6th Man of St. John's Basketball
St. John's Red Storm => In The Jungle... => Topic started by: paultzman on March 17, 2014, 11:52:59 AM
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@StJohnsBBall: Practiced yesterday. New look for him. “@gionysports: Most interested to see if Obekpa plays tomorrow. #sjubb”
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So what's the look and why wouldn't he play ?
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So what's the look and why wouldn't he play ?
Who knows, probably his appearance. Too many folks assumed he was in dog house, because of Thursday's exchange with Lavin.
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I don't care about the new look but a poster on redmen.com said CO didn't want to reenter the Providence game, and Chillib said the odds of him returning next year are slim to none, heard from a reliable source.
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If so here's hoping DLo intercedes and persuades him to come back.
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Lets not just go assuming that he won't return. How many people said D'Angelo was gone and that Jordan was going to transfer after he went home. These are just kids, they make decisions based on emotions. If Obepka wants to leave that's on him but if he sits down after the season and thinks about it rationally I dont see why he would leave. He is going to get a ton of pt next year.
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CO has 30 mpg and and Big East Defensive Player of the Year waiting for him. He'd be foolish to pass on that. We need him...we are much better with him than without. He's a good kid. I would have been pissed too. Let's no write the kid's future for him...we are always wrong.
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I am hearng Baylor
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I am hearng Baylor
tongue in cheek?
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I am hearng Baylor
tongue in cheek?
Reminiscent of his humorous D'Lo references last spring I assume.
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I am hearng Baylor
tongue in cheek?
Harrison should have gone to Baylor.
As I stated during the Harrison posts I have no inside information. Harrison to Baylor made sense to me if he was going to transfer. But it was mostly to bother anti DLO people on board.
Obekpa is based on nothing, was a joke. Besides him clearly looking pissed off all season, only thing I have seen is the Redmen chatter that he refused to go back into game.
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COs options are transfer, but he would loose a year ,which I cant see him doing, Try his luck in the D league or Europe or return. I agree returning makes the mosr sense. but you never know whats on these kids minds, maybe he doesn't like Lavin.
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I'm lost why do y'all think he is transferring?
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I'm lost why do y'all think he is transferring?
a lotta rumors, and a lotta consistent heartache.
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I'm lost why do y'all think he is transferring?
Someone posted a while back that rumor was he would prefer to be NBDL next year than St. John's, and then with the rumored refusal to go back into the game, the gossip is rampant about another prized prospect leaving us because we all have very low self-esteem and have been burned by the likes of Cedric Jackson, Dwayne Polee, and Norvel Pelle before. ;)
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I'm lost why do y'all think he is transferring?
Chilleb posted recently he heard from a reliable source the chances of CO returning are slim to none.
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If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
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I'm lost why do y'all think he is transferring?
Because we didn't make the NCAA and the sky is falling...
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I'm pretty cool with his people I don't know if he is transferring but if he did anything like that he would probably go over seas before going to another school
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Like someone else said, he could be DPOY in the Big East next year and really take his game to another level if the Johnnies feed him the ball on offense more.
I really hope he stays and Lavin figures out how to use him more on offense.
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If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
Ha! Was that a shot? I have a pretty good track record but like everyone else on this planet, myself and my sources aren't perfect. I root for the same team you do dude, do I want him to go of course not! So if he stays Ima bad guy if he leaves Ima good guy?!? Wheres the sense and logic in that. Whatever happens is beyond little old chille; a poster on Johnny jungle. but I guess this is the nature of our community and board when posters try to involve there fellow posters with latest news,team info, recruits or anything under the sun. It's always met with pure misery.
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If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
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Ha! Was that a shot? I have a pretty good track record but like everyone else on this planet, myself and my sources aren't perfect. I root for the same team you do dude, do I want him to go of course not! So if he stays Ima bad guy if he leaves Ima good guy?!? Wheres the sense and logic in that. Whatever happens is beyond little old chille; a poster on Johnny jungle. but I guess this is the nature of our community and board when posters try to involve there fellow posters with latest news,team info, recruits or anything under the sun. It's always met with pure misery.
I appreciate it when people post when they have reliable info. Kids change their mind everyday. So what is true one day, could change the next.
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I would have been pissed too.
Pissed about what?
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I would have been pissed too.
Pissed about what?
Sitting on the bench for too long while the season drifts away because nobody can box out and stop Providence's volleyball attack. It doesn't make any sense to preserve a kid's minutes if the game is going to get out of hand. I'd be pissed...these kids are competitors and we have to realize that. He's also like 19.
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If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
Ha! Was that a shot? I have a pretty good track record but like everyone else on this planet, myself and my sources aren't perfect. I root for the same team you do dude, do I want him to go of course not! So if he stays Ima bad guy if he leaves Ima good guy?!? Wheres the sense and logic in that. Whatever happens is beyond little old chille; a poster on Johnny jungle. but I guess this is the nature of our community and board when posters try to involve there fellow posters with latest news,team info, recruits or anything under the sun. It's always met with pure misery.
Amazing isn't it?
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I am hearng Baylor
tongue in cheek?
Harrison should have gone to Baylor.
As I stated during the Harrison posts I have no inside information. Harrison to Baylor made sense to me if he was going to transfer. But it was mostly to bother anti DLO people on board.
Obekpa is based on nothing, was a joke. Besides him clearly looking pissed off all season, only thing I have seen is the Redmen chatter that he refused to go back into game.
Harrison nearly left for OK State. Decided it was best option to come back.
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I am hearng Baylor
tongue in cheek?
Harrison should have gone to Baylor.
As I stated during the Harrison posts I have no inside information. Harrison to Baylor made sense to me if he was going to transfer. But it was mostly to bother anti DLO people on board.
Obekpa is based on nothing, was a joke. Besides him clearly looking pissed off all season, only thing I have seen is the Redmen chatter that he refused to go back into game.
Harrison nearly left for OK State. Decided it was best option to come back.
Another troll
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If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
Ha! Was that a shot? I have a pretty good track record but like everyone else on this planet, myself and my sources aren't perfect. I root for the same team you do dude, do I want him to go of course not! So if he stays Ima bad guy if he leaves Ima good guy?!? Wheres the sense and logic in that. Whatever happens is beyond little old chille; a poster on Johnny jungle. but I guess this is the nature of our community and board when posters try to involve there fellow posters with latest news,team info, recruits or anything under the sun. It's always met with pure misery.
Dont sweat it chilleb. Appreciate the info
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I am hearng Baylor
tongue in cheek?
Harrison should have gone to Baylor.
As I stated during the Harrison posts I have no inside information. Harrison to Baylor made sense to me if he was going to transfer. But it was mostly to bother anti DLO people on board.
Obekpa is based on nothing, was a joke. Besides him clearly looking pissed off all season, only thing I have seen is the Redmen chatter that he refused to go back into game.
Harrison nearly left for OK State. Decided it was best option to come back.
Another troll
Notice the difference in the delivery of the information.
If Baldi had heard D'Angelo was considering OK State his post would read something like:
"Harrison is gone. OK State. I heard from Dean Wormer."
As if it were a done deal, no debate about it. I know it's his thing to stir the pot, and sometimes I like what he has to post on certain subjects, but it's infuriating sometimes. If you have info, share it, but don't pretend like you know more than you do, and don't present rumors as fact, and don't assume the worst possible outcome. If you hear Harrison is considering transferring, tell the board "Harrison may be considering a transfer, take it for what it's worth."
This is just my opinion, but I'm sure others get frustrated with it as well.
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don't assume the worst possible outcome.
You haven't been a SJ fan very long, have you.
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I would have been pissed too.
Pissed about what?
Sitting on the bench for too long while the season drifts away because nobody can box out and stop Providence's volleyball attack. It doesn't make any sense to preserve a kid's minutes if the game is going to get out of hand. I'd be pissed...these kids are competitors and we have to realize that. He's also like 19.
Oh and Obekpa deserved to be in the game because he had been playing so well? He picked up two dumb fouls within 1.5 mins in first half. Another dumb foul within 1.5 mins in second half. At that rate he had roughly 3 mins Max of game time left. Giving him an 8 min breather to hopefully compose himself and play a strong last ten mins was not a bad decision. Problem is when Lavin tried to put him back in word is Obekpa refuse. That's on Chris not coach. No one has an entitlement to minutes especially a guy who's head was out of the game from second one. It's not like coac as putting him back in with 2 mins left down 20. We still had a chance and as the team showed they nearly won without Obekpa.
The time to get pissed at your coach is not when he's trying to put you back in the biggest game of your life. Play your game and lodge your complaints afterward.
Marillac you are acting like the argument was Obekpa yelling at coach to put him back in the game! That I could respect at least even if not appropriate either. That shows a competitor fire that I would appreciate. Dude got pissed when the coach tried to put him back in. If the rumors are true, that's bs and he hurt his whole team by doing so.
As a former coach I am surprised you would side w a player refusing to go in...what if one of your players did that to you?
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don't assume the worst possible outcome.
You haven't been a SJ fan very long, have you.
Not as long as you.
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don't assume the worst possible outcome.
You haven't been a SJ fan very long, have you.
Not as long as you.
Your hopes will be dashed soon enough. Carry on.
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don't assume the worst possible outcome.
You haven't been a SJ fan very long, have you.
Not as long as you.
Your hopes will be dashed soon enough. Carry on.
Hint to spot recent fans. If you call the team Red Storm you haven't been a fan very long. Also, if you don't remember the fat guy who used to take his T-Shirt and wave it over his head you are not the true cynic that a SJU (Not STJ...I think I just threw up in my mouth typing that) fan was born to be...
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I would have been pissed too.
Pissed about what?
Sitting on the bench for too long while the season drifts away because nobody can box out and stop Providence's volleyball attack. It doesn't make any sense to preserve a kid's minutes if the game is going to get out of hand. I'd be pissed...these kids are competitors and we have to realize that. He's also like 19.
Oh and Obekpa deserved to be in the game because he had been playing so well? He picked up two dumb fouls within 1.5 mins in first half. Another dumb foul within 1.5 mins in second half. At that rate he had roughly 3 mins Max of game time left. Giving him an 8 min breather to hopefully compose himself and play a strong last ten mins was not a bad decision. Problem is when Lavin tried to put him back in word is Obekpa refuse. That's on Chris not coach. No one has an entitlement to minutes especially a guy who's head was out of the game from second one. It's not like coac as putting him back in with 2 mins left down 20. We still had a chance and as the team showed they nearly won without Obekpa.
The time to get pissed at your coach is not when he's trying to put you back in the biggest game of your life. Play your game and lodge your complaints afterward.
Marillac you are acting like the argument was Obekpa yelling at coach to put him back in the game! That I could respect at least even if not appropriate either. That shows a competitor fire that I would appreciate. Dude got pissed when the coach tried to put him back in. If the rumors are true, that's bs and he hurt his whole team by doing so.
As a former coach I am surprised you would side w a player refusing to go in...what if one of your players did that to you?
Exactly. Hollywood handled it as it's written in the coaching 101 handbook. You pick up two fouls in the 1st minute, than you sit the rest of the half if your team is keeping it close. You pick up another foul 30 seconds in to the second half (incredible, isn't it?) and you sit till about the ten minute mark.
Oblockpa should have had nobody to be pissed at but himself. If, and I don't believe it, he actually refused to go back into the biggest game of the year...it's a disgrace.
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If Obekapa didn't refuse to go back into game, Lavin did a bad job not realizing he needed him. If Obekpa did refuse to go back into game, as much as I like Obekpa he needs to be suspended and if he is not there is a double standard and Harrison's suspension last year was pure BS!
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If Obekapa didn't refuse to go back into game, Lavin did a bad job not realizing he needed him. If Obekpa did refuse to go back into game, as much as I like Obekpa he needs to be suspended and if he is not there is a double standard and Harrison's suspension last year was pure BS!
What was Obekpa doing that game that makes you think he was needed? 3 fouls in 3 minutes.
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If Obekapa didn't refuse to go back into game, Lavin did a bad job not realizing he needed him. If Obekpa did refuse to go back into game, as much as I like Obekpa he needs to be suspended and if he is not there is a double standard and Harrison's suspension last year was pure BS!
What was Obekpa doing that game that makes you think he was needed? 3 fouls in 3 minutes.
Obekpa when in the game is a factor. Maybe he would have fouled out 2 minutes later but I would have liked him in there. Def instead of GG and Pointer.
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If Obekapa didn't refuse to go back into game, Lavin did a bad job not realizing he needed him. If Obekpa did refuse to go back into game, as much as I like Obekpa he needs to be suspended and if he is not there is a double standard and Harrison's suspension last year was pure BS!
What was Obekpa doing that game that makes you think he was needed? 3 fouls in 3 minutes.
Sanchez and Sampson were getting worked on the glass. 3 guys on Providence were in double figures rebounding. I thought GG or Obekpa needed to get some minutes at some point.
I'm not a big fan of sitting due to foul trouble. I think it becomes counter productive at some point.
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Both WASJU and Dave, I agree with you that Obekpa should have gone in, but how much earlier are we talking if rumors are true that Lavin tried to insert him around the 10 minute mark. Like at 13-14 minutes? If we're getting riled up about a 3-4 minute difference, it seems to be splitting hairs to some extent in the heat of the moment, esp. if Lavin already sensed that Obekpa did not have his head in the game.
I agree it would have been smart to put Obekpa in just to see if it worked, but nothing I saw from that day makes me think it would have made any difference, personally. Sanchez was getting worked on the glass but ended up manning up and being aggressive about rebounding in our come back.
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If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
If Obekpa stays, we should be reminded of that everytime Chileb posts "inside" information.
Ha! Was that a shot? I have a pretty good track record but like everyone else on this planet, myself and my sources aren't perfect. I root for the same team you do dude, do I want him to go of course not! So if he stays Ima bad guy if he leaves Ima good guy?!? Wheres the sense and logic in that. Whatever happens is beyond little old chille; a poster on Johnny jungle. but I guess this is the nature of our community and board when posters try to involve there fellow posters with latest news,team info, recruits or anything under the sun. It's always met with pure misery.
It was tongue in cheek. I enjoy your posts...even the negative ones.
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@obekpa12: Happy and grateful one of my dreams came true. Check out my foundation http://t.co/jjXY30nmOv (http://t.co/jjXY30nmOv) #healtheworld #savethekids #tomorrowsleaders
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same guy that broke the Sampson story
Jay @JayOn_1
Chris Obepka is seriously thinking about declaring for the NBA draft. This dude has got to be high
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same guy that broke the Sampson story
Jay @JayOn_1
Chris Obepka is seriously thinking about declaring for the NBA draft. This dude has got to be high
Oh shiznit. We're doomed. Check's in the mail Moose.
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CO and Sampson going pro is a joke, neither is close to ready. Their skills are wanting and they have HS bodies. I am available to help them put on the weight they need using my regime of pizza, beer and weights. They were moved around the paint this year by anyone with any size. Imagine when they are in D league (forget NBA) and playing with 240lb+ men who live in the weight room. Good luck Jakarr, you will need it. Hopefully CO will stay.
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PM'ed
Marillac - delete the last post with the quotes and we should be good to go.
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Obekpa chris @obekpa12
Dream big or remain small...
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Obekpa chris @obekpa12
Dream big or remain small...
Dream big and remain smart...
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
We weren't a bubble team at the end of the season. We had no chance of hearing our name on selection Sunday. That's not a bubble team
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
You make the tourny or you don't. What else matters?
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
+1
I remember when we were lucky to the CBI or what ever they call that other tournament.
I do not want to be in the NIT every year but if people think that we are going to be an NCAA tournament team every year you are nuts.
I am disappointed on how this year went as I really thought we could have made the Sweet 16. That was my goal.
It did not happen and we need to move on. We only want players who want to be here and be coached.
Good Luck to the guy who want to leave.
St John's Forever.....
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
+1
I remember when we were lucky to the CBI or what ever they call that other tournament.
I do not want to be in the NIT every year but if people think that we are going to be an NCAA tournament team every year you are nuts.
I am disappointed on how this year went as I really thought we could have made the Sweet 16. That was my goal.
It did not happen and we need to move on. We only want players who want to be here and be coached.
Good Luck to the guy who want to leave.
St John's Forever.....
We used really, really suck. Now we just suck.
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
You make the tourny or you don't. What else matters?
Its funny how people think we can have a successful season without making the tournament but think we can look down upon most A-10 and AAC programs. Can't have it both ways
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
You make the tourny or you don't. What else matters?
Its funny how people think we can have a successful season without making the tournament but think we can look down upon most A-10 and AAC programs. Can't have it both ways
No one is saying it was successful. But we could have only won 10 games. Would that have been worse or the same?
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
We weren't a bubble team at the end of the season. We had no chance of hearing our name on selection Sunday. That's not a bubble team
1 seed in the NIT, rumored we were one of 4 teams considered for the last spot, so yes, we were a bubble team. On the outside looking in, yeah, but still classified as a bubble team.
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
You make the tourny or you don't. What else matters?
Its funny how people think we can have a successful season without making the tournament but think we can look down upon most A-10 and AAC programs. Can't have it both ways
No one is saying it was successful. But we could have only won 10 games. Would that have been worse or the same?
To me, winning 10 games this season would have been no different than what actually happened. Had this been a team full of freshmen like 2 years ago then yes worse seasons than this could have happened. But this was a team of veterans that should have made the tournament. I'm not into moral victories so to me not making the tournament is just as much of a failure as winning 10 games
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We didn't make the tourny with both of these dudes. See ya
Then just think how bad we will be without them.
Can it get any worse? NIT is a joke, no one cares
Can it get worse than being a bubble team and 20 wins? What short memories some of us have.
We weren't a bubble team at the end of the season. We had no chance of hearing our name on selection Sunday. That's not a bubble team
1 seed in the NIT, rumored we were one of 4 teams considered for the last spot, so yes, we were a bubble team. On the outside looking in, yeah, but still classified as a bubble team.
Don't know where you heard the rumors of us being one of the 4 teams considered for that last spot because I didn't hear anything like that. Fact remains nobody was sitting on pins and needles Sunday waiting to see if we got in or not. The NIT would give us a 1 seed whenever they get the chance. They want us to go far and make it to MSG. That makes them more money
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10 wins = 20 wins ???
Norm had a pretty good run then.
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10 wins = 20 wins ???
Norm had a pretty good run then.
When teams are playing 40 regular season games 10 years from now will 20 wins still be an accomplishment? How is 20 wins considered good if it doesn't translate into being one of the 4 best teams in this watered down conference or one of the 40 or so best teams in college basketball? Why schedule Wisconsin, Syracuse and play in Maui and other preseason tournaments when you can instead schedule a bunch of NEC MAAC and Big South teams to ensure you get to 20 wins if 20 wins is such a great accomplishment?
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It's not about the amount of wins anymore, it's the quality of those wins.
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10 wins = 20 wins ???
Norm had a pretty good run then.
When teams are playing 40 regular season games 10 years from now will 20 wins still be an accomplishment? How is 20 wins considered good if it doesn't translate into being one of the 4 best teams in this watered down conference or one of the 40 or so best teams in college basketball? Why schedule Wisconsin, Syracuse and play in Maui and other preseason tournaments when you can instead schedule a bunch of NEC MAAC and Big South teams to ensure you get to 20 wins if 20 wins is such a great accomplishment?
Dude, we were 1 win away from making the tourney. If you can't see the difference between that and a 10 win season, then I don't know what to tell you.
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CO is so much more important that Sampson. I really hope he stays. He is a better screener, rebounder, defender, and he actually plays his position.
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CO is so much more important that Sampson. I really hope he stays. He is a better screener, rebounder, defender, and he actually plays his position.
Agree but sometimes I dont think he does play his position. Strays too far awaay from the hoop on both ends of the court.
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10 wins = 20 wins ???
Norm had a pretty good run then.
When teams are playing 40 regular season games 10 years from now will 20 wins still be an accomplishment? How is 20 wins considered good if it doesn't translate into being one of the 4 best teams in this watered down conference or one of the 40 or so best teams in college basketball? Why schedule Wisconsin, Syracuse and play in Maui and other preseason tournaments when you can instead schedule a bunch of NEC MAAC and Big South teams to ensure you get to 20 wins if 20 wins is such a great accomplishment?
Dude, we were 1 win away from making the tourney. If you can't see the difference between that and a 10 win season, then I don't know what to tell you.
Weird how you bring up rumors about us being one of the 4 considered for the last spot but neglect to mention the fact that a committee member said Providence wasn't in until they won the BET. We weren't 1 win away from making it. But hey, if you are this accepting of mediocrity I don't know what to tell you
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CO is so much more important that Sampson. I really hope he stays. He is a better screener, rebounder, defender, and he actually plays his position.
