I feel that group, featuring JaKarr Sampson, D’Angelo Harrison, Chris Obekpa and Sir’Dominic Pointer, was more talented in a weaker Big East. You can argue which season is more disappointing. This year now goes right up there with the frustrating 2013-14 season, when a Sweet 16 team on paper fell a win short of the tournament. Julian Champagnie helps up Posh Alexander during St. But mostly, it didn’t bring its game - the game we saw over the first two nights of the Big East Tournament - anywhere close to enough times. It couldn’t come through in the clutch, whether that’s on the coach, the players or a combination of the two. This team couldn’t win a close game against a decent opponent, going 5-11 in games decided by single digits and 2-9 when those games involved a Big East opponent. There is no reason the Red Storm shouldn’t be sitting in the same position as Seton Hall and Marquette, waiting on an opponent and location on Sunday rather than hoping for an NIT bid.īut that’s the sad, sobering reality. John’s played - particularly on defense, limiting the stars on DePaul and Villanova - the only teams that were clearly superior were the Wildcats and UConn. If you watched the first few days of the tournament, you saw how well St. It lost its top scorer, Bryce Aiken, in early January, and the Pirates won’t even have to sweat Selection Sunday. Sure, freshman guard Rafael Pinzon missing two months was significant, especially when you consider this team felt a guard short. Yes, the 17-day COVID-19 pause was unfortunate, but others dealt with that, too. You can’t use the newness of the roster, not when so many other coaches dealt with similar situations in this, the era of the transfer portal. John’s were just good enough to break your heart – again As good of a job he did his first two years, and I thought the 62-year-old Anderson overachieved, he was closer to the other end of the spectrum this winter.
Not enough adjustments were made to fit the roster. His rotations were too erratic, his substitution patterns too inconsistent. It took him too long to figure out what he had. To avoid playing on the opening night of the tournament. Clearly, the pieces were in place to at least go Dancing. John’s was doing compared to what the Wildcats weren’t. Villanova’s Jay Wright said his team was not surprised by the 17-15 Johnnies - it knew how good it’s opponent can play - and felt the large deficit was more about what St. He lamented that it took so long for this group to come together. It makes you wonder: Where was this team? Where was this defense? Where was this intensity and focus and discipline? Why did it only appear in a handful of games?Īfter the gut-wrenching loss, coach Mike Anderson acknowledged this should have been a tournament team. outplay the eighth-ranked Wildcats for large stretches, build a 17-point lead and come within a bounce or a favorable whistle of a huge upset. They saw Julian Champagnie, Posh Alexander and Co. Instead, Johnnies fans saw their team run DePaul - an improved DePaul that entered the tournament playing so well - off the Garden floor. If it snuck past DePaul on Wednesday night and was overwhelmed by Villanova 24 hours later. John’s was one-and-done in the Big East Tournament.
Somehow, these last few days made this season feel worse. John's shows run to NCAA Tournament isn't out of picture If College Football Playoff expansion couldn't happen now, it likely never will
Juwan Howard must be suspended for rest of season after slap, inciting brawl Wild Saturday shows we may be in for different type of March Madness Teams to keep an eye on entering college hoops' Championship Week
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