St. John’s and Mike Cragg Mutually Agree to Part Ways

QUEENS, N.Y. (June 17, 2024) – St. John's announced Monday that Director of Athletics Mike Cragg and the University have mutually agreed to part ways after six years leading the department. Cragg will complete his tenure directing St. John’s Athletics on June 30, 2024.

Cragg was named the seventh athletic director at St. John’s in 2018 where he has provided oversight to the University’s 17 Division I programs and nearly 350 student-athletes. Since his arrival in Queens, the Red Storm won six BIG EAST championships and had 15 teams participate in national postseason competition. In addition, St. John’s fencing program captured two NCAA individual titles while the Red Storm men’s golf program took home back-to-back BIG EAST individual championships the past two seasons.

"It has been an honor to lead the athletic department at St. John's University,” said Cragg. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together and am confident that the department is in a strong position for continued success.

"As I bid farewell to St. John's, I extend my gratitude to our passionate fans and loyal alumni whose support has been the bedrock of our community. I am profoundly thankful for the dedicated and incredible staff of administrators and coaches whose commitment has propelled us forward. Most importantly, I celebrate our remarkable student-athletes, whose hard work and spirit have been a constant source of inspiration. Together, we have achieved great things, and I will forever cherish our shared journey."

Under his leadership, St. John’s student-athletes achieved success in the classroom and made significant contributions within the University and local community. The Red Storm earned nine public recognition awards from the NCAA for finishing in the top 10 percent of their sport in Academic Progress Rate (APR). Over 1,100 student-athletes were named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team while 16 sports programs received BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards for posting the highest cumulative grade point average in the league for their respective sports.

“We thank Mike for his leadership and all of his contributions to the University community,” said Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President of St. John’s University. “He strengthened the foundation for the continued success of St. John’s Athletics and its student-athletes while always representing the University in a first-class manner. We wish Mike all the best in his future endeavors.”

This past season, Red Storm student-athletes achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.51. Nearly 90 percent posted a 3.0 GPA or higher and 56.5 percent earned a 3.5 or better. Nine teams recorded a mark of 3.5 or higher across both semesters and 16 recorded a 3.0 or better. In the community, St. John’s student-athletes dedicated nearly 2,800 hours to service during the 2023-24 academic year.

Cragg executed several new initiatives during his tenure, notably facility and branding enhancements to athletic venues as well as numerous strategic partnerships, such as LEARFIELD, Madison Square Garden and Nike. In addition, the Red Storm played the first-ever basketball game at UBS Arena when St. John’s hosted eventual national champion Kansas in 2021.

Under Cragg’s leadership, the Athletics Council on Community, Culture and Social Justice (CCCSJ) was created to lead a department-wide effort to help advance the University’s commitment to anti-racism, social justice and equality. St. John’s also relaunched its Athletics Hall of Fame and Homecoming Weekend under Cragg’s direction.

During his time with the Red Storm, Cragg launched the St. John’s UNLIMITED program to help provide Name, Image, and Likeness resources to student-athletes. The program features an academic minor in Name, Image, and Likeness in Sport in conjunction with the Peter J. Tobin College of Business and the Lesley H. William L. Collins College of Professional Studies that is available to all St. John’s students. In addition to the academic coursework, St. John’s UNLIMITED features department wide partnerships with both Influencer and Opendorse to empower Red Storm student-athletes with innovative technologies, education and support services to navigate the NIL landscape.

Cragg guided St. John’s Athletics through the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure continued success on and off the field of play. He also represented St. John’s on NCAA and BIG EAST committees. Most recently, Cragg served as a member of the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee as well as the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee.

St. John’s will begin a national search for his successor.

David Cobb & Cameron Salerno

Jun 13

Loser: Seton Hall disintegrates after NIT title​

Congratulations on the NIT title, now go rebuild your roster from scratch. That's the reward coach Shaheen Holloway got after guiding his alma mater to a 25-12 record and thrilling NIT championship win over a 32-win Indiana State team. While some of the Pirates' numerous departures were relatively insignificant, losing starters Kadary Richmond, Dre Davis and Dylan Addae-Wusu to the portal stings. Richmond is an especially painful loss as the multi-faceted point guard was a first-team All-Big East performer. It will take a Herculean effort for SHU to find adequate replacements at this point in the cycle. – Cobb

Debbie is retiring from the band after 37 years of service. Met her a few times, what a wonderful lady. I wish her well in retirement.