Agree but sometimes I dont think he does play his position. Strays too far awaay from the hoop on both ends of the court.
So true. I think the defensive lapses were due to the scheme, though. Hopefully that will be remedied and they go with a Louisville style matchup zone press.
The trio of Sampso-Sanchez-Pointer played out of position more than any players I've ever seen. That was the mistake crew...any time any of them dribbled I just closed my eyes.
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CO is so much more important that Sampson. I really hope he stays. He is a better screener, rebounder, defender, and he actually plays his position.
Agree but sometimes I dont think he does play his position. Strays too far awaay from the hoop on both ends of the court.
CO had his struggles but certainly his impact on games is undeniable. And to be fair he had an up and down season at best with glimpses of being the player we all hope he becomes with St. John's. I thought he spent most of his time in the post but to your point the problem occurs when he isn't getting touches he drifts. which is understandable but not condoned. Post players need to get touches...not plays run for them or even shots but they need touches. Our guards don't do well in the pick and roll and don't pass to the post enough to keep the defense honest. When CO played well offensively he added a different dynamic to the team and allowed the guards get shots or penetrate easier. He is far from a finished product but he showed potential...enough for me to hope he comes back and get more touches next season....also can a coach work with him on FT shooting, boxing out and maybe not leading the country in goal tending...if he just improves those 3 he's a much better player.
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The way people are talking about Obekpa and his relationship/happiness with Lavin, no way that doesn't effect Diallo and his thinking.
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Jay @JayOn_1
@BrianHoffman07 it took a lot of convincing but he's staying. The guy really thought he would get drafted this year
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@TheCartelli 2h
@LAVINWOOD @fritzy327 @JayOn_1 I heard Obekpa is headed west...
@JayOn_1 3m
Nothin confirmed yet but if Obepka does leave then good riddens, that guy quite on the team in the big east tournament
@JayOn_1 1m
Lav told him to check in the game in the 2nd half and he flat out said no, don't want a selfish guy line that on my team #Sjubb
@JayOn_1 2m
He's not as good as he thinks he is @obekpa12 #sjubb
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@LAVINWOOD: Multiple people telling me that Obekpa is transferring. Can't confirm anything right now, just a Twitter rumor as of now. #sjubb
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@LAVINWOOD: Multiple people telling me that Obekpa is transferring. Can't confirm anything right now, just a Twitter rumor as of now. #sjubb
This would be bad. Why wasn't 14' a focus for the staff again?
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Lavin won't make it through this week
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@LAVINWOOD: Multiple people telling me that Obekpa is transferring. Can't confirm anything right now, just a Twitter rumor as of now. #sjubb
This is the point of the movie where the poor folks in steerage see the water coming under their doors.
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@LAVINWOOD: Multiple people telling me that Obekpa is transferring. Can't confirm anything right now, just a Twitter rumor as of now. #sjubb
This is the point of the movie where the poor folks in steerage see the water coming under their doors.
Funny line!
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It's a sad state of affairs when the most excitement and buzz happens off the court and after the season is over...
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At what point do these kids look at themselves as possibly being the problem?
That's right they won't.
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Lav; "We wish Chris well, but I really like our guard oriented lineup enabling us to play the kind of ball we have always wanted"
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At what point do these kids look at themselves as possibly being the problem?
That's right they won't.
At what point do these kids look at themselves as possibly being the problem?
That's right they won't.
At what point do these kids look at themselves as possibly being the problem?
That's right they won't.
+ 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
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Lav; "We wish Chris well, but I really like our guard oriented lineup enabling us to play the kind of ball we have always wanted"
LOL!! Checkmate!
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Who recruited the pláyers?
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The program has become a joke under Lavin, and I'm f?$king sick of it.
We stunk under Norm, Jarvis was lazy, and Fran was almost as self absorbed as Lavin. But this is a different type of sting. This stings because he raised expectations, and convinced half our fan base that he was doing things the right way, that he had a plan he was following, and that there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't. There's just a pile of Lavin do-do at the end of this rainbow.
And I'm tired of hearing how he's good for the university. He's not! The guy has no credibility. He's brought in a number of me first players, has been unable to get them to buy in, and has been unable to develop the few team players he does have.
Just end this now. His results aren't as bad as Norms, but it's obvious to me nothing good is going to happen under Steve. Enough.
Anyone but Lavin is my new nominee for head coach.
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Amen desco.
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At what point do these kids look at themselves as possibly being the problem?
That's right they won't.
Perhaps just following the example of their coach
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The program has become a joke under Lavin, and I'm f?$king sick of it.
We stunk under Norm, Jarvis was lazy, and Fran was almost as self absorbed as Lavin. But this is a different type of sting. This stings because he raised expectations, and convinced half our fan base that he was doing things the right way, that he had a plan he was following, and that there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't. There's just a pile of Lavin do-do at the end of this rainbow.
And I'm tired of hearing how he's good for the university. He's not! The guy has no credibility. He's brought in a number of me first players, has been unable to get them to buy in, and has been unable to develop the few team players he does have.
Just end this now. His results aren't as bad as Norms, but it's obvious to me nothing good is going to happen under Steve. Enough.
Anyone but Lavin is my new nominee for head coach.
Do you really think the school would pay him two more years salary, and lay out money for a replacement as well? I don't see it.
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Lavin won't make it through this week
I said the same thing about my turkey sandwich last week, but after I hid it I forgot where I hid it and still have not found it.
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The program has become a joke under Lavin, and I'm f?$king sick of it.
We stunk under Norm, Jarvis was lazy, and Fran was almost as self absorbed as Lavin. But this is a different type of sting. This stings because he raised expectations, and convinced half our fan base that he was doing things the right way, that he had a plan he was following, and that there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't. There's just a pile of Lavin do-do at the end of this rainbow.
And I'm tired of hearing how he's good for the university. He's not! The guy has no credibility. He's brought in a number of me first players, has been unable to get them to buy in, and has been unable to develop the few team players he does have.
Just end this now. His results aren't as bad as Norms, but it's obvious to me nothing good is going to happen under Steve. Enough.
Anyone but Lavin is my new nominee for head coach.
Do you really think the school would pay him two more years salary, and lay out money for a replacement as well? I don't see it.
The school? No. But...
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This year was very disappointing but are things as bad on the inside as you are saying ? Paultzman ? Baldi ?
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The program has become a joke under Lavin, and I'm f?$king sick of it.
We stunk under Norm, Jarvis was lazy, and Fran was almost as self absorbed as Lavin. But this is a different type of sting. This stings because he raised expectations, and convinced half our fan base that he was doing things the right way, that he had a plan he was following, and that there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't. There's just a pile of Lavin do-do at the end of this rainbow.
And I'm tired of hearing how he's good for the university. He's not! The guy has no credibility. He's brought in a number of me first players, has been unable to get them to buy in, and has been unable to develop the few team players he does have.
Just end this now. His results aren't as bad as Norms, but it's obvious to me nothing good is going to happen under Steve. Enough.
Anyone but Lavin is my new nominee for head coach.
Do you really think the school would pay him two more years salary, and lay out money for a replacement as well? I don't see it.
I agree, they suck. When they say "We are", the answer is shit. We are shit.
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
Vitamin Water?
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
Vitamin Water?
I'd say he'll be busy this week
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
Vitamin Water?
I'd say he'll be busy this week
Probably needs to take his suit to the cleaners. I'd say that could cost him a pretty penny and a lot starch.
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
Vitamin Water?
I'd say he'll be busy this week
Probably needs to take his suit to the cleaners. I'd say that could cost him a pretty penny and a lot starch.
That's Monaschs job
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
Vitamin Water?
I'd say he'll be busy this week
Probably needs to take his suit to the cleaners. I'd say that could cost him a pretty penny and a lot starch.
That's Monaschs job
No he will be out of town this week at the FInal Four. Besides he confuses tanning salons with dry cleaners.
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Who paid a nice chunk of change to bring in Lavin?
Vitamin Water?
I'd say he'll be busy this week
Probably needs to take his suit to the cleaners. I'd say that could cost him a pretty penny and a lot starch.
That's Monaschs job
What's going to happen to this program when the people who only know of our failure are going to be expected to carry it financially? Change has to come now. If the AD doesn't have the authority or the balls, then he is useless.
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The internet really needs an idiot button.
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The internet really needs an idiot button.
It sure does.
Remember in December when you called anyone an "idiot" for not recognizing that Lavin was the answer? Just think how much easier that would have been if all you had to do was push a button. Maybe what the internet really needs is an, I'm sorry I called you can idiot, as it turns out, it looks like I'm the idiot, button.
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I think what SJU should do is first fire Coach Lavin and then hire this board, or at least certain members, as the search committee.
And then when this search committee hires the next great coach as part of the job description the new coach needs to address publicly every rumor that goes out on twitter so we don't have to waste our Sunday evenings on a chat board speculating about what is going on.
I am going to tell Monasch that right now, he is the booth right next to me.
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The program has become a joke under Lavin, and I'm f?$king sick of it.
We stunk under Norm, Jarvis was lazy, and Fran was almost as self absorbed as Lavin. But this is a different type of sting. This stings because he raised expectations, and convinced half our fan base that he was doing things the right way, that he had a plan he was following, and that there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't. There's just a pile of Lavin do-do at the end of this rainbow.
And I'm tired of hearing how he's good for the university. He's not! The guy has no credibility. He's brought in a number of me first players, has been unable to get them to buy in, and has been unable to develop the few team players he does have.
Just end this now. His results aren't as bad as Norms, but it's obvious to me nothing good is going to happen under Steve. Enough.
Anyone but Lavin is my new nominee for head coach.
Do you really think the school would pay him two more years salary, and lay out money for a replacement as well? I don't see it.
They would need to get help from donors to buy out Lavin. If you believe the rumors and Baldis innuendo, those people are willing to pitch in.
But to answer your question, no. I can't see SJU doing that. This is the first coach they've paid big bucks, they're not going to all of a sudden be willing to pay two coaches over 1mil. Unless Lavins contract allows him to be bought out for less than full value.
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I think what SJU should do is first fire Coach Lavin and then hire this board, or at least certain members, as the search committee.
And then when this search committee hires the next great coach as part of the job description the new coach needs to address publicly every rumor that goes out on twitter so we don't have to waste our Sunday evenings on a chat board speculating about what is going on.
I am going to tell Monasch that right now, he is the booth right next to me.
I'm fine with keeping Lavin through his contract. I just want Lavin to come up with some sort of answer to the severely depleted roster and 2014' recruiting class. The answers I don't want are "we can play like Villanova next year" and "i like our roster as is".
If he didn't say these ridiculous things, I don't think as many of the fans wouldn't feel this strongly about it. Lavin made this a lot worse by opening his mouth to the media with mind boggling comments.
His biggest mistake wasn't even our underachieving this year. It was botching the 2014' recruiting class so badly that we have to do a total rebuild after this year with nothing in the cupboard except Felix Balamou and Christian Jones. As good as Lavin's recruiting push was in the beginning, he has fallen off a cliff here. I keep hearing about the 15' class, but we needed a few studs in this 14' class to prime so we aren't "the youngest team in America" for the next 4 years.
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If this was a sinking ship or any type of emergency, the first thing I'd have to do would be to knock half you guys out for your own good. Jesus Christ do you guys panic quickly or what? WTF.
To date, we've lost a kid to the effing NBA draft and his best friend who graduated. This twit Jayon is just trying to keep his fifteen minutes going by throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Lucky for him, if it doesn't quite stick, Marco Baldi will be happy to pick it up and slap it back on the wall along with some other sh*t he head from a guy in Columbus Circle wearing a St. John's hat.
Relax guys.
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If this was a sinking ship or any type of emergency, the first thing I'd have to do would be to knock half you guys out for your own good. Jesus Christ do you guys panic quickly or what? WTF.
The problem with that is that you'd only be able to save two or three of us, while the rest burned to death or drowned while unconscious. Just be sure to remember your old buddy LJSA when it comes time to load the lifeboats. ;D
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I think what SJU should do is first fire Coach Lavin and then hire this board, or at least certain members, as the search committee.
And then when this search committee hires the next great coach as part of the job description the new coach needs to address publicly every rumor that goes out on twitter so we don't have to waste our Sunday evenings on a chat board speculating about what is going on.
I am going to tell Monasch that right now, he is the booth right next to me.
I'm fine with keeping Lavin through his contract. I just want Lavin to come up with some sort of answer to the severely depleted roster and 2014' recruiting class. The answers I don't want are "we can play like Villanova next year" and "i like our roster as is".
If he didn't say these ridiculous things, I don't think as many of the fans wouldn't feel this strongly about it. Lavin made this a lot worse by opening his mouth to the media with mind boggling comments.
His biggest mistake wasn't even our underachieving this year. It was botching the 2014' recruiting class so badly that we have to do a total rebuild after this year with nothing in the cupboard except Felix Balamou and Christian Jones. As good as Lavin's recruiting push was in the beginning, he has fallen off a cliff here. I keep hearing about the 15' class, but we needed a few studs in this 14' class to prime so we aren't "the youngest team in America" for the next 4 years.
I'd love for Lavin to succeed...but he's too much of a fantasizer, I think. He fantasized that the team would be good at the end of the season...now he fantasizes that we're going to have a great 2015 class. The problem is he has the rest of us doing the same. I wrote, "I think", because I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he's not a liar.
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If this was a sinking ship or any type of emergency, the first thing I'd have to do would be to knock half you guys out for your own good. Jesus Christ do you guys panic quickly or what? WTF.
To date, we've lost a kid to the effing NBA draft and his best friend who graduated. This twit Jayon is just trying to keep his fifteen minutes going by throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Lucky for him, if it doesn't quite stick, Marco Baldi will be happy to pick it up and slap it back on the wall along with some other sh*t he head from a guy in Columbus Circle wearing a St. John's hat.
Relax guys.
One who thinks he left for the NBA draft, he may not be drafted. Especially if they believe your scouting report. :)
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If this was a sinking ship or any type of emergency, the first thing I'd have to do would be to knock half you guys out for your own good. Jesus Christ do you guys panic quickly or what? WTF.
To date, we've lost a kid to the effing NBA draft and his best friend who graduated. This twit Jayon is just trying to keep his fifteen minutes going by throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Lucky for him, if it doesn't quite stick, Marco Baldi will be happy to pick it up and slap it back on the wall along with some other sh*t he head from a guy in Columbus Circle wearing a St. John's hat.
Relax guys.
Hooper will graduate his year..?
Will he be able to play right away with 2 years of eligibility left..?
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Yes, Hooper graduates this year and will be able to play immediately. I believe he has two years of eligibility left.
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Hooper is easily replaced, and upgraded. The issue is Sampson's and Sanchez' inside scoring. We can live without their defense which I thought was pretty lousy, and certainly not at a BE level, let alone an NBA one. We need 2 guys that can score inside, and we need at least one of them to be able to do that right away.
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Hooper is graduate student will be able to play immediately. Johnyshorejohnny on redmen.com heard from a reliable source CO is leaving. I do not think this is an April fools joke.
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A reliable Redmen poster just confirmed Obekpa is definitely leaving. Any trend here guys or are we going to rationalize this one as well. Next shoe to drop?
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A reliable Redmen poster just confirmed Obekpa is definitely leaving. Any trend here guys or are we going to rationalize this one as well. Next shoe to drop?
Hopefully Lavin
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In a way this is worse than the Norm years . We had such high expetations. What would Lavins excuse be if we have 8 players on scholi. next year. Oh yeah Joey Delarusa and a walk on could always use 2 scholis.
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Is it better to have loved and lost, or to have not loved at all?
With Norm there was no love, with Lavin there was tons, oozing potential with top class after top class, only to have all of them leave.....
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A reliable Redmen poster just confirmed Obekpa is definitely leaving. Any trend here guys or are we going to rationalize this one as well. Next shoe to drop?
Love the avatar change Paultz! I'm waiting for an infringement suit from Moose on mine.
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A reliable Redmen poster just confirmed Obekpa is definitely leaving. Any trend here guys or are we going to rationalize this one as well. Next shoe to drop?
Love the avatar change Paultz! I'm waiting for an infringement suit from Moose on mine.
I may see him in Borneo next week & will advocate for you.
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A reliable Redmen poster just confirmed Obekpa is definitely leaving. Any trend here guys or are we going to rationalize this one as well. Next shoe to drop?
Love the avatar change Paultz! I'm waiting for an infringement suit from Moose on mine.
I may see him in Borneo next week & will advocate for you.
Awesome! Thanks! I'm happy to negotiate a reasonable licensing fee involving beer and wings.
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Hooper is graduate student will be able to play immediately. Johnyshorejohnny on redmen.com heard from a reliable source CO is leaving. I do not think this is an April fools joke.
Maybe not from him, but maybe the good source he has didn't was fooled by a prank. I'm not going to believe anything until tomorrow.
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Hooper is graduate student will be able to play immediately. Johnyshorejohnny on redmen.com heard from a reliable source CO is leaving. I do not think this is an April fools joke.
Maybe not from him, but maybe the good source he has didn't was fooled by a prank. I'm not going to believe anything until tomorrow.
Come on Marillac, are you actually surprised? Somewhere in the back of your mind you knew this was a real possibility.
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Is onekpa next? who cares. He quit on this team and is not the kind of player that deserves to wear the uniform. He got a lot of blocks but all help side or after his man beat him. I wont be sorry to see him go, I think this team is better off without him and sanchez. Lav will find some bodies to stick down low and whoever they are, they will by default be an upgrade
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A reliable Redmen poster just confirmed Obekpa is definitely leaving. Any trend here guys or are we going to rationalize this one as well. Next shoe to drop?
Stand clear if Mkras is in the vicinity
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If this was a sinking ship or any type of emergency, the first thing I'd have to do would be to knock half you guys out for your own good. Jesus Christ do you guys panic quickly or what? WTF.
To date, we've lost a kid to the effing NBA draft and his best friend who graduated. This twit Jayon is just trying to keep his fifteen minutes going by throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Lucky for him, if it doesn't quite stick, Marco Baldi will be happy to pick it up and slap it back on the wall along with some other sh*t he head from a guy in Columbus Circle wearing a St. John's hat.
Relax guys.
Hooper will graduate his year..?
Will he be able to play right away with 2 years of eligibility left..?
Yes to both. He said he wanted to be remembered as the best shooter in school history and he only gets sh*t on these boards. Good for him. Only at SJU do we attack the 12th and 13th men and walkons.
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He said he wanted to be remembered as the best shooter in school history
Then he should have made more shots.
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I was at NIT last night and saw 2 large SJU boosters... both are not happy and both think Obekpa is not returning
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Large enough to replace him? Maybe they think that because the read this board
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Told this may be a transfer, not a decision to play for pay. Interesting, if that occurs, considering amount of PT he would get at SJU.
Edit- should have said may be, not will be. Sorry.
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Told this will be a transfer, not a decision to play for pay. Interesting, if that occurs, considering amount of PT he would get at SJU.
So, Obekpa would rather sit out a full year waiting to play for another school than get 30 minutes per game with us next year as our main front court option? Meh, I'm not worried. Just gives C. Jones a bigger opportunity to shine next season, so, we've got that going for us.........
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Pittsburgh??????
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Obekpa choosing to leave or being asked to do so?
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If he did refuse to go back into the BE tourney game then he might have been asked to shape up or leave the program. He would be missed on the court but that kind of attitude would kill a locker room.
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Obekpa choosing to leave or being asked to do so?
A question or an insinuation?
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Obekpa choosing to leave or being asked to do so?
A question or an insinuation?
A question.
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Obekpa choosing to leave or being asked to do so?
A question or an insinuation?
A question.
All rumors at this point, but it's assumed he's leaving of his own volition. I would imagine Lavin would try to "reform" him before kicking him off the team. Especially when he doesn't have another big man
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I heard he was transferring to the Donatelli Hair Styling Academy
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Obekpa choosing to leave or being asked to do so?
A question or an insinuation?
A question.
All rumors at this point, but it's assumed he's leaving of his own volition. I would imagine Lavin would try to "reform" him before kicking him off the team. Especially when he doesn't have another big man
Why is this being assumed? He didn't go back into the game in the B.E.T. Yet he started in the N.I.T.? That doesn't look like a coach who wants to kick a player off the team. Obekpa wants to go to the league now, he wanted to go last year. I think its possible he returns just so he can try to go to the league after next year opposed to two years from now having to sit out a year if he transfers. I think that is the strongest agrument for him staying and until stated otherwise that is the case, put the rumors to rest.
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Obekpa choosing to leave or being asked to do so?
A question or an insinuation?
A question.
