The one constant each year is the lack of respect the players have for the coach and the uniform. They say the right things, but around the halfway point the players are checked out. We have had numerous key suspensions right before big games, players going home to see mom and dad, players walking out during intros. This stuff NEVER happens to good coaches because the respect for the coach and team.
Modest goal
- Thread starter Halldan1
- Start date
I honestly don't think this team is as bad as many people are saying it is.
Whitehead and Carrington will definitely make a jump from last year. They played a lot of minutes and likely learned a lot last season; in sports, as in many other things, experience is the ultimate teacher. I know Carrington has worked on his shot to be a bit more consistent. Whitehead had one on one advice from Curry. I feel as if the argument for them to improve exponentially is stronger than the one where they don't improve at all.
Rodriguez was a solid player last year and I don't think the jump from PF to SF will be drastic for him. He played small forward for one of the best high school teams in the country. He won't be lost out there at the SF position.
I know nearly nothing about Anderson other than watching YouTube videos and seeing him around campus. One thing you cannot teach is size and he undeniably has it. Not only that, but he is built and has a very solid frame. A guy that big will not be easy to shoot over. At one point the skill set was there. He will be a solid contributor this year.
Delgado is just great. If nothing else, playing all of last year will contribute to his understand on how to stay out of foul trouble. Give me one more block/game and to me, with last year's stats, Delgado is the best big man in the BE.
As for the bench, I have a hunch that Nzei will be a very solid player. He clearly has gained some muscle. Last year I lived right near him and saw him everyday; he was scrawny beyond belief. I've seen him a handful of times this year and is obviously bigger.
I know a lot of guys who saw and knew Singh at SPP. They said he was the best player on the court day in and day out. (Take that for what it's worth) I also know he is a great shooter and a very big guy. He will absolutely be able to stretch the floor. I also think he may be in good position to be a top three freshman.
I know the team has faults, but its easy to come up with a million different things that a team can improve on. We have much more length this year and we are much more athletic. This will ultimately lead to more rebounds. That, in of itself, will be the key to our success in our opinion. Second chance opportunities will win us games this year.
The team does not slouch in talent. Obviously I, along with probably everyone else on this board, can talk for hours about the team, but to sum up, I truly believe we go at least .500....hopefully it happens!
Whitehead and Carrington will definitely make a jump from last year. They played a lot of minutes and likely learned a lot last season; in sports, as in many other things, experience is the ultimate teacher. I know Carrington has worked on his shot to be a bit more consistent. Whitehead had one on one advice from Curry. I feel as if the argument for them to improve exponentially is stronger than the one where they don't improve at all.
Rodriguez was a solid player last year and I don't think the jump from PF to SF will be drastic for him. He played small forward for one of the best high school teams in the country. He won't be lost out there at the SF position.
I know nearly nothing about Anderson other than watching YouTube videos and seeing him around campus. One thing you cannot teach is size and he undeniably has it. Not only that, but he is built and has a very solid frame. A guy that big will not be easy to shoot over. At one point the skill set was there. He will be a solid contributor this year.
Delgado is just great. If nothing else, playing all of last year will contribute to his understand on how to stay out of foul trouble. Give me one more block/game and to me, with last year's stats, Delgado is the best big man in the BE.
As for the bench, I have a hunch that Nzei will be a very solid player. He clearly has gained some muscle. Last year I lived right near him and saw him everyday; he was scrawny beyond belief. I've seen him a handful of times this year and is obviously bigger.
I know a lot of guys who saw and knew Singh at SPP. They said he was the best player on the court day in and day out. (Take that for what it's worth) I also know he is a great shooter and a very big guy. He will absolutely be able to stretch the floor. I also think he may be in good position to be a top three freshman.
I know the team has faults, but its easy to come up with a million different things that a team can improve on. We have much more length this year and we are much more athletic. This will ultimately lead to more rebounds. That, in of itself, will be the key to our success in our opinion. Second chance opportunities will win us games this year.
The team does not slouch in talent. Obviously I, along with probably everyone else on this board, can talk for hours about the team, but to sum up, I truly believe we go at least .500....hopefully it happens!
For reasons per Piratz, no, we do not reach .500 in conference. We are primarily a sophomore team. That fact is enough to establish the case.
