Ponds vs Providence

Doesn't have to be one or the the other but personally I like the go big or go home philosophy.

If he can play, play him. If he can't then don't. The NIT is a lock with two more wins and would be a helluva building block for next year. Winning four games in four days with six players is possible, but it's just not realistic.

If he is fully healed then play him.

If healthy, he plays.  There are 12 other guys on the team that need rest too, but they are playing.  This is not the NBA.

There are relative milestones for every rebuilding program. Exceeding your win total every year is one, we've done that now. That's commendable considering the empty cupboard Mullin started with. With that being said making our first postseason tournament should be in the front of everyone's minds. That's the next step. Winning @Prov guarantees that.

We are playing with house money in the BET if we win on Saturday, hypothetically:

16-15 with wins @#1 Nova, @Prov, Butler, Nebraska and Duke.

To note however, it's Senior Day at Providence and they're firmly on the bubble. They are going to go all out.

I'll be heading up 95 bright and early Saturday morning regardless.

There are relative milestones for every rebuilding program. Exceeding your win total every year is one, we've done that now. That's commendable considering the empty cupboard Mullin started with. With that being said making our first postseason tournament should be in the front of everyone's minds. That's the next step. Winning @Prov guarantees that.

We are playing with house money in the BET if we win on Saturday, hypothetically:

16-15 with wins @#1 Nova, @Prov, Nebraska and Duke.

To note however, it's Senior Day at Providence and they're firmly on the bubble. They are going to go all out.

I'll be heading up 95 bright and early Saturday morning regardless.

Kudos to you for heading up to the game. hope you have a great time and bring home a victory. We owe them one and really would love to see us kick Cooley's ass or should I say Ass's cooley.

Doesn't have to be one or the the other but personally I like the go big or go home philosophy.

Do they get a lottery pick if they tank on purpose?

If he's healthy he plays. If he's hurt he doesn't.

Sit him out. After seeing what happened to Desi, I'd rather not risk it with Ponds on that atrocious court. Plus, if we can somehow beat Providence and get everybody else going, it might pump us up a bit more the BET. Even if we lose, have Ponds well rested, win a game in the Big East Tournament and I think the NIT is well within our grasp. My dream scenario;

DePaul upsets Xavier, Georgetown upsets Nova, we upset Providence with Ponds resting. This puts us in the 10 seed to play Marquette or maybe even Seton Hall. Win that game, and then play Thursday night instead of Thursday afternoon.

Worst-case scenario: Xavier beats DePaul, Nova loses to Georgetown, and we lose to Providence. Then we have to play Marquette or Seton Hall in Round 1 but then play Villanova the next afternoon.

The NIT isn't out of our reach with a 15-16 record when we have a top 10 SOS and a Top 100 RPI with wins over Duke, Nova, Nebraska, and either Marquette twice or Marquette and Seton Hall. Beating Providence should get us in for sure, but let's try and beat Providence without Ponds. Keep challenging the guys to step up

Sit him out. After seeing what happened to Desi, I'd rather not risk it with Ponds on that atrocious court. Plus, if we can somehow beat Providence and get everybody else going, it might pump us up a bit more the BET. Even if we lose, have Ponds well rested, win a game in the Big East Tournament and I think the NIT is well within our grasp. My dream scenario;

If Ponds is healthy, then play him.  If Ponds had an injured foot or ankle, then I'd likely sit him.  Besides, we don't know if condensation will be a problem Saturday.  So, let's not overract.  If it is, then I'm sure the game will be promptly postponed before it gets to the situation from a week ago.

Saturday's game is extremely important to our NIT chances, so play Ponds if he's able to go.

The NIT isn't out of our reach with a 15-16 record when we have a top 10 SOS and a Top 100 RPI with wins over Duke, Nova, Nebraska, and either Marquette twice or Marquette and Seton Hall. Beating Providence should get us in for sure, but let's try and beat Providence without Ponds. Keep challenging the guys to step up

You seem to have a wonderful imagination.  Listen, there's a huge chance we could be left out of the NIT, if we end up with a losing record.  No reason to risk playing Providence without Ponds, if he can go.  Providence is 'on the bubble' and it's 'Senior Day' for the Friars, too.  I'm sure it'll be packed and raucous, and we're probably gonna need Ponds services.  It'll probably be his call to go or sit, IMO.  If he can't go, then he'll likely sit.  If he can go, then he'll play.  Simple.

Quote from: we are sju on March 01, 2018, 11:48:06 AM

Doesn't have to be one or the the other but personally I like the go big or go home philosophy.

Do they get a lottery pick if they tank on purpose?

If he's healthy he plays. If he's hurt he doesn't.

You know if you put in a draft for College since lets be honest it is mostly a minor league for the NBA nowadays-might as well just embrace it it would put a stop to the under the table payments.

I have a feeling Ponds won't play. I feel like something is up with him similar to Lovett.

Quote from: Foad on March 01, 2018, 12:52:36 PM

Quote from: we are sju on March 01, 2018, 11:48:06 AM

Doesn't have to be one or the the other but personally I like the go big or go home philosophy.

Do they get a lottery pick if they tank on purpose?

If he's healthy he plays. If he's hurt he doesn't.

You know if you put in a draft for College since lets be honest it is mostly a minor league for the NBA nowadays-might as well just embrace it it would put a stop to the under the table payments.

Do it for top 100. Random lottery for every D 1 team.
How funny would it be for like Wagner College to get RJ Barrett

If he is healthy he has to play. Period.