All rumors at this point, but it's assumed he's leaving of his own volition. I would imagine Lavin would try to "reform" him before kicking him off the team. Especially when he doesn't have another big man
Why is this being assumed? He didn't go back into the game in the B.E.T. Yet he started in the N.I.T.? That doesn't look like a coach who wants to kick a player off the team. Obekpa wants to go to the league now,
What league are we speaking of? League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Surely not one that pays people for playing basketball.
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
Always had faith in you Chilleb. Your information & sharing observations are greatly appreciated.
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
Keep the info coming, Chilleb.
If you don't give info my boy Marco Baldi will just make something up.
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I can't believe how we are imploding like this. Unbelievable...
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As I say at work "noones dying here. The earth isn't crumbling under our feet." Let's see what happens. Obekpa is still on the team and kids are decommiting at an alarming rate for a lot of teams. Even if obekpa leaves we may bring in some pieces to offset it. Maybe we don't but don't overreact until it's done. Things will be a lot better if Obekpa comes back, thou and I can't see him taking a year off when just last year he was talking nba.
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things have to be really bad for him to leave. his best friend on the team is Greene and from what we can see Phil is Lavin's favorite player. So I have to imagine Phil is/should be trying to convince Chris to stay. I would also think Harrison's experience could serve as an example of how Chris can have a fresh start next season.
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How about Obekpa to the Globetrotters? It is as good a rumor as any other one on this board.
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I was told Chris has a choice.
A-be part of SJU, shape up his attitude,
B-feel free to transfer/sign with agent for NBDL or Europe
This all comes from the attitude and drama he created during last few weeks and especially BE tourney. (refusing to enter the game in 2nd half)
He was given few days to decide and report back with his decision.
As of now I am told he is most likely staying but don't hold your breath if his decision changes.
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I was told Chris has a choice.
A-be part of SJU, shape up his attitude,
B-feel free to transfer/sign with agent for NBDL or Europe
This all comes from the attitude and drama he created during last few weeks and especially BE tourney. (refusing to enter the game in 2nd half)
He was given few days to decide and report back with his decision.
As of now I am told he is most likely staying but don't hold your breath if his decision changes.
This I believe 100%. Hope he stays but it's up to him.
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FY - hearing anything about 2014 recruits?
Where's SJU79 when you need him...
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This makes sense, get your sh*t together or pack your bags.
With his attitude, the coaching staff had no other choice.
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I was told Chris has a choice.
A-be part of SJU, shape up his attitude,
B-feel free to transfer/sign with agent for NBDL or Europe
This all comes from the attitude and drama he created during last few weeks and especially BE tourney. (refusing to enter the game in 2nd half)
He was given few days to decide and report back with his decision.
As of now I am told he is most likely staying but don't hold your breath if his decision changes.
Hope he stays, but this rumor we treat as gospel?
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Don't treat any of them as gospel. Just note that something smells rotten in Denmark.
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I was told Chris has a choice.
A-be part of SJU, shape up his attitude,
B-feel free to transfer/sign with agent for NBDL or Europe
He was free to transfer anyway, wasn't he? Or has the 13th amendment been repealed.
This all comes from the attitude and drama he created during last few weeks
Yeah, because Lavin hates drama. I'd provide some examples but I'm late for an open casket candlelight vigil for my father, he died in 1982, I'm still not over it. Just hope I can eulogize him properly, my tonsillitis has been acting up treat.
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I was told Chris has a choice.
A-be part of SJU, shape up his attitude,
B-feel free to transfer/sign with agent for NBDL or Europe
He was free to transfer anyway, wasn't he? Or has the 13th amendment been repealed.
This all comes from the attitude and drama he created during last few weeks
Yeah, because Lavin hates drama. I'd provide some examples but I'm late for an open casket candlelight vigil for my father, he died in 1982, I'm still not over it. Just hope I can eulogize him properly, my tonsillitis has been acting up treat.
Sorry for your loss.
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Don't treat any of them as gospel. Just note that something smells rotten in Denmark.
I think that was essentially what Kevin said on Redmen. He is very close to the program and simply stated the people he spoke to, assumably SJU contacts, indicated Chris was leaving. I simply shared his post which I think is appropriate. Frankly I heard rumors and his post added to my concern.
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I hear you, Paultz. Is what it is at this point. Lack of any positive news is just disheartening. Would be nice to be mentioned with a transfer or 2014 recruit other than Adonis. Plenty of time though.
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I hear you, Paultz. Is what it is at this point. Lack of any positive news is just disheartening. Would be nice to be mentioned with a transfer or 2014 recruit other than Adonis. Plenty of time though.
Agree on badly needed positive news for sure.
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As I say at work "noones dying here. The earth isn't crumbling under our feet." Let's see what happens. Obekpa is still on the team and kids are decommiting at an alarming rate for a lot of teams. Even if obekpa leaves we may bring in some pieces to offset it. Maybe we don't but don't overreact until it's done. Things will be a lot better if Obekpa comes back, thou and I can't see him taking a year off when just last year he was talking nba.
The team is dying. The program is crumbling under our feet. The sky is really falling! Chicken Little is heading for the skillet. What more do you need to know?
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I hear you, Paultz. Is what it is at this point. Lack of any positive news is just disheartening. Would be nice to be mentioned with a transfer or 2014 recruit other than Adonis. Plenty of time though.
Agree on badly needed positive news for sure.
My father used to say that things are always darkest just before there's no light at all.
On the other hand If there is a saving grace to Coach Lavin it is that he has been uncanny in surprising us with exciting additions to the roster whenever the landscape appeared irredeemably bleak.
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Don't treat any of them as gospel. Just note that something smells rotten in Denmark.
I think that was essentially what Kevin said on Redmen. He is very close to the program and simply stated the people he spoke to, assumably SJU contacts, indicated Chris was leaving. I simply shared his post which I think is appropriate. Frankly I heard rumors and his post added to my concern.
I think there are two sides to this coming out as well.
1) Chris was unhappy and thinking of leaving, some of the rumors are coming from people who have heard this.
2) The staff is unhappy with Chris and wants him to shape and get with the program, or pack his bags. The other comments are coming from people who have heard this from the staff or people close to the program.
The CO leaving rumors have been coming from two angles. That said, he could still end up staying.
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I wonder if the players want Obekpa back after the stunt he pulled?
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Don't treat any of them as gospel. Just note that something smells rotten in Denmark.
I think that was essentially what Kevin said on Redmen. He is very close to the program and simply stated the people he spoke to, assumably SJU contacts, indicated Chris was leaving. I simply shared his post which I think is appropriate. Frankly I heard rumors and his post added to my concern.
I think there are two sides to this coming out as well.
1) Chris was unhappy and thinking of leaving, some of the rumors are coming from people who have heard this.
2) The staff is unhappy with Chris and wants him to shape and get with the program, or pack his bags. The other comments are coming from people who have heard this from the staff or people close to the program.
The CO leaving rumors have been coming from two angles. That said, he could still end up staying.
I agree with you. There are two sides to a story/rumor and then there is the truth.
Time will tell what happens here.
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Coach absolutely has shortcomings . But everything can't be blamed on him. Obekpa has to grow up. These guys have nice lives. But they have to earn it .
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He's a mercurial kid, but he's a good kid. I think he ends up staying, but I have no info. I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down and get him focused...of course there is also Felix. Whitesell is a good fit for him and they seem to have a good relationship from where I stand.
This team can still end up being very, very good next year. Let's not write the obituary just yet.
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He's a mercurial kid, but he's a good kid. I think he ends up staying, but I have no info. I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down and get him focused...of course there is also Felix. Whitesell is a good fit for him and they seem to have a good relationship from where I stand.
This team can still end up being very, very good next year. Let's not write the obituary just yet.
Or maybe not...what do I know?
Jay @JayOn_1 · 1m
Breaking news coming soon and it's not good #sjubb
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I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down
Who's going to settle Pointer down? Chris Brown?
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He's a mercurial kid, but he's a good kid. I think he ends up staying, but I have no info. I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down and get him focused...of course there is also Felix. Whitesell is a good fit for him and they seem to have a good relationship from where I stand.
This team can still end up being very, very good next year. Let's not write the obituary just yet.
Or maybe not...what do I know?
Jay @JayOn_1 · 1m
Breaking news coming soon and it's not good #sjubb
Just saw that. At what point do we get to say things can only get better from here?
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He's a mercurial kid, but he's a good kid. I think he ends up staying, but I have no info. I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down and get him focused...of course there is also Felix. Whitesell is a good fit for him and they seem to have a good relationship from where I stand.
This team can still end up being very, very good next year. Let's not write the obituary just yet.
Or maybe not...what do I know?
Jay @JayOn_1 · 1m
Breaking news coming soon and it's not good #sjubb
Just saw that. At what point do we get to say things can only get better from here?
Obekpa has left the building.
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Jesus. This team is gonna be awful without Obekpa.
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He's a mercurial kid, but he's a good kid. I think he ends up staying, but I have no info. I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down and get him focused...of course there is also Felix. Whitesell is a good fit for him and they seem to have a good relationship from where I stand.
This team can still end up being very, very good next year. Let's not write the obituary just yet.
Or maybe not...what do I know?
Jay @JayOn_1 · 1m
Breaking news coming soon and it's not good #sjubb
Just saw that. At what point do we get to say things can only get better from here?
Obekpa has left the building.
So has Loughlin Guy. ;)
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It's OK, I'm not worried. Lavin is a good face of the program. He gets us mentioned in the newspapers guys!
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@JayOn_1: Obekpa is leaving the program.
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and now for something completely different , a man with 2 buttocks
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(http://media.giphy.com/media/bMZ6gD0HaCCR2/giphy.gif)
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He's a mercurial kid, but he's a good kid. I think he ends up staying, but I have no info. I think Harrison and Pointer will settle him down and get him focused...of course there is also Felix. Whitesell is a good fit for him and they seem to have a good relationship from where I stand.
This team can still end up being very, very good next year. Let's not write the obituary just yet.
Or maybe not...what do I know?
Jay @JayOn_1 · 1m
Breaking news coming soon and it's not good #sjubb
Just saw that. At what point do we get to say things can only get better from here?
Obekpa has left the building.
So has Loughlin Guy. ;)
Ha, ha, ha! No official bet was ever made. But Loughlin should at least buy Desco a beer next year.
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
Motto of board has to be Chill on the Chilleb hearsay
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(http://media.giphy.com/media/bMZ6gD0HaCCR2/giphy.gif)
Bad times, but priceless Desco.
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I hear you, Paultz. Is what it is at this point. Lack of any positive news is just disheartening. Would be nice to be mentioned with a transfer or 2014 recruit other than Adonis. Plenty of time though.
Agree on badly needed positive news for sure.
just don't put that comment on twitter- sure ban material - scandalous I say! :2funny:
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I thought Lavin was supposed to be a players' coach. If this is true it will be real interesting to see what happens next. I wouldn't be bothered if the staff was doing there job and bringing players from the 14' class in. It's not just Lavin, Chiles is suppose to be a top notch recruiter, what was he doing? I just would like someone to explain to the fan base the staff's strategy as to why 14' wasn't an important year. Even if Obekpa and Sampson stayed we still need players. We are sill a program in the middle of a rebuilding process, three years in and you decide to take a year off like we accomplished something? If Obekpa leaves and the staff doesn't pull a rabbit out of there ass I may be leaning towards the dark side.
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how did this all turn out so poorly?
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If he transfers I will buy a round for all. Not just for Desco. Still do not believe he is transferring. Won't sit out a year. Nuts if he does. Can't say there is family hardship or sick parent to get exemption. Makes no sense. He may be asked to leave but he will try pro route. Not transfer. If he does transfer time and date will be announced for a round. Ant it won't be first time logic is defied, I am sorry to say.
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I thought Lavin was supposed to be a players' coach. If this is true it will be real interesting to see what happens next. I wouldn't be bothered if the staff was doing there job and bringing players from the 14' class in. It's not just Lavin, Chiles is suppose to be a top notch recruiter, what was he doing? I just would like someone to explain to the fan base the staff's strategy as to why 14' wasn't an important year. Even if Obekpa and Sampson stayed we still need players. We are sill a program in the middle of a rebuilding process, three years in and you decide to take a year off like we accomplished something? If Obekpa leaves and the staff doesn't pull a rabbit out of there ass I may be leaning towards the dark side.
He's a player's coach, but you better play hard...or else...
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If he transfers I will buy a round for all. Not just for Desco. Still do not believe he is transferring. Won't sit out a year. Nuts if he does. Can't say there is family hardship or sick parent to get exemption. Makes no sense. He may be asked to leave but he will try pro route. Not transfer. If he does transfer time and date will be announced for a round. Ant it won't be first time logic is defied, I am sorry to say.
@NYPost_Brazille: Per source, St John's forward Chris Obekpa has been granted a release to transfer. #sjubb
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If a player puts himself ahead of the team, I'd rather he be gone. That said, I don't know what went on with Obekpa in the PC game. If he did refuse to go back into the game, I can see how the team would be down for the Robert Morris game. This is ridiculous. Kids have to have some respect for authority if they want to play a team game.
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If a player puts himself ahead of the team, I'd rather he be gone. That said, I don't know what went on with Obekpa in the PC game. If he did refuse to go back into the game, I can see how the team would be down for the Robert amorris game. This is ridiculous. Kids have to have some respect for authority if they want to play a team game.
This is all true. I'm sure he's a pain in the a$$ to coach, and not necessarily somebody you'd want on your team.
But then why did we recruit him?
And even if you give Lav the benefit of the doubt on recruiting him, he had to take some chances and all of that, this kid was still thinking about leaving last season, how is there not a backup plan?
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Sucks.. But it was only a matter of time.on the bright side good news is on the way , let me have it paultz
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why do i always read about only childs and lavin recruiting. as pitino said emphatically years ago you need 4 coaches to recruit....whitsell and hinds get a pass? remember when the esteemed al lobalbo bragged he could not be bothered to recruit...just hire mckillop and build from within [if it okay with rutledge that is].
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Sucks.. But it was only a matter of time.on the bright side good news is on the way , let me have it paultz
Assume that means something better than DelaRosa?
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If a player puts himself ahead of the team, I'd rather he be gone. That said, I don't know what went on with Obekpa in the PC game. If he did refuse to go back into the game, I can see how the team would be down for the Robert Morris game. This is ridiculous. Kids have to have some respect for authority if they want to play a team game.
The occurrence was not the problem, the player's response to the incident is key.
DLo had an incident. He owned up, moved on, grew from it.
Maryland had a similar incident to Obekpa's. Charles Mitchell got into it with AC Spinelli, sent to locker room, spent 2nd half in warmups. Worked it out, manned up, and no problems rest of year.
It's all what a player makes of it. CO might be more emotionally immature than we realize. those close to the program might leak out some of that eventually. Time for him to grow up.
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
Motto of board has to be Chill on the Chilleb hearsay
dont know how to take that? but ha! I guess
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Mass email was just sent out to every unsigned 6'7"+, HS senior basketball player. First 4 to respond gets a schollie.
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but as far as chris is concerned , every major player in the other power conferences is getting ready to go all in on him, so we can kill him all we want but at the end of the day, the kid is a player.
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Mass email was just sent out to every unsigned 6'7"+, HS senior basketball player. First 4 to respond gets a schollie.
still got a 7 footer ready to announce on the 18th.. lol
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Funny after what happened with Harrison last season, he's gonna be the last one standing on this team
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
Motto of board has to be Chill on the Chilleb hearsay
dont know how to take that? but ha! I guess
Sometimes, we're a bit too reactionary on the board (myself included). I still like reading material about inner rumblings as long as it has a semi-legitimate origin.
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but as far as chris is concerned , every major player in the other power conferences is getting ready to go all in on him, so we can kill him all we want but at the end of the day, the kid is a player.
Ironically, he'll prolly pick a program where the coach will break his shoes even more than here. SJ's might seem like a country club by the time it's too late for him - lol
'
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And when I first got wind of this story a month ago I was crucified. Smh. Don't kill the messenger
Motto of board has to be Chill on the Chilleb hearsay
dont know how to take that? but ha! I guess
Sometimes, we're a bit too reactionary on the board (myself included). I still like reading material about inner rumblings as long as it has a semi-legitimate origin.
guess it was the kid ended up leaving..
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Sucks.. But it was only a matter of time.on the bright side good news is on the way , let me have it paultz
Help us out here, we need anything lol. Does this big news come on April 18th? Im hoping it is something other than that. Thanks chilleb
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but as far as chris is concerned , every major player in the other power conferences is getting ready to go all in on him, so we can kill him all we want but at the end of the day, the kid is a player.
Ironically, he'll prolly pick a program where the coach will break his shoes even more than here. SJ's might seem like a country club by the time it's too late for him - lol
'
true but does that speak to our weakness and to other programs stregnth which translates into winning for them and loosing to us? or should our recruits enjoy the fact that when they come here they arent getting prepared for the next level and more prepared for the country club. regardless of that coaching staff has got to do a better job of tightning things up ive been told, but in chris's case it dosent make a difference where he goes one more year and hes getting drafted. this kid was good in a system-less program imagine what a real coach is going to do for him..
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If he transfers I will buy a round for all. Not just for Desco. Still do not believe he is transferring. Won't sit out a year. Nuts if he does. Can't say there is family hardship or sick parent to get exemption. Makes no sense. He may be asked to leave but he will try pro route. Not transfer. If he does transfer time and date will be announced for a round. Ant it won't be first time logic is defied, I am sorry to say.
Even if Obekpa is a drama case (and I'm not saying he is), transferring to a new program demonsrates just how deeply disconnected Lavin became with this kid. With virtually no competiton for pt next season, he decides to sit out a full year to play somewhere else?? SMH.
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he is gone
http://zagsblog.com/st-johns/chris-obekpa-to-transfer-from-st-johns/ (http://zagsblog.com/st-johns/chris-obekpa-to-transfer-from-st-johns/)
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but as far as chris is concerned , every major player in the other power conferences is getting ready to go all in on him, so we can kill him all we want but at the end of the day, the kid is a player.
+1
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Can't see how Diallo would seriously consider playing for Lavin when another OSNA big man transferred away from the program when he was gonna get 30-35 minutes per game the next year
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Can't see how Diallo would seriously consider playing for Lavin when another OSNA big man transferred away from the program when he was gonna get 30-35 minutes per game the next year
Maybe Obekpa is completely irrational and spiteful and just and all around jerk and maybe Diallo knows that and doesnt see this as that surprising or an indictment of the program.
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Bring Jarvis back!
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but as far as chris is concerned , every major player in the other power conferences is getting ready to go all in on him, so we can kill him all we want but at the end of the day, the kid is a player.
+1
I'd be all over this kid as a coach. Big los. Big, big loss. Losing Sampson wasn't a big deal...this is.
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http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24512302/report-chris-obekpa-leaving-st-johns (http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24512302/report-chris-obekpa-leaving-st-johns)
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Can't see how Diallo would seriously consider playing for Lavin when another OSNA big man transferred away from the program when he was gonna get 30-35 minutes per game the next year
Who knows who even is going to be coach in 2015.
Maybe Obekpa is completely irrational and spiteful and just and all around jerk and maybe Diallo knows that and doesnt see this as that surprising or an indictment of the program.
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I have been willing to give Lavin the benefit of the doubt. He came into a very difficult position needing to fill entire roster on short notice when our reputation was at an all time low. But I don't see how he survives this. Unless he performs a miracle and has some huge commits and transfers this Spring the end is near. I suspect Whitesell is second guessing his decision to leave st Loiis. Sad. The reality is we may never recover as a program. A new President may well say we can't afford this and relegate us to NYU and Fordham status.
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http://nypost.com/2014/04/03/st-johns-running-out-of-players-as-chris-obekpa-transfers/ (http://nypost.com/2014/04/03/st-johns-running-out-of-players-as-chris-obekpa-transfers/)
Post reporting it as well. Wonderful.
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http://nypost.com/2014/04/03/st-johns-running-out-of-players-as-chris-obekpa-transfers/ (http://nypost.com/2014/04/03/st-johns-running-out-of-players-as-chris-obekpa-transfers/)
Post reporting it as well. Wonderful.
Can't imagine the vultures circling Jordan right now, whispering in his ear to bolt to greener pastures. I'm sure Realfan/Linda/Needs2go is having a stroke right now not being able to gloat about recent developments.
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Sounds like Obekpa is gone. http://zagsblog.com/ (http://zagsblog.com/) Don't care. He quit on the team. SJU should develop his character and let him keep the scholarship, and not let him in the gym. Just to spite him.
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Sounds like Obekpa is gone.
Thanks for the head's up.