I can find so many reasons to say we aren't going to finish over .500 in the league. Most of them have been stated above. However, I still believe we finish well over .500 in the BE. Why? We've got some tough NYC kids who hate to lose and are going to fight like animals to win. We are going to have better chemistry on the team overall and in the backcourt. We are going to be a better rebounding and defensive team than last year. My biggest concern is our lack of guard depth.
Tom, I agree with your perspective on the team and talent. The question is can that team overcome the deficiencies of its coach to do what you're asking.
Coach Willard certainly was able to pick the groceries this season. Hopefully this team has better cohesion and learns to close the show. I am very interested to see what type meal Coach Willard cooks this season. Hopefully it is a gourmet and we're dancing in March!
There is talent on this team beginning with the core four all of whom should be better with a year of BB under their belt. Singh looks to be a player and Gordon brings experience and really good defense which should help. Who will give us what we need at the power positions to aid Angel remains the key unanswered question and I still remain unconvinced that any player can go to law school and devote the time necessary to be effective on the court and Willard has already alluded to that in his media day comments. With 700 transfers available why go that route when what the Hall needed was someone who could step right in and start.
This is not a NCAA tourney team with still not enough talent to get there .
This is not a NCAA tourney team with still not enough talent to get there .
I have seen the team twice early in the season. They, like most young teams are a work in progress. What you will see at season's beginning will not be what you see as the year progresses.
This group is very young and the two upperclassmen are both first year transfers, meaning it will take time to jell. But one thing is clear, there's talent on the team. Talent and athleticism. I believe early in the season the Pirates will have to hang their hat on the D until the offense comes around.
There are so many question marks on this team. Can Whitehead be a real PG? Will someone (Anderson, Nzei or Ish) step up and play the 4? Will Willard play his five best players on the court at the same time most of the time? Can they player's stay healthy?
I think Seton Hall's 5 best players stack up fairly well against the league to be able to go .500. (Whitehead, Carrington, Singh, DRod and Delgado). However, in order to go .500, we need at least two out of the three (Anderson, Nzei and Ish) to give us great defense and great rebounding. If they play well enough, this team can go .500 and reach the NCAA. If they don't, there will be a lot of heartbreaking losses.
I think Seton Hall's 5 best players stack up fairly well against the league to be able to go .500. (Whitehead, Carrington, Singh, DRod and Delgado). However, in order to go .500, we need at least two out of the three (Anderson, Nzei and Ish) to give us great defense and great rebounding. If they play well enough, this team can go .500 and reach the NCAA. If they don't, there will be a lot of heartbreaking losses.
Until a couple of high quality Bigs are added to this roster and can contribute immediately it will be difficult to get into the top half of this conference. If no one leaves early and we do add the Bigs we have a legitimate shot at the Tourney next year .
As a third party observer I think Tom is on target and many of the above posts are too negative. Seton Hall's roster is capable of beating any team in the league but SHU also has one of the largest ranges of possible outcomes. First and foremost is Whitehead as PG. He has the physical attributes to be one of the best in the league. On the other hand, there is the question whether he can effectively run a team. For the most part sophomores are in transition from inexperienced freshmen to reliable upper classmen. The best case scenario is where the team come March is much better than what you see in November. It could go either way which is why we like/love watching college basketball.
We have a capable roster but a coach and has proven to be in capable. I think that's at the crux of it. we're asking a group of kids to overcompensate for their coaches and abilities. I think that's a lot to ask in order to make the dance.
I don't think so. I think this team will struggle to score, and while the defense may be improved, it will not be "lock down" good.
my goal for the team is the same every year. Beat Rutgers and get to double digit wins. after that all else is gravy. No depth at guard, not enough talent in the post and at best an average coach. Not a good formula for winning many games and when was the last year we didn't have an injury to a key player????? 14 wins or less.
With this analysis you have reminded me why I consider you the smartest poster on this board.
I think I called him the smartest poster first...lol. Great assessment and filled with facts.
Wtf?!? People think I'm negative. Your goal for every year is beat Rutgers and get 10 wins (out of 30)??? All else is gravy??
Unless I'm reading this post wrong... You're super crazy negative all every year. My god.
Piratz is definitely the smartest poster on the board until lloyd comes out of left field and reminds you that its his title.
I guess I'll have to re-evaluate my modest goal???? Every one of their three point shots (12-18) was WIDE open not one was forced. Defense?
Pretty sure you said that is your goal EVERY year. Not just this year. Not just under KW. But EVERY year.
