St. John's Senior Grad Project

 1.  Start by reading the book "Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball" by Gus Alfieri
2. Focus your paper "not" on the history of SJ BB (just give a two page summary) but on how the success of the program was mostly inseparably tied to basically four great coaches - Buck Freeman, Joe Lapchick, Frank McGuire and Lou Carnesecca.
3. Show how these coaches were the only SJ coaches to consistently win over 71% of their games and correlate that to the number of NIT and NCAA invitations.
4. Show that "after coach C" that in 20 years not one coach has won more than 62% until Steve Lavin was hired.
5. Do try to interview coach C, even if just for a few minutes for reference purposes. Ask him just one simple question like what makes coaching today's players different from the players of his era and quote him. Then leave it at that.
6. Use a "premise" to show how coaches' "name market value" was important in SJ success while hiring poor market names like Mahoney, Franschilla, and Norm Roberts were disastrous. Comapre winning records and post-season invitations.
Finally, do not take any negative advice from folks who would "poison" your paper with hater references. SJ did not have just one great year but many. They won 6 NITs when the NIT meant something and have been to 28 NCAA tournaments and are in the top 8 in all-time college bb wins. Four great Hall of Fame coaches made SJ synonymous with college basketball. It took four lesser names (Mahoney, Fraschilla, Jarvis and Roberts) to destroy that reputation in a 20 year period.

Best of luck!

4. Show that "after coach C" that in 20 years not one coach has won more than 62% until Steve Lavin was hired.

If he shows that, he'd be wrong. 110-61 is better than a 62% winning percentage.

Maybe you should interview Dave. He created the best college basketball fansite I've come across from scratch. There is a ton of knowledge being spout on this board daily from guys with all different backgrounds.

Maybe you should interview Dave. He created the best college basketball fansite I've come across from scratch. There is a ton of knowledge being spout on this board daily from guys with all different backgrounds.

Suck up

 1.  Start by reading the book "Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball" by Gus Alfieri
2. Focus your paper "not" on the history of SJ BB (just give a two page summary) but on how the success of the program was mostly inseparably tied to basically four great coaches - Buck Freeman, Joe Lapchick, Frank McGuire and Lou Carnesecca.
3. Show how these coaches were the only SJ coaches to consistently win over 71% of their games and correlate that to the number of NIT and NCAA invitations.
4. Show that "after coach C" that in 20 years not one coach has won more than 62% until Steve Lavin was hired.
5. Do try to interview coach C, even if just for a few minutes for reference purposes. Ask him just one simple question like what makes coaching today's players different from the players of his era and quote him. Then leave it at that.
6. Use a "premise" to show how coaches' "name market value" was important in SJ success while hiring poor market names like Mahoney, Franschilla, and Norm Roberts were disastrous. Comapre winning records and post-season invitations.
Finally, do not take any negative advice from folks who would "poison" your paper with hater references. SJ did not have just one great year but many. They won 6 NITs when the NIT meant something and have been to 28 NCAA tournaments and are in the top 8 in all-time college bb wins. Four great Hall of Fame coaches made SJ synonymous with college basketball. It took four lesser names (Mahoney, Fraschilla, Jarvis and Roberts) to destroy that reputation in a 20 year period.

Best of luck!

Kids gonna have one hell of a paper

Thanks a lot for all your help and recommendations!

Quote from: Marco Baldi on January 17, 2012, 09:38:22 PM

Maybe you should interview Dave. He created the best college basketball fansite I've come across from scratch. There is a ton of knowledge being spout on this board daily from guys with all different backgrounds.

Suck up

Haha. That was a blanket statement though. Posters are in top of their game here,even yourself and beach bum

You may want to start by downloading the Media Guide from the athletic department website, for any stats, dates, or specifics like that which make there way into your project. 

2011-12 Men´s Basketball Guide has not been published yet.

I think it would be great to dive into the history of St. John's being a commuter school in the past having all local NYC talent to being a residential campus and having players from all over the country. How St. John's basketball has evolved over time. Is it close to coming full circle and being a basketball juggernaught again?

I remember back in the 80's when we recruited Chucky Sproling from Denver and Marcus Broadnax from Florida how odd it was to have players from places other than NY, NJ, or PA. Times have changed for sure.

I set up an interview with mark fratto monday morning. Is there any questions you guys would suggest i ask?

I set up an interview with mark fratto monday morning. Is there any questions you guys would suggest i ask?

Yes. When is going to be available the 2011-12 Men´s Basketball Guide?