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Obekpa leaving is not good, it leaves us very short up front and looks horrible for the program with players continually leaving. That abeing said from a performance level, I find it hard to imagine that Lavin cant find a player eith juco or 5th yr senior who can put up better numbers then Obekpa. 4pts per game- 5 rebounds and 3 block shots. Am I missing something here?
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@JayOn_1 10s
2 more players could leave the program also as a result of CO leaving
Greene is really good friends with Obekpa, could be him. Also the second I'd say is either Jordan or Felix.
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@JayOn_1 10s
2 more players could leave the program also as a result of CO leaving
Greene is really good friends with Obekpa, could be him. Also the second I'd say is either Jordan or Felix.
If they want to leave, let them. We don't want kids who don't want to play for us. What am I missing?? Oh wait, common sense. Nevermind...
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Maybe they want to play for us, but not for or current coach. Who seems to be mysteriously quite during all this.
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Wow. Went from one of the most talented rosters to decimated in no time. If Rysheed or DLo leave that's a death blow.
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Reaching low mid-major status very quickly. Next year you'll be a RPI drag for anyone who is unfortunate enough to have you on their schedule.
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
Quick, lets make a nice thread about how good a job Lav has done to sway Cal into wanting him. Top notch inbound plays!
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
I can't imagine he is in great demand. Perhaps the Mets.
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but as far as chris is concerned , every major player in the other power conferences is getting ready to go all in on him, so we can kill him all we want but at the end of the day, the kid is a player.
Ironically, he'll prolly pick a program where the coach will break his shoes even more than here. SJ's might seem like a country club by the time it's too late for him - lol
'
true but does that speak to our weakness and to other programs stregnth which translates into winning for them and loosing to us? or should our recruits enjoy the fact that when they come here they arent getting prepared for the next level and more prepared for the country club. regardless of that coaching staff has got to do a better job of tightning things up ive been told, but in chris's case it dosent make a difference where he goes one more year and hes getting drafted. this kid was good in a system-less program imagine what a real coach is going to do for him..
I think developing self discipline has to come first from the player's desire to be as good as they can be. But a staff that recognizes how to recognize what each player needs to be successful in their system is right behind it in importance.
The curious thing to watch for me is to see how much Chris matures with a year away from game time. He might realize the importance of practicing hard and appreciate how much fun it is to have the opportunity to play in games. It should help him tremendously in the right situation.
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D'Angelo to U of Houston...
I said this at the start of last week
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D'Angelo to U of Houston...
I said this at the start of last week
I heard Sampson tweeted him 5,000 times already ... :smiley6600:
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
Cal isn't that stupid. They won't go from Hall Of Fame caliber coach to this clown. If they were to consider him at all, the turmoil occurring in our program right now would scare them away once they start to vet him. Lavin will end up like Fran and be an ESPN lifer
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Early rumblings from my terps site says Shady Scott Drew's been talking to CO for the past two weeks, Bears and Ducks in the lead. Altman loves his Mid-west Jucos, now going into transfer mode.
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
I can't imagine he is in great demand. Perhaps the Mets.
I would have said there's no way he leaves after this fiasco, because his brand would be forever damaged. But is if leaves now for Cal, he can back channel to his lickspittles in the press that the players defected because he told them he was leaving for the west coast. He comes out smelling like a rose. We come out smelling.
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
I can't imagine he is in great demand. Perhaps the Mets.
I would have said there's no way he leaves after this fiasco, because his brand would be forever damaged. But is if leaves now for Cal, he can back channel to his lickspittles in the press that the players defected because he told them he was leaving for the west coast. He comes out smelling like a rose. We come out smelling.
If he leaves which coach left us in the worst shape, Norm, Jarvis or Lavin?
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
I can't imagine he is in great demand. Perhaps the Mets.
I would have said there's no way he leaves after this fiasco, because his brand would be forever damaged. But is if leaves now for Cal, he can back channel to his lickspittles in the press that the players defected because he told them he was leaving for the west coast. He comes out smelling like a rose. We come out smelling.
If he leaves which coach left us in the worst shape, Norm, Jarvis or Lavin?
Jarvis.
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What am I missing? If he transfers, CO has to sit out next season. Then he'll enter the draft. Who will waste a ship on him? even if he promises to wait for the '16 draft, I doubt that promise is enforceable. He can change his mind. If he leaves our program, his college ball career is over. he needs to stay here one more year, or hire an agent and try to hook on with an overseas club.
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What am I missing? If he transfers, CO has to sit out next season. Then he'll enter the draft. Who will waste a ship on him? even if he promises to wait for the '16 draft, I doubt that promise is enforceable. He can change his mind. If he leaves our program, his college ball career is over. he needs to stay here one more year, or hire an agent and try to hook on with an overseas club.
Baylor, Oregon & others.
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I'm hearing lav exploring cal. He put out a feeler but they have not recipricated yet
I can't imagine he is in great demand. Perhaps the Mets.
I would have said there's no way he leaves after this fiasco, because his brand would be forever damaged. But is if leaves now for Cal, he can back channel to his lickspittles in the press that the players defected because he told them he was leaving for the west coast. He comes out smelling like a rose. We come out smelling.
If he leaves which coach left us in the worst shape, Norm, Jarvis or Lavin?
Jarvis < Lavin < Norm. Not even debatable.
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What am I missing? If he transfers, CO has to sit out next season. Then he'll enter the draft. Who will waste a ship on him? even if he promises to wait for the '16 draft, I doubt that promise is enforceable. He can change his mind. If he leaves our program, his college ball career is over. he needs to stay here one more year, or hire an agent and try to hook on with an overseas club.
I'd say what you are missing is ... he is willing to sit out a year, just to play somewhere else. Most of the stuff about him thinking he can go pro have never been official (stated by him in the media), although they seem grounded in reality. It appears that right now he seems to be willing to sit out a year, in return for another year or two of college ball.
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Dude is 20 years old right now, by the time he sits out a year he is 21, by the time he plays for his new school he is 22.
At 22, with no offensive game, GOOD LUCK getting drafted. If he stays another year at that school and is 23. It's over
Like Sampson, he needs to capitalize on ANYTHING he has now, or there wont be anything left later.
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Dude is 20 years old right now, by the time he sits out a year he is 21, by the time he plays for his new school he is 22.
At 22, with no offensive game, GOOD LUCK getting drafted. If he stays another year at that school and is 23. It's over
Like Sampson, he needs to capitalize on ANYTHING he has now, or there wont be anything left later.
You act like next year is a wasted year because he doesn't play in games. That's completely wrong. He gets to practice all season and could make HUGE strides in that year with the right coaching. It's not a lost cause at all. It makes perfect sense if he wants to improve and develop an offensive game if he doesn't think he'll find that here.
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From the Napa Valley Kremlin;
http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040314aaa.html (http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040314aaa.html)
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would love to hear Kob on this one.
He has always been in close with Obekpa's people.
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From the Napa Valley Kremlin;
http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040314aaa.html (http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040314aaa.html)
I like the by-line: "Red Storm with six open scholarships headed into Spring signing period". That's like saying I have 6 bullets but no gun.
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Dude is 20 years old right now, by the time he sits out a year he is 21, by the time he plays for his new school he is 22.
At 22, with no offensive game, GOOD LUCK getting drafted. If he stays another year at that school and is 23. It's over
Like Sampson, he needs to capitalize on ANYTHING he has now, or there wont be anything left later.
Yeah because we all know life is over at age 23.
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I wonder if the players want Obekpa back after the stunt he pulled?
The remaining players took a vote: the results were 1-0 that he should leave.
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Dude is 20 years old right now, by the time he sits out a year he is 21, by the time he plays for his new school he is 22.
At 22, with no offensive game, GOOD LUCK getting drafted. If he stays another year at that school and is 23. It's over
Like Sampson, he needs to capitalize on ANYTHING he has now, or there wont be anything left later.
Yeah because we all know life is over at age 23.
In todays "potential" NBA world it is. Why draft a kid who you need to develop and is 23, when you could draft a kid you need to develop who is 19??
Killpatrick won't sniff the NBA due mostly to his age. Obekpa will be in the same spot.
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Guys make the league at all ages even after bouncing around all over. Knicks took Prigioni at age 35. The stars eat up the salary cap and teams look to fill out their now 15 man rosters. If Kilpatrick is good enough you really think one year older makes a difference. john Starks and Anthony Mason came to Knicks at an advanced age even after Starks spent time bagging groceries. At least Kilpatrick was playing basketball.
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I wonder if the players want Obekpa back after the stunt he pulled?
The remaining players took a vote: the results were 1-0 that he should leave.
HA!
Who did Harrison report his vote too? I don't think the coach is staying either.
Is it too late to hire Mckillop?
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http://zagsblog.com/transfers/st-johns-obekpa-gets-blanket-release/ (http://zagsblog.com/transfers/st-johns-obekpa-gets-blanket-release/)
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Is it too late to hire Mckillop?
Unfortunately, the time for that was probably before they named the court after him.
I'm starting to really wish he'd been hired the first time his name surfaced in a SJU coaching search.
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Please tell me I'm wrong. I am sensing there was some kind of locker room 'explosion' around the last game of the regular season. I'm speculating that this 'explosion' was between the staff and Obekpa and had to do with the staff's repeated (season long) request to do something and Obekpa's repeated determination not to do it. Unfortunately, what ever was said, disrupted the team chemistry to point that everyone just wanted the season to end. 'Cause, basically the boys quit at the end of the year. Can I blame the disappointments of the 2013-14 season entirely on Obekpa and not on anyone else? There were times in January when I saw Obekpa's offensive game show signs of productivity, his free throws were better, but overall his development was slower than I would have expected.
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Please tell me I'm wrong.
You're wrong.
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I realize that CO has a blanket release. However, is it still a possibility that he realizes that the grass is not greener elsewhere and asks to be re-instated? I don't intend this as a joke, rather as a constructive comment. As Yogi said "It ain't over til it's over!" ???
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I realize that CO has a blanket release. However, is it still a possibility that he realizes that the grass is not greener elsewhere and asks to be re-instated? I don't intend this as a joke, rather as a constructive comment. As Yogi said "It ain't over til it's over!" ???
Not possible. Let's move on.
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I realize that CO has a blanket release.
What is a blanket release?
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I realize that CO has a blanket release.
What is a blanket release?
Besides teams in BE, he can go anywhere.
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I realize that CO has a blanket release.
What is a blanket release?
Besides teams in BE, he can go anywhere.
Thanks.
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Hearing Florida is in VERY good shape... he told two schools in the north that he wanted to go someplace warm...
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Hearing Florida is in VERY good shape... he told two schools in the north that he wanted to go someplace warm...
Wherever you move me, I asked once and I tell you again, I don't want to go any place cold.
You don't have a choice.
Come on. Whoever controls it, just no place cold. Do that for me.
He's bronchial, that's why.
If he's bronchial we'll consider that.
I'd like to go someplace not cold.
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Hearing Florida is in VERY good shape... he told two schools in the north that he wanted to go someplace warm...
Man he's gonna be pissed when we hire Billy Donovan for next year! ;)
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Well, the staff better be getting ready for possible soon to transfer Terps' Shaq Cleare. Turgeon just signed another 7 footer, Cekovsky, to go with Trayvon Reed. No more room at the inn, which means Cleare must have told Turge he's thinking of movin' on. Shaq has improved at a slower pace than Turge wanted, but he's only been playing bball for 5 years. He's got very good size, and could make a good starter with a another year of practice under his belt.
Only my speculation on this as I don't usually discuss potential xfers that haven't happened yet, but given the dire circumstances of SJ's, I want a heads up going out there to BE READY....3,2,1....Beggars can't be choosers....plus, Scott Drew's probably been sniffing Shaq up and down since Shaq attended HS in Texas.
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Hearing Florida is in VERY good shape... he told two schools in the north that he wanted to go someplace warm...
Wherever you move me, I asked once and I tell you again, I don't want to go any place cold.
You don't have a choice.
Come on. Whoever controls it, just no place cold. Do that for me.
He's bronchial, that's why.
If he's bronchial we'll consider that.
I'd like to go someplace not cold.
Its funny you used that exact scene from Goodfellas...
The attorney they are talking to the move in that scene, Ed McDonald, actually played himself in the movie. The very first CYO basketball team I coached in Brooklyn, we played against him all the time. He was from downtown Brooklyn and coached his son's St. Savior team...
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Hearing Florida is in VERY good shape... he told two schools in the north that he wanted to go someplace warm...
Wherever you move me, I asked once and I tell you again, I don't want to go any place cold.
You don't have a choice.
Come on. Whoever controls it, just no place cold. Do that for me.
He's bronchial, that's why.
If he's bronchial we'll consider that.
I'd like to go someplace not cold.
Its funny you used that exact scene from Goodfellas...
The attorney they are talking to the move in that scene, Ed McDonald, actually played himself in the movie. The very first CYO basketball team I coached in Brooklyn, we played against him all the time. He was from downtown Brooklyn and coached his son's St. Savior team...
Small world. Just spoke to him, had no idea he was in goodfellas and actually did that in real life
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Hearing Florida is in VERY good shape... he told two schools in the north that he wanted to go someplace warm...
Wherever you move me, I asked once and I tell you again, I don't want to go any place cold.
You don't have a choice.
Come on. Whoever controls it, just no place cold. Do that for me.
He's bronchial, that's why.
If he's bronchial we'll consider that.
I'd like to go someplace not cold.
Its funny you used that exact scene from Goodfellas...
The attorney they are talking to the move in that scene, Ed McDonald, actually played himself in the movie. The very first CYO basketball team I coached in Brooklyn, we played against him all the time. He was from downtown Brooklyn and coached his son's St. Savior team...
Small world. Just spoke to him, had no idea he was in goodfellas and actually did that in real life
And Chuck Low was similar to his character - Morrie was skipping out on his electric bills to Con Ed for some time. He needed to be "hunted down" to pay his bills. I know because my dad's unit collected on his lame ass.
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Interesting.....
StJohnsBasketball @StJohnsBBall
Definitely can. “@yelbeeez: Once a player has already been given his release, can he then change his mind and no longer transfer? #sjubb”
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Who is that asking the question?
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
I think the thought is, why would the official SJU twitter page retweet it and reply if they knew Obekpa was definitely gone?
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
I think the thought is, why would the official SJU twitter page retweet it and reply if they knew Obekpa was definitely gone?
Someone's trying to get Obekpas attention
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
I think the thought is, why would the official SJU twitter page retweet it and reply if they knew Obekpa was definitely gone?
Someone's trying to get Obekpas attention
But I thought him leaving was addition by subtraction because he had a bad attitude and low basketball IQ. I guess if the staff convinces him to stay he will then be touted as the best big man in the BE
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
I think the thought is, why would the official SJU twitter page retweet it and reply if they knew Obekpa was definitely gone?
Someone's trying to get Obekpas attention
But I thought him leaving was addition by subtraction because he had a bad attitude and low basketball IQ. I guess if the staff convinces him to stay he will then be touted as the best big man in the BE
He got a tutor, looked in the mirror and said: "I'm good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!"
He's all better now.
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
I think the thought is, why would the official SJU twitter page retweet it and reply if they knew Obekpa was definitely gone?
Someone's trying to get Obekpas attention
But I thought him leaving was addition by subtraction because he had a bad attitude and low basketball IQ. I guess if the staff convinces him to stay he will then be touted as the best big man in the BE
Prime example is Harrison. Last year was like night and day from two years ago.
Can CO get his crap together, and be the second coming of Harrison, and change his attitude? Then I would welcome him back.
If not (I hate to say it because he`s such a difference maker on the defensive end.), then GTF outta here.
No one player is bigger than the team.
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Appears to be random fan asking the question. How is it relevant?
I think the thought is, why would the official SJU twitter page retweet it and reply if they knew Obekpa was definitely gone?
Someone's trying to get Obekpas attention
But I thought him leaving was addition by subtraction because he had a bad attitude and low basketball IQ. I guess if the staff convinces him to stay he will then be touted as the best big man in the BE
He got a tutor, looked in the mirror and said: "I'm good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!"
He's all better now.
Lol
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I think we can use Obepka just because our front line is so thin but I'm not a fan of his game at all. He goes all out for blocks and leaves himself in terrible defensive and rebounding position. Add to that his offensive woes I think he is overrated. That being said he would still at this point be our player upfront which speaks volumes about our forwards.
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I like Obekpa's game. I think he would improve both defensively and on the offensive end. I just don't like his attitude. I'm ambivalent about him staying or going. If I knew for sure that he refused to reenter the game, I would want him gone. Some things are unacceptable from a player.
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This is moot. He's not coming back.
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This is moot. He's not coming back.
i would go as far as saying he seemed like a locker room cancer at times, just by outside look of it. No way to know what the truth is, just reading coaches minutes declining and body language.
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If he does come back I am sure some will consider him part of this years recruiting class, and another top class reeled in by Lavin. ::)
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If he does come back I am sure some will consider him part of this years recruiting class, and another top class reeled in by Lavin. ::)
Really don't think anyone will say that. This will without a doubt be his lowest quality recruiting class.
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time will tell how good this year's recruiting class is. Rankings are not predictive in many many cases. Perhaps most.
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What is the biggest need, a shooter or big body?
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What is the biggest need, a shooter or big body?
A big body. If our returning players can't shoot next year, we're done anyway. So might as well go for it and get a big body.
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What is the biggest need, a shooter or big body?
We don't have a single big man w a minute of experience. Those that think Pointer can help in that regard are ignoring all but 2 or maybe 3 of last years games. That kid has talent, but he doesn't play to his strengths and he's got the maturity of a 5 year old.
Hopefully, some high level coaches will jump to the league soon, and it will start a domino effect. In terms of shooters, definitely, that's a huge need. But not at the expense of every other aspect of the game. Hooper was streaky, and he could hit threes, but if he gives the opposing team back the same points, and then some, he's hurting us more than helping.
Lavin needs to find a shooter that also able to man up and defend. They don't grow on trees, especially in mid April. Thing is, at St.John's no one is a shooter, and no one has been since Mullin. The little success we've had has come from tough d. Let's try to get back there. We don't need anymore dainty players. You can't win with them unless they are incredibly skilled, and guys like Sampson and Hooper weren't.
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just saw on twitter that @yelbeez said this to CO "I knew you'd come around. #sjubb welcome back. RT @obekpa12: Sometimes you need to be alone, in order to find out.... what you really want."
This isn't anything confirmed but it was in response to a tweet CO tweeted ~8:30 PM ET. We'll see what happens...if he's back i'm happy to have him and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that his attitude doesn't get in the way of him building his skill set and character in prep for a more lucrative and productive basketball career. Not the normal off season for SJUBB...
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just saw on twitter that @yelbeez said this to CO "I knew you'd come around. #sjubb welcome back. RT @obekpa12: Sometimes you need to be alone, in order to find out.... what you really want."
This isn't anything confirmed but it was in response to a tweet CO tweeted ~8:30 PM ET. We'll see what happens...if he's back i'm happy to have him and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that his attitude doesn't get in the way of him building his skill set and character in prep for a more lucrative and productive basketball career. Not the normal off season for SJUBB...
Maybe some of us were a little too quick to hit the panic button.
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Hope this has legs.
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just saw on twitter that @yelbeez said this to CO "I knew you'd come around. #sjubb welcome back. RT @obekpa12: Sometimes you need to be alone, in order to find out.... what you really want."
This isn't anything confirmed but it was in response to a tweet CO tweeted ~8:30 PM ET. We'll see what happens...if he's back i'm happy to have him and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that his attitude doesn't get in the way of him building his skill set and character in prep for a more lucrative and productive basketball career. Not the normal off season for SJUBB...
Maybe some of us were a little too quick to hit the panic button.
I wouldn't blame us as it was CO and the school that announced his decision and plans to transfer.
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Maybe some time with Lucas this summer. It seemed to do DeAngelo some good. That is if he is coming back.
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Is there a deadline by when transfers have to chose their new school or is it just whatever day the new semester begins?
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Jay @JayOn_1 4m
So the big fella really is seriously thinking about coming back. I would have never believed that. I think its a done deal from what Im told
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Jay @JayOn_1 4m
So the big fella really is seriously thinking about coming back. I would have never believed that. I think its a done deal from what Im told
It would do a lot for our program next year. That would mean we only need replace Jakarr and Sanchez basically. Hope so...
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For a St.John's fan, there is no time like the summer. That's where all the excitement is.
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Jay @JayOn_1 4m
So the big fella really is seriously thinking about coming back. I would have never believed that. I think its a done deal from what Im told
Done deal that he's back?
Hmm
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For a St.John's fan, there is no time like the summer. That's where all the excitement is.
Not sure if it's a good thing or not. If he does comeback that is a nice rebound for Lavin after almost a disastrous starts to the Summer.
