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Date Posted: Wednesday, December 24, 02:28:20pm
Author: oldtimer#1
Subject: Additional Christmas thoughts

First, Best Christmas wishes to all our fans whether they fall on the positive/hopeful side of the coin or the negatve. Here are some possibly controversial thoughts for each side to debate or comment.


#1) I am a JD fan and hoping like most (not all) of us that he succeeds. However, as a realist it is obvious that he has not gotten the job done to date. His performance for the rest of his contract needs significant improvement. However, that said, it's interesting that the negative posters always come out of the woodwork after a poor game such as Monmouth. I'd much rater listen to "balanced" fans such as SPC Fan and yes Cindy who call it good or bad either way. Honest appraisals. Monmouth was a horrible performance as was Fairfield, and parts of NJIT and Wagner. Yet little is said about the excellent coaching job against Cansius, Seton Hall and FDU. And to that poster who said that FDU was horrendus. They have several excellent players. Sean Baptiste is as good and probably better than any player we have. Tyler Cameron is also a decent player. By the way, FDU shot 59% from the floor and 62.5% from the three in the second half. Bad players don't do that. I say that fully understanding the wise-guy retort that they were playing against us. They also have a very good coach who is having a miserable season. Guess some will call him a bad coach now. That's part of the coaching profession. The truth always was and still is that players make the coach more than coaches make the players.

Getting back to John Dunne, our record to date is 4 wins 7 losses. An honest evaluation is that JD has not overachieved nor underachieved this season. The rest of the season will tell us more. However, it will probably be next season, with some realistic heightened expectations, that will tell the story. Conley, a possible transfer and/or recruit will decide his fate once and for all. Have to believe that JD feels this preeure a lot more than we do. And for those would-be coaches in the stands (myself included) JD has proved to my satisfaction that he can bench coach. His decision to play a box an one against both Seton Hall and FDU was the correct call. Most of Baptist's points, last night, were scored against Jenkins, Hall and Leon when Godding was on the bench. FDU chose, as did Seton Hall, to full court pressure us and JD quickly went to his "quick" lineup with some combination of Leon, Jenkins, Gooding, Costner, and Bacon (when available). The non-starting of Hall was also a gutsy call which would have been easily criticized if it did not work out well. His use of Jack Hill was also timely and appropriate. So were his other substitutions and time-outs.


Didn't mean to turn this into a JD lovefest but all the negative stuff does need some counterbalance. Truth be told JD was brought in here with the hope that he could turn the Program around,. To date he has not done so and if this continues the final ending is obvious. At that time we will look for a new saviour with most likely similar results. I held off at commenting at some of the recent negative posts because we are all frustrated. Didn't know if it was funny or just plain stupid by some of the posters that John Dunne should resign by April. Yea sure, a guy with a young family, a new house and a contract should throw all of this away just to please our non-existent fan base. Seems we are pretty loose and opionated with another persons livehood. Funnier still was the comment that perhaps we could buy him out by being creative and cutting "dead wood" in the Athletic Department (no offense intended Loyal as I enjoy most of your posts). What "dead wood"??? We, most likely, have the most understaffed department in all of D1 basketball and if truth be told some extremely competent people. Pat Elliott, by the way, is outstanding. He is doing so much behind the scenes that is not known and probably will not be appreciated, While the jury is out on Coach Dunne, I have seen enough of Pat Elliott to know he was the correct choice for AD,

So my Christmas wish for JD is to have Conley eligible, recruit another scorer at the#3 and continue the development of Hill, Costner, Leon and Hall.


#2) Have to disagree with some who might think that the continued development of Costner will give us a #3. I love the way Costner plays. He is a very good passer from the high post, excellent defender and a generally smart player. However, I see him as a very valuable sixth man (a la Tom McMahon of years past) who can play multiple positions and contribute in many different ways. We talk of his shooting but there is a difference between being able to shoot the ball on occasion and being a shooter/scorer. Costner is neither. We are so accustomed to our poor shooting team that when Jordan makes one we all get excited. Yes, he should shoot more and have an occasional double digit game but he , at least in my view, is not our long term prospect at #3. On a Championship team (dare I say it) Jordan could be a valuable contributor, not a starter. Still love to see him play!



#3) Let me stir the pot even more by saying that Nick Leon is quickly becoming my favorite player. So read what follows with that bias in mind. Sort of began last year when most annointed Darryl Lampley as our player of the future. We had many debates on this board when I posted and defended that Nick was simply a better player than Darryl. With that point proven many of Nick's good games are not commented upon while his poor games become the subject of criticism. To cite but one example, jajk (whose basketball knowledge I respect) posted that we are having a tough year because we have only one shooter. I assume that by that he meant Wesley. No jajk we have TWO shooters and statistically over the last year and a quarter they are almost dead even. Both are having poor shooting years, mainly I suspect because both are targeted. I also think that the emphasis on shooting overlooks the more important factor - scoring. Both Wesley and Nick are our scorers and if truth be told, with the exception of the Cansius game, Nick has been every bit as much of our key player as Jenkins.


