Game 4: Vermont- Saturday 11/16 4P (Queens)

Can I make it any clearer that I live in both NY and Florida. Holy crap. I’ve seen them in person, but I learn more about teams watching video.

I wasn’t crazy about Matt. I loved his creativity and hustle in recruiting, but he was a spineless rat who couldn’t evaluate talent to save his life an offered nothing in terms of coaching or player development.
 

What is the basis for this?

I think he was really good at evaluating talent. If you want to criticize I think it's fair to say he turned a blind eye on evaluating character or was too much of a risk taker to land top talent.

Malik Ellison was a bust. I was dead wrong on him too. Richard Freudenberg I think would have been better if they would have simply played him and went through some growing pains. Outside of that did we really have any swing and misses over 4 years?

Yes and I offered a handful of guys that were available that were better choices.

You’re going in circles Dave. You just said there weren’t available players for Matt and co. How much better would have last years team been if the end of the roster were of Champaigne, Sears and Rutherford caliber?

And your telling me 5 years ago their was not 1 pg available? We had to play a season with an 150 pound mussini at PG?

What year are you talking about? 2015-2016? 2016-2017?

What year are you talking about? 2015-2016? 2016-2017?

Year 1. Of mullin. I assumed that last what you were talking about.

Year 1. Of mullin. I assumed that last what you were talking about.

So yea we got Lovett that year but the NCAA really jerked us and didn't make him eligible.

We had Durand Johnson and Ron Mvouika as 1 yr stop gaps which kept the door open to increase talent in year 2.

Ellison was a combo guard to spill minutes.

The strategy was sound and if Lovett was eligible which he should have been everything would have been different. Lets think about this James Wiseman has acknowledged accepting money and he's gonna play again this year yet we couldn't get Lovett eligible.

So yea we got Lovett that year but the NCAA really jerked us and didn't make him eligible.

We had Durand Johnson and Ron Mvouika as 1 yr stop gaps which kept the door open to increase talent in year 2.

Ellison was a combo guard to spill minutes.

The strategy was sound and if Lovett was eligible which he should have been everything would have been different. Lets think about this James Wiseman has acknowledged accepting money and he's gonna play again this year yet we couldn't get Lovett eligible.

Lovett was 50/50 at best to be cleared. Even if he was that would only be 1 pg

Lovett was 50/50 at best to be cleared. Even if he was that would only be 1 pg

It was extremely thin class at PG and the staff came on very late. It's remarkable they were able to pull the class together like they did in a few months.

Remember Brandon Sampson and Samir Doughty both jumped ship. We managed to get Mussini, Sima, Johnson, Mouvika, Ellison, Lovett, Williams, Yakwe that year.

We tried to get Damion Lee in transfer but he ultimately chose Louisville. The only player I thought we could have tried to get was Traci Carter or KJ Walton but both probably would have road blocked Shamorie Ponds.

Take a look back at 2015 PGs

https://247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool&Position=PG

I really just don't know what kind of expectations you have

Also to add to this we had extreme scholarship imbalance. Adding in 2 grad transfers immediately was both good short term and long term.

It was extremely thin class at PG and the staff came on very late. It's remarkable they were able to pull the class together like they did in a few months.

Remember Brandon Sampson and Samir Doughty both jumped ship. We managed to get Mussini, Sima, Johnson, Mouvika, Ellison, Lovett, Williams, Yakwe that year.

We tried to get Damion Lee in transfer but he ultimately chose Louisville. The only player I thought we could have tried to get was Traci Carter or KJ Walton but both probably would have road blocked Shamorie Ponds.

Take a look back at 2015 PGs

https://247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool&Position=PG

I really just don't know what kind of expectations you have

My expectations are never to go 1-19. I blame everyone who contributed to making that happen. I have never seen a school do that to themselves.

I don't think so. We're preseason picked to finish 9th out of 10 teams in conference. Last year we were preseason picked to finish what? 4th? We weren't able to do that.

No coach in his first year of taking over a mediocre to average program like SJU should be expected to do that. If they do then that's a helluva coaching job. I'd be happy with 16-18 wins in Anderson's first season. Next year I'll expect better results out of him.

