Predictions:

I am just suprised that Poision  is so optimistic! Prediction is good things to come for this season because Poison believes!

I think we have a lotta guys with similar skills, but the competent 3 point shooter has eluded since I've been following the program. Hooper should be taking a ton of shots in games. My prediction is a response to what seems like a summer spent working on his shooting, and probably on the rest of his game.

Your summer turns you into a better player, or it gets you sent packing for the MAAC.

Quote from: nudginator59 on August 31, 2013, 02:10:55 AM

I am just suprised that Poision  is so optimistic! Prediction is good things to come for this season because Poison believes!

I think we have a lotta guys with similar skills, but the competent 3 point shooter has eluded since I've been following the program. Hooper should be taking a ton of shots in games. My prediction is a response to what seems like a summer spent working on his shooting, and probably on the rest of his game.

Your summer turns you into a better player, or it gets you sent packing for the MAAC.

Everything you have said makes since, and  I think you are a realist at heart who doesn't like to sugercoat anything. The mere fact that you are excited about this season bolds well for the team in my opinion.

We will win 21, and, just maybe, steal 2 more. We are really good this year.  We will go to the tourney.  There will be no problem with Bucknell.

I see Steve Shurina on occasion;  He was #4 on our last final four team and was a fine player. He's an even  finer financial advisor as well today. He's about 6'2" these days. I don't expect he shrunk from his playing days

Quote from: Poison on August 31, 2013, 08:26:27 AM

Quote from: nudginator59 on August 31, 2013, 02:10:55 AM

I am just suprised that Poision  is so optimistic! Prediction is good things to come for this season because Poison believes!

I think we have a lotta guys with similar skills, but the competent 3 point shooter has eluded since I've been following the program. Hooper should be taking a ton of shots in games. My prediction is a response to what seems like a summer spent working on his shooting, and probably on the rest of his game.

Your summer turns you into a better player, or it gets you sent packing for the MAAC.

Everything you have said makes since, and  I think you are a realist at heart who doesn't like to sugercoat anything. The mere fact that you are excited about this season bolds well for the team in my opinion.

Thanks. Hope this is the year we turn the corner.

Ideally we want and need two things:

1. A season that proves the last two have been worth the wait.
2. A season that shows we can have sustained success over time going forward.
14-15 should feature one of the best backcourts with Branch, Harrison and Jordan,
but after that, who's playing w Jordan? I'm not worried. He sounds a lot like a kid you want to play w. Well done Coach. Another key piece.

18.6 ppg for Harrison (yeah, I just estimated to the tenth)
Sampson will fall to 12 ppg
Sanchez 8 ppg
Branch 10 ppg
Pointer 10 ppg
Greene 8 ppg
Jordan 7 ppg
Hooper 5.5 ppg
Obekpa 4 ppg

Estimating points per game for most is very difficult because of the depth.  I'm sure Jordan will go for 20 a few times, but I also think he'll have a goose egg or two. I think I have the highest scoring average thus far for Harrison. 

I can't see Sampson averaging 14.5 ppg again.  I think he'll be around 11-12 with the added talent and depth.

My waist size goes from 46 to 54. 

18.6 ppg for Harrison (yeah, I just estimated to the tenth)
Sampson will fall to 12 ppg
Sanchez 8 ppg
Branch 10 ppg
Pointer 10 ppg
Greene 8 ppg
Jordan 7 ppg
Hooper 5.5 ppg
Obekpa 4 ppg

Estimating points per game for most is very difficult because of the depth.  I'm sure Jordan will go for 20 a few times, but I also think he'll have a goose egg or two. I think I have the highest scoring average thus far for Harrison. 

I can't see Sampson averaging 14.5 ppg again.  I think he'll be around 11-12 with the added talent and depth.

So we lead the country in scoring?

This is the way I look at it:
IMO we need these combinations of players to produce in twos
The numbers in parenthesis are just my best guess at what each one will get.   

Harrison and Sampson: 28 ppg (16/12)
Branch and Jordan        : 17 ppg  (10/7)
Sanchez and pointer    : 16 ppg ( 9/7)

The rest (Phi/hooper/ Obekpa): 15 ppg (5/5/5)

That's 76 pts from our "core" 9.  If we can do that we'll be in great shape.

* I'm thinking coach realizes how much better we are with Dlo, branch, and Jordan than we are with green and his minutes will greatly decrease.

Quote from: Marillac on September 12, 2013, 08:32:12 PM

18.6 ppg for Harrison (yeah, I just estimated to the tenth)
Sampson will fall to 12 ppg
Sanchez 8 ppg
Branch 10 ppg
Pointer 10 ppg
Greene 8 ppg
Jordan 7 ppg
Hooper 5.5 ppg
Obekpa 4 ppg

Estimating points per game for most is very difficult because of the depth.  I'm sure Jordan will go for 20 a few times, but I also think he'll have a goose egg or two. I think I have the highest scoring average thus far for Harrison. 

