Creighton

Went to the game. Was a bit disappointed with the outcome, but I thought they played reasonably well against a very good team. Big difference between this year's team and last year's team was when Creighton went up 22, with a huge run to start the second half, last year's team would have folded and gone down 30, but this team fought back and at least made it semi-interesting.

Was my first game at Carnasecca since 2014, and man was it an awful experience. Obviously the seating is horrible with no seat backs, or arm rests in the upper level which is a nightmare when you get a bigger person sitting next to you, and on part of your seat the entire game. But can the school spring for some air conditioning in the arena at least? It had to be in the upper 80s in the arena and people were drenched in sweat. Will be going to MSG games only until some sort of renovation is done. Was one of the least fan friendly experiences I've ever been a part of at a sporting event.

Sounds like a horrible experience. Good to know and helpful input as I was thinking of taking my Dad to a game there but definitely will not now. 

We played pretty well against a very, very good team.  Still too many defensive failures and lazy defense.  We are not a bottom feeder in this league though and it was far from an easy game for Creighton.   We are still missing a few pieces, like PF/c.  Other than that, we gave some good effort, but fell short to a good team.

+1

Game went about as I expected.  They're a good team.  Glad we fought back after getting down by 20.  Missed a lot of scoring opportunities and gave up way too many easy baskets.  Our defensive awareness is pretty bad across the board.

Tough stretch of games...hopefully we can beat Georgetown on the road.  Starting out 3 and 3 would be a good start.

yakwe was never a good basketball player but he made up for that in hustle and strength. This year his motor has experienced engine failure. I don't know why but he isn't running rim to rim, hungry for offensive rebounds, or doing the little effort things that made him so favorable last year.

It's hard to knock Ponds but he dogged it defensively tonight. Needed more from him and Creifhton simply outworked. They came in like a top 10 team who wanted to blow St. John's out.


I think coaching staff was too quick to rotate bigs based on foul trouble. Needed to stick with Owens and Dwill or go small.

I'm disappointed they didn't hack-a-Patton. There was real opportunity there and stop the clock.

Side note this was one of the worst red crews I've ever seen.

I watch to much college hoops because when those three came out I turned to the guy next to me and told him it would be a long night. Clougherty is one of the worst and Prager isn't to far behind him. The other guy should be doing high school games.

Creighton Saint John's recap: http://www.bigeastboards.com/

Lacking in various respects for sure - no seat backs in many areas, concessions, temperature, etc.

That said, as a fan of this program, I loved being there last night.  It was a really good atmosphere to watch a college hoops game.  And I heard Butler was the same. 

I brought 4 guys to the game last night who have never been to Carnesecca.  Despite all of the negatives, they turned to midway through the second half when we cut the lead to 8 and said "this place is awesome"

Quote from: thetruth8734 on January 05, 2017, 12:45:07 AM

Went to the game. Was a bit disappointed with the outcome, but I thought they played reasonably well against a very good team. Big difference between this year's team and last year's team was when Creighton went up 22, with a huge run to start the second half, last year's team would have folded and gone down 30, but this team fought back and at least made it semi-interesting.

Was my first game at Carnasecca since 2014, and man was it an awful experience. Obviously the seating is horrible with no seat backs, or arm rests in the upper level which is a nightmare when you get a bigger person sitting next to you, and on part of your seat the entire game. But can the school spring for some air conditioning in the arena at least? It had to be in the upper 80s in the arena and people were drenched in sweat. Will be going to MSG games only until some sort of renovation is done. Was one of the least fan friendly experiences I've ever been a part of at a sporting event.

Couldn't agree more. I won't go to a game there.

Lacking in various respects for sure - no seat backs in many areas, concessions, temperature, etc.

That said, as a fan of this program, I loved being there last night.  It was a really good atmosphere to watch a college hoops game.  And I heard Butler was the same. 