RIP Bill, one of the Best to play the Game

Congrats to Mike Rice who will be the HC of Linden Basketball. I always thought he would be a perfect addition to the staff of Shaheen Holloway. He deserves a second chance. Good luck Coach Rice.https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports...s-to-the-sidelines-at-linden-high-school.html

While we wait on the Jerry Carino interview

PG

Harmon 23 MPG
Jenkins 15 MPG
Felton 2 MPG

2G

Middleton 16 MPG
Addae-Wusu 14 MPG
Jenkins 8 MPG
Felton 2 MPG

SF

Coleman 27 MPG
Middleton 8 MPG
Addae-Wusu 5 MPG

PF

Aligbe 22 MPG
Tubek 15 MPG
Okorafor 3 MPG

C

Erheriene 20 MPG
Yalden 18 MPG
Mbaye 2 MPG

Guess he had a plan B after all. Now that there are little to no rules about roster size I can't bitch about how Oregon and LSU always seemed to have room for everyone.

Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer

A Congressional committee voted Thursday to move forward with a bill that would prevent college athletes from being deemed employees of their schools, conferences or the NCAA.

The vote in the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce represents the first tangible signs of progress the college sports industry has made in its years-long push for a federal law to help reshape college sports. It comes just weeks after the NCAA and its power conferences announced they have agreed to share significantly more revenue with athletes as part of an antitrust lawsuit settlement.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Bob Good (R-Virginia) on the same day the antitrust settlement was announced, is in the early stages of the legislative process. It is likely to face opposition from Democrats in the Senate as well as legal challenges if it's passed.

The NCAA is currently a defendant in multiple ongoing court cases that argue college athletes should be granted the rights of employees. One case in federal court -- Johnson v. NCAA -- is seeking minimum wage and other workplace protection for college athletes. Two other active cases in front of the National Labor Relations Board are seeking to give college athletes the right to form unions and collectively bargain.

NCAA president Charlie Baker said earlier this week that he hoped the recent antitrust settlement, if it's approved by a judge, would provide the framework for a college sports model that allows schools to compensate their athletes without turning them into employees. Baker said he does not believe most college athletes want to be considered employees.

"A lot of the conversations I've had with people in Congress is: 'The reason we're interested in employment is because of the compensation question,'" Baker said earlier this week. "If the court blesses [the antitrust settlement], then it puts us in a position where we can go to Congress and say one of the three branches of the federal government blessed this as a model to create compensation without triggering employment."

The NCAA and power conferences have lobbied Congress for laws that would limit their legal liability and prevent athletes from being employees for the past several years. College sports leaders say these laws are necessary to preserve many teams and athletic departments that cannot afford to pay their athletes like workers. Both the NCAA and power conferences have publicly stated their support for Good's bill.

The bill is intended to be a narrow part of a broader package of federal legislation that guarantees more benefits for athletes in the future while preventing them from being employees. However, no partner bills that would guarantee athlete benefits have been introduced yet.

The Workforce and Education Committee voted 23-16 to move forward with the bill. All 23 votes in favor came from Republicans. All 16 votes against came from Democrats. The debate over whether Congress should weigh in on the college sports business model has been a partisan debate for the past several years.

Democrats in the House and Senate have previously co-sponsored bills that would have the exact opposite effect of Good's bill -- codifying college athletes' right to unionize. Those lawmakers and other advocates say athletes need the ability to bargain collectively to make sure they can negotiate for items such as improved medical care and a fair share of the money they generate for a multibillion-dollar industry.

Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) -- a former college volleyball player who has been an active participant in the Capitol Hill debate on the future of college sports -- said she will vote against Good's bill if it reaches the House floor.

"Once again, Republicans in Congress have decided to plow forward with legislation to limit the rights of college athletes with little to no input from athletes themselves," Trahan said in a statement after Thursday's vote.


If passed, Good's bill would stop the ongoing efforts of the NLRB and in the Johnson v. NCAA case to make athletes into employees. Paul McDonald, lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the Johnson case, said he believes the bill as written would violate federal equal protection laws. McDonald said it's against the law to prevent some college students from being employees while others in that category -- like cafeteria workers or teaching assistants -- are allowed to earn wages and unionize.

