New Coach

Firing the face of the program after a tournament berth, to hire a 60yr old Tim Cluess would be embarrassing. And I'm sure he's a fine coach.

If Tim Cluess is our next HC, I think we can pencil ourselves in as a mid-major, perhaps competing for a tournament bid a few times per decade. And maybe that is the ceiling for us at this point.

If Cluess is the hire we are in ALOT of trouble- just going off on some things ive seen or read.

1. The obvious- winning but not a high major level. This is not MAAC, its the Big East.

2. Winning itself- yes he has made the tournament in a weak conference but when he has made the tournament he has had little to no success. At least give a major a fight consistently when you get there even if you lose. Also he started last season 2-9 with several losses to Ivy League schools including Princeton.

3. Recruiting- NY contacts yes, but what does that even mean anymore? We are in an age with national recruiting and NY connections won't buy you as much today when there are great players from other parts of the nation and the best here in many cases do prep ball elsewhere.

4. Staff- who is he getting that can land us national high school kids and put us in play for 4s and 5s again? Lav put us in play for 4s and 5 and Mullin (Matt) to a lesser extent with 4s. Is Cluess nationally respected that someone would join him? If anything the move should have been Mullin one more year with an extra year extension and adding a top notch assistant which he may attract. The next year we assess.

5. Players Now- Heron going to stay for Cluess? LJ? If they don't who is he getting so we have a respectable team??

6. Money- he is going to sell out the garden more often? One thing Mullin did that stood out was the selling and bringing revenue back.

7. System- I read he lives and dies by 3 ball- so tired of this style!!

If he is the hire, we know the school isn't serious and is accepting us a mid-major. So many names out there to contact and this is what we have. Shame. This is what Repole is putting his money in for?

Scheyer will not be the HC next year.

What are you hearing 79?

Heard there has been more than just one call with Brey.  Probably nothing but Cragg trying it seems.  Brey is signed through the 24-25 season, however.

I have no info on anything other than that (Hurley, Cluess etc). 

According to Twitter players are campaigning for St Jean. I think him as HC with Mullin and Richmond as lead assistants could work.

4. Lav put us in play for 4s and 5

Your Lavin ball washing never gets old. Speaking of 5-star recruits, where is Marco Bourgault these days?

According to Twitter players are campaigning for St Jean. I think him as HC with Mullin and Richmond as lead assistants could work.

Apparently Jimmer Fredette tweeted an endorsement as well. For some reason.

How do you cut ties with the face of the program and not have his replacement waiting in the wings already? Amateur hour

Your Lavin ball washing never gets old. Speaking of 5-star recruits, where is Marco Bourgault these days?

These are facts- he got us one Sheed and almost got us other 5 stars. He got them to at least consider us as finalists and was regularly in hunt for 4s. 2 NITs and 2 NCAAs not bad considering our luck recently. Maybe it was the right move to move on and go for better and maybe it wasn't? But one thing is sure- putting all joking aside for a minute if we get Cluess and this team is bottom feeder for the next 3 years you will be wishing we still had Lav or at the very least Mullin with top notch assistants. We could be entering an even darker time in SJU basketball right now......

If Cluess is the hire we are in ALOT of trouble- just going off on some things ive seen or read.

1. The obvious- winning but not a high major level. This is not MAAC, its the Big East.

2. Winning itself- yes he has made the tournament in a weak conference but when he has made the tournament he has had little to no success. At least give a major a fight consistently when you get there even if you lose. Also he started last season 2-9 with several losses to Ivy League schools including Princeton.

3. Recruiting- NY contacts yes, but what does that even mean anymore? We are in an age with national recruiting and NY connections won't buy you as much today when there are great players from other parts of the nation and the best here in many cases do prep ball elsewhere.

4. Staff- who is he getting that can land us national high school kids and put us in play for 4s and 5s again? Lav put us in play for 4s and 5 and Mullin (Matt) to a lesser extent with 4s. Is Cluess nationally respected that someone would join him? If anything the move should have been Mullin one more year with an extra year extension and adding a top notch assistant which he may attract. The next year we assess.

5. Players Now- Heron going to stay for Cluess? LJ? If they don't who is he getting so we have a respectable team??

6. Money- he is going to sell out the garden more often? One thing Mullin did that stood out was the selling and bringing revenue back.

7. System- I read he lives and dies by 3 ball- so tired of this style!!

If he is the hire, we know the school isn't serious and is accepting us a mid-major. So many names out there to contact and this is what we have. Shame. This is what Repole is putting his money in for?

