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St. John’s Must Do Better than 2-0 in Introductory Press Conferences

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NEW YORK – St. John’s University is 2-0 in its most recent press conferences to introduce a head basketball coach. The first press conference win came on March 31, 2015 when Chris Mullin returned to the very Jamaica Estates campus he electrified as a player in the early ’80s. The expectations were quite high for Mullin to return to the Final Four as a coach and team motivator/galvanizer.

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The second press conference win came today as St. John’s introduced Mike Anderson as its 21st head coach in the school’s long, glorious basketball history. They made the announcement at Madison Square Garden, currently the basketball program’s most valuable asset.

Winning press conferences in New York City is not an easy task, especially after a disappointing season, an awkward parting with Mullin and a series of botched efforts to hire the new coach. It is magnified in the city as it all plays out on the back pages of the NYC tabloids.

Somehow, just in time for high, holiday weekend, St. John’s Athletic Director Mike Cragg pulled an Easter rabbit out of his top hat and found a coach that can possibly re-build and coach the storied basketball program. As Mullin found out, winning a press conference is one thing, but winning basketball games in the Big East Conference is another.

In four years as head coach, Mullin’s Johnnies went (59-73, .447 overall), and (20-52, .278) in conference. Many of those 59 wins came in early season regular season tune-ups, as evidenced by the 12-0 start St. John’s enjoyed this past November-December. In Big East play, it wasn’t very pretty.

St. John’s recent Big East record:

  • 2015-16 – Big East record 1-17
  • 2016-17 – Big East record 7-11
  • 2017-18 – Big East record 4-14
  • 2018-19 – Big East record 8-10

Since Mike Jarvis ran the program into the ground after taking over a pretty competitive team from Fran Frachilla in 1998, the Johnnies have run through a half-dozen head coaches, with only Steve Lavin departing with a winning record. 

Those track records were diametrically opposite of St. John’s Hall of Fame coaches, Joe Lapchick (334-130, .720) and Lou Carnesecca (526-200, .725).

Anderson spent the past eight seasons at Arkansas, where he led the Razorbacks to five postseason appearances and won 22 or more games four times in his final six seasons. At Arkansas, Anderson logged a 169-102 (.624) record with a 2014-15 best of 27 victories, 13 of which came in SEC play.  That season, the Razorbacks finished second in the SEC regular season and during the past five basketball seasons, the only SEC team with more overall and conference wins was Kentucky.

This past season, Anderson took a team that had lost more than 80 percent of its scoring and led it to the second round of the NIT.  Only three players returned from the previous year’s squad.

Despite that success, Arkansas fired Anderson on March 26th.

St. John’s Press Conference

Anderson was out of work less than a month, but was not amongst the top candidates for the Red Storm job as North New Jersey native and former Duke and NBA guard Bobby Hurley of Arizona State, Loyola-Chicago’s Porter Moser and Tim Cluess of Iona – a former St. John’s player – reportedly turned down the opportunity to coach the Queens squad.

Anderson was lower on the list but enthusiastic about the opportunity ahead.

“My goal as a head coach is to win a championship and in order to do that you have to have a vision of what it will take,” said Anderson today. “I really feel that the place for that to happen is St. John’s.  We are in the Mecca of college basketball, Madison Square Garden. For all the New Yorkers and all the St. John’s alumni, for the administration, for the students and for the faculty, I want you know you got a guy here who is going to leave it all on the floor. You are going to have kids who represent this University in a first class manor on and off the floor.”

“When you come to Madison Square Garden, when you come to Carnessecca Arena, you are going to see a team that is going to be really entertaining,” added Anderson. “They are going to guard, they are going to defend, they are going to be one of the top assist teams in the country, and they are going to be one of the top (at forcing) turnover teams in the country.

“They will be one of the best scoring teams and field goal teams. It’s going to be a team that has depth, these guys are going to get the chance to showcase their God given ability.”

Strange Days Indeed

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LOS ANGELES – The month of April is bringing about very strange happenings in the basketball world as Earvin “Magic” Johnson announced Tuesday that he is stepping down as the Los Angeles Lakers’ president of basketball operations the same day fellow Dream Team sharp-shooter Chris Mullin stepped down from his beloved St. John’s.

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Johnson took the job in March 2017 after the team fired Mitch Kupchak as general manager and removed Jim Buss as executive vice president of basketball operations.

The Lakers were 37-44 entering Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. They were 35-47 last season.

Mullin stepped down as St. John’s head coach with speculation falling on Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley as his replacement. Hurley comes with a hefty $2.5 million buyout and at least another $2.5 million in salary expectations for an estimated $12.5 million commitment from a school that has notoriously counted its chips.

