22-23 Championship Season

Did you watch games this past season? Yes, they played enough to tell they can run and are good athletes. Will they be good enough basketball players? We will see. But to say they can’t run isn’t correct.

 You have really low standards.

 You have really low standards.

There is only one standard and it is to win basketball games by putting the ball into the basket more than your opponents.
So far we have been deficient and adding Curbelo is no guarantee that more balls are going through the basket because we still have the fewest pure shooters in the conference.
Yes, we will be the fastest team in the Big East but unfortunately basketball is not a high jump track event but more of a well choreographed relay race. I am concerned we won't have a finisher with the baton in his hands.

Did you watch games this past season? Yes, they played enough to tell they can run and are good athletes. Will they be good enough basketball players? We will see. But to say they can’t run isn’t correct.

This was actually the least athletic St. John’s team since I’ve been following in mid-90s. It was even close either.

We were also the least athletic team in the conference by a wide margin.

This was actually the least athletic St. John’s team since I’ve been following in mid-90s. It was even close either.

We were also the least athletic team in the conference by a wide margin.

More athletic than Geno at the 1 for 35 minutes and Lamont at the 5 for 30?

This was actually the least athletic St. John’s team since I’ve been following in mid-90s. It was even close either.

We were also the least athletic team in the conference by a wide margin.

What are you talking about? Define “athletic”

What are you talking about? Define “athletic”

Let me interrupt this argument by saying we should all agree that athletic is a word that best described a former player Marco Baldi.
He had incredible physical skills, was super strong and agile and could play 80 minutes if necessary with his boundless energy and stamina. He was also extremely quick and could jump over the hoop and block shots with his pinky finger.

BTW, Proud Alum can you tell us what happened to Beast of the East?  He mysteriously disappeared when you appeared.

More athletic than Geno at the 1 for 35 minutes and Lamont at the 5 for 30?

Yes. Those teams had Cedric Jackson who was a freak athlete. It also had Showtime on the roster who was a top 25 recruit by some recruiting services and a dynamic playmaker.  That team also had Ryan Wiliams who was a freakshow of an athlete, albeit raw as can be. They also had 6’8 Rodney Epperson at SF for some of the season. Lamont Hamilton was all league and clearly a better player and athlete over Soriano.

Posh is twice the athlete of anyone else on last year’s squad. Wheeler is a plus athlete. Nyiwe is a plus athlete. Mathis is an average to slightly above average athlete.

Yes. Those teams had Cedric Jackson who was a freak athlete. It also had Showtime on the roster who was a top 25 recruit by some recruiting services and a dynamic playmaker.  That team also had Ryan Wiliams who was a freakshow of an athlete, albeit raw as can be. They also had 6’8 Rodney Epperson at SF for some of the season. Lamont Hamilton was all league and clearly a better player and athlete over Soriano.

Posh is twice the athlete of anyone else on last year’s squad. Wheeler is a plus athlete. Nyiwe is a plus athlete. Mathis is an average to slightly above average athlete.

Noted that you failed to answer the question. Let’s try this- is Champagnie a good athlete? Was Chris Mullin a good athlete?

BTW, Proud Alum can you tell us what happened to Beast of the East?  He mysteriously disappeared when you appeared.

I'm not so sure I agree 100% with your policework there Lou.

This is absolutely not BOTE. If it were his posts would be longer, much more portentous and full of lies and self-aggrandizement. Everything that he writes sounds like he's practicing to be the featured speaker at the Elmont Kiwanis pancake breakfast. Whereas this guy's just a run of the mill ball-washer.

Yes. Those teams had Cedric Jackson who was a freak athlete. It also had Showtime on the roster who was a top 25 recruit by some recruiting services and a dynamic playmaker.  That team also had Ryan Wiliams who was a freakshow of an athlete, albeit raw as can be. They also had 6’8 Rodney Epperson at SF for some of the season. Lamont Hamilton was all league and clearly a better player and athlete over Soriano.

Posh is twice the athlete of anyone else on last year’s squad. Wheeler is a plus athlete. Nyiwe is a plus athlete. Mathis is an average to slightly above average athlete.

Mathis just slightly above average athletically?

I was just hoping to hear you mention alligator athleticism

Mathis just slightly above average athletically?

