My thoughts on the season

[HallGuy2323]

I really don’t know how it’ll shake out. But I would have to assume our talent is better merely on the fact it can’t be worse than last year.

But what I want to see most is Shaheen growing as a coach and getting the most out of his team; making players better. Last year that did not happen at all. It was a train wreck that I hope was a one off.

I see a lot of similarities between him and Giants coach Brian Daboll. I think both are good coaches in the sense the players like them and trust them and are good at commanding the room. But I just don’t know if they are good X and O coaches.

Shaheen appears to have a balanced roster this year. Let’s teach one of the big men how to be a beast rebounder and shot blocker. Let’s teach a wing how to pull up from 12-15 feet instead of dribbling into traffic. Let’s run some plays, he certainly had them at St Peter’s.

Long story short, no way can last year happen again. Prove you’re a good coach. The resources are as good as they’re going to get. Time to build and grow.

 

[NittanyPirate]

Agree with most of what you say. If we’re going to be bad again this year, which many are predicting, at minimum I want to see a competitive team with fight.

This team will lose its fair share, but Sha better have them fighting tooth and nail every night. If the fans check out before Xmas again, he’s in big trouble.

I think this team will keep the fan base engaged.

 

[shu67]

I think the talent was better last year they just did not take to Sha and his style of coaching. Lots of teams have the talent just not the right pieces to play together or within the coaches style.

 

[Halldan]

Last season was unproven talent and there is no way 1-10 they were more talented than 1-10 this year. HS rankings mean nothing once the season begins. This team has far more proven college talent.

Plus there is excellent chemistry with this group. The chemistry between the players last year was terrible.

 

[Seton75]

I think the talent was better last year they just did not take to Sha and his style of coaching. Lots of teams have the talent just not the right pieces to play together or within the coaches style.

PG and center seem much improved. Depth at center. I think this will open up the court while last year the offense ran uphill all season (in molasses??). I am hopeful and think we will be much better than last year. A huge part of why I think that is cause I want it to be that way. And I will think that way till the games say it aint so.

The Setonian published a story once saying we should fire PJ. As bad as that looks in retrospect, I am pretty sure this board would have been suggesting a far worse action against PJ many years prior. When we hired him, I know an old bald guy who looks exactly like me who said at the time that PJ had no chance to succeed. Our two best teams ever in the BE era were picked 7 out of 9 by BE coaches. Our NIT champ was getting beat by NJIT with about 5 minutes to go.

I think we will be featuring our best center since Sam D this year and Naj is gonna help bring some smiles to our faces.

 

[shu67]

Last season was unproven talent and there is no way 1-10 they were more talented than 1-10 this year. HS rankings mean nothing once the season begins. This team has far more proven college talent.

Plus there is excellent chemistry with this group. The chemistry between the players last year was terrible.

What you say about last year's team is true but isn't it also true for this year's team? Unproven against BE and other top conference teams and players.

 

[Halldan]

Given the choice I will take proven D1 experience over supposed upside.

Last year's team was one of the worst in all D1 basketball regarding offensive stats. Not sure why you feel that group is more talented that this one. You are simply basing that on HS performance instead of trusting your eyes.

And regarding D...again no comparison. This squad is light years ahead of last season's.

 

[SPK145]

I am not sure sure what to expect. On paper the team does not look that good. A bunch of mid-major players from losing programs. Being better than last year means absolutely nothing to me. I don't want to be better than last year, I want to be a winner. It's possible.

Put up or shut up.

 

[jklings99]

PG and center seem much improved. Depth at center. I think this will open up the court while last year the offense ran uphill all season (in molasses??). I am hopeful and think we will be much better than last year. A huge part of why I think that is cause I want it to be that way. And I will think that way till the games say it aint so.

The Setonian published a story once saying we should fire PJ. As bad as that looks in retrospect, I am pretty sure this board would have been suggesting a far worse action against PJ many years prior. When we hired him, I know an old bald guy who looks exactly like me who said at the time that PJ had no chance to succeed. Our two best teams ever in the BE era were picked 7 out of 9 by BE coaches. Our NIT champ was getting beat by NJIT with about 5 minutes to go.

I think we will be featuring our best center since Sam D this year and Naj is gonna help bring some smiles to our faces.

Better than Angel??

 

[SHUMatt]

I think we will play hard but still be at or near the bottom of the BE. I say 6 BE wins at most. Vast improvement but still a bad overall record.

 

[HALL85]

I am not sure sure what to expect. On paper the team does not look that good. A bunch of mid-major players from losing programs. Being better than last year means absolutely nothing to me. I don't want to be better than last year, I want to be a winner. It's possible.

Put up or shut up.

“Better than last year” is such a low bar. This team has to be better and should be better. If the record is better, but it is still a 10th or an 11th place team, then that will be a huge disappointment.

