Bringing in the first recruit is key...

"Those brothers that ignore histry is doomed to repeat it."

Erik Bakley wuz a straight-up program changer. Dont let anybdy tell y'all different. 
And even thought I luv the brother, Felipe Lopez wasn't.

So it aint 'bout who can score mo or how high they do jump. 
It aint about the press clippings or what they do at ABCD.
Its about what impact they have on the team.

St. John was awful and mediocre 'fore Eric came. Then they wuz straight up Elite 8 and BE champions. He wuz the glue.

St. John dont need players that play for theyselves.
St. John dont need players that play for they boys.
St. John dont need players that play for the scouts.
 
ST. JOHN NEED A PLAYER THAT PLAY FOR ST. JOHN.

"Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone. "
John Maynard Keynes

After St. John's got Reggie Jessie, it helped the staff's chances with Ron Artest enormously. Eventually, Atest signed on and the next year SJU went to the NCAAs (Detroit). As with the majority of players, Artest made his biggest jump between his freshman and sophomore seasons (which is something that Justin Burrell will likely make that jump this season) and Erick Barkley, their fellow Riverside teammate came down from MCI, & Bootsy Thornton (a two time all-BE player in his two seasons) to help lead the program to the Elite 8. The program dropped back when Barkley didn't have Artest the next season.

St. John's benefited. The players benefited.
They both left as soon as they felt they could get the money they were looking for. It's okay that they played for the scouts because they benefited and the program benefited from them trying to impress the scouts and GMs. It's okay that they wanted to bring the Riverside boys (67-1 in AAU with Artest, Brand, Glover, Barkley, etc.) to St. John's. They had fun together and the program won big.

The program dropped back when Barkley didn't have Artest the next season.

Without Artest we won the Big East Tournament and we were seed #2 in NCAA Tournament. (1999-00 season).

Quote from: Not The Sleaveless Guy on July 29, 2008, 11:10:07 AM

The program dropped back when Barkley didn't have Artest the next season.

Without Artest we won the Big East Tournament and we were seed #2 in NCAA Tournament. (1999-00 season).

1998-99: Elite Eight
1999-2000: After squeaking by #15 seed N. Arizona, STJ gets a second round ouster.

How is 1999-2000 a step back? Y'all acting like 2nd round upsets don't happen in the NCAA Tournament?! 2000-2001 was a step back, (14-15) (8-8 Big East).

They went from being ranked #9 in 1998-1999 final AP poll all the way down to #9 in 1999-2000. Quite the dropoff

They went from being ranked #9 in 1998-1999 final AP poll all the way down to #9 in 1999-2000. Quite the dropoff

Moderator Jumpin Johnny,
I realize we have been pathetic for almost a decade so that, for some of our fans, regular season wins are a big deal, but,  for elite programs like UConn, UCLA, and Kansas, you are judged by what you do in The Tournament. Therefore, going from an Elite Eight season with Artest to missing the Sweet Sixteen without Artest would be viewed as a step backwards.  Similarly, after Barkley bolted the following season and the program failed to even make The Tournament with Omar Cook (before he deserted the program), it would be viewed as a further step backwards.

This was a non-issue, but, if the Spaniard felt it was necessary to pull one sentence out of a passage to divert the general gist of the counterargument, that's fine.

I see that my poll, Blame, was also pulled overnight (perhaps due to the crazy poster getting into another dispute). I was going to put up a more positive, forward looking poll today, but why waste the time. 

Mr. Not the sleaveless guy feel free to call me jumpinjohnny...  

We are not an elite program...unless of course you've been in a coma for the past 23 years.  And no matter what type of program you are...the 1998-1999 season to 1999-2000 season was not a step back.  Its okay to admit when you're wrong.  Choz apparently believes that Barkley was the glue to the team.  You apparently believe it was Artest.  A few astute posters mentioned the fact that the 2 successful years we've had in the last 20 happened when Barkley was on the roster.  Apparently you believe it was just a coincidence.  Which is fine...your entitled to your opinion.

As for your poll, I didn't pull it.  But yes, a few of the posters on this board continue to go back and forth and waste all of our times.  But please feel free to post the uplifting poll.  I'm looking forward to it.

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This was a non-issue, but, if the Spaniard felt it was necessary to pull one sentence out of a passage to divert the general gist of the counterargument, that's fine.

No reason to call Gonzalo any names. Guy made a valid post.

Quote from: Not The Sleaveless Guy on July 29, 2008, 12:58:49 PM

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This was a non-issue, but, if the Spaniard felt it was necessary to pull one sentence out of a passage to divert the general gist of the counterargument, that's fine.

No reason to call Gonzalo any names.

Gonzalo is from Spain.
Therefore, he is a Spaniard.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Spaniard

If you consider this, in any way, to be "name calling," then you sincerely need to be less hypersensitive.

if you're from spain and thats offense, consider this...thats what they called maximus...and if you think you're better than maximus, then just get the hell off this forum

gladiator great movie. It's just as easy to call him gonzalo as it is spanisrd so I int see why you would call him that. Let's try and refrain from calling anyone other than what their user name is.