Vince Cole

This is becoming bizarro world. Why does everything have to be one extreme or the other? There is no nuance allowed?

Forget about college basketball - that is the world we live intoday, in all things...

People can sit behind a keyboard or on a phone, be completely anonymous and go on and on and on about anything they want...

I’ve never seen Guess play but it’s problematic to be be recruiting two JUCO wings in the same class.

I do not like the reliance on JUCOs. There are no top 50 kids that fit Anderson’s “system”?

Sanchez was awful here, but to be fair he was the type of player that needed a defined role and structure and Lavin was not that coach.

Top 50 kids? Gotta win and do it consistently to get those type of recruits. Give him a year or two and he'll probably land one or two of those.

Top 50 kids? Gotta win and do it consistently to get those type of recruits. Give him a year or two and he'll probably land one or two of those.

Funny, Lavin and Mullin didn’t have to win anything to get top 50 kids. Jarvis was getting those kids too before he won at St. John’s. The only two coaches who have ever gone this long without even coming close have been Norm and Anderson.

Why does Anderson have to win for two years if he has never had a losing season in his career?

I’ll happily shut up if he goes head to head with major programs and gets a big time talent, but that doesn’t look like his plan. He seems content getting tons of low lying fruit that the big boys aren’t pursuing hard.

Funny, Lavin and Mullin didn’t have to win anything to get top 50 kids. Jarvis was getting those kids too before he won at St. John’s. The only two coaches who have ever gone this long without even coming close have been Norm and Anderson.

Why does Anderson have to win for two years if he has never had a losing season in his career?

I’ll happily shut up if he goes head to head with major programs and gets a big time talent, but that doesn’t look like his plan. He seems content getting tons of low lying fruit that the big boys aren’t pursuing hard.

Mullin got top 50 kids and still couldn't win here. You keep conveniently leaving out the other crucial part of the equation. Coaching ability.

That's where Anderson shines over his predecessors. He's got the track record. Let him coach a game, even a season, before you start knocking his recruiting strategy. He may actually win a good amount with these recruits he's bringing in.

Mullin got top 50 kids and still couldn't win here. You keep conveniently leaving out the other crucial part of the equation. Coaching ability.

That's where Anderson shines over his predecessors. He's got the track record. Let him coach a game, even a season, before you start knocking his recruiting strategy. He may actually win a good amount with these recruits he's bringing in.

What's wrong with you mentally?  Are you not all there?  I have never made the case that Anderson isn't a good coach or doesn't have a good track record.  In fact, I've posted quite the opposite and that I believe he will be a better coach and developer of talent than either Lavin or Mullin -- neither of whom had coaching philosophies that I agreed with.  I'm even willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he has a better eye for talent.

My one and only problem with Andersn is recruiting. The issue could not be any more narrow in scope so please stop attributing stances to me that I do not hold to make your replies easier. It's exhausting and it's an incredibly lazy way to discuss anything.

Is it possible to discuss anything on a St. John's forum without being at one extreme or another in 2019?  E.g., I did not like Matt A and thought his talent evaluation was garbage. I did like his creativity and ability to land top prospects, though.  I was satisfied with Mullin overall but also wished for more success, changes to his coaching staff, and more structure.  It's possible like certain qualities of a coach or player while disliking or wanting improvement in others. 

Maybe every kid Anderson has landed fits his system...great.  There is no way in hell that there aren't better talents that are ranked higher that also fit his system, though.  There is just no way in hell that Rutherford is a better fit than Jaylen Fisher.  Fisher can't defend?  He played under freaking Jamie Dixon who is all about defense -- and played well.  He can shoot better than Rutherford.  He has more experience against top talent and programs than Rutherford. He was ranked exponentially higher than Rutherford.  He can pass and run an offense better than Rutherford. But Rutherford is here and Fisher is playing with freaking Mikey Dixon at Grand Canyon University while our staff was literally chasing JUCOs after their coaches tweeted they were still available -- competing against teams like North Texas for them too.

I’ve never seen Guess play but it’s problematic to be be recruiting two JUCO wings in the same class.

I do not like the reliance on JUCOs. There are no top 50 kids that fit Anderson’s “system”?