 

[Seton75]

Better than Angel??

I say yes. He is called as good a rebounder as NJ HS hoops has seen in years by a highly respected NJ HS coach, and he has post moves already with both hands. As great as he was, Angel struggled to finish as a frosh. And is is bigger too. I think this guy is going to be a HUGE asset for us from the getgo. But of course, what do I know lol.

Better than Angel??

 

[shu67]

Given the choice I will take proven D1 experience over supposed upside.

Last year's team was one of the worst in all D1 basketball regarding offensive stats. Not sure why you feel that group is more talented that this one. You are simply basing that on HS performance instead of trusting your eyes.

And regarding D...again no comparison. This squad is light years ahead of last season's.

Well my eyes have not seen this team play against competition. No one has! Let's make the evaluation of this team is better than last years when we actually see what they do on the court!

 

[PirateBlue08]

Last season was unproven talent and there is no way 1-10 they were more talented than 1-10 this year. HS rankings mean nothing once the season begins. This team has far more proven college talent.

Plus there is excellent chemistry with this group. The chemistry between the players last year was terrible.

Dan, no offense but why don't we actually wait until we see a game played in order to make conclusions about chemistry. Are we concluding that from practices? From the scrimmages we've lost? From hearing coaches say so? After last year, I need to see something first. I know we didn't have the manpower last year but I've lost a lot of confidence in Sha's X's and O's ability and need to be proven wrong after that circus he engineered. Unwatchable even against low majors. That bad taste doesn't go away so soon. Chemistry may be great playing against each other in practice but I want to see it translate on the court and see some actual fundamental basketball and effective plays be implemented.

 

[Bud Boomer]

My thoughts are that we had since last January to get the money right and figure out how to build this season's roster. This is the team we built. I'm sure our funds were a little light, and the delayed rev share didn't help, but Sha and Co. had plenty of time to plan for those eventualities. The standard is to make the NCAAs. I can live with falling a little short of that standard, but anything else (sub 75 on kenpom) is no good.

 

[NIL BAD]

I think Dabol is a decent X's & O's guy; but his game management skills & temperament lead me to believe he's not a good head coach.

Jury still out on Sha. Let's hope he turns the corner this year.

 

[radecicco]

I’ve been swingng from mildly optomistic to down in the dumps. We’ll be better at pg and center and those are definite pluses. But then I think about what other BE teams bring to the table and get depressed.

Regarding Dan and his more optimistic outlook being criticized, well that counterbalances the multiple negative outlooks, both by the way before seeing any real games.

IMO, the top 75 KenPom is an interesting perspective and metric for evaluating progress. We are starting out at around 100.

We’ll know soon enough.

 

[Seton75]

Well my eyes have not seen this team play against competition. No one has! Let's make the evaluation of this team is better than last years when we actually see what they do on the court!

Not seeing us play has never kept me from venturing my opinion on the season lol

 

[Seton75]

Dan, no offense but why don't we actually wait until we see a game played in order to make conclusions about chemistry. Are we concluding that from practices? From the scrimmages we've lost? From hearing coaches say so? After last year, I need to see something first. I know we didn't have the manpower last year but I've lost a lot of confidence in Sha's X's and O's ability and need to be proven wrong after that circus he engineered. Unwatchable even against low majors. That bad taste doesn't go away so soon. Chemistry may be great playing against each other in practice but I want to see it translate on the court and see some actual fundamental basketball and effective plays be implemented.

Oh come on. There is a cottage industry of article and magazines making predictions on teams that no one has ever seen play.

 

[TheHall87]

Dan, no offense but why don't we actually wait until we see a game played in order to make conclusions about chemistry. Are we concluding that from practices? From the scrimmages we've lost? From hearing coaches say so? After last year, I need to see something first. I know we didn't have the manpower last year but I've lost a lot of confidence in Sha's X's and O's ability and need to be proven wrong after that circus he engineered. Unwatchable even against low majors. That bad taste doesn't go away so soon. Chemistry may be great playing against each other in practice but I want to see it translate on the court and see some actual fundamental basketball and effective plays be implemented.

Oh come on. There is a cottage industry of article and magazines making predictions on teams that no one has ever seen play.

More over, this entire thread (and others like it) is based on the opinions of players that nobody has really seen play together.

 

[Halldan]

Or info gleaned from those that see them most every day. Doesn't mean they'll perform the same when the lights go on or when they play other teams. But it does mean we're not all flying blind with our opinions.

 

[shu67]

Have we found any sports writer, expert or site that has not picked us last in the BE?

 

[Halldan]

Yes, Jerry Carino who has seen them and said they are not a last place team. The rest...I doubt they have seen 1 second of a practice. They are all playing follow the leader.

The games are played on the court, not in a sports column.