I agree.  So next year if we don't dance is it an underachieving season?

It was extremely thin class at PG and the staff came on very late. It's remarkable they were able to pull the class together like they did in a few months.

Remember Brandon Sampson and Samir Doughty both jumped ship. We managed to get Mussini, Sima, Johnson, Mouvika, Ellison, Lovett, Williams, Yakwe that year.

We tried to get Damion Lee in transfer but he ultimately chose Louisville. The only player I thought we could have tried to get was Traci Carter or KJ Walton but both probably would have road blocked Shamorie Ponds.

Take a look back at 2015 PGs

https://247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool&Position=PG

I really just don't know what kind of expectations you have

That's some darn impressive recruiting knowledge and good recall Dave.  You should have your own show.

I agree.  So next year if we don't dance is it an underachieving season?

Your not going to like this and just think I am talking shit. But we played the last 4 years basically without a head coach. We had no plan. Mullin accumulated plenty of talent. That’s not how you build a team.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. That was posted plenty around here. Finally 5 years later the complete rebuild has started. Maybe we make the tournament next year. I don’t think we will, unless LJ comes back. But We are never going to be bad again. This team will not be a laughingstock. Half of the roster won’t be transferring out. Recruiting will get better. Current players will improve.

I agree.  So next year if we don't dance is it an underachieving season?

If we are picked to finish 4th in the BE and lose in the playin game then yes we would have underachieved.

That's some darn impressive recruiting knowledge and good recall Dave.  You should have your own show.

That team needed a 2,1,or 0 star PG who could at least  dribble the ball up the court.

If we are picked to finish 4th in the BE and lose in the playin game then yes we would have underachieved.

So I've got it now. Your expectation of the season is based entirely on where we rank in the BE coaches pre-season poll and how we finish the season in relation to that in your mind.

You might want to rethink that.  It is a VERY inexact science.

When I was a head coach, I too participated in the coaches pre-season polling.  Some coaches rank the guys they like high and the ones they hate low. Some do it backwards for the heck of it hoping it lifts their own ranking because you do not get to vote for your own team. Some rank their son's alma mater high and their wife's low. Some tape it to the wall and throw darts at it or put it on the floor and let some of their bourbon spill on it (my personal favorite).  Neither the AD or anybody else in the athletic department reviews it.  You can do whatever you want.

The point being that what I'm trying to establish is when you traitors admit that Mullin shouldn't have left when he did and that you were too harsh on him because it wasn't his very inexperienced coaching necessarily that was the problem, it was the Universities snake bit basketball program that was the problem.

I already know at what point I'll admit that I'm glad CFC is the coach and it was good to replace Mullin with him.

Also to add to this we had extreme scholarship imbalance. Adding in 2 grad transfers immediately was both good short term and long term.

You really have gone off the rails man. Can't see the extreme hypocrisy in what you're saying because your friend was the lead recruiter on the last staff. Disappointing

You really have gone off the rails man. Can't see the extreme hypocrisy in what you're saying because your friend was the lead recruiter on the last staff. Disappointing

From memory that was the other guy’s recruits. We had no head coach and 2 top recruiters competing to give scholarships away. That’s some plan. No eligible PG but at least we get French Ron.

Yes and I offered a handful of guys that were available that were better choices.

You have absolutely no idea whatsoever if any of those guys were legitimate options or would have laughed Anderson off the phone if he called.

You have absolutely no idea whatsoever if any of those guys were legitimate options or would have laughed Anderson off the phone if he called.

I see a couple of y'all have finally figured him out. 

What is the basis for this?

I think he was really good at evaluating talent. If you want to criticize I think it's fair to say he turned a blind eye on evaluating character or was too much of a risk taker to land top talent.

Malik Ellison was a bust. I was dead wrong on him too. Richard Freudenberg I think would have been better if they would have simply played him and went through some growing pains. Outside of that did we really have any swing and misses over 4 years?

If Marillac says Matt is a spineless rat, it’s gotta be true, right?

Matt must have gone against the family.