Providence Post Game Discussion

If Dele isn't hurt, is his academic standing in question? Have to wonder.
SJU keeps everything from the fans until they know we're about to find out.

I cannot, in good conscience, pay money to watch this team until Norm Roberts is removed as head coach. We are the LA Clippers of college basketball, and Fr. Harrington is Donald Sterling. Pathetic.

Selfish, Selfish, Selfish. Shoot 1st, pass only if I have to. Paris and DJ look at the post and say to themselves how is that going to help my stats.

I would really like to know why Dele get no minutes in this game.

Don't blame DJ. He had a nice oop to Brownlee this game and he was solid overall.

How can you call a guy with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks selfish?

If Dele isn't hurt, is his academic standing in question? Have to wonder.
SJU keeps everything from the fans until they know we're about to find out.

Or you play a perimeter oriented team and Dele isn't the right personnel on this night.

Now I'm not sure why Rob Thomas logged as many minutes as he did. I guess Sean Evans is in the "doghouse"

However even though Sean hasn't played up to par in my opinion one thing he always brings is rebounding. He may make stupid turnovers, dribble too much, but he always grabs boards. He had 6 rebounds in 14 min while Brownlee and Thomas combined for 6 rebounds in 42 minutes. Thats a problem!

dave, agree...i dont see alot of talent, but i see talent, enough to win, enough to be a ranked team...but its being misused...ive seen a lot of teams win with less...and i'm sure i will take crap for this but what good is experience when that experience is 2 yrs under a coach of norms caliber...this team has played for 2 yrs but does not have experience...they still do not know how to play the game...so what happens next year if we do not get a new coach?...we lose everyone and have to "rebuild" again...its almost comical what this program has become...and its not the players fault, its not norms fault (the guy is clearly trying, and working his ass off)...its the admin...and until Harrington leaves (which isnt happening anytime soon) or Monasch grows a pair, we are going to be stuck in hell...another few games like this and we are in NIT land...from there i think we know where it goes

The time to fire Norm was last year.  Now, they have more or less guaranteed that any new coach will be unsuccessful during his first few years at St. John's.  Let's say someone is brought in for next season.  Sure, he'll have a pretty solid team full of seniors.  But then he'll lose 9 players, which pretty much guarantees 2011-'12 and 2012-'13 will be seasons to forget.  I'm sorry, but unless you seriously overpay someone, not many coaches are going to want to be put in that situation.

The idea of keeping Norm past this season (unless he makes the NCAA Tournament) is bordering on laughable.  Let's say the team makes the NIT this season and somehow makes the NCAA Tournament in 2010-'11 under Norm.  The program will be guaranteed 2 losing seasons thereafter.  Which means that after 9 years at HC, he'll be responsible for 1 NIT and 1 NCAA.  I mean, are you serious?

All teams know the formula for beating st. johnns now..Press.  Division 1 players should be able to handle a press.  Providence installing a press on a BIG EAST team for practically an entire game is unheard of.  Not even trapping aggressively but they knew the redmen love to push the ball but also turn the ball over ALOT.  Although Norm does alot bad I blame the players more than him for this press break.  I mean at times Stith literaly dribbled up through the press himself through this light press.  They werent even really trying to deny the middle cutter  Everytime a big man got it at half and held, the press backed off, but too many times they look to drive(Evans) and that was when hell broke loose.  I mean...if i was a coach in the BIG EAST where the basketball is the best, I don't need to draw up a break for that kind of press, it should just be common sense.  No adjustment Norm can make midgame for  terrible passes and dumb turnovers can be made. Players just shit the pot yesterday

Quote from: SJD on January 04, 2010, 12:53:05 AM

dave, agree...i dont see alot of talent, but i see talent, enough to win, enough to be a ranked team...but its being misused...ive seen a lot of teams win with less...and i'm sure i will take crap for this but what good is experience when that experience is 2 yrs under a coach of norms caliber...this team has played for 2 yrs but does not have experience...they still do not know how to play the game...so what happens next year if we do not get a new coach?...we lose everyone and have to "rebuild" again...its almost comical what this program has become...and its not the players fault, its not norms fault (the guy is clearly trying, and working his ass off)...its the admin...and until Harrington leaves (which isnt happening anytime soon) or Monasch grows a pair, we are going to be stuck in hell...another few games like this and we are in NIT land...from there i think we know where it goes

The time to fire Norm was last year.  Now, they have more or less guaranteed that any new coach will be unsuccessful during his first few years at St. John's.  Let's say someone is brought in for next season.  Sure, he'll have a pretty solid team full of seniors.  But then he'll lose 9 players, which pretty much guarantees 2011-'12 and 2012-'13 will be seasons to forget.  I'm sorry, but unless you seriously overpay someone, not many coaches are going to want to be put in that situation.

