St. John's wise to weigh coach's metro ties [NY Post]

Is this accurate?

Supporters of St. John's did the right thing by reaching out to Florida coach Billy Donovan, as reported exclusively in The Post. Donovan said yesterday he was staying in Gainesville, but kudos to St. John's for swinging for the fences.

Now comes the realistic part of the search.

St. John's, which will reach out to constituents this week, should look hard at one of its own, Hofstra coach Tom Pecora, who is as comfortable in Harlem as he is in Hempstead, or Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, who has the eye of St. John's president Father Donald J. Harrington.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/local_radar_JTfxterPVIAHpxEwfJkqAP#ixzz0iur4ZtHY


http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/local_radar_JTfxterPVIAHpxEwfJkqAP

I wanna know more about Pecora. He's not a sexy hiring but i'm intrigued by some of the things i've read about him. He sounds like a better option than most make him out to be but it tough to find anything about him.

It's hard to grade a coach when he's at a place like Hofstra where he didn't even have the talent to surprise a team once and a while and pull off an upset.

I wanna know more about Pecora. He's not a sexy hiring but i'm intrigued by some of the things i've read about him. He sounds like a better option than most make him out to be but it tough to find anything about him.

It's hard to grade a coach when he's at a place like Hofstra where he didn't even have the talent to surprise a team once and a while and pull off an upset.

He's a better than some, but Monasch just said that we're going to go after a coach with a history of NCAA Tournament success. And that we looking coaches from BCS schools.

Pecora has done a pretty good job at Hofstra. But couldn't a kid look at him, and say, I need a coach that can get me to the NBA, and I'm going to go play for a guy who has a record of geting kids to the league.

Pecora can't claim any of that.

Monasch is asying a lot of right things, but the coach he get isn't going to have all of those qualities.  For example, if Greenberg's the choice... where's his tournament success (I guess you have to get there to have success). 

But if you want to know about Pecora, Mr. Mojo, look at his results.  In a lesser conference, he is good, but not great - except for the years when he had 2-3 really good talents.  That was 3 years ago.  Maybe he can get those guys again, but maybe he can't; their offense looks like a freelance "slash and chuck" offense, as xhoops likes to say.  If that's what St. John's is going to put out there, then they should find more money to buy out Paul Hewitt, because he at least gets great talent to his school.

And when I say "great talent" I mean great talent relative to the coach's conference. If Pecora can't get talent in that keeps his team in NCAA Tournament consideration at Hofstra, how's he going to do that at St. John's?

Where did Donovan say he was staying in Gainesville?

Monasch is asying a lot of right things, but the coach he get isn't going to have all of those qualities.  For example, if Greenberg's the choice... where's his tournament success (I guess you have to get there to have success). 

But if you want to know about Pecora, Mr. Mojo, look at his results.  In a lesser conference, he is good, but not great - except for the years when he had 2-3 really good talents.  That was 3 years ago.  Maybe he can get those guys again, but maybe he can't; their offense looks like a freelance "slash and chuck" offense, as xhoops likes to say.  If that's what St. John's is going to put out there, then they should find more money to buy out Paul Hewitt, because he at least gets great talent to his school.

And when I say "great talent" I mean great talent relative to the coach's conference. If Pecora can't get talent in that keeps his team in NCAA Tournament consideration at Hofstra, how's he going to do that at St. John's?

I'm not pulling for Pecora over too many guys, but didn't he win 20 last year? 19 this year? His problem is that he didn't recruit enough size to compete at a top level in the CAA.

He does however, have a good track record of getting guards that are often overlooked. Jenkins choosing Hofstra over SJU was a huge statement. That kid can play anywhere.

Anywhere.

Quote from: peter on March 22, 2010, 11:08:26 AM

Monasch is asying a lot of right things, but the coach he get isn't going to have all of those qualities.  For example, if Greenberg's the choice... where's his tournament success (I guess you have to get there to have success). 