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It would be huge to keep him. He's a special shot blocker and started getting better on D. In addition, it would give us two centers with he and Delarosa. He needs some attitude work it sounds like, but getting him back would blunt some of our losses and put us back on track a bit.
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For a St.John's fan, there is no time like the summer. That's where all the excitement is.
Not sure if it's a good thing or not. If he does comeback that is a nice rebound for Lavin after almost a disastrous starts to the Summer.
It's a good thing. He's not Ewing, but he'll be a junior next year, and he did show signs of breaking out last season. He's athletic. Now, he has to work on the lunch pail and fundamentals part of his game. He does that, THEN he's a pro.
He takes a year off after transferring, he'll sit a year, and any momentum and progress he made last season will be forgotten, because he'll be adjusting to a new system w out a chance to know of he's really learned it until 2015-2016.
Going pro would be incredibly dumb. Not as dumb as Jakarr, but incredibly dumb,
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For a St.John's fan, there is no time like the summer. That's where all the excitement is.
Not sure if it's a good thing or not. If he does comeback that is a nice rebound for Lavin after almost a disastrous starts to the Summer.
It's a good thing. He's not Ewing, but he'll be a junior next year, and he did show signs of breaking out last season. He's athletic. Now, he has to work on the lunch pail and fundamentals part of his game. He does that, THEN he's a pro.
He takes a year off after transferring, he'll sit a year, and any momentum and progress he made last season will be forgotten, because he'll be adjusting to a new system w out a chance to know of he's really learned it until 2015-2016.
Going pro would be incredibly dumb. Not as dumb as Jakarr, but incredibly dumb,
Sorry I meant I am not sure the Summer being an exciting time for SJU is a good thing or not. Having a summer without dram a would be nice.
Having CO back is defiantly a plus...If it is true.
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I would love to have him back if he works on his attitude. His offensive game was improving last year as well as his rebounding.
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Maybe he learned the old saying...the grass is not always greener on the other side.
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Hmm wonder what's changed he and Phil's mind?
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You still hinting at a coaching change Baldi? Lavin is out recruiting so that cuts against it?
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So if Obekpa comes back, We return everyone besides Sanchez and Sampson. Not too bad. No reason to think we can't have a nice season next year.
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If CO stays sju retains players better than most other programs. With over 400 transfers last year it is unusual to have none.
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whats odd is the big man class for next years draft is loaded. But we all know he wasnt ready mostly maturity and attitude wise. His physical gifts will get him drafted if he works on some post moves.
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This beats any soap opera.
Should we tweet the fans who transferred out of here imploring them to return?
What's Marco Baldi's opinion on all this?
Where is Moose - the voice of reason?
Do we get a full length satire from Fun out of this?
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This beats any soap opera.
Should we tweet the fans who transferred out of here imploring them to return?
What's Marco Baldi's opinion on all this?
Where is Moose - the voice of reason?
Do we get a full length satire from Fun out of this?
times like this i really miss CR
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If CO stays sju retains players better than most other programs. With over 400 transfers last year it is unusual to have none.
It is unusual and right now we have one-Max Hooper-unless he changes his mind also.
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This smells fishy.
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This smells fishy.
Are you suggesting Lavin sent him a dead fish in the mail indicating if he transfers he will be sleeping with the fish ?
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Give it a rest Desco:
Jay @JayOn_1 6m
Obekpa is definitely staying. Would have never thought it #Sjubb @obekpa12 now get to ass in the GYM!!!!
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If this happens, there is no way to look at this except as a positive. He is a key guy, at a position of extreme need. And the only way he would come back is if he agree to fix the attitude issues, a la D-Lo.
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maybe Phil staying changed things for him
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If this is true add the WCC rebounding machine, kid from Illinois (Jones) and maybe a shooter (Henderson) and we may just be alright.
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One more rebounder and we are fine. He should continue to mature; develop inside game, improve on boxing out etc. His shotblocking is fearsome and adds a dimension that is valuable. Gotta get the kid to a pizzeria regularly so he can put on some weight. Hope this news is right.
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If this is true add the WCC rebounding machine, kid from Illinois (Jones) and maybe a shooter (Henderson) and we may just be alright.
if we get the rebounding juco kid and Chris back I might even be optimistic for next year
Never thought I'd be saying that after the last few weeks
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For a St.John's fan, there is no time like the summer. That's where all the excitement is.
Good one poison
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So if Obekpa comes back, We return everyone besides Sanchez and Sampson. Not too bad. No reason to think we can't have a nice season next year.
Hooper. We still need a shooter
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Get at least one or two more rebounding forwards and a shooter and we can be competitive. We'll also have some true big guys with both delarosa's. Desco, all of college basketball is a bit fishy. Nature of the beast. Don't ask questions.
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Can Delarosa be an improvement over Sanchez if he does the dirty work underneath the basket? Sanchez was very hyped and was not the type of player that we needed...Not his fault on being overhyped. If CO is back There is less pressure on Delarosa to become great quickly.
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Maybe he learned the old saying...the grass is not always greener on the other side.
+1000
And however one falls on Lavin's future , it does help to mute the negative vibe that has surrounded the program the past 2-3 weeks
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Can Delarosa be an improvement over Sanchez if he does the dirty work underneath the basket? Sanchez was very hyped and was not the type of player that we needed...Not his fault on being overhyped. If CO is back There is less pressure on Delarosa to become great quickly.
He's not an improvement over Sanchez because he's a totally different animal. He's got like 100 lbs and several inches on Sanchez. Drastically different positions, skills etc. I'd still like to see us replace Sanchez with another wing, because Sanchez really was a combo forward. I wish I could find that twitter pic with Delarosa standing next to Sanchez. He was monstrous next to him, and Sanchez the same size as Obekpa.
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Sanchez was a finesse guy. He did some things well, but Delarosa, from what video I've seen of him, is a straight up big man. Sanchez often thought he was a guard, agdinst teams like Fordham, DePaul, Butler and Seton Hall he could be.
Against Wisconsin, SU and Nova, not so much.
We need players to have some defined roles. He's getting the rebound? Last year, no one wanted that role.
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Marial Shayok just decommitted from Marquette. 6'7 Canadian strong athletic forward. Michigan, Indiana and Virginia all recruiting him so the Johnnies probably a long shot at best.
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D Lo may have been the best crunch time rebounder and that is sad. Obekpa goes for the block (which is fine) as long as someone else is under to box out. Not having that leads to too many offensive rebounds. We could really use that big bruiser inside late in games. Hopefully like ADR & the westchester kid have some of that in them.
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This beats any soap opera.
Should we tweet the fans who transferred out of here imploring them to return?
What's Marco Baldi's opinion on all this?
Where is Moose - the voice of reason? ... ?
Per Jayon, Moose is transferring out of JJ.
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Marial Shayok just decommitted from Marquette. 6'7 Canadian strong athletic forward. Michigan, Indiana and Virginia all recruiting him so the Johnnies probably a long shot at best.
If he signed an LOI then he can't go to a big east school without the schools consent. So yeah, we won't be involved unless he never signed.
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Marial Shayok just decommitted from Marquette. 6'7 Canadian strong athletic forward. Michigan, Indiana and Virginia all recruiting him so the Johnnies probably a long shot at best.
If he signed an LOI then he can't go to a big east school without the schools consent. So yeah, we won't be involved unless he never signed.
He can't go period. Big East intra-conference transfer rules apply to kids who signed LOI's. In other words it is prohibited.
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Roger Rubin saying that Obekpa likely to stay. Also mentions Horford and DJ Newbill of PSU:
www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391 (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391)
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Roger Rubin saying that Obekpa likely to stay. Also mentions Horford and DJ Newbill of PSU:
www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391 (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391)
He mentions Horford and Newbill, but are we recruiting them, or are they just available? The other players have been mentioned on Twitter, and on Zags. (Among others) Horford would help us. Newbill seems like he's probably the same as Mason at Niagara. We will need to replace Jakarr's offense one way or another.
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“@obekpa12: Let's do this @philgreene31”
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
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@AdamZagoria: Obekpa Tweet Gives Hope He May Remain at St. John’s http://t.co/4SU2laVLOY (http://t.co/4SU2laVLOY)
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
Sampson is not a winning player. His loss doesnt bother me. Score 12, give up 15.
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Sampson really won't be missed that much. He wasn't a very clutch player when the game was on the line. Not to mention Sampson has some of the worst hands I've ever seen. If you watch he almost never caught a pass cleanly and always had to re-gather the ball before finishing a play. It will really hurt him at next level. Like watching Charles Smith with the Knicks all over again.
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Roger Rubin saying that Obekpa likely to stay. Also mentions Horford and DJ Newbill of PSU:
www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391 (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391)
Could actually use Newbill as a pseudo SF in the lineup. I'd sign on for Newbill any day of the week.
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Roger Rubin saying that Obekpa likely to stay. Also mentions Horford and DJ Newbill of PSU:
www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391 (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/obekp...hn-article-1.1755391)
Could actually use Newbill as a pseudo SF in the lineup. I'd sign on for Newbill any day of the week.
Newbill not in mix according to Zags.
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Latest from Zach;
http://nypost.com/2014/04/14/sources-obekpa-may-stay-at-st-johns/ (http://nypost.com/2014/04/14/sources-obekpa-may-stay-at-st-johns/)
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Sampson was a soph. And for a soph he was damn good. Led our team in rebounding. The expectation is that by his junior year, he'd really have it together. He won't have anything together because he's so raw, and such a slow learner, but we are not just replacing him, we are replacing the player he was going to become.
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Here's hoping Obekpa's meeting with Lavin goes well.
Looking forward to watching him ice a few games for us at the foul line.
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Sampson was a soph. And for a soph he was damn good. Led our team in rebounding. The expectation is that by his junior year, he'd really have it together. He won't have anything together because he's so raw, and such a slow learner, but we are not just replacing him, we are replacing the player he was going to become.
agree 100%, but he was never going to stay to his junior year.
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Sampson was a soph. And for a soph he was damn good. Led our team in rebounding. The expectation is that by his junior year, he'd really have it together. He won't have anything together because he's so raw, and such a slow learner, but we are not just replacing him, we are replacing the player he was going to become.
The absolute SMARTEST post you have ever had here, seriously.
You wouldn’t say that replacing Rysheed Jordan’s 9 points would not be hard simply because nobody believes Jordan will average 9 in future years.
He hurts but there is still a lot of talent here that have another year under their belts and some good talent on the way.
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Here's hoping Obekpa's meeting with Lavin goes well.
Looking forward to watching him ice a few games for us at the foul line.
at this point, not allowing him to come back would be a PR disaster for St. John's/Lavin. With Greene actively imploring fans to "show Obekpa love" on twitter and with fans obliging, it almost seems like the team hasn't left Lavin any choice. Even the St. John's twitter guy openly said a transfer could change his mind.
I think this is all a formality.
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
Sampson is not a winning player. His loss doesnt bother me. Score 12, give up 15.
Excellent post.
If missing the front ends of one-and-ones counted as a turnover, he'd have the worst A:TO ratio out there. Sampson-Pointer-Sanchez were the most unclutch players I've ever seen.
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
Sampson is not a winning player. His loss doesnt bother me. Score 12, give up 15.
Excellent post.
If missing the front ends of one-and-ones counted as a turnover, he'd have the worst A:TO ratio out there. Sampson-Pointer-Sanchez were the most unclutch players I've ever seen.
This team is not talented enough to lose good players. Was Sampson a complete player, no but he was one of our top 3 players and he will not be adequately replaced.
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at this point, not allowing him to come back would be a PR disaster for St. John's/Lavin. With Greene actively imploring fans to "show Obekpa love" on twitter and with fans obliging, it almost seems like the team hasn't left Lavin any choice. Even the St. John's twitter guy openly said a transfer could change his mind.
I think this is all a formality.
Is it less a PR disaster than having our coach who professes that there are some things more important than winning begging some kid who in the know posters have christened "a cancer" and who allegedly refused to enter a crucial game because his feelings were hurt to come back for another season? That's more or less a rhetorical question, I love the idea of pompous gasbag Steve Lavin choking on it. Who will be the first to use the magic word redemption? Or is it be that Lavin's hoping Obekpa returns just so he can suspend him? Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other beguiling questions on As The Prostate Turns.
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at this point, not allowing him to come back would be a PR disaster for St. John's/Lavin. With Greene actively imploring fans to "show Obekpa love" on twitter and with fans obliging, it almost seems like the team hasn't left Lavin any choice. Even the St. John's twitter guy openly said a transfer could change his mind.
I think this is all a formality.
Is it less a PR disaster than having our coach who professes that there are some things more important than winning begging some kid who in the know posters have christened "a cancer" and who allegedly refused to enter a crucial game because his feelings were hurt to come back for another season? That's more or less a rhetorical question, I love the idea of pompous gasbag Steve Lavin choking on it. Who will be the first to use the magic word redemption?.
Announcement of Resurrection of Obekpa will be made on Easter to coincide with the resurrection of Christ
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at this point, not allowing him to come back would be a PR disaster for St. John's/Lavin. With Greene actively imploring fans to "show Obekpa love" on twitter and with fans obliging, it almost seems like the team hasn't left Lavin any choice. Even the St. John's twitter guy openly said a transfer could change his mind.
I think this is all a formality.
Is it less a PR disaster than having our coach who professes that there are some things more important than winning begging some kid who in the know posters have christened "a cancer" and who allegedly refused to enter a crucial game because his feelings were hurt to come back for another season? That's more or less a rhetorical question, I love the idea of pompous gasbag Steve Lavin choking on it. Who will be the first to use the magic word redemption? Or is it be that Lavin's hoping Obekpa returns just so he can suspend him? Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other beguiling questions on As The Prostate Turns.
I predict next season's drama is Keady taking on the Dennis Hopper role from Hoosiers.
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
Sampson is not a winning player. His loss doesnt bother me. Score 12, give up 15.
Sadly I agree with this statement 100%
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Sampson was a soph. And for a soph he was damn good. Led our team in rebounding. The expectation is that by his junior year, he'd really have it together. He won't have anything together because he's so raw, and such a slow learner, but we are not just replacing him, we are replacing the player he was going to become.
Good point poison.
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I liked Sampson... I hate when we crush someone because they left. Sampson was a good kid and player. I think he made a terrible decision, but I don't think we are automatically better off without him.
There were plenty of games and halves of games where he carried the offense, particularly in the early going when Harrison struggled with his shot.
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I liked Sampson... I hate when we crush someone because they left. Sampson was a good kid and player. I think he made a terrible decision, but I don't think we are automatically better off without him.
There were plenty of games and halves of games where he carried the offense, particularly in the early going when Harrison struggled with his shot.
Agree...had areas where he needed to improve, a propensity to shoot every time he touched the all and a frustrating tendency to jog back on defense but he seemed to be a great kid with enormous potential...really liked him
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at this point, not allowing him to come back would be a PR disaster for St. John's/Lavin. With Greene actively imploring fans to "show Obekpa love" on twitter and with fans obliging, it almost seems like the team hasn't left Lavin any choice. Even the St. John's twitter guy openly said a transfer could change his mind.
I think this is all a formality.
Is it less a PR disaster than having our coach who professes that there are some things more important than winning begging some kid who in the know posters have christened "a cancer" and who allegedly refused to enter a crucial game because his feelings were hurt to come back for another season? That's more or less a rhetorical question, I love the idea of pompous gasbag Steve Lavin choking on it. Who will be the first to use the magic word redemption? Or is it be that Lavin's hoping Obekpa returns just so he can suspend him? Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other beguiling questions on As The Prostate Turns.
I already cashed in my one redemption quote on Masiello ;D
I do like "As the Prostate Turns" title - well done oh Fun one.
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I'm not saying I don't like Sampson. Would rather replace Sampson, then both Sampson and CO.
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I'm not saying I don't like Sampson. Would rather replace Sampson, then both Sampson and CO.
Fair enough.. Briefly spoke with Jon Givony who runs the draftexpress.com website. He wasn't surprised in the least about Sampson's decision.. It was all about Sampson being a year older already and getting himself into the professional system, whether its NBA, D League, Europe, or elsewhere..
Only have so many potential years of earning money on the court and if you aren't committed to sitting in class and the library for 20 hours a week while training, then it isn't a terrible decision to start " your clock".
I thought it made a lot of sense in those terms.. Wish the kid the best.. I hope to see him in the NBA one day.
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JR Obekpa and Thomas > SO Obekpa, Sampson, Sanchez, GG
JR Obekpa, Horford, Thomas, ADR, C Jones, JDR = exponentially better than what we had last year.
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JR Obekpa and Thomas > SO Obekpa, Sampson, Sanchez, GG
JR Obekpa, Horford, Thomas, ADR, C Jones, JDR = exponentially better than what we had last year.
+1
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
I was high on Sampson until the end of the season. I just couldn't keep making excuses for him. He missed every front end I saw him take in the second half. Sometimes it seemed like he (and Dom) were trying to make mistakes. Who on this board felt comfortable when he had the ball in his hands? I closed my eyes every time him, Dom, and Sanchez were handling the ball. They were always out of control. At least Sanchez could pull a doozie out every third or fourth chance.
Sampson got moved around in the post like he was wearing ice skates. He didn't put in the work in the weight room and he was a 21 year old junior three years removed from high school. He played in the best conference in the country for his senior year and 5th year. At a certain point you just have think a kid won't improve. He's an explosive athlete and rebounder. He has a decent midrange, but he has no clue how to win, doesn't have a clutch bone in his body, and his handle actually has gotten worse since his SVSM days. To top it off, he sees himself as a first round pick. Sadly, his name won't be called during the draft. It it went three rounds, his name still wouldn't be called.
Nobody we bring in will be a better player than Sampson. Nobody will be a better talent. But this team doesn't need another talent that Lavin can't develop. This team needs a kid that will accept the role of a PF and not try to be something he is not. If our next PF doesn't try to shoot jumper after jumper with nobody there to rebound, doesn't try to beat three guys off the dribble several times a game, doesn't live on the perimeter, and actually sets solid screens and hits the glass it will be a net positive. Live and die with the guards...no more letting forwards get in the way.
I've never been so happy to see such a good player and good kid go. I don't think I'll ever want to recruit another kid like Sampson again...that's how bad it is.
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That's why I like Thomas. I want to see a 4 play like a 4. We need a strong post presence. Hopefully he will pop for us. I' don't think we are going to get Horford, but if we do we can make some noise next year.
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
I was high on Sampson until the end of the season. I just couldn't keep making excuses for him. He missed every front end I saw him take in the second half. Sometimes it seemed like he (and Dom) were trying to make mistakes. Who on this board felt comfortable when he had the ball in his hands? I closed my eyes every time him, Dom, and Sanchez were handling the ball. They were always out of control. At least Sanchez could pull a doozie out every third or fourth chance.
Sampson got moved around in the post like he was wearing ice skates. He didn't put in the work in the weight room and he was a 21 year old junior three years removed from high school. He played in the best conference in the country for his senior year and 5th year. At a certain point you just have think a kid won't improve. He's an explosive athlete and rebounder. He has a decent midrange, but he has no clue how to win, doesn't have a clutch bone in his body, and his handle actually has gotten worse since his SVSM days. To top it off, he sees himself as a first round pick. Sadly, his name won't be called during the draft. It it went three rounds, his name still wouldn't be called.
Nobody we bring in will be a better player than Sampson. Nobody will be a better talent. But this team doesn't need another talent that Lavin can't develop. This team needs a kid that will accept the role of a PF and not try to be something he is not. If our next PF doesn't try to shoot jumper after jumper with nobody there to rebound, doesn't try to beat three guys off the dribble several times a game, doesn't live on the perimeter, and actually sets solid screens and hits the glass it will be a net positive. Live and die with the guards...no more letting forwards get in the way.
I've never been so happy to see such a good player and good kid go. I don't think I'll ever want to recruit another kid like Sampson again...that's how bad it is.
GREAT post, agree on all points.
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That's why I like Thomas. I want to see a 4 play like a 4. We need a strong post presence. Hopefully he will pop for us. I' don't think we are going to get Horford, but if we do we can make some noise next year.
Lavin's biggest weakness seems to be that he gives guys too much leash. Sampson should never have been able to handle the ball...but he did it time after time after time. Pointer as well. Sanchez too. Those guys were allowed to do whatever they wanted. Dom put up 20 treys this year! Those guys killed us in the second half of games with turnovers and missed FTs (not Sanchez for that one) and were even worse on defense. It was so frustrating to see our forwards deciding games when we had such talented guards.
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Personally, I think Dom is going to step up this year with the larger role. He made such a big jump from his frosh to soph years likely to working his butt off in the off season. He didn't make another jump like I hoped he would this year, if anything he regressed. Hopefully he sees that opportunity again this year and is doing the same. He could be a real X factor for us this season (as long as he's playing the 3 and not ridiculously undersized at 4).