I can't see Sampson averaging 14.5 ppg again.  I think he'll be around 11-12 with the added talent and depth.

So we lead the country in scoring?

No.  Just like we didn't average over 70 points per game last yeah--the sum of scoring averages of our guys.  Kids get hurt, suspended, and sick.  No team in the country averages per game what it's players averages add up to.   

I was strangely specific with Harrison, but most guys like Dom I just rounded up.  I think this squad will average about 8-10 more points per game. 

Guys --- the reason the sum of all individual players avgs do not add up to the total is due to missed games/injuries/DNP.  For example, if Dom averages 10 ppg and Greene doesnt play a minute for the first half (keeping his average at N/A rather than 0.00), Dom gets hurt, and then Greene averages 10 ppg while Dom sits, that would be a total of 20 ppg when you add them up, but the team average would still be 10 less.

That being said, its rare for this kind of dramatic change to occur, AND to make it occur on a level of 16-30+ ppg is probably even more rare.  Something 12-13 or less, I would imagine, is right on par.  So yeah, Poison and Marillac are way too high, though Marillac is closer.

Guys --- the reason the sum of all individual players avgs do not add up to the total is due to missed games/injuries/DNP.  For example, if Dom averages 10 ppg and Greene doesnt play a minute for the first half (keeping his average at N/A rather than 0.00), Dom gets hurt, and then Greene averages 10 ppg while Dom sits, that would be a total of 20 ppg when you add them up, but the team average would still be 10 less.

That being said, its rare for this kind of dramatic change to occur, AND to make it occur on a level of 16-30+ ppg is probably even more rare.  Something 12-13 or less, I would imagine, is right on par.  So yeah, Poison and Marillac are way too high, though Marillac is closer.

I don't know about "way too high."  My #s add up to 83.1 points per game.  The players last year averaged 73  points per game when you add up their personal averages. Had I not written the post in 30 seconds and kept a tally of the total, I would have reduced that slightly.  Still, that is only ten points higher than last year.

I hope we don't have the same situation as last year with Harrison missing a handful of games and  Branch missing almost half the season, but this is St. John's.  Things always go wrong.  With the depth this team has, there is no reason to have a kid play through a slight injury that might disappear with a few days of rest.  There will be quite a few DNPs from guys like Balamou, GG, Jones, Bourgault, and maybe Hooper. 

The DNPs are what really mess you up if you try to add up the averages. 
13+ guys will all have scoring averages.  13 guys will not play every night.

That said, I think our scoring as a team could increase if coach takes the reigns off.   In games against the better teams we played 'kill the clock' and tried to keep it a low scoring game.   We did it much more 2 years ago when Dunlap had such a short bench, but we still did it to some degree last season. 

I think we have enough good guards now that coach lets thing fly quicker on offense.  Just a hunch, but I really think a healthy branch will move the ball quicker than anything we've seen in the Lavin era.   

Finally, for reference, Louisville and Cuse 72-73ppg range last season.  They led the BE. 

Realistically:

Top 4 in the Big East
NCAA 2nd round.


But I think there is a lot of upside and those predictions could easily go up to maybe an elite 8 appearance if everything breaks right.

December 15th will be the biggest day for the program in 10 years, because we are going to wax Syracuse and send them back to the border with their heads down.

This is the year that Lavin's celebrity is going to make his mark in NY. I won't be surprised to see us on the back page of the city daily's from January to March. I forsee us being a top 25 team and predict us to lose only 1 OOC game, San Fran.

I think we're going to make a statement in South Dakota and we will be a Big East juggernaut throughout the conference season, winning multiple road games.

My brother and I are traveling to Butler this year for our annual road game, and we are confidently expecting to leave happy.

24-7, 12-1 non conf, 12-6 BE. Sir will be BEDPOY, D and Jak will make 1st team, and I think we'll be champs. Sweet 16 in my eyes, we're loaded!

Btw...I'm not sweating 2014-15, I think the staff is letting this roster do all of the recruiting needed for them this year.

December 15th will be the biggest day for the program in 10 years, because we are going to wax Syracuse and send them back to the border with their heads down.

This is the year that Lavin's celebrity is going to make his mark in NY. I won't be surprised to see us on the back page of the city daily's from January to March. I forsee us being a top 25 team and predict us to lose only 1 OOC game, San Fran.

I think we're going to make a statement in South Dakota and we will be a Big East juggernaut throughout the conference season, winning multiple road games.

My brother and I are traveling to Butler this year for our annual road game, and we are confidently expecting to leave happy.

