullin would be if there's more transfers than just Sima.

Like I've said here before, the question IMO is does Mullin get sick of it and leave after even this year himself? Like if they go 1-17 again in conference play, and finish 7-25- a game worse than last year.

He's here for these garbage years, why not stay when his team gets experience.
You'd think as they get experience that they'll get better.

He loves SJU and Louie, and wants to right the ships. I Don't think he's going anywhere.

Exactly. He knew what he was getting himself into. One day at a time. He didn't relocate his family here just to give up when the going got tough.

[Edrick]

The reason is exactly the same as why sunk costs should be seen as irrelevant. Regardless who was they're when they're bad, the decision on who to lead them when they hypothetically aren't shouldn't be tied. That decision should rest, solely, on who is most capable then.

The Cubs had three managers in between Lou Piniella and Joe Maddon when they were actively trying to be bad. You have to make the decisions when you have the information. Every day you acquire more of it.

If St Johns deems that the best they can do in a couple of years is a coach who can't add more than a 'Keep Grinding' to a time out, so be it

[BEhomer]

I'm going to watch them more once BE season starts but from what I've seen so far. Bashir Ahmed has been disappointing. Malik Ellison has been disappointing. Their bigs provide no offense. very limited what you can do as a coach when your only option is your 3 diminutive guards.

College coach should not be just about x's and o's. Recruiting is a bigger part of it I think and Mullin has passed that test so far. You have to judge the coach on what kind of team he puts on the floor. looking ahead to next year with guys getting older and adding simon and clark with frosh big Brown. that team has enough to win on talent alone.

[Bill Marsh]

I'm going to watch them more once BE season starts but from what I've seen so far. Bashir Ahmed has been disappointing. Malik Ellison has been disappointing. Their bigs provide no offense. very limited what you can do as a coach when your only option is your 3 diminutive guards.

College coach should not be just about x's and o's. Recruiting is a bigger part of it I think and Mullin has passed that test so far. You have to judge the coach on what kind of team he puts on the floor. looking ahead to next year with guys getting older and adding simon and clark with frosh big Brown. that team has enough to win on talent alone.

Rumors to the contrary, will Brown be eligible?

[SJHooper]

I'm going to watch them more once BE season starts but from what I've seen so far. Bashir Ahmed has been disappointing. Malik Ellison has been disappointing. Their bigs provide no offense. very limited what you can do as a coach when your only option is your 3 diminutive guards.

College coach should not be just about x's and o's. Recruiting is a bigger part of it I think and Mullin has passed that test so far. You have to judge the coach on what kind of team he puts on the floor. looking ahead to next year with guys getting older and adding simon and clark with frosh big Brown. that team has enough to win on talent alone.

Rumors to the contrary, will Brown be eligible?

Would be shocked if he qualifies. Not only has he gone to a ton of different schools (which alone almost guarantees ineligibility), but he has had some significant run-ins with the law to put it mildly. Not sure if the latter affects eligibility. My gut and the track record of the NCAA tells me 90/10 he is ruled ineligible. Obviously if he chooses to stay and sit out a year to be eligible I'd still take him. 7 footers don't grow on trees. IMO we have to operate from the standpoint that he will not be eligible and Matt A needs to hit the transfer market aggressively. We don't need superstar bigs...we just need big guys who are not sticks and can box out, rebound, defend, and catch a basketball. I also call for a ban on all Our Savior New American big men. Stop recruiting them unless they are Cheik Diallo. OSNA seems to have cookie cutter bigs from Africa who just started playing basketball as 15 yr olds and have good height but all seem to weigh 185 lbs. They come in extremely raw. Even Diallo who was a lottery pick I believe did nothing at Kentucky. I see so many of these doofy looking bigs from the US but they have height and weight and can actually rebound and score. Where do these other programs find them? Every mid major seems to have one that always kills us. We need to fire St. Jean and Richmond and bring in a legit assistant coach who specializes in X's and O's. Then we need to bring in a coach specifically to work with big men on their footwork, offensive moves, and rebounding. Mullin seems so depressed...if anyone watches one of our games watch his body language. It's almost like he's in shock and he is thinking "this is way harder than it looks". I hope I'm totally wrong but I don't see him as the answer.

[Bill Marsh]

I'm going to watch them more once BE season starts but from what I've seen so far. Bashir Ahmed has been disappointing. Malik Ellison has been disappointing. Their bigs provide no offense. very limited what you can do as a coach when your only option is your 3 diminutive guards.

College coach should not be just about x's and o's. Recruiting is a bigger part of it I think and Mullin has passed that test so far. You have to judge the coach on what kind of team he puts on the floor. looking ahead to next year with guys getting older and adding simon and clark with frosh big Brown. that team has enough to win on talent alone.

Rumors to the contrary, will Brown be eligible?

Would be shocked if he qualifies. Not only has he gone to a ton of different schools (which alone almost guarantees ineligibility), but he has had some significant run-ins with the law to put it mildly. Not sure if the latter affects eligibility. My gut and the track record of the NCAA tells me 90/10 he is ruled ineligible. Obviously if he chooses to stay and sit out a year to be eligible I'd still take him. 7 footers don't grow on trees. IMO we have to operate from the standpoint that he will not be eligible and Matt A needs to hit the transfer market aggressively. We don't need superstar bigs...we just need big guys who are not sticks and can box out, rebound, defend, and catch a basketball. I also call for a ban on all Our Savior New American big men. Stop recruiting them unless they are Cheik Diallo. OSNA seems to have cookie cutter bigs from Africa who just started playing basketball as 15 yr olds and have good height but all seem to weigh 185 lbs. They come in extremely raw. Even Diallo who was a lottery pick I believe did nothing at Kentucky. I see so many of these doofy looking bigs from the US but they have height and weight and can actually rebound and score. Where do these other programs find them? Every mid major seems to have one that always kills us. We need to fire St. Jean and Richmond and bring in a legit assistant coach who specializes in X's and O's. Then we need to bring in a coach specifically to work with big men on their footwork, offensive moves, and rebounding. Mullin seems so depressed...if anyone watches one of our games watch his body language. It's almost like he's in shock and he is thinking "this is way harder than it looks". I hope I'm totally wrong but I don't see him as the answer.

Cheer up about Mullin. Multiple sources reported that Brown. Is coming to SJU specifically because of Mullin. Not only is he a 7 footer - and they don't grow on trees - but he is a top 25 player, and it's equally hard. For rebuilding programs to attract those guys.