Cluess started 2-9. That’s a reason to hire him. Look at what achieved from that point on.

The man builds. We haven’t had that.

Cluess started 2-9. That’s a reason to hire him. Look at what achieved from that point on.

The man builds. We haven’t had that.

But what are we building? A mediocre team, not attracting top talent and being 1 and done in NCAAs at best? Pitino is best chance if we are serious about talking about Elite 8s and Final 4s. HE can build a top tier program in a shorter span and at the very least mold a replacement for when he retires and bring money into the program for much needed renovations etc. Cluess does not have that track record or capability for what we need.  We do not need a choir boy we need a proven high level basketball coach.

These are facts- he got us one Sheed and almost got us other 5 stars. He got them to at least consider us as finalists and was regularly in hunt for 4s. 2 NITs and 2 NCAAs not bad considering our luck recently. Maybe it was the right move to move on and go for better and maybe it wasn't? But one thing is sure- putting all joking aside for a minute if we get Cluess and this team is bottom feeder for the next 3 years you will be wishing we still had Lav or at the very least Mullin with top notch assistants. We could be entering an even darker time in SJU basketball right now......

How exactly is it that you think he got Sheed?  Or Obekpa?  Charming personality?  Mary Ann J giving them a wink and a smile? The Thing grunting words of wisdom at them during recruiting visits?  Hint - one of the reasons he was pushed out was because of how he got these guys.

How do you cut ties with the face of the program and not have his replacement waiting in the wings already? Amateur hour

Spurs.

How exactly is it that you think he got Sheed?  Or Obekpa?  Charming personality?  Mary Ann J giving them a wink and a smile? The Thing grunting words of wisdom at them during recruiting visits?  Hint - one of the reasons he was pushed out was because of how he got these guys.

If anything "happened" you might as well unmask all the top tier programs. High level NCAA basketball is not a clean thing. And frankly I don't know and I don't care to know. Nothing has been actually proven. I look at results and where we once were under Louie and where we are today. In recent memory considering we have fallen the last 20 some-odd years, 2 NCAAs and 2 NITs in 5 years is not bad while having top prospects be engaged to even consider coming to Queens. Those results and some are what we are looking for in a coach- make the post-season and get us blue chip players, good players to grow us to contender.

These are facts- he got us one Sheed and almost got us other 5 stars. He got them to at least consider us as finalists and was regularly in hunt for 4s. 2 NITs and 2 NCAAs not bad considering our luck recently. Maybe it was the right move to move on and go for better and maybe it wasn't? But one thing is sure- putting all joking aside for a minute if we get Cluess and this team is bottom feeder for the next 3 years you will be wishing we still had Lav or at the very least Mullin with top notch assistants. We could be entering an even darker time in SJU basketball right now......

Almost doesnt count.  And Jordan should never have been recruited in the first place.   He doesnt get credit for a huge mistake. Kid was unreliable and uncoachable.  Disappeared for days at a time in the middle of the season.
As was said at the time, why on god's green earth wasn't Jay Wright recruiting him?

Apparently Jimmer Fredette tweeted an endorsement as well. For some reason.

And Jimmer just randomly happens to know the hashtag for St. Johns is #sjubb? GSJ is calling in favors.

These are facts- he got us one Sheed and almost got us other 5 stars.

The key word being almost. Still I think the Lewisburg Penitentiary team has a real shot to make some noise in the post season and that in no small part due to Lav's recruitment and development of 5-star recruit Rysheed Jordan.

He got them to at least consider us as finalists and was regularly in hunt for 4s. 2 NITs and 2 NCAAs not bad considering our luck recently. Maybe it was the right move to move on and go for better and maybe it wasn't? But one thing is sure- putting all joking aside for a minute if we get Cluess and this team is bottom feeder for the next 3 years you will be wishing we still had Lav or at the very least Mullin with top notch assistants. We could be entering an even darker time in SJU basketball right now......

As I stated over at my Emmy award winning blog (http://www.bigeastboards.com/) I was not in favor of Mullin being fired and if they were going to fire Mullin after four years in favor of some appalling dookie they should have given Lavin a lifetime contract.

Some of you fail to see the most important factor in hiring a new coach. A proven winner. That is Tim Cluess. Won at every level. You will all be very happy when has us perennially hovering around the top 25 and vying for tourney berths.

And Jimmer just randomly happens to know the hashtag for St. Johns is #sjubb? GSJ is calling in favors.

That's exactly what St. Jean is doing. 

Would be a big fan of GSJ taking over