Best Johnnies of al time!!

You make such stupid straw man arguments. This is St. John’s we don’t produce NBA All-Stars.

Big men in the range of Diakate miss all the time. He may not have lived up to #52 ranking but you don’t think we could have used him on every team the last decade? We keep clammoring for a 6’10+ big man to play 15 mins.

He had a ton of comp for his minutes. He wouldn’t have had much the last decade.

Diakite played at an Alibegovic level. Amazingly, he was actually less productive than Alibegovic.

Even beyond those highly ranked guys, Hatten’s teams had huge bodies all over. Mo Diakate, Abe the rat Keita, Curtis Johnson, Grady Reynolds, Anthony Glover, Donald Emanuel, Kyle Cuffe, and Eric King.

Come on now. Hatten carried the land of the misfit toys to the post season twice and won an NIT championship. He single handedly beat dook on national television in what was arguably one of the greatest victories in the history of this stupid shitty program. He was equal or better than Ponds in every meaningful statistical category - and I loved Ponds -  and defensively he was head and shoulders above him as well. If you have to rely on routing the prowess of Curtis Johnson and Abe Keita to deny Hatten's greatness while shitting on Justin Simon you're, well, I don't know what you're doing, but you're not telling the truth.

Come on now. Hatten carried the land of the misfit toys to the post season twice and won an NIT championship. He single handedly beat dook on national television in what was arguably one of the greatest victories in the history of this stupid shitty program. He was equal or better than Ponds in every meaningful statistical category - and I loved Ponds -  and defensively he was head and shoulders above him as well. If you have to rely on routing the prowess of Curtis Johnson and Abe Keita to deny Hatten's greatness while shitting on Justin Simon you're, well, I don't know what you're doing, but you're not telling the truth.

I’m not touting Keita or Johnson, but the collective size Hatten played with was a tool. We took a lot for granted back then...like players actually playing their positions.

If nothing else changed but the last Ponds team went from being abysmal at offensive rebounding to leading the nation like Hatten’s he would have made the sweet sixteen.

I’m not touting Keita or Johnson, but the collective size Hatten played with was a tool. We took a lot for granted back then...like players actually playing their positions.

If nothing else changed but the last Ponds team went from being abysmal at offensive rebounding to leading the nation like Hatten’s he would have made the sweet sixteen.

Hello basketball has changed whether any of us like it or not and has gone to position less basketball where traditional pivots have basically gone the way of the dinosaur. ponds played for Mullin who didn't believe in offensive rebounding preferring getting back on defense. If you think the lame bigs you mentioned would have made a huge difference in a Mullin team that wanted to run you are even more lost than I even imagined.

Come on now. Hatten carried the land of the misfit toys to the post season twice and won an NIT championship. He single handedly beat dook on national television in what was arguably one of the greatest victories in the history of this stupid shitty program. He was equal or better than Ponds in every meaningful statistical category - and I loved Ponds -  and defensively he was head and shoulders above him as well. If you have to rely on routing the prowess of Curtis Johnson and Abe Keita to deny Hatten's greatness while shitting on Justin Simon you're, well, I don't know what you're doing, but you're not telling the truth.

Hatten did not single handedly beat Duke. The game changed when Jarvis took Eric King out of the doghouse and put him on Dahntay Jones who had been killing us. King shut down Jones and we were able to come back.

Hatten did not single handedly beat Duke. The game changed when Jarvis took Eric King out of the doghouse and put him on Dahntay Jones who had been killing us. King shut down Jones and we were able to come back.

Thank you for fact checking my post. You've provided an invaluable service. But I was engaging in a bit of hyperbole. As is my wont.

Hatten did not single handedly beat Duke. The game changed when Jarvis took Eric King out of the doghouse and put him on Dahntay Jones who had been killing us. King shut down Jones and we were able to come back.

There were other people in St.John’s uniforms and they were on the same court as Hatten, but we all remember that Jarvis’s offensive strategy was to see if Marcus could beat his opponent by himself. The Duke game was no different, but they did play good defense. They all did that afternoon.

Diakite played at an Alibegovic level. Amazingly, he was actually less productive than Alibegovic.

Amar couldn’t play the 5. He couldn’t really even defend the four either.

Mo was always hurt. Comparing the two is absurd. Amar would never have played a second on those teams.

Amar couldn’t play the 5. He couldn’t really even defend the four either.