I brought 4 guys to the game last night who have never been to Carnesecca.  Despite all of the negatives, they turned to midway through the second half when we cut the lead to 8 and said "this place is awesome"

Quote from: Marco Baldi on January 05, 2017, 09:18:35 AM

Quote from: thetruth8734 on January 05, 2017, 12:45:07 AM

Went to the game. Was a bit disappointed with the outcome, but I thought they played reasonably well against a very good team. Big difference between this year's team and last year's team was when Creighton went up 22, with a huge run to start the second half, last year's team would have folded and gone down 30, but this team fought back and at least made it semi-interesting.

Was my first game at Carnasecca since 2014, and man was it an awful experience. Obviously the seating is horrible with no seat backs, or arm rests in the upper level which is a nightmare when you get a bigger person sitting next to you, and on part of your seat the entire game. But can the school spring for some air conditioning in the arena at least? It had to be in the upper 80s in the arena and people were drenched in sweat. Will be going to MSG games only until some sort of renovation is done. Was one of the least fan friendly experiences I've ever been a part of at a sporting event.

Couldn't agree more. I won't go to a game there.

I'm sure the atmosphere was great. It's just the setting is awful

Mullin on Patton;
his NBA potential:

"He reminds me of Marcus Camby. [He has] great hands and even banged a three. Especially tonight, he looked All-NBA."

Ponds on Patton:

"That's a tough task for us. He's a big guy, has multiple moves and we didn't have an answer for him. He's a great player."

McDermott on Patton;

"Justin's best basketball is still ahead of him. He continues to grow and improve. A lot of it has to do with his work ethic and how he understands the value of competing on a consistent basis. As good as he was offensively the first half, he was equally as good defensively. That wasn't the case the first five or six games of the season. His low post game continues to develop... His patience down there and his footwork is off the charts. He's been a pleasure to coach and he's obviously a special young talent."


Guess somebody thinks he's good.
From my vantage point at arena, I agree with comments noted.

Of course he's good. He's the #17 projected pick in the 2018 draft. Whether he was good or not was never in dispute. I posted he's eventually a second round talent instead of the lottery pick some think, and that Watson was the guy to worry about.  I think Watson proved that unequivocally last night.

I wish we had a big we could debate about being a first or second round talent instead of whether they belong at CW Post or St. Francis.
 

Quote from: paultzman on January 05, 2017, 08:20:41 AM

Mullin on Patton;
his NBA potential:

"He reminds me of Marcus Camby. [He has] great hands and even banged a three. Especially tonight, he looked All-NBA."

Ponds on Patton:

"That's a tough task for us. He's a big guy, has multiple moves and we didn't have an answer for him. He's a great player."

McDermott on Patton;

"Justin's best basketball is still ahead of him. He continues to grow and improve. A lot of it has to do with his work ethic and how he understands the value of competing on a consistent basis. As good as he was offensively the first half, he was equally as good defensively. That wasn't the case the first five or six games of the season. His low post game continues to develop... His patience down there and his footwork is off the charts. He's been a pleasure to coach and he's obviously a special young talent."


Guess somebody thinks he's good.
From my vantage point at arena, I agree with comments noted.

Of course he's good. He's the #17 projected pick in the 2018 draft. Whether he was good or not was never in dispute. I posted he's eventually a second round talent instead of the lottery pick some think, and that Watson was the guy to worry about.  I think Watson proved that unequivocally last night.

I wish we had a big we could debate about being a first or second round talent instead of whether they belong at CW Post or St. Francis.
 

Fair enough. Fwiw, NBA, scout originally from this area,  disagrees with your "second round talent" projection. Lottery pick is another issue.

If we had a better plan for guarding Patton, it would have been a closer game. We have no center, and unfortunately, it killed us last night. Sima could have helped us guard Patton. It's hard to tell just how good he really is when Yakwe is guarding him, and doing a terrible job.