But if you want to know about Pecora, Mr. Mojo, look at his results.  In a lesser conference, he is good, but not great - except for the years when he had 2-3 really good talents.  That was 3 years ago.  Maybe he can get those guys again, but maybe he can't; their offense looks like a freelance "slash and chuck" offense, as xhoops likes to say.  If that's what St. John's is going to put out there, then they should find more money to buy out Paul Hewitt, because he at least gets great talent to his school.

And when I say "great talent" I mean great talent relative to the coach's conference. If Pecora can't get talent in that keeps his team in NCAA Tournament consideration at Hofstra, how's he going to do that at St. John's?

I'm not pulling for Pecora over too many guys, but didn't he win 20 last year? 19 this year? His problem is that he didn't recruit enough size to compete at a top level in the CAA.

He does however, have a good track record of getting guards that are often overlooked. Jenkins choosing Hofstra over SJU was a huge statement. That kid can play anywhere.

Anywhere.

Who was banging on Jenkins door besides Hofstra?

Quote from: Poison on March 22, 2010, 11:29:01 AM

Quote from: peter on March 22, 2010, 11:08:26 AM

Monasch is asying a lot of right things, but the coach he get isn't going to have all of those qualities.  For example, if Greenberg's the choice... where's his tournament success (I guess you have to get there to have success). 

But if you want to know about Pecora, Mr. Mojo, look at his results.  In a lesser conference, he is good, but not great - except for the years when he had 2-3 really good talents.  That was 3 years ago.  Maybe he can get those guys again, but maybe he can't; their offense looks like a freelance "slash and chuck" offense, as xhoops likes to say.  If that's what St. John's is going to put out there, then they should find more money to buy out Paul Hewitt, because he at least gets great talent to his school.

And when I say "great talent" I mean great talent relative to the coach's conference. If Pecora can't get talent in that keeps his team in NCAA Tournament consideration at Hofstra, how's he going to do that at St. John's?

I'm not pulling for Pecora over too many guys, but didn't he win 20 last year? 19 this year? His problem is that he didn't recruit enough size to compete at a top level in the CAA.

He does however, have a good track record of getting guards that are often overlooked. Jenkins choosing Hofstra over SJU was a huge statement. That kid can play anywhere.

Anywhere.

Who was banging on Jenkins door besides Hofstra?

We offered him, and you gotta give Pecora credit for finding him.
The right coach will have a good balance of bringing in top rated recruits, and finding true sleepers. Jenkins was a sleeper. Not anymore.

So you're giving Pecora credit for finding a diamond in the rough in Jenkins so does this mean we should credit Norm for finding DJ Kennedy?

To me this doesn't translate what so ever. Pecora can't win in his own conference how the hell is he going to win here?

So you're giving Pecora credit for finding a diamond in the rough in Jenkins so does this mean we should credit Norm for finding DJ Kennedy?

To me this doesn't translate what so ever. Pecora can't win in his own conference how the hell is he going to win here?

I agree Dave.  OK so let's say, for argument's sake, the NYC AAU guys would really deliver the goods to Pecora.  Pecora couldn't win his own conference.  People kill Paul Hewitt for not being a good enough game coach, but he won his conference as a coach at a mid-major (and I believe won regular season and lost in the tourney in another year).  Pecora is not the answer - if you want to go the mid-major route, Donahue or McCaffrey, etc. is your answer.  If you want to go the top recruiter route, Paul Hewitt is the answer.

If you want to go the best combination route...well, that's where we have arguments on who to go with, but I haven't heard any poster say that Pecora is the guy.

I'd be fien with Pecora if we get turned down by 5-10 other guys.  Just not yet.

ill be fine with whoever we get as long as monasch comes through with what he said....if he contacts #1-9 on the wishlist and 1-9 turn us down and we get 10, ill be happy with 10...i just truly hope money is no issue...if thats true, we are likely walking away with a big name

Quote from: Dave on March 22, 2010, 11:51:27 AM

So you're giving Pecora credit for finding a diamond in the rough in Jenkins so does this mean we should credit Norm for finding DJ Kennedy?

To me this doesn't translate what so ever. Pecora can't win in his own conference how the hell is he going to win here?