I was just hoping to hear you mention alligator athleticism

From the ESPN Scouting Report on Montez Mathis (emphasis added):
Mathis is a long and athletic wing with broad shoulders. He's gotten himself into very good shape and maximized his explosiveness by leaning out what was once a naturally broader build. He's lethal in transition as he attacks with both speed and power to get downhill ...

Noted that you failed to answer the question. Let’s try this- is Champagnie a good athlete? Was Chris Mullin a good athlete?

No, Champagnie and Mullin are not good athletes compared to other high level power conference players. They are both remarkably skilled.

How good a player is or was is a completely different argument than how athletic they were. I’ve been following SJU since mid-90’s and if I had to make a top ten most athletic players list, then both Cedric Jackson and Ryan Williams would be on that list without a doubt.

Ryan Williams didn’t have 1/20th the skill Champ has, though.

Norms teams sucked, but they always had athletes. Evans, Burrell, and Brownlee were tanks with above the rim talent. Mase Jr was extremely  athletic. Showtime when healthy was literally unguardable.

There is no reasonable argument that the 2021-22 St. John’s team was more athletic than the year prior.

Mathis just slightly above average athletically?

I was just hoping to hear you mention alligator athleticism

Mathis, Wheeler, and Nyiwe are all good or very good athletes. None of them are freaks. I think Dunn was a freak. Williams was close. Isiah Moore and Cole…they were all very good athletes.

If Moore has Champ’s skills, he would be a lottery pick.

Rumors of a portal transfer from Depaul 6'6" F David Jones averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Rumors of a portal transfer from Depaul 6'6" F David Jones averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Sounds like we have a very good chance of landing him. He had a strong connection with Curbelo.  This would be tremendous for us.

Mathis, Wheeler, and Nyiwe are all good or very good athletes. None of them are freaks. I think Dunn was a freak. Williams was close. Isiah Moore and Cole…they were all very good athletes.

If Moore has Champ’s skills, he would be a lottery pick.

You equate “athletic” with just running fast and jumping high. That is simplistically false. Champ and Mullin both have/had excellent athletic ability. Maybe not explosive jumping but in other areas- agility, coordination. What you differentiate as “skill” is also athletic ability. Compare to a different sport- look at Don Mattingly. A slow runner, probably couldn’t jump high, but his hand speed, lateral quickness, and coordination were incredibly athletic.

A guy who can jump high has one athletic trait, but if he can’t shoot, has band hands, slow reaction time, limited body control, etc, then he is not a better athlete than someone like Champ or Mullin. 

wow if we land David Jones that would be a huge pickup....Probably would make case for best Portal pickups with Him & Curbelo? Still think we would need a pure Shooter but intrigued what this team becomes with Curbelo and Jones. Not getting hopes up cause we know how this story goes but this would be massive cycle/portal season for Anderson.

Mathis, Wheeler, and Nyiwe are all good or very good athletes. None of them are freaks. I think Dunn was a freak. Williams was close. Isiah Moore and Cole…they were all very good athletes.

If Moore has Champ’s skills, he would be a lottery pick.

Cole?? Ok you’ve lost me.

Cole?? Ok you’ve lost me.

Cole was at least a good athlete to me. He sucked here, but he could thrown down big dunks and run the court well.

However, his athletic ability here is almost completely irrelevant. The team we had this last season was collectively slow and the first team that didn’t play above-the-rim in a long time.

I don’t see how that can be reasonably debated. We are instantly more athletic with Curbelo and that high school wing. We were clearly more athletic two seasons ago as well.

Cole was at least a good athlete to me. He sucked here, but he could thrown down big dunks and run the court well.

However, his athletic ability here is almost completely irrelevant. The team we had this last season was collectively slow and the first team that didn’t play above-the-rim in a long time.

I don’t see how that can be reasonably debated. We are instantly more athletic with Curbelo and that high school wing. We were clearly more athletic two seasons ago as well.

How you could praise cole as an athlete and diminish champ as one is beyond me. Talk about slow feet. Throw down big time dunks? Champ had as many big time dunks as anyone we’ve had here last 15 year sans 3-4 guys.

Anyway, at least were talking about sju basketball again.

You have to love Jones from DePaul.