I get your point but you know who's in the top 50 as well as, if not better, than most.  Who do you think is in play that they're not gaining satisfactory traction with given the situation?  Who do you think was in play if a different hire was made?  Porter Moser's not getting Andre Curbelo to walk through that door.

Lavin and Mullin walked in with celebrity status to a certain extent which helped them hit the ground running, though signing Durand Johnson wasn't really any type of coup, maybe Yakwe was - nah.  I would love to see the staff jump on some high major transfers after showing some success their first year like Mullin did with Simon and Clark.  But complaining they haven't already is premature.

While CMA and staff might be more accomplished or at least take a more professional approach to the day to day aspects of the job they aren't celebrities.  I hope that the quality of the incoming talent rises in the future too but I'm pretty sure this coach can take equal talent higher than either of the celebrities most recently on the STJ bench and you seem to agree.  If nothing else I'm pretty sure this year's team won't go 8-24 like Mullin's first team.

PS if this is just because you think your boy Hsu would be doing a better job  than Demeo or Macon then forget I posted.

I'm pretty sure this year's team won't go 8-24 like Mullin's first team.

Of course they won't dummy, because Mullin didn't bequeath CTC talent like Felix Balamou and Amir Alibagoshit.

Of course they won't dummy, because Mullin didn't bequeath CTC talent like Felix Balamou and Amir Alibagoshit.

What’s sad is you really liked Felix as a player for some reason. But he gets thrown right under the bus when someone says says something about coach Mullins.

Top 50 kids? Gotta win and do it consistently to get those type of recruits. Give him a year or two and he'll probably land one or two of those.

Not a single Big East team has landed a top 50 kid for 2020 yet at this point. 

What’s sad is you really liked Felix as a player for some reason. But he gets thrown right under the bus when someone says says something about coach Mullins.

The point is Felix is a bench player that is good for a few minutes a game. I'm sure you're taking a squad led by Amar and Felix over Heron,LJ Steere & Williams.

Not a single Big East team has landed a top 50 kid for 2020 yet at this point.

Even more reason for Anderson to prove it on the court first and the recruits will follow.

Even more reason for Anderson to prove it on the court first and the recruits will follow.

Prove it on the court? He’s like 80 and has coached at several schools. How much more proof do recruits need?

Even more reason for Anderson to prove it on the court first and the recruits will follow.

I don’t know why people are up in arms about some nice jc players with potential.  Our staff has quite a few good talent evaluators and a good track record with them.  Scouting talent is an underrated thing these days.  Huggins loves jucos and routinely brings in several.  We lose our biggest talents next year in Figs and Heron and will need some stopgap players as well as freshmen.  Posh is an excellent freshman PG.  In a 4-5 man class, a few jucos and some good freshmen with potential I don’t see anything wrong with.  I think our recruiting will continue to improve with time. 

I too believe we need more upper level talent, but this team needs a total rebuild in general.  Jucos can help bridge that gap so maybe we don’t take a massive downturn after this season after losing all of our tier 1 talent. 

We hire the most proven coach we have hired in long time and all I see are unreasonable people expecting a top 5 class in a few months.  The guy has a record of 370-200 with no losing seasons yet he’s getting the Norm treatment.   

I don’t know why people are up in arms about some nice jc players with potential.  Our staff has quite a few good talent evaluators and a good track record with them.  Scouting talent is an underrated thing these days.  Huggins loves jucos and routinely brings in several.  We lose our biggest talents next year in Figs and Heron and will need some stopgap players as well as freshmen.  Posh is an excellent freshman PG.  In a 4-5 man class, a few jucos and some good freshmen with potential I don’t see anything wrong with.  I think our recruiting will continue to improve with time. 

I too believe we need more upper level talent, but this team needs a total rebuild in general.  Jucos can help bridge that gap so maybe we don’t take a massive downturn after this season after losing all of our tier 1 talent. 

We hire the most proven coach we have hired in long time and all I see are unreasonable people expecting a top 5 class in a few months.  The guy has a record of 370-200 with no losing seasons yet he’s getting the Norm treatment.

It's pretty obvious that those unreasonable posters have their own agenda. I'm looking forward to watching a coached up team again. Makes the games much more competitive and interesting.