“This has been an extremely emotional decision, but after a recent personal loss, I took time to reflect upon my true values and believe this is the right time to make a change,” Mullin said in a statement issued by the school. “I am extremely grateful to the administration, which has supported me and our basketball program on every level.

“I’ve been amazed by our coaches, trainers, managers and staff who work relentless hours, which enables this team to grow and thrive. I’ve been honored to coach the young men who are the heart and soul of this program. It’s a job I will always cherish.”

Mullin’s older brother, Roddy, died from cancer in early March.

Athletic director Mike Cragg issued a statement thanking Mullin.

“St. John’s basketball progressed well during his tenure, culminating with a trip to the NCAA Tournament this past season. Coach Mullin has a deep passion for this program and he has been committed to helping our student-athletes achieve their goals on and off the court, so I know this was not an easy decision. We wish him and his family nothing but the best as he begins this new chapter of his life.”

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Mullin went 59-73 at his alma mater, taking the Red Storm to one NCAA Tournament — this season’s First Four, where they lost to Hurley’s Sun Devils. Hurley is “expected to be at the top of St. John’s list” of replacements, according to a Sunday report from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Hurley is a New Jersey native and has a background with Cragg, who spent more than 30 years in various administrative roles at Duke, his time intersecting with Hurley’s playing days with the Blue Devils from 1989-93.

Former NCAA coach Rick Pitino told the New York Post on Tuesday that he would be interested in the job, but he wants an apology and to be cleared publicly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Louisville fired Pitino in September 2017, in part because the government alleged Pitino was part of a play-for-pay scandal involving five-star recruit Brian Bowen.

Pitino has maintained his innocence. Now coaching in Greece, he denied to the Post that he reached out to St. John’s on Monday.

“I think the AD is a Duke man and Bobby Hurley was a great Duke player, and I think he would be an excellent choice,” Pitino said.

Hurley is 73-58 in four seasons at Arizona State and 115-78 in six years as a college head coach, including two years at Buffalo.

Mullin, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, holds the St. John’s record of 2,440 points, set from 1981 to 1985. He went on to a 16-year NBA career in which he was a five-time All-Star.

St. John’s went 21-13 this season but last week lost its top recruiter, Matt Abdelmassih, who joined new Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg. The Red Storm’s best player, junior guard Shamorie Ponds (19.7 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 steals), has announced that he will enter the NBA draft.

The departures continued after Tuesday’s announcement. Junior guard Justin Simon (10.4 points per game) hired an agent and announced he was entering the NBA draft, while backup guard Bryan Trimble Jr. has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, a source told ESPN.

–Field Level Media

Same Old ‘Nova! The Best!

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Villanova 74, Seton Hall 72

When: 6:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 16, 2019
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
Attendance: 19,812
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

NEW YORK  – A 7-0 run late in the second half enabled No. 25 Villanova to hold off Seton Hall 74-72 Saturday night for the Big East Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden.

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Eric Paschall scored 17 points to lead four players in double figures for the top-seeded Wildcats (25-9), who earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Phil Booth and Saddiq Bey each added 16, while Jermaine Samuels netted 12 points.

Villanova led by as many as nine points with three minutes left, but had to sweat out a rally that saw the Pirates have two chances to tie or win.

Myles Powell’s 3-pointer from about 27 feet out on the right wing was on line but banged off the back iron with about five seconds left. Booth grabbed the long rebound but was called for walking with 0.2 seconds left. Game officials caucused and reset the clock to 0.4 seconds.

Seton Hall tried a lob pass to the bucket, but it caromed off the backboard and bounced near midcourt before it was touched, ending the game.

Powell, who led all scorers with 25 points, put back his own missed shot with 15.5 seconds left to pull Seton Hall within 73-72. Paschall made 1 of 2 free throws with 13.7 seconds remaining for a two-point edge, setting the stage for the dramatic conclusion.

Anthony Nelson added 12 points and Myles Cale tallied 10 for the third-seeded Pirates (20-13), who should receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney on Sunday.

The first half was a low-scoring grinder, with each team playing its third game in as many days.

Villanova made the first run, a 12-2 burst that ended with a Paschall pullup jumper with 13:26 left in the half to make it 12-7. Bey converted a layup with 5:52 remaining in the half for a 25-18 advantage, but Seton Hall made its first big push right after that.

Cale started an 8-0 spurt with two free throws and ended it with a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:31 on the clock, giving the Pirates a 26-25 edge.

The Wildcats responded, with Dhamir Cosby-Rountree sticking back Paschall’s missed layup just before time expired to give them a 28-26 lead at intermission.

