(04-17-2019 11:27 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  It'd be almost as miraculous as what has happened with Boise State football.

How do you win in Idaho? Granted, Washington state (and State) is close.

Or as miraculous as Houston staying within 56 of Army.


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(04-15-2019 07:32 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

I don’t understand why every minute detail of SJU’s coaching search has been leaked to the public.

Part of it is because we have a dysfunctional administration.

PArt of it is because we're in New York, so our athletic department is close personally to a LOT of journalists. A lot more journalists are shaking the trees around St John's. I'm not sure Francesca could tell you who UConn's coach is right now, but he's all over Cluess and Bobby Hurley and Moser.

I think almost any major coaching search has a lot of leaks to the public. It just is what it is. Nothing really different with St John's compared to any of the other ones as far as media leakages.

(04-17-2019 09:15 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 01:57 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 01:46 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  In five years under Alford, UCLA had seven first round picks and four 2nd round picks (2014-2018). There has been plenty of talent coming through the doors. The coaching talent has not quite lived up to expectations. Alford's teams did not play defense and they lacked the mental and physical toughness that other teams had. Cronin will have plenty of talent to work with. His challenge is getting the team to play defense and making them tougher and smarter.

That's right. They've been bringing in almost as much talent as Kentucky and will probably continue to do so. What has been missing is a coaching staff that coaches the team and manages the program as well as Calipari's staff.

That's a wide net. Bringing in talented and desired recruits is one thing. Whether those guys materialize into pro-material is another. It's a huge leap from there to be at Kentucky's (or Duke's) level, which isn't just picking up elite players, but routinely getting and sculpting lottery-grade picks.

UCLA doesn't have to get into the game of grabbing the top one-and-done's like UK or Duke do now. There's no shame being more like Kansas, UNC, Michigan State, or Louisville and just load up on guys who are pro-caliber. But UCLA isn't even really at that other spot. They're looking up to programs like Arizona as of now. Heck, places like Texas, NCSU, and Gonzaga now stock their teams with similar quality.

They're not hopeless out there, but it's an exaggeration and unfair to consider UK-level as reachable. The name, legacy, and pedigree...yeah, it should be doing far better for them out there. It's not, and I believe that's a culture thing. The kind of thing that will never allow a coach to not be measured to Wooden, or the kind of thing where a guy can go to three straight Sweet 16's, then lose his job the moment he fails to make the tournament the following year. The kind of thing where a guy who's courting your kid can't say with any sort of confidence he'll be there for him throughout his year(s) at a program. UCLA is not that. Give the kids some credit that they know it isn't, too.

Alford was a very unpopular pick for Head Coach at UCLA. At his first press conference, it became obvious that AD Dan Guerrero and staff had not even done basic research on Steve Alford. They were surprised by questions about the Pierre Pierce sexual assault while Alford coached at Iowa. It just went downhill from there:

1. 2013-2014 - Alford took the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Florida. The Bruins beat Arizona to win the Pac-12 Tournament. This team was loaded with talent. Three players were drafted in the first round from this team in 2014. Three other players that went undrafted were McDonald All-Americans. No one could understand why Alford was starting his son, Bryce, over Zach Lavine. Both were true freshman. It made no sense. Bryce was a good shooter, but he played no defense and was a mediocre point guard. Alford also had another son on the roster as a reserve. As Lavine's godfather said after Lavine decided to leave for the NBA, "I just wish Zach had more of a chance to compete. Every year he spends at UCLA after this one is a waste." Lavine ended up being a lottery pick and averaged 23 points per game this past season. Bryce Alford is playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League.

2. 2014-2015 - Alford again took the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Gonzaga. This team had some bad losses during the season, including an 83-44 loss to Kentucky. They ended up 22-14. In the NBA draft of 2015, Kevon Looney, a one-and-done McDonald's All-American, went to the Warriors in the first round and Norman Powell was drafted in the 2nd round.

3. 2015-2016 - Disappointing season for UCLA, as they went 15-17 and failed to make the tournament. This was another inconsistent Bruin team. As bad as they were, they beat #1 ranked Kentucky at home, Arizona at home and Gonzaga on the road. No one on this team was drafted.