Prove it on the court? He’s like 80 and has coached at several schools. How much more proof do recruits need?

Do you ever stop with the digs on this guy that aren't basketball related? He's not even 60 yet so age is not a factor at all. He could be here for 10 years if he wins and wanted to be. The only proof recruits need are his W-L record. Wait and see what he does.

Do you ever stop with the digs on this guy that aren't basketball related? He's not even 60 yet so age is not a factor at all. He could be here for 10 years if he wins and wanted to be. The only proof recruits need are his W-L record. Wait and see what he does.

Do you ever stop with the excuses? He’s proven...that’s a bad thing now? The age was an exaggeration for effect...obviously he’s not 80. I can’t believe I have to explain that. Were you raised in Iowa?

In two decades as a head coach he’s never had a losing season. He’s made an Elite Eight. You can’t use that to give him the benefit of the doubt for what he’ll do here as a coach and also say he needs to prove himself to explain why we aren’t even seriously involved with any top recruits.

Do you ever stop with the excuses? He’s proven...that’s a bad thing now? The age was an exaggeration for effect...obviously he’s not 80. I can’t believe I have to explain that. Were you raised in Iowa?

In two decades as a head coach he’s never had a losing season. He’s made an Elite Eight. You can’t use that to give him the benefit of the doubt for what he’ll do here as a coach and also say he needs to prove himself to explain why we aren’t even seriously involved with any top recruits.

Posh is a top recruit.  He was top 100 until his injury and I think he will be back there again.  We also landed a first team juco AA.  I’m not sure who you think we should be involved with as Anderson just filled his staff a month or two ago?  We are in curbelos top 5, Omoruyi, Richmond’s amongst others.  Just because we may not close on all of them within little more than 4 months of Anderson taking the job means little.  We are certainly involved with a lot of them.  Can’t compare to Lavin and Mullin who parlayed their celebrity status, but soon after recruiting fizzled with little decent staff to do the work. 

Reminder - this is the guy that UAB and Mizzu fans famously called "suitcase Mike" for his propensity to constantly be looking at other jobs.  The move to get JUCOs may be in large part to follow up on what, at least in my view, should be a good season with MH and LJ and a very strong big in Steere, with a team which has solid experience already thru the JUCOs and Dunn. If he does somehow make the NCAAs for 2 consecutive years, he probably won't be coaching at SJU by April 2021

Do you ever stop with the excuses? He’s proven...that’s a bad thing now? The age was an exaggeration for effect...obviously he’s not 80. I can’t believe I have to explain that. Were you raised in Iowa?

In two decades as a head coach he’s never had a losing season. He’s made an Elite Eight. You can’t use that to give him the benefit of the doubt for what he’ll do here as a coach and also say he needs to prove himself to explain why we aren’t even seriously involved with any top recruits.

WTF are you talking about? You're hopping over the fence so often I can hardly tell which side you're on anymore. I'm talking about the recruits coming here based off his W-L record as SJU coach, not his two decades as a HC. He has to prove it here obviously. Season needs to get here already.

Reminder - this is the guy that UAB and Mizzu fans famously called "suitcase Mike" for his propensity to constantly be looking at other jobs.  The move to get JUCOs may be in large part to follow up on what, at least in my view, should be a good season with MH and LJ and a very strong big in Steere, with a team which has solid experience already thru the JUCOs and Dunn. If he does somehow make the NCAAs for 2 consecutive years, he probably won't be coaching at SJU by April 2021

Reminder - this is the guy that UAB and Mizzu fans famously called "suitcase Mike" for his propensity to constantly be looking at other jobs.  The move to get JUCOs may be in large part to follow up on what, at least in my view, should be a good season with MH and LJ and a very strong big in Steere, with a team which has solid experience already thru the JUCOs and Dunn. If he does somehow make the NCAAs for 2 consecutive years, he probably won't be coaching at SJU by April 2021

This is laughable. To listen to those fans who were upset when he left is idiotic.   He’s only had 3 jobs to get those 370 wins since 2002.  UAB was a mid major, Missouri was his first big D1 job and Arkansas likely his dream job.  Mike Anderson is far from a job hopper.