I agree Dave.  OK so let's say, for argument's sake, the NYC AAU guys would really deliver the goods to Pecora.  Pecora couldn't win his own conference.  People kill Paul Hewitt for not being a good enough game coach, but he won his conference as a coach at a mid-major (and I believe won regular season and lost in the tourney in another year).  Pecora is not the answer - if you want to go the mid-major route, Donahue or McCaffrey, etc. is your answer.  If you want to go the top recruiter route, Paul Hewitt is the answer.

If you want to go the best combination route...well, that's where we have arguments on who to go with, but I haven't heard any poster say that Pecora is the guy.

I'd be fien with Pecora if we get turned down by 5-10 other guys.  Just not yet.

The amazing thing is how the conversation transitions from elite head coaches to Pecora, who hasn't made a single NCAA Tournament and certainly isn't going to be on the short list of any of the high-major openings (save,  SH, due to its major cleanup job).

For all of this talk about him being a whiz with the local powers, like Norm Roberts, I don't believe Tom Pecora has gotten a single recruit from St. Pat's, St. Anthony's, St. Benedict's, Patterson Catholic, or even Rice.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/03/21/donovan-focused-on-knight-not-st-johns/

Despite a published report to the contrary, St. John’s AD Chris Monasch has not contacted Jeremy Foley, his counterpart at Florida, for permission to speak with Donovan, a St. John’s spokesman said.

But Pecora can really clean up the lesser-known high schools!

But Pecora can really clean up the lesser-known high schools!

lol

Somehow, his local yokel media buddies don't use that as a selling point.

So you're giving Pecora credit for finding a diamond in the rough in Jenkins so does this mean we should credit Norm for finding DJ Kennedy?

To me this doesn't translate what so ever. Pecora can't win in his own conference how the hell is he going to win here?

He brought Jenkins to lowly Hofstra. We brought DJ to the BE. You want to compare apples to apples. Fine. But comparing his players to ours isn't going to help, and frankly, over the last 6 years, we'd lose most of the time.

Hofstra went 10-8. Not impressive by a long shot, but let's judge him fairly. Overall, he's been pretty good at Hofstra. Yet, from everything we've heard from Monasch, the guy isn't even on the table.

SJU should be looking for the least amount of risk. And that's not Pecora. It's not Greenberg either. Is it Hewitt? Maybe. Obviously, Pitino and Donovan need zero defending.

I'm pretty new to college basketball in the hardcore fan sense and I may be undervaluing Hofstra here so correct me if i'm wrong but...aren't they pretty irrelevant and lower level everything? People are acting as though Pecora is losing these recruiting battles because he's doing something wrong. The fact that he's even in some of these recruiting battles is a tribute to him and winning and competing the way he does says a lot about him as a coach considering the talent (or lack of) he's working with.

Every star coach has to get a start somewhere and Hofstra is just a starting point for this guy whether he turns out to be a star coach or another clueless coach who doesn't last two years with whoever hires him.

I'm pretty new to college basketball in the hardcore fan sense and I may be undervaluing Hofstra here so correct me if i'm wrong but...aren't they pretty irrelevant and lower level everything? People are acting as though Pecora is losing these recruiting battles because he's doing something wrong. The fact that he's even in some of these recruiting battles is a tribute to him and winning and competing the way he does says a lot about him as a coach considering the talent (or lack of) he's working with.

Every star coach has to get a start somewhere and Hofstra is just a starting point for this guy whether he turns out to be a star coach or another clueless coach who doesn't last two years with whoever hires him.

That is why we shouldn't hire him.  This hiring is too important to leave any doubt with.  We need a proven commodity.

hes perfect for fordham, i hope they get him...for us, its the worst decision monasch could make

He brought Jenkins to lowly Hofstra. We brought DJ to the BE. You want to compare apples to apples. Fine. But comparing his players to ours isn't going to help, and frankly, over the last 6 years, we'd lose most of the time.

This is an opinion neither of us can prove, but I don't know that Jenkins is actually Big East good.  A 6'3 hefty guard in the BE could be solid, or his 45.5% conversion percentage on shots inside the arc and a coach who has other options for scoring could make him into a decent but not incredible 3-point specialist (assuming that would go down vs. Big East athletes as well).