If we had an undersized defender on Patton but that defender had Ron Artest like strength, it could work. We are simply not strong enough to keep a guy like Patton off balance. Once he got the ball, it was over. He was going to score. That kid is going in the first round. Creighton wins now or never. I think they are capable of beating any team in the country. This is the fastest Creighton team I've ever seen.

Quote from: paultzman on January 05, 2017, 08:20:41 AM

Mullin on Patton;
his NBA potential:

"He reminds me of Marcus Camby. [He has] great hands and even banged a three. Especially tonight, he looked All-NBA."

Ponds on Patton:

"That's a tough task for us. He's a big guy, has multiple moves and we didn't have an answer for him. He's a great player."

McDermott on Patton;

"Justin's best basketball is still ahead of him. He continues to grow and improve. A lot of it has to do with his work ethic and how he understands the value of competing on a consistent basis. As good as he was offensively the first half, he was equally as good defensively. That wasn't the case the first five or six games of the season. His low post game continues to develop... His patience down there and his footwork is off the charts. He's been a pleasure to coach and he's obviously a special young talent."


Guess somebody thinks he's good.
From my vantage point at arena, I agree with comments noted.

Of course he's good. He's the #17 projected pick in the 2018 draft. Whether he was good or not was never in dispute. I posted he's eventually a second round talent instead of the lottery pick some think, and that Watson was the guy to worry about.  I think Watson proved that unequivocally last night.

I wish we had a big we could debate about being a first or second round talent instead of whether they belong at CW Post or St. Francis.
 

He's gonna be a lotto pick this year. Mobility, footwork, athleticism all off the charts. He's really really good.

We should have put in Holifield on Patton and just had him use 5 fouls. Stop the clock and try and climb back in at the end.

Quote from: Marillac on January 05, 2017, 11:18:19 AM

Quote from: paultzman on January 05, 2017, 08:20:41 AM

Mullin on Patton;
his NBA potential:

"He reminds me of Marcus Camby. [He has] great hands and even banged a three. Especially tonight, he looked All-NBA."

Ponds on Patton:

"That's a tough task for us. He's a big guy, has multiple moves and we didn't have an answer for him. He's a great player."

McDermott on Patton;

"Justin's best basketball is still ahead of him. He continues to grow and improve. A lot of it has to do with his work ethic and how he understands the value of competing on a consistent basis. As good as he was offensively the first half, he was equally as good defensively. That wasn't the case the first five or six games of the season. His low post game continues to develop... His patience down there and his footwork is off the charts. He's been a pleasure to coach and he's obviously a special young talent."


Guess somebody thinks he's good.
From my vantage point at arena, I agree with comments noted.

Of course he's good. He's the #17 projected pick in the 2018 draft. Whether he was good or not was never in dispute. I posted he's eventually a second round talent instead of the lottery pick some think, and that Watson was the guy to worry about.  I think Watson proved that unequivocally last night.

I wish we had a big we could debate about being a first or second round talent instead of whether they belong at CW Post or St. Francis.
 

He's gonna be a lotto pick this year. Mobility, footwork, athleticism all off the charts. He's really really good.

+1

Was my first game at Carnasecca since 2014, and man was it an awful experience. Obviously the seating is horrible with no seat backs, or arm rests in the upper level which is a nightmare when you get a bigger person sitting next to you, and on part of your seat the entire game. But can the school spring for some air conditioning in the arena at least? It had to be in the upper 80s in the arena and people were drenched in sweat. Will be going to MSG games only until some sort of renovation is done. Was one of the least fan friendly experiences I've ever been a part of at a sporting event.

The fact that the every seat besides the lower bowl doesn't have seat backs and arm rest / any sort of comfort is offensive. They are doing these 3-5 year long renovations, that should be the first thing that gets put in. I've sat in those seats a few times and will never do it again. It's so uncomfortable and painful makes for a horrific experience. Even the lower level opposite of the SJU bench is no seat backs. It's so unfair to treat your home crowd like this - and they wonder why people don't show up. Lack of food / drink options, lack of A/C, lack of comfort

Went to the game. Was a bit disappointed with the outcome, but I thought they played reasonably well against a very good team. Big difference between this year's team and last year's team was when Creighton went up 22, with a huge run to start the second half, last year's team would have folded and gone down 30, but this team fought back and at least made it semi-interesting.