4. 2016-2017 - Alford's best UCLA team. They again beat Kentucky during the regular season, this time in Lexington. But Kentucky beat and eliminated UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen matchup. Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf, both McDonald's All-Americans, left after one season and were drafted in the first round. Ike Anigbogu also left after one season, getting drafted in the 2nd round. Jonah Bolden, who played with the Bruins from 2014-2016, was drafted in the 2nd round as well.

5. 2017-2018 - This season started off with the "China Incident" and never got better. Three players were suspended for the season from that incident. This team was wildly inconsistent, played little defense, ending up 21-12 and sneaking into the tournament through the play-in game. Once again, they beat Kentucky, this time on a neutral court and also had a nice win at Arizona, but you never knew which UCLA team was going to show up. Aaron Holiday was picked in the first round of the NBA draft from this team and Thomas Welch in the 2nd round.

Alford's teams just would not play defense and the nepotism really did not sit well with UCLA fans. Alford did a good job of recruiting, but it felt like the player development was lacking. UCLA should have fired Alford at the end of last season, but as usual, they bungled that decision. Firing Alford at the end of December was stupid. They should have let him finish the season.

Talk to any UCLA season ticket holder, and I know a few, and no one is expecting another John Wooden. They just expect good basketball, especially considering what it costs to support the basketball team through season tickets. John Calipari has produced 26 first round picks in ten seasons, but just one national championship. No one is going to do what Wooden did. Calipari at least has Kentucky competing for national championships. That is a reasonable expectation for UCLA, especially considering the talent available to them in Southern California.

(04-18-2019 11:48 AM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  

(04-17-2019 11:27 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  It'd be almost as miraculous as what has happened with Boise State football.

How do you win in Idaho? Granted, Washington state (and State) is close.

Or as miraculous as Houston staying within 56 of Army?


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Oh wow, good one. Aside from Boise football the last 15 years or so, what has any Idaho sports team ever done.

(04-18-2019 11:48 AM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  

(04-17-2019 11:27 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  It'd be almost as miraculous as what has happened with Boise State football.

How do you win in Idaho? Granted, Washington state (and State) is close.

Or as miraculous as Houston staying within 56 of Army.


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This was an amusing retort... the first 300 times you used it.



USFFan

wow, it gets worse for St John's

That's right... Paul Hewitt.

(04-18-2019 01:53 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Oh wow, good one. Aside from Boise football the last 15 years or so, what has any Idaho sports team ever done.

Since 2004

Individual National Champions - all BSU
Men's Track & Field (Javelin): Gabe Wallin, 2004
Men's Track & Field (Javelin): Gabe Wallin, 2005
Wrestling (157 lbs.): Ben Cherrington, 2006
Women's Track & Field (Long Jump): Eleni Kafourou, 2009
Men's Track & Field (Decathlon): Kurt Felix, 2012
Women's Track & Field (10,000 meters) : Emma Bates, 2014
Women's Track & Field (Steeplechase) : Allie Ostrander, 2017
Women's Track & Field (Steeplechase) : Allie Ostrander, 2018

Idaho
NCAA Boxing Champion
1940
1941
1950 - Co Champion

Idaho State
1977 - NCAA Men's basketball Elite Eight

Why is this really happening at SJU? Sounds like a crummy administration. Or, does the school barely assist with relocation and placement?

sounds like Mike Anderson for St John's. Wow. 3 NCAA appearances in 8 seasons with 2 wins at Arkansas.

(04-18-2019 01:09 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(04-17-2019 09:15 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 01:57 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 01:46 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  In five years under Alford, UCLA had seven first round picks and four 2nd round picks (2014-2018). There has been plenty of talent coming through the doors. The coaching talent has not quite lived up to expectations. Alford's teams did not play defense and they lacked the mental and physical toughness that other teams had. Cronin will have plenty of talent to work with. His challenge is getting the team to play defense and making them tougher and smarter.

That's right. They've been bringing in almost as much talent as Kentucky and will probably continue to do so. What has been missing is a coaching staff that coaches the team and manages the program as well as Calipari's staff.