That's what I was commenting on.
That's insanely negative.
Again, maybe I read it wrong. Or maybe you wrote it incorrectly.
- Roster capable of beating any team in the league - we've had that roster every single year - pretty much most schools have a variant of that roster. Speaking for myself, this is not a consideration for how I expect the team to finish.
- Toughness and grit - individuals show this to various extents - we've had this factor every single year - but only on an individual basis, which comes and goes for the most part, not on an end-to-end team basis. Speaking for myself, this is not a consideration for how I expect the team to finish.
- Coaching - I exclude this factor since I vowed to maintain at the minimum a supportive (at least neutral) voice on the board prior to start of season.
- Post-Season Experience - we have precious little of this. It is a huge factor - team mates who know the post-season convey the urgency and long-term mission to new team mates year in and year out. This is a crucial factor. Until we have it, we don't have it. Speaking for myself, this is a very important consideration for how I expect the team to finish.
- Upper Class Leadership - as pointed out very correctly, this is a **sophomore-dominated** team. One season is not enough - when compared to other teams in league that are Junior or Junior and Senior dominated. We *will* win a few surprises (hooray) but over the long haul, sophomores are not strong enough to dominate (usually). Speaking for myself, this is a very important consideration for how I expect the team to finish.
Unless this group gels substantially by mid-January (and I do give them that much time), I do expect a mediocre season at best, highlighted by 1-2 super wins (we've done that every season I've been rooting) plus some number of ralph-on-the-big-white-telephone losses. I think the problems are fundamentally structural (and I know where the primary source of this is - in my mind).
I want us all to have a lot of fun, more fun than expected, if at all possible. I want to cheer on the team and demonstrate totally positive support of the players. I am modestly hopeful until the situation proves otherwise. Structurally - I think that the situation won't change, I mean, I do not think it is possible to change at this point.
Anyway - I just wanted to flesh out a bit more of my thinking on why I think .500 in conference is unlikely.
Blue Pirate,.
Great post, my friend.
Like how you pointed out that Seton Hall, like just about all teams, always have an upset win or two, which become meaningless in the course of a full season.
Under Willard, these wins have always come in the last few days of December, first few days of January. Then: disaster!!
Great post, my friend.
Like how you pointed out that Seton Hall, like just about all teams, always have an upset win or two, which become meaningless in the course of a full season.
Under Willard, these wins have always come in the last few days of December, first few days of January. Then: disaster!!
Maybe John Fanta; anyone else could have seen it coming. Hard to believe that we are still playing "I called it first," 7 months after the fact.
Sorry 75, wasn't referring to you. Between not noticing the date on the thread, and forgetting about Marathon Oil, I'm ready to go back to bed! 
You are probably tired cause our medical staff is not taking care of you properly...Sorry 75, wasn't referring to you. Between not noticing the date on the thread, and forgetting about Marathon Oil, I'm ready to go back to bed!
That's just not good enough. We play in na major conf and the goal every year should be NCAA Tournament !
Since when is beating Ruters the bar to being anything besides mediocre.
Tom K
We may play in a major conference but the athletic department and/or administration runs the basketball program like it's a mid major. It's been that way for almost a decade now. When is it going to change?
we are 37-29 against one of the worst college basketball programs EVER...what does that make us?? MEDIOCRE. I am a broken fan and I'm planing a winter trip for January-February. If we play the ooc as I think we will, I'm going to enjoy my winter for the first time in 10 years. I just can't stand the losing anymore. Over 40 years a fan. SHU basketball is the only sport that I haven't separated from. Yankees, Giants and Knicks are all gone. Life is way too short.
There is no reason with 9 or less big east wins if everyone is healthy the majority of the season. When Isaiah Whitehead came back vs Xavier last year the team moved the basketball that one game like it did in just about every game previous to that. Something happened after that point that changed and the ball was being dominated by players and not moving. Did Willard coach people to stop moving the basketball? No F'n way. People need to go watch replays of games early in the season at USF, vs RU, games down in the islands, this team moved the ball. That doesn't mean the shots were evenly distributed but there was a lot of passing and unselfish play that didn't happen after that Xavier game. If the ball moves like they are coached to move it we will be successful. If individuals look to dominate the ball the majority of the shot clock, 5 big east wins might be all we get. I can't imagine worse chemistry last year so I say 11 big east wins, however every time I think it can't get worse I get proved wrong.
