Count me among those who fervently desired Mike Anderson to become St. John’s head coach. I’ve known Anderson for over 30 years, ever since he was Nolan Richardson’s top assistant at Arkansas and I was a young sportswriter who spent two years covering that team daily.
Observing Nolan mold, persuade, and cajole some incredibly entertaining Razorbacks teams was akin to a post-graduate study in professional basketball. Anderson, a devoted sidekick who had played for Richardson at Tulsa, was just as crucial to that achievement, which resulted in Arkansas’s 1994 national championship.
That also propelled Anderson to a distinguished head coaching career spanning 20 years at UAB, Missouri, Arkansas, and St. John’s, during which he never posted a losing record. Examine the archives to determine how many coaches can say that. Dean Smith is unable. Mike Krzyzewski can’t. Bob Knight is unable. John Thompson is unable.
Mike Anderson can and probably certainly will win 21 consecutive Johnnies this year.
St. John’s will miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season unless they go on an immediate nine-game winning run or a historic (and implausible) three- or four-game tear through the Big East Tournament in March.
Moreover, the situation on Utopia Parkway is once more becoming tense.
The Johnnies followed their biggest victory of the season, a lopsided 85-74 victory over then-No. 6 Connecticut in Hartford on Sunday with one of the ugliest games Madison Square Garden has witnessed in a very, very long time.
On a multitude of levels, Villanova’s 57-49 triumph was a buzzkill. There was little carryover from the victory over UConn, and despite their own shocking slump, the Huskies remain one of the Big East’s marquee teams. Villanova, despite being a regal name with a spotless record in the Garden in recent years, is not the Villanova of today. Four days prior, the Wildcats were in a life-or-death situation against Georgetown at home before handing the Hoyas their 28th consecutive Big East loss.
Worse yet, the Johnnies lead Villanova 44-38 with 8 1/2 minutes remaining in front of the loudest and most ardently pro-SJU home crowd of the season — 13,604 individuals. They then scored exactly five points from there. Villanova, which needs its own significant run of good fortune to return to the NCAA tournament, easily defeated the Johnnies.
It was unsightly. It defied explanation.
And, in all honesty, inexcusable.
Under Anderson, the Johnnies needed to perform better than this in Year 4. They ought to be superior to this. Here, there is talent. Even more, the talent is compatible with Anderson’s manner, a descendant of the old “Forty Minutes of Hell” at Arkansas. There are times in games when the Johnnies’ defense makes it appear as if they are playing 7-on-5.
This was the club we saw on Sunday at Connecticut, and they would be among the league’s top three. However, we have seen this team far too infrequently, and we did not see them at the Garden on Friday night. Since the NIT is no longer played in Madison Square Garden, if it does not appear quickly and with staying power, they will be relegated to an NIT berth that no longer carries much weight.
Since Lou Carnesecca’s retirement, the Johnnies’ job has been a revolving door, a surprising trend considering that just five individuals coached the club in the 56 years between 1936 and 1992: Carnesecca (twice), Joe Lapchick (twice), Frank McGuire, Dusty DeStefano, and Frank Mulzoff. Since Looie, Anderson is now ranked seventh. This should not be the case
Nevertheless, unless the unexpected occurs, Rick Pitino is lurking in New Rochelle (though he will almost certainly have other opportunities, maybe even at Georgetown). Too many other obvious ships have already sailed (Danny Hurley, Tim Cluess, Bob McKillop).
Anderson ought to have exercised here. There may be a surprise in the next eight or nine weeks, and he can still prepare for it. I continue to believe that St. John’s may return to its former glory. However, the stack of opposing testimony is growing ever bigger.
Sweeny Murti has accomplished the rarest of daily doubles: he has been excellent in a high-profile broadcasting position for 30 years while being as humble and approachable as on his first day at WFAN. He is also courteous and entertaining. Sundance, I cannot wait to see where your next adventure will lead you.
David Crosby passed away a few days ago after a career of countless contributions to the American songbook. And you have to assume, given the life he led at age 81, that he received his money’s worth.
If Damar Hamlin is able to appear in any capacity at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo on Sunday, I hope the Bills sent engineers to inspect the structure’s foundation this week. Because locals may put it to the ultimate test.
When Mitch Robinson is on the court, Knicks supporters are eager to point out his offensive flaws. However, when he is not on the court, Knicks fans are forced to observe their defense.
John Wagner: You are correct that the Phanatic is superior to Mr. Met, yet… I disagree with MSG’s assessment of the Palestra. Your point would be valid if you had access to the original Garden. However, the current version only dates back to 1968, whereas the previous Palestra, which dates back to 1927, is still the top collegiate basketball venue.
For college games alone, there are the Palestra, Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and everywhere else, including MSG (and, yes, the Reilly Center). Concession made.
Charles Costello: I cannot imagine a finer sporting venue to be at on Martin Luther King Day than the World’s Most Famous Arena, having spent Monday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks have had their fair share of home troubles this season.
The Knicks were also ahead of the curve in securing Martin Luther King Day as an annual holiday destination.
@hbunsis: I particularly like your post on John Mara; he has always bled Giants blue in my eyes. Aside from a few questionable hires, he is a hands-on, football-savvy owner whose only goal is to win. In comparison to Dolan and the Wilpons, he is incomparable.
To put it another way, there is a significant distinction between an owner who makes poor decisions and a horrible owner.
Frank Giordano: The Jets must be in the running for Lamar Jackson. The injury-prone former MVP has not even come close to that season and enjoys helping the opposing team win. He single-handedly won a game for the Giants this season. I assume that the Jets will sign him.
Vac: That might be the single-Jetsiest email ever sent.
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