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Photo Courtesy AP/Julie Jacobson
Predictably, they were destroyed by a Pitt team that looks as if it will be a major force come March. Despite upsetting Notre Dame last weekend, the Johnnies are not a very good team. They are very young and they lost Anthony Mason Jr. in November to a foot injury. They haven’t had much success at all under coach Norm Roberts in his five years and have become an afterthought in the New York sports market.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Look at the rosters of some of the top collegiate programs in the country and you will see plenty of players from this area. For years, this was the recipe for success at St. John’s, recruit the local kids and then you will win. But, now those kids go to other schools and St. John’s struggles year after year. Getting those kids to come and play for the Red Storm again will take some work, but it isn’t impossible.
Can Coach Roberts deliver those players and bring the Johnnies back to prominence? The early results are not encouraging, but remember that Roberts took over a program at rock bottom. He deserves at least another season to see if the underclassmen he recently recruited can step up and win. As hard as it is to believe right now, St. John’s has been a basketball powerhouse in the past and it can be one again. It is just going to take some work.
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I don't want to sound racist or anything but basketball is too black. And because of that it will become less popular over the next few years. Same thing is going on in football.
Snoopy, you've made racist remarks ever since you started commenting on Gothamist, no preface to what you write is going to absolve you of that.
Red Storm boosters need to step up and slip these kids some cash!
The Johnnies have made significant progress in cleaning up their program after the Mike Jarvis debactle. As a result of being cautious, the school is not recruiting from some of the powerful basketball academies and youth leagues for the best players b/c there is usually a quid quo pro arrangement with those coaches. Even if the school hired a big name like John Calipari or Rick Pitino, it would have get its hand a little dirty to get back into the mix in the ultra-competitive Big East. It's not enough any more to sell recruits on playing half of their games at Madison Square Garden.
It's a shame that the college and pro basketball scene in NYC has been a non factor for this entire decade.
Coach HAD another season to see if his recruits could ball. Rock bottom or no, this should be the coaching staff's last year.