Mo was always hurt. Comparing the two is absurd. Amar would never have played a second on those teams.

Everybody is always playing through pain. Diakite wasn’t a D1 baller. He never made it that far. Neither did Amar. Same difference. Neither could defend anyone.

Amar couldn’t play the 5. He couldn’t really even defend the four either.

Mo was always hurt. Comparing the two is absurd. Amar would never have played a second on those teams.

Speaking of absurd, what point do you think you're making? Diakite didn't play a second - which in case there are any fact checkers attending this important exchange "a second" might be hyperbole - on those teams either. He played 250 minutes in four years including the time he was suspended for attending a gang rape. He might be the worst highest rated player SJU has ever had. He was top 50 recruit who accomplished nothing. Which OTOH no one other than dopey Steve Lavin had expectations for Amar, the gem of his French Riviera recruiting trip.

Speaking of absurd, what point do you think you're making? Diakite didn't play a second - which in case there are any fact checkers attending this important exchange "a second" might be hyperbole - on those teams either. He played 250 minutes in four years including the time he was suspended for attending a gang rape. He might be the worst highest rated player SJU has ever had. He was top 50 recruit who accomplished nothing. Which OTOH no one other than dopey Steve Lavin had expectations for Amar, the gem of his French Riviera recruiting trip.

I think Diakite would have played 10-15 minutes on any team Lavin or Mullin coached out of necessity.

Amar wouldn’t have even been recruited to St. John’s or GW by Jarvis.

Amar as a freshman played little. When he did play he was picking up fouls for moving screens.
As bad as amar was. He was the worst 4 year player in from my memory. He shouldn’t have been so useless. He shouldn’t have been allowed to shoot from 3 point range. He should have been forced to play defense.
Lavin shouldn’t have brought him in. Mullins kept him, re-recruited him, taught him nothing, allowed him to think he was a gunner, and never recruited over him.
Flawed players like Mohamed, Abe keita, and yakwe would would have been more effective players but coach Mullins would have had no use for them.

Wrong on all accounts. Harrison was better than Hardy.

Hatten had the team built around him we were #10 in the country in offensive rebounds one year and #1 overall in the ENTIRE country his other year. #5 that year had almost 100 less offensive rebounds! The team was built to screen for him and then rebound. Imagine Ponds had that?

It’s crazy how people don’t recalibrate their understanding of St. John’s hoops after the huge decline we’ve had. Hatten had #23 RSCI Anthony Glover and McDonald’s All-American and #28 RSCI Ingram on that team plus #63 RSCI in Cuffe and top 100 Willie Shaw.

All some remember is that Cuffe was kind of disappointing and Ingram missed all those treys at Syracuse. Those were full rosters of highly regarded recruits with 230+ pounders all over the place. Andre Stanley was a freaking walk-on.

We’ve had one truly full roster since and that was Hardy’s senior year.

The 2013-2014 roster was most certainly a "full" one.  Easily Lavin's worst job during his tenure.  That team should have not only cake-walked into the dance but made some noise.  Many other coaches could have taken that team to the Sweet 16.  Look at the quality, depth and versatility on that squad.

There were other people in St.John’s uniforms and they were on the same court as Hatten, but we all remember that Jarvis’s offensive strategy was to see if Marcus could beat his opponent by himself. The Duke game was no different, but they did play good defense. They all did that afternoon.

Agreed in that those Jarvis teams could defend and rebound.  We had some tough physical kids.  Offensively challenged though and nothing that resembled a true PG or anyone besides Hatten who could generate offense.  Fortunately Hatten was pretty freaking good on both ends.

I think Diakite would have played 10-15 minutes on any team Lavin or Mullin coached out of necessity.

Diakete who "was always hurt"? That Diakete? I like Mullin as much as the next guy but I don't think he could cure injuries by the laying on of hands.

Amar wouldn’t have even been recruited to St. John’s or GW by Jarvis.

Yeah, he had to save precious scholarships for the likes of Abe Keita and Curtis Johnson.

Agreed in that those Jarvis teams could defend and rebound.  We had some tough physical kids.  Offensively challenged though and nothing that resembled a true PG or anyone besides Hatten who could generate offense.  Fortunately Hatten was pretty freaking good on both ends.

Tristan Smith was a true point guard, but he wasn’t very good at first and he never played at a higher level than he did his freshman year.