To continue, I like Hall but there is a reason that he didn't start last game. He needs to become an offense threat. No question in my mind that Brandon will become that player but he is going through that Freshman learning experience. And for those uninformed who think that Nick cannot play point he's been doing it for half the season. Who do you think is handling the ball when Brandon is out over 15 minutes per game? In fact, when they are both in there together we are great against the press. We are so much better in an open court offense and against the press. Unfortunately we need more rebounding power to start that running game. In the Seton Hall and again against FDU I cannot remember one turnover in the backcourt. Almost all of our turnovers come from overpassing or risky passing in the frontcourt.


The contrast between Nick's style and Brandon's is interesting. Brandon is extremely steady but tends to bob and weave coming up court leaving little time to run. Nick, on the break, takes the ball in a straight line and runs the ball at the opponent. Both methods are effective and I enjoy both styles. This, however, makes the assist/turnover misleading. Nick makes things happen, Brandon sits back and runs the halfcourt offense. Using the FDU game as an example Brandon showed 5 assists and 0 turnovers (from memory) yet I am hard pressed to think of any passes he threw aside from players coming off designed plays. In Nick's case I saw several spectacular passes, a three quarter one to Bacon and several off his patented drives. Some were converted, others were not. True he had turnovers but the point is to expect that in the uptempo game that Nick plays as opposed to the methodical one played by Brandon. As I stated, I like both styles and they do play well, along with Wesley in sharing the ball.

Finally, if one attends games and watches the byplay Nick is the closest we have to a leader on the team. He talks with and encourages other players and when things are not clicking takes things into his own hands by driving to the basket. He is an incredible finisher of drives for his size and is willing to take the beating in order to get to the foul line - and he has taken several big time hits recently. As I began, we all have our favorites. I like all our players. Right now, and until Wesley finds his game, Nick is definitely our most unappreciated.

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Replies:

[> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- Gray Poll, Wednesday, December 24, 03:41:07pm [1]

I'm glad that you can keep your optimism Oldtimer, but the Peacocks are 4-5 against teams whose RPI is above 200. They 0-2 against our local Big East rivals both of whom have proven, repeatedly, to be beatable.

The team has only a slender hope of reaching 10 wins and avoiding the PIG. There only two perhaps three players of MAAC quality and none of them will be all-MAAC.

Barring multiple,stunning, recruiting successes this is the team for the next two years. Donne will finally be retired at the end of the 2010-2011 season leaving behind a bare cupboard and the "positive contingent" of fans will again ask us to be patient while they rebuild again.

I fervently hope that you will make me eat crow before Dunne is through, but you know in your heart that I'm right.

I do wish everybody a Merry Christmas and endless successes in the new year.


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[> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- oldtimer#1, Wednesday, December 24, 05:04:17pm [1]

Gray Poll, don't want anyone to eat crow and I have no idea if JD can turn this thing around. To date he has not proven that he can and maybe never will. Some talk, however, as if JD inhereted a successful Program and has run that Program into the ground. To that I say, get real! The Program was on life support for years ( as has most college basketball in the Metro area) and the hope was that JD could turn it around. So let's not deceive ourselves that John Dunne destroyed something wonderful.


The best any reasonable person could argue is that he was unsuccessful in reviving a patient that was on it's last legs. The negativists, of course, assume that there is always someone out there who is a would be our saviour. In that they have the advantage of assuming something that can never be disproven.


What I have no problem with your side of the coin is if you assert that JD'd tenure, to date, has been disappointing or even a failure. What I do object to is those who show no objectivity in his coaching performance and only post after bad losses. The guy has actually done a pretty good coaching job with the team he has to put on the floor this year. Show me where he could have done better. As far as motivation and bench coaching is concerned those who post negatively either have not been to games, pick on one particular game or incident or have no idea what they are talking about. What JD needs pure and simple are some players and there is no sense in debating with anyone (not referring to you) how difficult recruiting at SPC is. Those people have no clue.

Merry Christmas


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[> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- NickD, Wednesday, December 24, 08:16:06pm [1]

Oldtimer. At the risk of offending,to write such a lengthy post as yours shows you to be a pompous and sanctimonious old windbag. To write so much and just rehash old BS,looks to me, that you are trying to impress people with your great intellect and knowledge about Peacock basketball. By the way are you and C.Crawford related?? I also think that Dunne is doing a bad job and needs to be replaced.


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[> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- oldtimer#1, Wednesday, December 24, 08:48:35pm [1]

Nick, don't worry about offending. I've read your often inaccurate BS for some time. You are one of those people who think they are so smart that they only give wise-ass comments without any substance or knowledge. To that point I've never seen you post otherwise. But it's Christmas and I can only hope that you grow out of your inferiority complex which demonstrates itself in constantly attempting to put down others. Try to find something positive in your life, you'll be happier. And, by the way, I do care about what Gary, Loyal, jajk and others on the other side of the argument stand but as for you I could give two sh---.


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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- NickD, Wednesday, December 24, 09:11:15pm [1]

So the real Oldtimer shows up. Can't take the truth so you get nasty. I hit the raw nerve and called you what you are and you did not like it . Well too bad,it is time you get off your high horse..


