We will have an opportunity to watch many College Basketball games on TV over the weekend so I will have a lot to say on Monday. I Really want to see how Seton Hall University bounces back from the loss to Louisville last week. Will they compete harder? Will they execute better? Will the end result be favorable? When many of you read this you will already have the answers.
Also anxiously waiting to see St. Johns play against Notre Dame. That game will be a huge test for St. Johns and if they win it will be a tremendous momentum builder and something that could provide confidence as they compete the rest of the season.
Now I need to address a few people who I will not call by name. Seems they are attempting to compare what I do with bloggers and writers who earn significant money for talking about hoops and recruiting. Well, on one hand that is a compliment for anyone to even think I should be considered in the same sentence or breath as those who do it professionally. On the other hand to put my writing style down because I misspelled coaches names on previous blog posts is their right but I hardly think it has anything to do with the message I am delivering.
One poster in particular gets on me every time I write something, making it it seem as if I am writing in ebonics or a style no one can understand. Now there could be errors due to me doing these blogs quick enough to have time to do the things that actually pay the bills. But my blog posts seem far from as bad as some make them seem. But I will never tell a person I cannot be criticized or evaluated. I put it out there, so I have to take what comes with the territory. I really am not offended as much as I am surprised because I read Dick Young articles and blogs where he has misspelled names, and on occasion provided wrong information. Does that mean I do not enjoy what he writes? NO! But I am also no Dick Young and could only achieve what he has in my dreams, if writing was something I ever wanted to pursue. I read all the basketball stories in papers and on the internet and if I pointed out all the errors I see over a 6 month period it would fill up the centerfold of the New York Daily News. However, despite the mistakes, I enjoy reading the blogs and articles from each and every person writing about the game I love.
As far as me? I am really not a writer as many of you (especially that nice person who continues to find fault in how I write) Realize. Than again I never knew that I had to be close to perfect to express my opinion about basketball stuff on the internet for free in a way very few others will. Not just the bad writing or grammar! I am talking about saying it as I see it and not being concerned about coaches liking what I say or expressing my opinion. Heck I have even lost friends based on me talking about their teams. At least one head coach in the ACC, and one ex head coach in the BE stopped speaking to me and one had me on a short list of people his staff could not communicate with. Well, the one in the ACC was sorta a very good friend and the ex Big East Coach was a friend who I really liked. But anyone who knows me will tell you I call it as I see it and from what I have seen there is a lot of things wrong in the world of college basketball.
So lets go back to Seton Hall University. Lets also look at Rutgers during the prior 4 years. What is the common denominator? They both have/had the wrong staff make-up. Rutgers should have hired a few guys I know who wanted to work there. Those guys would have got it done on the teaching, coaching, and recruiting fronts. Instead the Head Coach hires people he was very comfortable with. Unfortunately they were not the correct people for Rutgers to be successful. Thus we saw the further decline of Rutgers. After all the coach prior to the last coach understood he made a mistake by not hiring a local guy and that was why Fred Hill was hired at the right time for Fred Hill. But I will not even talk about that.!
Now we have Seton Hall who is attempting to win with a talented but very inexperienced coaching staff that has to go against seasoned big time college basketball experts. Remember it is not just about the X and Os of the game. It is also about building and maintaining relationships. It is also about not forgetting who you were prior to your current position. I always say what comes around goes around and you never know who knows who! A good example is the many parents I know who currently have division 1 talented sons and daughters. So yes I think the Seton Hall Staff is talented. I Just feel they are in need of that barracuda of an assistant coach with s reputation of getting it done. And trust me, it is not all about facilities and academic tradition in the year 2011. Seton Hall should have snatched Wayne Morgan before he went to Hofstra as an assistant coach. He would have really get it done for them. And this is for SPK who I did take to dinner years ago but he forgot. Guys like Julius Allen, and Robert Holford could save a program as assistant coaches. Trust me these guys are 100 times better and more qualified than 75% of the assistants currently working but cannot get an opportunity.