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Personally, I think Dom is going to step up this year with the larger role. He made such a big jump from his frosh to soph years likely to working his butt off in the off season. He didn't make another jump like I hoped he would this year, if anything he regressed. Hopefully he sees that opportunity again this year and is doing the same. He could be a real X factor for us this season (as long as he's playing the 3 and not ridiculously undersized at 4).
Not to mention his outstanding offensive rebounding. :angel:
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... Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other beguiling questions on As The Prostate Turns.
Guess you think that prostate cancer cracks are funny. Sadly, many of us don't.
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Looks like our roster may actually improve going into next season.
It will if we can bring back Obekpa and sign a winning lottery ticket juco, or transfer. Even still, I can't accept that we're better w out Sampson. He was a huge part of the little success we did have last year. The loss of his scoring isn't replaced by anyone that's left at this point in the season, unless we strike it rich, and when does that happen here?
I was high on Sampson until the end of the season. I just couldn't keep making excuses for him. He missed every front end I saw him take in the second half. Sometimes it seemed like he (and Dom) were trying to make mistakes. Who on this board felt comfortable when he had the ball in his hands? I closed my eyes every time him, Dom, and Sanchez were handling the ball. They were always out of control. At least Sanchez could pull a doozie out every third or fourth chance.
Sampson got moved around in the post like he was wearing ice skates. He didn't put in the work in the weight room and he was a 21 year old junior three years removed from high school. He played in the best conference in the country for his senior year and 5th year. At a certain point you just have think a kid won't improve. He's an explosive athlete and rebounder. He has a decent midrange, but he has no clue how to win, doesn't have a clutch bone in his body, and his handle actually has gotten worse since his SVSM days. To top it off, he sees himself as a first round pick. Sadly, his name won't be called during the draft. It it went three rounds, his name still wouldn't be called.
Nobody we bring in will be a better player than Sampson. Nobody will be a better talent. But this team doesn't need another talent that Lavin can't develop. This team needs a kid that will accept the role of a PF and not try to be something he is not. If our next PF doesn't try to shoot jumper after jumper with nobody there to rebound, doesn't try to beat three guys off the dribble several times a game, doesn't live on the perimeter, and actually sets solid screens and hits the glass it will be a net positive. Live and die with the guards...no more letting forwards get in the way.
I've never been so happy to see such a good player and good kid go. I don't think I'll ever want to recruit another kid like Sampson again...that's how bad it is.
+1. Great post.
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at this point, not allowing him to come back would be a PR disaster for St. John's/Lavin. With Greene actively imploring fans to "show Obekpa love" on twitter and with fans obliging, it almost seems like the team hasn't left Lavin any choice. Even the St. John's twitter guy openly said a transfer could change his mind.
I think this is all a formality.
Is it less a PR disaster than having our coach who professes that there are some things more important than winning begging some kid who in the know posters have christened "a cancer" and who allegedly refused to enter a crucial game because his feelings were hurt to come back for another season? That's more or less a rhetorical question, I love the idea of pompous gasbag Steve Lavin choking on it. Who will be the first to use the magic word redemption? Or is it be that Lavin's hoping Obekpa returns just so he can suspend him? Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other beguiling questions on As The Prostate Turns.
In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"? Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
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Personally, I think Dom is going to step up this year with the larger role. He made such a big jump from his frosh to soph years likely to working his butt off in the off season. He didn't make another jump like I hoped he would this year, if anything he regressed. Hopefully he sees that opportunity again this year and is doing the same. He could be a real X factor for us this season (as long as he's playing the 3 and not ridiculously undersized at 4).
Not to mention his outstanding offensive rebounding. :angel:
I'm going to give Dom the benefit of the doubt. I think the worst thing that happened to this team was Dom hitting the game winning shot against St. Joe's in the NIT. They came into the year expecting to be in the tournament and go from there. Dom came in expecting to be the kind of player that takes and makes those kinds of shots. He will should never touch the ball in a situation like that again...forget taking the final shot. He needs to go back to the drawing board and realize what the scouts saw in him to rank him so high....hustle, rebounding, defense, grit, and toughness. Not this artificial, let me amp myself up and act like a nice person toughness.
We need a wing. Simple as that. We got no production from the wing last season and it really hurt.
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... Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other beguiling questions on As The Prostate Turns.
Guess you think that prostate cancer cracks are funny. Sadly, many of us don't.
That is sad.
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
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Personally, I think Dom is going to step up this year with the larger role. He made such a big jump from his frosh to soph years likely to working his butt off in the off season. He didn't make another jump like I hoped he would this year, if anything he regressed. Hopefully he sees that opportunity again this year and is doing the same. He could be a real X factor for us this season (as long as he's playing the 3 and not ridiculously undersized at 4).
Not to mention his outstanding offensive rebounding. :angel:
I'm going to give Dom the benefit of the doubt. I think the worst thing that happened to this team was Dom hitting the game winning shot against St. Joe's in the NIT. They came into the year expecting to be in the tournament and go from there. Dom came in expecting to be the kind of player that takes and makes those kinds of shots. He will should never touch the ball in a situation like that again...forget taking the final shot. He needs to go back to the drawing board and realize what the scouts saw in him to rank him so high....hustle, rebounding, defense, grit, and toughness. Not this artificial, let me amp myself up and act like a nice person toughness.
We need a wing. Simple as that. We got no production from the wing last season and it really hurt.
Dom needs to stop acting like an emotionally unstable 5 year old. He's going to a senior, and one of 3 seniors from Lavin's storied class. I cannot remember the last time such a highly ranked and highly coveted recruit has carried himself with such little class, and delivered so rarely in every way.
It's time for him to look in the mirror. This is one example where no one can blame Lavin. Pointer needs to grow up already.
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Obekpa done deal to come back?
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Who on the staff works with the big men?
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Who on the staff works with the big men?
Is that a rhetorical question? It's Whitesell, don't your person "close" to the program know that?
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Who on the staff works with the big men?
Is that a rhetorical question? It's Whitesell, don't your person "close" to the program know that?
I believe Rico Hines does a lot of the work with the big men...
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Who on the staff works with the big men?
Is that a rhetorical question? It's Whitesell, don't your person "close" to the program know that?
So the staff has had someone working with the bigs? Wow.
Thanks for the scoop
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I thought CO improved offensively from fresh to soph....I mean, there was nowhere to go but up, but still.. He showed a few things last season that he never did as a Frosh...
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at least a half an hour after virtually e very practice w Whitesell.....and you could start to see the difference
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I thought CO improved offensively from fresh to soph....I mean, there was nowhere to go but up, but still.. He showed a few things last season that he never did as a Frosh...
His rebounding was better as well.
When he first got here his positioning was pretty bad, but he's gotten much better at boxing out.
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Who on the staff works with the big men?
Is that a rhetorical question? It's Whitesell, don't your person "close" to the program know that?
So the staff has had someone working with the bigs? Wow.
Thanks for the scoop
So every Big needs to develop a game like Olajuwon over the course of two years and if not its on the staff? How many Bigs in high level D1 ball fail to develop over the course of four years? Look at all the Bigs who came out of Uconn this past decade, I don't see any of them developing a post game. What's your point?
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I thought CO improved offensively from fresh to soph....I mean, there was nowhere to go but up, but still.. He showed a few things last season that he never did as a Frosh...
Totally agreed. Baldi is just grasping at straws at this point.
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I just don't see any improvement. Gift got worse and he stayed an extra year with the staff. Sanchez barely looked like a D1 player.
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3ppg and 4rpg is considered improvement?
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3ppg and 4rpg is considered improvement?
He averaged 6.5 and 5.6 once he started getting more significant minutes in the 10 game stretch from the Creighton loss through the Marquette OT win. He also scored double figures in 4 of 5 games at one point.
But of course as a huge st johns fan, you should know this right? The improvements and increased stats were obvious to anyone watching. An Iona fan who doesnt watch st johns would resort to season statistics he pulled off ESPN and have no memory of his improvement...but I believe you're a st johns fan, so you are either (A) trying to stir the pot or (B) I'm wrong about how big a fan you are. Which is it?
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So his run of double figure scoring games brought his average up to 3ppg?
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3ppg and 4rpg is considered improvement?
You can't look at the numbers, you have to watch his game, his moves, his footwork, understanding how to use his body to create seperation from his defender. He displayed a hook shot that wasn't there his first year. This was Whitesell's first year with the program and you could see the improvment in Obekpa. This is a process that can happen slowly, rapidly, or not at all. Some players get it some don't, but they are being worked with.
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So his run of double figure scoring games brought his average up to 3ppg?
Typical Baldi, avoiding a direct question when he's been had.
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
IDK, the 95-96 team that quit every single time anything became hard was a pretty unlikeable group. I still think we have guys that compete. Not all of them, but some of them. The current team is only half a team. We have hard workers, punks, oversensitive pussies and guys that just an incomplete because we haven't seen them much at all.
We won't know what we have in terms of personnel until we finish recruiting, and even then, everyone will have to buy into Lavin's system of not having a defined system to buy into. IMO, the only way next year is a success if if Harrison, Greene, Pointer and Branch can lead the team by example. There were no leaders last year. Your leader can't be a punk. This isn't the NBA, or the NFL.
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
IDK, the 95-96 team that quit every single time anything became hard was a pretty unlikeable group. I still think we have guys that compete. Not all of them, but some of them. The current team is only half a team. We have hard workers, punks, oversensitive pussies and guys that just an incomplete because we haven't seen them much at all.
We won't know what we have in terms of personnel until we finish recruiting, and even then, everyone will have to buy into Lavin's system of not having a defined system to buy into. IMO, the only way next year is a success if if Harrison, Greene, Pointer and Branch can lead the team by example. There were no leaders last year. Your leader can't be a punk. This isn't the NBA, or the NFL.
Let's not forget that this is the first year that the team will have the same lead assistant for consecutive years. Can't down play the importance of that.
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
I know you are...so how do you not realize that Obekpa improved? You must just be stirring the pot then. He looked different the last 10 games of the season. Very noticeable.
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
Probably because you enjoyed every second of it.
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
I know you are...so how do you not realize that Obekpa improved? You must just be stirring the pot then. He looked different the last 10 games of the season. Very noticeable.
I just don't see this "improvement" everyone else does...
If the kid put as much effort into rebounding the ball as he does trying to block shots, he might lead the country in rebounding.
He has a ton of potential but he needs a ton of work...
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@ tha kid. Of course I'm a St Johns fan. I Even watched every second of that NIT game. Can all of you fans who wrote the book on fandom say the same?
I will say this, this current team is probably my least favorite ever at St Johns
I know you are...so how do you not realize that Obekpa improved? You must just be stirring the pot then. He looked different the last 10 games of the season. Very noticeable.
I just don't see this "improvement" everyone else does...
If the kid put as much effort into rebounding the ball as he does trying to block shots, he might lead the country in rebounding.
He has a ton of potential but he needs a ton of work...
+1. He does one thing extraordinarily well and against a perimeter oriented team that is taken away. He needs to become a much better rebounder and offensively I'd actually throw him a bone more often.
The Pistons used to run their first offensive possession every game to go to Ben Wallace. He didn't get many touches after that but that always ignited everyone especially if he converted.
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He clearly improved. That doesn't mean he turned into Wilt Chamberlain. We were a better team with him on the floor on both ends at the end of the season.
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He clearly improved. That doesn't mean he turned into Wilt Chamberlain. We were a better team with him on the floor on both ends at the end of the season.
When me and Marillac are constantly agreeing, and Dave, PMG and Baldi are agreeing, you know things are wacky in the Jungle!
I find it hard to believe you guys noticed 0 improvement when the kid scored in double figures 4 out of 5 games in January/February when he had never scored in double figures before at St. John's. His footwork and touch seemed improved. Like Marillac said, he wasn't a stud, but he was better than a total non-option for once. The last 10 games of the season (omitting Providence and NIT where he barely played and was clearly not himself) he averaged nearly 7 ppg and 6 rpg. If Whitesell had any effect on the guy, and can continue to, I assume you'd all agree that we'd be ecstatic with 7-8 ppg, 6-7 rpg to go with his blocks next year, right? That's what I envision from Obekpa at a minimum IF he gets his head on straight. If he doesn't I don't want him around, but have to think he is if he's coming back. I think he has realistically has the potential for 8-9 ppg, 8-9 rpg and the blocks if he really dedicates himself next year.
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And isn't playing on a bad wheel like he was at the end of the season
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And isn't playing on a bad wheel like he was at the end of the season
Great point, that's right about when his streak ended.
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And isn't playing on a bad wheel like he was at the end of the season
Great point, that's right about when his streak ended.
And so did the team's. Coincidence?
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He clearly improved. That doesn't mean he turned into Wilt Chamberlain. We were a better team with him on the floor on both ends at the end of the season.
When me and Marillac are constantly agreeing, and Dave, PMG and Baldi are agreeing, you know things are wacky in the Jungle!
I find it hard to believe you guys noticed 0 improvement when the kid scored in double figures 4 out of 5 games in January/February when he had never scored in double figures before at St. John's. His footwork and touch seemed improved. Like Marillac said, he wasn't a stud, but he was better than a total non-option for once. The last 10 games of the season (omitting Providence and NIT where he barely played and was clearly not himself) he averaged nearly 7 ppg and 6 rpg. If Whitesell had any effect on the guy, and can continue to, I assume you'd all agree that we'd be ecstatic with 7-8 ppg, 6-7 rpg to go with his blocks next year, right? That's what I envision from Obekpa at a minimum IF he gets his head on straight. If he doesn't I don't want him around, but have to think he is if he's coming back. I think he has realistically has the potential for 8-9 ppg, 8-9 rpg and the blocks if he really dedicates himself next year.
I question Pmg and Dave's loyalty. Obviously they weren't watching games either. Not close enough to notice the improvement anyway ;)
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I know the board has some weasels. I was just hoping we had someone in the know.
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
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We all know that Obekpa is athletic, and that he's a great shot blocker. But there is something missing in his game that I don't think can be taught. I'm talking about fire. Defense is about will IMO. Box out. Move it. Want that ball more than the other guy, or any other guy.
If Obekpa really wants to be a pro, he needs to take the game more seriously, and play harder. Much harder. I'm rooting for him, but he's gotta put the work in.
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We all know that Obekpa is athletic, and that he's a great shot blocker. But there is something missing in his game that I don't think can be taught. I'm talking about fire. Defense is about will IMO. Box out. Move it. Want that ball more than the other guy, or any other guy.
If Obekpa really wants to be a pro, he needs to take the game more seriously, and play harder. Much harder. I'm rooting for him, but he's gotta put the work in.
I think you are selling the kid short. He was barely in the top 75 in his class and is only a soph center. He's right where he should be.
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We all know that Obekpa is athletic, and that he's a great shot blocker. But there is something missing in his game that I don't think can be taught. I'm talking about fire. Defense is about will IMO. Box out. Move it. Want that ball more than the other guy, or any other guy.
If Obekpa really wants to be a pro, he needs to take the game more seriously, and play harder. Much harder. I'm rooting for him, but he's gotta put the work in.
I think you are selling the kid short. He was barely in the top 75 in his class and is only a soph center. He's right where he should be.
I think he's dead on in regards to his work ethic on the court during games. Too often he just goes through the motions. He also doesn't have the best IQ as he goes for blocks he has no chance of getting taking himself out of rebounding position. Another problem is he took way too many jump shots with the shot clock still in the 20s. He should never take a jump shot with more than 2 seconds on the shot clock
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We all know that Obekpa is athletic, and that he's a great shot blocker. But there is something missing in his game that I don't think can be taught. I'm talking about fire. Defense is about will IMO. Box out. Move it. Want that ball more than the other guy, or any other guy.
If Obekpa really wants to be a pro, he needs to take the game more seriously, and play harder. Much harder. I'm rooting for him, but he's gotta put the work in.
I think you are selling the kid short. He was barely in the top 75 in his class and is only a soph center. He's right where he should be.
I think he's dead on in regards to his work ethic on the court during games. Too often he just goes through the motions. He also doesn't have the best IQ as he goes for blocks he has no chance of getting taking himself out of rebounding position. Another problem is he took way too many jump shots with the shot clock still in the 20s. He should never take a jump shot with more than 2 seconds on the shot clock
I didn't like the jumpshots...I'll give you that. They were not too common, though, and he stayed down low far more than anyone else that we had. He was also the only good screener out of the group and really the only one that looked to help others. If you check a lot of our pretty plays, they usually started with a back screen or down screen from Obekpa away from the action.
I disagree about the basketball IQ. It was clear from his high school days that he possessed very good vision and passing ability. He plays a little nonchalant for my liking at times, but he was only a soph and his OSNA teams were wild. Old habits die hard. He made plenty of mistakes this year--like the offensive foul on the screen against Providence--but it was mostly from trying to do too much.
In terms of hard work...nobody improved their body or strength more than CO this past year. Sampson came back a string bean yet again, but CO put on like 25 pounds of muscle. His positioning was far improved at the end of the season and he even had a few nice post moves during our winning stretch. It was no coincidence we started winning when he and Jordan started playing well. I'd love to see a Horford-CO platoon at center and would really like to see them on the floor together.
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He clearly improved. That doesn't mean he turned into Wilt Chamberlain. We were a better team with him on the floor on both ends at the end of the season.
When me and Marillac are constantly agreeing, and Dave, PMG and Baldi are agreeing, you know things are wacky in the Jungle!
I find it hard to believe you guys noticed 0 improvement when the kid scored in double figures 4 out of 5 games in January/February when he had never scored in double figures before at St. John's. His footwork and touch seemed improved. Like Marillac said, he wasn't a stud, but he was better than a total non-option for once. The last 10 games of the season (omitting Providence and NIT where he barely played and was clearly not himself) he averaged nearly 7 ppg and 6 rpg. If Whitesell had any effect on the guy, and can continue to, I assume you'd all agree that we'd be ecstatic with 7-8 ppg, 6-7 rpg to go with his blocks next year, right? That's what I envision from Obekpa at a minimum IF he gets his head on straight. If he doesn't I don't want him around, but have to think he is if he's coming back. I think he has realistically has the potential for 8-9 ppg, 8-9 rpg and the blocks if he really dedicates himself next year.
I think he is better than given credit but probably not as good as he thinks he is. It is tough being a big man because sometimes you're jostling for position only for a guard to not give you the ball and clank a long jumper. I can see how that would be frustrating.
During that stretch guys were feeding him some more and gaining some confidence in giving him the ball. If he can play like that with just a little more focus on rebounding then wow!
No matter what he has to be more mature. He can't have the D-Lo eye roll if things aren't going his way. Has to figure out a way to overcome and play his game. Jeez I feel like this can be said for every player on this team. So frustrating.
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I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
I'd be happy to supply you with an example - although if you haven't heard Lavin's prostate being batted around you haven't been paying attention. Until poor Cap snuffed it it was all anyone talked about:
Steve Lavin spent much of a March 2014 appearance on the FAN with Fat Mike Francesa campaigning - begging really, it was quite unseemly - for an NCAA berth. Toward the end of the interview, around the 13 minute mark, in discussing the program's progress (try saying that three times fast, it's impossible) during his tenure, Coach Tesla noted that SJU has made the post season in 3 of the 4 years since he'd been named head coach, "and the one year we didn't make it, I was out with cancer."
(That splat you just heard was Mike Dunlap being run over by a bus.)
Thus did Steve Lavin blame a professional failure on his prostate cancer.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd1%2Fd4%2FdU%2FdT%2Fd0%2F14UT0_3.MP3%3Fauthtok%3D5562348664789625599_YVmBkpFlgNlVoECBpEfC0jUrm4&podcast_name=Mike+Francesa+with+Steve+Lavin&podcast_artist=Mike+Francesa&station_id=62&tag=pages&dcid=CBS.NY (http://newyork.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd1%2Fd4%2FdU%2FdT%2Fd0%2F14UT0_3.MP3%3Fauthtok%3D5562348664789625599_YVmBkpFlgNlVoECBpEfC0jUrm4&podcast_name=Mike+Francesa+with+Steve+Lavin&podcast_artist=Mike+Francesa&station_id=62&tag=pages&dcid=CBS.NY)
Let me make a prediction: you're going to argue that that quote does not mean what it says because blah blah blah in context he meant yadda yadda yadda according to White and Strunk blah blah blah Chicago Manual of Style etcetera etcetera etcetera. Let me make a further prediction: I will not answer because I don't care. Having proved my case beyond a reasonable doubt I retire, tarrying only long enough to strike you with a preemptive egg:
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "is which is to be master, that's all."