Looking it up though a "severe" Ab strain could take up to six weeks to heal. Gotta hope it's not severe as we don't have that time.

Sit him out. After seeing what happened to Desi, I'd rather not risk it with Ponds on that atrocious court. Plus, if we can somehow beat Providence and get everybody else going, it might pump us up a bit more the BET. Even if we lose, have Ponds well rested, win a game in the Big East Tournament and I think the NIT is well within our grasp. My dream scenario;

DePaul upsets Xavier, Georgetown upsets Nova, we upset Providence with Ponds resting. This puts us in the 10 seed to play Marquette or maybe even Seton Hall. Win that game, and then play Thursday night instead of Thursday afternoon.

Worst-case scenario: Xavier beats DePaul, Nova loses to Georgetown, and we lose to Providence. Then we have to play Marquette or Seton Hall in Round 1 but then play Villanova the next afternoon.

The NIT isn't out of our reach with a 15-16 record when we have a top 10 SOS and a Top 100 RPI with wins over Duke, Nova, Nebraska, and either Marquette twice or Marquette and Seton Hall. Beating Providence should get us in for sure, but let's try and beat Providence without Ponds. Keep challenging the guys to step up

I am not sure Your worst case scenario can happen if we lose and depaul loses we are locked In  8-9 game

Sense he likely is out Saturday

Sense he likely is out Saturday

You know I don't think quad or abdominal injuries existed 15 to 20 years ago. Seems to be all the rage now. I would blame too much weightlifting but ST John's doesn't have a weight room.

Quote from: paultzman on March 01, 2018, 02:37:12 PM

Sense he likely is out Saturday

You know I don't think quad or abdominal injuries existed 15 to 20 years ago. Seems to be all the rage now. I would blame too much weightlifting but ST John's doesn't have a weight room.

As long as he is playing on Wednesday I have no problem with this - though I agree with you.

Quote from: johnniesfilmmaker on March 01, 2018, 01:02:39 PM

Sit him out. After seeing what happened to Desi, I'd rather not risk it with Ponds on that atrocious court. Plus, if we can somehow beat Providence and get everybody else going, it might pump us up a bit more the BET. Even if we lose, have Ponds well rested, win a game in the Big East Tournament and I think the NIT is well within our grasp. My dream scenario;

If Ponds is healthy, then play him.  If Ponds had an injured foot or ankle, then I'd likely sit him.  Besides, we don't know if condensation will be a problem Saturday.  So, let's not overract.  If it is, then I'm sure the game will be promptly postponed before it gets to the situation from a week ago.

Saturday's game is extremely important to our NIT chances, so play Ponds if he's able to go.

Quote

The NIT isn't out of our reach with a 15-16 record when we have a top 10 SOS and a Top 100 RPI with wins over Duke, Nova, Nebraska, and either Marquette twice or Marquette and Seton Hall. Beating Providence should get us in for sure, but let's try and beat Providence without Ponds. Keep challenging the guys to step up

You seem to have a wonderful imagination.  Listen, there's a huge chance we could be left out of the NIT, if we end up with a losing record.  No reason to risk playing Providence without Ponds, if he can go.  Providence is 'on the bubble' and it's 'Senior Day' for the Friars, too.  I'm sure it'll be packed and raucous, and we're probably gonna need Ponds services.  It'll probably be his call to go or sit, IMO.  If he can't go, then he'll likely sit.  If he can go, then he'll play.  Simple.

So you're honestly telling me 16-15 with a Top 10 SOS and Top 100 RPI is definitely in and we wouldn't have to win a game in the Big East Tournament. But if we lose and end up 15-16 but win a game in the Big East Tourney there's "a huge chance" we could be left out of the NIT? There's something wrong there. Either the win doesn't solidify anything and we still have to win a game in the Big East Tournament and losing to Providence means we'd have to win two in the BET or you're right on it solidifying our spot but then I'm right that one loss doesn't all of a sudden just plummet our chances especially if we win a game in the Big East Tournament.

Sense he likely is out Saturday

I'll never count them out but woof

So you're honestly telling me 16-15 with a Top 10 SOS and Top 100 RPI is definitely in and we wouldn't have to win a game in the Big East Tournament. But if we lose and end up 15-16 but win a game in the Big East Tourney there's "a huge chance" we could be left out of the NIT? There's something wrong there. Either the win doesn't solidify anything and we still have to win a game in the Big East Tournament and losing to Providence means we'd have to win two in the BET or you're right on it solidifying our spot but then I'm right that one loss doesn't all of a sudden just plummet our chances especially if we win a game in the Big East Tournament.

First of all, you never said anything about 16-15 in your initial post.  Secondly, I do think going into the Big East Tournament at 16-15, there is a probable chance we are in the NIT before playing our first game in the conference tournament.  If we lose our first round game next week, then we're 16-16 and it might be leave us on the fence.  But, I do believe winning one more game to get us to 17-15 would give us the breathing room needed to get a call for the NIT (even, if we lose the following game to go 17-16). 

If we're 15-16, and win our first round game to go 16-16 and lose the next game, then we're 16-17 and more than likely, left at home.  So, like I said in my initial post....  Saturday's game is huge for us.  It gives us breathing room and a smidget of room for error.  Lose Saturday, and two wins will likely be needed next week.  Win Saturday, and a loss in the opening round may put us on the fence.  But one win, and I'm confident we're in the NIT.  IMO, we need to stay at .500 or better.  Simple.