Keno Davis, Providence.  That's what he inherited.  He's doing ok for himself; it's not the best situation, but having 9 players in one graduating class wouldn't be good if someone new had the reins this year, either.  Still a big class to fill unless you run some guys out or redshirt some guys. 

All teams know the formula for beating st. johnns now..Press.  Division 1 players should be able to handle a press. 

That was the formula for beating them last year, as well. And the fundamentals of breaking the press were just as bad.  Stith has some learning to do, but there's no excuse for Kennedy and others' difficulty.

All teams know the formula for beating st. johnns now..Press.  Division 1 players should be able to handle a press.  Providence installing a press on a BIG EAST team for practically an entire game is unheard of.  Not even trapping aggressively but they knew the redmen love to push the ball but also turn the ball over ALOT.  Although Norm does alot bad I blame the players more than him for this press break.  I mean at times Stith literaly dribbled up through the press himself through this light press.  They werent even really trying to deny the middle cutter  Everytime a big man got it at half and held, the press backed off, but too many times they look to drive(Evans) and that was when hell broke loose.  I mean...if i was a coach in the BIG EAST where the basketball is the best, I don't need to draw up a break for that kind of press, it should just be common sense.  No adjustment Norm can make midgame for  terrible passes and dumb turnovers can be made. Players just shit the pot yesterday

It still falls back on coaching (or, lack of).  Put the players or the "right" players in position to break the press.

The lack of discipline is usually an indictment of coaching.

Norm had Burrell in the backcourt helping to break the press, with Paris in the middle just across half court.  A PC defender was able to over-play Paris and deny the pass to the middle---leaving Burrell to handle the ball against a guard.

Burrell should have been in the front court and DJ or Hardy should have been helping break the press.  I don't think Keno thought the press would work so well but when he saw that we had no clue how to break it, he kept using it.

I have been a Norm defender over the years but this is the worst coaching job that I've seen from him yet.  The team looked totally unprepared, were put in the wrong positions on the court and didn't know the basics of breaking the press.  I thought that the inability to run a fast break was the fault of the players for not executing what is being taught but now I have to believe that they are not being taught at all---not even the basics.

I will continue to attend games and root for my team but I can no longer defend Norm.  I had to take a day of from the boards because I have been numb.  It feels like I just walked in on my wife with the mailman.  There is a pain in my gut that still hasn't gone away.  Any optimism I had for this season is gone.  I am back to where I was after the Marquette game in the BE tournament last year.  I can only pray for a few miraculous wins to make me have hope again.

all norm is able to give this team is heart. they play hard, trust each other, and never stop fighting.

with that said, this is the worst coached team i have ever seen.  a basketball player in high school would be benched for displaying the basic stupidity that almost defines this team. how many times last game did we turn over the ball when we crossed half court and immediately picked up the dribble? when was the last time you saw a high->low pass against a zone? inside->out to set up a shot? we only score when dwight gets aggressive or when dj makes a play.

its embarrassing ever game that announcers who dont know the names of our players can identify that we do nothing besides swing the ball around the outside. ball movement only breaks down a zone when you squeeze it.

how is it that everyone knows what needs to be fixed or worked on and yet YEARS have gone by without them being addressed?

Sorry but the team gave up at the end of this game. That was probably the most disheartening thing about the game. Providence stuck it to us while we sulked with our tails between our legs.

This about sums up the game...



Courtesy of our friends at Friarblog.com

And sometimes, if you attack the press and get a few easy baskets, the other team will back off.  We allowed PC to control tempo throughout the 2nd half and we played scared.  No one took charge on the court but it appeared that they didn't know what to do as the PC lead grew.  Boothe would have helped but I can't say that we would have won the game had he been able to play.  At this point, I am hoping that Mase's return will result in a more potent offense.  C'mon Mase...be greedy.  Look for your shot everytime you touch the ball.  Build up your stats. 

Just frustration talking.