"If enacted, [the bill] would never survive judicial challenge. To wit, it is a waste of time," McDonald said in a statement provided to ESPN after Thursday's vote. "Dilatory tactics have consequences. The only thing accomplished by the NCAA in needlessly dragging out the recognition of college athletes as hourly employees like their fellow students is to significantly increase the cost of resolution borne by its membership."

In a news release issued prior to Thursday's vote, Good said his bill was aimed at making sure the tradition of college sports wasn't "ruined by reclassifying student athletes as employees."

"My legislation will help maintain a balance between athletics and academics, ensuring that college sports programs remain viable, beneficial, and enjoyable for all student athletes," he said.

Like we did last year I will be posting Jerry's human interest stories on the board.

The hits are very important for him so let's help the man who covers the Pirates better than any other reporter in the state.

Even if you have no interest just hit the link.

Thank you.


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Team profile - guards and swings

PG
Chaunce Jenkins
6-4 (Old Dominion)

Zion Harmon
6-0 (Bethune Cookman)


2G
Scotty Middleton
6-6 (Ohio State)

Jahseem Felton
6-5 (Combine Academy)


SW
Dylan Addae-Wusu
6-4 (Seton Hall)

Isaiah Coleman
6-5 (Seton Hall)




When you lose two stars in Kadary Richmond and Al Dawes you have a tough row to hoe. Especially at a small school like Seton Hall that doesn't have (at this time) the NIL money to compete with its peers.
But SHU coach Shaheen Holloway made an early decision knowing that Dawes was gone and Richmond would probably follow. That decision? Make sure that freshman star Coleman would come back by telling him the roster would be built around him. That was good enough to keep Coleman out of the portal and thus the rebuilding of the roster began.

First and foremost Holloway needed to replace Richmond at the point. No easy task as Richmond was IMO the best point in the Big East and one of the best in the nation. Holloway did that in fine fashion. Getting not one but two quality guards in Jenkins and Harmon. Neither of the caliber of Richmond but both players who can run a D1 offense. Jenkins is more of a scorer and Harmon closer to a true 1.

That gives SHU a nice change of pace twosome that can match up to the opposition. With Jenkins the bigger guard and Harmon the quicker player. Both able to put points on the board although neither player has shot a high percentage in their careers.

Another plus is they are considered good defenders, a must with the SHU coach if you want quality PT. A negative? Each has a very poor assist to turnover ratio.

Now with that said Holloway has other options at the point as both incoming Felton and returning Addae-Wusu can man the point if necessary. But I listed each at their best position. Felton as a two and Addae-Wusu as a swing who can play the 1, 2 or 3.

I see Middleton starting at the 2. He's probably the best shooter on the team. Maybe even the equal of Dawes down the road with more playing time. He ended the year at Ohio State with the coaching change hitting about 75% from the distance with his quick release and size to shoot over defenders. But that was a small sample although he did finish over 45% from the arc, but a disappointing 40% from the field and 50% from the line. The latter two numbers will have to improve if Middleton plays as well as I expect.

Felton as I noted above is a combo guard, more a 2 than a 1 but can do either when called upon. He has size and excellent court vision and from all accounts (sight unseen to date) plays hard and is a good teammate who can hold his own on either side of the court. A plus with Holloway.

At the three I see returning Coleman as the starter. He will probably be the best defender on the team and with more PT will shoot as he did last season, mid to high 40% from the field, slightly over 70% from the line, and improve on his 31% from the arc. He and Middleton will be a dynamic duo for the Prates with their size and athleticism.

Finally we have jack of all trades and SHU's swiss army knife in Addae-Wusu. He really doesn't excel in any particular position on offense and maybe that was because of his shoulder injury for most of last season as his % from the arc vastly improve over the last ten games or so. But there is no questioning his D or work ethic. Sha has a tough decision to make with his returning player. He started every single game for the Hall in his first year in Blue. But with the roster Seton Hall had last season there was no other option. This year that will be different.

Here's my sight unseen very early and very tentative starters heading into the 2024/25 season.

PG 6-4 Jenkins
2G 6-6 Middleton
SW 6-5 Coleman

But clearly unlike last season that could change and change often.

Grade B+/B

Tomorrow the bigs.