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I know the board has some weasels.
Yes, at least one. Visit www.theweasels.com (http://www.theweasels.com) for more info.
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Obekpa def improved and I think he would have improved more if Lavin would have played him more in the beginning of the season. The problem with Obekpa is the place he can improve the most, involves skils he already possesses. Needs to average 8 or 9 boards a game.
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Obekpa def improved and I think he would have improved more if Lavin would have played him more in the beginning of the season. The problem with Obekpa is the place he can improve the most, involves skils he already possesses. Needs to average 8 or 9 boards a game.
Both Sampson and Obekpa didn't really improve last year, at first. They started the season very slowly IMO. I know I've said it 1000 times, but you can learn a lot about a player when they return after their freshman season. By that point, they know what they need to do to make a leap.
Lavor Postell, Ron Artest, Darryl Hill, Lamont Hamilton, DJ Kennedy, Paris Horne and D'Angelo Harrison all became much better players as sophs. IDK why Sampson didn't work on his passing, his rebounding or why he didn't lift weight weights like a madman over the summer? Obekpa had no move with his back to the basket as a freshman. When he came back this year, he still didn't, but that didn't stop him from occasionally trying one, even though every single person in Alumni Hall cringed when he did it. Sometimes it actually worked, but clearly, it wasn't a move that he was comfortable making.
Why is it that we can all see that this is something he should be working on every single day, and he's not showing any signs of having done that? It's great that these kids went to Europe, but what about working hard on your game over the summer? Clearly, no one learned anything about basketball in Europe.
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He is worlds away from being competent offensively. I do not even care about that part. If he can work on his rebounding to go along with his shot blocking he will be an absolute force. 9 boards and 3 or 4 blocks is attainable I believe.
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
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you guys are #$%^ed
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St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
#SanctimoniousGasbaggery
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You all know Lavin is going to have his best season at St. John's next season, and take the team further than it's been a while... Then he will get that fat extension.. Then he will really shit the bed.
This is now my mentality.....Bizarro Storm
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you guys are #$%^ed
Thank goodness you have returned from your hiatus. Some people find harridans such as yourself tiring, but I am not one of them. I appreciate a good scolding and especially from one such as yourself who so obviously prides himself on his own objectivity and rectitude. You perhaps did not hear but while you were away the site owner solicited votes for Jungle Forum Awards. I'm pleased to report that I wrote in your name both as Most Valuable Fishwife and Best Supporting Moral Compass. #FingersCrossed #DontForgetToThankTheAcademy #TheyLikeMeTheyLikeMe
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer. I was merely lamenting that he blames the team's failures on a whole host of personal tragedies. What I was thinking of, is how he makes public spectacles out of everything that happens in his players' lives. There's no need for that.
But that's ok, because no one else has ever gotten sick - so he gets a lifetime pass from accountability.
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you guys are #$%^ed
Thank goodness you have returned from your hiatus. Some people find harridans such as yourself tiring, but I am not one of them. I appreciate a good scolding and especially from one such as yourself who so obviously prides himself on his own objectivity and rectitude. You perhaps did not hear but while you were away the site owner solicited votes for Jungle Forum Awards. I'm pleased to report that I wrote in your name both as Most Valuable Fishwife and Best Supporting Moral Compass. #FingersCrossed #DontForgetToThankTheAcademy #TheyLikeMeTheyLikeMe
that was an insult, right? Too many big words...Glad to know I was missed.. Seriously, "fishwife"?
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you guys are #$%^ed
Thank goodness you have returned from your hiatus. Some people find harridans such as yourself tiring, but I am not one of them. I appreciate a good scolding and especially from one such as yourself who so obviously prides himself on his own objectivity and rectitude. You perhaps did not hear but while you were away the site owner solicited votes for Jungle Forum Awards. I'm pleased to report that I wrote in your name both as Most Valuable Fishwife and Best Supporting Moral Compass. #FingersCrossed #DontForgetToThankTheAcademy #TheyLikeMeTheyLikeMe
that was an insult, right? Too many big words...Glad to know I was missed.. Seriously, "fishwife"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishwife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishwife)
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer. I was merely lamenting that he blames the team's failures on a whole host of personal tragedies. What I was thinking of, is how he makes public spectacles out of everything that happens in his players' lives. There's no need for that.
But that's ok, because no one else has ever gotten sick - so he gets a lifetime pass from accountability.
I'd like to know who exactly is giving him a lifetime pass from accountability? Seems like a made up thing on these boards. No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one. He has not had the level of success any of us expected, regardless of personal issues within the team. So I'm not sure where this whole mindset comes from.
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer. I was merely lamenting that he blames the team's failures on a whole host of personal tragedies. What I was thinking of, is how he makes public spectacles out of everything that happens in his players' lives. There's no need for that.
But that's ok, because no one else has ever gotten sick - so he gets a lifetime pass from accountability.
I'd like to know who exactly is giving him a lifetime pass from accountability? Seems like a made up thing on these boards. No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one. He has not had the level of success any of us expected, regardless of personal issues within the team. So I'm not sure where this whole mindset comes from.
Now that Lavin finally drove MCNPA crazy and he was forced to burn his pom poms and flush all of his Kool Aid, I would nominate you
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer. I was merely lamenting that he blames the team's failures on a whole host of personal tragedies. What I was thinking of, is how he makes public spectacles out of everything that happens in his players' lives. There's no need for that.
But that's ok, because no one else has ever gotten sick - so he gets a lifetime pass from accountability.
I'd like to know who exactly is giving him a lifetime pass from accountability? Seems like a made up thing on these boards. No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one. He has not had the level of success any of us expected, regardless of personal issues within the team. So I'm not sure where this whole mindset comes from.
Now that Lavin finally drove MCNPA crazy and he was forced to burn his pom poms and flush all of his Kool Aid, I would nominate you
I'm honored ;)
Hey if you want to call me a kool-aid drinker that's fine. I just don't think Lavin is the worst face for a program, and I don't jump off the ledge at the first sign of some bad news.
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
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In the know posters? Would that be the guy posting three weeks ago that the AD was "done"?
Sorry, in-the-know was meant ironically. Sometimes I forget what plonkers some readers are. In future I'll festoon my japes with smiley faces so you can identify them.
Can you name the in the know guys so that I can stop wasting time with reading posts that ridicule a coach for having endured prostate cancer?
I don't ridicule the coach for having prostate cancer. I ridicule the coach for blaming his professional failures on his prostate. It's hardly a subtle distinction and yet it went right over your head.
I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
Then clearly you've never heard the man speak.
All he does is blame things on personal tragedies. That's his M.O. Well, that, and having a limited basketball acumen.
St. John's: The only fan base low enough to take shots at a man for missing time at his job with cancer, and then having the audacity to say it may have affected performance.
First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer. I was merely lamenting that he blames the team's failures on a whole host of personal tragedies. What I was thinking of, is how he makes public spectacles out of everything that happens in his players' lives. There's no need for that.
But that's ok, because no one else has ever gotten sick - so he gets a lifetime pass from accountability.
I'd like to know who exactly is giving him a lifetime pass from accountability? Seems like a made up thing on these boards. No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one. He has not had the level of success any of us expected, regardless of personal issues within the team. So I'm not sure where this whole mindset comes from.
Now that Lavin finally drove MCNPA crazy and he was forced to burn his pom poms and flush all of his Kool Aid, I would nominate you
I'm honored ;)
Hey if you want to call me a kool-aid drinker that's fine. I just don't think Lavin is the worst face for a program, and I don't jump off the ledge at the first sign of some bad news.
I don't see any potential replacement that would be better for the program. With that being said his coaching last season was almost comically bad. I don't expect him to be Pitino but he HAS to do a better job than he has coaching the team. The very least a coach can do is figure out who his best players are and settle in on some kind of rotation. As far as his goofy quotes they don't bother me as I don't take him seriously but since we have stunk I can understand why they bother other people.
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He clearly improved. That doesn't mean he turned into Wilt Chamberlain. We were a better team with him on the floor on both ends at the end of the season.
When me and Marillac are constantly agreeing, and Dave, PMG and Baldi are agreeing, you know things are wacky in the Jungle!
I find it hard to believe you guys noticed 0 improvement when the kid scored in double figures 4 out of 5 games in January/February when he had never scored in double figures before at St. John's. His footwork and touch seemed improved. Like Marillac said, he wasn't a stud, but he was better than a total non-option for once. The last 10 games of the season (omitting Providence and NIT where he barely played and was clearly not himself) he averaged nearly 7 ppg and 6 rpg. If Whitesell had any effect on the guy, and can continue to, I assume you'd all agree that we'd be ecstatic with 7-8 ppg, 6-7 rpg to go with his blocks next year, right? That's what I envision from Obekpa at a minimum IF he gets his head on straight. If he doesn't I don't want him around, but have to think he is if he's coming back. I think he has realistically has the potential for 8-9 ppg, 8-9 rpg and the blocks if he really dedicates himself next year.
I think he is better than given credit but probably not as good as he thinks he is. It is tough being a big man because sometimes you're jostling for position only for a guard to not give you the ball and clank a long jumper. I can see how that would be frustrating.
During that stretch guys were feeding him some more and gaining some confidence in giving him the ball. If he can play like that with just a little more focus on rebounding then wow!
No matter what he has to be more mature. He can't have the D-Lo eye roll if things aren't going his way. Has to figure out a way to overcome and play his game. Jeez I feel like this can be said for every player on this team. So frustrating.
You have to establish the post to be successful. It's like the running game in football (for Mase and Moose). You have to go to it early even if it isn't working at first to open things up later in the game.
When the big fella gets position...get him the ball. 60% chance he makes it...good chance he gets fouled...and very good offensive rebounding potential if missed.
I am excited CO is coming back. If he keeps putting in the work in the weight room, he could really make a big jump.
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
That situation doesn't get enough scrutiny around here: how bloated of an ego do you have to have to make 90-year old John Wooden your best man? That tells me all I need to know about Steve Lavin.
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
That situation doesn't get enough scrutiny around here: how bloated of an ego do you have to have to make 90-year old John Wooden your best man? That tells me all I need to know about Steve Lavin.
If you read the commentary about Lavin by UCLA fans this is the one that seems to stick most in their craws: Lavin was too much the opportunist not to ask Wooden to stand up for him and Wooden was too much the gentleman to refuse.
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
That situation doesn't get enough scrutiny around here: how bloated of an ego do you have to have to make 90-year old John Wooden your best man? That tells me all I need to know about Steve Lavin.
Was Keady in the wedding party as well? Was the movie LAST VEGAS based on Lavin's bachelor party? So many questions. They should have taped this. Who wouldn't watch Lavin, Wooden and Keady trying to play Black Jack then hitting a strip club?
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Get Him! I propose hanging the man in effigy outside the Louie Dome next season...
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
That situation doesn't get enough scrutiny around here: how bloated of an ego do you have to have to make 90-year old John Wooden your best man? That tells me all I need to know about Steve Lavin.
Just like reading continuous post from certain posters tells all I need to know about them
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Somehow, the Fire Lavin Freeway merged into the Obekpa Expressway. All roads lead to the same destination.
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He clearly improved. That doesn't mean he turned into Wilt Chamberlain. We were a better team with him on the floor on both ends at the end of the season.
When me and Marillac are constantly agreeing, and Dave, PMG and Baldi are agreeing, you know things are wacky in the Jungle!
I find it hard to believe you guys noticed 0 improvement when the kid scored in double figures 4 out of 5 games in January/February when he had never scored in double figures before at St. John's. His footwork and touch seemed improved. Like Marillac said, he wasn't a stud, but he was better than a total non-option for once. The last 10 games of the season (omitting Providence and NIT where he barely played and was clearly not himself) he averaged nearly 7 ppg and 6 rpg. If Whitesell had any effect on the guy, and can continue to, I assume you'd all agree that we'd be ecstatic with 7-8 ppg, 6-7 rpg to go with his blocks next year, right? That's what I envision from Obekpa at a minimum IF he gets his head on straight. If he doesn't I don't want him around, but have to think he is if he's coming back. I think he has realistically has the potential for 8-9 ppg, 8-9 rpg and the blocks if he really dedicates himself next year.
I think he is better than given credit but probably not as good as he thinks he is. It is tough being a big man because sometimes you're jostling for position only for a guard to not give you the ball and clank a long jumper. I can see how that would be frustrating.
During that stretch guys were feeding him some more and gaining some confidence in giving him the ball. If he can play like that with just a little more focus on rebounding then wow!
No matter what he has to be more mature. He can't have the D-Lo eye roll if things aren't going his way. Has to figure out a way to overcome and play his game. Jeez I feel like this can be said for every player on this team. So frustrating.
You have to establish the post to be successful. It's like the running game in football (for Mase and Moose). You have to go to it early even if it isn't working at first to open things up later in the game.
When the big fella gets position...get him the ball. 60% chance he makes it...good chance he gets fouled...and very good offensive rebounding potential if missed.
I am excited CO is coming back. If he keeps putting in the work in the weight room, he could really make a big jump.
CO needs to put work in the footwork around the basket for seal off and power step moves in the low post (the ball gets taken away far too much once he puts it on the floor), and footwork for getting into betting position to rebound. But yes, weight room and footwork/agility can go a long way towards unlocking untapped potential.
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I don't recall Lavin ever "blaming his professional failures" on his prostate cancer. Perhaps you give us a quote or two.
I'd be happy to supply you with an example - although if you haven't heard Lavin's prostate being batted around you haven't been paying attention. Until poor Cap snuffed it it was all anyone talked about:
Steve Lavin spent much of a March 2014 appearance on the FAN with Fat Mike Francesa campaigning - begging really, it was quite unseemly - for an NCAA berth. Toward the end of the interview, around the 13 minute mark, in discussing the program's progress (try saying that three times fast, it's impossible) during his tenure, Coach Tesla noted that SJU has made the post season in 3 of the 4 years since he'd been named head coach, "and the one year we didn't make it, I was out with cancer."
(That splat you just heard was Mike Dunlap being run over by a bus.)
Thus did Steve Lavin blame a professional failure on his prostate cancer.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd1%2Fd4%2FdU%2FdT%2Fd0%2F14UT0_3.MP3%3Fauthtok%3D5562348664789625599_YVmBkpFlgNlVoECBpEfC0jUrm4&podcast_name=Mike+Francesa+with+Steve+Lavin&podcast_artist=Mike+Francesa&station_id=62&tag=pages&dcid=CBS.NY (http://newyork.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd1%2Fd4%2FdU%2FdT%2Fd0%2F14UT0_3.MP3%3Fauthtok%3D5562348664789625599_YVmBkpFlgNlVoECBpEfC0jUrm4&podcast_name=Mike+Francesa+with+Steve+Lavin&podcast_artist=Mike+Francesa&station_id=62&tag=pages&dcid=CBS.NY)
Let me make a prediction: you're going to argue that that quote does not mean what it says because blah blah blah in context he meant yadda yadda yadda according to White and Strunk blah blah blah Chicago Manual of Style etcetera etcetera etcetera. Let me make a further prediction: I will not answer because I don't care. Having proved my case beyond a reasonable doubt I retire ...
Proved your case beyond a reasonable doubt? Far from it. The man said the one year the team didn't make post-season play at St. John's, he had prostate cancer. A simple statement of fact, no more, no less. If that bothered you, fine. But nowhere did I hear him "blaming his professional failures [plural]" on his cancer. In a prior post, you even retracted your initial comment, saying "First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer." And now you went back to making it. In closing -- and I, like you, am not interested in pursuing this topic -- your "funny" crack about a man's battle with cancer was tasteless and you should be man enough to admit that you overreached with it. Instead you come back with the "aren't-I-clever" Humpty Dumpty blah blah blah, which I mercifully deleted.
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
That situation doesn't get enough scrutiny around here: how bloated of an ego do you have to have to make 90-year old John Wooden your best man? That tells me all I need to know about Steve Lavin.
Desco, you're just a frustrated admitted hater of Lavin. It must be a let down that he's still here.
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No one is saying Lavin is not accountable for the team's struggles. Absolutely no one.
Absolutely no one except the head coach, who accepts no responsibility for anything. Among the excuses he cited this year were his own cancer, 5 deaths related to his student athletes, his father's death, attendance at candle light vigils and open casket funerals, an injury to Obekpa, the Sanchezes having a baby, and his teams reliance on freshmen and underclassmen. Last year we were the youngest team in America and Phil Greene was injured and Harrison rolled his eyes and blah blah blah. It's a shame he failed to heed the words of his alleged mentor and former best man, John Wooden:
“Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.”
That situation doesn't get enough scrutiny around here: how bloated of an ego do you have to have to make 90-year old John Wooden your best man? That tells me all I need to know about Steve Lavin.
If you read the commentary about Lavin by UCLA fans this is the one that seems to stick most in their craws: Lavin was too much the opportunist not to ask Wooden to stand up for him and Wooden was too much the gentleman to refuse.
Good - nothing wrong about sticking something in the craw of UCLA fans.
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In a prior post, you even retracted your initial comment, saying "First off, I wasn't even referring to his cancer." And now you went back to making it.
I interrupt your learned semantic discourse only to point out that I didn't say what you have quoted above, that was poster Desco. Don't be discouraged though, following conversations can be hard. You'll get the hang of it someday. Now that we've straightened that out please continue explaining to me what words mean, because I'm rapt.
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If Lavin made the tournament last year would Wooden be his best man be such a big deal? If Lavin was more successful at UCLA have spun the that Wooden being the best man shows how close the basketball program really is?
Is Lavin full of himself, yes (like most coaches are) is he an opportunistic, I would say yes (again, like most coaches are) If it is true that Lavin only chose Wooden to be his best man for better career advancement, it certainly blew up in his face....
The stuff that he says is annoying, especially when the team under achieves, but his comments are not as bad when Boheim attacked potential victims while an investigation was going on...
If Lavin starts winning all his personality quirks will not be as annoying as they are now...
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If Lavin made the tournament last year would Wooden be his best man be such a big deal? If Lavin was more successful at UCLA have spun the that Wooden being the best man shows how close the basketball program really is?
Is Lavin full of himself, yes (like most coaches are) is he an opportunistic, I would say yes (again, like most coaches are) If it is true that Lavin only chose Wooden to be his best man for better career advancement, it certainly blew up in his face....
The stuff that he says is annoying, especially when the team under achieves, but his comments are not as bad when Boheim attacked potential victims while an investigation was going on...
If Lavin starts winning all his personality quirks will not be as annoying as they are now...
I agree. Lavin is under the microscope now that he's clearly underachieved. Some of the reasons why, such as cancer and player injuries are out of his control. Some like to hide behind a message board and make this far personal than it should be.
He did a bad job organizing his team. He wasn't ready to set a rotation until the team was already in an 0-5 hole. His game coaching, without Dunlap to do the job he should have always been able to do was incredibly inconsistent, and in many ways, childish and without direction.
Let's blame him for a lousy job on the floor. His f'n wedding, and IDK, maybe his cancer too, should be off limits. And to those who think the players should be blamed for the way the season ended, you're not wrong. Guys like Sampson, Harrison, Greene, Obekpa and Pointer have enough experience that they should have been ready for Providence, but they weren't. Thing is, they are amateurs. And Lavin is the pro making over a million dollars a year. So, fair or not, he gets the blame, and he should man up, and take responsibility for his faults. At the very least, it would help make his Twitter BS feel less like BS.
In the last month, Lavin and Fratto have been incredibly quiet. It wouldn't be as necessary to go into hiding if they Tweeted less, and stopped pumping up average players like they were Baron Davis and Jason Kapono. Now, we've got a clueless Jakarr Sampson who actually thinks he's good enough to play in the league.
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I am looking forward to Baldi claiming he was in the room on Lavin's wedding night and we will get a first hand critique of Lavin's performance in the sack.
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Some like to hide behind a message board and make this far personal than it should be
[...]
Let's blame him for a lousy job on the floor. His f'n wedding, and IDK, maybe his cancer too, should be off limits.
As long as you're suggesting setting the boundaries of polite discourse, should it be off limits for you to call the players "pussies"? When you do that in this forum are you hiding behind a message board and making it more personal than it should be? Or can we assume that you've told Jakarr Sampson to his face that you find him effeminate.
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Some like to hide behind a message board and make this far personal than it should be
[...]
Let's blame him for a lousy job on the floor. His f'n wedding, and IDK, maybe his cancer too, should be off limits.
As long as you're suggesting setting the boundaries of polite discourse, should it be off limits for you to call the players "pussies"? When you do that in this forum are you hiding behind a message board and making it more personal than it should be? Or can we assume that you've told Jakarr Sampson to his face that you find him effeminate.