That's a wide net. Bringing in talented and desired recruits is one thing. Whether those guys materialize into pro-material is another. It's a huge leap from there to be at Kentucky's (or Duke's) level, which isn't just picking up elite players, but routinely getting and sculpting lottery-grade picks.

UCLA doesn't have to get into the game of grabbing the top one-and-done's like UK or Duke do now. There's no shame being more like Kansas, UNC, Michigan State, or Louisville and just load up on guys who are pro-caliber. But UCLA isn't even really at that other spot. They're looking up to programs like Arizona as of now. Heck, places like Texas, NCSU, and Gonzaga now stock their teams with similar quality.

They're not hopeless out there, but it's an exaggeration and unfair to consider UK-level as reachable. The name, legacy, and pedigree...yeah, it should be doing far better for them out there. It's not, and I believe that's a culture thing. The kind of thing that will never allow a coach to not be measured to Wooden, or the kind of thing where a guy can go to three straight Sweet 16's, then lose his job the moment he fails to make the tournament the following year. The kind of thing where a guy who's courting your kid can't say with any sort of confidence he'll be there for him throughout his year(s) at a program. UCLA is not that. Give the kids some credit that they know it isn't, too.

Alford was a very unpopular pick for Head Coach at UCLA. At his first press conference, it became obvious that AD Dan Guerrero and staff had not even done basic research on Steve Alford. They were surprised by questions about the Pierre Pierce sexual assault while Alford coached at Iowa. It just went downhill from there:

1. 2013-2014 - Alford took the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Florida. The Bruins beat Arizona to win the Pac-12 Tournament. This team was loaded with talent. Three players were drafted in the first round from this team in 2014. Three other players that went undrafted were McDonald All-Americans. No one could understand why Alford was starting his son, Bryce, over Zach Lavine. Both were true freshman. It made no sense. Bryce was a good shooter, but he played no defense and was a mediocre point guard. Alford also had another son on the roster as a reserve. As Lavine's godfather said after Lavine decided to leave for the NBA, "I just wish Zach had more of a chance to compete. Every year he spends at UCLA after this one is a waste." Lavine ended up being a lottery pick and averaged 23 points per game this past season. Bryce Alford is playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League.

2. 2014-2015 - Alford again took the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Gonzaga. This team had some bad losses during the season, including an 83-44 loss to Kentucky. They ended up 22-14. In the NBA draft of 2015, Kevon Looney, a one-and-done McDonald's All-American, went to the Warriors in the first round and Norman Powell was drafted in the 2nd round.

3. 2015-2016 - Disappointing season for UCLA, as they went 15-17 and failed to make the tournament. This was another inconsistent Bruin team. As bad as they were, they beat #1 ranked Kentucky at home, Arizona at home and Gonzaga on the road. No one on this team was drafted.

4. 2016-2017 - Alford's best UCLA team. They again beat Kentucky during the regular season, this time in Lexington. But Kentucky beat and eliminated UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen matchup. Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf, both McDonald's All-Americans, left after one season and were drafted in the first round. Ike Anigbogu also left after one season, getting drafted in the 2nd round. Jonah Bolden, who played with the Bruins from 2014-2016, was drafted in the 2nd round as well.

5. 2017-2018 - This season started off with the "China Incident" and never got better. Three players were suspended for the season from that incident. This team was wildly inconsistent, played little defense, ending up 21-12 and sneaking into the tournament through the play-in game. Once again, they beat Kentucky, this time on a neutral court and also had a nice win at Arizona, but you never knew which UCLA team was going to show up. Aaron Holiday was picked in the first round of the NBA draft from this team and Thomas Welch in the 2nd round.

Alford's teams just would not play defense and the nepotism really did not sit well with UCLA fans. Alford did a good job of recruiting, but it felt like the player development was lacking. UCLA should have fired Alford at the end of last season, but as usual, they bungled that decision. Firing Alford at the end of December was stupid. They should have let him finish the season.

