GREAT thread.
first mistake pre-dated all the above... making it impossible for frank mcguire to stay after his final four season. he went to north carolina and began the pipeline that sent nyc greats out of town.
part ownership of the nit left a soft landing spot for the mediocrity that followed. there's really no incentive to play with the big boys when you can make money here in town with little effort.
i believe ucla super booster $am gilbert had more to do with alcindor going west than joe lapchick's forced retirement. jabbar is in denial, but other players on his team admitted getting paid. why not the best player?
al mcguire was too much of a loose cannon to be hired by st john's. maybe more accurate, he marched to a different drummer. st john's was always a good ole boys job. loyalist and former outstanding player frank mulzoff was brought in to warm looie's seat in the event he tanked as nets coach. he tanked and mulzoff was unceremoniously jettisoned.
i heard olajuwan was accidently left at the airport, so he hopped on the plane to houston. that makes more sense since it really isn't cold in the fall.
i would have LOVED to have had berry back for a senior season. the problem was looie only managed to recruit marco baldi after our final four season. that would have left berry playing center while not developing the skill sets he'd need for the nba. what was the wooden award winner's incentive to stay? he was already the best player in the country.
walter payton was a huge mistake. him with jayson williams, malik sealy and rob werdann would have been top five.
i don't think majerus wanted to come here. in any event, we would have avoided the horrendous years that followed, but it would have been a clone of the looie years.
calipari?? see al mcguire.
the fact is, st john's has always had mediocrity in its dna. there's a reason we're the flea running up an elephant's leg with carnal thoughts. it's the dna.