–Field Level Media

Big East Game Scout

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Seton Hall vs Villanova

When: 6:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 16, 2019
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

NEW YORK – Villanova has endured its ups and downs this season, but the team is 40 minutes away from making history. The 25th-ranked Wildcats can become the first team ever to win three straight Big East Tournament titles when they face Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden.

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The top-seeded Wildcats rallied past Xavier on Friday, escaping with a 71-67 overtime win thanks to some clutch baskets from Phil Booth, Jermaine Samuels and Eric Paschall. “It feels great for this young group to do that. It feels like we’ve come a long way. Everybody’s learning day by day to play Villanova basketball,” Paschall said. Villanova slammed Seton Hall by 28 in the first matchup on Jan. 27 before the Pirates won the rematch 79-75 on March 9. Third-seeded Seton Hall outlasted Marquette late Friday night, escaping with an 81-79 win behind Myles Powell’s 22 points and seven assists.

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, FOX 

ABOUT SETON HALL (20-12): The Pirates have won their last four games in impressive fashion – two victories over Marquette, a win over Villanova and a blowout against Georgetown. Powell has made at least four 3-pointers in five consecutive games and scored at least 20 points in six straight. Michael Nzei had 15 rebounds on Friday – five more than his previous season high – and added 14 points for his second double-double of the campaign.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (24-9): The defending national champions had four players account for 67 of the team’s 71 points in the semifinals, led by Booth (28 points), who also contributed seven rebounds and five assists. Paschall had 12 points but is just 4-of-20 from 3-point land over the last five games. Samuels had 17 points against Xavier, his third double-digit scoring effort in the last five games following an 11-game run of single-digit scoring efforts.

TIP-INS

1. Powell shot 6-of-19 from the floor in the first two meetings with the Wildcats this season.

2. Booth was scoreless in 19 minutes (on 0-of-5 shooting) in Villanova’s overtime win over Providence in last season’s Big East Tournament title game. 

3. Seton Hall G Myles Cale has only one turnover in 88 minutes over the last three games.

Batty, Bizarre, Bonkers Big East

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NEW YORK – In a bizarre, unexplainable game, marred by physical play, flagrant fouls, ejections, poor shooting, mayhem, and poor officiating, junior guard Myles Powell scored 18 of his 22 points after halftime to spark a balanced attack and lead Seton Hall to an 81-79 victory against No. 23 Marquette in a Big East tournament semifinal on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

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The third-seeded Pirates (17-12) advanced to face No. 25 and top tournament seed Villanova in the tournament championship game on Saturday night, as Marquette’s Markus Howard missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the final buzzer.

Michael Nzei notched a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Pirates, Quincy McKnight chipped in 18 points and Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 10 before being ejected during a chippy second half. The game featured a combined eight technical fouls and 85 free throws.

Sam Hauser paced second-seeded Marquette (23-7) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Markus Howard (21 points), Joey Hauser (12) and Sacar Anim (10) also finished in double figures.

Seton Hall grabbed its first lead with 14:56 remaining, as Powell hit a jumper to give the Pirates a 46-44 advantage. Marquette responded with a 7-0 run.

Tempers flared between the teams after Powell took a hard foul midway through the half. Following a skirmish and video review delay of nearly 10 minutes, referees ejected Anim and Theo John of Marquette, as well as Mamukelashvili. Anim and Mamukelashvili both were called for their second technical fouls, while Powell received a flagrant foul after the play.

Howard, the Big East Player of the Year, suffered a left wrist sprain and missed the final 2:24 of the first half. He returned after halftime but went just 1 for 15 from the field while shooting 18 for 24 from the free-throw line.

Powell, who scored 31 points in the Pirates’ quarterfinal victory against Georgetown — including a Big East tournament-record 29 in the first half — missed his first three attempts from the field against Marquette.

Powell tweaked an ankle late in the Georgetown game, but played without a wrap and without hesitation against the Golden Eagles.

Still, his anticipated showdown with Howard hardly materialized. The junior standouts were a combined 1 for 11 from the floor and 2 for 4 from the free-throw line in the first half. Powell registered the only first-half field goal between the two, a 3-pointer at the 10:04 mark.

Marquette led by as many as 12 in the first half but missed several opportunities to grow its advantage before the break. Seton Hall closed the half on a 7-0 run to draw to within 36-33, as McKnight scored five points during the spurt.

The Pirates and Golden Eagles split the regular season series. Seton Hall lost by four points on the road on Jan. 12 before stunning Marquette with a 73-64 home win on March 6, closing the game on an 18-0 run.

–Field Level Media

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