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[> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- Cindy Crawford, Wednesday, December 24, 10:27:21pm [1]

Nick,We can all agree to disagree,but you seem to be the one who reverts to personal attacks first. I pity you,living in such constant negativism.In this season,you could use a visit from the ghost of Jacob Marley and his cohorts.


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[> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- Gray Poll, Wednesday, December 24, 05:56:01pm [1]

Sorry OT#1, I shouldn't have been so elliptical. I should just have said it: JD will not turn this program around and the sooner he leaves the better the chance that it will sometime before we die.

IBID. I would very happy to be proven wrong, but I don't think I am.


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[> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- SPC Fan, Thursday, December 25, 12:01:13pm [1]

Results so far don't lend much credence to thought he will turn it around.First year have to give him a pass coaching wise as he was playing with only 4 scholarship players most of the season,many will debate if his personality itself was the reason for the defections. I'll skip that for now.
Last year i felt despite the presence of all the freshman he did not do a good job. Saw no development in the players start to finish,lost some of his one of his own players who i felt had real potential possibly due to his handling of the situation plus his point guard transferred out before the season probably partially due to his handling of the prior year's defection of his best friend and relationship with another player.
So far this year results are mostly mixed but i finally see hope for some improvement.Coaching job vs. Monmouth i felt was atrocious. Also Wagner was a horrible performance.Yet,great job done against Aeton Hall(outcoached Gonzalez and against FDU from accounts i heard as i didnt witness that one against well respected Tom Green.
This year i do see development in the players,Costner,Leon,Bacon especially not to mention Hill recently.Also glad to see the Chinese fire drill substitution pattern to quote Cindy may be coming to an end. Maybe we 're finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnell.


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[> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- loyal, Friday, December 26, 10:50:05am [1]

I think we all agree significant (current roster) player development is a must for JD to be successful.....in addition to Conley and (?) being ready to contribute pretty quickly next season.
I am encouraged by Bacon's progress and Costner's emergence as a nice role player from the depths of what he was last season is also a positive. I do, however, think the overall levels of improvement (Leon, Gooding, Jenkins, Traore) are modest and much, much more needs to be achieved before we head in the right direction....there remains only a slight glimmer of hope at this point.
Net-net....how many MAAC wins would you consider "satisfactory" for this season...and next....in order to classify Dunne's tenure as "acceptable"?
I say 6-8 this season and 9-11 next.
A .500 MAAC record four years into a new coaches tenure is certainly not to much to hope for, or expect, right?


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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts(to Loyal) -- Cindy Crawford, Friday, December 26, 11:20:06am [1]

Through the out of conference schedule now largely completed,the MAAC according to Sagarin is now the 16th rated.This out of 32 puts us solidly mid-major.This is not likely to change much as for most of the remainder of the season there is a conservation of power points due to intra league play.
So wins may not come as easily as last season when the league was mid to low twenties.
I would hope we can get five or six league wins this year.Next season,.500 would be good.
Happy New Year---I'm depending on you,SPCfan,oldtimer,jajk,Peacock,et al to fill in the details for me . I'm returning Jan 5. In case I get slammed for not posting about any bad play while I'm gone,please watch my back. ;>)


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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- oldtimer#1, Saturday, December 27, 11:30:17am [1]

Pomeroy in his MAAC predictions has us at 3-15 for the Conference. Would like to think that we could better that. My take is that we have several decent parts of the puzzle in place but are lacking in a scoring #3 and, of course, that strong inside presence. Until that occurs we will continue to be at the bottom three of the MAAC.

IMO this player development thing (by the staff/any staff) is overated. Our future depends on how good Conley really is and if JD can recruit another Wesley type scorer. As for the others, we have a team of very good role players. Costner, Gooding and Hill all fit into that category. Valuable guys but not starters on a top tier team. And yes Wesley, Leon, Bacon and Hall in my opinion are top tier MAAC players. JD's future will depend on securing (or not) those final pieces.


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[> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- oldtimer#1, Saturday, December 27, 12:39:23pm [1]

Agree on Hall, should have only listed him under "potential". Hill is an interesting situation. Has potential - could go either way. Suprise or disappointment. Unsaid is that he is pretty intelligent (both on and off the court). Seems to pick up things quickly but has a long way to go.


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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- SPC Fan, Saturday, December 27, 11:52:51am [1]

Hall needs to develop a shot and want to take it when its there to be a top tier player. Hill could be a big surprise. I see athleticism size and a nice touch around the basket. Could be a lot more than a role player in time.


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[> My Christmas thought -- Bunk, Wednesday, December 24, 11:35:54pm [1]

How about we stop scheduling home games 1. on the last day before a school break and 2. at the same time as the NFL.


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[> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- Andy, Thursday, December 25, 10:46:08pm [1]

live with it. bitch all you want, the contract is sighned. maybe what is needed here is some fan support. if you dont like the team or its coaches than go root for some other team.


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[> [> Re: Additional Christmas thoughts -- Bill O'Reilley, Friday, December 26, 08:41:17am [1]

Pithy.
I'm sending you a "Don't BE A Pinhead" floor mat.


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