24-7, 12-1 non conf, 12-6 BE. Sir will be BEDPOY, D and Jak will make 1st team, and I think we'll be champs. Sweet 16 in my eyes, we're loaded!

Btw...I'm not sweating 2014-15, I think the staff is letting this roster do all of the recruiting needed for them this year.

Why do you think we will lose to San Fran. At home no less

December 15th will be the biggest day for the program in 10 years, because we are going to wax Syracuse and send them back to the border with their heads down.

This is the year that Lavin's celebrity is going to make his mark in NY. I won't be surprised to see us on the back page of the city daily's from January to March. I forsee us being a top 25 team and predict us to lose only 1 OOC game, San Fran.

I think we're going to make a statement in South Dakota and we will be a Big East juggernaut throughout the conference season, winning multiple road games.

My brother and I are traveling to Butler this year for our annual road game, and we are confidently expecting to leave happy.

24-7, 12-1 non conf, 12-6 BE. Sir will be BEDPOY, D and Jak will make 1st team, and I think we'll be champs. Sweet 16 in my eyes, we're loaded!

Btw...I'm not sweating 2014-15, I think the staff is letting this roster do all of the recruiting needed for them this year.

If we have one lock on this roster, it is for Obekpa to win DPOY for the Big East.  Blocks jump out at people like nothing else.

Simply bc I expect a let down in atleast one OOC game, Moose. We're too good for the UNC-Asheville type cupcakes nowadays. Bucknell is down this year, no longer having Muscala.

Yes, we can very well lose a Brooklyn game to Penn St. or Ole Miss, but I just don't see it.

Rothstein proclaimed San Fran as his contending sleeper in the WCC in his morning column, and they really took care of us last year, granted the team was sightseeing half the time.

As a sidenote, I really can't wait to see the identity of this league form. It's going to be a gritty, defensive minded, city guard heavy league, and I think it's going to translate well to the masses.

The round robin format is genius, a tremendous idea which will bring about true rivalries. Rivalries are something that are suddenly escaping in today's game, year by year. While the ACC can build a superconference, most of their games will have no teeth. By the time February hits this year, the BE will be roaring with captivating games, the brand will be evident.

The battles we're going to have with Providence, Nova, Hall and GTown this year are going to be absolute rockfights, vintage BE.

The Catholic 7 is going to reign supreme IMO, while the Midwest teams will take time to adjust, alla West Virginia in the Big12 last year. I think DePaul is going to be the surprise of the league this year.

I like Poison's predictions.  The only major thing I would predict, which will probably be unpopular here, is that by mid-season GG will be seeing much more playing time.  I think he was better than we tend to remember even with all his flaws and I haven't forgotten the feeling I had during that Harkless year that he was never able to be himself on the court, having to play tentatively on D.  I remember him flying up and down the court.  I think the competitive tension for playing time will bring out his best in practice and games.  I remember reading or hearing somewhere that at each stage of his development, going all the way back to Nigeria, he tends to start out as an afterthought and ends up rising to the top.  As I said, my hunch about GG will be unpopular but on the other hand everyone would be happy of course if he really were able to elevate his game and be a solid contributor.

I think Jones will have to wait another year to see regular playing time, I don't see him getting off the bench much.  I think Bourgault has found a permanent spot on the bench.  Greene's numbers plummet but I don't think he'd be redshirted.  Balamou absolutely should be redshirted.  He is the enigma I love, so much athleticism, and he'll benefit from staying hungry and continuing to learn without burning up eligibility.

I'm a total homer, but I think we finish in the top 3 in the conference.  A sweet 16 sounds about right.

Quote from: QuanMan on September 13, 2013, 04:38:20 PM

December 15th will be the biggest day for the program in 10 years, because we are going to wax Syracuse and send them back to the border with their heads down.

This is the year that Lavin's celebrity is going to make his mark in NY. I won't be surprised to see us on the back page of the city daily's from January to March. I forsee us being a top 25 team and predict us to lose only 1 OOC game, San Fran.

I think we're going to make a statement in South Dakota and we will be a Big East juggernaut throughout the conference season, winning multiple road games.

My brother and I are traveling to Butler this year for our annual road game, and we are confidently expecting to leave happy.

24-7, 12-1 non conf, 12-6 BE. Sir will be BEDPOY, D and Jak will make 1st team, and I think we'll be champs. Sweet 16 in my eyes, we're loaded!

Btw...I'm not sweating 2014-15, I think the staff is letting this roster do all of the recruiting needed for them this year.

If we have one lock on this roster, it is for Obekpa to win DPOY for the Big East.  Blocks jump out at people like nothing else.

I think Harrison 1st All BE is our lock. If he wasn't booted he would have made 1st team.