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In The Jungle... / SJU 2024 Off-Season Thread - Onto Year 2

« Last post by John on Today at 08:19:09 PM »

Greetings,

First time posting! We are now fully entrenched in the off-season and wanted to create a thread and keep everything Johnnies (and NCAA b-ball) related in here as we all wait for next season. I have been an avid Johnnies fan for 10 years now, so 2014 is still the most successful team I have seen lol. I am caught up on my St John’s and Big East history at this point too.

For the most part, I thought we had a good year and we did get better throughout the year, but of course we fell short. Again. I will say I was iffy that we’d make the tournament as I thought our resume was lackluster.

I thought Seton Hall got early enough wins to make it in and then Providence had 6 Q1 wins to make it in too. I thought they for sure both were going to make it regardless of not receiving much buzz towards selection Sunday. However, both those teams got snubbed too (much more than SJU).

Continuing, I have been HEAVILY looking forward to year 2 of Pitino. Historically, Pitino’s 2nd year on a new team has shown great, great success. I saw a stat that he jumps to high 60’s-70% win percentage in that 2nd year and after. Now this is a new NCAA basketball era with the transfer portal and NIL money in place so we’ll see how all things fall into place and how Pitino handles it. We also got Mike Repole backing us as well, so we all should be excited.

I look forward to Wilcher, he seems to have a good head on his shoulder and his physique is crazy. His first official game for St John’s he was constantly looking up at a man who I assume has been a huge part of his success. Could tell he was a nice kid and he always looks like he’s having fun even when he was on the bench/didn't play at all. Dunlap, idk he could turn into something okay for us, but I’m not sure how he will develop (best case imo like a Wusu development). Lastly, Zuby and RJ might be in weird situations with some of these transfers we’re getting, but I hope they’re starters for us next year as they both have great potential. Definitely looking forward to these transfers as well but will miss having some homegrown talent on our teams.

Overall, I wanted to hear others' thoughts, expectations, and opinions for this 2024 SJU season and NCAA basketball.

Additions (as of 5/4):
Vince Iwuchukwu, Center (from USC)
Aaron Scott, Forward (from North Texas)

Departures (as of 5/4):
Joel Soriano (SR) (13.8 pts, 9.5 reb, 1.5 ast)
Daniss Jenkins (SR) (14.9 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.4 ast)
Nahiem Alleyne (SR) (6.4 pts, 1.6 reb, 1.0 ast)
Jordan Dingle (SR) (11.6 pts, 2.0 reb, 1.7 ast)
Chris Ledlum (SR) (9.5 pts, 6.9 reb, 1.8 ast)
Sean Conway (SR) (2.0 pts, 1.5 reb, 0.5 ast)
Glenn Taylor (JR) (4.4 pts, 2.2 reb, 1.2 ast)
Drissa Traore (JR) (1.7 pts, 1.2 reb, 0.2 ast)
Cruz Davis (SO)
Sadiku Ayo (SO)

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by Foad on April 02, 2024, 03:20:24 PM »

In fairness Foad, this time its different in the sense of the school has now made a commitment to improve its facilities and get into that realm. Even if we have a facility half as good as the Providence one that Fr. Shanley spearheaded there, that is progress and if they also renovate Carnessecca Arena we will be in a better position. As for your NIL point- its a good one BUT right now Repole is more involved again and he will help Rick do what he needs to, to win. This year was always going to be an uphill climb with recruiting almost an entire new team in a short amount of time out of the mediocre talent left to get.

In fairness, you're very young and your dreams haven't yet been crushed by reality. Allow me to pour cold water on your dreams.

The facilities at SJU stink. STOP. They won't get better until at least 2027 (and probably later considering delays and cost over runs) when Pitino is 75. STOP. Carnesecca is a dump and likely always willl be. I mean sure, the new seat backs pushed SJ well into the nineteenth century and maybe someday they'll install air conditioning. Lipstick on a pig.

Re the players, Pitino picked them after jettisoning half a dozen players better than what he got back. Maybe skipping the NIT will propel him into out-recruiting teams that are not laughingstocks like Saint John's. Which you should be thanking your lucky stars every day for DePaul - which however just hired a young virile Chris Holtmann, a former coach of the year nationally and in the big east and in the big ten and in the big south. Talk about your sleeping giant.

Suffice it to say that I'm less than sanguine about all this, which makes me what passes for happy as I slide slowly into the grave.