Talk to any UCLA season ticket holder, and I know a few, and no one is expecting another John Wooden. They just expect good basketball, especially considering what it costs to support the basketball team through season tickets. John Calipari has produced 26 first round picks in ten seasons, but just one national championship. No one is going to do what Wooden did. Calipari at least has Kentucky competing for national championships. That is a reasonable expectation for UCLA, especially considering the talent available to them in Southern California.

UCLA doesn’t need to find the next John Wooden, they need the next Sam Gilbert.


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(04-18-2019 01:53 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 11:48 AM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  

(04-17-2019 11:27 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  It'd be almost as miraculous as what has happened with Boise State football.

How do you win in Idaho? Granted, Washington state (and State) is close.

Or as miraculous as Houston staying within 56 of Army?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh wow, good one. Aside from Boise football the last 15 years or so, what has any Idaho sports team ever done.

Considering the population of Idaho compared to Texas, I think the state has represented well.


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(04-18-2019 08:33 PM)stever20 Wrote:  sounds like Mike Anderson for St John's. Wow. 3 NCAA appearances in 8 seasons with 2 wins at Arkansas.

All things considered, I think St. John's ended up with a strong-quality and experienced head coach. Very surprising.

very different style of coach that we've seen in the Big East quite frankly.

(04-18-2019 08:54 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 01:09 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(04-17-2019 09:15 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 01:57 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 01:46 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  In five years under Alford, UCLA had seven first round picks and four 2nd round picks (2014-2018). There has been plenty of talent coming through the doors. The coaching talent has not quite lived up to expectations. Alford's teams did not play defense and they lacked the mental and physical toughness that other teams had. Cronin will have plenty of talent to work with. His challenge is getting the team to play defense and making them tougher and smarter.

That's right. They've been bringing in almost as much talent as Kentucky and will probably continue to do so. What has been missing is a coaching staff that coaches the team and manages the program as well as Calipari's staff.

That's a wide net. Bringing in talented and desired recruits is one thing. Whether those guys materialize into pro-material is another. It's a huge leap from there to be at Kentucky's (or Duke's) level, which isn't just picking up elite players, but routinely getting and sculpting lottery-grade picks.

UCLA doesn't have to get into the game of grabbing the top one-and-done's like UK or Duke do now. There's no shame being more like Kansas, UNC, Michigan State, or Louisville and just load up on guys who are pro-caliber. But UCLA isn't even really at that other spot. They're looking up to programs like Arizona as of now. Heck, places like Texas, NCSU, and Gonzaga now stock their teams with similar quality.

They're not hopeless out there, but it's an exaggeration and unfair to consider UK-level as reachable. The name, legacy, and pedigree...yeah, it should be doing far better for them out there. It's not, and I believe that's a culture thing. The kind of thing that will never allow a coach to not be measured to Wooden, or the kind of thing where a guy can go to three straight Sweet 16's, then lose his job the moment he fails to make the tournament the following year. The kind of thing where a guy who's courting your kid can't say with any sort of confidence he'll be there for him throughout his year(s) at a program. UCLA is not that. Give the kids some credit that they know it isn't, too.

Alford was a very unpopular pick for Head Coach at UCLA. At his first press conference, it became obvious that AD Dan Guerrero and staff had not even done basic research on Steve Alford. They were surprised by questions about the Pierre Pierce sexual assault while Alford coached at Iowa. It just went downhill from there:

1. 2013-2014 - Alford took the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Florida. The Bruins beat Arizona to win the Pac-12 Tournament. This team was loaded with talent. Three players were drafted in the first round from this team in 2014. Three other players that went undrafted were McDonald All-Americans. No one could understand why Alford was starting his son, Bryce, over Zach Lavine. Both were true freshman. It made no sense. Bryce was a good shooter, but he played no defense and was a mediocre point guard. Alford also had another son on the roster as a reserve. As Lavine's godfather said after Lavine decided to leave for the NBA, "I just wish Zach had more of a chance to compete. Every year he spends at UCLA after this one is a waste." Lavine ended up being a lottery pick and averaged 23 points per game this past season. Bryce Alford is playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League.