And speaking of Hofstra I again turn to the Seton Hall poster who gets on me for spelling the name of the ex Hofstra and current Fordham Head Coach wrong. I guess it is more important to him than the person in question because that coach, who I know well has read my blog and has never complained. I am sure he would whether have me say good things about him and spell his name wrong, than say bad things and spell his name right.
Lastly, I again say I am not a professional writer and have never claimed to be a professional writer. If I worked for one of the magazines, The Newark Star Ledger, a scouting service paying me, or just receiving financial benefits, I would have a proof reader and an editor to make sure my blog was correct with names spelled right etc. Unfortunately this is a hobby I love, enjoy, and do because I have something to say that others often will not. So if my grammar, misspelled words, or anything else associated with my blog turns you off I understand you not reading it. In the meantime, I promise again to try to do a better job of proof reading between working from New Jersey to the Carolinas on projects that actually pay the bills. Maybe I can get an editor to volunteer lol.
I sincerely hope you folks understand it is just a blog and I also hope you are enjoying what you read even if you disagree with me. And for the person who always puts me down. I have re-done my prior blog post (notice I never say article). Still not perfect but hopefully not as bad as you described. Please read below:
Seton Hall
So some Seton Hall fans were confused about my last post? Ok than please look at the video of the game vs. Louisville. Like I said, the coaches at Seton Hall are not experienced YET to handle the BE. Why would the Head Coach even smile and joke with the opposing coach after a blowout loss? I do not care that it was his Mentor, the guy he worships, his God Father, or his 2nd Dad. Get your butt into the locker room and teach your team about competing! He should not even be talking to the Louisville staff until after the season. What is Seton Hall the Louisville JV Team? Please!
I really am not surprised that SHU lost big on the road to a traditional power team. What does surprise me is their lack of competiveness or as many coaches often say: getting after it! Guys on the Big East level should be playing hard and building towards the future every time they take the court.
As far as me saying they are a long way from getting it done at SHU, and than saying look for them to make a run? All I am saying is they will make a run and win games when Hazell returns. They still are under achieving and not competing hard. When will it get better? Seton Hall has to get it together and this needs to happen soon. Now here goes where folks become confused again. I still feel Coach Willard will be a good coach at Seton Hall. He just needs a seasoned staff to assist him. If he does not do this, he will have a hard HILL to climb in more ways than I am hinting.
Rutgers
Rutgers looks like a great choice for kids compared to its sister school at this time. Like comparing Carolina/Duke and Clemson.
Went back and forth between games and it seems to me that Coach Rice has his kids competing! Just imagine how good they will be with the young talent coming in. I was very impressed at how the Rutgers team went after Marquette and played so hard.
Though they lost the game, they competed until the end. No moral victory, but continued improvement that everyone can see.
HS Basketball
No one in New Jersey will beat St. Patrick’s high school of Elizabeth this season. No one! They are way too good, well coached, and talented for teams to even be close. They also just happen to have some of the best players I ever saw, who just decided to attend a school miles from their homes for the sake of it lol.
St. Anthony's, always the people’s choice, is rated 2 in the state of NJ. I feel a lot of teams can beat them and some will. Again, Bob Hurley must be so grateful regarding Myles Mack and Kyle Anderson. Funny after writing my last post I thought about St. Anthony's minus Mack and Anderson. They would still be a top school because the system is such a good one and the defense is always tremendous. But having two highly recruited transfers sure helps them win a lot of games.
Good to see the new Teaneck High School Boys basketball Team. What a talented group of non-recruited players very worthy of a high state ranking.
Getting ready to attend the Prime Time Shootout. Hey what happened? It's not at the Trenton Arena? Did they spread out and grow too soon? Does anyone care? Where is Bobby Jacobs when you need him?
Still missing the old Doc Turner HS Classic in Harlem NYC. Great event and very competitive!
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