Was my first game at Carnasecca since 2014, and man was it an awful experience. Obviously the seating is horrible with no seat backs, or arm rests in the upper level which is a nightmare when you get a bigger person sitting next to you, and on part of your seat the entire game. But can the school spring for some air conditioning in the arena at least? It had to be in the upper 80s in the arena and people were drenched in sweat. Will be going to MSG games only until some sort of renovation is done. Was one of the least fan friendly experiences I've ever been a part of at a sporting event.

Not to mention cutting off the replay screen . What a waste.

If we had a better plan for guarding Patton, it would have been a closer game. We have no center, and unfortunately, it killed us last night. Sima could have helped us guard Patton. It's hard to tell just how good he really is when Yakwe is guarding him, and doing a terrible job.

If we had an undersized defender on Patton but that defender had Ron Artest like strength, it could work. We are simply not strong enough to keep a guy like Patton off balance. Once he got the ball, it was over. He was going to score. That kid is going in the first round. Creighton wins now or never. I think they are capable of beating any team in the country. This is the fastest Creighton team I've ever seen.

I actually thought Bash did a pretty good job on him for the few possessions he was on him.

Patton's passing ability is what impressed me the most. Really has good timing and fit the ball into some tight spots

Quote from: thetruth8734 on January 05, 2017, 12:45:07 AM

Went to the game. Was a bit disappointed with the outcome, but I thought they played reasonably well against a very good team. Big difference between this year's team and last year's team was when Creighton went up 22, with a huge run to start the second half, last year's team would have folded and gone down 30, but this team fought back and at least made it semi-interesting.

Was my first game at Carnasecca since 2014, and man was it an awful experience. Obviously the seating is horrible with no seat backs, or arm rests in the upper level which is a nightmare when you get a bigger person sitting next to you, and on part of your seat the entire game. But can the school spring for some air conditioning in the arena at least? It had to be in the upper 80s in the arena and people were drenched in sweat. Will be going to MSG games only until some sort of renovation is done. Was one of the least fan friendly experiences I've ever been a part of at a sporting event.

Sounds like a horrible experience. Good to know and helpful input as I was thinking of taking my Dad to a game there but definitely will not now. 

Don't be discouraged from going.  It's not as bad as it's being painted here.

It's small and all seats are close to the action.  It feels like home to my family and I.

P.S.  I was surprisingly very impressed with the Blue Jays defensively.  They locked us down and gave us nothing the entire first half.  Then even though we scored a lot in the second half after the rout was on,  still thought we were making a lot of tough contested shots plus getting some from the line.

Money is being spent on the program while the rest of the University is receiving cutbacks and is being reorganized. The president and AD are all in that SJU sports starts with basketball. I believe more upgrades will come, but there is so much money to go around. Right now the money was spent on coaches and staff. This will hopefully turn into getting better players and for the first time since the team was called Redmen building a sustainable winning program. The results should be selling out the Garden and Carnasseca regularly, more people joining the red and white club, a larger and more loyal fan base  and overall more money being donated to the University  and program.

With increase money and a great vision, Carnassecca can be upgraded to a great band box arena that gives SJU a huge advantage and a great atmosphere for the fans....

Long story short, the money the school has is being spent on the right things, they just need more money.

If this was the game to bring this team back to reality, this was a great game for that. The team didn't play great, almost got ran out of their building, and the result was that they still had a chance. This should get the team humbled to play better, but confident that they can play with anybody in the conference.

TonyD, you're fired as the game thread starter. A good run though. Who is next to man the position? I vote Marillac