2. 2014-2015 - Alford again took the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Gonzaga. This team had some bad losses during the season, including an 83-44 loss to Kentucky. They ended up 22-14. In the NBA draft of 2015, Kevon Looney, a one-and-done McDonald's All-American, went to the Warriors in the first round and Norman Powell was drafted in the 2nd round.

3. 2015-2016 - Disappointing season for UCLA, as they went 15-17 and failed to make the tournament. This was another inconsistent Bruin team. As bad as they were, they beat #1 ranked Kentucky at home, Arizona at home and Gonzaga on the road. No one on this team was drafted.

4. 2016-2017 - Alford's best UCLA team. They again beat Kentucky during the regular season, this time in Lexington. But Kentucky beat and eliminated UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen matchup. Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf, both McDonald's All-Americans, left after one season and were drafted in the first round. Ike Anigbogu also left after one season, getting drafted in the 2nd round. Jonah Bolden, who played with the Bruins from 2014-2016, was drafted in the 2nd round as well.

5. 2017-2018 - This season started off with the "China Incident" and never got better. Three players were suspended for the season from that incident. This team was wildly inconsistent, played little defense, ending up 21-12 and sneaking into the tournament through the play-in game. Once again, they beat Kentucky, this time on a neutral court and also had a nice win at Arizona, but you never knew which UCLA team was going to show up. Aaron Holiday was picked in the first round of the NBA draft from this team and Thomas Welch in the 2nd round.

Alford's teams just would not play defense and the nepotism really did not sit well with UCLA fans. Alford did a good job of recruiting, but it felt like the player development was lacking. UCLA should have fired Alford at the end of last season, but as usual, they bungled that decision. Firing Alford at the end of December was stupid. They should have let him finish the season.

Talk to any UCLA season ticket holder, and I know a few, and no one is expecting another John Wooden. They just expect good basketball, especially considering what it costs to support the basketball team through season tickets. John Calipari has produced 26 first round picks in ten seasons, but just one national championship. No one is going to do what Wooden did. Calipari at least has Kentucky competing for national championships. That is a reasonable expectation for UCLA, especially considering the talent available to them in Southern California.

UCLA doesn’t need to find the next John Wooden, they need the next Sam Gilbert.


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Ouch

Paul Hewitt would’ve been an iconic hire. Like Kliff Kingsbury being fired at his alma mater and bumblef***ing his way into an NFL job levels of iconic.

(04-18-2019 09:37 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 08:33 PM)stever20 Wrote:  sounds like Mike Anderson for St John's. Wow. 3 NCAA appearances in 8 seasons with 2 wins at Arkansas.

All things considered, I think St. John's ended up with a strong-quality and experienced head coach. Very surprising.

Mike Anderson is a good coach, a little underrated really. He's taken UAB, Missouri, and Arkansas to the tournament although he hasn't had a deep run in quite some time.

Interesting factoid...he's never had a losing season. He is one of 4 current D1 coaches to have achieved that with the criteria being you've had at least 15 seasons as head coach. The others are Mark Few, Tom Izzo, and Roy Williams.

The issue to me is that he's very much a Southern guy. How well does that translate in NYC? We'll find out I guess.

(04-18-2019 12:26 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(04-15-2019 07:32 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

I don’t understand why every minute detail of SJU’s coaching search has been leaked to the public.

Part of it is because we have a dysfunctional administration.

PArt of it is because we're in New York, so our athletic department is close personally to a LOT of journalists. A lot more journalists are shaking the trees around St John's. I'm not sure Francesca could tell you who UConn's coach is right now, but he's all over Cluess and Bobby Hurley and Moser.

Revisiting now that we have a VORP major-conference coach in Mike Anderson, just fired at Arkansas after a pretty good run, following a Missouri stretch that included an Elite 8.

Was our search messier than most, or just louder because every whisper and rumor gets picked up by the New York media? Does billionaire booster Mike Repole, who wanted the entire administration fired yesterday, and maybe the campus torn down, look less like a hero? Probably.

Good to see Anderson get a gig, I’ve always been a fan. Like previously mentioned, he’s never had a losing record. Seems like an odd fit at first, but it could work. With a great coach, there’s no reason why St. John’s can’t be a top team in the BE year in and year out.