Did anyone ever wonder what the origin of vagina being a put down is? I mean why should that be a diss? It is most guys favorite thing in the world. Like if some one called you a beer or a steak would you be insulted?
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Some like to hide behind a message board and make this far personal than it should be
[...]
Let's blame him for a lousy job on the floor. His f'n wedding, and IDK, maybe his cancer too, should be off limits.
As long as you're suggesting setting the boundaries of polite discourse, should it be off limits for you to call the players "pussies"? When you do that in this forum are you hiding behind a message board and making it more personal than it should be? Or can we assume that you've told Jakarr Sampson to his face that you find him effeminate.
Calling a player a pussy or soft, as I have done repeatedly, isn't very nice. Noted, Foad. With some time in the weight room, and the gym, Sampson might have developed into a player that doesn't actively avoid contact.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't find your cancer "humor" to be very funny. If other people do, please speak up, and I'll happily give you all the credit for your insight and comedy that you are clearly looking for.
Deal?
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This has been a fun offseason so far. And to think it just started!
God, I love message boards!
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Maybe it's just me, but I don't find your cancer "humor" to be very funny. If other people do, please speak up, and I'll happily give you all the credit for your insight and comedy that you are clearly looking for. Deal?
You overestimate slightly my interest in obtaining your approval: it's closer to zero than what you suppose. My interest here consists entirely of casting my little spoofs and monkeyshines upon the waters; if they make it up the flag pole and whether they hunt or not is less of a concern. I take joy in having written them, not in having them read. By the time most of them are out of my mouth I've already forgotten what I said.
Admittedly I'm not a delicate sort, as evidently are you. I'd never have guessed. If you find my words offensive should perhaps you butch up a bit? Act more manly and so on, as you so often exhort others to. These are after all just words. Failing that by all means continue to use me as the people of Salem used witches: as an exemplar by which to measure your own goodness.
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Maybe it's just me, but I don't find your cancer "humor" to be very funny. If other people do, please speak up, and I'll happily give you all the credit for your insight and comedy that you are clearly looking for. Deal?
You overestimate slightly my interest in obtaining your approval: it's closer to zero than what you suppose. My interest here consists entirely of casting my little spoofs and monkeyshines upon the waters; if they make it up the flag pole and whether they hunt or not is less of a concern. I take joy in having written them, not in having them read. By the time most of them are out of my mouth I've already forgotten what I said.
Admittedly I'm not a delicate sort, as evidently are you. I'd never have guessed. If you find my words offensive should perhaps you butch up a bit? Act more manly and so on, as you so often exhort others to. These are after all just words. Failing that by all means continue to use me as the people of Salem used witches: as an exemplar by which to measure your own goodness.
I find that often when people say that they don't care, they really do. It might be small, but there is a following, so carry on.
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What will also be interesting to see how the new President views the basketball program and Lavin. Already Dr. Gempesaw has been more visible around campus talking with students. I think he will be a lot more involved in the school in general.
That being said he won't arrive officially until August so the school could hold off on Lavin's contract without being suspicious for part of BBall season. Depending how the season goes early on the new administration could make changes.
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Both Sampson and Obekpa didn't really improve last year, at first. They started the season very slowly IMO.
It wasn't February yet. Why would you expect to see improvement at an earlier point in the season than that?
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Maybe it's just me, but I don't find your cancer "humor" to be very funny. If other people do, please speak up, and I'll happily give you all the credit for your insight and comedy that you are clearly looking for. Deal?
You overestimate slightly my interest in obtaining your approval: it's closer to zero than what you suppose. My interest here consists entirely of casting my little spoofs and monkeyshines upon the waters; if they make it up the flag pole and whether they hunt or not is less of a concern. I take joy in having written them, not in having them read. By the time most of them are out of my mouth I've already forgotten what I said.
Admittedly I'm not a delicate sort, as evidently are you. I'd never have guessed. If you find my words offensive should perhaps you butch up a bit? Act more manly and so on, as you so often exhort others to. These are after all just words. Failing that by all means continue to use me as the people of Salem used witches: as an exemplar by which to measure your own goodness.
[Zzzzzzz]
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Maybe it's just me, but I don't find your cancer "humor" to be very funny. If other people do, please speak up, and I'll happily give you all the credit for your insight and comedy that you are clearly looking for. Deal?
You overestimate slightly my interest in obtaining your approval: it's closer to zero than what you suppose. My interest here consists entirely of casting my little spoofs and monkeyshines upon the waters; if they make it up the flag pole and whether they hunt or not is less of a concern. I take joy in having written them, not in having them read. By the time most of them are out of my mouth I've already forgotten what I said.
Admittedly I'm not a delicate sort, as evidently are you. I'd never have guessed. If you find my words offensive should perhaps you butch up a bit? Act more manly and so on, as you so often exhort others to. These are after all just words. Failing that by all means continue to use me as the people of Salem used witches: as an exemplar by which to measure your own goodness.
Foad, be real here. If you only care that they are written; use a journal. Obviously you care if they are read, otherwise you wouldn't post them.
That being said, most of the time I do appreciate your posts and the humor therein - though I too wasn't a huge fan of the cancer comment.
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What will also be interesting to see how the new President views the basketball program and Lavin. Already Dr. Gempesaw has been more visible around campus talking with students. I think he will be a lot more involved in the school in general.
That being said he won't arrive officially until August so the school could hold off on Lavin's contract without being suspicious for part of BBall season. Depending how the season goes early on the new administration could make changes.
Is it true that Baldi knows the new guy?
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Foad, be real here. If you only care that they are written; use a journal. Obviously you care if they are read, otherwise you wouldn't post them.
Oysters do not stop producing fruit because swine are unable to appreciate pearls.
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is he had several guys who were not accepting their roles and free lancing to showcase what they thought their skills were to get to the next level. He kept varying starters and benching players even with the occasional suspension because he had selfish players putting themselves over the team needs. Give him credit for trying to
impose order and discipline. Balamou sudden appearance was likely message to Jordan we we are prepared to move on without you if you don't commit to the game plan. He drew the line with Harrison the year before. There is a method to what occurred. Superficial analyst was Lavin is fickle. Deeper analysis shows he was trying to get players to commit to program. I would rather have coach who will not succumb to fan pressure. And do the right thing long term .
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is he had several guys who were not accepting their roles and free lancing to showcase what they thought their skills were to get to the next level. He kept varying starters and benching players even with the occasional suspension because he had selfish players putting themselves over the team needs. Give him credit for trying to
impose order and discipline. Balamou sudden appearance was likely message to Jordan we we are prepared to move on without you if you don't commit to the game plan. He drew the line with Harrison the year before. There is a method to what occurred. Superficial analyst was Lavin is fickle. Deeper analysis shows he was trying to get players to commit to program. I would rather have coach who will not succumb to fan pressure. And do the right thing long term .
I think there is some truth to this...
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is he had several guys who were not accepting their roles and free lancing to showcase what they thought their skills were to get to the next level. He kept varying starters and benching players even with the occasional suspension because he had selfish players putting themselves over the team needs. Give him credit for trying to
impose order and discipline. Balamou sudden appearance was likely message to Jordan we we are prepared to move on without you if you don't commit to the game plan. He drew the line with Harrison the year before. There is a method to what occurred. Superficial analyst was Lavin is fickle. Deeper analysis shows he was trying to get players to commit to program. I would rather have coach who will not succumb to fan pressure. And do the right thing long term .
Then how come we seem to be the only program with that type of problem? Haven't heard of other teams having multiple players not buying in or being selfish for the whole season. The team seemed to be playing pretty unselfishly during the little run we went on in February. Shouldn't the Harrison suspension the previous season have sent a message to everybody and eradicated this issue? I don't think Phil Greene was demanding that he get extended minutes at point guard when it was obvious the offense was stagnant with him in there while there were two very capable point guards on the bench. If your theory is correct how come Jamal Branch, probably the least selfish kid on the team, rode the pine so much when he proved to be a solid contributor all season?
It's the coaches job to solve this type of problem one way or another. Lavin is a bad basketball coach. And that's not gonna change no matter how many excuses you make for him or how much you try to pin the blame elsewhere.
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is <psychic reading hosed>
The late CRGreen, a long time Lavin observer, disagrees with your assessment. He often talked about how while at UCLA Lavin was willing to lose games early while mindlessly tinkering with his lineups and predicted that that practice would continue at SJU.
"Depends on how quickly the new talent meshes, and how many games into the season Steve will be "experimenting" with lineups before settling on a final lineup and rotation"
"He will continue to use pre conference games to experiment with lineups and combinations that will drive fans absolutely crazy"
"[He suffered] Early season losses (even blowouts) while he tinkered with the roster and lineups (much as we saw here early last season) that might have been avoided with a few more cupcakes - but then, if you're tinkering to see what works best, what insight is actually gleaned if your WALKONS could have beaten the opponent?"
CRGreen nailed Lavin's pathology cold - the only mistake he made is failing to realize that our walkons couldn't beat the cupcakes. From his grave he explains what happened with more insight than you display after having had the benefit of seeing it with your own two eyes. Deeper analysis indeed.
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is he had several guys who were not accepting their roles and free lancing to showcase what they thought their skills were to get to the next level. He kept varying starters and benching players even with the occasional suspension because he had selfish players putting themselves over the team needs. Give him credit for trying to
impose order and discipline. Balamou sudden appearance was likely message to Jordan we we are prepared to move on without you if you don't commit to the game plan. He drew the line with Harrison the year before. There is a method to what occurred. Superficial analyst was Lavin is fickle. Deeper analysis shows he was trying to get players to commit to program. I would rather have coach who will not succumb to fan pressure. And do the right thing long term .
I think there is some truth to this...
If the "lessons" turn into losses then the coach who makes 40-thousand dollars plus a week isn't doing his job very well. If he wants to teach and not coach, he should join the professors who work for squat and we should get a gamer here.
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is he had several guys who were not accepting their roles and free lancing to showcase what they thought their skills were to get to the next level. He kept varying starters and benching players even with the occasional suspension because he had selfish players putting themselves over the team needs. Give him credit for trying to
impose order and discipline. Balamou sudden appearance was likely message to Jordan we we are prepared to move on without you if you don't commit to the game plan. He drew the line with Harrison the year before. There is a method to what occurred. Superficial analyst was Lavin is fickle. Deeper analysis shows he was trying to get players to commit to program. I would rather have coach who will not succumb to fan pressure. And do the right thing long term .
I am sorry and mean no disrespect but that analysis is way off base. Lav in does this shit every year. CR even admitted it. Early non conference games 1st priority is to win games, second to build confidence and to set a st lye of play, then to experiment with the roster. It doesn't take a scout to realize that Max and Marco had no business playing. Still he played them over our better players. Those 2 never should have been here. The love affair with Felix I dont understand either. It doesnt matter how hard he plays if he cant shoot or dribble.
I was furious in the begining of the season, Think coach did a great job to right the ship. Wish we made the tournament . LAvin was awful at the begining, cost us the season.
Since he regrouped, I am OK with giving him another season. The guy cant be stupid enough to make the same mistakes right? think the assistants stepped in and told him he was being an idiot. When he shortened the rotation, we started winning.
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What will also be interesting to see how the new President views the basketball program and Lavin. Already Dr. Gempesaw has been more visible around campus talking with students. I think he will be a lot more involved in the school in general.
That being said he won't arrive officially until August so the school could hold off on Lavin's contract without being suspicious for part of BBall season. Depending how the season goes early on the new administration could make changes.
Is it true that Baldi knows the new guy?
Yup, met him in a bar.
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TonyD3...If he makes the same mistakes again it isn't stupidity it's insanity and hopefully the new administration will catch onto it faster then the previous one...I agree with you, I am ok with giving home this season to make the tournament.
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Bloody Brilliant! He met him in a pub!
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is <psychic reading hosed>
The late CRGreen, a long time Lavin observer, disagrees with your assessment. He often talked about how while at UCLA Lavin was willing to lose games early while mindlessly tinkering with his lineups and predicted that that practice would continue at SJU.
"Depends on how quickly the new talent meshes, and how many games into the season Steve will be "experimenting" with lineups before settling on a final lineup and rotation"
"He will continue to use pre conference games to experiment with lineups and combinations that will drive fans absolutely crazy"
"[He suffered] Early season losses (even blowouts) while he tinkered with the roster and lineups (much as we saw here early last season) that might have been avoided with a few more cupcakes - but then, if you're tinkering to see what works best, what insight is actually gleaned if your WALKONS could have beaten the opponent?"
CRGreen nailed Lavin's pathology cold - the only mistake he made is failing to realize that our walkons couldn't beat the cupcakes. From his grave he explains what happened with more insight than you display after having had the benefit of seeing it with your own two eyes. Deeper analysis indeed.
How about our coaches who could not beat the cupcakes with their top recruits?
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I think this board was off base thinking Lavin could not settle on a rotation and was experimenting with starters and walk ons to find the right combination. What likely happened is <psychic reading hosed>
The late CRGreen, a long time Lavin observer, disagrees with your assessment. He often talked about how while at UCLA Lavin was willing to lose games early while mindlessly tinkering with his lineups and predicted that that practice would continue at SJU.
"Depends on how quickly the new talent meshes, and how many games into the season Steve will be "experimenting" with lineups before settling on a final lineup and rotation"
"He will continue to use pre conference games to experiment with lineups and combinations that will drive fans absolutely crazy"
"[He suffered] Early season losses (even blowouts) while he tinkered with the roster and lineups (much as we saw here early last season) that might have been avoided with a few more cupcakes - but then, if you're tinkering to see what works best, what insight is actually gleaned if your WALKONS could have beaten the opponent?"
CRGreen nailed Lavin's pathology cold - the only mistake he made is failing to realize that our walkons couldn't beat the cupcakes. From his grave he explains what happened with more insight than you display after having had the benefit of seeing it with your own two eyes. Deeper analysis indeed.
How about our coaches who could not beat the cupcakes with their top recruits?
They're completely irrelevant. Anything else I can clear up for you, let me know.
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http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041814aaa.html (http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041814aaa.html)
Lavin Announces Center Chris Obekpa's Return To Red Storm
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http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041814aaa.html (http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041814aaa.html)
Lavin Announces Center Chris Obekpa's Return To Red Storm
Now that's what I call, "tinkering with a lineup." :2funny:
Great news, and a smart decision by Obekpa. He'll be the man inside next year with Sanchez gone. Perhaps a Harrison-like renaissance?
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http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041814aaa.html (http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041814aaa.html)
Lavin Announces Center Chris Obekpa's Return To Red Storm
Subtraction by addition.
I would have said relapse but people are just so sensitive.
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Zach's take;
http://nypost.com/2014/04/18/chris-obekpa-changes-mind-will-stay-at-st-johns/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow (http://nypost.com/2014/04/18/chris-obekpa-changes-mind-will-stay-at-st-johns/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow)
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Things are looking up. Lets lock up Thomas and we have some solid forwards to go along with best backcourt in the Big East.
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Things are looking up. Lets lock up Thomas and we have some solid forwards to go along with best backcourt in the Big East.
Yep
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What a roller coaster this has benn the last 10 days or so. Wow.
Can't see how anyone can be overly pessimistic at this point. Well, I guess I can, but those will only be happy if Lavin is gone. Clearly, that's not happening, so jump back on board.
Could be a fun season, imagine that?
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What a roller coaster this has benn the last 10 days or so. Wow.
Can't see how anyone can be overly pessimistic at this point. Well, I guess I can, but those will only be happy if Lavin is gone. Clearly, that's not happening, so jump back on board.
Could be a fun season, imagine that?
Hope we close out on Thomas this week before Antigua brothers get their hands on him. Lol
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What a roller coaster this has benn the last 10 days or so. Wow.
Can't see how anyone can be overly pessimistic at this point. Well, I guess I can, but those will only be happy if Lavin is gone. Clearly, that's not happening, so jump back on board.
Could be a fun season, imagine that?
Hope we close out on Thomas this week before Antigua brothers get their hands on him. Lol
And desco ;)
Welcome back CO. Said it from the get go, Sampson was no loss, Obekpa is the one we needed to keep.
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Come back from vacation to learn Obekpa's coming back! Finally good news! I guess I need to take more vacations, for the benefit of the team, of course.
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Very good news. Now the staff just needs to learn how to coach this kid up. Him and Jordan have the most potential on this team.
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Good to have the big guy back.
I'm glad Lavin didn't have to replace those 3 points and 4 rebounds per game
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Good to have the big guy back.
I'm glad Lavin didn't have to replace those 3 points and 4 rebounds per game
Dude, you seriously need a new hobby if this news doesn't bring you any joy whatsoever. :idiot2:
Internet forums will never change. There will always be the griefer. Even 100 years from now.
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Things are looking up. Lets lock up Thomas and we have some solid forwards to go along with best backcourt in the Big East.
Yep
yep +1
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Good to have the big guy back.
I'm glad Lavin didn't have to replace those 3 points and 4 rebounds per game
Nobody said they wanted him back for his amazing offensive game.
He could score 1 ppg next year and we'd still be exponentially better than we'd be without him.
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Good to have the big guy back.
I'm glad Lavin didn't have to replace those 3 points and 4 rebounds per game
Nobody said they wanted him back for his amazing offensive game.
He could score 1 ppg next year and we'd still be exponentially better than we'd be without him.
Agreed. Like I said, glad he is back. I was busting tha kids balls
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What else are the crucial pieces for this team to be succesful?
Who has faith in Whitesell is being an asst coach who can develop players?
Does anybody have any ideal who SJU will be playing next year? Hopefully it is tougher then last year picture.
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What else are the crucial pieces for this team to be succesful?
Who has faith in Whitesell is being an asst coach who can develop players?
Does anybody have any ideal who SJU will be playing next year? Hopefully it is tougher then last year picture.
Why would we want a tougher schedule? If we play good teams we might not win 20 games and I've heard that 20 wins apparently constitutes a season being successful
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What else are the crucial pieces for this team to be succesful?
Who has faith in Whitesell is being an asst coach who can develop players?
Does anybody have any ideal who SJU will be playing next year? Hopefully it is tougher then last year picture.
We need to replace Jakarr's 10 foot jumper. He hit that shot regularity, and often it was the only debt we made in a zone d. If Chris Jones can step into the role of a scoring forward, and he can handle rebounding at a D1 level, we may have something. Otherwise we find someone who replace that O. Gotta beat the zone. Need shooters to achieve that.
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What else are the crucial pieces for this team to be succesful?
Who has faith in Whitesell is being an asst coach who can develop players?
Does anybody have any ideal who SJU will be playing next year? Hopefully it is tougher then last year picture.
We need to replace Jakarr's 10 foot jumper. He hit that shot regularity, and often it was the only debt we made in a zone d. If Chris Jones can step into the role of a scoring forward, and he can handle rebounding at a D1 level, we may have something. Otherwise we find someone who replace that O. Gotta beat the zone. Need shooters to achieve that.
Another way to beat the zone is by crashing the glass and making them pay. Hopefully our bigs spend a lot more time underneath the basket next season.
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Another way to beat the zone is by crashing the glass and making them pay
This is forward looking thinking. Between them Harrison, Greene and Jordan took 45 percent of SJ's shots. Of those 900 or so they missed 65 percent, meaning there were ~ 600 opportunities for put backs. Assuming that the offense is similarly moribund next year there should be lots of misses up for grabs, especially since we had the good fortune to lose our two leading rebounders.
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What else are the crucial pieces for this team to be succesful?
Who has faith in Whitesell is being an asst coach who can develop players?
Does anybody have any ideal who SJU will be playing next year? Hopefully it is tougher then last year picture.
We need to replace Jakarr's 10 foot jumper. He hit that shot regularity, and often it was the only debt we made in a zone d. If Chris Jones can step into the role of a scoring forward, and he can handle rebounding at a D1 level, we may have something. Otherwise we find someone who replace that O. Gotta beat the zone. Need shooters to achieve that.
Another way to beat the zone is by crashing the glass and making them pay. Hopefully our bigs spend a lot more time underneath the basket next season.
We lost Sampson, Sanchez and Gift. Gift didn't play very much but neither Sampson or Sanchez were particularly good on the offensive glass. Rebounding when you're playing in a poorly structured offense is difficult. Sampson often didn't know where he was supposed to be, but is so athletic, that he got his share of boards. I know this Thomas kid is supposed to be a great rebounder, but IDK how we can know this from his games at WCC. Sampson didn't like to get hit. We know that. Sanchez played well enough overall, but he looked liked the old guy at the Gun'd open run.
What we need are bigs who aren't afraid to get, and get hit hard. You try to draw contact, because you're trying to get to the line. If Thomas can do that, if he play tougher than Sampson, he might off set the talent that he's probably lacking offensively.