ST. JOHN'S 2007-2008 SNAPSHOT
May 9, 2007
Head Coach: Norm Roberts
2006-2007 Record: 16-15 (7-9 Big East)
Returning Players:
Eugene Lawrence, Senior (Point Guard)
Anthony Mason, Junior (Forward)
Tomas Jasiulionis, Junior (Center)
Qa'rraan Calhoun, Sophomore (Forward)
Larry Wright, Sophomore (Guard)
Rob Thomas, Freshman (Forward)
Incoming Players:
Justin Burrell (Power Forward)
Malik Boothe (Point Guard)
Ayodele Coker (Center)
Mike Cavataio (Guard/Forward)
Paris Horne (Guard)
Graduated:
Lamont Hamilton
Daryll Hill
Aaron Spears
Transferred Out:
Avery Patterson
Ricky Torres
Open Items/Issues:
St. John's is still actively recruiting for the 2007 class as they currently sit with two scholarships open. The urgency to add talent this spring multiplied with the news that Rob Thomas underwent knee surgery to repair torn ligaments and is most likely out for the season. With Avery Patterson and Ricky Torres transferring out, adding to the long list of recruits not panning out for St. John's under Norm Roberts (Dexter Gray, Cedric Jackson, Derwin Kitchen, etc), the Redstorm heads into the 2007-2008 season with just five healthy returning players.
St. John's has added two spring signees, Paris Horne from the NE prep school scene, and NYC CHSAA all-league performer Mike Cavataio. With two scholarships open, Norm Roberts has been diligently pursuing prospects this spring and is eagerly awaiting the decision of 6'6 G/F DJ Kennedy of Pittsburgh, PA who is deciding between Georgia, New Mexico State and St. John's.
Summary:
At the minimum, Norm Roberts had to make the Big East Tournament last season. He accomplished the minimum as the Redstorm got into the tournament for the first time in four seasons as the conference's 11th seed. It is true that Roberts took over a program in dire need of a lift as the Redstorm was driven into the ground under Mike Jarvis and their influence in NYC was minimal among recruits. The situation was not too different from what Pittsburgh and Georgetown had sunk to under Ralph Willard and Craig Esherick. In their thrid years, Ben Howland had Pittsburgh in the Sweet 16 and John Thompson III had Georgetown in the Final Four in year #3. St. John's sits in the most fertile area of basketball talent in the NYC/NJ metro area and has a jewel of an on-campus practice facility recently constructed. Year #4 is not a year that Norm Roberts can afford to go backwards in.
Recruiting has improved for SJU and their local haul of Burrell, Boothe and Cavataio shows they are doing better on the homefront. Anthony Mason and Qa'rraan Calhoun are a promising pair of forwards that will get a nice teammate in Burrell. Boothe will team with Eugene Lawrence to give the redstorm steady floor leadership, but this team still lacks a scoring punch and depth in the frontcourt that has size and strength. Ayodele Coker was a recruiting coup, but he is raw offensively and with only Tomas Jasiulionis to look towards for depth, the middle will be exposed on the defensive end by Redstorm opponents. Larry Wright showed flashes of scoring bunch as a freshmen, but they will be asking an awful lot of him this year at the 2-guard, probably more than he can give night in and night out.
It is going to be a tough task for St. John's to improve upon their standing next year. This might be their best incoming group of players under Roberts, but the injury to Thomas (who was not going to be eligible the 1st semester anyway) and more defections make this an inexperienced and thin team, not exactly what he planned for his fourth season. Of the five teams that finished behind them last year, only South Florida suffered similar losses in production due to graduation/transfers. Everyone has more returning and similar, if not better, recruiting success over a two-year period. This team will have to scrap to play in the Big East Tournament next season.
Labels: St. John's Recruiting
posted by NBE Blogger @ 12:06 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
I got this post from a St. John's message baord emailes to me. The sender agreed 100% with this poster, especially with the 'clueless' and 'homework' comments...I thought I would give some more reasoning to me SJU analysis on why I think Norm Roberts is behind the curve after three years, and I will add another example...
Here is the post:
"Can't speak to his predictions, but the fact he compares where we were to Pitt & G'town shows he's clueless. He has no...zero...idea of what he's talking about. We were in much, much worse shape than either of those programs have ever been. Robert's job has been much, much harder.
Yet another example of a so-called 'expert' who needs to do his homework next time before he opens his mouth."
http://www.redmen.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=33892
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I am sure living through the final few games of the Jarvis era were painful and nothing could seem to be worse. But other programs were on similar hard times.
At Pittsburgh Ralph Willard had his share of off-court and embarrasing problems leading to his dismissal. In his last season, which marked the 6th straight season Pitt did not make the NCAA Tournament, Fred Primus was arrested on a road trip to Villanova the night before a game for stealing $2,000 worth of jewelry from a private home while half the team was breaking curfew watching a boxing match. Atilla Cosby was dismissed from the team for physically assaulting then-assstant Oliver Antigua in practice and going after him again afterwards. Howland's inherited players such as Kellii Taylor (drugs/Acadmics) and Chris Seabrooks (assaulting police officer) were also dismissed quickly. Of the players that played in Ralph Willard's last game at Pitt, only Ricky Greer would play at the end of the season in Howland's first year.
Pitt had the worst facilities in the conference (the Peterson Events Center was not finished until Howland 4th year) and the local Pittsburgh talent was dry and if any quality player was available, the local landscape was steering that player out of Pittsburgh. Yet, after year three, with not a single top 100 recruit added to the playing roster, Ben Howland had Pittsburgh in the Sweet 16...maybe not quite the depth of SJU, but very comparable.
Another example in the recent history of th eBig East to look at is at West Virginia. Gale Catlett resigned in mid-season and WVU went 1-15 in the conference and lost 20 games. Dan Dakich was hired, but found things so bad that he left to return to Bowling Green less than a week later because he thought the program was helpless (facilities, recruiting, etc at bottom of conference). John Beilein took over and went 5-11 in year 1 in the BE, 7-9 and the NIT in year #2 and made the Elite 8 in YR #3, again, without a single top 100 recruit.
It is quite possible that Georgetown was not in as bad shape as where SJU found themselves. I used JTIII more of a reference point since he and Roberts were hired in the same year. Georgetown had suffered through 5 losing Big East campaigns in seven seasons. The local fanbase was eroding, yet...JTIII was able to gain the city back quickly and get the Hoyas back in the NCAA quickly and to the Final Four in Yr3.
At St. John's, the final Jarvis season was a disaster, but the program was not THAT far down previously. In 03-04 they finished 1-15 and lost 20 games, in 02-03 they were NIT champs and were in the NCAA's in four of the previous 5 years. MUCH more success in a near history than Georgetown, Pitt or WVU. These NCAA trips included an Elite 8 and a 2-seed, so these weren't sneaking into the big dance. SJU has Madison Square Garden and a brand new practice facility that was ready last year. They have the most fertile recruiting base in the country in the NYC/NJ metro area. As bad as 03-04 was for their program...Pittsburgh and WVU suffered similar last seasons with their previous regime's and did not have as much to work with as SJU. However, SJU did have the potential of NCAA sanctions looming over their heads, but 9 of Robert's first 14 recruits in three seasons have not played to the end of their eligibility and are out of the program...OUCH! That is where they have not made the progress, not because of one disaster of a season...which didn't help, but in the SJU in the Big East, that was a blip on the screen.
I do like Norm Roberts, I think he is a good guy and a coach, but if SJU struggles to maintain their position next season...it is going to be tough to beleive he will be getting it done...and I am sure MANY SJU supporters are getting, at least, anxious...
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