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by friendofjohnnie on April 01, 2024, 09:37:23 AM »

Clearly. It was sometime in the 70s, I think during the McCoy years, but I can't be arsed to look. Al McGuire turned down the NCAAs in 1970, being uphappy with Marquette's seeding. MU beat SJU in the finals.

I didn't sit through many entire games this year (except during that glorious losing streak) and am a better man for it so I can't comment on this years team. That said, on the one hand Pitino is one of the greatest coaches of his generation and if anyone can turn SJ around he's on the short list. On the other hand, for 24 years of his career he was paying his players - which 24 years accounts for 500 of his lifetime 700 wins (at Kentucky and Louisville, two of the most corrupt programs in CBB history). Which was a huge recruiting advantage. Except now everybody can pay their players. With payola off the table what's he got to sell that no one else has? Scenic Jamaica? Majestic Carnesecca Arena? Elite academics? He's got almost nothing: UConn's home court the Garden and the privilege of playing for a thin skinned geriatric HOF coach who may or may not have lost a few off his fastball.

I keep coming back to this: SJU is where coaching careers come to die. Look at this conga line of losers: Mahoney, Fran, Jarhead, Norm, Lavin, Mullins, Anderson. Thirty years of shit sandwich. Why should RAP be any different.

In fairness Foad, this time its different in the sense of the school has now made a commitment to improve its facilities and get into that realm. Even if we have a facility half as good as the Providence one that Fr. Shanley spearheaded there, that is progress and if they also renovate Carnessecca Arena we will be in a better position. As for your NIL point- its a good one BUT right now Repole is more involved again and he will help Rick do what he needs to, to win. This year was always going to be an uphill climb with recruiting almost an entire new team in a short amount of time out of the mediocre talent left to get.

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by Foad on March 22, 2024, 03:00:26 PM »

Which clearly makes you an Old Foadie.

Clearly. It was sometime in the 70s, I think during the McCoy years, but I can't be arsed to look. Al McGuire turned down the NCAAs in 1970, being uphappy with Marquette's seeding. MU beat SJU in the finals.

For all you've witnessed, what is your take on Pitino's ability to maneuver through the portal and have the team improved beyond this year's team?

I didn't sit through many entire games this year (except during that glorious losing streak) and am a better man for it so I can't comment on this years team. That said, on the one hand Pitino is one of the greatest coaches of his generation and if anyone can turn SJ around he's on the short list. On the other hand, for 24 years of his career he was paying his players - which 24 years accounts for 500 of his lifetime 700 wins (at Kentucky and Louisville, two of the most corrupt programs in CBB history). Which was a huge recruiting advantage. Except now everybody can pay their players. With payola off the table what's he got to sell that no one else has? Scenic Jamaica? Majestic Carnesecca Arena? Elite academics? He's got almost nothing: UConn's home court the Garden and the privilege of playing for a thin skinned geriatric HOF coach who may or may not have lost a few off his fastball.

I keep coming back to this: SJU is where coaching careers come to die. Look at this conga line of losers: Mahoney, Fran, Jarhead, Norm, Lavin, Mullins, Anderson. Thirty years of shit sandwich. Why should RAP be any different.

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by bball purist on March 21, 2024, 09:45:18 AM »

I'm old enough to remember when SJU turned down an invite to the NCAA tournament to play in the NIT.

Which clearly makes you an Old Foadie.



For all you've witnessed, what is your take on Pitino's ability to maneuver through the portal and have the team improved beyond this year's team?

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by Foad on March 18, 2024, 04:35:32 PM »

We actually turned down the NIT so we are actually heading to the transfer portal

I'm old enough to remember when SJU turned down an invite to the NCAA tournament to play in the NIT.

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by friendofjohnnie on March 18, 2024, 12:38:55 PM »

Thanks Rick, we're back.

In the NIT.

We actually turned down the NIT so we are actually heading to the transfer portal haha

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by Foad on March 17, 2024, 06:55:12 PM »

Thanks Rick, we're back.

In the NIT.

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by friendofjohnnie on March 15, 2024, 09:34:36 AM »

Let's keep the revenge tour going against UConn.

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In The Jungle... / Re: The Redmen Are Back- Thank you Rick

« Last post by Celtics11 on March 14, 2024, 07:56:56 PM »

Little Ricky has got them cooking!