 

[Fishjam]

Have we found any sports writer, expert or site that has not picked us last in the BE?

Just Jerry And Fanta. Neither have gone out on a limb but they both said we won't finish last. Every other site or writer I've seen has us last.

 

[shu67]

Yes, Jerry Carino who has seen them and said they are not a last place team. The rest...I doubt they have seen 1 second of a practice. They are all playing follow the leader.

The games are played on the court, not in a sports column.

Would Jerry or Fanta ever say we are a last place team?

 

[Fishjam]

My thoughts are that we had since last January to get the money right and figure out how to build this season's roster. This is the team we built. I'm sure our funds were a little light, and the delayed rev share didn't help, but Sha and Co. had plenty of time to plan for those eventualities. The standard is to make the NCAAs. I can live with falling a little short of that standard, but anything else (sub 75 on kenpom) is no good.

9 years in a row of being KenPom Top 60 and .500 or better in the Big East. That was a well-established and consistent standard that was shattered last year. I don't think we are returning to that level this year as I'm looking at this as a 2-year rebuild project.

An ideal scenario would be something like this

1. Be competitive in every game
2. Re-establish a grittiness and underdog mentality
3. Play together as a team and don't quit
4. Play a more exciting kind of basketball with improved offense
5. Make it fun to go to The Rock to watch the Pirates play again
6. Show steady improvement as the year progresses
7. Develop a solid core of players who have remaining eligibility
8. Convince those players that SH & Sha are a great fit for them
9. Show them the money and bring them back for next season
10. Still have enough in the budget to supplement the core with several strong transfers
11. Back in the top 60 and above .500 in the BE in 26-27

 

[Hall84]

Sports Illustrated has a list of all 365 D1 teams and has Depaul at 93rd and last in the BE with us at 88 overall and 10th BE.

 

[Bud Boomer]

9 years in a row of being KenPom Top 60 and .500 or better in the Big East. That was a well-established and consistent standard that was shattered last year. I don't think we are returning to that level this year as I'm looking at this as a 2-year rebuild project.

An ideal scenario would be something like this

1. Be competitive in every game
2. Re-establish a grittiness and underdog mentality
3. Play together as a team and don't quit
4. Play a more exciting kind of basketball with improved offense
5. Make it fun to go to The Rock to watch the Pirates play again
6. Show steady improvement as the year progresses
7. Develop a solid core of players who have remaining eligibility
8. Convince those players that SH & Sha are a great fit for them
9. Show them the money and bring them back for next season
10. Still have enough in the budget to supplement the core with several strong transfers
11. Back in the top 60 and above .500 in the BE in 26-27

We probably aren't returning to that level, but I'm not lowering the standard simply because the team was awful last season. Just like I never raised the benchmark for Willard simply because he was consistently good. A coach should not be the victim of his own success or the beneficiary of his own failures.

 

[PirateBlue08]

I think you can make predictions and statements like this with coaches who are proven and systems that have been in place for a while. I just think the jury is still out on Sha and after last season we have way too many unknowns to have any kind of solid opinion until we see this team play. It's 11 new guys for goodness sake, many coming from losing programs. And now we're starting the year with four injuries. Show me.

 

[Halldan]

Would Jerry or Fanta ever say we are a last place team?

Yes, last season despite limited viewings he told me that he was very worried about the Pirates. This year when we talk he feels far differently.

Not every cloud is a dark one.

 

[TheHall87]

Would Jerry or Fanta ever say we are a last place team?

Fanta works for a national media outlet and has credibility that he is trying to build and maintain with that audience. He's also working with a new employer and likewise needs to prove to them that he is a credible reporter.

Finally, most people who will see and hear him know little to nothing of John's background. What do you know about Connor Onion or Andrew Catalon or Noah Eagle just to name a few?

Likewise, Carino has to have a certain amount of credibility as a reporter otherwise nothing he says can ever be taken seriously. His situation is different as he is local and most of the audience knows he is a Seton Hall alum but his body of work certainly speaks for itself.

 

[dehere23]

Fanta works for a national media outlet and has credibility that he is trying to build and maintain with that audience. He's also working with a new employer and likewise needs to prove to them that he is a credible reporter.

Finally, most people who will see and hear him know little to nothing of John's background. What do you know about Connor Onion or Andrew Catalon or Noah Eagle just to name a few?

Likewise, Carino has to have a certain amount of credibility as a reporter otherwise nothing he says can ever be taken seriously. His situation is different as he is local and most of the audience knows he is a Seton Hall alum but his body of work certainly speaks for itself.

I think both are as objective as they can be, and with Carino you have to understand his dynamic which leans glass half full more than not. Again regardless of what folks are saying now about what he thought last year preseason compared to this, the article I dug up today out of curiosity showed he was pretty bullish on our squad last year, predicting almost a .500 record in conference and middle of the pack team.